Backlight module

• US 7,478,940 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhu, Wen-Wu, Wu, Ye
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Ali
• Assistant Examiner(s): DZIERZYNSKI, EVAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/541,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20070223246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 362/610, 362/611, 362/606, 362/609, 362/614, 362/600, 362/616, 362/617
• US Class Current: 362/611
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A backlight module includes a lamp tube, a light guide plate and a light guide unit. The light guide plate has a light incident side. The light guide unit is in contact with the light incident side of the light guide plate. The light guide unit and the light incident side cooperatively form a receiving tunnel. The lamp tube is disposed in the receiving tunnel. The light guide unit is detachable from the light guide plate. Another backlight module is also provided. The present backlight module can be assembled conveniently and quickly, and has a relatively high light energy utilization rate.

Claims

1. A backlight module comprising:

a lamp tube;

a light guide plate having a light reflective surface, a light emitting surface, and a light incident side, the light reflective surface and the light emitting surface being on opposite sides of the light guide plate, the light incident side adjoining the light reflective surface and the light emitting surface; and

a light guide unit disposed in contact with the light incident side of the light guide plate, wherein the light guide unit is detachable from the light guide plate and the lamp tube, and the light guide unit and the light incident side cooperatively forms a receiving tunnel, the lamp tube being disposed in the receiving tunnel.

2. The backlight module according to claim 1, wherein the light incident side of the light guide plate defines a first elongated depression thereon, and a side facing the light incident side of the light guide unit also defines a second elongated depression thereon, the first elongated depression and the second elongated depression cooperatively forming the receiving tunnel.

3. The backlight module according to claim 2, wherein a shape of the receiving tunnel is configured to be one of a cylinder and a cubiod.

4. The backlight module according to claim 1, wherein the light guide plate further comprises a plurality of microstructures formed on the light reflective surface.

5. The backlight module according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of reflective plates cooperatively surrounding the light guide plate and the light guide unit excluding the light emitting surface of the light guide plate.

6. The backlight module according to claim 1, wherein the light guide unit and the light guide plate are formed of same resin material, provided the light guide plate is sufficiently transparent and the light guide unit transparent or opaque.

7. The backlight module according to claim 6, wherein the light guide unit and the light guide plate are selected from a group comprising of polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polystyrene.

8. The backlight module according to claim 1, further comprising a light diffusion film and two prism sheets stacked on the light emitting surface of the light guide plate in that order.

9. The backlight module according to claim 1, wherein the lamp tube is a cold cathode fluorescent lamp.

10. A backlight module comprising:

a lamp tube;

a light guide plate having a light reflective surface, a light emitting surface, and a light incident side, the light reflective surface and the light emitting surface being on opposite sides of the light guide plate, the light incident side adjoining the light reflective surface and the light emitting surface; and

a light guide unit disposed in contact with the light incident side of the light guide plate, the light guide unit defining a receiving tunnel therein, the lamp tube being disposed in the receiving tunnel, wherein the light guide unit is detachable from the light guide plate and the lamp tube.

11. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the light guide plate further comprises a plurality of microstructures formed on the light reflective surface.

12. The backlight module according to claim 10, further comprising a plurality of reflective plates cooperatively surrounding the light guide plate and the light guide unit excluding the light emitting surface of the light guide plate.

13. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the light guide unit and the light guide plate are formed of same material, the light guide unit and the light guide plate being selected from a group comprising of transparent polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polystyrene.

14. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the second surface of the first light guide member defines a first elongated depression thereon, and the third surface of the second light guide member also defines a second elongated depression thereon, the first elongated depression and the second elongated depression cooperatively forming the receiving tunnel.

15. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the first light guide member and the second light guide member employ same material.

16. The backlight module according to claim 10, further comprising a light diffusion film and two prism sheets stacked on the light emitting surface of the light guide plate in that order.