Light guide plate structure and back light module

• US 7,924,369 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpacific Systems LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Huang, Yao-Der, Chu, Wei-Kuang
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDE, TIMOTHY L
• Application Number:
  US11/512,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 349/65
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide

Abstract

A structure of a light guide plate comprising a light guide plate and a plurality of transparent elements is disclosed. The light guide plate comprises at least onelight incident surface, a light scattering surface and a light emitting surface. The light scattering surface has a plurality of notches and these transparent elements are disposed therein. The transparent elements refractive index is different from that of the light guide plate. By disposing these transparent elements, the light scattering surface can improve light scattering effect. In addition, a back light module comprising a linearlight source and a light guide plate structure mentioned above is also disclosed. The linearlight source is disposed next to the light incident surface of the light guide plate.

Claims

1. A back light device, comprising:

a light guide plate comprising a first solid material and including a light scattering surface and a light emitting surface, wherein the light scattering surface has a plurality of notches formed therein; and

transparent element structures comprising a second solid material which is different than the first solid material, wherein each of the transparent element structures are partially disposed into a corresponding one of the plurality of notches and have solid side walls that extend outside of the light guide plate, and wherein the transparent element structures are configured to receive light from the light guide plate and reflect the light to the light emitting surface of the light guide plate with a bottom surface of the transparent element structures.

2. The back light device of claim 1, wherein the transparent element structures are block-shaped.

3. The back light device of claim 2, wherein at least three of the transparent element structures have different sized block shapes and are positioned at least partially within the notches in sequence by size.

4. The back light device of claim 1, wherein the transparent element structures comprise a glass material or an acrylic material.

5. The back light device of claim 1, further comprising a brightness enhancement film positioned adjacent to a top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the brightness enhancement film is configured to modify a luminance of the light guide plate.

6. The back light device of claim 1, further comprising a diffusion sheet positioned adjacent to a top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the diffusion sheet is configured to modify a luminance of the light guide plate.

7. The back light device of claim 1, further comprising a linear light source positioned adjacent to at least one light incident surface of the light guide plate.

8. A back light device, comprising:

a light guide plate including at least one light incident surface, a light scattering surface comprising a first solid material, and a light emitting surface, wherein the light incident surface is on a sidewall of the light guide plate, the light scattering surface is on a bottom surface of the light guide plate, and the light emitting surface is on a top surface of the light guide plate, and wherein the light scattering surface has notches formed therein; and

means for scattering light through the notches at a refractive index different from that of the light guide plate, wherein the means for scattering comprises a second solid material which is different than the first solid material, wherein the means for scattering are partially disposed into the notches and have solid side walls that extend outside of the light guide plate, and wherein the means for scattering is configured to receive light from the light guide plate and reflect the light to the light emitting surface of the light guide plate with a bottom surface of the means for scattering.

9. The back light device of claim 8, wherein the transparent element structures are block-shaped.

10. The back light device of claim 8, wherein the means for scattering have rectangular profiles.

11. The back light device of claim 8, further comprising a brightness enhancement film positioned adjacent to a top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the brightness enhancement film is configured to modify a luminance of the light guide plate.

12. The back light device of claim 8, further comprising a diffusion sheet positioned adjacent to a top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the diffusion sheet is configured to modify a luminance of the light guide plate.

13. The back light device of claim 8, further comprising a linear light source positioned adjacent to the at least one light incident surface of the light guide plate.

14. The back light device of claim 8, wherein the means for scattering includes solid side walls that continuously extend between a first surface and a second surface, and wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface is spaced apart from the light guide plate.

15. A back light device, comprising:

a light guide plate including a light incident surface, a light scattering surface, and a light emitting surface comprising a first solid material, wherein the light incident surface is on a sidewall of the light guide plate, the light scattering surface is on a bottom surface of the light guide plate, and the light emitting surface is on a top surface of the light guide plate, and wherein the light scattering surface has notches formed therein;

transparent element structures that are block-shaped and comprising a second solid material which is different than the first solid material, wherein each of the transparent element structures are positioned at least partially within a corresponding one of the notches, and wherein a reflective index of the transparent element structures is different from a reflective index of the light guide plate;

a brightness enhancement film positioned adjacent to the top surface of the light guide plate;

a diffusion sheet positioned adjacent to the top surface of the light guide plate; and

a linear light source positioned adjacent to the light incident surface.

16. The back light device of claim 15, wherein the transparent element structures have solid parallel side surfaces that extend between solid parallel top and bottom surfaces.

17. The back light device of claim 15, wherein the transparent element structures have a substantially rectangular profile.

18. The back light device of claim 15, wherein at least three of the transparent element structures have different sizes and are positioned at least partially within notches in the light guide plate in sequence by size, and wherein bottom surfaces of the at least three transparent pieces are substantially coplanar.

19. The back light device of claim 15, wherein the transparent element structures comprise a glass material or an acrylic material.

20. The back light device of claim 15, wherein the transparent element structures have solid side walls that continuously extend between a first surface and a second surface, and wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface is spaced apart from the light guide plate.