Backlight Module Light Guide Plate Microstructure Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backlight modules in keyboards often result in uneven illumination of keycaps, leading to unsatisfactory character visibility and poor user experience due to focused light emission.
Innovation Solution
A backlight module comprising a light guide plate with through holes and microstructure, combined with a reflective structure including multiple reflective layers and a light guide plate, which diffusely reflects light to achieve even illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional light-emitting elements are used to illuminate keycaps, then the keyboard can be used in dark environments, but the light emission is focused on certain regions causing uneven illumination of characters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light guide plate as an intermediary component between the light-emitting elements and the keycaps. This light guide plate diffuses and redistributes the light from the LEDs to achieve uniform illumination across the character regions, solving the uneven lighting problem without requiring complex control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different surface treatments to different regions of the light guide plate. Specifically, the character regions are left with smooth surfaces for direct light transmission, while non-character regions are treated with diffuse reflective coatings to redirect light toward character areas, creating locally optimized light distribution
2Ease of operation
If light-emitting elements are disposed directly behind keycaps, then the structure is simple, but the light is focused on certain regions causing difficulty in identifying characters
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide plate serves as a mediator that redistributes light from simple point-source LEDs into a uniform area light source. This allows the use of simple, inexpensive LED components while achieving the complex effect of uniform character illumination, maintaining ease of operation without significantly increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from direct one-to-one light emission to a two-dimensional light distribution system. The light guide plate spreads light across the entire keyboard surface in the horizontal dimension, ensuring all character regions receive adequate illumination regardless of their position relative to the LED sources
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures even scattering and utilization of light, enhancing character visibility and user experience by providing uniform illumination, thus improving product sales.
Implementation Method 1
The light reflected back to the light guide plate is then diffuse reflected by the microstructure formed on the lower surface
Implementation Method 2
The first reflective layer is configured to allow a portion of a light emitted from the light-emitting elements to pass therethrough, and to allow a portion of the light to be reflected back to the light guide plate
Data Source
AI summary
A backlight module adapted for use in an input device includes a circuit board, a light guide plate, a plurality of light-emitting elements, and a reflective structure. The light guide plate disposed on the circuit board is formed with a microstructure. The reflective structure includes a reflective plate disposed on the light guide plate opposite to the circuit board, and a first reflective layer disposed on the reflective plate opposite to the light guide plate. The first reflective layer is configured to allow a portion of a light emitted from the light-emitting elements to pass therethrough, and to allow a portion of the light to be reflected back to the light guide plate and then be diffuse reflected by the microstructure formed on the light guide plate.