Light guide optical element having an obliquely embedded retarder or junction, and corresponding manufacturing method

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a light guide optical element (LOE) having an obliquely angled embedded retarder includes forming a first stack (560) of a plurality of planar retarder elements spaced apart and coupled to a plurality of transparent plates (562). Next, this first stack is sliced ​​along a slice plane (566) angled with respect to the retarder elements to form an obliquely angled retarder plate (569) containing obliquely angled portions (570) of the retarder elements. Next, the obliquely angled retarder plate (569) is combined with a second stack (571) coupled between a first precursor block (572) and a second precursor block (574). Next, this second stack is sliced ​​along a slice plane (578) to form an LOE (510) each containing an obliquely angled embedded retarder (526).

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a light guide optical element (LOE) having an embedded retarder tilted at an oblique angle, (a) The step of forming a first stack of multiple planar retarder elements coupled at intervals to multiple transparent plates, (b) The steps of slicing the first stack along a plurality of parallel slice planes angled obliquely with respect to the planar retarder elements to form at least one inclined retarder plate having a pair of main parallel planes and including portions of the plurality of planar retarder elements angled obliquely with respect to the main parallel planes, (c) The step of forming a second stack including the inclined retarder plate sandwiched between a first precursor block and a second precursor block and coupled thereto, (d) A method comprising the step of slicing the second stack along a plurality of parallel slicing planes to form a plurality of LOEs, each including a portion of the inclined retarder plate, thereby providing each LOE with an obliquely angled embedded retarder.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the slice plane of the second stack is aligned with the portion of the planar retarder element such that each LOE includes a portion of only one of the planar retarder elements.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the slice plane of the second stack is aligned with the portion of the planar retarder element such that at least two of the LOEs include a portion of one of the planar retarder elements.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first precursor block includes a plurality of partially reflective planar internal surfaces in a first orientation not parallel to the planar retarder element, and the second precursor block includes a plurality of partially reflective planar internal surfaces in a second orientation not parallel to both the planar retarder element and the first orientation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first precursor block comprises a plurality of LOE precursor portions that are temporarily bonded together at a bonding surface to form a block, and the slice of the second stack is carried out along the bonding surface.

6. A method for manufacturing a light guide optical element (LOE) having a first region and a second region joined by an obliquely angled interface surface, (a) A step of forming a first stack of a plurality of LOE first region precursor plates, wherein each precursor plate has two principal surfaces parallel to each other, and each precursor plate is temporarily bonded to each other at adjacent principal surfaces to form a bonding surface, (b) A step of processing the first stack to form a smooth edge surface at an oblique angle to the main surface, (c) A step of processing a complementary block having an outer surface to form a smooth edge surface at the oblique angle with respect to the outer surface, (d) The step of forming a composite block by connecting the smooth edge surface of the first stack to the smooth edge surface of the complementary block at an interface surface, (e) A method comprising the step of dividing the composite block along a surface corresponding to the joining surface to generate a plurality of LOEs having a first region and a second region joined by an obliquely angled interface surface.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first region precursor plates are temporarily bonded to each other in a stepped configuration with an offset between consecutive precursor plates, and the stepped configuration approximates the oblique angle.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the coupling includes integrating a retarder plate on the interface surface.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the complementary block is a second stack of a plurality of LOE second region precursor plates, each precursor plate having two principal surfaces parallel to each other, and the precursor plates are temporarily bonded to each other at adjacent principal surfaces to form a bonding surface.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the complementary block is a single block of transparent material.

11. The first stack and the complementary block are further processed to generate a second smooth edge surface at a second oblique angle, and the method further (a) A step of processing a second complementary block having an outer surface to form a smooth edge surface at the second oblique angle with respect to the outer surface, (b) The method according to claim 6, comprising the step of, before the division, joining the second smooth edge surfaces of the first stack and the complementary block to the smooth edge surface of the second complementary block at the second interface surface to form the composite block.

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