Patent · US Expired

Diffusively reflecting shield optically, coupled to backlit lightguide, containing LED's completely surrounded by the shield

US5883684A · kind A · utility

207Cited by
12References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 19, 1997
Grant dateMar 16, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 19, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/0073
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An LCD backlight (30) comprises generally rectangular parallelepiped light guide (36) with an exit aperture (31) that is smaller than the surface area light guide (36) and illuminates a LCD (49). The light guide is illuminated by a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) dies (32) disposed along at least one edge of the light guide. A translucent fluorescent film (40) is disposed immediately above the exit aperture to diffuse the light exiting the exit aperture and also the change in the dominant wavelengths. Further, the light guide (36), the LEDs (32), fluorescent film (40), and additional light redirecting layers (42 and 44) are completely surrounded by and optically coupled to a diffusively reflective film (50), which covers the back surface, the edges, and the front surface of the light guide except for the exit aperture. This diffusively reflective shielding is covered by a conventional reflective material layer (51) to ensure no light escapes the backlight except through the exit aperture.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.