Emission Face Patents (Class 362/617)
  • Patent number: 7641375
    Abstract: A spread illuminating apparatus of side light type includes a transparent resin plate, a reflector disposed at one major surface of the transparent resin plate, and a light source disposed in a light source space formed toward one end of the transparent resin plate, wherein the reflector includes a main part having a rectangular shape and fold parts formed at peripheral edges of the main part so as to rise up therefrom, slits are formed through portions of the transparent resin plate located inside and off its peripheral edges, and wherein the fold parts of the reflector are inserted though the slits of the transparent resin plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hirotaka Fujita, Takahiro Shimura, Naoyuki Terada
  • Publication number: 20090323372
    Abstract: Provided is a lighting device that inputs a light from a light source from a side surface of a light guide body, and outputs the light from an upper surface of the light guide body, in which a recess is formed on a light input surface of a light guide plate so as to face the light source, and a paraboloid extending in a radial pattern in a light output direction from a light output part of the light source is connected to the light input surface. Prisms arranged on a light output surface of the light guide body are disposed up to an area closest to the light source wherever possible. With the above-mentioned configuration, an output of the light of components perpendicular to the light output surface of the light guide body remarkably increases, and brightness of the lighting device can be enhanced without using a prism sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Makoto Kurihara, Masashi Ono
  • Patent number: 7639918
    Abstract: A light guide includes a body having an elongate shape and a plurality of light-reflecting faces and light-emitting faces extending along the body. The light-reflecting faces extend in a stepped fashion along the body in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the light guide and are configured to reflect light rays by the principle of total internal reflection. Each light-emitting face is disposed along the body opposite a corresponding light-reflecting face. Each light-emitting face is configured to emit light reflected by the corresponding light-reflecting face. The light-emitting faces are also disposed on the body in a stepped fashion. Steps of the light-emitting faces correspond to steps of the light-reflecting faces. In another aspect, the light-reflecting faces are separated by stepped-down faces. The stepped-down faces are oriented at a stepped-down angle in the range of about 1 and 10 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin Mitchell Sayers, Christopher L. Eichelberger
  • Publication number: 20090296026
    Abstract: An LED back-light unit and other devices using the LED back-light unit are discussed. According to one embodiment, an LED back-light unit includes a light guide portion that includes a light guide plate and a reflection plate coupled to the light guide plate, wherein the light guide plate has a light input part and a first connection part, and wherein the reflection plate has a second connection part connected to the first connection part, and a light source including at least one light emitting diode, the light source emitting light toward the light guide portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Seung Choon Bae, Seung Se Kim, Hoon Hur
  • Publication number: 20090290093
    Abstract: A planar light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting units each including a light source and a lightguide plate. The light-emitting units are arranged with the light-exiting surfaces of their respective lightguide plates being substantially flush with each other. Each lightguide plate has an upper surface as a light-exiting surface, a lower surface opposite to the light-exiting surface, and a peripheral side surface extending between the respective peripheral edges of the upper and lower surfaces. The lightguide plate emits light received from the light source from the light-exiting surface. At least a part of the peripheral side surface is an inclined surface inclined relative to the light-exiting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventors: Takashi SHIMURA, Taku Kumasaka
  • Publication number: 20090290378
    Abstract: An image display apparatus comprising a light guide plate, a light-emitting diode (LED), a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate is provided. Light generated from the LED is guided into the light guide plate through the edge thereof, and outwardly projected through the two opposite surfaces of the light guide plate. Thus, a pattern being disposed in front of the first transparent substrate or the second transparent substrate would be lighted up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: LIGHTHOUSE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Meng-Chai Wu, Chien-Lung Lee
  • Publication number: 20090284986
