Light Guide Plate Prism Structure for Uniform LED Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination devices using LEDs face challenges in achieving uniform light distribution due to variations in LED luminosity, leading to irregularities in illumination intensity and brightness, especially when used as backlights for liquid crystal display devices, and are often costly and difficult to manufacture compactly.
Innovation Solution
A light-guide plate with condensers on the light-receiving surface and a light divider on the light-emitting surface is used to condense and divide light from multiple LEDs, allowing for uniform diffusion and mixing of light emitted by multiple LEDs, thereby achieving compact and cost-effective uniform illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If multiple LEDs are used to compensate for small light output, then total light amount increases, but irregularities in illumination intensity and brightness occur due to variations in individual LED luminosity
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide plate is divided into multiple light guide portions, each corresponding to one or more LEDs. Each light guide portion independently guides and diffuses light from its associated LED(s), allowing localized control of light distribution. This segmentation enables the system to accommodate variations in individual LED luminosity while maintaining overall uniformity through structured light mixing across multiple regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the light guide plate have different optical properties and structures. Each light guide portion contains blind holes at specific positions and densities tailored to its local requirements. The blind hole patterns are optimized for each region to compensate for local variations in LED output, creating non-uniform local structures that produce uniform overall illumination.
2Manufacturing precision
If LEDs are sorted to eliminate luminosity variations, then illumination uniformity improves, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide plate structure performs automatic compensation for LED luminosity variations without requiring external sorting or selection processes. The blind holes and light guide portions are designed to self-adjust the light distribution based on the actual LED outputs, eliminating the need for costly LED sorting while achieving uniform illumination.
3Manufacturing precision
If light is diffused using conventional methods, then light uniformity improves, but device size increases making compact design difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The blind holes are formed directly within the light guide plate material, nesting the light diffusion function inside the light guiding structure itself. This integrated design eliminates the need for separate diffusion plates or additional optical components, achieving compact form factor while maintaining effective light uniformity through the blind hole scattering mechanism.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple light-guide bodies are provided for each point light source, then light diffusion is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple light guide functions are merged into a single integrated light guide plate. Instead of using separate light guide bodies for each LED, the invention combines all light guiding, light diffusion, and light mixing functions into one monolithic structure with strategically placed blind holes. This reduces component count and simplifies assembly while maintaining effective light distribution.
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 enables uniform light distribution, reduces the need for multiple light-guides, and allows for the mixing of light from multiple LEDs, resulting in a compact, inexpensive, and high-color-reproducibility illumination device capable of producing white light effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a light-guide plate for receiving, via a first surface thereof, light emitted from the light source, and emitting the light being emitted via a second surface thereof
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of condensers that are formed on the first surface and that condense the light incident from the light source
Implementation Method 3
a light divider that is formed on the second surface and that divides the light condensed by the condensers into a plurality of different directions
Data Source
AI summary
A plurality of LEDs are arrayed in the X-direction, and a light-guide plate is provided facing the LEDs. A plurality of prisms extending in the Y-direction are formed on a light-receiving surface of the light-guide plate. A plurality of prisms are additionally formed on a light-emitting surface of the light-guide plate. Light emitted from the LED is thereby divided into a plurality of light beams by the prisms, and a portion of the light is condensed toward the prisms. Light that is condensed toward the prisms is divided in a plurality of directions and transmitted in the light-guide plate. When the light reaches another prism, the light is reflected by the prism and emitted from the light emitting surface.