Patent · US Expired

Surface light source device and liquid crystal display

US6309080A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
11References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 27, 1996
Grant dateOct 30, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 27, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/133615
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A surface light source device has a narrowed visual field and increased brightness. The surface light source device can be applied to a liquid crystal display. The back side of a fluorescent lamp is covered with silver foil. Light emitted from the lamp enters a wedge-shaped light guide plate through its incident surface. The light guide plate is designed so that directional light exits from the guide plate. When the light is guided toward a thin-walled end surface through the light guide plate, the light is scattered, reflected, and undergoes other action. Collimated light flux gradually exits from the exiting surface. The light flux passes through two prism sheets successively. As a result, the direction of propagation of the light is restricted in two dimensions. The light flux of increased brightness is directed to the liquid crystal panel. V-shaped channels formed in the prism faces of the two prism sheets PS1, PS2 are arrayed in two mutually perpendicular directions while facing outward. The prismatic vertical angles of the two sheets PS1, PS2 have various desirable combinations of values. For example, where the first sheet PS1 is disposed vertical to the lamp, the vertical an…

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