Illumination structure and illumination lens mounted thereon

• US 8,159,750 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yokota, Shinji, Umeda, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): HASAN, MOHAMMED A
• Application Number:
  US12/078,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 359694-700, 359811-824, 359/625, 359/626, 359/634, 359/640, 362/311.06, 362/337, 362/97.1, 362/97.2
• US Class Current: 359/626
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

Provided is an illumination structure which includes a light source and an illumination lens. The light source emits light in at least one wavelength band. The illumination lens includes a light receiving portion and a light outgoing portion. The light receiving portion divides the light from the light source in a plurality of different directions and the light outgoing portion emits the divided light.

Claims

1. An illumination structure comprising:

a light source that emits light in at least one wavelength band; and

an illumination lens having a light receiving portion and a light outgoing portion wherein an incident light from the light source is divided in a plurality of different directions by the light receiving portion and the divided lights are emitted in a plurality of different directions from the light outgoing portion, wherein the illumination lens is formed in such a manner that the surface of the light receiving portion is nonplanar-shaped;

wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation; and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

2. The illumination structure according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the light receiving portion is subjected to a decoration treatment to reduce transparency of the illumination lens.

3. The illumination structure according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of dome-like projections are formed on the surface of the light receiving portion.

4. The illumination structure according to claim 1, wherein the illumination lens is formed in such a manner that the surface of the light outgoing portion is nonplanar-shaped.

5. The illumination structure according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion is cone-shaped, and wherein the incident light on the surface of the light receiving portion is incident at an angle that is smaller angle than a right angle.

6. The illumination structure according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion includes:

a) a plurality of concave or convex portions, b) a plurality of notches, or c) a shape cut to a polyhedron having a plurality of different-angled light-receiving surfaces.

7. The illumination structure according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving portion has a prism shape with a plurality of surfaces at different angles with respect to each other, in which the light output from the light source is incident on at least two of the plurality of surfaces so as to cause the light output from the light source to be divided into a plurality of light each of which propagates in a different direction.

8. An electronic device having an illumination structure equipped therein, said illumination structure comprising:

a light source that emits light in at least one wavelength band; and

an illumination lens having a light receiving portion and a light outgoing portion wherein an incident light from the light source is divided in a plurality of different directions by the light receiving portion and the divided lights are emitted in a plurality of different directions from the light outgoing portion, wherein the illumination lens is formed in such a manner that the surface of a light receiving portion is nonplanar-shaped;

wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation; and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion is subjected to a decoration treatment to reduce transparency of the illumination lens.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation;

and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

11. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of dome-like projections are formed on the surface of the light receiving portion.

12. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the illumination lens if formed in such a manner that the surface of the light outgoing portion is nonplanar-shaped.

13. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion is cone-shaped, and wherein the incident light on the surface of the light receiving portion is incident at an angle that is smaller angle than a right angle.

14. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion includes:

a) a plurality of concave or convex portions, b) a plurality of notches, or c) a shape cut to a polyhedron.

15. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the light receiving has a prism shape with a plurality of surfaces at different angles with respect to each other, for dividing the incident light in the plurality of different directions, and which is output by the light outgoing portion as the plurality of the divided light.

16. An illumination lens comprising:

a light receiving portion that receives an incident light in at least one wavelength band and divides the incident light in a plurality of different directions to cause the divided light to be incident upon an interior; and

a light outgoing portion that emits a plurality of the divided light in a plurality of different directions, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion is subjected to a decoration treatment to reduce transparency of the illumination lens;

wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation; and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

17. The illumination lens according to claim 16, wherein the illumination lens is formed in such a manner that a surface of the light receiving portion is nonplanar-shaped.

18. The illumination lens according to claim 16, wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation;

and

wherein at least some of light being incident from a surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

19. The illumination lens according to claim 16, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion is cone-shaped, and wherein the incident light on the surface of the light receiving portion is incident at an angle that is smaller angle than a right angle.

20. The illumination lens according to claim 16, wherein the surface of the light receiving portion includes:

a) a plurality of concave or convex portions, b) a plurality of notches, or c) a shape cut to a polyhedron.

21. The illumination lens according to claim 16, wherein the light receiving has a prism shape with a plurality of surfaces at different angles with respect to each other, for dividing the incident light in the plurality of different directions, and which is output by the light outgoing portion as the plurality of the divided light.

22. An illumination lens comprising:

a light receiving portion that receives an incident light in at least one wavelength band and divides the incident light in a plurality of different directions to cause the divided light to be incident upon an interior; and

a light outgoing portion that emits a plurality of the divided light in a plurality of different directions, wherein the illumination lens is formed in such a manner that a surface of the light receiving portion is non-planar-shaped, and wherein a plurality of dome-like projections are formed on the surface of the light receiving portion;

wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation; and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

23. The illumination lens according to claim 22, wherein a surface of the light receiving portion is subjected to a decoration treatment to reduce transparency of the illumination lens,

wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation;

and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

24. An illumination lens comprising:

a light receiving portion that receives an incident light in at least one wavelength band and divides the incident light in a plurality of direction to cause the divided light to be incident upon an interior; and

a light outgoing portion that emits a plurality of the divided light in a plurality of different directions, wherein the illumination lens is formed in such a manner that a surface of the light receiving portion is non-planar-shaped, and wherein the illumination lens is formed in such a manner that a surface of the light outgoing portion is nonplanar-shaped;

wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation; and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.

25. The illumination lens according to claim 24, wherein a surface of the light receiving portion is subjected to a decoration treatment to reduce transparency of the illumination lens,

wherein the decoration treatment is performed by transparent coating, dichroic mirror evaporation or half-mirror evaporation;

and

wherein at least some of light being incident from the surface of the light outgoing portion is reflected by a portion subjected to the decoration treatment.