Light Guide Plate Lateral Prisms for Backlight Luminance Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backlight modules suffer from luminance loss due to unprocessed light exiting from the lateral sides of the light guide plate, resulting in wasted light energy.
Innovation Solution
A light guide plate with prisms on its lateral sides is used to reflect light back into the plate, allowing it to exit from the emitting surface, enhancing luminance efficiency. The prisms can be disposed perpendicular, parallel, or at an inclined angle between 30° and 60°, and are optionally located within protrusion or recess areas to optimize light reflection and intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional light guide plate without lateral optical structures is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but light energy is lost from lateral sides resulting in reduced luminance efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful light loss from lateral sides into a beneficial effect by adding lateral optical structures (prisms or reflective patterns) that reflect the escaping light back into the light guide plate, transforming energy waste into useful luminance enhancement
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate is segmented into functional zones: a light incident surface for light input, a light emitting surface for light output, and lateral sides with optical structures for light reflection, allowing each segment to perform its specific function optimally
2Illumination intensity
If prisms are added on lateral sides of light guide plate, then luminance efficiency is improved by reflecting light back, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes prism parameters including inclination angles (30°-60°), dimensions (10-100 μm), and spacing to achieve maximum light reflection efficiency while maintaining manufacturability through standard manufacturing processes
3Loss of energy
If prisms with specific inclination angles (30°-60°) are used, then light reflection efficiency is optimized, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies an optimal inclination angle range of 30°-60° that balances light reflection efficiency with manufacturing feasibility, allowing sufficient tolerance while achieving desired optical performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides multiple implementation options including full lateral coverage, partial lateral coverage, and selective zone placement, allowing manufacturers to achieve satisfactory performance with reduced precision requirements by applying prisms only where most needed
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 prisms effectively recover light that would otherwise be lost, increasing the overall luminance of the backlight module by up to 11% compared to conventional designs, as demonstrated by improved luminance distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The light guide plate of the present invention includes a light emitting surface, a light incident surface, and a light reflecting surface, wherein a plurality of prisms are disposed on the light reflecting surface. The prisms reflect light at the light reflecting surface back to the light guide plate allowing the light to eventually exit from the light emitting surface.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a light guide plate and a backlight module having the same. The light guide plate includes a light emitting surface, a light incident surface, a light reflecting surface, and a plurality of prisms disposed on the light reflecting surface. The disposition direction of the prisms can be parallel or perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the light reflecting surface. An inclined angle may exist between the disposition direction of the prisms and the lengthwise of the light reflecting surface. The backlight module includes a light guide plate, a light source, and an optical film set, wherein the light source is disposed near the light incident surface. The optical film set partially covers the light emitting surface, wherein a distance exists between a vertex of the prism and an edge of the optical film set.