1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to illuminating apparatuses and methods for manufacturing the illuminating apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been known an illuminating apparatus employed as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device or the like. Such an illuminating apparatus includes: a FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit); a LED (Light Emitting Diode) mounted on the FPC; and a light guide plate into which light enters from the LED. The light guide plate is arranged at a light emitting surface side of the LED (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-73399).
However, in the conventional illuminating apparatus, the FPC extends to reach the light emitting side of the light emitting surface of the LED, and the light guide plate is fixed on this extending portion of the FPC with a double-faced tape or an adhesive bond. Also, even if the FPC does not extend to reach the light emitting side of the light emitting surface of the LED, and the light guide plate is directly fixed to the light emitting surface of the LED with an adhesive bond, in some cases.
In these cases, the light emitted from the LED is leaked outwardly from a region opposite to an emitting surface of the light guide plate, that is, from its rear surface opposite to the emitting surface through a double-faced tape or an adhesive bond. This reduces light quantity.
In this way, when the light guide plate and the FPC are fixed or the light guide plate and the LED are fixed at the region, in which the light is emitted from the light emitting surface of the LED, and which is opposite to the emitting surface of the light guide plate, the light emitted from the light guide plate may lose its brightness due to the influence of the double-faced tape or the adhesive bond, or may lose its uniform brightness.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an illuminating apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same in which the lack of its brightness is prevented and in which its brightness is uniformly kept.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an illuminating apparatus including:
a light source; and a light guide plate guiding a light of the light source. The light source and the light guide plate are fixed to each other to be receded from a region which is a light emitting side of a light emitting surface of the light source and which is opposite to an emitting surface of the light guide plate.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings, wherein:
A description will be given of embodiments of an illuminating apparatus according to the present invention with reference to the drawings.
The FPC 10 has a flexibility and an elongated shape, and is provided with four LEDs 20 mounted thereon at regular intervals. The FPC 10 has patterns electrically connected to the LEDs 20 mounted thereon.
The LED 20 is electrically connected to the patterns formed on the FPC 10 with, for example, a solder, and emits light from an emitting surface 21a which is a side surface perpendicular to a mounting surface of the FPC 10. The LED 20 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is in contact with one side surface of the light guide plate 30. Additionally, the LED 20 has: the emitting surface 21a serving as a light emitting surface from which the light is emitted; a rear surface 21b opposite to the emitting surface 21a; side surfaces 22a and 22b perpendicular to the emitting surface 21a and the rear surface 21b; and an upper surface 23 parallel to the FPC 10.
The light guide plate 30 is made of resin such as acrylic, polyethylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate, with a thin film shape. The light guide plate 30 guides the light emitted from the LED 20 at the inside thereof and an emitting surface 31 emits the light in the whole surface.
As illustrated in
In addition, the light guide plate 30 has one side, which is in contact with the LED 20, and which has the projection portion 33a and a depression portion 33b alternately, the projection portion 33a projecting in the planar direction of the light guide plate 30, the depression portion 33b accommodating the LED 20 and being depressed in the planar direction. The depression portion 33b has a bottom surface 33c in contact with the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20, and the bottom surface 33c functions as one side surface of the light guide portion 35. The projection portion 33a is arranged between the LEDs 20, and overlaps the FPC 10. In this manner, in the light guide plate 30, one side in contact with the LED 20 is formed to have projections and depressions.
Each of the LEDs 20 is in contact with the depression portion 33b. Specifically, the bottom surface 33c of the depression portion 33b is arranged to face the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20. In other words, the light guide portion 35 is arranged to face the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20, and the emitting surface 21a and the bottom surface 33c are in contact with each other. Therefore, the light emitted from the emitting surface 21a enters into the light guide plate 30, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Herein, a conventional illuminating apparatus 1x will be described.
As illustrated in
Herein, as illustrated in
Additionally, even if the FPC 10x and the light guide plate 30x are fixed by, for example, a pin without using the double-faced tape 40x at a projection portion of the FPC 10x to which the light is emitted from the emitting surface 21ax, the entering light emitted from the emitting surface 21ax is reflected at the projection position of the FPC 10x, whereby the brightness of the emitting surface 31x may become nonuniform like the above case.
