TWI459060B - Light guide body - Google Patents

Description

Light guide

The invention relates to light guiding, in particular to a light guiding body, which can achieve the effect of uniform light guiding and visual appearance by increasing the distance between the light emitting surface and the dot surface and distributing the dots in a random number.

In recent years, with the continuous advancement of technology in the field of optics, various light guiding elements with different light guiding functions have been developed in the market, which can be widely applied to various fields (such as electronic products, architectural decoration and the like).

In general, conventional light guiding elements include an additional diffuser and a color filter in addition to the necessary light guide. This is because the conventional light guiding element usually uses the distribution of the dot to achieve the effect of uniform light guiding. If the light guiding element does not use the diffusion sheet to homogenize the light, when the user sees the light guiding element, the user will It will look directly at the outlets and will not be able to achieve a visually pleasing effect.

Therefore, in order to achieve the effect of uniform light guiding, the conventional light guiding element has to additionally increase the arrangement of the diffusion sheet, but also causes the structure of the entire light guiding element to become more complicated, and the manufacturing cost thereof also increases significantly, which seriously affects the market. Competitiveness.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a light guide to solve the above problems encountered in the prior art.

One aspect of the invention is to propose a light guide. The light guide body includes a light incident surface, a light exit surface, and a dot surface. The entrance surface has an average light incident direction. The light exit surface has an average light exiting direction. The average light exiting direction is not parallel to the average light incident direction. The dot face has a plurality of dots. The projection of the dot surface on the reference plane covers the projection of the smooth surface on the reference plane. The reference plane is the normal light direction as the normal vector. The density of the dots distributed on the dot surface is the farther away from the light source, the greater the density.

In an embodiment of the invention, the spacing between the dot surface and the light exiting surface is greater than 5 mm.

In an embodiment of the invention, the width of the light incident surface is greater than the width of the light exit surface to increase the light receiving area of the light guide.

In an embodiment of the invention, the plurality of dots are the same size.

In an embodiment of the invention, the density of the dots distributed on the dot surface is linear with the distance from the light source.

In an embodiment of the invention, the density of the dots distributed on the dot surface is nonlinear with respect to the distance from the light source.

In an embodiment of the invention, the light incident surface is a plane, and the average light incident direction is parallel to the normal vector of the light incident surface.

In an embodiment of the invention, the light exiting surface is a plane, and the average light exiting direction is parallel to the normal vector of the light exiting surface.

In an embodiment of the invention, the light exiting surface is matte treated.

Compared with the prior art, the light guiding system proposed by the present invention can not only achieve uniform light guiding and visual beauty by increasing the distance between the light emitting surface and the dot surface, distributing the dot and randomly increasing the light entering surface. The effect can also simplify the structure of the light guide body to enhance its market competitiveness.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

The invention discloses a light guide body. The light guide body can achieve the effect of uniform light guiding and visual appearance by increasing the distance between the light emitting surface and the dot surface and distributing the dots thereof in a random manner, thereby eliminating the cost of additionally providing the diffusion sheet and simplifying the light guiding. The structure of the body.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is a light guide. In this embodiment, the light guiding body is a light guiding element having a light guiding function, such as a light guiding tube, but is not limited thereto. The light guide body may be made of PC plastic or acrylic (for example, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), etc., but is not limited thereto.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a light guide body of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the light guide 1 includes a light incident surface 10, a light exit surface 12, and a halftone dot surface 14. The dot surface 14 has a plurality of dot points P, and the sizes of the dot dots P are the same, but are not limited thereto. In fact, the shape of the light guide body 1 may be determined according to the actual needs of the product, and may be curved, linear or other different shapes.

In this embodiment, the light incident surface 10 and the light exit surface 12 are both planar and have normal vectors NI and NO, respectively. However, the light-incident surface 10 and the light-emitting surface 12 may be non-planar (for example, curved surfaces), and the light-emitting surface 12 may be matte-treated (for example, sandblasted or oxidized) to produce a matte effect, but not limited thereto.