    Abstract: A light guide plate has a light emitting surface, a bottom surface and a first and a second light incident surfaces connected to the light emitting surface and the bottom surface. The bottom surface approaches the light emitting surface gradually along a first direction away from the first light incident surface and along a second direction away from the second light incident surface, or is away from the light emitting surface gradually along the first direction and the second direction. The light guide plate includes a plurality of first and second hollow portions disposed on the light emitting surface. The first hollow portions are arranged on a first axis. The second hollow portions are arranged on a second axis. A plurality of orthogonal projections of the second hollow portions formed on the first axis and the first hollow portions are alternately arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Hung-Chi Chen, Chia-Te Tsao, Chung-Cheng Hua, Chong-Kuo Lai
  • Publication number: 20090284985
    Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for illuminating a display. In certain embodiments, the illumination apparatus includes a light guide that receives light from a light generator along an edge of the light guide and directs the received light via light extractor features (e.g., grooves) towards a display. The light guide includes at least two sets of light extractor features that are rotated with respect to each other so as to reduce a shadowing effect on the display when the display is viewed from within a specific range of viewing angles. In further embodiments, the spacing or orientation of each or one of the extractor feature sets may also be adjusted so that other visual artifacts, such as a Moiré effect, are reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ion Bita, Gang Xu
  • Patent number: 7614773
    Abstract: A light guide plate and a liquid crystal display device having the same. The light guide plate is disposed upstream of a liquid crystal panel to refract light supplied through an edge thereof, toward the liquid crystal panel. In the light guide plate, a plate body is disposed at a side of a light source for supplying light when a supply voltage is applied. A plurality of pyramidal diffusing elements are arrayed in a predetermined pattern on a surface of the plate body. Each of the diffusing elements is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise about an axis extending through a vertex of the diffusing element perpendicularly to the surface of the plate body so that an edge of the diffusing element facing a reference line connecting a central point of the light source to a central point of the plate body is angled 10° to 35° about the reference line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee Dong Kim, Jin Ha Kim, Jin Jong Kim
  • Patent number: 7602459
    Abstract: A light diffusion module and a back light module using the same. The light diffusion module is disposed corresponding to the light source module of the back light module. The light diffusion module includes a first diffusion layer and the second diffusion layer. The first diffusion layer is disposed on top of the light source module and the top light exit surface has a plurality of first micro structures juxtapositioned to each other. The second diffusion layer is disposed on top of the first diffusion layer, and the top surface has a plurality of second micro structures juxtapositioned to each other. The ratio of the width of each first micro structure to the width of each second micro structure is between 1.1 and 1.8. The ratio of the height of each first micro structure to the height of each second micro structure is between 0.8 and 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chung Chuan Chen, Kuang Ting Cheng, Kai-Ti Chen
  • Publication number: 20090244432
    Abstract: To provide a backlight unit for use in a liquid crystal display device and so on, which is capable of overcoming a problem of interference due to expansion and contraction of a light guide plate and an optical sheet and preventing a strange noise by clicking, a backlight unit includes a support plate, a light guide plate that is disposed in the front side of the support plate and emits light, which is introduced from a light source through the end side of the light guide plate, through the front side of the light guide plate, an optical sheet that is disposed in the front side of the light guide plate, and a liquid crystal panel maintenance member that is disposed in the front side of the optical sheet, wherein the light guide plate and the liquid crystal panel maintenance member hold and fix the optical sheet at one point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norifumi Hattori, Yasumasa Tatewaki
  • Patent number: 7594746
    Abstract: A backlight assembly includes a light source, a light guide plate, and a receiving container having a combination guide part. The coupling guide part is inwardly protruded with respect to the sidewalls of the receiving container. The coupling guide part corresponds with a guide recess on the light guide plate to guide the light guide plate to a proper position. The coupling guide part may also include a screw thread to couple the receiving container with an external case. Therefore, the receiving container may be easily coupled with the external case and the light guide plate may be guided to a proper position via the combination guide part to thereby simplify a manufacturing process of the backlight assembly and reduce its size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Soo Shin, Jeoung-Gwen Lee, Young-Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 7594745
