Optical film with variable angle prisms

• US 6,356,391 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Kretman, Wade D., Epstein, Kenneth A., Gardiner, Mark E., Cobb, Sanford
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEYRAFI, SAEED HMT
• Application Number:
  US09/415,873
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 359/628, 359/618, 359/619, 359/621, 359/627, 359/638, 359/640, 359/837, 385/36, 385/901, 349/62
• US Class Current: 359/628
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• 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: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0071 with elongated shape, e.g. tube

Abstract

An optical turning film has a first surface including an array of prisms. The array has a plurality of first prisms, with each of the first prisms having a first prism configuration, and a plurality of second prisms, with each of the second prisms having a second prism configuration different from the first prism configuration. The optical film also has a second surface opposing the first surface, and light rays incident to the first surface are directed by the plurality of first prism and the plurality of second prisms along a direction substantially parallel to a viewing axis.

Claims

1. An optical turning film comprising:

a first surface;

an array of prisms formed in the first surface, wherein the array of prisms has;

a plurality of first prisms, each of the first prisms having a first prism angular orientation with respect to a normal to the first surface;

a plurality of second prisms, each of the second prisms having a second prism angular orientation, different from the first angular orientation, with respect to the normal; and

a second surface opposing the first surface,

wherein at least one of the first prisms and the second prisms comprises a curved facet.

2. An optical turning film comprising:

a first surface;

an array of prisms formed in the first surface, wherein the array of prisms has;

a plurality of first prisms, each of the first prisms having a first prism angular orientation with respect to a normal to the first surface;

a plurality of second prisms, each of the second prisms having a second prism angular orientation, different from the first angular orientation, with respect to the normal; and

a second surface opposing the first surface,

wherein the first prisms angular orientation and the second prisms angular orientation each comprise an angle in the range from −

1.5°

to 1.5°

.

3. An optical turning film comprising:

a first surface;

an array of prisms formed in the first surface, wherein the array of prisms has;

a plurality of first prisms, each of the first prisms having a first prism refracting surface and a first prism reflecting surface, the first prism refracting surface and the first prism reflecting surface formed at an included angle with respect to each other, and a first prism bisecting angle formed between adjacent prisms of the plurality of first prisms;

a plurality of second prisms, each of the second prisms having a second prism refracting surface and a second prism reflecting surface, the second prism refracting surface and the second prism reflecting surface formed at the included angle with respect to each other, and a second prisms bisecting angle, different from the first prisms bisecting angle, formed between adjacent prisms of the plurality of second prisms; and

a second surface opposing the first surface.

4. The optical turning film as recited in claim 3, wherein the first prism bisecting angle and the second prism bisecting angle each comprise an angle in the range from −

1.5°

to 1.5°

.

5. The optical turning film as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of first prisms and the plurality of second prisms are arranged in clusters within the array.

6. The optical turning film as recited in claim 3, wherein the first prisms have a first included angle and the second prisms have a second included angle, different than the first included angle.

7. The optical turning film as recited in claim 3, wherein the array comprises a transition between one of the plurality of first prisms and one of the plurality of second prisms, the transition comprising a substantially continuous angular reconfiguration from the first prism bisecting angle to the second prism bisecting angle.

8. An optical turning film comprising:

a first surface;

an array of prisms formed in the first surface, wherein the array of prisms comprises;

a plurality of first prisms, each of the first prisms having a first prism configuration, and

a plurality of second prisms, each of the second prisms having a second prism configuration different from the first prism configuration;

a second surface opposing the first surface; and

wherein light rays incident to said first surface are refracted and reflected by the plurality of first prisms and the plurality of second prisms along a preferred viewing axis and wherein the first prism configuration includes a first prisms angular orientation with respect to the first surface and the second prism angular configuration includes a second prisms angular orientation, different than the first prisms angular orientation, with respect to the first surface.

9. The optical turning film as recited in claim 8, wherein the first prism bisecting angle and the second prism bisecting angle each comprise an angle in the range from −

1.5°

to 1.5°

.

