WO2010050489A1 - Light source device and liquid cristal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

Light from a light source (2a) enters the inside of a light guide plate (3) through an incident angle adjusting surface (8a) and exits from a sectional region (7a) through an adjusting section (6a) provided on a reflecting surface (6).  Light from a light source (2b) enters the inside of the light guide plate (3) through an incident angle adjusting surface (8b) and exits from a sectional region (7b) through an adjusting section (6b) provided on the reflecting surface (6).  Light from a light source (2c) enters the inside of the light guide plate (3) through an incident angle adjusting surface (8c) and exits from a sectional region (7c) through an adjusting section (6c) provided on the reflecting surface (6).  The brightness of the sectional regions (7a, 7b, 7c) can be optionally changed and regulated independent of each other by controlling the emission of light from the light sources (2a, 2b, 2c).

Description

Light source device and liquid crystal display device

The present invention relates to a light source device for illuminating an object to be illuminated, and a liquid crystal display device including the light source device.

In a liquid crystal display device, a technique called local dimming has been developed as a technique for improving effective contrast and moving image followability while reducing power consumption. In this local dimming, the brightness of the backlight is adjusted according to the brightness of the surroundings, or the brightness is dynamically changed by controlling the backlight locally and temporally according to the display image data.

As a conventional technique related to such local dimming, a unit composed of a light guide plate and LEDs arranged on the side surfaces of the light guide plate is arranged for each partial region obtained by dividing the entire light emitting region into a plurality of regions. LED units that are turned on and off, or that control the amount of light emission have been proposed for each unit (for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-293339, corresponding US Publication US2007247871 A1), Patent Document 2 ( JP 2008-21420 A and corresponding US Publication US 2008007950 A1)).

However, in the prior art, since the LED is arranged for each unit, the LED exists at the boundary portion between the unit and the adjacent unit, that is, the LED exists in the light emitting region. In order to suppress high optical performance, such as wiring for supplying power to the LED may prevent uniform illumination, or light leakage may occur from the boundary between units. There was a problem of requiring special devices. In addition, when the number of partial areas is increased, there is a problem that the number of processes and costs increase in terms of manufacturing.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and provides a light source device capable of reducing the number of manufacturing steps and costs and realizing good optical performance, and a liquid crystal display device including the same. Objective.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a light source device comprising a plurality of light sources and a light guide that guides light from these light sources, the light guide being incident on which light from the light source is incident. And a light guide body that guides and emits light incident from the incident portion, and the light guide body includes a reflective surface that reflects light propagating through the light guide body, An emission surface facing the reflection surface and emitting the light reflected by the reflection surface, the emission surface comprising a plurality of partial regions having different positions, and the plurality of light sources are arranged in the plurality of partial regions. The light source device is classified into a plurality of corresponding groups, and the light source device has an emission position such that light from the light sources constituting each group is emitted from the partial region corresponding to the group to the outside of the light guide body. A light source device including an emission position control structure to be controlled is provided.
The emission position control structure may be a structure of any one or more parts in the light source device, and specifically, may be a structure of one place or a plurality of places of the light guide. Or, for example, it may be a combination of the structure of one or a plurality of locations of the light guide and the structure of another component (for example, a support substrate that supports the light source).

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a light source device comprising a plurality of light sources and a light guide that guides light from these light sources, the light guide being incident on which light from the light source is incident. And a light guide body that guides and emits light incident from the incident portion, and the light guide body includes a reflective surface that reflects light propagating through the light guide body, An emission surface facing the reflection surface and emitting the light reflected by the reflection surface, the emission surface comprising a plurality of partial regions having different positions, and the plurality of light sources are arranged in the plurality of partial regions. The light source device is classified into a plurality of corresponding groups, and the light source device has an emission position such that light from the light sources constituting each group is emitted from the partial region corresponding to the group to the outside of the light guide body. An emission position control structure for controlling the emission position control structure An incident direction control unit configured to control the light incident from the light source into the light guide body through the light source with respect to the thickness direction of the light guide to be a plurality of different types of light, and the reflection There is provided a light source device that is provided on at least one of the surface and the exit surface and has an adjustment unit for guiding the corresponding light to each partial region.

In the light source device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the adjustment unit is sequentially arranged along a first direction from a side closer to the incident unit to a side farther from the incident unit, and is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the light guide. It can have an inclined surface set so that an angle may mutually differ.

In the light source device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the reflecting surface can be formed such that the distance from the emitting surface becomes smaller stepwise as the distance from the incident portion increases.

In the light source device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the inclination angle of the inclined surface can be set so as to increase sequentially (continuously or stepwise) from the side closer to the incident portion toward the side farther. .

In the light source device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the adjustment unit has a longitudinal direction in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and a plurality of the inclined surfaces arranged in the first direction. It can consist of rows.

In the light source device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the incident direction control unit includes a support unit that supports the light source with respect to the incident unit in a predetermined posture or an arbitrary posture, and an inclination provided in the incident unit. It may be configured to include at least one of a plurality of incident angle adjustment surfaces having different angles. In the case where the incident direction control unit includes the incident angle adjustment surface, the light source can be provided such that the direction of the principal ray thereof substantially coincides with the normal direction of the corresponding incident angle adjustment surface.

The light source device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention may further include a light diffusing plate disposed on the light exit surface side of the light guide.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal panel and the light source device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention.

In the light source device according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the light from the light sources constituting each group is emitted from the partial region corresponding to the group, the light source is disposed at the end of the light guide. In addition, the luminance of each partial region can be arbitrarily changed by controlling the light emission amount of the light source for each group. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of manufacturing steps and costs without causing a decrease in optical performance.

In the light source device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the light from the plurality of light sources is controlled to be a plurality of types of light having different incident directions for each group by the incident direction control unit. The light propagates through the body, and the light is emitted through the corresponding partial region by the corresponding adjustment unit. Thereby, if the emitted light quantity of a several light source is controlled for every group, the brightness | luminance about each partial area | region can be changed arbitrarily. Therefore, since it is possible to arbitrarily change the luminance for each of the plurality of partial areas using a single light guide, as compared to the conventional technique, each having a light guide plate for each partial area. Since the number of the light sources can be greatly reduced and the light source can be disposed at the end of the light guide, the number of manufacturing steps and costs can be reduced without causing a decrease in optical performance.

