Backlight module and liquid crystal display apparatus

• US 8,310,624 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
• Inventors: Shiau, Tzeng-Ke, Weng, Chao-Hung, Li, Ching-Shiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Richard
• Application Number:
  US12/795,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20110069249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 349/64
• US Class Current: 349/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133607 the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses

Abstract

A backlight module includes a lighting unit and a brightness enhancement sheet. The brightness enhancement sheet is disposed beside the lighting unit. The brightness enhancement sheet includes a light-transmissive substrate, a plurality of lenses, a reflective layer, and a diffusion layer. The light-transmissive substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first surface is located between the second surface and the lighting unit. The lenses are disposed on the first surface. The reflective layer is disposed on the second surface. The reflective layer has a plurality of light-transmissive openings respectively located on the optical axes of the lenses. The diffusion layer is disposed on the reflective layer and covers the light-transmissive openings. The reflective layer is disposed between the diffusion layer and the second surface. A liquid crystal display apparatus is also provided.

Claims

1. A backlight module, comprising:

a lighting unit capable of providing an illumination beam; and

a brightness enhancement sheet, disposed at one side of the lighting unit and in a transmission path of the illumination beam, wherein the brightness enhancement sheet comprises;

a light-transmissive substrate, having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first surface is located between the second surface and the lighting unit;

a plurality of lenses, disposed on the first surface;

a reflective layer, disposed on the second surface, wherein the reflective layer has a plurality of light-transmissive openings, the light-transmissive openings are respectively located on the optical axes of the lenses; and

a diffusion layer, disposed on the reflective layer and covering the light-transmissive openings, wherein the reflective layer is disposed between the diffusion layer and the second surface.

2. The backlight module as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the lenses has a curved convex surface facing away from the light-transmissive substrate, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a first direction parallel to the first surface is R₁, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a second direction parallel to the first surface is R₂, the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction, a distance from an apex of the curved convex surface of the lens to the corresponding light-transmissive opening is L, a refractive index of the lenses is n, R₁=R₂, and L<

n R₁/(n−

1).

3. The backlight module as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the lenses has a curved convex surface facing away from the light-transmissive substrate, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a first direction parallel to the first surface is R₁, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a second direction parallel to the first surface is R₂, the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction, a distance from an apex of the curved convex surface of the lens to the corresponding light-transmissive opening is L, a refractive index of the lenses is n, R₁≠

R₂, L<

nR₁/(n−

1) and L<

nR₂/(n−

1).

4. The backlight module as claimed in claim 3, wherein widths of light-transmissive openings in the first direction are not equal to widths of light-transmissive openings in the second direction.

5. The backlight module as claimed in claim 3, wherein a width of the light-transmissive opening in the first direction is A₁, a width of light-transmissive opening in the second direction is A₂, a width of the curved convex surface corresponding to the light-transmissive opening in the first direction is P₁, a width of the curved convex surface corresponding to the light-transmissive opening in the second direction is P₂, and the brightness enhancement sheet is conformed to 0.1<

A₁/P₁<

0.9 and 0.1<

A₂/P₂<

0.9.

6. The backlight module as claimed in claim 3, wherein widths of at least parts of the lenses in the first direction are not equal to each other.

7. The backlight module as claimed in claim 6, wherein a ratio of a maximum value among of the widths of the lenses in the first direction to a minimum value among of the widths of the lenses in the first direction is between 1 and 4.

8. The backlight module as claimed in claim 6, wherein widths of at least parts of the lenses in the second direction are not equal to each other.

9. The backlight module as claimed in claim 8, wherein a ratio of a maximum value among of the widths of the lenses in the second direction to a minimum value among of the widths of the lenses in the second direction is between 1 and 4.

10. The backlight module as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the second surface, a surface of the reflective layer and a surface of the diffusion layer facing away from the light-transmissive substrate is a rough surface.

11. A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:

a lighting unit, for providing an illumination beam;

a brightness enhancement sheet, disposed at one side of the lighting unit and in a transmission path of the illumination beam, wherein the brightness enhancement sheet comprises;

a light-transmissive substrate, having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first surface is located between the second surface and the lighting unit;

a plurality of lenses, disposed on the first surface;

a reflective layer, disposed on the second surface, wherein the reflective layer has a plurality of light-transmissive openings, and the light-transmissive openings are respectively located on the optical axes of the lenses; and

a diffusion layer, disposed on the reflective layer and covering the light-transmissive openings, wherein the reflective layer is disposed between the diffusion layer and the second surface; and

a liquid crystal panel, wherein the brightness enhancement sheet is disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the lighting unit, and the second surface is located between the first surface and the liquid crystal panel.

12. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the lenses has a curved convex surface facing away from the light-transmissive substrate, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a first direction parallel to the first surface is R₁, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a second direction parallel to the first surface is R₂, the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction, a distance from an apex of the curved convex surface of the lens to the corresponding light-transmissive opening is L, a refractive index of the lenses is n, R₁=R₂, and L<

nR₁/(n−

1).

13. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the lenses has a curved convex surface facing away from the light-transmissive substrate, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a first direction parallel to the first surface is R₁, a curvature radius of the curved convex surface in a second direction parallel to the first surface is R₂, the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction, a distance from an apex of the curved convex surface of the lens to the corresponding light-transmissive opening is L, a refractive index of the lenses is n, R₁≠

R₂, L<

nR₁/(n−

1), and L<

nR₂/(n−

1).

14. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein widths of light-transmissive openings in the first direction are not equal to widths of light-transmissive openings in the second direction.

15. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein a width of the light-transmissive opening in the first direction is A₁, a width of light-transmissive opening in the second direction is A₂, a width of the curved convex surface corresponding to the light-transmissive opening in the first direction is P₁, a width of the curved convex surface corresponding to the light-transmissive opening in the second direction is P₂, the brightness enhancement sheet is conformed to 0.1<

A₁/P₁<

0.9 and 0.1<

A₂/P₂<

0.9.

16. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein widths of at least parts of the lenses in the first direction are not equal to each other.

17. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 16, a ratio of a maximum value among of the widths of the lenses in the first direction to a minimum value among of the widths of the lenses in the first direction is between 1 and 4.

18. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein widths of at least parts of the lenses in the second direction are not equal to each other.

19. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein a ratio value of a maximum value among of the widths of the lenses in the second direction to a minimum value among of the widths of the lenses in the second direction is between 1 and 4.

20. The liquid crystal display apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the second surface, a surface of the reflective layer, and a surface of the diffusion layer facing away from the light-transmissive substrate is a rough surface.