Prismatic film backlight

• US 8,016,475 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Travis, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/444,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20100014312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 362606-607, 362617-620, 362/19, 362624-626, 362/628, 362/339, 362328-330
• US Class Current: 362/618
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A selectively light-reflecting sheet (30) includes a prismatic film (1) with parallel prisms (10) on its face, a low-index film (3) on the prisms and a layer (5) on the low-index film, this layer having a substantially flat surface. This results in a low effective index, which means that light incident at steeper angles on the prismatic film (1) will pass through it. This “leaky” effect can be used in conjunction with a reflector sheet (20) in a tapered-waveguide arrangement to construct a lightweight backlight.

Claims

1. A light guide comprising:

a prismatic film with parallel prisms on a first side of the prismatic film;

a low-index film on the prisms as an intermediate layer;

a cover layer having a first surface that contacts the intermediate layer, the cover layer having a substantially flat second surface opposite to the first surface; and

a reflective layer facing a second side of the prismatic film, the reflective layer disposed at an angle with respect to the second side of the prismatic film.

2. A light guide according to claim 1, in which a thickness of the intermediate layer is about 10 μ

m.

3. A light guide according to claim 1, in which the prismatic film and the cover layer have a refractive index of about 1.5, and the intermediate layer has a refractive index of about 1.2-1.3.

4. A light guide according to claim 1, in which the prismatic film and the cover layer are made of a plastic comprising at least one of:

polycarbonate or acrylic materials.

5. The light guide according to claim 1, in which:

the parallel prisms on the prismatic film are first parallel prisms; and

the cover layer includes second parallel prisms on the first surface contacting the intermediate layer.

6. The light guide according to claim 5, in which the second parallel prisms have prism apexes aligned with prism bases of the first parallel prisms on the prismatic film.

7. The light guide according to claim 1, in which the parallel prisms have apex angles of about 90 degrees.

8. A light guide comprising:

a sheet comprising;

a prismatic film with parallel prisms on a first side;

a cover layer including a first surface facing the parallel prisms, the cover layer having a substantially flat second surface opposite to the first surface; and

a low-index intermediate layer located between the prismatic film and the cover layer; and

a reflective layer disposed in a spaced relationship with the sheet, the reflective layer positioned to reflect light toward a second side of the prismatic film.

9. A light guide according to claim 8, wherein the reflective layer is disposed at an angle to the sheet, as seen along a prism axis direction.

10. A light guide according to claim 9, further comprising:

a parallel portion of the light guide formed of a parallel pair of reflectors adjoining a thick end of a tapered portion of the light guide, the tapered portion including the reflective layer disposed at the angle.

11. The light guide according to claim 9, in which the angle at which the reflective layer is disposed varies progressively along the prism axis direction to impart a curve to the reflective layer.

12. The light guide according to claim 10, in which the parallel portion of the light guide includes a pair of parallel sheets as the pair of parallel reflectors, the pair of parallel sheets adjoining the thick end of the tapered portion of the light guide.

13. The light guide according to claim 8, in which:

the parallel prisms on the prismatic film are first parallel prisms; and

the cover layer includes second parallel prisms on the first surface facing the first parallel prisms.

14. The light guide according to claim 13, in which the second parallel prisms have prism apexes aligned with prism bases of the first parallel prisms on the prismatic film.

15. The light guide according to claim 8, in which the parallel prisms have apex angles of about 90 degrees.

16. A display apparatus comprising:

a light guide comprising;

a prismatic film with first parallel prisms on a first side of the prismatic film;

an intermediate layer including a low-index film deposited on the first parallel prisms on the first side of the prismatic film; and

a cover layer having a first surface contacting the intermediate layer opposite to the prismatic film, the cover layer having second parallel prisms on the first surface contacting the intermediate layer, the second parallel prisms having prism apexes aligned with prism bases of the first parallel prisms, the cover layer having a substantially flat second surface opposite to the first surface; and

a reflective layer facing a second side of the prismatic film, the reflective layer positioned at an angle with respect to the second side of the prismatic film to reflect light into the second side of the prismatic film; and

a light source arranged to inject light into the light guide along a prism axis direction.

17. The display apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a display.

18. The display apparatus of claim 16 in which the first parallel prisms and the second parallel prisms have apex angles of about 90 degrees.

19. The display apparatus of claim 16 in which the light guide includes a parallel portion having a pair of parallel sheets as a pair of parallel reflectors, the pair of parallel sheets adjoining a thick end of a tapered portion of the light guide that includes the reflective layer disposed at the angle.

20. The display apparatus of claim 19 in which the parallel portion of the light guide fans out in a direction lateral to a prism axis direction.