Since the liquid crystal display device according to the third aspect of the present invention includes the light source device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, a high-quality display is possible and an inexpensive liquid crystal display device is provided. Can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a light source device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the light source device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the light source device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the light collection degree of the light source according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of an illumination device using the light source device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of an illumination device using a light source device obtained by improving a part of the light source device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a light source device obtained by improving a part of the light source device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view of an illumination device to which the light source device of FIG. 7 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of the light source device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of the light source device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11: is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the light source device of 4th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a light source device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13: is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the light source device of 6th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the luminous flux divergence distribution when the light source 2b of the first embodiment of the present invention is turned on. FIG. 15: is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the light source device of 7th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 16: is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the light source device of 8th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 17: is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the light source device of 9th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the light source device according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a light source device according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of a light source device according to a further modification of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21: is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the light source device which concerns on the further modification of 5th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, a light source device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the thickness direction of a rectangular light guide plate, which will be described later, is the Z direction, and the direction along one side of the rectangular light guide plate is the X direction (first direction) in the plane perpendicular to the Z direction. ), Description will be made using an XYZ orthonormal coordinate system in which the direction orthogonal to the X direction is the Y direction (second direction).

This light source device is particularly suitable for use in a backlight that illuminates a liquid crystal panel of a liquid crystal display device as an object to be illuminated. However, the object to be illuminated is not limited to such a liquid crystal panel, and can also be used as illumination for a signboard arranged at a storefront or the like, illumination for a show window, or any other illumination. Below, the case where it uses as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device is demonstrated to an example.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the light source device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in which the main part is enlarged, and FIG.

The light source device 1 includes three light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c (total of six light sources) arranged in two rows, and a light guide plate as a light guide that guides light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c. 3 is provided. In this embodiment, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are used as the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c. As the LED, a blue-yellow pseudo white light emitting diode, a three-color (RGB) white light emitting diode, or the like is used. However, the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c are not limited to such LEDs, and may be any light sources that can at least turn on / off and control the light emission amount with desired responsiveness.

As the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c, it is preferable to use a light source that is small and has a high degree of light collection. In addition, the light collection degree in this embodiment is synonymous with the emission angle (irradiation angle) of the light from a light source. The light collection intensity of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is preferably 60 ° or less at half value, more preferably 30 ° or less, and further preferably 20 ° or less. Here, the half value means the full width at half maximum. In the present embodiment, a bullet-type LED is used as the light source, and the light collection degree is a half value of 15 °.

The light guide plate 3 includes an incident end portion 4 as an incident portion where light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is incident, and a guide as a light guide body that guides the light incident from the incident end portion 4 and emits the light. An optical plate body 5 is provided. The light guide plate body 5 includes a reflection surface 6 that reflects light propagating in the light guide plate body 5 and an emission surface 7 that faces the reflection surface 6 and emits light reflected by the reflection surface 6. . As shown in FIG. 3, the light guide plate main body 5 has end surfaces A and B that are perpendicular to the incident end 4, the exit surface 7, and the reflecting surface 6, and these are reflecting surfaces. ing.

The light guide plate 3 is made of glass or transparent resin. The transparent resin is not particularly limited, but is a propylene-ethylene copolymer, polystyrene, a copolymer of an aromatic vinyl monomer and a (meth) acrylic acid alkyl ester having a lower alkyl group, polyethylene terephthalate, terephthalate. Examples thereof include an acid-ethylene glycol-cyclohexanedimethanol copolymer, a polycarbonate, an acrylic resin, and a resin having an alicyclic structure (for example, a norbornene resin). Here, as the transparent resin, it is preferable to use a resin having a water absorption rate of 0.25% or less, such as polystyrene or a resin having an alicyclic structure, which has low hygroscopicity and little dimensional change. When a resin having a water absorption rate in the above range is used, the change in the positional relationship between the light source and the light guide is reduced by reducing the dimensional change of the light guide. This is because it can be suppressed.

The resin having an alicyclic structure is a resin having an alicyclic structure in the main chain and / or side chain. From the viewpoint of mechanical strength, heat resistance, etc., a resin containing an alicyclic structure in the main chain is particularly preferred. Examples of the alicyclic structure include a saturated cyclic hydrocarbon (cycloalkane) structure and an unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon (cycloalkene, cycloalkyne) structure. From the viewpoint of mechanical strength, heat resistance and the like, a cycloalkane structure and a cycloalkene structure are preferable, and among them, a cycloalkane structure is most preferable. When the number of carbon atoms constituting the alicyclic structure is usually in the range of 4 to 30, preferably 5 to 20, more preferably 5 to 15, the mechanical strength, heat resistance and molding of the light guide plate Sexual characteristics are highly balanced and suitable.

The light guide plate 3 is composed of a rectangular plate-like body. In this embodiment, as an example, the light guide plate 3 is a rectangle having a dimension in the X direction of 150 mm and a dimension in the Y direction of 50 mm, and the dimension (thickness) in the Z direction is It is 4.5 mm. The light guide plate 3 of this embodiment has a refractive index of about 1.533 and a critical angle of 40.7 °.

The incident end 4 includes an incident angle control unit that controls the incident directions of the light incident on the light guide plate 3 from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c with respect to the Z direction so as to be a plurality of different types of light. Adjustment surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c are provided. The incident direction control unit is a part of an emission position control structure that controls the light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c to be emitted from different partial areas (described later in detail). The incident angle adjustment surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c are inclined surfaces having different inclination angles with respect to the XY plane. In this embodiment, with respect to the XY plane, θ1 = 45 ° for the incident angle adjusting surface 8a, θ2 = 60 ° for the incident angle adjusting surface 8b, and θ3 = 75 ° for the incident angle adjusting surface 8c. Has been.

Corresponding to these incident angle adjusting surfaces 8a, 8b, 8c, the light sources 2a, 2b, 2c are supported in a predetermined posture by a support substrate as a support portion (not shown). In this embodiment, the normal direction of the incident angle adjustment surface 8a is substantially coincident with the direction of the principal ray of the light source 2a, and the normal direction of the incident angle adjustment surface 8b is substantially coincident with the direction of the principal ray of the light source 2b. The incident angle adjustment surface 8c is set so that the normal direction thereof substantially coincides with the principal ray direction of the light source 2c. However, the incident angle adjustment surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c may not necessarily coincide with the principal ray directions of the corresponding light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c, or may be obliquely crossed. When obliquely intersecting, an appropriate angle such that 60% or more of the light emitted from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, 2c is incident on the light guide plate 3 in relation to the refractive index of the resin constituting the light guide plate 3. It is preferable to set within the range. Further, for example, the light from the light source may be changed in direction by using a member such as a lens or a mirror to enter the light guide, and in any case, the light is emitted from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c. It is preferable that 60% or more of the light enters the light guide plate 3. Moreover, it is more preferable that 80% or more of the light emitted from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is incident on the light guide plate 3, and more preferably 90% or more is incident.

