IP Library Granted Patent US 8,556,493
Granted Patent B2
US 8,556,493 · App. 13/547,721 · Granted Oct 15, 2013

Spread illuminating apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,556,493
App. No.
13/547,721
Granted
Oct 15, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A spread illuminating apparatus includes a point light source; a light guiding plate having a light incident face on which the point light source is mounted, and a light output face. The light incident face has light incident prisms diffusing light emitted from the point light source into a planar space substantially parallel with the light output face. The light incident prisms include: a first prism portion including a plurality of first prisms convex relative to the light incident face; and a second prism portion including a second prism convex relative to the light incident face, the second prism portion being placed next to the first prism portion in a longitudinal direction of the light incident face. The first prism partially overlaps another first prism adjacent thereto, and the vertex of each first prism is set higher than the vertex of the second prism relative to the light incident face.

Claims (11)

1. A spread illuminating apparatus comprising:

a point light source;

a light guiding plate having a light incident face on which the point light source is mounted, and a light output face for planarly outputting light that has been introduced from the light incident face, the light incident face having light incident prism thereon so as to diffuse light that has been emitted from the point light source into a planar space substantially parallel with the light output face,

wherein the light incident prism include: a first prism portion including a plurality of first prisms convex relative to the light incident face; and a second prism portion including a second prism convex relative to the light incident face, the second prism portion being placed next to the first prism portion in a longitudinal direction of the light incident face,

the first prism partially overlaps another first prism adjacent thereto, and

the vertex of each first prism is set higher than the vertex of the second prism relative to the light incident face.

2. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a root formed by which each adjacent first prism overlaps to each other, the root being adapted to have a position higher than the vertex of the second prism relative to the light incident face.

3. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second prism portions are repeatedly formable along the longitudinal direction of the light incident face.

4. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second prisms are configurable to have a cross section constant in the thickness direction of the light guiding plate.

5. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second prisms are each configurable to have a triangular cross section.

6. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second prisms are all configurable to have the same vertical angles.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2020
From: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
To: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
Reel/Frame 051803/0293 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2012
From: SUMA, AKIKO
To: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 028604/0142 →