First, the relative relationship between the light incident surface 10, the light exiting surface 12, and the halftone dot surface 14 of the light guide 1 will be described.

In this embodiment, the light guide 1 receives the light from the light source (for example, the LED of the LED, but not limited thereto) through the light incident surface 10, and emits the light outside the light guide 1 through the light exit surface 12. . The light incident surface 10 has an average light incident direction DI, and the light exit surface 12 has an average light exit direction DO, and the average light exit direction DO and the average light incident direction DI are not parallel to each other. That is to say, the angle between the average light-emitting direction DO of the light-emitting surface 12 and the average light-in direction DI of the light-incident surface 10 is not exactly 0 or 180 degrees. It should be noted that the average light incident direction DI of the light incident surface 10 refers to an average direction obtained by averaging all the light rays entering the light surface 10, and the average light exiting direction DO of the light exit surface 12 means The average direction obtained by averaging the different directions of the light rays emitted from the light exit surface 12.

If the average light incident direction DI of the light incident surface 10 and its normal vector NI are parallel to each other, and the average light exit direction DO of the light exit surface 12 and its normal vector NO are parallel to each other, the normal vector NI of the light incident surface 10 and the normal vector of the light exit surface 12 are represented. NO is not parallel to each other.

In an embodiment, the average light-emitting direction DO of the light-emitting surface 12 and the average light-in direction DI of the light-incident surface 10 are perpendicular to each other, that is, the average light-emitting direction DO of the light-emitting surface 12 and the average light-in direction DI of the light-incident surface 10 The angle between the light incident surface 10 and the light exit surface 12 of the light guide body 1 is perpendicular to each other, but not limited thereto.

As for the relative relationship between the halftone surface 14 of the light guide body 1 and the light exit surface 12, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 simultaneously. FIG. 2 shows that the projection of the dot surface on the reference plane covers the light surface on the reference plane. Schematic diagram of the projection. As shown in the figure, it is assumed that the reference plane S is the normal light direction DO of the light exit surface 12 as a normal vector, and the projection PS of the halftone surface 14 on the reference plane S will cover the projection PO of the light surface 12 on the reference plane S.

In addition, in the light guide body 1, if the spacing d between the halftone dot surface 14 and the light exiting surface 12 is too small, the user will directly see the light exiting surface 12 of the light guiding body 1 on the halftone dot surface 14. Some outlets P. Therefore, in order to avoid the above phenomenon, in practical applications, the distance d between the halftone dot surface 14 of the light guiding body 1 and the light emitting surface 12 needs to be greater than 5 mm, so that the dot P on the halftone dot surface 14 becomes visually equivalent to the user. Not obvious. In a preferred embodiment, if the user's line of sight is at an angle to the average light exiting direction DO of the light exiting surface 12 (preferably 45 degrees), the user does not see the dots P to achieve vision. Beautiful effect.

Next, the distribution of the dots P on the halftone dots 14 will be described in detail.

In this embodiment, the dots P may be formed on the halftone dots 14 of the light guide 1 by printing, mold etching or mold laser. As for the distribution pattern and shape of the dots P, the actual requirements of the different light guides 1 may be determined, and there is no particular limitation.

It should be noted that an important feature of the light guiding body 1 of the present invention is that in the light guiding body 1, the density of the dots P on the halftone dot surface 14 is the farther away from the light source, and the density is larger. Since the light emitted by the light source enters the light guide body 1 from the light incident surface 10, substantially the density of the mesh dots P distributed on the halftone dot surface 14 is farther from the light incident surface 10, and the density is larger.

Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a light guide body through which light is incident from both sides of the LED. As shown in FIG. 3, the light-emitting surface 22 is disposed in the direction of the halftone dot surface 24, and the light-emitting diodes LED1 and LED2 are disposed on both sides X1 and X2 of the light guide body 2, respectively, and the light-incident surface 20 of the light guide body 2 is disposed. The width W1 is greater than the width W2 of the light-emitting surface 22, that is, the projection of the light-incident surface 20 on the reference plane S is compared with the projection of the light-emitting surface 22 on the reference plane S, and the width W1 of the former is greater than the width W2 of the latter. Thereby, the light receiving area of the light guide body 2 is increased. As for the dot surface 24, it is located behind the light exit surface 22. In a preferred embodiment, the dot points P are disposed on the dot 24, and the distribution density of the dots P is as described above, and the distribution of the dots P may be distributed only on the corresponding light emitting surface. The position of 22, or the entire dot 24, is not limited to either method.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the projection of the light incident surface 20 on the reference plane S and the projection of the light exit surface 22 on the reference plane S have a difference d', and if d' is added to the design, the reduction can be reduced. When the light-emitting diodes LED1 and LED2 enter the light from the light-incident surface 20 on both sides, and the light exits from the light-emitting surface 22, the user observes that both ends are too bright.

Since the distribution density of the dots on the dot surface is farther from the light source, the density is larger, and the light source is disposed at both sides X1 and X2 of the light guide body 2. Therefore, the mesh surface 24 is located on both sides X1 of the light guide body 2 and The distribution density of the dots of X2 should be the minimum density value, and the distribution density of the dots of Xc located at the center of both sides of the light guide body 2 on the halftone face 24 should be the maximum density value. That is to say, the distribution density of the dots on the halftone dot surface 24 is decreased from the maximum density value of Xc located at the center of both sides of the light guiding body 2 to the minimum density values of X1 and X2 on both sides of the light guiding body 2, respectively.

It should be noted that as long as the distribution density of the dots on the halftone surface of the light guide body can conform to the principle that the farther away from the light source is, the higher the density is. In fact, there is no specific limit on the position of each dot distribution, and even a random number distribution can be adopted. The way to configure the location of each dot distribution.

In a preferred embodiment, the dots on the halftone surface of the light guide body may be distributed only at a position projected below the light exiting surface, thereby increasing the amount of light emitted, thereby reducing energy waste.

In practical applications, the correspondence between the distribution density of the dot on the halftone dot 24 in FIG. 3 and the distance from the light source to the light source may be a linear relationship or a nonlinear relationship. 4A and FIG. 4B, FIG. 4A is a linear relationship between the dot distribution density of FIG. 3 and the distance of the dots from the light source; FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the dot distribution density and the dots in FIG. There is a nonlinear relationship between the distances from the light source.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the distribution density D of the dots on the halftone dot surface 24 is linearly reduced from the maximum density value Dc at the center of the light guide body 2 to the sides X1 on both sides of the light guide body 2, respectively. And the minimum density values D1 and D2 of X2.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the distribution density D of the dot on the halftone dot surface 24 is reduced in a nonlinear manner from the maximum density value Dc of the Xc located at the center of both sides of the light guide body 2 to both sides of the light guide body 2, respectively. The minimum density values D1 and D2 of X1 and X2. In fact, the so-called nonlinear method may be a curve generated by the least square method, but is not limited thereto.

In practical applications, the light guide does not have to adopt the double-side light input mode as shown in FIG. 3, and may also adopt a single-side light input mode (for example, the light-emitting diode LED 2 in FIG. 3 is removed). The relationship between the distribution density of the dot on the halftone dot and the distance of the dot from the light source may become the case shown in FIG. 5A or FIG. 5B, wherein FIG. 5A shows the light guide of the single side light entering. There is a linear relationship between the distribution density of the dots and the distance of the dots from the light source. FIG. 5B shows a nonlinear relationship between the dot distribution density of the light guides unilaterally entering the light and the distance of the dots from the light source.

As shown in Fig. 5A, the halftone dot distribution density D is linearly increased from the minimum density value D1' located on the light incident side X1 to the maximum density value D2' of the light guide non-light incident side X2. As shown in FIG. 5B, the dot distribution density D is increased from the minimum density value D1' located on the light incident side X1 of the light guide to the maximum density value D2' of the light guide non-light incident side X2 in a nonlinear (for example, curved) manner. .