The exit surface 7 of the light guide plate 3 includes a plurality of partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c corresponding to a plurality of types of light, and each of the partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c is a region that mainly emits the corresponding light. These partial areas 7a, 7b, and 7c are areas as units for adjusting luminance when performing local dimming. The partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c are sequentially arranged along the X direction from the side closer to the incident end 4 toward the side farther from the side.

In FIG. 1, the dimension in the X direction of the partial area 7a is displayed larger than that of the partial areas 7b and 7c. However, this is due to the relationship shown in the figure, and actually these are substantially the same. It is a dimension. In this embodiment, the dimension in the X direction of each partial area 7a, 7b, 7c is set to 50 mm.

The reflecting surface 6 of the light guide plate 3 is provided with adjusting portions 6a, 6b, 6c for guiding the corresponding light to the partial regions 7a, 7b, 7c. The adjustment units 6a, 6b, and 6c cooperate with the incident direction control unit to control the light emitted from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c to be emitted from different partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c. Part of the control structure. The adjustment units 6a, 6b, and 6c are sequentially arranged along the X direction from the side closer to the incident end 4 toward the side farther from and the partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c.

Each of the adjusting sections 6a, 6b, 6c is formed by a plurality of inclined surfaces 6a1, 6b1, 6c1 having a plurality of inclined surfaces 6a1, 6b1, 6c1 arranged so that the inclination angles with respect to the XY plane are different from each other. Formed as a row). The longitudinal directions of the inclined surfaces 6a1, 6b1, 6c1 are along the Y direction, and the inclined surfaces 6a1, 6b1, 6c1 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the X direction.

The inclination angles of the inclined surfaces 6a1, 6b1, 6c1 of the adjusting units 6a, 6b, 6c are set so as to increase sequentially from the side closer to the incident end 4 to the side farther from the XY plane. Yes. Here, the angle “sequentially increases” means that there is a relationship in which an angle in a certain unit is larger than an angle in an adjacent unit with one or more inclined surfaces as a unit (in the above example, the incident end portion). (Direction from the side closer to 4 to the far side). The unit may include only one inclined surface or two or more inclined surfaces. The number of inclined surfaces included in each of the plurality of units may be the same or different from each other (for example, the number of inclined surfaces included in each of the three adjacent units is 5 to 10 to 8). like).

In this embodiment, the inclination angles of the inclined surfaces included in one adjustment unit are set to be the same, and the inclination angles of the inclined surfaces are sequentially increased in units of adjustment units. Specifically, the arrangement pitch of the inclined surfaces is set to 2 mm for all the adjusting portions 6a, 6b, 6c, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 6a1 of the adjusting portion 6a is 1.5 °, and the inclined surface 6b1 of the adjusting portion 6b is set. The inclination angle is set to 2.5 °, and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 6c1 of the adjusting portion 6c is set to 4.5 °.

In this embodiment, each adjustment unit is configured to include a plurality of inclined surfaces having the same inclination angle. However, the present invention is not limited to this aspect, and includes a plurality of inclined surfaces having different inclination angles. It is good also as a structure. In short, each adjustment unit only needs to be able to guide light from a corresponding light source to each corresponding partial region. Here, when a configuration including a plurality of types of inclined surfaces is employed, for example, the inclination angle can be configured to increase or decrease continuously or stepwise as the distance from the light source increases.

Moreover, in this embodiment, as above-mentioned, it is provided with three adjustment parts, and these adjustment parts are an adjustment part which has an inclined surface whose inclination angle is 1.5 degrees, and an inclined surface whose inclination angle is 2.5 degrees And an adjustment unit having an inclined surface with an inclination angle of 4.5 °. As described above, in the present embodiment, when the adjustment units are compared, the inclination angles of the inclined surfaces constituting the adjustment units are configured such that the inclination angles sequentially increase as the distance from the light source increases. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode. For example, when the adjustment units are compared, the inclination angles of the inclined surfaces constituting each adjustment unit may be configured to be sequentially reduced. You may comprise so that it may become the same inclination angle. In short, each adjustment unit only needs to be able to correctly guide the light from the corresponding light source to each corresponding partial region.

Since each adjustment part 6a, 6b, 6c is provided as the reflection surface 6, the surface including the inclined surfaces 6a1, 6b1, 6c1 constituting the adjustment part is a reflection surface. The reflective surface can be formed by vapor-depositing a reflective metal on the back surface of the resin plate constituting the light guide plate 3. In addition, the light source device according to the present invention has a configuration in which a white scattering plate (white reflector) is provided separately from the light guide plate on the back side of the light guide plate 3, that is, on the back side of each adjustment unit 6a, 6b, 6c. You can also

The inclination angles of the inclined surfaces of the adjusting units 6a, 6b, and 6c are the thickness of the light guide plate 3 (that is, the dimension between the reflecting surface 6 and the emitting surface 7) and the chief rays of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c. In the relationship between the direction and the light collection degree and the inclination angle of the incident angle adjustment surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c, the light from the light source 2a is from the partial region 7a, the light from the light source 2b is from the partial region 7b, and the light from the light source 2c. Are set to be mainly emitted from the partial region 7c.

The light source 2a, the incident angle adjustment surface 8a, the adjustment unit 6a, and the partial region 7a are in a corresponding relationship with each other, and the light source 2b, the incident angle adjustment surface 8b, the adjustment unit 6b, and the partial region 7b are in a corresponding relationship with each other. The angle adjustment surface 8c, the adjustment portion 6c, and the partial region 7c are in a corresponding relationship with each other.

More specifically, the adjusting unit 6a is configured so that the light from the corresponding light source 2a is emitted from the corresponding partial region 7a, that is, below the critical angle determined by the relationship with the refractive index of the light guide plate 3. Reflected toward the exit surface 7 at an angle of. The adjusting unit 6a reflects the light from the light sources 2b and 2c not corresponding thereto so as not to be emitted from the corresponding partial region 7a, that is, reflected toward the emission surface 7 at an angle greater than the critical angle. Similarly, the adjusting unit 6b reflects the light from the corresponding light source 2b so as to be emitted from the corresponding partial region 7b, and the light from the light source 2c not corresponding thereto is emitted from the corresponding partial region 7b. The adjustment unit 6c reflects the light from the corresponding light source 2c so that the light is emitted from the corresponding partial region 7c.

The adjustment unit 6c does not need to propagate light further to the back (+ X direction side, that is, the X-axis direction of the coordinates and the direction indicated by the arrow), and thus the light in the adjustment unit 6c. The reflection may not be a reflection that allows light to propagate deeper than that. Therefore, the reflection in the adjustment unit 6c may not be non-diffusive reflection having the same incident angle and reflection angle. Therefore, the adjustment unit 6c may be, for example, a light diffusion surface in which a plurality of protrusions (hemisphere, cone, etc.) are arranged so that all the light that reaches the adjustment unit 6c is emitted from the partial region 7c.