Further, when the LED 20x and the light guide plate 30x are directly fixed by an adhesive bond at a region Dx which is opposite to the emitting surface 31x of the light guide plate 30x, the entering light emitted from the emitting surface 21ax of the LED 20x is leaked outwardly from the rear surface 32x of the light guide plate 30x through the adhesive bond. As a result, the light quantity is reduced to lack its brightness. Furthermore, the light is diffusely reflected within the light guide plate 30x by the adhesive bond, and thus the brightness of the emitting surface 31x may become nonuniform.
However, in the illuminating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the LEDs 20 are mounted on the inner side of the FPC 10 slightly apart from the edge portion 13 such that their light emitting directions, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the FPC 10x, are aligned, as illustrated in
Herein, the double-faced tape 40 is interposed between the projection portion 33a serving as the fixing portion and the FPC 10. Specifically, the double-faced tape 40 fixes the projection portion 33a to the FPC 10 at the side surfaces 22a and 22b side, that is, at the side opposite to the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a. Therefore, the double-faced tape 40 is not present at the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a. Thus, neither the FPC 10 nor the double-faced tape 40 influences the entering light which enters into the light guide plate 30 from the emitting surface 21a. This prevents the lack of the brightness of the emitting surface 31 of the light guide plate 30, and uniforms its brightness.
Further, since both of the FPC 10 and the light guide plate 30 are fixed by the double-faced tape 40, the FPC 10, the LED 20, and the light guide plate 30 can be integrated. Thus, the light emitting direction of the LED 20 can be suppressed from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate 30. This also uniforms the brightness of the emitting surface 31.
Furthermore, the side, of the light guide plate 30, opposite to the LED 20, has the projection portion 33a and the depression portion 33b, which accommodate the LED 20, and which are alternately formed, as illustrated in
Further, in the projection and depression portion of the light guide plate 30, a length of a liner portion of an edge portion is short. This suppresses the occurrence of a burr on a surface, facing the emitting surface 21a, of the bottom surface 33c of the depression portion 33b, the bottom surface 33c being the entrance surface of the light guide plate 30, in a process for forming the light guide plate. This obtains the surface with fine accuracy. Accordingly, when the depression portion 33b of the light guide plate 30 faces the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20, the entrance of the light into the light guide plate 30 is not interfered.
Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the illuminating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.
First, as illustrated in
Next, one side of the double-faced tape 40 is made to have a projection and depression shape so as to avoid interfering with the LED 20. The double-faced tape 40 formed in this manner is stuck on the mounding surface of the FPC 10 such that a depression portion 43b faces the rear surface 21b and a projection portion 43a is arranged between the emitting surfaces 21a, so that the double-faced tape 40 avoids interfering with the LED 20. In this manner, the shape of the double-faced tape 40 is made to correspond to a shape of an area, where the LEDs 20 are not mounted, of the mounting surface of the FPC 10. This results in a situation that the double-faced tape 40 is not present at the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20. That is, the double-faced tape 40 is stuck at the opposite to side of the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a, not at the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a.
Next, the light guide plate 30 is attached to the FPC 10 stuck with the double-faced tape 40 such that the depression portion 33b of the light guide plate 30 faces the emitting surface 21a and the projection portion 33a, serving as the fixing portion, of the light guide plate 30 is arranged between the LEDs 20. That is, the emitting surface 21a faces the light guide portion 35 and the fixing portion is fixed at the side opposite to the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a. The light guide plate 30 and the FPC 10 are fixed by the double-faced tape 40. In this manner, the illuminating apparatus 1 with uniform brightness is produced.
Next, a description will be given of an illuminating apparatus 1a according to a second embodiment.