    Abstract: An exemplary optical plate includes at least one transparent plate unit. The transparent plate unit includes a light output surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of enclosing V-shaped protrusions, a plurality of microstructures and at least one lamp-receiving portion. The light output surface is opposite to the bottom surface. The enclosing V-shaped protrusions are formed on the bottom surface. The microstructures are formed on the light output surface. The lamp-receiving portion is defined in the bottom surface. A backlight module using the present optical plate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shao-Han Chang
  • Publication number: 20090237958
    Abstract: A low-clearance light-emitting diode lighting includes a light guide panel having side surfaces and a front surface opposing a back surface, a plurality of light-emitting diodes positioned on at least two side surfaces of the light guide panel, a reflecting plate at the back surface of the light guide panel, reflectors having an inclined angle, and a metal frame for supporting the reflecting plate and the light guide panel, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes is positioned between one of the at least two side surfaces and one of the reflectors such that light from the plurality of light-emitting diodes is reflected toward the at least two side surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: LED Folio Corporation
    Inventor: Steven KIM
  • Patent number: 7585083
    Abstract: A backlight for a display device includes a board, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the board, and a light guiding plate that is provided on the LEDs and has light reflecting grooves formed directly on respective LEDs. The light reflecting grooves are formed at an upper surface of the light guiding plate, having a shape of a reversed cone. In this backlight, the light traveling directly upward from the LED is efficiently reflected by total internal reflection and then recycled, resulting in a uniform light distribution of the backlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gi-Cherl Kim, Seock-Hwan Kang, Sang-Yu Lee, Ju-Young Yoon, Chun-Ho Song
  • Patent number: 7568820
    Abstract: The present invention is a light-controlling sheet for making light emitted from light sources uniform and/or converging the light. The light-controlling sheet includes a lens part having a large number of rod-like unit lenses arranged in parallel, with a lens surface of each unit lens facing to the light-exiting side. A cross section of the lens surface of each rod-like unit lens taken perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the unit lens is asymmetrical. The lens surface of each unit lens has a flat surface part in the shape of a flat surface, and a curved surface part in the shape of part of a cylindrical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daijiro Kodama, Masahiro Goto, Wataru Tokuhara
  • Publication number: 20090161385
    Abstract: Optical assembly includes a hollow backlight having at least one light input edge and at least one light source positioned adjacent to the at least one light input edge. A back reflector is positioned at or in close proximity to a first side of the hollow backlight for reflecting the light through the hollow backlight and out through a second side of the hollow backlight superimposed on the first side, and a reflective polarizer is positioned at or in close proximity to the second side of the backlight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Jeffery R. Parker, Timothy A. McCollum
  • Patent number: 7543972
    Abstract: A backlight module includes a light guide plate, which includes a substrate and at least two light guide sets formed on a surface of the substrate. Each light guide set includes a plurality of light guide elements, with the light guide elements including emission surface structures to emit light, and the emission surface structures of the light guide elements of one of the light guide sets being different from the emission surface structures of the light guide elements of another one of the light guide sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Chih Huang, Ying-Chieh Tsai
  • Patent number: 7542635
    Abstract: An enhanced electroluminescent sign containing a volumetric, anisotropic scattering element to control the angular spread of light from the sign and the spatial luminance uniformity of the sign. The anisotropic scattering element contains one or more regions of asymmetrically-shaped light scattering particles. The angular spread of light leaving a sign from a light emitting source can be efficiently controlled by using a thin, low cost, volumetric, anisotropic scattering elements to angularly and spatially distribute light, permitting the reduction in number of light sources, a reduction in power requirements, or a more tailored viewing angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Fusion Optix Inc.
