Light pipe having an improved structure of prisms

• US 7,565,050 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Han Kyu, Kim, Jong-Jin, Lee, Sang Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy; Brian M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/759,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 385/36, 385/123, 385125-128, 385/147, 385/900, 385/901, 362/551, 362568-560
• US Class Current: 385/133
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/90 Solar collector or transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a light pipe having an improved structure of prisms. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a hollow light pipe comprises an inner-surface including a linear array of prisms; and a substantially smooth outer-surface, wherein a pitch of prisms in a first region is wider than a pitch of prisms in a second region. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a hollow light pipe comprises a hollow base pipe; and an insertion inserted into the base pipe and having a structured surface including an array of prisms, wherein a pitch of prisms in a first region is wider than a pitch of prisms in a second region.

Claims

1. A hollow light pipe, comprising:

an inner-surface including a linear array of prisms, including a plurality of prisms in a first light transmissive region of the hollow light pipe and a plurality of prisms in a second light transmissive region of the hollow light pipe; and

a substantially smooth outer-surface,

wherein a pitch of one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region is wider than a pitch of one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region for increasing a brightness of the first light transmissive region, and

wherein the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region have a common shape, and the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region have a common shape.

2. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, wherein the pitch of the one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region is in the range of about 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm, and the pitch of the one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region is in the range of about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

3. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, wherein the inner-surface substantially has a cross-section of a polyhedron-shape or a circular-shape.

4. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, further comprising diffusive particles disposed on the outer surface.

5. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, further comprising a film having a plurality of scattering patterns and disposed outside or inside the hollow light pipe.

6. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflector reflecting a light, disposed inside or outside the hollow light pipe, and facing the first light transmissive region.

7. The hollow light pipe of claim 6, wherein the inner surface includes a smooth surface, and the reflector is disposed on the smooth surface.

8. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, further comprising a cone-shaped extractor disposed inside the hollow light pipe to reflect a light.

13. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, wherein both the one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region and the one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region are disposed toward inner direction of the hollow light pipe.

20. The hollow light pipe of claim 1, wherein the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region have a same pitch and the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region have a same pitch.

9. A hollow light pipe, comprising:

a hollow base pipe; and

an insertion inserted into the base pipe and having a structured surface including an array of prisms, including a plurality of prisms in a first light transmissive region of the hollow light pipe and a plurality of prisms in a second light transmissive region of the hollow light pipe, wherein

a pitch of one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region is wider than a pitch of one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region for increasing a brightness of the first light transmissive region, and

the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region have a common shape, and the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region have a common shape, and

both the one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region and the one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region face the hollow base pipe.

10. The hollow light pipe of claim 9, further comprising a cone-shaped extractor disposed inside the insertion to reflect a light.

11. The hollow light pipe of claim 10, further comprising a supporting body connected to an edge part of the cone-shaped extractor to hold the cone-shaped extractor.

12. The hollow light pipe of claim 9, wherein the insertion is a film or a pipe.

21. The hollow light pipe of claim 9, wherein the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region have a same pitch, and the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region have a same pitch.

14. A hollow light pipe, comprising:

a hollow base pipe; and

an insertion inserted into the base pipe and having a structured surface including an array of prisms, including a plurality of prisms in a first light transmissive region of the hollow light pipe and a plurality of prisms in a second light transmissive region of the hollow light pipe,

wherein a pitch of one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region is wider than a pitch of one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region for increasing a brightness of the first light transmissive region,

wherein the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region have a first common shape, and the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region have a second common shape, and

wherein both the one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region and the one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region are disposed toward an inner direction of the hollow light pipe.

15. The hollow light pipe of claim 14, further comprising a cone-shaped extractor disposed inside the insertion to reflect a light.

16. The hollow light pipe of claim 15, further comprising a supporting body connected to an edge part of the cone-shaped extractor to hold the cone-shaped extractor.

17. The hollow light pipe of claim 14, wherein the insertion is a film or a pipe.

18. The hollow light pipe of claim 14, wherein

the pitch of the one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region is in the range of about 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm, and the pitch of the one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region is in the range of about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

19. The hollow light pipe of claim 14, wherein

the pitch of the one of the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region is in the range of about 1.7 mm to 2.2 mm, and the pitch of the one of the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region is in the range of about 0.8 mm to 1.3 mm.

22. The hollow light pipe of claim 14, wherein the plurality of prisms in the first light transmissive region have a same pitch, and the plurality of prisms in the second light transmissive region have a same pitch.