Light Guide Plate Lens Occupancy for Display Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination devices face challenges in suppressing brightness unevenness, particularly when light sources are not aligned with the end portion of the light guide plate, and with high-brightness light sources that emit light at a narrow angle, leading to insufficient light emission at the edges.
Innovation Solution
The illumination device incorporates a light guide plate with strategically arranged first and second lenses, a protruding portion, and prism sheets to optimize light distribution, including a cylindrical lens configuration where the occupancy of lenses varies along the light guide plate to ensure uniform light emission, and the use of prism sheets to enhance light usage efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If high-brightness light sources are used to increase overall illumination, then light emission intensity is improved, but light emission angle becomes narrow causing insufficient light at edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the light guide plate structure into multiple regions (first region with higher occupancy, second region with lower occupancy) along the light emission direction. Each region has different lens occupancy ratios to locally optimize light extraction, ensuring that edges receive sufficient light while maintaining overall brightness.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate is segmented into multiple regions with different lens occupancy characteristics. The first region has a first occupancy and the second region has a second occupancy, creating distinct optical zones that address the non-uniform light distribution problem caused by narrow-angle high-brightness light sources.
2Adaptability or versatility
If light sources are not disposed on the end side to improve device layout flexibility, then device design adaptability is improved, but sufficient light emission at end portions cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating a light guide plate with non-uniform lens occupancy distribution. The first region has higher lens occupancy to compensate for the reduced light emission at end portions when light sources are not positioned there, enabling flexible device layouts while maintaining uniform illumination.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform lens occupancy is used across the light guide plate to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but brightness unevenness occurs across the emission surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by applying local quality through region-specific lens occupancy design. While this increases manufacturing complexity compared to uniform occupancy, it achieves the critical goal of brightness uniformity across the emission surface by optimizing light extraction in different regions.
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 brightness unevenness by promoting light emission at the edges and improving the overall light usage efficiency, ensuring consistent illumination across the display panel.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of first lenses disposed at the first main surface, arranged along a first direction, and extending along a second direction... The first lenses are configured such that, when an end portion of the first main surface on a side of the light sources along the first direction is divided into a first region located on a center side along the first direction and a second region located on an end side along the first direction
Implementation Method 2
a light guide plate having a plate shape and including a first end face at an outer peripheral end face of the light guide plate and a first main surface included in a pair of main surfaces of the light guide plate, the first end face facing the plurality of light sources and being configured to receive incident light, the first main surface being configured to emit light
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination device includes a plurality of light sources arranged in a row, a light guide plate having a plate shape and including a first end face at an outer peripheral end face of the light guide plate and a first main surface included in a pair of main surfaces of the light guide plate, the first end face facing the plurality of light sources and being configured to receive incident light, the first main surface being configured to emit light, and a plurality of first lenses disposed at the first main surface, arranged along a first direction, and extending along a second direction, the first direction being an arrangement direction of the plurality of light sources, the second direction intersecting the first direction and extending along the first main surface.