U.S. patent application number 12/506444 was filed with the patent office on 2009-11-12 for method for manufacturing light guide plates.
This patent application is currently assigned to HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to HSIN-CHIN HUNG.
Application Number | 20090278267 12/506444 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29212509 |
Filed Date | 2009-11-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090278267 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HUNG; HSIN-CHIN |
November 12, 2009 |
METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING LIGHT GUIDE PLATES
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a light guide plate, includes:
providing a first mold having a first contact surface, a second
mold, and a reflector having a reflecting surface, the first mold
defining a cavity from the first contact surface toward an inner
portion thereof and having a gate communicated with the cavity;
sandwiching the reflector between the first and second molds with
the reflecting surface tightly contacting with the contact surface
to enclose the cavity; injecting molten transparent resin into the
cavity through the gate to fill the cavity up with the molten
transparent resin, thereby forming a light guide plate body on the
reflecting surface of the reflector; cooling the light guide plate
body to solidify the light guide plate body in the cavity; and
separating the first and second molds.
Inventors: |
HUNG; HSIN-CHIN; (Tu-Cheng,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PCE INDUSTRY, INC.;ATT. Steven Reiss
288 SOUTH MAYO AVENUE
CITY OF INDUSTRY
CA
91789
US
|
Assignee: |
HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO.,
LTD.
Tu-Cheng
TW
|
Family ID: |
29212509 |
Appl. No.: |
12/506444 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10558103 |
Nov 22, 2005 |
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PCT/SE04/01273 |
Sep 6, 2004 |
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12506444 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
264/1.24 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 15/362 20130101;
B01J 20/321 20130101; B01D 15/424 20130101; B01J 20/288 20130101;
B01J 20/286 20130101; B01J 20/3278 20130101; B01D 15/38 20130101;
B01J 20/327 20130101; B01J 20/3212 20130101; B01J 20/328 20130101;
B01D 15/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
264/1.24 |
International
Class: |
G02B 6/132 20060101
G02B006/132 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 19, 2003 |
SE |
03025095 |
Nov 6, 2008 |
CN |
200810305401.2 |
Claims
1. A method for manufacturing a light guide plate, comprising:
providing a first mold having a first contact surface, a second
mold, and a reflector having a reflecting surface, the first mold
defining a cavity in the first contact surface toward and having a
gate communicated with the cavity; sandwiching the reflector
between the first and second molds, the reflecting surface tightly
contacting the contact surface thus the cavity being covered by the
reflector; injecting molten transparent resin into the cavity
through the gate to fill the cavity up with the molten transparent
resin, thereby forming a light guide plate body on the reflecting
surface of the reflector; cooling the light guide plate body to
solidify the light guide plate body in the cavity; and separating
the first and second molds.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising trimming the reflector
until the shape such that the size of the reflector is
substantially same as that of the light guide plate body.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing
a light guide plate, and more particularly, a method for
manufacturing a light guide plate including a light guide plate
body and a reflector formed on a surface of the light guide plate
body.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Liquid crystal display devices usually adopt backlight
modules as light source. A backlight module generally includes a
light guide plate and a light source. The light source is located
beside one end or two opposite ends of the light guide plate, used
to emit incident light beams into the light guide plate. The light
guide plate is used to lead travel of the incident light beams
therein and ensure that most of the incident light beams can be
emitted from an emission surface thereof. In this way, linear light
sources, such as cold cathode fluorescence lamp (CCFL), or point
light sources, such as light emitting diodes, are converted into
surface light sources.
[0005] The light guide plate generally includes a high transparent
plate and a reflector. In a process of manufacturing the light
guide plate, a high transparent plate and a reflector are
fabricated separately, and then the reflector is attached on at
least a surface of the transparent plate except a light incident
surface thereof. The process costs much time. It is necessary to
provide a method for manufacture a light guide plate to improve
industrial efficiency.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Many aspects of the method for manufacturing a light guide
plate can be better understood with reference to the following
drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn
to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly
illustrating the principles of embodiments. Moreover, in the
drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts
throughout the different views.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a light
guide plate.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an injection molding
machine and a reflector in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing the reflector is
sandwiched using the injection molding machine.
[0010] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but showing a light guide plate
body is formed on a reflecting surface of the reflector.
[0011] FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, but showing a light guide plate
is obtained.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a method for manufacturing a light
guide plate provided in an exemplary embodiment includes the
following steps in no particular order.
[0013] In step 1, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, a horizontal injection
molding machine 10 and a reflector 20 are provided. The injection
molding machine 10 includes a hopper 14, a heater 11, an injecting
nozzle 13, a first mold 121 and a second mold 122 matched with the
first mold 121. The hopper 14 communicates with the heater 11, and
is configured for feeding plastic resin particles to the heater 11.
The heater 11 generally encompasses a screw rod (not shown) for
compressing the resin particles from the hopper 14, melting the
resin particles and transporting molten resin to the injecting
nozzle 13. The first mold 121 has a first contact surface 1211, and
defines a cavity 1210 from the first contact surface 1211 toward an
inner portion thereof, and a gate 1222 communicating with the
cavity 1210. The second mold 122 has a second contact surface 1212.
When the first mold 121 contacts with the second mold 122 in a
manner that the first contact surface 1211 contacts the second
contact surface 1212, the first mold 121 communicates with the
external through the gate 1222. The injecting nozzle 13 is
configured for injecting molten resin into the cavity 1210 through
the gate 1222.
[0014] The reflector 20 includes a base 21 and a reflecting layer
22 formed on a surface of the base 21. The base 21 is made of a
material selected from the consisting group of plastic, glass,
ceramic, and metal. The reflecting layer 22 is made of silver,
having a reflecting surface 221 for reflecting the light emitting
from a point light source onto a light output surface of a light
guide plate. Alternatively, the reflector 20 contains a typical
white reflecting member in an inner portion thereof.
[0015] In step 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the reflector 20 is
sandwiched using the first and second molds 121, 122 in a way that
the cavity 1210 is substantially covered with the reflector 20 and
the reflecting surface 221 faces the gate 1222. In detail, firstly,
the reflector 20 is positioned using a typical mechanical hand (not
shown in FIG. 3) with the reflecting surface 221 contacting the
first contact surface 1211. Then the second mold 122 moves toward
the reflector 20 until the second contact surface 1212 of the
second mold 122 contacts the reflector 20.
[0016] In step 3, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, molten resin is
injected into the cavity 1210 through the gate 1222 with filling
the cavity 1210, thereby a preformed light guide plate body 30a is
formed on the reflector 20. The molten resin is high transparent,
made of polycarbonate (PC) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
[0017] In step 4, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the preformed light
guide plate body 30a is kept between the first, second mold 121,
122 and cooled with a cooling system (not shown) of the injection
molding machine until the light guide plate body 30a is solidified
and has a stable shape under atmosphere temperature. Thereafter, as
shown in FIG. 1, in step 5, the second mold 122 is separated from
the first mold 121, and the reflector 20 with the light guide plate
body 30a is removed. Therefore, a light guide 50 including the
light guide plate body 30a and the reflector 20 is obtained.
[0018] Additionally, the reflector 20 is trimmed to the same shape
and size with the light guide plate body 30a after pulling the
light guide 50 out of the injection molding machine 10. In the
present embodiment, the light guide plate body 30a is directly
formed on the reflector 20 using injection molding method.
Therefore, the process is simplified, and time is saved.
[0019] While certain embodiments have been described and
exemplified above, various other embodiments will be apparent to
those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure. The present
invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described
and exemplified but is capable of considerable variation and
modification without departure from the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *