Light guide body, light emitting apparatus, and amusement machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9864128-B2
Application number	US-201414528240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A light guide body configured to guide light from a light source that enters the light guide body has a light exit surface having at least one light emitting region from which light from the light source is emitted, and a plurality of reflection patterns arranged in a reflection region of a counter surface facing the light exit surface. The reflection region is a region corresponding to the at least one light emitting region. The reflection region has at least a first reflection region that reflects light in a first direction, and a second reflection region that reflects light in a second direction differing from the first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light guide body configured to guide light from a light source that enters the light guide body, comprising:
a light exit surface having at least one light emitting region from which light from the light source is emitted; and
a plurality of reflection patterns arranged in a reflection region of a counter surface facing the light exit surface,
wherein the reflection region is a region corresponding to the at least one light emitting region,
wherein the reflection region comprises at least a first reflection region that reflects light in a first direction, and a second reflection region that reflects light in a second direction differing from the first direction,
wherein the first reflection region and the second reflection region are in proximity to each other,
wherein the light guide body displays, on the light exit surface, an object that is in accordance with an arrangement of the plurality of reflection patterns,
wherein the first reflection region and the second reflection region are structured to combine at least (i) the light reflected in the first direction by first reflection patterns, arranged in the first reflection region, of the plurality of reflection patterns and (ii) the light reflected in the second direction by second reflection patterns, arranged in the second reflection region, of the plurality of reflection patterns to form the object stereoscopically, such that the light guide body causes an observer to stereoscopically visually recognize the object, and
wherein the light reflected in the first direction forms a first part of the object and the light reflected in the second direction forms a second part of the object.

2. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 ,
wherein reflection surfaces of reflection patterns which are included in the plurality of reflection patterns and which are arranged in the first reflection region are substantially parallel to each other, and
wherein reflection surfaces of reflection patterns which are included in the plurality of reflection patterns and which are arranged in the second reflection region are substantially parallel to each other.

3. The light guide body as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the reflection patterns which are arranged in the first reflection region and the reflection patterns which are arranged in the second reflection region differ in angle of the reflection surfaces in an in-plane direction of the counter surface.

4. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the reflection patterns arranged in at least one of the first reflection region and the second reflection region change in density of arrangement.

5. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein beams of light from different light sources which are separately provided so as to correspond to the first reflection region and the second reflection region, respectively, are reflected in the first reflection region and the second reflection region, respectively.

6. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the light guide body is made of a transparent material.

7. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a projected area of the plurality of reflection patterns to a projected area of the entire light exit surface is not more than 15% when the plurality of reflection patterns are seen from a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface.

8. The light guide body as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the ratio is not more than 8%.

9. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the at least one light emitting region set in the light exit surface comprises a plurality of light emitting regions.

10. A light emitting apparatus comprising:
at least one light source; and
a light guide body that guides light from the at least one light source that enters the light guide body, comprising:
a light exit surface having a light emitting region from which light from the at least one light source is emitted; and
a plurality of reflection patterns arranged in a reflection region of a counter surface facing the light exit surface,
wherein the reflection region is a region corresponding to the light emitting region,
wherein the reflection region includes at least a first reflection region in which the light is reflected in a first direction, and a second reflection region in which the light is reflected in a second direction differing from the first direction,
wherein the first reflection region and the second reflection region are in proximity to each other,
wherein the light guide body displays, on the light exit surface, an object that is in accordance with an arrangement of the plurality of reflection patterns,
wherein the first reflection region and the second reflection region are structured to combine at least (i) the light reflected in the first direction by first reflection patterns, arranged in the first reflection region, of the plurality of reflection patterns and (ii) the light reflected in the second direction by second reflection patterns, arranged in the second reflection region, of the plurality of reflection patterns to form the object stereoscopically, such that the light guide body causes an observer to stereoscopically visually recognize the object, and
wherein the light reflected in the first direction forms a first part of the object and the light reflected in the second direction forms a second part of the object.

11. The light emitting apparatus as set forth in claim 10 ,
wherein the at least one light source comprises a plurality of light sources,
wherein the plurality of light sources are arranged at intervals of not less than 5 mm with respect to a light entrance surface, and
wherein the light entrance surface is a surface of the light guide body through which surface light from the respective plurality of light sources enters the light guide body.

12. An amusement machine comprising:
a light emitting apparatus, comprising:
a light source; and
a light guide body that guides light from the light source that enters the light guide body, comprising:
a light exit surface having a light emitting region from which light from the light source is emitted, and
a plurality of reflection patterns arranged in a reflection region of a counter surface facing the light exit surface,
wherein the reflection region is a region corresponding to the light emitting region,
wherein the reflection region comprises at least a first reflection region in which the light is reflected in a first direction and a second reflection region in which the light is reflected in a second direction differing from the first direction,
wherein the first reflection region and the second reflection region are in proximity to each other,
wherein the light guide body displays, on the light exit surface, an object that is in accordance with an arrangement of the plurality of reflection patterns,
wherein the first reflection region and the second reflection region are structured to combine at least (i) the light reflected in the first direction by first reflection patterns, arranged in the first reflection region, of the plurality of reflection patterns and (ii) the light reflected in the second direction by second reflection patterns, arranged in the second reflection region, of the plurality of reflection patterns to form the object stereoscopically, such that the light guide body causes an observer to stereoscopically visually recognize the object, and
wherein the light reflected in the first direction forms a first part of the object and the light reflected in the second direction forms a second part of the object.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Takagi Yoshihiko
• Shinohara Masayuki
• Osumi Yoshimasa
• Kitamura Norikazu

Classifications

• G02B6/006

  to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like · CPC title

• G02B6/0068 Primary

  Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources · CPC title

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title