    Inventor: Zane Coleman
  • Patent number: 7537372
    Abstract: A backlight device with improved efficiency in the utilization of light and a liquid crystal display device providing this backlight device are provided, the backlight device comprising at least a light source 2, a light guide plate 1 and a reflector 10, in which the light guide plate 1 further provides an entry face 5 into which light from the light source is incident, a lower face 4 substantially perpendicular to the entry face 5 and that opposes the reflector 10, and an upper face 3 that opposes the lower face 4, and reflective elements 6 that are capable of reflecting such that light is emitted from the lower face 4 toward the reflector 10 are disposed on the upper face 3 of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Sugimoto, Teruo Teshima, Masato Taya, Toshikatsu Shimazaki
  • Patent number: 7537373
    Abstract: A light guide plate (30) includes a light incident surface (31), a light emitting surface (32) and a bottom surface (33). The light emitting surface adjoins the light incident surface. The bottom surface faces an opposite direction of the light emitting surface. A number of first microstructure units (321) and second microstructure units (323) are interlaced and formed on the light emitting surface. Each first microstructure unit has a number of first prism lenses (3211) extending out from the light emitting surface parallel to the light incident surface, and each second microstructure unit has a number of second prism lenses (3231) extending out from the light emitting surface perpendicular to the light incident surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ming-Yi Liao
  • Patent number: 7527398
    Abstract: A flat panel display can include a transparent substrate, a light emitting device formed on a surface of the transparent substrate, and a prism sheet formed on the other surface of the transparent substrate and having a plurality of polygonal protruding members having lengthwise axes parallel to one another to direct light output from the light emitting device in a predetermined direction. The sum of the thickness of the transparent substrate and the thickness of a portion of the prism sheet excluding the polygonal protruding members can be about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-Woo Song, Young-Rag Do, Yoon-Chang Kim, Sang-Hwan Cho, Ji-Hoon Ahn, Joon-gu Lee, So-Young Lee
  • Patent number: 7527412
    Abstract: A surface emitting device and a display apparatus including the same. The surface emitting device includes: a light source; and a light guide plate having a light exit surface on which holographic patterns are formed, and guiding light emitted by the light source such that the guided light is emitted from the light exit surface, wherein the holographic patterns are arranged so that light incident on the light guide plate without passing through any side surface of the light guide plate can be incident on the holographic patterns at an azimuth greater than 45° at which light emitting efficiency is low and light incident on the light guide plate and reflected by any side surface of the light guide plate can be incident on the holographic patterns at an azimuth at which light emitting efficiency is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong-seok Lee, Seung-ryong Park, Seok-ho Song
  • Publication number: 20090103327
    Abstract: The light guide plate includes a rectangular light exit plane, a light entrance plane containing one side of the light exit plane, and a rear plane located on the side opposite from the light exit plane and scattering particles for scattering light propagating inside the light guide plate dispersed therein. The light guide plate has two layers, a first layer located on the side closer to the light exit plane and having a first particle density of the scattering particles, and a second layer located on the side opposite from the light exit plane and having a second particle density that is greater than the first particle density of the first layer. Npo and Npr satisfy Npo<Npr, where Npo is the first particle density and Npr is the second particle density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu IWASAKI, Hideo Nagano
  • Publication number: 20090103328
    Abstract: The planar lighting device includes a light guide plate including two symmetrical, inclined planes increasingly distanced from the light exit plane with the increasing distance from the light entrance planes toward the center, a curved portion joining the inclined planes, and scattering particles dispersed therein; light sources; a housing; a securing unit securing the light sources and light guide plate to keep their distance constant, and a sliding mechanism allowing the securing unit to slide. Distance between the light entrance planes, thicknesses at the light entrance planes and at the central curved portion, its radius of curvature and taper of the inclined planes are all held within respective given ranges as well as scattering particle diameter and density, light use efficiency and middle-high ratio of the brightness distribution. A thin planar lighting device yielding high light use efficiency with a minimized brightness unevenness and a high-in-the-middle brightness distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu IWASAKI
  • Patent number: 7522802