The light L1 incident through the incident angle adjusting surface 8a from the light source 2a is reflected by the emitting surface 7, reflected by the adjusting unit 6a, and mainly emitted from the partial region 7a. The light L2 incident from the light source 2b through the incident angle adjustment surface 8b is reflected by the emission surface 7, reflected by the adjustment unit 6b, and mainly emitted from the partial region 7b. Light L3 incident from the light source 2c via the incident angle adjustment surface 8c is reflected by the emission surface 7, reflected by the adjustment unit 6c, and mainly emitted from the partial region 7c. Here, it is ideal that all of the light from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is emitted from the corresponding partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c. It can be emitted. “Primarily exiting” intends that there may be light emitted from such non-corresponding partial regions.

In FIG. 1, the light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is simply illustrated as reflected by the emission surface 7 and further reflected by the adjusting units 6a, 6b, and 6c and emitted from the partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c. In practice, however, the light 2a, 2b, 2c from the light source is reflected and propagated a plurality of times within the light guide plate 3 (between the emission surface 7 and the reflection surface 6), and the adjustment units 6a, 6a, Each time the light is reflected by 6b and 6c, the traveling direction is changed and the light is emitted from the corresponding partial regions 7a, 7b and 7c.

A light diffusion plate (light diffusion sheet) 9 is disposed on the light exit surface 7 side of the light guide plate 3 with an air layer interposed therebetween. The light diffusion plate 9 is for diffusing light emitted from the partial regions 7 a, 7 b, 7 c of the light guide plate 3. The light diffusing plate 9 is a plate-like body composed of a transparent resin or a resin composition obtained by adding a light diffusing agent or other additives to the transparent resin, and has a flat surface or a plate-like body having a smooth surface. A pattern in which a plurality of protrusions, rows, or the like is formed on one or both surfaces of the film can be used.

According to the light source device 1 according to the present embodiment described above, when the current is supplied to the light source 2a and turned on, the partial region 7a is brightened. When the current is supplied to the light source 2b and turned on, the partial region 7b is brightened. When a current is supplied to the light source 2c to light it, the partial area 7c becomes brighter. By adjusting the currents supplied to the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c, the luminance of the corresponding partial areas 7a, 7b, and 7c can be arbitrarily changed and controlled. As described above, the luminance of each of the partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c obtained by dividing the entire region into three can be arbitrarily changed and controlled independently for one light guide plate 3. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the distribution of luminous flux divergence on the exit surface when the light source 2b is turned on. As shown in FIG. 14, when the light source 2b is turned on, it can be understood that the partial region 7b is selectively brightened.

In the first embodiment described above, the light sources are arranged in two rows for each of the incident angle adjustment surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c. However, each light source may be one row or three or more rows. An appropriate number may be selected in relation to the dimension of the light guide plate 3 in the Y direction, the maximum light emission amount of the light source, the light collection degree, and the like. In the first embodiment described above, the light source 2a, the incident angle adjustment surface 8a, the adjustment unit 6a, and the partial region 7a, and the light source 2b, the incident angle adjustment surface 8b, the adjustment unit 6b, and the parts are in a corresponding relationship. Three systems, the system of the region 7b and the system of the light source 2c, the incident angle adjusting surface 8c, the adjusting unit 6c, and the partial region 7c, are provided, but two systems or four systems or more may be used. If four or more systems are provided, brightness control can be performed for four or more partial areas using one light guide plate 3.

In addition, the incident angle adjusting surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c have a higher luminance in the vicinity of the light source of the light guide plate 3 than in the other portions, that is, uneven luminance. It can be a lenticular surface formed by arranging concave or convex shapes. The lenticular surface includes a plurality of linear lenticular lenses extending in parallel with the incident angle adjusting surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c. These lenticular lenses can be arranged, for example, along the Y-axis direction in FIG.

Further, as each of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c, the light condensing degree of the light source 2b corresponding to the intermediate partial region 7b is made smaller than that of the light source 2a corresponding to the partial region 7a close to the incident end 4 and further the intermediate partial region 7b. It is preferable to reduce the condensing degree of the light source 2c corresponding to the partial region 7c farthest from the condensing degree of the light source 2b corresponding to. This is for suppressing a decrease in illuminance due to diffusion due to a difference in the optical path length of each light and making the illuminance uniform in each of the partial regions 7a, 7b, 7c.

The condensing degree of each light source 2a, 2b, 2c may be adjusted by using light sources having different condensing degrees, or by using a reflector or a lens separately provided with the same specification (same condensing degree). You may make it do. The respective incident angle adjustment surfaces 8a, 8b, and 8c may be controlled by using different lenticular surfaces. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the concentration of each light source is such that the direction of the principal ray is the x direction, and the direction along the Y direction in the plane perpendicular to the x direction is the y direction. The direction orthogonal to the y direction is taken as the z direction, and the light collection degree in the z direction is the same between the light sources, and the light collection degree in the y direction may be successively reduced.

The illumination device that illuminates the entire area of the liquid crystal panel as the object to be illuminated can be configured by appropriately arranging a plurality of units with the light source device 1 configured as described above as one unit.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example in which a plurality of light source devices described above are arranged to illuminate the entire liquid crystal panel. In this illuminating device 10, two light source devices 1 are adjacent to each other in the X direction so as to be symmetrical with respect to the Y direction, with the light source 2 side facing outward and the side opposite to the light source 2 facing inside. A plurality (three in the figure) are arranged adjacent to each other in the Y direction. Since it is possible to adjust the luminance of three partial areas (7a, 7b, 7c) for one light source device 1, a lighting device having a total of 18 partial areas can be realized with six light guide plates, According to the prior art, in this case, 18 light guide plates are required, and it can be seen that the number of light guide plates can be greatly reduced.

Further, the light source 2 (2a, 2b, 2c) is disposed outside the light guide plate, and it is not necessary to dispose the light source in the effective illumination area as in the prior art. It is possible to suppress illumination unevenness, light leakage, and the like due to, and no special device is required to prevent them. Since the number of light guide plates is small, the number of manufacturing steps and costs can be reduced. In addition, since it is a side light type with a light source arranged on the side of the light guide plate, the overall thickness of the lighting device can be significantly reduced compared to a diffusing plate and a direct type lighting device with a light source directly below it. When applied to a liquid crystal display device, the device can be reduced in size and thickness.

