Backlight unit

• US 7,645,063 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Do Yune, Lee, Seok Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne; Sharon E
• Application Number:
  US11/143,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 362/561, 362/608, 362/609, 362/610, 362/621, 362/628, 362/560, 362/551, 362/559, 362/511, 362/330, 362/606, 362/603, 362/607, 362/616, 349/63, 349/65, 349/67
• US Class Current: 362/561
• 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 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A backlight unit, in which an incident surface of a light-guiding plate is formed in a shape of a curve, or a curve-shaped structure is formed in a housing to improve the light efficiency. The backlight unit includes a light source emitting light; a housing surrounding the light source; a light-guiding plate guiding the light emitted from the light source to an LCD panel, wherein the light-guiding plate has an incident surface formed in a shape of a curve; and a reflective sheet formed under the light-guiding plate.

Claims

1. A backlight unit comprising:

at least one light source emitting light;

a light-guiding plate guiding the light emitted from the light source onto an incident surface of the light guiding plate to an LCD panel;

a housing surrounding the light source, wherein the housing has a flat side surface opposite the incident surface of the light guiding plate;

a reflective sheet formed under the light-guiding plate; and

a structure having a convex or concave side surface and a flat side surface in contact with the flat side surface of the housing, and formed of a reflective material, wherein the structure is entirely formed on the flat side surface of the housing so that the convex or concave side surface opposite the incident surface of the light guiding plate and the light source is entirely curve shape, and wherein the structure reflects light from the light source in a direction towards the incident surface of the light-guiding plate.

2. The backlight unit of claim 1, wherein the incident surface of the light-guiding plate is formed in a shape of a curve for receiving the light emitted from the light source.

3. The backlight unit of claim 2, wherein the incident surface of the light-guiding plate is formed in a convex shape.

4. The backlight unit of claim 2, wherein the incident surface of the light-guiding plate is formed in a concave shape.

5. The backlight unit of claim 1, further comprising optical sheets between the light-guiding plate and the LCD panel.

6. A method of fabricating a backlight unit, comprising:

providing at least one light source to emit light;

forming a light-guiding plate to guide the light emitted from the light source onto an incident surface of the light guiding plate to a LCD panel;

forming a housing surrounding the light source, wherein the housing has a flat side surface opposite the incident surface of the light guiding plate;

forming a reflective sheet under the light-guiding plate; and

forming a structure having a convex or concave side surface and a flat side surface in contact with the flat side surface of the housing and formed of reflective material, wherein the structure is entirely formed on the flat side surface of the housing so that the convex or concave side surface opposite the incident surface of the light guiding plate and the light source is entirely curve shape, and wherein the structure reflects light from the light source in a direction towards the incident surface of the light-guiding plate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein forming the light-guiding plate includes forming the incident surface in a shape of one of convex shape and a concave shape.