    Abstract: An optical multilayer film includes first and second optical layers, and a refracting layer. The first optical layer has a light-exit surface. The second optical layer has a light-incoming surface facing the light-exit surface of the first optical layer, and a light-outgoing surface opposite to the light-incoming surface and formed with a light-converging structure. The refracting layer is disposed between and is in contact with the first and second optical layers, is made from a transparent material, and has a refractive index that is smaller than that of the second optical layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Tzeng-Ke Shiau, Ming-Dah Liu, Der-Woei Hsaio, Wen-Bin Chou, Ching-Shiang Li
  • Patent number: 7517129
    Abstract: A light guide plate includes a first optical member having a first light path-changing portion to separate a first light portion and a second light portion from a light, and a second optical member having a second light path-changing portion corresponding to the first light path-changing portion. The first optical member has a first refractive index against the first light portion of the light and a second refractive index against the second light portion of the light, and the second optical member has the first refractive index against the first and second light portions. Thus, brightness and brightness uniformity of an image displayed on a display apparatus may be improved, and a number of parts of the display apparatus may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Sung Choi, Jheen-Hyeok Park, Byung-Yun Joo, Ju-Hwa Ha, Jung-Wook Paek
  • Patent number: 7515223
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a panel, a first light source, a second light source, a first light guide plate, a second light guide plate, and a processor. The panel includes a first area for displaying a first data and a second area for displaying a second data. The first light guide plate corresponding to the first area reflects the light provided by the first light source to the first area. The second light guide plate corresponding to the second area reflects the light provided by the second light source to the second area. The processor determines the states of the first light source and the second light source. The first or second light source is not operated all the time so as to conserve the power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Qisda Corporation
    Inventors: Ta-Yuan Lee, Hsin-Che Hsieh
  • Publication number: 20090086508
    Abstract: Backlights containing low profile, side-emitting LEDs are described that have improved brightness uniformity. In one embodiment, the backlight comprises a solid transparent lightguide with a plurality of openings in a bottom surface of the lightguide, each opening containing a side-emitting LED. Prisms or other optical features are formed in the top wall of each opening to reflect light in the lightguide towards a light output surface of the lightguide so that the side-emitting LEDs do not appear as dark spots at the output of the backlight. To avoid any direct emission from the sides of the LED toward the output surface of the lightguide appearing as bright areas, optical features are formed at the edges of the opening or in the output surface of the lightguide so that direct emission light is not output from the lightguide. Substantially identical cells may be formed in the lightguide using cellular walls around one or more LEDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: PHILIPS LUMILEDS LIGHTING COMPANY, LLC
    Inventor: Serge Bierhuizen
  • Publication number: 20090046480
    Abstract: A backlight module applied to a display and including a linear light source and a light guide plate (LGP) is provided. The LGP includes a light emitting surface, a bottom surface, a light incident surface, a first side surface, a second side surface and a microstructure. The bottom surface is opposite to the light emitting surface. The light incident surface is in contact with the light emitting surface and the bottom surface. The linear light source is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface. The first side surface is opposite to the light incident surface and in contact with the light emitting surface and the bottom surface. The second side surface is in contact with the light emitting surface, the bottom surface, the light incident surface and the first side surface. The microstructure is formed on the second side surface and adjacent to the light incident surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: NANO PRECISION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chien-Hsiang Chen, Jui-Nien Jao
  • Publication number: 20090034292
    Abstract: Illumination assemblies, components, and related methods are described. An illumination assembly can include at least one solid state light-emitting device, and at least one light guide including a light homogenization region configured to receive light emitted by the solid state light-emitting device and including a light output boundary. The light homogenization region substantially uniformly distributes light outputted over the light output boundary. A wavelength converting material can be disposed within at least a portion of the light homogenization region. In some assemblies, a light extraction region can be configured to receive light from the light output boundary of the light homogenization region, and can have a length along which received light propagates and an emission surface through which light is emitted. The light extraction region can include a wavelength converting material disposed within at least a portion of the light extraction region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: Luminus Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander L. Pokrovskiy, David Doyle, Michael Lim, Alexei A. Erchak, Nikolay I. Nemchuk, Gianni Taraschi