Referring now to
In this manner, the light guide plate 30 is directly fixed to the LEDs 20 to be receded from the region D located at the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20 and located at the rear surface 32 side opposite to the emitting surface 31 of the light guide plate 30. Such a structure eliminates the provision of a member such as a double-faced tape which may influence the light emitted from the light guide plate 30. This prevents the lack of brightness of the light guide plate 30 and also uniforms the brightness.
Additionally, the light guide plate 30 is fixed to the LEDs 20 at the boundary between the depression portion 33b and the LEDs 20. The FPC 10, the LEDs 20, and the light guide plate 30 can be integrated. In this case, the light emitting direction of the FPC 10 can be suppressed from being displaced with respect to the light guide plate 30 in the light emitting direction, like the illuminating apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.
Further, since a double-faced tape is unnecessary and the FPC 10 dose not have to be directly in contact with the light guide plate 30, the size flexibility of the FPC 10 is improved. That is, the illuminating apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment needs the space for sticking the double-faced tape with respect to the FPC 10, whereas the illuminating apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment eliminates such a space because the light guide plate 30 is directly fixed to the LEDs 20. This reduces the FPC 10 in size.
Also, the light guide plate 30 is fixed at the substantial center of the LED 20 in its height direction as illustrated in
Further, since the boundary between the light guide plate 30 and the LED 20 is sealed with the sealing material 50, the light guide plate 30 is securely fixed to the LED 20. For example, even if the light guide plate 30 is curved, the adhesion between the LED 20 and the light guide plate 30 is maintained.
Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the illuminating apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment.
First, referring to
Next, an adhesive bond for temporary fixation is applied to the side surfaces 22a and 22b perpendicular to the emitting surface 21a. The adhesive bond for temporary fixation is made of a transparent and colorless ultraviolet cure resin. At this time, the adhesive bond for temporary fixation is not applied to the emitting surface 21a.
Next, as illustrated in
Then, the ultraviolet light is radiated to the side surfaces 22a and 22b to which the adhesive bond for temporary fixation is applied. This temporarily fixes the light guide plate 30 with the LED 20. In this manner, the adhesive bond for temporary fixation is applied to the side surfaces 22a and 22b, thereby fixing the light guide plate 30 with the LEDs 20 at the side opposite to the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20.
Next, the sealing material 50 is applied to the upper surface 23 of the LED 20, as illustrated in
Herein, as illustrated in
Moreover, the sealing material 50, which is made of the room temperature cure resin in black, fixes the positional relationship between the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20 and the emitting surface 31 of the light guide plate 30. That is, the light guide plate 30 is securely fixed to the LED 20. For example, even when the light guide plate 30 is curved, the adhesion between the LED 20 and the light guide plate 30 is maintained, thereby suppressing the light emitted direction of the LED 20 from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate 30.
Next, a description will be given of an illuminating apparatus according to a third embodiment.
As illustrated in
Additionally, the reflective sheet 60 is receded from the region D, as illustrated in
Also, the reflective sheets 60 and 70 and the LED 20 are sealed with the sealing material 50, as illustrated in
Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the illuminating apparatus 1b. By using the adhesive bond, the reflective sheet 60 is stuck on a bottom side of the FPC 10 with the LED 20 mounted thereon, that is, on a surface opposite to the mounting surface on which the LED 20 is mounted. Next, the double-faced tape 40 is stuck on the mounting surface of the FPC 10, and the light guide plate 30 is fixed by the double-faced tape 40. Then, the reflective sheet 70 is stuck on the upper surfaces 23 of the plural LEDs 20 with an adhesive bond.
Next, a description will be given of an illuminating apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.
