Optical Waveguide Patents (Class 362/610)
  • Patent number: 7018087
    Abstract: The present invention provides a light guide panel with one or more slanted light guiding parts for backlight units for liquid crystal display (LCD) and for advertisement or illumination, wherein the slanted light guiding part is provided at one side end of the light guide panel, with its one end adjacent to a light source being thicker than the other end adjacent to the light guide panel, to have a slope in which the light emitted from the light source can be totally internal-reflected in the light guide panel, so that the brightness can be maximized and the volume and weight of the light guide panel can be reduced to facilitate its handling and installation, thus resulting in significant reduction of manufacturing expenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Fawoo Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae Kun Yoo
  • Patent number: 7018085
    Abstract: Disclosed are an illumination device capable of improving an optical efficiency of a light generated from a light source and a reflection type liquid crystal device using the, illumination device. Between at least one light source and a first light guiding plate, which is provided to uniformly project the light incident from a first side towards a second side, a second light guiding plate for projecting the incident light towards the first side of the first light guiding plate is provided. A distance between a light projecting portion of the second light guiding plate and a light reflecting portion opposite the light projecting portion becomes narrow as an amount of light flux of the light emitted from at least one light source decreases. Accordingly, the light efficiency can be improved by increasing the probability of variation in optical routes for the light generated from each light source, though the number of the light sources disposed at a side of the second light guiding plate is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Inventors: Keun-Woo Lee, Jin-Baek Kim
  • Patent number: 7001058
    Abstract: A backlight for a display device, such as a liquid crystal display device, includes a light guiding plate having a front and a rear surface. The front and rear surfaces may be parallel to one another, or may instead be non-parallel. To the extent that such surfaces are non-parallel, one surface may be included at a single, or multiple angles with respect to the other surface. The backlight further includes a light source that is coupled to an edge of the light guiding plate by means of an energy conserving coupling section, and which provides light that is conditioned and transmitted through the light guiding plate. Light extractors are disposed on at least one side of the light guiding plate to assist in the transmission and conditioning of the light that is provided to the light guiding plate by the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: Ben-Zion Inditsky
  • Patent number: 6994462
    Abstract: There is described a light extractor (8) for a light guide lamp (1) whose useful surface, that is to say, the surface that, in use, faces the emission surface (5) of the light guide lamp (1), comprises a predetermined distribution of diffusing points (10) and a complementary distribution of reflecting points (9). The light extractor (8) allows obtaining an illumination having preselected features. There are also described methods for determining such a distribution of points so as to obtain a highly uniform illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Marcella M. Pesenti
  • Patent number: 6966685
    Abstract: An illumination system employs a light distribution cylinder with an exterior surface in the form of a plurality of progressively smaller-diameter cylindrical steps. The outside surface of each cylindrical step is interrupted by V-shaped grooves perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. Each surface of these V-shaped grooves acts to internally reflect divergent light from a light source positioned at the end of the tube. The light distribution cylinders may be solid or hollow and configured with bilateral symmetry to receive light from either end. The illumination system rearranges divergent directional light from a light source into non-directional light emitted in a cylindrical pattern useful for area illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: World Hint Limited
    Inventors: Ying Hung Li, Ashley Min Hang Pun, Chi Choy Wong, Sin Wing Chan, Derek Chi Hang Louie, Li Man Li