Light Guide Plate Optical Microstructures for Backlight Efficiency
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light guide plates in backlight modules suffer from light loss and reduced light utilization efficiency due to the inability to control the exit angle of light beams, necessitating additional optical films that increase costs and energy loss.
Innovation Solution
A light guide plate design featuring a bottom surface with optical units comprising first and second microstructures, where the second microstructure can re-guide light beams out of the first microstructure back into the plate, allowing for re-use and controlled exit angles without the need for external optical films.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional optical microstructures are used to guide light beams, then light can be transmitted to the light emitting surface, but the light beam cannot exit at a desired angle and additional optical films are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical functions (light guiding, angle control, and exit direction management) into a single integrated optical microstructure on the light guide plate. This eliminates the need for separate optical films and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining light exit angle control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical microstructure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: guiding light beams from the incident surface, controlling the exit angle, and directing light to the emitting surface. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate optical components.
2Ease of operation
If additional optical films are added to control light exit angles, then desired angle control is achieved, but material cost increases and energy loss occurs due to reflection and refraction
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating angle control functionality directly into the light guide plate's optical microstructure, the patent eliminates multiple interfaces between different optical films. This reduces reflection and refraction losses at interfaces while maintaining precise light exit angle control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the angle control function from separate optical films and embeds it directly into the light guide plate structure. This eliminates the need for additional optical films that would cause energy loss through reflection and refraction at multiple interfaces.
3Ease of operation
If additional optical films are added to control light exit angles, then desired angle control is achieved, but material cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges angle control functionality into the light guide plate itself, eliminating the need for separate optical films. This integration reduces material costs by using a single substrate material rather than multiple different optical film materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate is designed as a universal component that performs both light guiding and angle control functions. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional specialized optical films, thereby reducing overall material costs.
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 design enhances light utilization efficiency by re-routing light beams and enabling them to exit at desired angles, eliminating the need for additional optical films, thus reducing material costs and energy loss.
Implementation Method 1
The optical microstructures may make total reflection of a light beam travelling in the light guide plate fail, so that the light beam can be transmitted to a light emitting surface of the light guide plate
Implementation Method 2
the light beam is reflected or refracted between the optical films
Data Source
AI summary
A light guide plate includes a light emitting surface, a bottom surface, a light incident surface and many optical units. Each of the optical units includes a first optical microstructure and a second optical microstructure. The second optical microstructure has a first surface and a second surface. A first cross-sectional line obtained by cutting the first surface along a direction perpendicular to the light incident surface and the light emitting surface is an inclined straight line. A first end of a second cross-sectional line obtained by cutting the second surface along the direction perpendicular to the light incident surface and the light emitting surface and a second end of the second cross-sectional line are connected to form a reference straight line. An acute angle included by the reference straight line and a normal line of the light emitting surface is α. The acute angle α satisfies an equation:[90°+sin-1(sinψn)]2-15°≤α≤[90°+sin-1(sinψn)]2+15°