As illustrated in
Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the illuminating apparatus 1c. In the similar manner as above described in the illuminating apparatus 1b according to the third embodiment, the reflective sheet 60 is stuck on the FPC 10 with the LED 20 mounted thereon to fix the light guide plate 30. Next, an adhesive bond is applied to the emitting surface 21a of the LED 20 at the emitting surface 31 side of the light guide plate 30. Then, the adhesive bond is applied on the upper surface 23. Additionally, the adhesive bond is applied to the plural LEDs 20. Next, the reflective sheet 71 is stuck on the emitting surface 21a with an edge portion of the reflective sheet 71 being in contact with the emitting surface 31 of the light guide plate 30. Next, the reflective sheet 71 is bent to be stuck on the upper surface 23. In this manner, the upper surface 23 and the emitting surface 21a at the emitting surface 31 side of the light guide plate 30 can be covered with the single reflective sheet 71. Additionally, like the illuminating apparatus 1b according to the third embodiment, the FPC 10, the LEDs 20, the light guide plate 30, and the reflective sheets 60 and 71 are integrated with the sealing material 50 after the reflective sheet 71 is stuck.
While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and other embodiments, variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
In the above embodiments, although the LED is employed as a light source, for example, an organic EL element, a cold-cathode tube, a hot-cathode tube or the like may be employed. Further, the above embodiments exemplify the plural LEDs mounted on the FPC, whereas a single LED may be mounted.
In the above embodiment, the FPC is employed as a substrate, while a rigid substrate other than a FPC may be employed. In addition, the FPC 10 is arranged parallel to the light guide plate 30, whereas the FPC 10 may be arranged perpendicular to the light guide plate 30.
The first embodiment exemplifies the LEDs 20 which are mounted on the FPC 10 at its inner side slightly apart from the edge portion 13 of the FPC 10. However, as described in the second embodiment, the LEDs 20 may be mounted on the FPC 10 along the edge portion 13, and the FPC 10 may project to the side opposite to the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a.
Further, as described in the second embodiment, even when the LEDs 20 are mounted on the FPC 10 at its inner side slightly apart from the edge portion 13 of the FPC 10 and the FPC 10 projects to the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a, similar effect can be obtained, as far as the FPC 10 and the light guide plate 30 are not fixed at the region located at the rear surface 32 side of the light guide plate 30 and at the light emitting side of the emitting surface 21a.
In the second embodiment, although the adhesive bond for temporary fixation employs the ultraviolet cure resin, the present invention is not limited to this. Additionally, although the sealing material 50 employs the room temperature curable resin, the present invention is not limited to this.
Finally, several aspects of the present invention are summarized as follows.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an illuminating apparatus including: a light source; and a light guide plate guiding a light of the light source. The light source and the light guide plate are fixed to each other to be receded from a region which is a light emitting side of a light emitting surface of the light source and which is opposite to an emitting surface of the light guide plate.
With such a configuration, the light source and the light guide plate are fixed to be receded from the region to which the light is emitted from the light emitting surface of the light source and which is opposite to the emitting surface of the light guide plate. That is, the fixing portion of the light source and the light guide plate is not provided at a rear surface side which is opposite to the emitting surface of the light guide plate and to which the light is emitted from the light emitting surface. Therefore, the light emitted from the light source is not leaked outwardly from the rear surface opposite to the emitting surface of the light guide plate through an adhesive bond or the like. This restricts the influence of the adhesive bond or the like on the light emitted from the light guide plate to prevent the lack of its brightness. This also uniforms its brightness. Further, since the light source and the fixing portion of the light guide plate are fixed by the adhesive bond or the like, the light source and the light guide plate can be integrated. Thus, the light emitting direction of the light source can be prevented from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate.
In the above configuration, the light guide plate may be formed with a depression portion for accommodating the light source, and the light guide plate and the light source may be fixed at a boundary between the depression portion and the light source.
Such a configuration also prevents the lack of brightness of the light emitted from the light guide plate, and uniforms the brightness. Further, since the depression portion of the light guide plate is fixed to the light source at the boundary between the light guide plate and the light source, the light source and the light guide plate can be integrated. This suppresses the light emitting direction of the light source from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate.
In the above configuration, the boundary between the light guide plate and the light source may be sealed with a sealing material. This securely fixes the light guide plate to the light source. Therefore, the light emitting direction of the light source can be suppressed from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate.
In the above configuration, the light guide plate may be in contact with a middle point of the light emitting surface in its height direction. This effectively guides the light emitted from the light source.
