Surface light source device

• US 9,128,224 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tohoku Denshi Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Kurata, Gouo, Shinohara, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunay, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/821,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20140022814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 362/607, 362/620, 362/623, 362/625, 362/626, 362/628, 362/511, 362/223, 362/23.09, 362/23.07, 362/23.16, 362/615, 362/617, 362/619
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• 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 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide

Abstract

A surface light source device has a light source, and a light guide plate introducing light of the light source from a light incidence surface and emitting the light from a light exit surface to outside. The light source being is provided at a position facing the light incidence surface of the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes a light introducing part for enclosing the light from the light source entering from the light incidence surface and a light guide plate main body having a thickness smaller than a maximum thickness of the light introducing part, provided so as to be continued to the light introducing part, and emitting the enclosed light from the light exit surface by light emitting portion to outside.

Claims

1. A surface light source device comprising:

a light source; and

a light guide plate introducing light of the light source from a light incidence surface and emitting the light from a light exit surface to outside,

wherein the light source is provided at a position facing the light incidence surface of the light guide plate,

wherein the light guide plate comprises a light introducing part for enclosing the light from the light source entering from the light incidence surface and a light guide plate main body having a thickness smaller than a maximum thickness of the light introducing part, provided so as to be continued to the light introducing part, and emitting the enclosed light from the light exit surface by a light emitting portion to outside,

wherein the light introducing part comprises an inclined surface inclined from a surface of a portion having a thickness larger than a thickness of the light guide plate main body toward an end of a surface of the light guide plate main body, the inclined surface being provided on at least one of a surface of the light guide plate on a light emission side and a surface opposite thereto,

wherein the light guide plate comprises a directional conversion pattern for converting a directional spread of the light entering the light introducing part in a thickness direction of the light guide plate into a directional characteristic inclined to a direction parallel to a surface direction of the light guide plate, the directional conversion pattern being provided on at least one of the surface of the light guide plate on the light emission side and the surface opposite thereto,

wherein the directional conversion pattern is configured so that ridge lines and valley lines are alternately repeated along a width direction of the light guide plate, and

wherein, of a cross-section of the directional conversion pattern obtained by cutting in parallel to the light incidence surface, in a portion positioned in front of the light source and in a region having a width equal to a width of the light source;

an inclined surface connecting any ridge line of the ridge lines of the directional conversion pattern and one valley line adjacent to the ridge line and an inclined surface connecting the ridge line and another valley line adjacent to the ridge line being asymmetrical with respect to a straight line passing though the ridge line and perpendicular to the light exit surface, and at least one set of the asymmetrically-shaped portions of different shapes being present on both sides of a light source center, and

in each of both sides of the light source center, when a normal is set on an inclined surface connecting adjacent ridge line and valley line of the directional conversion pattern from inside to outside of the light guide plate, a total sum of breadths of inclined surfaces each with the normal inclined to a light source center side is larger than a total sum of breadths of inclined surfaces each with the normal inclined to a side opposite to the light source center.

2. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein, in the adjacent two inclined surfaces, a breadth of an inclined surface with the normal inclined to the light source center side is larger than or equal to a breadth of an inclined surface with the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center.

3. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein a ratio of the breadths of the inclined surfaces each with the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center with respect to the sum of the breadths of the adjacent two inclined surfaces is decreased or equal as a distance from the light source center is increased.

4. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein, when A=−

0.456×

B+α

,

where a ratio of breadth of the inclined surface with the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center with respect to the sum of the breadths of the adjacent two inclined surfaces is A, and

where a ratio of distance of the adjacent two inclined surfaces from the light source center with respect to ½

of an open width of the light source is B,

a value of the α

is in a range of 0.3≦

α

≦

0.9.

10. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein the directional conversion pattern has a plurality of pattern elements arranged along the width direction of the light guide plate, and

wherein, in each region on both sides of the light source center, the pattern elements convert a directional characteristic of light by reflecting light into the light guide plate so that quantity of light oriented to the side opposite to the light source center after reflection is more than before reflection.

11. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein, in regions on both sides of the light source center, a sum of an angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface and an angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is equal to or larger than 35°

and equal to or smaller than 123°

.

12. The surface light source device according to claim 11,

wherein the directional conversion pattern is configured of a plurality of V-grooved pattern elements.

13. The surface light source device according to claim 12,

wherein every vertical angle of all of ridge line portions formed between the adjacent two V-grooved pattern elements is the same.

14. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of the light sources are placed at positions facing the light incidence surface and arranged along the light incidence surface with a space P, and

wherein, when a refractive index of the light guide plate is n, the directional conversion pattern is present in a region of the light guide plate at a distance equal to or shorter than

P/[2·

arcsin(1/n)]

from a light exit side end face of the light source.

16. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, the directional conversion pattern is configured of a plurality of pattern elements aligned in parallel.

