Backlight unit and display device

• US 8,933,871 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Sangtae, Kim, Sangjeon, Kim, Sungwoo, Kwon, Soonhyung, Jung, Bupsung, Bae, Seungchoon, Seo, Hoyoung, Ryu, Seonghwan, Seo, Buwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US12/860,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345204-215, 349/61, 349/62, 349/64, 349/65, 349/67, 349/112, 362 971- 973, 362/551, 362/600, 362606-629
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• 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 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133601 for spatial active dimming
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133606 including a specially adapted diffusing, scattering or light controlling members
• 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 1/133611 including means for improving the brightness uniformity

Abstract

A backlight unit and a display device including the backlight unit are discussed. According to an embodiment, the invention provides a light generating device comprising: a first layer; a plurality of light source devices disposed on the first layer and configured to emit light, at least one of the light source devices including a light emitting diode for generating the light; a reflection layer disposed on the first layer and configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source devices; a second layer covering the light source devices and the reflection layer and configured to propagate the light reflected by the reflection layer, the second layer including a plurality of depressed portions, at least one of the depressed portions disposed between two adjacent light source devices among the plurality of light source devices; and at least one third layer disposed on the second layer and configured to diffuse the light propagated by the second layer.

Claims

1. A light generating device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of light source devices disposed on the substrate and configured to emit light, at least one of the light source devices including a light emitting diode for generating the light;

a reflection layer disposed on a surface of the substrate on which the plurality of light source devices are formed, and configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source devices;

a resin layer covering the light source devices and the reflection layer and configured to propagate the light reflected by the reflection layer, the resin layer including a plurality of depressed portions, at least one of the depressed portions disposed between two adjacent light source devices among the plurality of light source devices; and

at least one diffusion layer disposed on the resin layer and configured to diffuse the light propagated by the resin layer,

wherein the substrate is contacted with the plurality of light source devices.

2. The light generating device of claim 1, wherein the diffusion layer contacts portions of the resin layer so that air gaps are provided between the depressed portions of the resin layer and the diffusion layer.

3. The light generating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one diffusion layer includes at least one of a diffusion plate and an optical sheet.

4. The light generating device of claim 1, further comprising:

a light shielding layer disposed between the resin and diffusion layers and including a plurality of light shielding members corresponding respectively to the plurality of light source devices.

5. The light generating device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of light shielding members disposed to correspond with the plurality of light source devices.

6. The light generating device of claim 1, further comprising:

air gaps defined by the depressed portions of the resin layer and the at least one diffusion layer, and configured to diffuse the light propagated from the resin layer.

7. A display device comprising a backlight unit including the light generating device of claim 1.

8. The light generating device of claim 1, wherein bottom surfaces of the plurality of light source devices contact the substrate, and side surfaces of the plurality of light source devices contact the reflection layer.

9. A display device comprising:

a display panel configured to display images;

a backlight unit configured to supply light to the display panel, and including a plurality of light generating blocks,

at least one of the light generating blocks including;

a substrate,

a plurality of light source devices disposed on the substrate and configured to emit light, at least one of the light source devices including a light emitting diode for generating the light,

a reflection layer disposed on a surface of the substrate on which the plurality of light source devices are formed, and configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source devices,

a resin layer covering the light source devices and the reflection layer and configured to propagate the light reflected by the reflection layer, the resin layer including a plurality of depressed portions, at least one of the depressed portions disposed between two adjacent light source devices among the plurality of light source devices, and

at least one diffusion layer disposed on the resin layer and configured to diffuse the light propagated by the resin layer; and

a controller configured to selectively operate the light generating blocks of the backlight unit,

wherein the substrate is contacted with the plurality of light source devices.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the controller turns on at least one of the light generating blocks while turning off at least another of the light generating blocks.

11. The display device of claim 9, wherein in the at least one of the light generating blocks, the light source devices are arranged in arrays and emit the light laterally in different directions.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the different directions are opposite directions.

13. The display device of claim 9, wherein the diffusion layer contacts portions of the resin layer so that air gaps are provided between the depressed portions of the resin layer and the diffusion layer.

14. The display device of claim 9, wherein the at least one diffusion layer includes at least one of a diffusion plate and an optical sheet.

15. The display device of claim 9, the at least one of the light generating blocks further comprising:

a light shielding layer disposed between the resin and diffusion layers and including a plurality of light shielding members corresponding respectively to the plurality of light source devices.

16. The display device of claim 9, the at least one of the light generating blocks further comprising:

a plurality of light shielding members disposed to correspond with the plurality of light source devices.

17. The display device of claim 9, the at least one of the light generating blocks further comprising:

air gaps defined by the depressed portions of the resin layer and the at least one diffusion layer, and configured to diffuse the light propagated from the resin layer.

18. The display device of claim 9, wherein bottom surfaces of the plurality of light source devices contact the substrate, and side surfaces of the plurality of light source devices contact the reflection layer.