Patent · US Expired

Surface light source device, liquid crystal display and asymmetric prism sheet

US5914759A · kind A · utility

51Cited by
4References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 1997
Grant dateJun 22, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/0046
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A fluorescent lamp L is arranged in the vicinity of an incidence surface 2 of a light scattering guide plate 1. A prism sheet 4' having rows of prism elements and rows of lens elements on each side is arranged outside an exiting surface 5. The angles of inclination of slopes 4a and 4b satisfy a condition that .phi.a>.phi.b. The slopes 4a and 4b extend in the transverse direction of the light scattering guide plate 1, and slopes 4c and 4d extend in the longitudinal direction. A reflector 3 is arranged along a rear surface 6. Light emitted from the exiting surface 5 is efficiently propagated by an inner prism surface toward a forward direction, shifted in the transverse direction by an outer prism surface or the lens element surfaces 4c and 4d, and is then returned inwardly. The path histories of light emitted from the prism sheet 4' is diversified to improve visual characteristics. The peak level of brightness as viewed in the forward direction is improved and brightness is smoothly reduced according to deviation from the peak direction.

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