Illumination apparatus and display apparatus

• US 8,403,512 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsukahara, Tsubasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US12/734,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20100238648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 362 971- 973, 362/249.02, 362/231, 362/84, 362/235, 362/244, 362/246
• US Class Current: 362/97.3
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133607 the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133609 including means for improving the color mixing, e.g. white

Abstract

[Object] To provide an illumination apparatus capable of reducing a view angle dependency of a chromaticity distribution in a light-emitting surface of a phosphor layer.

[Solving Means] A light beam control device (11) that controls emitted light from light-emitting diodes (10) so that a view angle dependency of a chromaticity distribution in a light-emitting surface (22a) of a phosphor layer (22) is suppressed is interposed between the light-emitting diodes (10) and the phosphor layer (22). The light beam control device (11) causes the emitted light from the light-emitting diodes (10) to be bent in a vertical direction or an approximately-vertical direction with respect to the light-emitting surface (22a) of the phosphor layer (22) and thus causes the light to enter the phosphor layer (22). As a result, light that obliquely enters a surface of the phosphor layer (22) is lessened, and the view angle dependency of the chromaticity distribution in the light-emitting surface (22a) of the phosphor layer (22) is reduced.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted on the substrate;

a phosphor layer to obtain white light based on light from the plurality of light-emitting devices; and

a light beam control portion to control the light from each of the plurality of light-emitting devices so that a view angle dependency of a chromaticity distribution of the phosphor layer is suppressed.

2. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the light beam control portion is an optical device that controls the light from the plurality of light-emitting devices to enter a light-emitting surface of the phosphor layer in a vertical direction or an approximately-vertical direction.

3. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting devices is a blue-color light-emitting diode, and

wherein the phosphor layer includes a first phosphor to emit green light when excited by blue light as excitation light and a second phosphor to emit red light when excited by the excitation light.

4. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting devices is a blue-color light-emitting diode, and

wherein the phosphor layer includes a phosphor to emit yellow light when excited by blue light as excitation light.

5. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting devices is a purple-color or near-ultraviolet light-emitting diode, and

wherein the phosphor layer includes a first phosphor to emit red light when excited by purple or near-ultraviolet light as excitation light, a second phosphor to emit green light when excited by the excitation light, and a third phosphor to emit blue light when excited by the excitation light.

6. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are arranged two-dimensionally on the substrate.

7. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a light guide plate,

wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are arranged such that emitted light enters from one end surface of the light guide plate, and

wherein the phosphor layer is disposed to face a light-emitting surface of the light guide plate.

8. The illumination apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the light beam control portion is interposed between the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate and the phosphor layer.

9. The illumination apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the light beam control portion is provided in the light guide plate.

10. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel; and

an illumination apparatus provided adjacent to the display panel, the illumination apparatus including

a substrate,

a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted on the substrate,

a phosphor layer to obtain white light based on light from the plurality of light-emitting devices, and

a light beam control portion to control the light from each of the plurality of light-emitting devices so that a view angle dependency of a chromaticity distribution of the phosphor layer is suppressed.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the light beam control portion is an optical device that controls the light from the plurality of light-emitting devices to enter a light-emitting surface of the phosphor layer in a vertical direction or an approximately-vertical direction.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting devices is a blue-color light-emitting diode, and

wherein the phosphor layer includes a first phosphor to emit green light when excited by blue light as excitation light and a second phosphor to emit red light when excited by the excitation light.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting devices is a blue-color light-emitting diode, and

wherein the phosphor layer includes a phosphor to emit yellow light when excited by blue light as excitation light.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting devices is a purple-color or near-ultraviolet light-emitting diode, and

wherein the phosphor layer includes a first phosphor to emit red light when excited by purple or near-ultraviolet light as excitation light, a second phosphor to emit green light when excited by the excitation light, and a third phosphor to emit blue light when excited by the excitation light.

15. The display apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are arranged two-dimensionally on the substrate.

16. The display apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

a light guide plate,

wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are arranged such that emitted light enters from one end surface of the light guide plate, and

wherein the phosphor layer is disposed to face to a light-emitting surface of the light guide plate.

17. The display apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the light beam control portion is interposed between the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate and the phosphor layer.

18. The display apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the light beam control portion is provided in the light guide plate.