Brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing structure

• US 7,269,327 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Jinhui Optoelectronic Material Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: EFUN Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Tang, Shih-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Font; Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, CHARLIE YU
• Application Number:
  US11/160,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 385/901, 385/31, 385/36, 385/37, 385/146, 385/147, 359/575, 359/619, 362/27, 362/31, 349/64, 349/65
• US Class Current: 385/146
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A brightness enhancement film includes a light-refracting microstructure layer, a substrate and a reinforcing layer. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto. The light-refracting microstructure layer is arranged on the first surface of the substrate and is so configured to vary in curvatures for refracting light. The reinforcing layer is arranged on the second surface of the substrate and is so configured to form a relatively high degree of hardness. Accordingly, the reinforcing layer can prevent warpage and abrasion of the brightness enhancement film.

Claims

1. A brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing structure comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the substrate made from a first transparent material which permits penetrating light through the substrate;

a light-refracting microstructure layer arranged on the first surface of the substrate, the light-refracting microstructure layer providing changes in curvature so as to refract the light penetrated through the substrate; and

a reinforcing layer made from a second transparent material, the reinforcing layer covering the second surface of the substrate so as to reinforce the brightness enhancement film;

wherein the second transparent material of the reinforcing layer has a rate of shrinkage substantially approximate to that of the substrate.

2. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing layer has a hardness greater than that of the substrate.

7. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing layer covers the second surface of the substrate to form a composite reinforced laminate by coating.

10. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing layer is deployed on a light incident side of the substrate with respect to a light source.

11. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing layer is deployed on a light emission side of the substrate with respect to a light source.

12. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the light-refracting microstructure layer consists of a plurality of prism units, and each of which consists of a first flat inclined surface and a second flat inclined surface.

13. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the light-refracting microstructure layer consists of a plurality of micro-hemispheres.

14. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 13, wherein the micro-hemispheres is arranged to form a plurality of hexagonal units in a hexagonal manner such that each of the micro-hemispheres has six of the adjacent micro-hemispheres.

15. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the light-refracting microstructure layer consists of a plurality of micro cones.

16. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 15, wherein the micro cones are arranged to form a plurality of hexagonal units in a hexagonal manner such that each of the micro cones has six of the adjacent micro cones.

17. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the light-refracting microstructure layer consists of a plurality of micro rippled ridges, wherein each of the micro rippled ridges consists of a plurality of micro light-condensing units substantially having a common height, and wherein each of the micro light-condensing units further includes a pair of curved surface, a pair of common trough line and a common ridge line.

18. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 17, wherein the trough line of the micro light-condensing unit is substantially constructed from a straight line.

19. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 17, wherein the trough line of the micro light-condensing unit is being substantially constructed from a curved line.

20. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 17, wherein the common ridgeline of the micro light-condensing unit is substantially constructed from a curved line.

21. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the light-refracting microstructure layer consists of a plurality of prism units, and wherein each of which includes a pair of meandering surfaces, a pair of common trough line and a common ridge.

22. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 21, wherein each of the curved prisms substantially has a common vertical height and a common horizontal width such that each of the meandering surfaces of the curved prisms substantially has the same changes in curvature.

23. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 21, wherein each of the curved prisms substantially has a common vertical height but varying in horizontal widths such that each of the meandering surfaces of the curved prisms varies in curvature.

24. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 21, wherein each of the curved prisms substantially has a common horizontal width but varying in vertical heights such that each of the meandering surfaces of the curved prisms varies in curvature.

25. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 21, wherein at least one of the meandering surfaces consists of a plurality of lateral ridges arranged in staggered manner in a longitudinal direction to provide changes in curvature.

26. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the light-refracting microstructure layer is integrally formed on the first surface of the substrate.

27. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the light-refracting microstructure layer and the substrate are separately made from different transparent materials and adhered to each other.

28. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the first transparent material is selected from an epoxy or UV curable adhesive.

3. A brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing structure, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the substrate made from a first transparent material which permits penetrating light through the substrate;

a light-refracting microstructure layer arranged on the first surface of the substrate, the light-refracting microstructure layer providing changes in curvature so as to refract the light penetrated through the substrate; and

a reinforcing layer made from a second transparent material, the reinforcing layer covering the second surface of the substrate so as to reinforce the brightness enhancement film;

wherein the first transparent material has a first refractive index and the second transparent material has a second refractive index, the first refractive index being greater than the second refractive index.

4. The brightness enhancement film having the reinforcing structure as defined in claim 3, wherein the second transparent material is selected from a low refractive transparent material relative to that of the first transparent material.

5. The brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing structure as defined in claim 4, wherein the second transparent material is selected from acrylic resin.

6. A brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing structure, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the substrate made from a first transparent material which permits penetrating light through the substrate;

a light-refracting microstructure layer arranged on the first surface of the substrate, the light-refracting microstructure layer providing changes in curvature so as to refract the light penetrated through the substrate; and

a reinforcing layer made from a second transparent material, the reinforcing layer covering the second surface of the substrate so as to reinforce the brightness enhancement film;

wherein the reinforcing layer has a thickness ranging between 5 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

8. A brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing structure, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the substrate made from a first transparent material which permits penetrating light through the substrate;

a light-refracting microstructure layer arranged on the first surface of the substrate, the light-refracting microstructure layer providing changes in curvature so as to refract the light penetrated through the substrate; and

a reinforcing layer made from a second transparent material, the reinforcing layer covering the second surface of the substrate so as to reinforce the brightness enhancement film;

wherein the reinforcing layer covers the second surface of the substrate to form a composite reinforced laminate by adhesive.

9. A brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing structure, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the substrate made from a first transparent material which permits penetrating light through the substrate;

a light-refracting microstructure layer arranged on the first surface of the substrate, the light-refracting microstructure layer providing changes in curvature so as to refract the light penetrated through the substrate; and

a reinforcing layer made from a second transparent material, the reinforcing layer covering the second surface of the substrate so as to reinforce the brightness enhancement film;

wherein the reinforcing layer covers the second surface of the substrate to form a composite reinforced laminate by physical vapor deposition or sputtering deposition.