IP Library Granted Patent US 10,852,456
Granted Patent B2
US 10,852,456 · App. 15/559,125 · Granted Dec 1, 2020

Light source lens, illumination unit, and display unit

Inventors: Roger Corn (Tokyo, JP); Yosuke Narita (Aichi, JP); Takeo Arai (Aichi, JP); Masami Sato (Chiba, JP)
Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
G02B3/00G02B13/00G02B13/18G02B19/00F21Y2115/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,852,456
App. No.
15/559,125
Granted
Dec 1, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a light source lens that makes it possible to improve unevenness in a luminance distribution, an illumination unit, and a display unit. A light source lens ( 1 ) according to the present disclosure includes an incident surface on which light from a light-emitting device is incident, and an exit surface ( 20 ) that has a diffusing function at a center part ( 21 ) for light incident through the incident surface as well as a light-condensing function at at least a portion of an intermediate part ( 22 ) and a peripheral part ( 23 ) for the light incident through the incident surface.

Claims (52)

1. A light source lens comprising:

an incident surface on which light from a light-emitting device is incident; and

an exit surface comprising:

a concave center part aligned with the incident surface,

a convexly curved intermediate part surrounding the center part, and

a peripheral part including a plurality of concavely curved shaped depression portions surrounding both the intermediate part and the center part,

wherein the concave shape of the center part terminates into the curved intermediate part;

wherein, in combination with the incident surface, the center part has a diffusing function for light incident through the incident surface, the intermediate part has a light-condensing function for light incident through the incident surface, and the peripheral part has a light-condensing function for light incident through the incident surface.

2. The light source lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the concave shape allows for the diffusing function for the incident light,

the curved section providing the light-condensing function for the incident light, and

the peripheral part of the exit surface includes a flat part, the curved section terminating into the flat part.

3. The light source lens according to claim 2 , wherein

the peripheral part has a quadrangular planar shape having four corners or four rounded corners as viewed from an optical-axis direction, and

the depressed part is formed near each of the four corners.

4. The light source lens according to claim 2 , wherein the center part and the intermediate part each have a circular planar shape as viewed from an optical-axis direction.

5. The light source lens according to claim 1 , wherein the incident surface has an aspherical shape that allows for diffusion of the light from the light-emitting device.

6. The light source lens according to claim 1 , wherein

an outer shape including the incident surface and the exit surface is a quadrangular shape having four corners or four rounded corners as viewed from an optical-axis direction.

7. The light source lens according to claim 1 , wherein light exited from the exit surface forms a quadrangular luminance distribution in a predetermined irradiation surface.

8. An illumination unit provided with a light-emitting device and a light source lens, the light source lens comprising:

an incident surface on which light from the light-emitting device is incident; and

an exit surface comprising:

a concave center part aligned with the incident surface,

a convexly curved intermediate part surrounding the center part, and

a peripheral part including a plurality of concavely curved shaped depression portions surrounding both the intermediate part and the center part,

wherein the concave shape of the center part terminates into the curved intermediate part;

wherein, in combination with the incident surface, the center part has a diffusing function for light incident through the incident surface, the intermediate part has a light-condensing function for light incident through the incident surface, and the peripheral part has a light-condensing function for light incident through the incident surface.

9. The illumination unit according to claim 8 , wherein

the light-emitting device comprises a plurality of light-emitting devices, and

the light source lens comprises a plurality of light source lenses that are provided respectively for the plurality of light-emitting devices.

10. The illumination unit according to claim 9 , wherein synthesized light of pieces of light that are exited from respective exit surfaces of the plurality of light source lenses forms a quadrangular synthesized luminance distribution in a predetermined irradiation surface.

11. A display unit provided with an illumination unit and a display panel, the illumination unit having a light-emitting device and a light source lens, the display panel displaying an image on a basis of illumination light from the illumination unit, the light source lens comprising:

an incident surface on which light from the light-emitting device is incident; and

an exit surface comprising:

a concave center part aligned with the incident surface,

a convexly curved intermediate part surrounding the center part, and

a peripheral part including a plurality of concavely curved shaped depression portions surrounding both the intermediate part and the center part,

wherein the concave shape of the center part terminates into the curved intermediate part;

wherein, in combination with the incident surface, the center part has a diffusing function for light incident through the incident surface, the intermediate part has a light-condensing function for light incident through the incident surface, and the peripheral part has a light-condensing function for light incident through the incident surface.

12. The display unit according to claim 11 , wherein

the concave shape allows for the diffusing function for the incident light,

the curved section providing the light-condensing function for the incident light, and

the peripheral part of the exit surface includes a flat part, the curved section terminating into the flat part.

13. The display unit according to claim 12 , wherein

the peripheral part has a quadrangular planar shape having four corners or four rounded corners as viewed from an optical-axis direction, and

the depressed part is formed near each of the four corners.

14. The display unit according to claim 12 , wherein the center part and the intermediate part each have a circular planar shape as viewed from an optical-axis direction.

15. The display unit according to claim 11 , wherein the incident surface has an aspherical shape that allows for diffusion of the light from the light-emitting device.

16. The display unit according to claim 11 , wherein

an outer shape including the incident surface and the exit surface is a quadrangular shape having four corners or four rounded corners as viewed from an optical-axis direction.

17. The display unit according to claim 11 , wherein light exited from the exit surface forms a quadrangular luminance distribution in a predetermined irradiation surface.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2020
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SATURN LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 053712/0226 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2017
From: CORN, ROGER; NARITA, YOSUKE; ARAI, TAKEO; SATO, MASAMI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043628/0136 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-073337 · Mar 31, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180245769A1 · Aug 30, 2018