In the configuration of FIG. 5, the number of the pair of light source devices 1 arranged adjacent to each other in the Y direction is not limited to three, and may be two or four or more.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example in which a part of the light source device described above is improved and a plurality of the light source devices are arranged to illuminate the entire liquid crystal panel. In the illuminating device 10 of FIG. 5, two light source devices 1 described above are prepared, and these are adjacently arranged in the X direction so as to be symmetrical with respect to the Y direction. However, the illuminating device 11 of FIG. The difference is that the light guide plates of these two light source devices 1 are integrally formed, and one unit is constituted by the two light source devices. Except for the fact that there is no boundary between the pair of light guide plates, it is substantially the same as the configuration of FIG.

By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to adjust the luminance of six partial areas with one unit, and it is possible to further reduce the number of light guide plates. In the configuration of FIG. 6 as well, the number of light source devices configured by integrating a pair of light source devices 1 arranged adjacent to each other in the Y direction is not limited to three, and may be two or four or more. Good.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a configuration obtained by improving the light source device described above. The light source device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a pair of light sources 2 (2a and 2a, 2b and 2b, 2c and 2c) arranged in the Y direction and corresponding one of three partial regions. The light is supplied to the area, and the light condensing degree is set so that each light source 2 supplies light to the entire corresponding partial area. On the other hand, in the light source device 12 of FIG. 7, the partial areas 7a, 7b, and 7c shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are each divided into two in the Y direction, so that a total of six partial areas 13a, 13b, 13c, 14a, 14b and 14c, and the degree of condensing of one light source 2-1 (concentration in the y direction in FIG. 4) is set so as to supply light to the corresponding partial regions 13a, 13b and 13c, and the other light source 2-2 Is set so as to supply light to the corresponding partial regions 14a, 14b, and 14c.

With this configuration, the luminance of the six partial regions 13a, 13b, 13c, 14a, 14b, and 14c can be controlled by one light source device 12, which is more than that of the light source device 1 shown in FIGS. The number of brightness adjustable areas can be increased. By using a plurality of such light source devices 12 and having the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, the number of brightness adjustable regions can be doubled, and finer brightness control is possible. It becomes.

FIG. 7 shows the two light source rows 2-1 including the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c and the light source row 2-2 including the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c. In such a case, the number of brightness adjustable areas can be further increased.

When this principle is applied, as shown in FIG. 8, a single light guide plate is used and light sources 2-1 to 2-n (n is a natural number of 3 or more) are provided so that the entire area to be illuminated can be arbitrarily set. The illuminating device 14 which can adjust each brightness | luminance of the divided | segmented partial area | region is realizable.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

In the second embodiment, the configuration of the incident end 4 of the first embodiment described above is changed, and the thickness of the light guide plate body 5 is partially changed, specifically, as the distance from the light source increases. This is different from the first embodiment described above. That is, the reflection surface is formed such that the distance from the emission surface becomes smaller in steps as the distance from the incident end portion increases.

That is, the light guide plate 22 included in the light source device 21 of the second embodiment guides the light incident from the light incident ends 23 and the incident end 23 where the light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is incident. And a light guide plate main body 24 to be emitted. The light guide plate body 24 is similar to the light guide plate body 5 of the first embodiment described above, the reflective surface 6 that reflects light propagating through the light guide plate main body 24, the reflective surface 6, and the reflective surface 6. And an emission surface 7 for emitting the light reflected at.

The incident end 23 has an incident angle adjusting surface 23a serving as an incident direction control unit that controls the incident directions of light incident on the light guide plate 22 from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c to be different from each other. , 23b, and 23c. The incident angle adjusting surfaces 23a, 23b, and 23c are inclined surfaces having different inclination angles with respect to the XY plane. In this embodiment, the incident angle adjustment surface 23a is set to θ11 = 45 °, the incident angle adjustment surface 23b is set to θ12 = 60 °, and the incident angle adjustment surface 23c is set to θ13 = 75 ° with respect to the XY plane. Has been.

The light sources 2a, 2b, 2c are respectively arranged in a predetermined posture corresponding to the incident angle adjusting surfaces 23a, 23b, 23c. Adjustment parts 6a, 6b, and 6c are provided on the reflective surface 6 of the light guide plate main body 24 as in the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the thickness d1 of the light source side end of the light guide plate 22 is 4.5 mm, the dimension d2 in the X direction of the end is 2.5 mm, and the light guide plate 22 The thickness d3 of the thin part was 2 mm. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above. Further, by arranging the light source device 21 configured as described above as a single unit and appropriately arranging a plurality of units, a liquid crystal panel as an object to be illuminated is provided, as shown in FIGS. An illumination device that illuminates the entire region can be configured.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

This third embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the configuration of the incident end portion 4 of the first embodiment described above is changed and the light source is provided in the + Z direction.

That is, the light guide plate 32 included in the light source device 31 of the third embodiment includes an incident end 33 where the light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is incident, and the light incident through the incident end 33. And a light guide plate main body 34 for guiding and emitting the light. Similar to the light guide plate body 5 of the first embodiment described above, the light guide plate body 34 reflects the light propagating through the light guide plate main body 34, and faces the reflection surface 6. And an emission surface 7 for emitting the light reflected at.

The incident end portion 33 is disposed on a side portion of the light guide plate main body 34, and these are integrally formed. The incident end 33 has an incident direction control for controlling the incident directions of light incident on the light guide plate 32 from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c through the incident end 33 so as to be different from each other. As part, incident angle adjustment surfaces 35a, 35b, and 35c are provided. The incident angle adjustment surfaces 35a, 35b, and 35c are inclined surfaces having different inclination angles with respect to the XY plane.

The light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c are provided corresponding to these incident angle adjusting surfaces 35a, 35b, and 35c and arranged in the X direction with the + Z direction directed on the −Z direction side of the incident end 33. ing. The light from the light source 2a is reflected by the incident angle adjustment surface 35a and is incident on the light guide plate body 34 at a predetermined angle, and the light from the light source 2b is reflected by the incident angle adjustment surface 35b and is incident on the light guide plate body 34 at a predetermined angle. The light from the light source 2c is reflected by the incident angle adjusting surface 35c and is incident on the light guide plate body 34 at a predetermined angle.

Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. Further, by arranging the light source device 31 configured as described above as a single unit and appropriately arranging a plurality of units, a liquid crystal panel as an object to be illuminated is provided in the same manner as shown in FIGS. An illumination device that illuminates the entire region can be configured.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

This fourth embodiment is different in that the adjusting portions 6a, 6b, 6c provided on the reflecting surface 6 of the first embodiment described above are provided not on the reflecting surface 6 but on the emitting surface 7. Others are the same as in the first embodiment described above.