  • Patent number: 7481565
    Abstract: A light guide plate a light incidence surface, a light-emitting surface joining with the light incidence surface, a diffraction grating having a plurality of grating slots formed on the light-emitting surface, and a bottom surface on an opposite side of the light guide plate to the light-emitting surface. The diffraction grating converts light that has been dispersed by reflection and refraction into plane parallel light thus increasing brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tai-Cherng Yu
  • Patent number: 7478937
    Abstract: A reflector has a curved part covering the light source and a pair of end parts extending at the two sides of the curved part. The inside surface of each end part has a plurality of substantially parallel projections or depressions. The light-guiding plate has an incident surface and an emission surface substantially perpendicular to the incident surface, the incident surface having a plurality of projections or depressions extending substantially parallel to the emission surface. Also, the reflection surface of the light-guiding plate has projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yasushi Hara, Chikara Nishio, Makoto Abe, Masashi Hirabayashi, Hiroshi Yamada, Toshikazu Takahashi, Akira Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20090016079
    Abstract: A planar lighting apparatus is provided in which thinning is promoted while higher and more uniform brightness is achieved by maintaining an LED on a light-incoming face of a light guide plate easily and stably. A planar lighting apparatus 10 according to the present invention is provided with a light guide plate 2 and an LED 11 arranged on a light-incoming face 3 of the light guide plate 2. The light guide plate 2 has a pressing portion 5 formed integrally with the light guide plate 2 and opposite to the light-incoming face 3 with a predetermined gap d, and the LED 11 is held between the pressing portion 5 and the light-incoming face 3 and brought into pressure contact with the light-incoming face 3 by an elastic action of the pressing portion 5 so as to maintain the position and attitude with respect to the light guide plate 2 properly and stably.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20090003016
    Abstract: To provide a rod-like light guide and a line lighting device including the rod-like light guide, both of which are easy to include in an image reading device, a contact-type image sensor and an image reading device. For instance, a protruding portion having a flat or curved surface is formed by grinding an end face of a rod-like light guide in a longitudinal direction while leaving at least 80% of the surface area of the end face, and a reflective surface is formed by bonding a heat transfer film to the protruding portion. Thus, even if a portion of the protrusion portion melts when performing thermal processing on the heat transfer film, the portion will not jut out beyond a cross-sectional area of the rod-like light guide, and the rod-like light guide can be easily contained in a case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takeshi Ishimaru, Takashi Kishimoto, Hidemitsu Takeuchi, Tomihisa Saito, Hideki Azuma, Takahiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7470053
    Abstract: Several optical mechanism designs for making luminance of the outer portion of a back light module of edge lighting type to become higher than luminance of the inner portion of the back light module are disclosed in accordance with the present invention. The disclosed optical mechanism designs can cooperate with each other to enhance the optical effect of the back light module. Additionally, the back light modules of the present invention are feasible for use in various scanners or liquid crystal displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Shih-Yuan Kuo
  • Publication number: 20080316770
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a backlight and a light guide plate, a method of manufacturing a diffuser and the light guide plate, and to a liquid crystal display apparatus, all enabling a cost reduction by reducing the parts count and curtailing unnecessary manufacturing processing. A diffuser 261 has a light distribution layer 181 including a prismatic surface wherein stripe grooves or asperities are arrayed in parallel with each other, a diffusion layer 182 containing diffusion elements 191 for diffusing incident light, and a light incidence control layer 271 including a prismatic surface wherein stripe grooves or asperities are arrayed in parallel on a side of fluorescent tubes 131. The diffusion layer 182 is formed from the same resin, and only the diffusion elements 191 are formed from a different resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Takashi Oku, Masato Hatanaka, Yoshinari Kawashima, Akira Koshimura, Kazuhiro Shiratori
  • Publication number: 20080316768
    Abstract: A light guide with input and output faces 2, 3a is polar-symmetric about the first face 2 and has optical properties such that the angle at which a ray is injected into the first face determines the position at which it leaves the second face 3a, or, if operated in the reverse direction, the position at which the ray enters the second face determines the angle at which the ray leaves the second face. The light guide includes a tapered transparent sheet 3, light from the first face entering at the thick end of this sheet, and the second face forming one face of the tapered sheet. An input/output slab 4 adjoins the tapered sheet 3 for fan-out of light from the first face 2 to the tapered sheet, and a transition region 8 is located between flat and tapered sheets. The polar symmetry means that light rays always travel in line with the taper direction, which suppresses banding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: Cambridge Flat Projection Displays Limited
