This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 101115779, filed May 3, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an optical film, and more particularly, to an optical film applied in a backlight module and a backlight module using the optical film.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, since a liquid crystal display device is a non-self-illuminating display device, a backlight module is required to provide a light source for the display device. Depending on the relative position between the light source and a light-emitting surface, the backlight modules can be classified into two categories: a side-edge backlight module and a direct-type backlight module.
The side-edge backlight module typically includes a light source, a light guide plate and a number of optical components such as a reflector, a diffusion sheet and a secondary component. The diffusion sheet and the secondary component are sequentially disposed on the light guide plate to respectively cover defects thereof and collimate light emitted from the diffusion sheet. A backlight system exhibiting high collimation can effectively increase energy in an effective area of observation and further improve efficiency. The reflector disposed beneath the light guide plate is used to reflect light emitted from the bottom of the light guide plate back into the light guide plate. However, such backlight module would generate large Fresnel loss, and collimation thereof still needs to be improved.
The direct-type backlight module is to directly place a light source beneath a panel. The direct-type backlight module exhibits high uniformity and higher brightness in light emitting. Also, a large number of light sources are used in the direct-type backlight module, which would result in high cost and power consumption. Therefore, the side-edge backlight module has become the mainstream in the current market of personal compact- and medium-sized products.
Given the above, there is a need for an optical film that can help reduce the number of components in a side-edge backlight module and exhibit high collimation to solve the problem mentioned above.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides an optical film. The optical film includes a basic layer, a plurality of periodically arranged reflective convex-parts and a plurality of periodically arranged collimating parts. The reflective convex-parts are disposed on the first surface of the basic layer. Each of the reflective convex-parts includes at least one reflective side surface and an incident bottom surface. An included angle between the reflective side surface and the first surface is from 20 to 80 degrees. The incident bottom surface is substantially paralleled to the first surface for contacting a transmittance element. The collimating parts are disposed on the second surface of the basic layer. The reflective convex-parts are respectively corresponded to the collimating parts. In each corresponding pair of the reflective convex-part and the collimating part, a central axis of the reflective convex-part is substantially coincided with a central axis of the collimating part.
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a backlight module is provided, which includes the optical film mentioned above. Also, the transmittance element is a light guide plate.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The disclosure may be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows:
The present disclosure is described by the following specific embodiments. Those with ordinary skill in the arts can readily understand the other advantages and functions of the present invention after reading the disclosure of this specification. The present disclosure can also be implemented with different embodiments. Various details described in this specification can be modified based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Therefore, reference to, for example, a data sequence includes aspects having two or more such sequences, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides an optical film 100 including a basic layer 110, a plurality of periodically arranged reflective convex-parts 120 and a plurality of periodically arranged collimating parts 130, as shown in
The optical film 100 is used to collimate light and placed on a light guide plate 200. Light penetrating a side of the light guide plate 200 would be totally reflected and moved forward therein. Consequently, there is no need to dispose a reflector beneath the light guide plate 200. When light contacts the bottom of the reflective convex-parts 120, it would move into the reflective convex-parts 120 and then be reflected to penetrate the basic layer 110. Sequentially, light would be converged, collimated and then emitted to outside by the collimating parts 130.
In one embodiment, the basic layer 110, the reflective convex-parts 120, the collimating parts 130 and the light guide plate 200 are made of a same material, such as poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA). The optical film 100 and the light guide plate 200 made of the same material can avoid generation of Fresnel loss.
The reflective convex-parts 120 are disposed on the first surface 110a of the basic layer 110, as depicted in
In one embodiment, the reflective convex-part 120 is a truncated taper, as depicted in
The incident bottom surface 120b is substantially paralleled to the first surface 110a, which is used to contact the upper surface of the light guide plate 200, as depicted in
The collimating parts 130 are disposed on the second surface 110b of the basic layer 110, and the reflective convex-parts 120 are respectively corresponded to the collimating parts 130, as shown in
In each corresponding pair of the reflective convex-part 120 and the collimating part 130, a central axis C1 of the reflective convex-part 120 is substantially coincided with a central axis C2 of the collimating part 130. Light totally reflected in the reflective convex-part 120 need to be transmitted to the basic layer 110 and the collimating part 130, such that the reflective convex-part 120 should be substantially coincided with the collimating part 130. In other words, a vertical projection of the reflective convex-part 120 to the basic layer 110 should be overlapped with a vertical projection of the collimating part 130 to the basic layer 110. Preferably, a central point CP1 of the vertical projection of the reflective convex-part 120 and a central point CP2 of the vertical projection of the collimating part 130 are located in a same axis. Hence, light reflected from each of the reflective convex-part 120 all could be then converged and collimated by each of the corresponding collimating part 130, such that the optical film 100 can exhibit good collimation.
In one embodiment, the reflective convex-part 120 has a surface A1 contacting the first surface 110a less than a surface A3 of the collimating part 130 which contacts the second surface 110b, as shown in
Further, the corresponding pairs of the reflective convex-parts 120 and the collimating parts 130 control direction of light, such that changing distribution density of the reflective convex-parts 120 and the collimating parts 130 can adjust illumination distribution. According to arrangement of the collimating parts 130, it can be classified into two categories: spatially arranged and side-by side. In one embodiment, a distance d1 between one collimating part 130 and another collimating part 130 close thereto is from 0 mm to 0.1 mm. In one embodiment, a distance d2 between a central point of the collimating part 130 and a central point of another collimating part 130 close thereto is from 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm.
In one embodiment, the collimating parts 130 are arranged side-by-side, as shown in
In one embodiment, the collimating parts 130 are spatially arranged, as shown in
In one embodiment, the collimating part 130 is a collimating lens, and it is not limited to any shape. In one embodiment, the collimating lens is a spherical lens.
How to design the structure of the optical film by the principle of a light path will be described below.
As shown in
As shown in
d=BD (4)
h
1
=d cos(β0), β0=90°−2α (5)
In addition, a distance between the virtual emission point (Pv) and the second surface 110b of the basic layer 110 is defined as h. A distance between the incident bottom surface 120b and the virtual emission point (Pv) is defined as h1. Heights of the reflective convex-part 120 and the basic layer 110 respectively are h2 and h3, where h is the sum of h1, h2 and h3.
h=h
1
+h
2
+h
3 (6)
Focus f and back focus length (BFL) of the collimating lens are shown in
sin(θ1)=n2 sin(θ2) (7)
cos(θi)=(R−t)/R (8)
BFL=y×tan(90−θ1+θ2) (9)
In order to achieve better collimation, BFL is set to a length same as h to let the focus f of the collimating lens coincide the virtual emission point (Pv). Hence, the heights (h2 and h3) of the reflective convex-part 120 and the basic layer 110, respectively, can be calculated.
BFL=h (10)
Therefore, in one embodiment, the BFL of the collimating lens is substantially equal to the sum of the height h3 of the basic layer 110, the height h2 of the reflective convex-part 120 and the distance h1 between the incident bottom surface 120b and the virtual emission point (Pv). In one embodiment, the focus f of the collimating lens is substantially coincided with the virtual emission point (Pv). Further, the focus f of the collimating lens is located in the light guide plate 200.
In one embodiment, a backlight module 10 including the optical film 100 is also provided. The optical film 100 is disposed on a transmittance element such as a light guide plate 200, but not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the optical film 100 is adhered on the light guide plate 200. Specifically, the incident bottom surface 120b of the optical film 100 is adhered and fixed on a top surface of the light guide plate 200. For example, the optical film 100 is heated to become thermoplastic state and then put on the light guide plate 200 under vacuum to adhere the light guide plate 200. Alternatively, an adhesive layer (not shown) is formed on the light guide plate 200, and the optical film 100 is then adhered on the adhesive layer under vacuum. The embodiments of the optical film 100 and the light guide plate 200 can be the same as the description of
In one embodiment, the backlight module 10 further includes a first light source 300 disposed next to a first side 202 of the light guide plate 200, as shown in
When light is emitted by the first light source 300 into the light guide plate 200, it totally reflects and moves forward until contacts the incident bottom surface 120b. Subsequently, light directly enters the reflective convex-part 120 because the light guide plate 200 and the optical film 100 are made of the same material. When light contacts the reflective side surface 120, it totally reflects and transmits to the collimating part 130. Finally, light is converged, collimated and emitted to outside by the collimating part 130.
