# US 2018/0024285 A1 · Expansion card with homogenized light output and light-homogenizing device thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024285 A1 - Document ID: US20180024285A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/238,084 - Filed: 2016-08-16 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Apacer Technology Inc. - Applicants: Apacer Technology Inc. - Inventors: Hua-Min Tseng; Ming-Han Chung; Wen-Chin Wu; Chien-Pang Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024285A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/0025: {Diffusing sheet or layer; Prismatic sheet or layer} - F21V 33/0052: {Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor} - G02B 6/0016: {Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces} - G02B 6/0035: {provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it} - G02B 6/0036: {2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces} - G02B 6/0045: {by shaping at least a portion of the light guide} - G02B 6/0068: {Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources} - G02B 6/0073: {Light emitting diode [LED]} - G02B 6/0083: {Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like} - G02B 6/0091: {of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence)} - G06F 1/20: Cooling means - F21W 2111/10: for personal use, e.g. hand-held - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS - 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 An expansion card with homogenized light outputs and light-homogenizing device thereof are disclosed. The expansion card includes a circuit board and a light-homogenizing device. The circuit board includes a light-emitting device disposed on a first side edge. The light-homogenizing device includes a light-guiding body, a light-diffusion element, and a light-turning element. The light-guiding body includes a light-input side and a light-output side opposite to each other, and the light-input side is adjacent to the first side edge. The light-diffusion element is disposed on the light-input side of the light-guiding body and opposite to the light-emitting device. The light-diffusion element and the light-out side are configured to diffuse the light beams entering into the light-guiding body from the light-emitting device and form a light-transmitting path. The light-turning element is disposed in the light-guiding body, located on the light-transmitting path and configured to turn the directions of portion of the light beams. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An expansion card with a homogenized light output comprising: a circuit board having at least one light-emitting device disposed on a first side edge thereof; and a light-homogenizing device, comprising: a light-guiding body having a light-input side and at least one light-output side, wherein the light-input side and the light-output side are disposed on two opposite sides of the light-guiding body respectively, and the light-input side is adjacent to the first side edge of the circuit board; at least one light-diffusion element disposed on the light-input side of the light-guiding body and opposite to the light-emitting device of the circuit board, wherein the light-diffusion element and the light-output side are configured to form at least one light-transmitting path, and the light-diffusion element is configured to diffuse plural light beams entering into the light-guiding body from the light-emitting device; and at least one light-turning element disposed in the light-guiding body, located on the light-transmitting path and configured to turn the directions of portion of the light beams. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the light-homogenizing device comprises a clamping set disposed on two opposite surfaces of the circuit board and sandwiching the light-guiding body fixed near the first side edge of the circuit board so that the light-input side is opposite to the at least one light-emitting device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 2, wherein the clamping set is made by a metallic material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 2, wherein the clamping set comprises: a first sheet plate; a second sheet plate; at least one first engaging element disposed on the first sheet plate; and at least one second engaging element disposed on the second sheet plate, corresponding to the at least one first engaging element and configured to connect with the corresponding first engaging element, wherein the first sheet plate and the second sheet plate clamp the two opposite surfaces of the circuit board, sandwich the light-guiding body fixed near the first side edge of the circuit board, and partially cover the circuit board and the light-guiding body, so as to expose the at least one light-output side of the light-guiding body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 4, wherein the clamping set comprises: at least one first auxiliary engaging element disposed on the first sheet plate; and at least one second auxiliary engaging element disposed on the second sheet plate, corresponding to the at least one first auxiliary engaging element and configured to connect with the corresponding first auxiliary engaging element, wherein the light-guiding body comprises at least one engaging hole, and the first auxiliary engaging element of the first sheet plate and the second auxiliary engaging element of the second sheet plate correspondingly pass through the at least one engaging hole to connect with each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the light-turning element is a slit aperture or a light-transmitting optical element embedded in the light-guiding body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the light-diffusion element is integrated with the light-guiding body to form one piece and comprises an uneven structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the light-diffusion element is a light-transmitting optical film attached to the light-input side of the light-guiding body and comprises an uneven structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the light-turning element has a first refractive index, the light-guiding body has a second refractive index, and the first refractive index is smaller than the second refractive index. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the light-guiding body is made by a transparent material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the expansion card is a memory device or an interface card. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device comprises one or a plurality of light-emitting diodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board comprises an input and output interface disposed on a second side edge of the circuit board, wherein the first side edge and the second side edge are opposite to each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light-output side of the light-guiding body comprises a first light-output side, a second light-output side and a third light-output side, the at least one light-diffusion element comprises a first light-diffusion element and a second light-diffusion element, the at least one light-turning element comprises a first light-turning element and a second light-turning element, and the at least one light-emitting device comprises a first light-emitting device and a second light-emitting device, wherein the first light-diffusion element and the second light-diffusion element are disposed and opposite to the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device respectively. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 14, wherein the distance between the first light-diffusion element and the first light-output side is shorter than the distance between the first light-diffusion element and the second light-output side, the first light-turning element is located between the first light-diffusion element and the first light-output side, and the distance between the first light-turning element and the first light-output side is shorter than the distance between the first light-turning element and the second light-output side. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The expansion card with the homogenized light output according to claim 14, wherein the distance between the second light-diffusion element and the third light-output side is shorter than the distance between the second light-diffusion element and the second light-output side, the second light-turning element is located between the second light-diffusion element and the third light-output side, and the distance between the second light-turning element and the third light-output side is shorter than the distance between the second light-turning element and the second light-output side. ### Claim 17 A light-homogenizing device applied in a circuit board of an expansion card, wherein the circuit board comprises at least one light-emitting device disposed on a first side edge thereof, the light-homogenizing device comprising: a light-guiding body having a light-input side and at least one light-output side, wherein the light-input side and the light-output side are disposed on two opposite sides of the light-guiding body respectively, and the light-input side is adjacent to the first side edge of the circuit board; at least one light-diffusion element disposed on the light-input side of the light-guiding body and opposite to the light-emitting device of the circuit board, wherein the light-diffusion element and the light-output side are configured to form at least a light-transmitting path, and the light-diffusion element is configured to diffuse plural light beams entering into the light-guiding body from the light-emitting device; and at least one light-turning element disposed in the light-guiding body, located on the light-transmitting path and configured to turn the directions of portion of the light beams. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The light-homogenizing device according to claim 17, wherein the light-turning element is a slit aperture or a light-transmitting optical element embedded in the light-guiding body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The light-homogenizing device according to claim 17, wherein the light-diffusion element is integrated with the light-guiding body to form one piece and comprises an uneven structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The light-homogenizing device according to claim 17, wherein the light-diffusion element is a light-transmitting optical film attached to the light-input side of the light-guiding body and comprises an uneven structure. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The light-homogenizing device according to claim 17, further comprising a clamping set disposed on two opposite surfaces of the circuit board and sandwiching the light-guiding body fixed near the first side edge of the circuit board so that the light-input side being opposite to the at least one light-emitting device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The light-homogenizing device according to claim 21, wherein the clamping set comprises: a first sheet plate; a second sheet plate; at least one first engaging element disposed on the first sheet plate; and at least one second engaging element disposed on the second sheet plate, corresponding to the at least one first engaging element and configured to connect with the corresponding first engaging element, wherein the first sheet plate and the second sheet plate clamp the two opposite surfaces of the circuit board, sandwich the light-guiding body fixed near the first side edge of the circuit board, and partially cover the circuit board and the light-guiding body, so as to expose the at least one light-output side of the light-guiding body.