10. The optical turning film as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of first prisms and the plurality of second prisms are arranged in clusters within the array.

11. The optical turning film as recited in claim 8, wherein the first prisms have a first included angle and the second prisms have a second included angle, different than the first included angle.

12. The optical turning film as recited in claim 8, wherein the array comprises a transition between one of the plurality of first prisms and one of the plurality of second prisms, the transition comprising a substantially continuous angular reconfiguration from the first prism bisecting angle to the second prism bisecting angle.

13. A backlight comprising:

a lightguide having an input surface and an output surface;

a light source disposed in relation to the input surface to introduce light rays into the lightguide via the input surface;

a turning film with a first surface and a second surface and an array of prisms formed in the first surface, the turning film disposed with the first surface dispose in relation to the output surface of the lightguide such that light rays exiting the output surface of the lightguide encounter the array or prisms and are reflected and refracted by the array of prisms such that the light rays exit the turning film via the second surface and substantially along a desired angular direction; and

wherein the array of prisms includes a first plurality of prisms, each of the first plurality of prisms having a first prism configuration, and a second plurality of prisms each having a second prism configuration, different than the first prism configuration, the first prism configuration and the second prism configuration being such the light rays exiting the second surface correspond to a substantially uniform sampling of the light rays entering the lightguide at the input surface.

14. The backlight as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of first prisms and the plurality of second prisms are arranged in clusters within the array.

15. The backlight as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of first prisms comprise at least one group of first prisms having the first prism configuration and the plurality of second prisms comprise at least one group of second prisms having the second prism configuration formed in the first surface adjacent the at least one group of first prisms.

16. The backlight as recited in claim 15, wherein the plurality of first prisms comprise at least another group of first prisms having the first prism configuration formed in the first surface adjacent the at least one group of second prisms.

17. The backlight as recited in claim 13, wherein the first plurality of prisms are interleaved with the second plurality of prisms.

18. The backlight as recited in claim 13, wherein the first prisms have a first asymmetric configuration and the second prisms have a second asymmetric configuration different from the first asymmetric configuration.

19. The backlight as in claim 13, wherein the first prism configuration comprises a first prism angle and the second prism configuration comprises a second prism configuration, different than the first prism configuration.

20. The backlight as in claim 13, wherein the first prism configuration comprises a first prism orientation with respect to the first surface and the second prism configuration comprises a second prism orientation with respect to the first surface, different than the first prism orientation.

21. The backlight as recited in claim 13, wherein the array comprises a transition between one of the plurality of first prisms and one of the plurality of second prisms, the transition comprising a substantially continuous reconfiguration from the first prism configuration to the second prism configuration.

22. The backlight as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one prism of the plurality of first prism and the plurality of second prisms comprises a curved facet.

23. The backlight as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of first prisms and the plurality of second prisms each include randomly distributed peaks and valleys.

24. A method of reducing non-uniformities in an output of a backlight system, the backlight system including a lightguide with an input surface and an output surface, a light source arranged to introduce light rays into the lightguide via the input surface and wherein the light rays exit the lightguide via the output surface at a glancing angle thereto, the method comprising:

configuring a turning film with an array of prisms structures in a first surface thereof, the array of prisms comprising first prisms having a first prism configuration and second prisms having a second prism configuration, different from the first prisms configuration, such that an output from a second surface of the turning film is a substantially uniform sampling of the input surface of the lightguide; and

disposing the turning film within the backlight system with the first surface of the turning film adjacent the output surface of the lightguide.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of configuring comprises configuring the first prisms with a first prisms angle and configuring the second prisms with a second prisms angle, different than the first prisms angle.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of configuring comprises configuring the first prisms with a first prisms bisecting angle and configuring the second prisms with a second prisms bisecting angle different than the first prisms bisecting angle.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of configuring comprises configuring the first prisms and the second prisms in respective groups of first prisms and second prisms.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of configuring comprises configuring a substantially continuous transition between the first prisms and the second prisms.