    Inventor: Adrian R. L. Travis
  • Publication number: 20080316769
    Abstract: A spread illuminating apparatus includes an LED, a transparent resin plate and a light reflecting sheet, wherein the transparent resin plate includes slits adapted to have inserted therein flap portions of the light reflecting sheet, and wherein an adhesive tape with flexibility is placed along at least one flap portion of the light reflecting sheet so as to cover at least one slit of the transparent resin plate, whereby the light reflecting sheet is prevented from warping or undulating in spite of difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the materials of the transparent resin plate and the light reflecting sheet, and also whereby light emitted from the LED and traveling in the transparent resin plate is totally reflected by the flap portions and therefore prevented from leaking from the outer side surfaces of the transparent resin plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Terada, Motoji Egawa, Akinobu Sano
  • Publication number: 20080297696
    Abstract: A light guiding plate unit which can emit uniform light of a predetermined polarization, a surface light source apparatus and a liquid crystal display apparatus are provided. A light guiding plate unit is provided with a light guiding plate which can guide light and has a first surface from which light is emitted and a diffraction grating which is provided on the first surface of the light guiding plate, and the diffraction grating is formed of a number of metal wires in straight lines which are aligned in a direction approximately perpendicular to the long axis of the metal wires, and the length w of the metal wires in the direction in which the number of metal wires are aligned is approximately 55% or more and approximately 85% or less of the spatial period of the diffraction grating. Thus, the ratio of the length w of the metal wires to the spatial period is set to 0.65 or higher and 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY. LIMITED
    Inventor: Saswatee BANERJEE
  • Publication number: 20080285306
    Abstract: An image display apparatus has one display screen configured to display images corresponding to a plurality of observers. The image display apparatus comprises an illumination means for emitting a first light flux and a second light flux in at least two different directions in a time sharing manner, and a transmissive display element configured to display in a time sharing manner a first image using the first light flux emitted from the illumination means as illumination light and a second image using the second light flux as illumination light, and the illumination means includes a first light source 20 which emits the first light flux, a second light source 25 which emits the second light flux, a first light guiding plate 21 which projects the first light flux emitted from the first light source 20 only in a direction to a first observer, and a second light guiding plate 22 which projects the second light flux emitted from the second light source 25 only in a direction to a second observer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Ryohei Sugihara, Yoichi Iba
  • Publication number: 20080285307
    Abstract: A backlight apparatus for directing light toward a display panel and the resulting display device comprises a solid lightguide comprising opposite TIR surfaces, containing a desired pattern of light redirecting surface features located between the TIR surfaces and interrupting one of the TIR surfaces, the features having a refractive index differing from that of the solid material of the light guide. Such an apparatus provides a more even light distribution to the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Peter T. Aylward, Robert P. Bourdelais, Qi Hong
  • Publication number: 20080285305
    Abstract: An LED module is mounted on a case frame by fitting three pins formed at a concave portion of the case frame, into holes in the LED module corresponding to the pins. A light-guide plate is fitted into the case frame formed integrally with a bottom cover in a descending direction. The light-guide plate is fixed by a hook provided for the case frame. A space between the light-guide plate and the LED module is prevented by pressing the light-guide plate to the LED module with a pressing spring. Since the light-guide plate is fitted into the case frame in the descending direction and a light scattering sheet is adhered to an outer end surface of the case frame in the descending direction, it is not necessary to reverse the worked product and so the number and time of working processes can be saved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kouzou Fujino, Makoto Ikeda, Tomihisa Saitou
  • Publication number: 20080273351
