Backlight Unit Optical Member Thickness Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backlight units are thick and inefficient in light emission, as they rely on multiple individual optical sheets that increase the overall thickness of display devices without significantly improving light-emitting efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A backlight unit design featuring a light guide plate with a unique optical member structure, comprising an inorganic first insulating layer and an organic second insulating layer, which creates cavities and holes to refract light efficiently, reducing thickness while enhancing light-emitting efficiency by guiding and condensing light towards the display panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If multiple individual optical sheets are used to condense light, then light-emitting efficiency is improved, but the overall thickness of the display device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical sheets (prism sheet and diffusion sheet) into a single integrated optical member that is directly coupled to the light guide plate. This integration maintains the light-condensing functionality of separate sheets while eliminating the thickness contribution of intermediate layers and adhesives, thereby reducing overall device thickness while preserving light-emitting efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical member is nested directly onto the light guide plate surface, with the prism structures and diffusion patterns embedded within a single layered structure. The first insulating layer with prism patterns and second insulating layer with diffusion patterns are stacked and integrated, creating a compact nested configuration that performs multiple optical functions in a reduced thickness profile.
2Use of energy by moving object
If conventional optical sheets are used, then light condensation is achieved, but the structural complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of separate prism sheets and diffusion sheets into a single integrated optical member consisting of a first insulating layer with prism patterns and a second insulating layer with diffusion patterns. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete components while maintaining effective light condensation through the combined optical actions of both layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated optical member performs multiple optical functions simultaneously: the first insulating layer provides prism-based light redirection and condensation, while the second insulating layer provides diffusion-based light scattering and uniformity enhancement. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate specialized components for each optical function.
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 proposed design improves light-emitting efficiency and reduces the overall thickness of the backlight unit and display device, achieving a more uniform brightness distribution and a slimmer structure compared to conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
an optical member disposed on the light guide plate to condense the light provided from the light guide plate in the upper direction
Data Source
AI summary
A backlight unit includes a light source generating light, a light guide plate guiding the light in an upper direction, and an optical member disposed on the light guide plate to condense the light provided from the light guide plate in the upper direction. A top surface of the light guide plate includes a plurality of circular areas and a peripheral area around the circular areas. Each of the circular areas includes a central circular area and a ring area surrounding the central circular area. The optical member includes a first insulating layer disposed on the light guide plate and spaced apart from the light guide plate by predetermined distances in the ring areas and the peripheral area to define a plurality of cavities, and a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer.