# US 11,112,555 B2 · Light-emitting module with a plurality of light guide plates and a gap therein

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- Number: US 11,112,555 B2
- Document ID: US11112555B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/039,851
- Filed: 2020-09-30
- Published: 2021-04-01
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-30
- Assignees: Nichia Corporation
- Applicants: Nichia Corporation
- Inventors: Keiji Emura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112555B2

## CPC

- F21V 13/04: the elements being reflectors and refractors {(for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40)}
- G02B 6/0055: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer}
- F21S 2/005: {of modular construction}
- G02B 6/0021: {for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses}
- G02B 6/0031: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer}
- G02B 6/0038: {Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide}
- G02B 6/0078: {Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays}
- G02B 6/0091: {of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence)}
- G02F 1/133603: {with LEDs}
- G02F 1/133613: {characterized by the sequence of light sources}
- F21Y 2105/16: square or rectangular, e.g. for light panels
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- G02B 6/0036: {2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces}
- G02F 1/133614: {using photoluminescence, e.g. phosphors illuminated by UV or blue light}
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A light-emitting module includes a plurality of light guide plates, each of the plurality of light guide plates including a first surface, a side surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the plurality of light guide plates being separated by a gap between the side surfaces; and n light-emitting devices (n being a natural number of 2 or more) provided at the second surface side of the light guide plate for each of the plurality of light guide plates. The n light-emitting devices are disposed respectively in n regions into which the light guide plate is subdivided when viewed from the first surface side. A light-emitting device of the plurality of light guide plates disposed in a region of the n regions adjacent to the gap is shifted toward the gap from a center of the region adjacent to the gap.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light-emitting module, comprising:
a plurality of light guide plates, each of the plurality of light guide plates including a first surface, a side surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the plurality of light guide plates being separated by a gap between the side surfaces; and
n light-emitting devices provided at a second surface side of the light guide plate for each of the plurality of light guide plates, n being a natural number of 2 or more, wherein
the n light-emitting devices are disposed respectively in n regions into which the light guide plate is subdivided when viewed from a first surface side,
a light-emitting device of the plurality of light guide plates disposed in a region of the n regions adjacent to the gap is shifted toward the gap from a center of the region adjacent to the gap,
the plurality of light guide plates include a light guide plate having a first side surface adjacent to an other light guide plate and a second side surface not adjacent to an other light guide plate,
a first light-reflecting member is provided at the first side surface,
a second light-reflecting member is provided at the second side surface, and
a height of an upper end of the first light-reflecting member is less than a height of an upper end of the second light-reflecting member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein
the n light-emitting devices include a light-emitting device disposed in a region of the n regions not adjacent to the gap, and
the light-emitting device disposed in the region not adjacent to the gap is positioned at a center of the region not adjacent to the gap.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein
the plurality of light guide plates are arranged in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
the gap extends in the first direction, and
a direction of the shift of the light-emitting device disposed in the region adjacent to the gap is the second direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein
the plurality of light guide plates are arranged in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
a direction of the shift of a light-emitting device of the n light-emitting devices disposed in the region adjacent to the gap is the second direction when the gap extends in the first direction, and
a direction of the shift of a light-emitting device of the n light-emitting devices disposed in the region adjacent to the gap is the first direction when the gap extends in the second direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein
a light-emitting device of the n light-emitting devices disposed in a region of the n regions adjacent to the gap and adjacent to a corner portion of the light guide plate is shifted toward the corner portion from a center of the region adjacent to the gap and the corner portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein
the n light-emitting devices are lined up in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.