Light correction member, light diffusion member, display member, and display using the same

• US 7,517,103 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Furuya, Yoshiyuki, Sugiyama, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar; Stephen F
• Application Number:
  US11/679,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20070139906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 404/50, 404/51, 405/51, 405/52, 405/70, 313/510, 340/815.44, 340/815.45, 345/45, 359/599, 362/29, 362/30, 362/246, 362/558, 362/812
• US Class Current: 362/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0011 the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0409 Arrangements for homogeneous illumination of the display surface, e.g. using a layer having a non-uniform transparency arrangements of reflectors G09F13/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/812 Signs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A display includes a display lightguide, on which a shape of a display character is formed in three dimensions, a light source, emitting a light toward the display lightguide, and a light collection portion, provided between the light source and the display lightguide, and having a light reflection face formed like a parabolic face which employs a straight line perpendicular to a light receiving face of the display lightguide as an axis thereof.

Claims

1. A light diffusion member for diffusing a light to be irradiated into a display member, the display member having a plurality of display characters which are illuminated by the light, comprising:

a plurality of light diffusion portions, disposed so as to correspond to the display characters; and

a curved connection portion, connecting the diffusion portions to one another.

2. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein when at least four display segments are placed as the display characters on four sides surrounding a space, at least four diffusion portions is placed on four sides surrounding a space so as to respectively correspond to the four display segments;

and

wherein the curved connection portion is formed so as to extend from a nearly center of the space surrounded by the diffusion portions to each of the diffusion portions.

3. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display member has a plurality of display lightguides, each display lightguide having the display character formed in three dimensions;

and

wherein the light diffusion member is integrally formed with the display lightguides.

4. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 3, wherein the light diffusion member is integrally formed with the display lightguides by injecting a forming agent for forming the display lightguides into a mold for the display lightguides, during a state in which the light diffusion member is inserted into the mold.

5. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 3, wherein the light diffusion member is integrally formed with the display lightguides by two-color forming using a forming agent for forming the light diffusion member and a forming agent for forming the display lightguides.

6. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 2, wherein the curved connection portion has a plurality of extending parts respectively extending from the nearly center to the diffusion portions;

and

wherein the extending parts have different curves respectively.

7. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of light diffusion portions diffuse a light from a light source to be irradiated into the display member for illuminating the display characters.

8. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein each light diffusion portion of the plurality of light diffusion portions is a structure which covers a rear face of a respective display character.

9. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein each light diffusion portion of the plurality of light diffusion portions is a structure placed behind one of the plurality of display characters.

10. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 9, wherein the light diffusion member is integrally formed with the display characters.

11. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 10 wherein each light diffusion portion covers a corresponding display character of the plurality of display characters.

12. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of light diffusion portions disuse the light to be irradiated into the display member for illuminating the display characters.

13. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of light diffusion portions are disposed between the display member and a light source.

14. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 13, wherein the light diffusion member prevents leakage of the light to display characters other than a specific display character corresponding to a specific light diffusion portion, the light being illuminated through the specific light diffusion portion.

15. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein each light diffusion portion of the plurality of light diffusion portions is a structure separate from one another, and connected to one another by the curved connection portion to form the light diffusion member as a single structure.

16. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the curved connection portion prevents light, which has impinged from a predetermined one of the diffusion portions, from propagating through the curved connection portion and then impinging upon the other diffusion portions.

17. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the curved connection portion prevents light emitted to a rear surface of a predetermined display character from impinging upon a rear surface of another display character.

18. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 2, wherein each light diffusion portion of the plurality of light diffusion portions is a structure which covers a rear face of a respective display segment.

19. The light diffusion member as set forth in claim 2, wherein each display segment is a display lightguide.

20. A display comprising:

a light source, irradiating a light;

a light diffusion member, having a plurality of diffusion portions which diffuse the light from the light source, and having a curved connection portion which connects the diffusion portions; and

a display portion, having a plurality of display characters to be illuminated by the diffused light,

wherein the diffusion portions are placed so as to correspond to the display characters respectively.