Micro-lens array sheet and backlight unit comprising the same

• US 8,896,925 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yune-Hyoun, Han, Sang-Choll
• Primary Examiner(s): HASAN, MOHAMMED A
• Application Number:
  US14/000,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20130329299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 359619-630
• US Class Current: 359/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0031 Replication or moulding, e.g. hot embossing, UV-casting, injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between

Abstract

The present invention relates to a microlens array sheet with enhanced optical performance, and a backlight unit having same, and more specifically, to a microlens array sheet and a backlight unit having same, the microlens array sheet comprising: a base portion; and a plurality of microlenses formed on one surface of the base portion, wherein the plurality of microlenses have an irregular array, and the standard deviation of the distance between the mid points of two microlenses adjacent to each other is, 2-20% of the average pitch(p) between microlenses adjacent from the mid point of a selected microlens after selecting one of the microlenses.

Claims

1. A micro-lens array sheet comprising:

a base; and

a plurality of micro lenses disposed on one side of the base and being irregularly arranged,

wherein an average (P) of pitches is an average of distances measured from a center of any given micro lens of the plurality of micro lenses to centers of micro lenses adjacent thereto,

wherein a standard deviation in distances between the center of any given micro lens and the centers of micro lenses adjacent thereto is 2% to 20% of the average (P) of pitches.

2. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 1, wherein the average (P) of the pitches ranges from 10 μ

m to 500 μ

m.

3. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 1, wherein the centers of every three micro lenses adjacent thereto of the micro lenses form a triangle as a basic array unit, and the areas of the basic array units vary in a range of 2% to 20%.

4. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 3, wherein 50% or less of the basic array units are regular-triangle basic array units.

5. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 4, wherein the basic array units satisfy the following Formula (1):

0.8×

P≦

L1,L2,L3≦

1.2×

P 

 

Formula (1)

where L1, L2, and L3 denote lengths of sides of each of the basic array units, and P denotes the average of the pitches between the micro lenses.

6. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 4, wherein the basic array units satisfy the following Formula (2):

48°

≦

θ

1,θ

2,θ

3≦

72°

 

 

Formula (2)

where θ

1, θ

2, and θ

3 denote inside angles of each of the basic array units.

7. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 4, wherein the basic array units satisfy the following Formulas (1) and (2):

0.8×

P≦

L1,L2,L3≦

1.2×

P 

 

Formula (1)

48°

≦

θ

1,θ

2,θ

3≦

72°

 

 

Formula (2)

L1, L2, and L3 denote lengths of sides of each of the basic array units, P denotes the average of the pitches between the micro lenses, and θ

1, θ

2, and θ

3 denote inside angles of each of the basic array units.

8. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 4, wherein the micro lenses have a shape selected from the group consisting of a hemispheric shape, a cone shape, a conic shape, and an elliptic shape.

9. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 4, wherein the micro lenses have an average diameter ranging from 90% to 126% of the average (P) of the pitches between the micro lenses.

10. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 4, wherein the micro lenses have circular bottom sides having the same diameter.

11. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 4, wherein the micro lenses have heights ranging from 20% to 100% of the average (P) of the pitches between the micro lenses.

12. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 1, wherein the micro lenses are conic lenses characterized by the following Formula (3):

13. The micro-lens array sheet of claim 12, wherein the radius of curvature (r) ranges from 1 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

14. A backlight unit comprising the micro-lens array sheet of claim 1.