Unitary Light Guide Plate With Thick Center For Uniform Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light guide plates used in liquid crystal display devices and planar lighting devices face limitations in thinning, weight reduction, and enlargement due to constraints on light reaching distance and uniformity of brightness, particularly when trying to achieve larger illumination areas.
Innovation Solution
A unitary light guide plate design featuring a rectangular flat light exit plane with a thick central portion and thin ends, incorporating parallel grooves on the backside for linearly arranged light sources and scattering means to scatter light efficiently, along with specific scattering particle distributions and surface roughness to enhance light propagation and uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the light guide plate is made thinner to reduce weight and thickness, then weight reduction and thinning are achieved, but the light reaching distance is limited and brightness uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide plate employs varying thickness design where the central region is thicker and the peripheral regions are thinner. This local quality variation allows the thicker central portion to maintain brightness uniformity over longer distances while the thinner edges reduce overall weight and enable thinning of the display device.
2Area of stationary object
If the light guide plate is enlarged to provide larger illumination area, then the illumination area is increased, but the brightness uniformity and light reaching distance become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
By making the central portion of the light guide plate thicker while keeping the edges thinner, the design enables larger illumination areas to maintain brightness uniformity. The thicker central region provides sufficient light reaching distance across the expanded area without compromising uniformity.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional light guide plate designs are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but thinning, weight reduction, and enlargement are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the thickness parameter of the light guide plate from uniform to variable, with the central portion being thicker and the edges thinner. This parameter change enables simultaneous achievement of thinning, weight reduction, and enlarged illumination area while maintaining brightness uniformity.
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 a thin, lightweight light guide plate that increases light emission efficiency and allows for larger illumination areas with uniform brightness distribution, overcoming the limitations of conventional designs.
Implementation Method 1
scattering means for scattering light entering from the light sources accommodated in the parallel groove into the thin end portions and propagated through the inclined back portions toward the thick portion
Implementation Method 2
inclined back portions arranged on both sides of the thick portion so as to become thinner from the thick portion to the thin end portions
Data Source
AI summary
A unitary light guide plate includes a light exit plane, a thick portion located substantially on a center portion of the light exit plane, thin end portions formed on both sides of the thick portion, a half portion of a parallel groove formed on a backside of the light exit plane to accommodate linearly arranged light sources, inclined back portions arranged so as to become thinner from the thick portion to the thin end portions, and scattering means for scattering light entering from the light sources accommodated in the parallel groove into the thin end portions and propagated through the inclined back portions toward the thick portion. A light guide plate unit has two or more of the unitary light guide plates coupled together in such a way that respective light exit planes are arranged to form a same plane.