Light control film and backlight unit using the same

• US 7,481,564 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimoto Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kimoto Company Limited
• Inventors: Etori, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US10/591,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 362/618, 362/619, 362/627, 362/606
• US Class Current: 362/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/021 the diffusion taking place at the element's surface, e.g. by means of surface roughening or microprismatic structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0242 by means of dispersed particles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission

Abstract

The light control film provides improved front luminance and appropriate diffusion without the problems of interference pattern, glare. The light control film has a rough surface that, for substantially any arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, has an average θ_ave of absolute values of slope, with respect to the base plane of a curve along the edge of the cross section, which is not less than 20 degrees and not more than 75 degrees, and has an absolute value of skewness (JIS B0601:2001) of the profile curve of not more than 1.2.

Claims

1. A light control film having a rough surface,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, an average θ

_ave of absolute values of slope, with respect to the base plane of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surface, not less than 20 degrees and not more than 75 degrees, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have an absolute value of skewness, according to JIS B0601;

2001, of not more than 1.2.

9. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate and a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 1 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.

10. The backlight unit according to claim 9, further comprising a prism sheet between the light control film and the light guide plate.

11. A backlight unit comprising a light source, a light diffusive plate provided on one side of the light source and a light control film according to claim 1 provided on the side of the light diffusive plate opposite to the light source side.

2. A light control film having a rough surface formed by a patterned layer comprising a material having a refractive index n,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, an average θ

_ave of absolute values of slope, with respect to the base plane of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surface, not less than 36−

10n degrees and not more than 86−

10n degrees, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have an absolute value of skewness, according to JIS B0601;

2001, of not more than n−

0.4.

12. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate and a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 2 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.

3. A light control film having a rough surface,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, an average θ

_ave of absolute values of slope, with respect to the base plane of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surface, not less than 20 degrees and not more than 75 degrees, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have a kurtosis, according to JIS B0601;

2001, of not less than 1.5 and not more than 5.0.

13. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate and a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 3 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.

4. A light control film having a rough surface formed by a patterned layer comprising a material having a predetermined refractive index of n,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, an average θ

_ave of absolute values of slope, with respect to the base plane of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surfaces, not less than 36−

10n degrees and not more than 86−

10n degrees, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have a kurtosis, according to JIS B0601;

2001, of not less than 1.5 and not more than 10n−

11.

14. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate and a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 4 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.

5. A light control film having a rough surface,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, a ratio (L_r=L2/L1, wherein L2 is length of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surface and L1 is length of a straight line defined as an intersection of the base plane and the cross section, and wherein the ratio is 1.1≦

L_r≦

1.8, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have an absolute value of skewness, according to JIS B0601;

2001, of not more than 1.2.

15. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate and a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 5 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.

6. A light control film having a rough surface formed by a patterned layer comprising a material having a refractive index n,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, a ratio L2/L1, wherein L2 is length of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surface and L1 is length of a straight line defined as an intersection of the base plane and the cross section, and wherein the ratio is 1.9−

0.5n≦

L_r≦

1.8, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have an absolute value of skewness, according to JIS B0601;

2001, not more than n−

0.4.

16. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate equipped with a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 6 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.

7. A light control film having a rough surface,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, a ratio (L_r=L2/L1, wherein L2 is length of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surface and L1 is length of a straight line defined as an intersection of the base plane and the cross section, and wherein the ratio is 1.1≦

L_r≦

1.8, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have a kurtosis, according to JIS B0601;

2001 of not less than 1.0 and not more than 4.5.

17. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate equipped with a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate and having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 7 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.

8. A light control film having a rough surface formed by a patterned layer comprising a material having a refractive index n,

wherein the rough surface has, for an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a base plane of the film, a ratio L_r=L2/L1, wherein L2 is length of a profile curve along the edge of the cross section contoured by the rough surface and L1 is length of a straight line defined as an intersection of the base plane and the cross section, and wherein the ratio is 1.9−

0.5n≦

L_r≦

1.8, and

wherein substantially all profile curves have a kurtosis, according to JIS B0601;

2001, of less than 1.0 and not more than 10n−

11.5.

18. A backlight unit comprising a light guide plate equipped with a light source directed toward at least one edge of the light guide plate, the light guide plate having a light emergent surface approximately perpendicular to the direction of the light source toward the at least one edge, and a light control film according to claim 8 provided on the light emergent surface of the light guide plate.