That is, the light guide plate 42 included in the light source device 41 of the fourth embodiment includes an incident end 43 where light from a light source (not shown in FIG. 11) is incident and light incident via the incident end 43. And a light guide plate body 44 that guides the light to the inside and emits the light. Similar to the light guide plate body 5 of the first embodiment described above, the light guide plate body 44 reflects the light propagating in the light guide plate body 44 and the reflective surface 6 so as to face the reflective surface 6. And an emission surface 7 for emitting the light reflected at. However, in the first embodiment described above, the adjusting portions 6a, 6b, 6c are provided on the reflecting surface 6, but in the fourth embodiment, the adjusting portions 45a, 45b, similar to the adjusting portions 6a, 6b, 6c, 45 c is provided on the exit surface 7.

The configuration of the incident end 43 is the same as that of the incident end 4 of the first embodiment described above. The incident end portion may be configured in the same manner as the incident end portions 23 and 33 in the second to third embodiments described above.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

This fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above in that the adjusting unit is configured by inclining the reflecting surface 6 of the first embodiment described above.

That is, the light guide plate 52 provided in the light source device 51 of the fifth embodiment includes an incident end 53 where light from a light source (not shown in FIG. 12) is incident and light incident through the incident end 53. And a light guide plate body 54 that guides the light to the inside and emits the light. The light guide plate main body 54 is similar to the light guide plate main body 5 of the first embodiment described above, the reflective surface 6 that reflects light propagating through the light guide plate main body 54, the reflective surface 6, and the reflective surface 6. And an emission surface 7 for emitting the light reflected at.

However, in the first embodiment described above, the reflecting surface 6 is disposed substantially parallel to the exit surface 7. However, in the fifth embodiment, the reflecting surface 6 has a dimension with respect to the exit surface 7 at the incident end. It is provided so as to be gradually (continuously) smaller as it is farther from 53. By tilting the reflection surface 6 in this way, the same function as the adjusting units 6a, 6b, 6c can be expressed. Here, even if the inclination of the reflection surface is not constant, it is sufficient that the reflection surface gradually decreases (continuously) as the distance from the incident end 53 increases. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the inclination angle of the reflection surface 6 may be uniform over the entire surface, and as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the inclination angle of the reflection surface may not be uniform. More specifically, the inclination angle of the reflection surface near the light source may be small as shown in FIG. 20, the inclination angle of the reflection surface far from the light source may be large, and the inclination angle of the reflection surface near the light source as shown in FIG. The inclination angle of the reflecting surface that is large and close to the light source may be small. Each of the reflecting surfaces having different inclination angles shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 (6a2 to 6c2 in FIG. 20 and 6a3 to 6c3 in FIG. 21) corresponds to each of the partial regions 7a to 7c shown in FIG. 1 and other drawings. It may be. Moreover, you may make it provide the inclined surface (strip | row) similar to adjustment part 6a, 6b, 6c in this inclined reflective surface 6. FIG. In this case, the inclination angle of the inclined surface of each adjustment unit needs to be changed as appropriate according to the inclination angle of the reflecting surface 6. In FIG. 12, the reflecting surface 6 is a continuous inclined surface, but the reflecting surface 6 may be a stepped (arranged stepwise) inclined surface having the same inclination angle.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

The sixth embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above in that the light source 2 is movably supported so that the posture of the light source 2 (2a, 2b, 2c) of the first embodiment described above can be arbitrarily adjusted. Is different.

That is, the light source 2 included in the light source device 61 of the sixth embodiment is rotatably supported by a support member (not shown) as an incident direction control unit, as indicated by a symbol e in the drawing. The drive mechanism shown in the figure can be rotationally driven continuously (at an arbitrary angle) or stepwise (at a predetermined step angle) within a predetermined angle range. By rotating the light source 2, the incident angle of the light emitted from the light source 2 with respect to the light guide plate 3 can be changed.

When the orientation of the light source 2 is set to the direction of the reference ray f1 in the figure, the light incident on the light guide plate 3 is emitted from the partial region 7a by the adjusting unit 6a, and the orientation of the light source 2 is changed to the principal ray. Is set to the direction of the symbol f2 in the figure, the light incident on the light guide plate 3 is emitted from the partial region 7b by the adjusting unit 6b, and the orientation of the light source 2 is indicated by the symbol f3 in the figure. When the direction is set, the light incident on the light guide plate 3 is emitted from the partial region 7a by the adjusting unit 6c. Thereby, light can be selectively emitted from the partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c. Others are the same as in the first embodiment described above.

(Seventh embodiment)
Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

In the seventh embodiment, the configuration of the incident end 4 of the first embodiment described above is changed, the light source is provided in the + Z direction, and the adjusting unit is configured by inclining the reflecting surface 6. This is different from the first embodiment described above.

That is, the light guide plate 72 included in the light source device 71 of the seventh embodiment includes an incident end 73 on which light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is incident and the light incident through the incident end 73 on the inside. And a light guide plate main body 74 for guiding and emitting the light. The light guide plate body 74 includes a reflective surface 6 that reflects light propagating in the light guide plate main body 74, and an output surface 7 that faces the reflective surface 6 and emits light reflected by the reflective surface 6. .

The incident end portion 73 is disposed on the side portion of the light guide plate main body 74, and these are integrally formed. The incident end 73 is provided with a total reflection surface 75a that reflects each light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c toward the light guide plate body 74, a partial emission surface 75b, and partial incident angle adjustment surfaces 75c and 75d. It has been. The total reflection surface 75a, the partial emission surface 75b, and the partial incident angle adjustment surfaces 75c and 75d are configured so that each light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is emitted from different partial regions 7a, 7b, and 7c. It is a part (incident direction control part) of the output position control structure to control. The total reflection surface 75a is provided at an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to the Z direction (light emission direction from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, 2c). The partial emission surface 75b is provided substantially parallel to the YZ plane. The partial incident angle adjustment surfaces 75c and 75d are inclined surfaces that are inclined so that the inclination angles are different from each other with respect to the XY plane.

The light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c are arranged on the −Z direction side of the incident end portion 73 so as to be oriented in the + Z direction and arranged in the X direction. The light from the light source 2a is reflected by the total reflection surface 75a, emitted from the partial emission surface 75b, and then guided into the light guide plate main body 74 at a predetermined first angle via the partial incident angle adjustment surface 75d. The first angle is set to an optimized angle so that light from the light source 2 a incident in the light guide plate body 74 is mainly emitted from the partial region 7 a of the emission surface 7. The light from the light source 2b is reflected by the total reflection surface 75a, emitted from the partial emission surface 75b, and then inside the light guide plate main body 74 at a predetermined second angle different from the first angle via the partial incidence angle adjustment surface 75c. Led to. The second angle is set to an optimized angle so that light from the light source 2b incident on the light guide plate main body 74 is mainly emitted from the partial region 7b of the emission surface 7. The light from the light source 2 c is reflected by the total reflection surface 75 a and guided into the light guide plate main body 74, and is mainly emitted from the partial region 7 c of the emission surface 7.

