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US 11,442,214 B2Granted
Optical device
AssigneeNitto Denko Corporation
InventorKari Rinko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
With a simple configuration, an optical device having an in-coupling function to a lightguide is provided. The optical device includes a light guiding layer; and in-coupling optics provided integrally with the light guiding layer to couple light from a light source to an incident edge of the light guiding layer. The in-coupling optics include an optical element that is convex toward the incident edge and an air cavity provided between the optical element and the incident edge.
Claims13
An optical device, comprising:
- a non-patterned light guiding layer;
- in-coupling optics provided integrally with the non-patterned light guiding layer to couple light from a light source to an incident edge of the non-patterned light guiding layer;
- out-coupling optics through which light propagating in the light guiding layer is extracted to the outside, wherein
- the in-coupling optics include a first optical element that is convex toward the incident edge and an air cavity provided between the optical element and the incident edge, and
- the out-coupling optics include at least one embedded cavity to extract the light propagating in the light guiding layer to the outside via total internal reflection;
- and
- a low-refractive index layer provided on a light-extracting side of the non-patterned light guiding layer,
- wherein the out-coupling optics that includes the at least one embedded cavity is provided on the low-refractive index layer such that the low-refractive index layer is interposed between the at least one embedded cavity and a surface of the non-patterned light guiding layer on which the low-refractive index layer is provided.
5 more elements
Light in-coupling optics to be integrated with a non-patterned lightguide,
- the light in-coupling optics comprising at least one optical cavity pattern to collimate light which is incident on the non-patterned lightguide in at least one of a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction within a two-dimensional plane, wherein uniformity of luminous flux along the transverse direction is adjusted in accordance with an out-coupling structure of the non-patterned lightguide, and
- the out-coupling structure includes at least one embedded cavity to extract the light which is incident on the non-patterned lightguide to the outside via total internal reflection, and a low-refractive index layer provided on a light-extracting side of the non-patterned light guide,
- wherein the out-coupling optics that includes the at least one embedded cavity is provided on the low-refractive index layer such that the low-refractive index layer is interposed between the at least one embedded cavity and a surface of the non-patterned light guide on which the low-refractive index layer is provided.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.