Light guide for use with backlit display

• US 6,576,887 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Cobb, Sanford Jr., Lamb, David J., Watson, Philip E, Boyd, Gary T., Epstein, Kenneth A., Gardiner, Mark E., Whitney, Leland R., Kotchick, Keith M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US09/930,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20030034445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/227.11, 250/227-8-2, 250/235, 250/214, 250/216, 359/222, 359/298, 359/837, 385/133, 385/146, 385/901, 385/36, 385/147, 385/37, 362/26, 362/31, 362/326, 362/330, 362/337
• US Class Current: 250/227.11
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A light guide including a light guide body having a light re-directing side positioned opposite from a light output side. A plurality of elongate prisms are located adjacent the light output side of the light guide body. The prisms extend side-by-side relative to one another along lengths. The prisms include upper edges defining heights of the prisms. The upper edges extend along the lengths of the prisms. Each upper edge includes a plurality of edge segments having different magnitudes of slope. The light guide also includes a plurality of light extraction structures located adjacent the light re-directing side of the light guide body for reflecting light toward the light output side. The light extraction structures include elongated projections each having a plateau segment and first and second facets. The elongated projections are separated by lands that are recessed relative to the plateau segments. The first and second facets extend from the plateau segments to the lands.

Claims

1. A light guide comprising:

a light guide body including a light re-directing side positioned opposite from a light output side, the light guide body also including a light input side that extends between the light re-directing side and the light output side and a distal side positioned opposite from the light input side;

a plurality of elongate prisms located adjacent the light output side of the light guide body, the prisms extending side-by-side relative to one another along lengths, the prisms including upper edges defining heights of the prisms, the upper edges extending along the lengths of the prisms, and each upper edge including a plurality of edge segments having different magnitudes of slope;

a plurality of generally flat first surfaces located adjacent the light redirecting side of the light guide body for directing light through the light guide body by total internal reflection, the generally flat first surfaces being positioned at different heights with the generally flat first surfaces being positioned progressively higher as one moves in a direction from the light input side of the light guide body toward the distal side of the light guide body; and

extractor facets located adjacent the light re-directing side of the light guide body for reflecting light toward the light output side of the light guide body, the extractor facets being aligned at oblique angles relative to the generally flat first surfaces, and the extractor facets providing at least portions of the height differences between the generally flat first surfaces.

2. The light guide of claim 1, wherein the light re-directing side of the light guide body includes elongated projections each having a generally flat second surface defining a plateau segment, the elongated projections being separated by the generally flat first surfaces, the generally flat first surfaces being recessed relative to the plateau segments so as to define land segments, and the extractor facets extending from the plateau segments to the land segments.

3. The light guide of claim 2, wherein a total area of the plateau segments exceeds a total area of the land segments.

4. The light guide of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plateau segments define areas that exceed areas defined by adjacent land segments.

5. The light guide of claim 2, further including projections that project outwardly from the plateau segments.

6. The light guide of claim 1, wherein the light-guide body is generally wedge-shaped.

7. The light guide of claim 2, wherein the plateau segments, the extractor facets and the land segments are planar.

8. The light guide of claim 3, wherein the area of the plateau segments is at least 8 times as large as the area of the land segments.

9. The light guide of claim 1, wherein the magnitudes of slope of the upper edge segments are randomly varied.

10. The light guide of claim 1, wherein the edge segments define peaks, and wherein at least some of the peaks of each prism have different heights.

11. The light guide of claim 10, wherein the heights of the peaks are randomly varied.

12. The light guide of claim 1, wherein the edge segments define valleys, and wherein at least some of the valleys of each prism have different depths.

13. The light guide of claim 12, wherein the depths of the valleys are randomly varied.

14. The light guide of claim 1, wherein the prisms are integral with the light output side of the light guide body.

15. The light guide of claim 2, wherein the elongated projections are integral with the light re-directing side of the light guide body.

16. The light guide of claim 2, wherein the elongated projections and the prisms are integral with the light guide body.

17. The light guide of claim 2, wherein the elongated projections are elongated in a direction generally transverse to the lengths of the prisms.

18. The light guide of claim 2, wherein the elongated projections curve in a serpentine pattern.

19. The light guide of claim 2, wherein the elongated projections are elongated in a direction that forms an oblique angle with the light input side.

20. The light guide of claims 1 or 2, wherein the extractor facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles in the range of 20-40 degrees.

21. The light guide of claims 1 or 2, wherein the extractor facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles in the range of 25-30 degrees.

22. The light guide of claims 1 or 2, wherein the extractor facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles less than 20 degrees.

23. The light guide of claims 1 or 2, wherein the extractor facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles less than 10 degrees.

24. The light guide of claim 2, wherein the extractor facets comprise trailing facets that define first sides of the projections, and wherein the projections also include leading facets that define second sides of the projections, the leading facets being positioned closer to the light input side of the light guide body than their corresponding trailing facets.

25. A light guide comprising:

a wedge-shaped light guide body that narrows in thickness from a first end to a second end, the light guide body including a light re-directing side positioned opposite from a light output side, the light re-directing side and the light output side extending between the first and second ends, the light guide body further including a light input surface located at the first end, the light input surface extending between the light redirecting side and the light output side;

a plurality of elongate prisms integral with the light output side of the light guide body, the prisms extending side-by-side relative to one another along lengths, the prisms including upper edges defining heights of the prisms, the upper edges extending along the lengths of the prisms, each upper edge including a plurality of edge segments having different magnitudes of slope, the magnitudes of slope varying randomly from edge segment to edge segment; and

a plurality of light extraction structures integral with the light re-directing side of the light guide body for reflecting light toward the light output side, the light extraction structures including elongated projections each having a plateau segment and first and second facets, the elongated projections being separated by lands that are recessed relative to the plateau segments, the first and second facets extending from the plateau segments to the lands.

26. A display comprising:

a light source;

a light gating device;

a light guide for directing light from the light source to the light gating device, the light guide including;

a light guide body including a light re-directing side positioned opposite from a light output side, the light guide body also including a light input side that extends between the light re-directing side and the light output side and a distal side positioned opposite from the light input side;

a plurality of elongate prisms located adjacent the light output side of the light guide body, the prisms extending side-by-side relative to one another along lengths, the prisms including upper edges defining heights of the prisms, the upper edges extending along the lengths of the prisms, and each upper edge including a plurality of edge segments having different magnitudes of slope;

a plurality of generally flat first surfaces located adjacent the light redirecting side of the light guide body for directing light through the light guide body by total internal reflection, the generally flat first surfaces being positioned at different heights with the generally flat first surfaces being positioned progressively higher as one moves in a direction from the light input side of the light guide body toward the distal side of the light guide body; and

facets located adjacent the light re-directing side of the light guide body for reflecting light toward the light output side of the light guide body, the facets being aligned at oblique angles relative to the generally flat first surfaces, and the facets providing at least portions of the height differences between the generally flat first surfaces.

27. The display of claim 26, wherein the light guide body is wedge shaped.

28. The display of claim 26, further comprising a reflective element positioned beneath the light re-directing side of the light guide.

29. The display of claim 26, further comprising a reflective polarizing film positioned between the light gating device and the light output side of the light guide body.

30. The display of claim 26, further comprising a prismatic brightening film positioned between the light gating device and the light output side of the light guide body.

31. The display of claim 30, wherein the prismatic brightening film has prisms that face upwardly away from the light guide body.

32. The display of claim 31, wherein the light re-directing side of the light guide body includes elongated projections each having a generally flat second surface defining a plateau segment, the elongated projections being separated by the generally flat first surfaces, the generally flat first surfaces being recessed relative to the plateau segments so as to define land segments, and the facets extending from the plateau segments to the land segments.

33. The display of claim 31, wherein the prisms of the prismatic brightening film are transversely aligned relative to the elongated prisms of the light guide body.

34. The display of claim 31, further comprising a diffuse reflector positioned behind the light guide body.

35. The display of claims 31 or 32, wherein the facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles in the range of 20-40 degrees.

36. The display of claims 31 or 32, wherein the facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles in the range of 25-30 degrees.

37. The display of claim 26, further comprising a turning film positioned between the light guide and the light gating device, and wherein the facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles less than 20 degrees.

38. The display of claim 26, further comprising a turning film positioned between the light guide and the light gating device, and wherein the facets and the generally flat first surfaces define angles less than 10 degrees.