The reflection surface 6 is provided with an inclination so that the dimension with respect to the emission surface 7 becomes gradually (continuously) smaller as the distance from the incident end portion 73 becomes further, as in the fifth embodiment described above. The description is omitted.

Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. Further, by arranging the light source device 71 configured as described above as a single unit and appropriately arranging a plurality of units, a liquid crystal panel as an object to be illuminated is provided in the same manner as shown in FIGS. An illumination device that illuminates the entire region can be configured.

(Eighth embodiment)
Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

In the eighth embodiment, the configuration of the incident end 4 of the first embodiment is changed, the light source is provided in the + Z direction, and the configuration of the light guide plate body 5 is changed. This is different from the first embodiment.

In other words, the light guide plate 82 included in the light source device 81 of the eighth embodiment includes an incident end 83 on which light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is incident, and light incident through the incident end 83 inside. And a light guide plate main body 84 for guiding and emitting the light. The light guide plate main body 84 includes three light guide portions 84a, 84b, and 84c. The light guides 84a, 84b, 84c are integrally connected at the incident end 83 (at the left end in the figure), and the main parts of the light guides 84a, 84b, 84c are separated vertically. Each light guide part 84a, 84b, 84c has adjustment parts (reflection surfaces) 6a, 6b, 6c corresponding to the partial areas 7a, 7b, 7c of the emission surface 7, and the adjustment parts 6a, 6b, 6c is provided with a plurality of inclined surfaces (rows). In this embodiment, the inclination angles of the respective inclined surfaces (inclination angles with respect to the XY plane) are substantially the same.

The incident end portion 83 is disposed on the side portion of each light guide portion 84a, 84b, 84c, and these are integrally formed. The incident end portion 83 has a total reflection surface 85a for allowing light incident on the light guide plate 82 from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c through the incident end portion 83 to enter the light guide portions 84a, 84b, and 84c. Is provided. The total reflection surface 85a is provided at an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to the Z direction (light emission direction from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, 2c).

The light sources 2a, 2b, 2c are arranged on the −Z direction side of the incident end 83 and arranged in the X direction with the + Z direction directed. The light from the light source 2a is reflected by the total reflection surface 85a, guided to the light guide 84a, propagated through the light guide 84a, reflected by the adjustment unit 6a, and linear (adjustment) of the light guide 84b. The portion 6b is not provided) and the straight portion of the light guide portion 84c (the portion where the adjustment portion 6c is not provided) is transmitted and emitted from the partial region 7a.

The light from the light source 2b is reflected by the total reflection surface 85a, guided to the light guide part 84b of the light guide plate body 84, propagated through the light guide part 84b, reflected by the adjustment part 6b, and reflected from the light guide part 84c. The light passes through the straight portion and is emitted from the partial region 7b. The light from the light source 2c is reflected by the total reflection surface 85a, guided to the light guide part 84c of the light guide plate body 84, propagated through the light guide part 84c, reflected by the adjustment part 6c, and emitted from the partial region 7c. Is done.

Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. In addition, by arranging the light source device 81 configured as described above as a single unit and appropriately arranging a plurality of units, a liquid crystal panel as an object to be illuminated is provided, as shown in FIGS. An illumination device that illuminates the entire region can be configured.

(Ninth embodiment)
Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

In the ninth embodiment, the configuration of the eighth embodiment is changed, and the light guide portions 84a, 84b, 84c and the incident end portion 33 are made independent from each other for each of the light sources 2a, 2b, 2c. Is different.

That is, the light guide plate 92 included in the light source device 91 of the ninth embodiment includes three light guide portions 94a, 94b, and 94c that are vertically separated from each other. Each light guide part 94a, 94b, 94c is provided with an incident end part into which light from the corresponding light source 2a, 2b, 2c enters and a light guide part main body.

The light guide unit main body of each light guide unit 94a, 94b, 94c has adjustment units (reflective surfaces) 6a, 6b, 6c corresponding to the respective partial regions 7a, 7b, 7c of the emission surface 7, and is adjusted. Each of the portions 6a, 6b, 6c is provided with a plurality of inclined surfaces. In this embodiment, the inclination angles of the respective inclined surfaces (inclination angles with respect to the XY plane) are substantially the same.

The incident end portions of the light guide portions 94a, 94b, and 94c are respectively disposed on the side portions of the corresponding light guide portion main bodies. Total reflection surfaces 95a, 95b, and 95c for allowing light from the corresponding light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c to enter the corresponding light guide main bodies at the incident end portions of the respective light guides 94a, 94b, and 94c. Is provided. The total reflection surfaces 95a, 95b, and 95c are provided at an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to the Z direction (light emission direction from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c).

The light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c are arranged on the −Z direction side of the incident end portions of the corresponding light guides 94a, 94b, and 94c so as to be oriented in the + Z direction and arranged in the X direction. Light from the light source 2a is reflected by the total reflection surface 95a at the incident end of the light guide portion 94a, guided into the light guide portion main body of the light guide portion 94a, and adjusted while propagating through the light guide portion main body. The light is reflected by the surface 6a and emitted from the partial region 7a. The light from the light source 2b is reflected by the total reflection surface 95b at the incident end of the light guide part 94b, guided into the light guide part body of the light guide part 94b, and adjusted while propagating through the light guide part body. The light is reflected by the surface 6b and emitted from the partial region 7b. The light from the light source 2c is reflected by the total reflection surface 95c at the incident end of the light guide part 94c, guided into the light guide part body of the light guide part 94c, and adjusted while propagating through the light guide part body. The light is reflected by the surface 6c and emitted from the partial region 7c.

Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. Further, by arranging the light source device 91 configured as described above as a single unit and appropriately arranging a plurality of units, a liquid crystal panel as an object to be illuminated is provided, as shown in FIGS. An illumination device that illuminates the entire region can be configured.

(10th Embodiment)
Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

In the tenth embodiment, the configuration of the incident end portion 4 of the first embodiment described above is changed, the light source is provided in the + Z direction, and each of the adjusting portions 6a, 6b, 6c of the reflecting surface 6 is inclined. The point which set the inclination | tilt angle of the surface substantially the same is different from 1st Embodiment mentioned above.

That is, the light guide plate 102 included in the light source device 101 of the tenth embodiment includes an incident end 103 on which light from the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c is incident, and the light incident through the incident end 103 inside. And a light guide plate main body 104 for guiding and emitting the light. The light guide plate main body 104 is similar to the light guide plate main body 5 of the first embodiment described above, the reflective surface 6 that reflects light propagating through the light guide plate main body 104, and the reflective surface 6. And an emission surface 7 for emitting the light reflected at.