    Abstract: An LED light source device and an illumination device using the same, including vehicle lighting devices, can have a light weight and thin profile and can form a desired light distribution pattern while employing a simple configuration. The light source device can include a plate shaped light guide member made of a material that is transparent in a visible range. The light guide member can have a front surface serving as a light emitting surface and having a plate shape, and a rear surface having a luminance control element for controlling a luminance distribution on the light emitting surface. A point or linear light source facing towards an end surface of the light guide member can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Shuichi Ajiki, Koichi Masuyama, Naoya Sone, Sadayuki Konishi, Yasuo Toko
  • Patent number: 7445370
    Abstract: At least one LED emits light received by a light flux control member and subsequently emitted from an emission race thereof. Each LED is in a recess formed in the light flux control member and configured to satisfy the following conditions, for at least light emitted toward within a half-intensity-angular-range from the corresponding LED, where ?1 is the emission angle of any light emitted from the emission face of the light flux control member: (1) ?5/?1>1, except for light emitted toward within an angular-neighborhood of a normal direction with respect to the emission face; and (2) ?5/?1 decreases gradually as ?1 increases. If a plurality of LED's are employed, differences in emitting color among individual LED's are made less conspicuous and uniform illumination free from uneven brightness is realizable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Ohkawa
  • Publication number: 20080259637
    Abstract: An exemplary optical plate (20) includes a light output surface, and a bottom surface opposite to the light output surface, a plurality of first protrusions formed on the bottom surface, and a lamp-receiving portion defined on the bottom surface. A backlight module (200) using the optical plate is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SHAO-HAN CHANG
  • Patent number: 7438459
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a base, a light-condensing member disposed on the base to condense a first portion of light that is incident onto the base and protrusion members disposed on a surface of the light-condensing member to scatter a second portion of the light that is incident onto the base. A backlight assembly includes light sources, an optical unit receiving light from the light sources to condense and scatter the light, and may also include an optical member disposed over the optical unit to enhance the front luminance of the light. A display device includes light sources, an optical module and a display panel. Thus, display quality of the display device may be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Yong Hwang, In-Sun Hwang, Joong-Hyun Kim, Hye-Eun Park, Sang-Yu Lee
  • Patent number: 7440153
    Abstract: A backlight unit for a flat panel display and a flat panel display apparatus having the same. The backlight unit for a flat panel display includes a light source emitting light, a light guide panel having an incident surface facing the light source and totally reflecting light incident through the incident surface toward the flat panel display, a holographic pattern that is formed at at least one of an exit surface of the light guide panel or the opposing surface with a predetermined grating period and diffracts light incident into the light guide panel and a dot pattern containing a plurality of particles dispersed on the holographic pattern at intervals shorter than the grating period and scattering incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Su-mi Lee, Jin-Seung Choi, Jee-hong Min, Jin-hwan Kim, Yoon-sun Choi
  • Publication number: 20080239754
    Abstract: A backlight assembly, a display apparatus and a method for manufacturing the backlight assembly. The backlight assembly includes a light-guide plate, a point light source unit, a fixing plate and a cover. The point light source unit includes at least one point light source disposed at a side of the light-guide plate, and a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) disposed under the light-guide plate and having the point light source. The fixing plate is disposed under the FPC and has at least one first combining member. The cover is disposed under the fixing plate and has a first surface on which at least one second combining member is formed. The first and second combining members are combined with each other. Thus, assembling time may be decreased, heat may be efficiently dissipated, and manufacturing costs may be decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Seok-Won Kang, Jeom-Oh Kim, Eun-Jeong Kang
  • Publication number: 20080231773
    Abstract: A surface light source includes a light source which selectively irradiates two polarized light beams in polarized states different from each other, a light guide plate which includes a transparent plate having two plate surfaces facing each other and end faces surrounding the plate surfaces, and irradiates the two polarized light beams form an irradiation surface, and an optical element which irradiates irradiated light from the irradiation surface of the light guide plate toward a direction substantially normal to the light guide plate upon changing the propagation direction of the irradiated light. A liquid crystal display apparatus includes this surface light source, a polarization control element which is placed on the observation side of the surface light source and rotates the polarization plane of linearly polarized light transmitted through one of partitioned first and second areas through a predetermined angle, and a liquid crystal display device placed on the observation side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Daiku