Lightguide plate and lightguide plate manufacturing method

• US 8,213,762 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citizen Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Citizen Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Kayanuma, Yasuaki, Okuwaki, Daisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, ELLEN E
• Application Number:
  US12/546,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20100048085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 385/146, 385/130, 385/14, 445/23
• US Class Current: 385/146
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]

Abstract

A film-shaped lightguide plate having high light entrance efficiency, and which is easy to make, has a lightguide plate body having an upper surface as a light-exiting surface, a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, and a peripheral side surface extending between the respective peripheral edges of the upper and lower surfaces. A circumferential part of the peripheral side surface forms a light-entrance surface that faces a light source. The lightguide plate further has an additional lightguide portion formed on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the lightguide plate body at the light-entrance surface side. The additional lightguide portion has a light-entrance surface facing the light source, together with the light-entrance surface of the lightguide plate body. The additional lightguide portion receives light from the light source through its light-entrance surface and guides the light into the lightguide plate body.

Claims

1. A lightguide plate manufacturing method comprising:

providing a lightguide film;

applying a setting resin by potting or printing directly to a predetermined linear region on the lightguide film;

hardening the setting resin to form a first additional lightguide portion; and

cutting the lightguide film with the first additional lightguide portion provided on the lightguide film along a length direction of the predetermined linear region such that a cut surface of the lightguide film and a cut surface of the first additional lightguide portion are flush with each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first additional lightguide portion has a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the lightguide plate body.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first additional lightguide portion is disposed on an upper surface of the lightguide film,

wherein the method further comprising:

(i) applying a setting resin by potting or printing directly to a linear region on a lower surface of the lightguide film to form a second additional lightguide portion that is opposite to the first additional lightguide portion on the upper surface; and

(ii) hardening the setting resin of the second additional lightguide portion,

wherein said cutting operation is performed with the second additional lightguide portion on the lower surface of the lightguide plate such that a cut surface of the second additional lightguide portion is flush with a cut surface of the lightguide film.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

after said hardening the setting resin of both additional lightguide portions, forming reflecting layers on the first additional lightguide portion and the second additional lightguide portion.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after said hardening operation, forming a reflecting layer on the first additional lightguide portion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a reflecting layer on the first additional lightguide portion,

wherein said cutting operation is performed with the reflecting layer disposed on the first additional lightguide portion such that a cut surface of the reflecting layer is flush with the cut surface of the lightguide film.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first additional lightguide portion has a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the lightguide plate body.

8. A lightguide plate obtained by the lightguide plate manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the first additional lightguide portion has a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the lightguide plate body.