Light Guide Plate With Embedded Diffusing Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light guide plates with diffusing materials visible on the back surface suffer from aesthetic limitations and uneven light distribution, hindering their design and high-grade appearance in illumination applications.
Innovation Solution
A light guide plate design featuring light diffusing portions with varying heights and a low-refractive index layer, arranged to obscure the diffusing elements, ensuring uniform light distribution and maintaining a high-grade appearance by adjusting the heights and arrangement of diffusing portions to control light exitance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a diffusing material is provided on the back-side main surface of the light guide plate to extract light, then the light distribution uniformity is improved, but the visibility of the diffusing material pattern deteriorates the appearance quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional patterned diffusing material on the surface to three-dimensional light diffusing portions embedded within the light guide plate body. By moving the diffusing function into the thickness dimension and using varying heights (h1, h2) of diffusing portions, the solution achieves uniform light extraction while the diffusing elements become obscured from external view, resolving the appearance quality issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses light diffusing portions with internal scattering structures (analogous to porous materials) embedded within the light guide plate. These portions contain multiple scattering centers that diffuse light internally before extraction, achieving uniform illumination while the external surface remains smooth and visually appealing without visible patterns.
2Illumination intensity
If the area of the diffusing material pattern is increased with distance from the light source, then the light distribution uniformity is improved, but the pattern visibility increases and deteriorates the design quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the heights of light diffusing portions at different positions along the light guide direction. Instead of changing the area of surface patterns, the solution modifies the vertical dimension (h1, h2) of embedded diffusing portions locally to control light extraction intensity, achieving uniform distribution without visible pattern changes that would compromise design quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the diffusing portions from two-dimensional area variation to three-dimensional height variation. By adjusting the height parameter (h1, h2) of embedded diffusing portions along the light guide direction, the solution achieves uniform light distribution while maintaining a consistent external appearance, thereby preserving design quality.
3Illumination intensity
If a patterned diffusing material is used to control light extraction, then the light distribution is improved, but the pattern becomes visible and reduces the high-grade appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds light diffusing portions within the light guide plate structure, nesting the functional diffusing elements inside the transparent or translucent plate body. This nesting approach allows the diffusing function to operate internally while the external surface maintains a smooth, pattern-free appearance, achieving both light control and high-grade appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The light diffusing portions act as intermediary elements between the light source and the external environment. These embedded portions scatter and diffuse light internally before it exits the light guide plate, serving as a mediator that achieves uniform light distribution while remaining obscured from direct external observation, thus preserving appearance quality.
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 effectively obscures the diffusing elements, maintaining a high-grade appearance while achieving uniform light distribution along the light guide direction, enhancing the design and functionality of illumination apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
The traveling direction of light traveling in the light guide plate is changed by the diffusing material, whereby the light will be incident on the main surface of the light guide plate at an angle less than the critical angle of total reflection
Implementation Method 2
light that has been emitted by the light source travels in the light guide plate while repeating reflection at a pair of main surfaces of the light guide plate
Data Source
AI summary
A light guide plate includes an extracting light guide layer having a pair of main surfaces. The extracting light guide layer includes a base portion having a pair of main surfaces, and a plurality of light diffusing portions provided in the base portion. The light guide plate can obscure extracting elements for extracting light.