Light guide unit and light source module

• US 9,784,903 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Young Lighting Technology Inc. (Coretronic Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Chin-Ku, Wu, Jhong-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruce, David V
• Application Number:
  US14/681,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0048 with stepwise taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity

Abstract

A light guide unit is adapted to be disposed beside a light source. The light guide unit includes a light guide plate and a plurality of optical structures. The light guide plate has a bottom surface, a light emitting surface, a light incident surface, a side surface, a first connecting surface, and a second connecting surface. The bottom surface is opposite to the light emitting surface. The light incident surface, the side surface, the first connecting surface, and the second connecting surface are respectively connected between the bottom surface and the light emitting surface. The light incident surface is disposed between the light source and the side surface. The optical structures protrude on the side surface, the first connecting surface, and the second connecting surface, and together form a Fresnel lens structure. A light source module is also provided.

Claims

1. A light guide unit adapted to be disposed beside a light source, and the light guide unit comprising:

a light guide plate, comprising a bottom surface, a light emitting surface, a light incident surface, a side surface, a first connecting surface, and a second connecting surface, wherein the bottom surface is opposite to the light emitting surface;

the light incident surface, the side surface, the first connecting surface, and the second connecting surface are respectively connected between the bottom surface and the light emitting surface; and

the light incident surface is disposed between the light source and the side surface; and

a plurality of optical structures, protruding on the side surface, the first connecting surface, and the second connecting surface, and the optical structures together forming a Fresnel lens structure.

2. The light guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the optical structures comprise at least one first optical structure protruding on the side surface, a plurality of second optical microstructures protruding on the first connecting surface, and a plurality of third optical microstructures protruding on the second connecting surface.

3. The light guide unit according to claim 2, wherein each of the second optical microstructures protruding on the first connecting surface and each of the third optical microstructures protruding on the second connecting surface respectively comprise a first surface parallel to the side surface and a curved second surface, wherein the first surface is disposed between the second surface and the light source.

4. The light guide unit according to claim 3, wherein a reflective layer is formed on each of the second surfaces.

5. The light guide unit according to claim 3, wherein each of the second surfaces is a continuous cambered surface.

6. The light guide unit according to claim 3, wherein a tangent line slope of each tangent of each of the second surfaces with respect to the light incident surface gradually decreases in a direction from the light incident surface to the side surface.

7. The light guide unit according to claim 3, wherein a refractive index of at least one of the optical structures is different from a refractive index of the light guide plate.

8. The light guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the light incident surface is a planar surface.

9. The light guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the light incident surface is a continuous zigzag surface.

10. The light guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the light incident surface is a continuous curved surface.

11. The light guide unit according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the light guide plate on the side surface is larger than a thickness of the light guide plate on the light incident surface, and a partial thickness of the light guide plate gradually decreases in a direction from the side surface to the light incident surface.

12. The light guide unit according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the light guide plate on the side surface is larger than a thickness of the light guide plate on the light incident surface, and a partial thickness of the light guide plate remains unchanged in the direction from the side surface to the light incident surface.

13. A light source module, comprising:

a light source; and

a light guide unit, comprising;

a light guide plate, comprising a bottom surface, a light emitting surface, a light incident surface, a side surface, a first connecting surface, and a second connecting surface, wherein the bottom surface is opposite to the light emitting surface;

the light incident surface, the side surface, the first connecting surface, and the second connecting surface are respectively connected between the bottom surface and the light emitting surface; and

the light incident surface is disposed between the light source and the side surface; and

a plurality of optical structures, protruding on the side surface, the first connecting surface, and the second connecting surface, and together forming a Fresnel lens structure, wherein the light source comprises a first light source group and a second light source group, and the Fresnel lens structure is adapted to transmitting a first light beam emitted by the first light source group in a first direction and transmitting a second light beam emitted by the second light source group in a second direction, wherein the second direction intersects the first direction.

14. The light source module according to claim 13, wherein the optical structures comprise at least one first optical structure protruding on the side surface, a plurality of second optical microstructures protruding on the first connecting surface, and a plurality of third optical microstructures protruding on the second connecting surface.

15. The light source module according to claim 14, wherein each of the second optical microstructures protruding on the first connecting surface and each of the third optical microstructures protruding on the second connecting surface respectively comprise a first surface parallel to the side surface and a curved second surface, wherein the first surface is disposed between the second surface and the light source.

16. The light source module according to claim 15, wherein a reflective layer is formed on each of the second surfaces.

17. The light source module according to claim 15, wherein each of the second surfaces is a continuous cambered surface.

18. The light source module according to claim 15, wherein a tangent line slope of each tangent of each of the second surfaces with respect to the light incident surface gradually decreases in a direction from the light incident surface to the side surface.

19. The light source module according to claim 15, wherein a refractive index of at least one of the optical structures is different from a refractive index of the light guide plate.

20. The light source module according to claim 13, wherein the light incident surface is a planar surface.

21. The light source module according to claim 13, wherein the light incident surface is a continuous zigzag surface.

22. The light source module according to claim 13, wherein the light incident surface is a continuous curved surface.

23. The light source module according to claim 13, wherein a thickness of the light guide plate on the side surface is larger than a thickness of the light guide plate on the light incident surface, and a partial thickness of the light guide plate gradually decreases in a direction from the side surface to the light incident surface.

24. The light source module according to claim 13, wherein a thickness of the light guide plate on the side surface is larger than a thickness of the light guide plate on the light incident surface, and a partial thickness of the light guide plate remains unchanged in the direction from the side surface to the light incident surface.