In one embodiment, the backlight module 10 further includes a diffusion sheet 500 disposed on the collimating parts 130, which is used to cover defects of the optical film 100.
In one embodiment, the backlight module 10 further includes a second light source 400 disposed next to a second side 204 of the light guide plate 200. In other words, the backlight module 10 includes a double-sided light source system to enhance brightness.
As mentioned above, the backlight module 10 may include a single-sided light source or a double-sided light source, free of any reflector and any second prism.
The following Examples are provided to illustrate certain aspects of the present disclosure and to aid those of skill in the art in practicing this disclosure. These Examples are in no way to be considered to limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner.
The light guide plate 200 and the optical film 100 are made of the same material, poly(methylmethacrylate), to avoid generation of Fresnel loss. The length and the width of the optical film 100 respectively are 236 mm and 136.1 mm. There are plurals periodically arranged reflective convex-parts 120 and collimating parts 130 disposed on the relative surfaces of the optical film 100. The shapes of the reflective convex-part 120 and the collimating part 130 respectively are a truncated cone and a half sphere.
First, the angle α is set as 51.34°, and the size of each of the portion of the optical film 100 can be then calculated by the formulas mentioned above. In the reflective convex-part 120, the diameter BD of the incident bottom surface is 0.042 mm, and the diameter TD of the upper surface is 0.122 mm. The height h2 is 0.05 mm.
The height h4 of the light guide plate 200 and the height h3 of the basic layer 110 respectively are 1.4 mm and 0.16 mm.
According to formulas (6) and (10), h is the sum of h1, h2 and h3, and h is equal to BFL. Therefore, the radius R of the collimating part 130 is 0.15 mm, and the thickness t thereof is 0.09 mm. The minimum distance d2 between a central point of the collimating part and a central point of another collimating part close thereto is 0.22 mm.
In addition, in order to reduce the visual impact of the microstructure, a diffusion sheet is added on the optical film to cover defects.
An optical simulation software LightTools is used to simulate illumination distribution of the backlight module including the diffusion sheet, as shown in
The conventional backlight module (N101L6-L0B) is one of products produced by CHIMEI INNOLUX CORP., which has been widely applied in notebooks.
The backlight module having V-cut design is disclosed by J. W. Pan et al. in 2011 (J. W. Pan and C. W. Fan “High luminance hybrid light guide plate for backlight system application” Opt. Express 19 20079-20087 (2011)).
As shown in
The half-luminance angles of the backlight module having the optical film in vertical and horizontal directions respectively are 10° and 6°. The half-luminance angles of the backlight module having V-cut design in the vertical and the horizontal directions respectively are 17° and 5°. The half-luminance angles of the conventional backlight module in the vertical and the horizontal directions respectively are 21° and 21°. The numbers of the components of the backlight modules and the optical properties thereof are listed in Table 1.
As shown in Table 1, the backlight module having the optical film has fewer components and exhibits excellent collimation in horizontal and vertical directions.
The backlight module with a double-sided light source is to add a light source into backlight module of Example 1 and dispose mirrors behind the two light sources. The optical simulation software LightTools is used to simulate illumination distribution of the backlight module with a double-sided light source, as shown in
In the process for manufacturing the optical film, a bit error, which may cause the reflective convex-part not fully align the collimating part, may occur. Such optical film may effect the direction of light transmission, and thus the collimation may out of expectation. Consequently, the inventors analyzed the effect of a bit error between the reflective convex-part and the collimating part.
In
If the main light is emitted in straight direction, θmax is 0°. As shown in
If the collimation is high, θh is small. As shown in
As mentioned above, the optical film exhibits excellent collimation, and the backlight module having the optical film free of any reflector and any second prism. Also, a single-sided light source or a double-sided light source can be used in such backlight module. Further, comparing to a non-periodically arranged microstructure, periodically arranged microstructure is easy to manufacture and the process cost is low. It is because precise alignment technology should be employed when manufacturing the non-periodically arranged microstructure.
In summary, the optical film exhibiting high collimation in the embodiments of the present invention has been developed to reduce the number of the components within the backlight module, and thus the optical film can be effectively applied in the backlight modules of such mobile phones or notebooks.
Although the present disclosure has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
It will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the structure of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations thereof provided they fall within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101115779 | May 2012 | TW | national |