The incident end portion 103 is disposed on a side portion of the light guide plate main body 104, and these are integrally formed. An incident direction control for controlling the incident direction of light entering the light guide plate 102 from each of the light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c through the incident end 103 to be a plurality of different types of light. Three concave reflecting surfaces (collimating mirrors) 105a, 105b, and 105c are provided as parts.

The light sources 2a, 2b, and 2c are arranged on the −Z direction side of the incident end portion 103 so as to be oriented in the + Z direction and arranged in the X direction. The light from the light source 2a is reflected by the concave reflecting surface 105a and converted into substantially parallel light, and is guided into the light guide plate body 104 so as to be directed to the plurality of adjusting units 6a on the reflecting surface 6, and the adjusting unit 6a. Are reflected by the plurality of inclined surfaces and emitted from the partial region 7a. The light from the light source 2b is reflected by the concave reflecting surface 105b and converted into substantially parallel light, and is guided into the light guide plate main body 104 so as to be directed to the adjusting unit 6b of the reflecting surface 6, and a plurality of adjusting units 6b. Are reflected from the inclined surface and emitted from the partial region 7b. The light from the light source 2c is reflected by the concave reflecting surface 105c and converted into substantially parallel light, and is guided into the light guide plate main body 104 so as to be directed to the adjusting unit 6c of the reflecting surface 6, and a plurality of adjusting units 6c. Are reflected from the inclined surface and emitted from the partial region 7c.

Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. Further, by arranging the light source device 71 configured as described above as a single unit and appropriately arranging a plurality of units, a liquid crystal panel as an object to be illuminated is provided in the same manner as shown in FIGS. An illumination device that illuminates the entire region can be configured.

(Eleventh embodiment)
Next, an eleventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Components substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the description is omitted.

The light guide plate 112 included in the light source device 111 of the eleventh embodiment has an incident end 113 on which light from the light sources 112a and 112b is incident, and guides the light incident through the incident end 113 to the inside. A light guide plate main body 114 to be operated. The light guide plate main body 114 includes a reflective surface 6 that reflects light propagating through the light guide plate main body 114, and an output surface 7 that faces the reflective surface 6 and emits light reflected by the reflective surface 6. .

At the incident end 113, two light sources 112a and 112b are arranged in the + Y direction. Here, assuming that the traveling direction of light is the z direction, the light source 112a is a light source that emits x-direction linearly polarized light having a polarization direction in a specific x direction in a plane perpendicular to the z direction, and the light source 112b is x in the plane. The light source emits y-direction linearly polarized light having a polarization direction in the y-direction orthogonal to the direction.

Filter films 115a and 115b are provided on the exit surface 7 of the light guide plate main body 114 so as to correspond to the two partial regions 7a and 7b, respectively. In this embodiment, the filter film 115a disposed in the partial region 7a is a film having a characteristic of transmitting incident x-direction linearly polarized light and reflecting y-direction linearly polarized light. In this embodiment, the filter film 115b disposed in the partial region 7b is a film that transmits the incident y-direction linearly polarized light and reflects the x-direction linearly polarized light.

The x-direction linearly polarized light emitted from the light source 112a and guided into the light guide plate body 114 through the incident end 113 is appropriately reflected between the reflecting surface 6 and the emitting surface 7 and transmitted through the filter film 115a. And it is radiate | emitted from the partial area | region 7a. In the partial region 7b, the x-direction linearly polarized light is reflected by the filter film 115b, so that the light from the light source 112a is prevented from being emitted from the partial region 7b. The y-direction linearly polarized light emitted from the light source 112b and guided into the light guide plate main body 114 is appropriately reflected between the reflecting surface 6 and the emitting surface 7, and passes through the filter film 115b to be transmitted from the partial region 7b. Emitted. In the partial region 7a, the y-direction linearly polarized light is reflected by the filter film 115a, so that the light from the light source 112b is prevented from being emitted from the partial region 7a.

Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. In addition, by arranging the light source device 111 configured as described above as a single unit and appropriately arranging a plurality of units, a liquid crystal panel as an object to be illuminated is provided, as shown in FIGS. An illumination device that illuminates the entire region can be configured.

The embodiment described above is described for easy understanding of the present invention, and is not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments can be easily provided with various modifications and changes by those skilled in the art. The above disclosure should be construed as illustrative only and should not be construed in a limiting sense. The present invention is limited only by the scope of the claims and the full scope of equivalents thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Light source device 2 (2a, 2b, 2c) ... Light source 3 ... Light guide plate 4 ... Incident end part 5 ... Light guide plate main body 6 ... Reflecting surface 6a, 6b, 6c ... Adjustment part 7 ... Output surface 8a, 8b, 8c ... Incident angle adjustment surface 9 ... Light diffusion plate 10, 11 ... Illumination device

Claims (9)

1. A light source device comprising a plurality of light sources and a light guide that guides light from these light sources,
   The light guide includes an incident portion where light from the light source is incident, and a light guide body that guides and emits light incident from the incident portion.
   The light guide body includes a reflection surface that reflects light propagating in the light guide body, and an emission surface that faces the reflection surface and emits light reflected by the reflection surface,
   The emission surface includes a plurality of partial regions whose positions are different from each other,
   The plurality of light sources are classified into a plurality of groups corresponding to the plurality of partial regions,
   The light source device includes a light emission position control structure that controls a light emission position so that light from a light source constituting each group is emitted from the partial region corresponding to the group to the outside of the light guide body. apparatus.
2. The emission position control structure is configured such that light incident from the light source through the incident portion into the light guide body has a plurality of types of incident directions different from each other with respect to the thickness direction of the light guide. 2. The light source device according to claim 1, further comprising: an incident direction control unit to be controlled; and an adjustment unit that is provided on at least one of the reflection surface and the emission surface and guides corresponding light to each partial region.
3. 3. The light source device according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment unit includes inclined surfaces that are sequentially arranged along a first direction from a side closer to the incident unit toward a side farther from the incident unit, and are set to have different inclination angles. .
4. 3. The light source device according to claim 2, wherein the reflection surface is formed such that the distance from the emission surface becomes smaller in steps as the distance from the incident portion increases.
5. The inclination angle of the inclined surface is set so as to sequentially increase from a side closer to the incident portion toward a side farther from a surface orthogonal to the thickness direction of the light guide. Light source device.
6. The light source device according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment unit includes a row having a longitudinal direction in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and having a plurality of the inclined surfaces arranged in the first direction.
7. The incident direction control unit has a plurality of incident angle adjustment surfaces with different inclination angles provided in the incident unit,
   The light source device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the light source is provided so that a direction of a principal ray thereof substantially coincides with a normal direction of the corresponding incident angle adjustment surface.
8. The light source device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a light diffusing plate disposed on the emission surface side of the light guide.
9. A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal panel and the light source device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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