Light guide element, light guide unit, backlight apparatus and light source apparatus
AssigneeKonica Minolta Opto, Inc.
InventorYuki Naoi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a light guide element, a light guide unit, a backlight apparatus and a light source apparatus. The light guide element is provided for guiding a light flux from a light source into a light guide plate, and the light guide element includes: an incident surface; an emitting surface; a top surface and a base surface, in which one of the top surface and the base surface inclines to the other. The light guide element further includes a structure in a light leakage reducing shape arranged on at least one of the top surface and the base surface, which reduces an amount of light to be emitted from the surfaces of the light guide element excluding the emitting surface.
Claims27
A light guide element for being arranged between a light source and a light guide plate and for guiding a light flux from the light source into the light guide plate, the light guide element comprising:
- an incident surface for receiving an incident light flux from the light source;
- an emitting surface for emitting a light flux to the light guide plate;
- a top surface and a base surface both extending in a direction to intersect with the incident surface and the emitting surface and facing each other, wherein one of the top surface and the base surface inclines to the other so that a dimension of the emitting surface along a thickness of the light guide plate becomes smaller than a dimension of the incident surface along the thickness of the light guide plate;
- and
- a structure in a light leakage reducing shape including a plurality of reflection surfaces arranged on at least one of the top surface and the base surface, wherein when an incident light flux emitted from the light source travels along a plane extending in a direction from the incident surface to the emitting surface and further extending along the thickness of the light guide plate, the plurality of reflection surfaces provide the light flux traveling along the plane with a direction component so as to deflect away from the plane.
A backlight apparatus for being arranged between a light source and a liquid crystal element, the backlight apparatus comprising:
- a light guide element for receiving an incident light flux from the light source;
- and
- a light guide plate emitting a light flux from the light guide element to the liquid crystal element,
- wherein the light guide element comprises:
- an incident surface for receiving an incident light flux from the light source;
- an emitting surface for emitting a light flux to the light guide plate;
- a top surface and a base surface both extending in a direction to intersect with the incident surface and the emitting surface and facing each other, wherein one of the top surface and the base surface inclines to the other so that a dimension of the emitting surface along a thickness of the light guide plate becomes smaller than a dimension of the incident surface along the thickness of the light guide plate;
- and
- a structure in a light leakage reducing shape including a plurality of reflection surfaces arranged on at least one of the top surface and the base surface, wherein when an incident light flux emitted from the light source travels along a plane extending in a direction from the incident surface to the emitting surface and further extending along the thickness of the light guide plate, the plurality of reflection surfaces provide the light flux traveling along the plane with a direction component so as to deflect away from the plane.
A light source apparatus for a light guide plate comprising:
- a light source;
- and
- a light guide element arranged between the light source and the light guide plate, for guiding a light flux from the light source into the light guide plate,
- wherein the light source is attached to the light guide element to form one body, and
- wherein the light guide element comprises:
- an incident surface for receiving an incident light flux from the light source;
- an emitting surface for emitting a light flux to the light guide plate;
- a top surface and a base surface both extending in a direction to intersect with the incident surface and the emitting surface and facing each other, wherein one of the top surface and the base surface inclines to the other so that a dimension of the emitting surface along a thickness of the light guide plate becomes smaller than a dimension of the incident surface along the thickness of the light guide plate;
- and
- a structure in a light leakage reducing shape including a plurality of reflection surfaces arranged on at least one of the top surface and the base surface, wherein when an incident light flux emitted from the light source travels along a plane extending in a direction from the incident surface to the emitting surface and further extending along the thickness of the light guide plate, the plurality of reflection surfaces provide the light flux traveling along the plane with a direction component so as to deflect away from the plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.