Illumination device having elliptical body and display device using the same

• US 7,484,873 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dawncrest IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Dejima, Norihiro, Kurihara, Makoto, Honma, Katsunori, Sado, Takayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US11/209,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 362/600, 362/606, 362/607, 362/608, 362/610, 362/621, 362/626, 385/39, 385/129, 385/146
• US Class Current: 362/606
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials

Abstract

An illumination device for emitting light includes a light incident body having a first end portion that has a light incident surface on which light from a light source is incident, a second end portion, and an outer oval-shaped surface portion interconnection the first and second end portions. A light guide plate is optically coupled to the second end portion of the light incident body and has a light emitting surface through which light that propagates through the light incident body is emitted. The light guide plate and the light incident body are integrally formed and may comprise a one-piece body. A display device utilizes the illumination device for illuminating a display element of the non-self light emitting type.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a non-self light emitting type display element; and

an illumination device for illuminating the display element, the illumination device comprising

a light source;

a light guide plate having a light emitting surface;

a light incident body having a first end portion that has a light incident surface on which light from the light source is incident, and an outer surface portion a part of which has an elliptical shape, the light guide plate and the light incident body being made of the same material; and

a coupling portion disposed between the light incident body and the light guide plate;

wherein opposed surface portions of the light guide plate and opposed elliptical surface portions of the light incident body are respectively coupled by opposed planar surface portions that define a wedge shape having a tapered thickness that decreases from the light incident body towards the light guide plate, the planar surface portions being tangential to respective elliptical surface portions of the light incident body.

2. An illumination device for emitting light comprising:

a light source;

a light incident body having a first end portion that has a light incident surface on which light from the source is incident, a second end portion, and an outer surface portion interconnecting the first and second end portions and a part of which has an oval shape; and

a light guide plate optically coupled to the second end portion of the light incident body and having a light emitting surface through which light that propagates through the light incident body is emitted, the light guide plate and the light incident body constituting a one-piece structure;

wherein the second end portion of the light incident body has opposed planner surfaces that taper inwardly in a direction toward the light guide plate.

3. An illumination device according to claim 2;

further including light reflectors disposed in opposed relationship over the tapered portion of the light incident body and over a part of the light guide plate.

4. An illumination device according to claim 2;

wherein the thickness of the light guide plate is less than the height of the light incident surface in the thickness direction of the light guide plate.

5. An illumination device according to claim 2;

further including a plurality of concavities formed on a surface of the light guide plate that is opposite to the light emitting surface, the concavities each having a longitudinal direction and being arranged so that the longitudinal direction extends substantially parallel to a line passing through the concavity and the light source.

6. An illumination device for emitting light comprising:

a light source;

a light guide plate having a light emitting surface;

a light incident body having a first end portion that has a light incident surface on which light from the light source is incident, and an outer surface portion a part of which has an elliptical shape, the light guide plate and the light incident body being made of the same material; and

a coupling portion disposed between the light incident body and the light guide plate;

wherein opposed surface portions of the light guide plate and opposed elliptical surface portions of the light incident body are respectively coupled by opposed planar surface portions that define a wedge shape having a tapered thickness that decreases from the light incident body towards the light guide plate, the planar surface portions being tangential to respective elliptical surface portions of the light incident body.

7. An illumination device according to claim 6;

further including light reflectors positioned over the opposed planar portions and the opposed surface portions of a part of the light guide plate.

8. An illumination deive according to claim 6;

wherein a top of the light incident body is flush with the light emitting surface of the light guide plate.

9. An illumination device according to claim 6;

wherein a rectangular portion is formed on the side of the light source of the light incident body and merges with the elliptical portion; and

the light incident surface is provided at the rectangular portion.

10. An illumination device according to claim 6;

further including a plurality of concave micro-structures for light-scattering formed on the surface of the light guide plate opposite to the light emitting surface, the plurality of concave micro-structures each having a longitudinal direction and being arranged to have the longitudinal direction arranged substantially in parallel to a line passing through the micro-structures and the light source.

11. An illumination device according to claim 6;

wherein the thickness of the light guide plate is less than the thickness of the light incident body.

12. An illumination device according to claim 6;

further including a light reflector provided between the light incident body and the light source, the light reflector having an opening at a position corresponding to the light source.

13. An illumination device according to claim 12;

wherein a size of the opening is equal to or larger than that of the light emitting surface of the light source.

14. An illumination device for emitting light comprising:

a light source;

a light guide plate having a light emitting surface;

a light incident body having a first end portion that has a light incident surface on which light from the light source is incident, and an outer surface portion a part of which has an oval shape; and

a light reflector provided between the light incident body and the light source, the light reflector having an opening at a position corresponding to the light source;

wherein the light guide plate is integrally coupled, without an intervening air space, to the light incident body, and the light incident body and the light guide plate are made of the same material.

15. An illumination device according to claim 14;

wherein a size of the opening is equal to or lager than that of the light emitting surface of the light source.

16. An illumination device according to claim 15;

wherein a rectangular portion is formed on the side of the light source of the light incident body and merges with the oval portion; and

the light incident surface is provided at the rectangular portion.