Backlight Unit Light Guide Plate Zigzag Diffusion Pattern

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tandem-type backlight apparatuses experience luminance non-uniformity due to shadows, dark lines, or bright lines at the boundaries between light guide plates, which existing solutions fail to adequately address, and thermal expansion can exacerbate these issues leading to deformation or breakage.

Innovation Solution

The configuration includes unit light guide plates with LEDs aligned along one side, zigzag unit diffusion patterns on the surface, and additional diffusion patterns on the back, ensuring that the size and pitch of these patterns optimize light distribution to minimize luminance non-uniformity by creating contrasting patterns that reduce the visibility of boundaries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of stationary object

If light guide plates are aligned in a tandem-type configuration, then the thickness of the image display apparatus is reduced, but luminance non-uniformity occurs at the boundaries between adjacent light guide plates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethickness of image display apparatusVSAvoidluminance uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating luminance contrasting parts (brighter or darker regions) at specific locations within each backlight block, particularly near the boundaries between adjacent blocks. This is achieved through light guide structures that concentrate or diffuse light locally to create patterns that counteract the boundary effects, making the overall luminance distribution more uniform across the display surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs asymmetry by intentionally creating asymmetric luminance distributions within each backlight block. The light guide plates and diffusion patterns are designed to produce non-uniform luminance contrasting parts that asymmetrically compensate for the symmetric boundary problems between adjacent blocks, thereby achieving overall luminance uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Reliability

If light guide plates are spaced apart with gaps to accommodate thermal expansion, then deformation and breakage are prevented, but shadow, dark line or bright line at boundaries becomes much conspicuous

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal expansion accommodationVSAvoidboundary luminance uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating luminance contrasting parts (brighter or darker regions) at specific locations within each backlight block, particularly near the boundaries between adjacent blocks. This is achieved through light guide structures that concentrate or diffuse light locally to create patterns that counteract the boundary effects, making the overall luminance distribution more uniform across the display surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of gaps (which cause conspicuous boundaries) into a benefit by designing light guide structures that create luminance contrasting parts within each block. These contrasting parts actively compensate for the boundary dark lines or bright lines caused by gaps, transforming the gap-induced problem into an opportunity for luminance uniformity enhancement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Device complexity

If only superposing light guide plates or adding acrylic plates is used to reduce boundary effects, then structure simplicity is maintained, but luminance non-uniformity cannot be sufficiently reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebacklight structure complexityVSAvoidluminance uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating luminance contrasting parts (brighter or darker regions) at specific locations within each backlight block, particularly near the boundaries between adjacent blocks. This is achieved through light guide structures that concentrate or diffuse light locally to create patterns that counteract the boundary effects, making the overall luminance distribution more uniform across the display surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the backlight apparatus into multiple independent backlight blocks, each containing light guide plates and diffusion patterns. This segmentation allows each block to be optimized independently with specific luminance contrasting parts, while the collective arrangement of multiple blocks achieves overall luminance uniformity across the entire display surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

This configuration effectively reduces the conspicuousness of luminance non-uniformity across the entire screen by creating irregular and short intervals of luminance peaks, making bright or dark lines at boundaries less noticeable, while also accommodating thermal expansion without deformation.

Implementation Method 1

a plate-like light guide plate composed of a transparent material such as acrylic or the like... each of which guides surface light converted from light of the light source to a liquid crystal panel side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTotal internal reflection: Total Internal Reflection

Implementation Method 2

unit diffusion patterns are formed on a light exit surface of the unit light guide plate... another diffusion pattern is formed on the back of the unit light guide plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight diffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 3

a plurality of LED light sources and a unit light guide plate for guiding light from the light sources

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emitting diode emission: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 4

the light guide plate is comprised of resin such as acrylic or the like, so that it will cause thermal expansion due to heat from a light source such as LED

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP2378325B1Image display apparatus and backlight apparatus used therefor
Publication Date: 2013.12.11 HITACHI CONSUMER ELECTRONICS CORP
  • EP2378325B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2378325B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2378325B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A plurality of backlight blocks (4) are aligned, each block includes light sources and a unit light guide plate (5) for guiding light from the light sources to the side of a liquid crystal panel (1), unit diffusion patterns (61) are formed in a zigzag alignment on the unit light guide plate and another diffusion pattern is formed on the back of the unit light guide plate. One side of the unit light guide plate is defined as a light entrance surface and LEDs (7) as the light sources are aligned along the light entrance surface to satisfy p ≧ a ≧ c where a indicates the size of the unit diffusion pattern in a direction orthogonal to an exit optical axis of the LEDs, c indicates the size of an LED emission surface in the direction of alignment of the LEDs, and p indicates the pitch of alignment of the light sources.