Planar illuminating device and liquid crystal display device using the same

• US 8,206,020 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Takayuki, Itoh, Tatsuo, Yamamoto, Kazuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John A
• Application Number:
  US12/521,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20090316431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 362/609, 362/611, 362/612, 362/613, 362/628, 362/259, 362/297
• US Class Current: 362/609
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0048 with stepwise taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one

Abstract

Provided is a planar illuminating device having light source section (1) emitting linearly polarized laser light and having a light guide (12) with a rectangular parallelepiped shape having one main surface with a mirror array (12c) thereon. The mirror array (12c) has a plurality of reflecting surfaces totally reflecting laser light incident on an incident surface (12a), of the light guide, perpendicular to the one main surface and emits the laser light from an emitting surface (12b), of the light guide, perpendicular to the one main surface, wherein the reflecting surfaces are formed in a stepped manner. Further, the planar illuminating device includes a light-guiding plate (3) making the laser light, emitted from the light guide (12), incident on an incident surface (3a) of the light-guiding plate and emitting the laser light from an emitting surface (3b) of the light-guiding plate.

Claims

1. A planar illuminating device comprising:

a light source section that emits linearly polarized laser light;

a rod-like light guide including an end surface incident to the linearly polarized laser light emitted from the light source section, so as to receive, as incident laser light, the linearly polarized laser light emitted from the light source section and including a first side surface that emits the incident laser light received from the light source section; and

a light-guiding plate including an incident surface incident to the laser light emitted from the rod-like light guide, so as to receive the laser light emitted from the rod-like light guide and including an emitting surface that emits the laser light received from the rod-like light guide,

wherein a cross section of the rod-like light guide that is orthogonal to a propagation direction of the incident laser light is rectangular,

wherein the rod-like light guide includes a mirror array formed on at least one of;

a second side surface that is opposite to the first side surface; and

a third side surface and a fourth side surface adjacent to the first side surface,

wherein the mirror array includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces that totally reflect the incident laser light received by the end surface, so as to emit the laser light from the first side surface, and

wherein the linearly polarized laser light emitted from the light source section is incident to the end surface of the rod-like light guide while being polarized perpendicularly to the first side surface or the third side surface.

2. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1,

wherein the rod-like light guide is shaped so as to have the mirror array on either one of the third side surface and the fourth side surface, and

wherein the plurality of reflecting surfaces of the mirror array are formed in a stepped manner.

3. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1,

wherein the rod-like light guide is shaped so as to have the mirror array on either one of the third side surface and the fourth side surface, and

wherein the plurality of reflecting surfaces on the mirror array are formed having grooves, such that an area of each of the grooves increases the farther away each of the grooves is from the end surface.

4. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1,

wherein the light-guiding plate has a plurality of deflecting grooves parallel to the incident surface and located on a surface that is opposite to the emitting surface, and

wherein the plurality of deflecting grooves are shaped so as to totally reflect, to the emitting surface, the laser light incident to the incident surface.

5. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reflecting surfaces of the mirror array are angled at 45 degrees to the end surface, so as to reflect the received incident laser light.

6. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein the end surface of the rod-like light guide causes the received incident laser light to diverge or diffuse in a one-dimensional direction.

7. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reflecting surfaces of the rod-like light guide cause the totally reflected laser light to diverge or diffuse in a one-dimensional direction.

8. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein the rod-like light guide and the light-guiding plate are integrally molded together.

9. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1,

wherein the light source section includes:

a laser light source;

an optical fiber that propagates laser light emitted from the laser light source; and

a polarizing beam splitter that polarizes and splits the laser light propagated through the optical fiber,

wherein the light-guiding plate includes a second incident surface arranged such that the laser light received by the incident surface and laser light received by the second incident surface, from two directions, are orthogonal to each other, and

wherein one part of the polarized laser light emitted from the polarizing beam splitter is incident to the incident surface and is emitted from the emitting surface, and another part of the polarized laser light emitted from the polarizing beam splitter is incident to the second incident surface and is emitted from the emitting surface.

10. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1,

wherein the planar illuminating device includes a connection section located across the rod-like light guide and the light-guiding plate, and

wherein the connection section turns the laser light emitted from the first side surface of the rod-like light guide by 180 degrees, so as to emit the laser light incident to the incident surface of the light-guiding plate.

11. The planar illuminating device according to claim 1,

wherein the planar illuminating device includes a light orientation guide section provided between the rod-like light guide and the light-guiding plate so as to make the laser light, emitted from the rod-like light guide, incident to the incident surface of the light-guiding plate by changing an optical path of the laser light emitted from the rod-like light guide, and

wherein a light amount distribution on the light-guiding plate can be changed.

12. The planar illuminating device according to claim 11, wherein the light orientation guide section includes a plurality of plate-like reflecting members, each having adjustable positions or angles.

13. The planar illuminating device according to claim 12, wherein each plate-like reflecting member of the plurality of plate-like reflecting members has an edge portion that is thinner than a central portion.

14. The planar illuminating device according to claim 12, wherein the light-guiding plate includes a plurality of light guides being separate in accordance with the positions of the plurality of plate-like reflecting members.

15. The planar illuminating device according to claim 11,

wherein the planar illuminating device includes a control section that adjusts the light orientation guide section, and

wherein, when an image having an aspect ratio different from an aspect ratio of a screen is displayed, the control section adjusts the light orientation guide section so that the light amount distribution concentrates in a center of the light-guiding plate.

16. The planar illuminating device according to claim 15, wherein the control section adjusts the light orientation guide section in accordance with an instruction received from a user.

17. The planar illuminating device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a sensor that detects a viewing position of a user; and

a control section that adjusts the light orientation guide section,

wherein the control section adjusts the light orientation guide section in accordance with a distance between a display screen and the user, the distance being detected by the sensor.

18. The planar illuminating device according to claim 17, wherein, as the distance between the display screen and the user becomes shorter, the control section adjusts the light orientation guide section so that the light amount distribution concentrates more in a center of the light-guiding plate.

19. The planar illuminating device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of light-receiving devices that detect the light amount distribution of light incident to the light-guiding plate; and

a control section that adjusts the light orientation guide section,

wherein the control section adjusts the light orientation guide section in accordance with an amount of received light detected by the plurality of light-receiving devices.

20. A liquid crystal display device including:

the planar illuminating device according to claim 1; and

a liquid crystal display panel having a back surface, wherein

the planar illuminating device illuminates the liquid crystal display panel from the back surface.