Light guide plate, vehicle lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11940114-B2
Application number	US-201916963001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2019
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

An optical device includes: a light guide plate having a group of optical-path deflectors configured to change the optical path of light from a first light source to form an image in the space within a first angle range, and change the optical path of light from a second light source to form an image in the space within a second angle range, wherein the first angle range and the second angle range are separated from each other or adjoining each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light guide plate positioned in an xy plane and configured to guide light incident on an incidence surface of the light guide plate, change the optical path of the light, and emit the light from an emission surface to form an image in a space outside the light guide plate within a predetermined first angle range and a predetermined second angle range from a reference plane orthogonal to the xy plane,
the light guide plate comprising a group of optical-path deflectors that change the optical path of the light, wherein
the group of optical-path deflectors:
deflects the light incident on the light guide plate from a first light source arranged at a predetermined position to form a first stereoscopic image in the space within the predetermined first angle range with respect to the reference plane that is orthogonal to the emission surface and parallel to a side surface of the light guide plate; and
deflects the light incident on the light guide plate from a second light source arranged at a position away from the position of the first light source, to form a second stereoscopic image in the space within the predetermined second angle range with respect to the reference plane,

the first angle range and the second angle range are separate from each other or adjoining each other,
the group of optical-path deflectors are arranged such that the first stereoscopic image and the second stereoscopic image in the space appear the same or mutually similar when viewed from the first angle range and the second angle range, and
the first stereoscopic image is formed in the space within the predetermined first angle range by the first light source; and the second stereoscopic image is formed in the space within the predetermined second angle range by the second light source, such that for set values of x, L, and W the light guide plate satisfies the system of inequalities expressed by:
90°−arctan( x/ 2 L )> W;

and
90°−arctan( x/L )≤ W,

where L is an interval between the first light source and the second light source, x comprises a distance between the incidence surface, through which the light enters the light guide plate, and the group of optical-path deflectors, and W is the spread angle of the light from the first light source and the second light source.

2. The light guide plate according to claim 1 , wherein x comprises a distance between the incidence surface and an optical-path deflector farthest therefrom in the group of optical-path deflectors.

3. The light guide plate according to claim 2 , wherein
the image comprises a right-eye image and a left-eye image;
the group of optical-path deflectors comprises right-eye display patterns and left-eye display patterns; and
the right-eye display patterns form a right-eye image, and the left-eye display patterns form a left-eye image.

4. A vehicle lamp comprising the light guide plate according to claim 2 .

5. The light guide plate according to claim 1 , wherein
x comprises a distance between the incidence surface and a mid-point in the group of optical-path deflectors, and
the mid-point is between an optical-path deflector that is located nearest to the incidence surface and an optical-path deflector that is located farthest from the incidence surface in the group of optical-path deflectors.

6. The light guide plate according to claim 1 , wherein
the group of optical-path deflectors changes the optical path of the light incident on the light guide plate from a third light source arranged at a position away from the positions of the first and second light sources to form a third stereoscopic image in the space within a predetermined third angle range with respect to the reference plane; and
the first angle range, the second angle range, and the third angle range are separate from each other or adjoining each other.

7. The light guide plate according to claim 6 , wherein
the reference plane extends within the first angle range; and
the second angle range and the third angle range are on the same side with respect to the first angle range.

8. The light guide plate according to claim 7 , wherein the first stereoscopic image in the space is formed within the predetermined first angle range by the first light source; the second stereoscopic image in the space is formed within the predetermined second angle range by the second light source; and the third stereoscopic image in the space is formed within the predetermined third angle range by the third light source, such that for set values of x, L, and W the light guide plate satisfies a system of inequalities expressed by:
90°−arctan( x/ 2 L )≤ W

and
90°−arctan( x/L )≤ W,

where L is an interval between the first light source and the second light source and between the second light source and the third light source, x comprises a distance between the incidence surface and the group of optical-path deflectors and W is the spread angle of the light from the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source.

9. The light guide plate according to claim 6 , wherein the first stereoscopic image is formed in the space within the predetermined first angle range by the first light source; the second stereoscopic image is formed within the predetermined second angle range by the second light source; and the third stereoscopic image is formed within the predetermined third angle range by the third light source such that for set values of x, L, and W, the light guide plate satisfies a system of inequalities expressed by:
90°−arctan( x/ 2 L )≤ W

and
90°−arctan( x/L )≤ W,

where L is an interval between the first light source and the second light source and between the second light source and the third light source, x comprises a distance between the incidence surface and a point in the group of optical-path deflectors, and W is the spread angle of the light from the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source.

10. The light guide plate according to claim 1 , wherein
the image comprises a right-eye image and a left-eye image;
the group of optical-path deflectors comprises right-eye display patterns and left-eye display patterns; and
the right-eye display patterns form the right-eye image, and the left-eye display patterns form the left-eye image.

11. A vehicle lamp comprising the light guide plate according to claim 1 .

12. The light guide plate according to claim 1 , wherein
the image comprises a right-eye image and a left-eye image;
the group of optical-path deflectors comprises right-eye display patterns and left-eye display patterns; and
the right-eye display patterns form the right-eye image, and the left-eye display patterns form the left-eye image.

13. The light guide plate according to claim 1 , wherein the image comprises a repetition of the same or mutually similar designs repeated away from each other in a direction from the first light source toward the second light source.

14. A vehicle lamp comprising the light guide plate according to claim 2 .

15. A light guide plate positioned in an xy plane and configured to guide light incident on an incidence surface of the light guide plate, change the optical path of the light, and emit the light from an emission surface to form an image comprising a first stereoscopic image and a second stereoscopic image in a space outside the light guide plate within a predetermined first angle range and a predetermined second angle range from a reference plane orthogonal to the xy plane,
the light guide plate comprising first optical-path deflectors an

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Takagi Yoshihiko
• Shinohara Masayuki
• Tanoue Yasuhiro
• Kurata Gouo
• Kitamura Norikazu

Classifications

• G09F19/125

  Stereoscopic displays; 3D displays · CPC title

• F21S43/246

  having two or more output branches · CPC title

• F21S43/2492

  having two or more input branches · CPC title

• F21S43/239

  plate-shaped · CPC title

• F21S43/14 Primary

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title