17. The surface light source device according to claim 1,

wherein, in regions on both sides of the light source center, a sum of an angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface and an angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is equal to or larger than 35°

and equal to or smaller than 123°

.

18. The surface light source device according to claim 2,

wherein, in regions on both sides of the light source center, a sum of an angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface and an angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is equal to or larger than 35°

and equal to or smaller than 123°

.

19. The surface light source device according to claim 3,

wherein, in regions on both sides of the light source center, a sum of an angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface and an angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is equal to or larger than 35°

and equal to or smaller than 123°

.

5. A surface light source device comprising:

a light source; and

a light guide plate introducing light of the light source from a light incidence surface and emitting the light from a light exit surface to outside,

wherein the light source is provided at a position facing the light incidence surface of the light guide plate,

wherein the light guide plate comprises a light introducing part for enclosing the light from the light source entering from the light incidence surface and a light guide plate main body having a thickness smaller than a maximum thickness of the light introducing provided so as to be continued to the light introducing part, and emitting the enclosed light from the light exit surface by a light emitting portion to outside,

wherein the light introducing part comprises an inclined surface inclined from a surface of a portion having a thickness larger than a thickness of the light guide late main body toward an end of a surface of the light guide plate main body, the inclined surface being provided on at least one of a surface of the light guide plate on a light emission side and a surface opposite thereto,

wherein the light guide plate comprises a directional conversion pattern for converting a directional spread of the light entering the light introducing part in a thickness direction of the light guide plate into a directional characteristic inclined to a direction parallel to a surface direction of the light guide plate, the directional conversion pattern being provided on at least one of the surface of the light guide plate on the light emission side and the surface opposite thereto,

wherein the directional conversion pattern is configured so that ridge lines and valley lines are alternately repeated along a width direction of the light guide plate, and

wherein, of a cross-section of the directional conversion pattern obtained by cutting in parallel to the light incidence surface, in a portion positioned in front of the light source and in a region having a width equal to a width of the light source,

an inclined surface connecting any ridge line of the ridge lines of the directional conversion pattern and one valley line adjacent to the ridge line and an inclined surface connecting the ridge line and another valley line adjacent to the ridge line being asymmetrical with respect to a straight line passing though the ridge line and perpendicular to the light exit surface, and at least one set of the asymmetrically-shaped portions of different shapes being present on both sides of a light source center, and

in each of both sides of the light source center, when a normal is set on an inclined surface connecting adjacent ridge line and valley line of the directional conversion pattern from inside to outside of the light guide plate, an average angle of angles each formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is smaller than an average angle of angles each formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface.

6. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein, in the two adjacent inclined surfaces, an angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is smaller than or equal to an angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface.

7. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein an angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is decreased or equal as a distance from the light source center is increased.

8. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein an angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is increased or equal as a distance from a light source center is increased.

9. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein, when C=+0.391β

B+β

,

where a ratio of difference obtained by subtracting the angle formed by the normal inclined to the light center side among the normal of the adjacent two includes surfaces and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface from the angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center among the normal of the adjacent two inclined surfaces and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, with respect to a sum of the angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center among the normal of adjacent two inclined surfaces and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface and the angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side among the normal of the adjacent two inclined surfaces and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is C, and

where a ratio of distance of the adjacent two inclined surfaces from the light source center with respect to ½

of an open width of the light source is B,

a value of the β

is in a range of −

0.33≦

β

≦

0.17.

20. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein the directional conversion pattern has a plurality of pattern elements arranged along the width direction of the light guide plate, and

wherein, in each region on both sides of the light source center, the pattern elements convert a directional characteristic of light by reflecting light into the light guide plate so that quantity of light oriented to the side opposite to the light source center after reflection is more than before reflection.

21. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein, in regions on both sides of the light source center, a sum of an angle formed by the normal inclined to the light source center side and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface and an angle formed by the normal inclined to the side opposite to the light source center and the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface is equal to or larger than 35°

and equal to or smaller than 123°

.

22. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein a plurality of the light sources are placed at positions facing the light incidence surface and arranged along the light incidence surface with a space P, and

wherein, when a refractive index of the light guide plate is n, the directional conversion pattern is present in a region of the light guide plate at a distance equal to or shorter than

P/[2·

arcsin(1/n)]

from a light exit side end face of the light source.

23. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein a plurality of the light sources are placed at positions facing the light incidence surface, and

wherein the directional conversion pattern is cyclically configured with an approximately center between adjacent ones of the light sources being taken as a boundary.

24. The surface light source device according to claim 5,

wherein, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, the directional conversion pattern is configured of a plurality of pattern elements aligned in parallel.

15. The surface light source device according to claim PE 1,

wherein a plurality of the light sources are placed at positions facing the light incidence surface, and

wherein the directional conversion pattern is cyclically configured with an approximately center between adjacent ones of the light sources being taken as a boundary.