In the above configuration, the depression portion may be an alignment portion to have a shape corresponding to an outer shape of the light source. This suppresses the light emitting direction of the light source from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate. An edge portion of the light guide plate has a projection and depression shape with a short distance, thereby suppressing a burr on a surface facing the emitting surface of the LED in a process for forming the light guide plate, and so obtaining the finely surface accuracy. Accordingly, when the light guide plate is arranged at the light emitting surface side of the light source, the entrance of light into the light guide plate is not interfered.
In the above configuration, the light source may include a plurality of light sources mounted on a substrate; and the alignment portion has a shape corresponding to the outer shapes of the plurality of light sources. This suppresses the light emitting directions of the plural light source from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate.
In the above configuration, a reflective material may be provided in the light source, may partially cover the light source, and may be receded from the region. By using the reflective material provided in the light source, the brightness of the light emitted from the light guide plate is improved. Further, the reflective material is receded from the region in which the light is emitted from the light emitting surface of the light source and which is opposite to the emitting surface of the light guide plate, thereby making uniform the brightness of the light emitted from the light guide blade.
In the above configuration, the reflective material and the light source may be sealed with a sealing material. This allows the reflective material and the light source to be integrated, and prevents the reflective material from peeling from the light source. This also suppresses the reflective material from being displaced with respect to the light source.
In the above configuration, the reflective material may cover the light emitting surface, of the light source, on the emitting surface side of the light guide plate. This improves the brightness.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an illuminating apparatus including: a substrate; a light source mounted on the substrate; and a light guide plate having a fixing portion and a light guide portion guiding a light emitted from the light source. The light guide plate allows the light guide portion to face a light emitting surface of the light source at a side to which the light is emitted from the light emitting surface, and the fixing portion is fixed to the substrate or the light source at a side opposite to the side to which the light is emitted from the light emitting surface.
With such a configuration, the light guide portion of the light guide plate faces the light emitting side of the light emitting surface of the light source, and the fixing portion of the light guide plate is fixed to the substrate or the light source at the side opposite to the light emitting side of the light emitting surface of the light source. Therefore, the fixing portion is not provided at the light emitting side of the light emitting surface of the light source. Therefore, the light emitted from the light source is not leaked outwardly from the rear surface opposite to the emitting surface of the light guide plate through a double-faced tape or an adhesive bond. This restricts the influence of the double-faced tape or the like on the light emitted from the light guide plate to prevent the lack of its brightness. This also makes its brightness uniform. Further, since the light source and the fixing portion of the light guide plate are fixed by the double-faced tape or the like, the light source and the light guide plate can be integrated. Thus, the light emitting direction of the light source can be suppressed from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an illuminating apparatus, the method including: mounting a light source on a substrate; fixing a light guide plate to the light source at a side opposite to a light emitting side of a light emitting surface of the light source such that the light emitting surface of the light source faces the light guide plate guiding the light emitted from the light source; and sealing a boundary between the light guide plate and the light source at a emitting surface side of the light guide plate by use of a sealing material.
Such a configuration also prevents the lack of brightness of the light emitted from the light guide plate, and makes its brightness uniform. Further, the light emitting direction of the light source can be suppressed from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate.
In the above configuration, the method may include sealing a boundary between the light guide plate and the light source by means of a sealing material. This securely fixes the light guide plate to the light source, thereby suppressing the light emitting direction of the light source from being deviated with respect to the light guide plate.
In the above configuration, the method may include sealing a reflective material and the light source by means of a sealing material. This allows the reflective material and the light source to be integrated, and prevents the reflective material from peeling from the light source. Further, the reflective material can be suppressed from being displaced.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2007-303767 | Nov 2007 | JP | national |
2008-061793 | Mar 2008 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation of and claims priority to International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2008/069095 filed on Oct. 22, 2008, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-061793 filed on Mar. 11, 2008, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-303767 filed on Nov. 22, 2007, subject matter of these patent documents is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2008/069095 | Oct 2008 | US |
Child | 12771303 | US |