IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,331,923
Granted Patent B2
US 12,331,923 · App. 18/675,820 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Optical member and light source module

Inventor: Norimasa Yoshida (Komatsushima, JP)
Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
F21V5/007F21V5/04F21Y2105/16F21Y2113/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,331,923
App. No.
18/675,820
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical member includes: a plurality of light controllers, each including: a first surface, a convex surface that is located opposite to the first surface and is curved in a direction away from the first surface, and a concave surface that opens at the first surface and is curved from the first surface toward the convex surface. A radius of curvature of the concave surface is less than a radius of curvature of the convex surface. In a plan view, a center of the concave surface coincides with a center of the convex surface. A first distance from the first surface to a topmost portion of the convex surface is 4.5 times or more a second distance from the first surface to a deepest portion of the concave surface.

Claims (37)

1. An optical member comprising:

a plurality of light controllers, each including:

a first surface,

a convex surface that is located opposite to the first surface and is curved in a direction away from the first surface, and

a concave surface that opens at the first surface and is curved from the first surface toward the convex surface, wherein:

a radius of curvature of the concave surface is less than a radius of curvature of the convex surface,

in a plan view, a center of the concave surface coincides with a center of the convex surface, and

a first distance from the first surface to a topmost portion of the convex surface is 4.5 times or more a second distance from the first surface to a deepest portion of the concave surface, and

the first distance is 0.8 mm or more and 16 mm or less, and the second distance is 0.17 mm or more and 3.4 mm or less.

2. The optical member according to claim 1 , wherein the first distance is six times or less the second distance.

3. The optical member according to claim 1 , wherein the radius of curvature of the concave surface is 2/7 times or more and ½ times or less the radius of curvature of the convex surface.

4. The optical member according to claim 1 , wherein the concave surface overlaps the convex surface in the plan view.

5. The optical member according to claim 1 , further comprising a projecting portion located between adjacent ones of the plurality of light controllers and extending in the direction away from the first surface.

6. The optical member according to claim 5 , wherein a third distance from the first surface to a topmost portion of the projecting portion is longer than the first distance.

7. The optical member according to claim 1 , further comprising a recessed portion located between adjacent ones of the plurality of light controllers and recessed toward the first surface.

8. A light source module comprising:

a planar light source including

a substrate, and

a plurality of light sources arranged on the substrate; and

the optical member of claim 1 disposed above the plurality of light sources.

9. The light source module according to claim 8 , wherein, in the plan view, each of the plurality of light sources overlaps a respective one of the concave surfaces.

10. The light source module according to claim 8 , wherein a pitch between adjacent ones of the plurality of light sources is equal to a pitch between adjacent ones of the plurality of light controllers.

11. The light source module according to claim 9 , wherein a pitch between adjacent ones of the plurality of light sources is equal to a pitch between adjacent ones of the plurality of light controllers.

12. The light source module according to claim 8 , wherein:

an opening of the concave surface has a circular shape having a diameter A, and

a shortest distance between an upper surface of the substrate and the first surface is A/2 tan θ or less, where θ represents a half-value angle/2 of light emitted from a corresponding one of the plurality of light sources.

13. The light source module according to claim 9 , wherein:

an opening of the concave surface has a circular shape having a diameter A, and

a shortest distance between an upper surface of the substrate and the first surface is A/2 tan θ or less, where θ represents a half-value angle/2 of light emitted from a corresponding one of the plurality of light sources.

14. The light source module according to claim 10 , wherein:

an opening of the concave surface has a circular shape having a diameter A, and

a shortest distance between an upper surface of the substrate and the first surface is A/2 tan θ or less, where θ represents a half-value angle/2 of light emitted from a corresponding one of the plurality of light sources.

15. The light source module according to claim 11 , wherein:

an opening of the concave surface has a circular shape having a diameter A, and

a shortest distance between an upper surface of the substrate and the first surface is A/2 tan θ or less, where θ represents a half-value angle/2 of light emitted from a corresponding one of the plurality of light sources.

16. The optical member according to claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of light controllers includes a first light controller adjacent to multiple other light controllers, and an entirety of a periphery of the convex surface of the first light controller directly contacts peripheries of the convex surfaces of the other light controllers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2024
From: YOSHIDA, NORIMASA
To: NICHIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067542/0079 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-089702 · May 31, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240401772A1 · Dec 5, 2024
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