Compared with the prior art, the light guiding system proposed by the present invention achieves uniform light guiding and visual appearance by increasing the distance between the light emitting surface and the dot surface, distributing the dot points in a random number, and increasing the light entering surface. The effect is achieved, so that the cost of additionally providing a diffusion sheet for the light guide body can be omitted to enhance its market competitiveness.

The features and spirit of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover various modifications and equivalents within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1,2‧‧‧Light guide

10, 20‧‧‧ into the glossy

12,22‧‧‧Glossy

14,24‧‧‧ outlets

P‧‧‧ outlets

NI‧‧‧into-surface normal vector

NO‧‧‧light surface normal vector

DI‧‧‧ average light direction

DO‧‧‧ average light direction

S‧‧‧Datum plane

W1‧‧‧ width of the entrance surface

W2‧‧‧ Width of the illuminating surface

PS‧‧‧ projection of the dot on the reference plane

Projection of the PO‧‧‧ light surface on the reference plane

D‧‧‧ spacing from the dot to the illuminating surface

X1, X2‧‧‧ sides of the light guide

Xc‧‧‧ at the center of both sides of the light guide

LED1, LED2‧‧‧Lighting diode

D, D1, D2, Dc, D1', D2'‧‧‧ dot distribution density

1 is a schematic view of a light guide body according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic diagram showing the projection of the dot surface on the reference plane covering the projection of the light surface on the reference plane.

3 is a front view showing a light guide body through which light is incident from both sides of a light-emitting diode.

4A is a linear relationship between the dot distribution density in FIG. 3 and the distances of the dots from the light source.

4B is a diagram showing a nonlinear relationship between the dot distribution density in FIG. 3 and the distances of the dots from the light source.

FIG. 5A illustrates a linear relationship between the dot distribution density of the light guide body that is unilaterally incident and the distance of the dots from the light source.

FIG. 5B illustrates a non-linear relationship between the dot distribution density of the light guides unilaterally entering the light and the distance of the dots from the light source.

1. . . Light guide

10. . . Glossy surface

12. . . Glossy surface

14. . . Dot face

P. . . Network

NI. . . Light surface normal vector

NO. . . Light surface normal vector

DI. . . Average light direction

DO. . . Average light direction

d. . . Spacing from the dot to the exit surface

Claims (10)

A light guiding body comprising: a light incident surface having an average light incident direction; a light exiting surface having an average light exiting direction, the average light exiting direction being non-parallel to the average light incident direction; and a dot surface, Having a plurality of mesh points, and the projection of the mesh surface on a reference plane covers a projection of the light-emitting surface on the reference plane, wherein the reference plane is a normal vector of the light-emitting direction; wherein, the two sides of the light guide body A light source is disposed, and the distribution densities of the dots on the halftone dot are respectively decreased from the maximum density values at the center of the two sides of the light guide body to the minimum density values on both sides of the light guide body. The spacing between the dot surface and the light exiting surface is greater than 5 mm. The light guide body of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting surface is matte-treated. The light guide body of claim 1, wherein the light incident surface has a width greater than a width of the light exiting surface. The light guide body of claim 1, wherein the mesh points are the same size. The light guide body of claim 1, wherein the density of the dots distributed on the dot surface is linear with the distance of the dots from the light source. The light guide body of claim 1, wherein the density of the dots distributed on the dot surface is in a nonlinear relationship with the distance of the dots from the light source. The light guide body of claim 1, wherein the light incident surface is a flat surface. The light guide body of claim 7, wherein the average light incident direction is The normal vectors of the illuminating surfaces are parallel. The light guide body of claim 1, wherein the light exiting surface is a flat surface. The light guide body of claim 9, wherein the average light exiting direction is parallel to a normal vector of the light exiting surface.