Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Including variation in thickness
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-06
2004-07-06
Loney, Donald J. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Including variation in thickness
C428S141000, C428S167000, C428S913000, C359S321000, C359S454000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06759113
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a uniform curved structure of a rightness unit for a brightness enhancement film applied to a display. More particularly, the present invention is related to a brightness enhancement film having uniform curved surfaces to form enhancement units that improve entire optical characteristic.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, International Patent Publication No. WO 96/23649 discloses a brightness enhancement film including a base
1
and a plurality of prisms
2
juxtaposed in order on the base
1
. Each of the prisms
2
consisted of a first flat facet
2
a
and a second flat facet
2
b
adapted to refract light to condense light.
However, the first flat facet
2
a
and the second flat facet
2
b
are flat surfaces different from curved surface and thus only able to refract light in one dimension with respect to a top horizontal surface of the brightness enhancement film. Namely, the brightness enhancement film is only able to condense light in one dimension as well as one-dimensional refraction.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,471, issued on Aug. 21, 2001 to Tang, discloses an another brightness enhancement film including a base
11
and a brightness layer
12
. The base
11
has a top surface and a bottom surface. Also, the brightness layer
12
has a top surface and a bottom surface. A plurality of rippled ridges
121
are juxtaposed in order and each of which is consisted of brightness units
122
arranged in order. Each of the brightness units
122
is consisted of a pair of curved surfaces which may refract light in two dimensions so that the brightness unit
122
is able to condense light in two dimensions. Structurally, the bottom surface of the brightness layer
12
is adhered to the top surface of the base
11
to form the brightness enhancement film.
Referring again to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,471 achieves condensing light in two dimensions by replacing the flat facets
2
a
and
2
b
of WO 96/23649 with the curved surfaces of brightness units
122
. Therefore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,471 improves drawback of WO 96/23649 that merely condenses light in one dimension.
Referring again to
FIG. 2
, the brightness unit
122
is consisted of a first curved surface
123
and a second curved surface
124
whose curvature able to refract light in two dimensions that the condensing function is accomplished. The first curved surface
123
and the second curved surface
124
slope gently toward the top surface of the brightness layer
12
so that bottom edges of the first curved surface
123
and the second curved surface
124
are commonly terminated at a straight bottom edge
125
. The straight bottom edge
125
is located between the two adjacent brightness units
122
and the straight bottom edges
125
are serially connected each other to form a wave trough.
Generally, the curvature of the first curved surface
123
and the second curved surface
124
are able to refract light for condensing. However, the first curved surface
123
and the second curved surface
124
are sloped gently toward the straight bottom edge
125
, and thus the surface adjacent to the straight bottom edge
125
is performed nearly a horizontally flat surface. The slightly curvature of the flat surface is inadequate to refract light in two dimension. Although the first curved surface
123
and the second curved surface
124
are able to refract light in two dimensions, the surface adjacent to the straight bottom edge
125
may reduce entire refractive efficiency of the brightness unit
122
.
The present invention intends to provide a uniform curved surface structure of a brightness unit for a brightness enhancement film. Each of the brightness units comprise a curved surface uniformly extended downward to terminate at a curved bottom edge so as to form a uniform curvature of the curved surface for increasing entire refractive efficiency in two dimensions in such a way to mitigate and overcome the above problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of this invention is to provide a uniform curved surface structure of a brightness unit for a brightness enhancement film, which comprises a curved surface uniformly extended downwardly to form a curved bottom edge with uniform curvature so as to increase entire refractive efficiency in two dimensions.
The secondary objective of this invention is to provide brightness units for a brightness enhancement film, which are arranged in disorder so as to reduce morie phenomenon.
The brightness enhancement film in accordance with the present invention comprises a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of brightness units arranged to form an array on the top surface. The brightness unit is consisted of a first cured surface and a second curved surface. Each of the first cured surface and the second curved surface is extended downward to terminate at a curved bottom edge so as to form a uniform curvature of the curved surface.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4542449 (1985-09-01), Whitehead
patent: 5635278 (1997-06-01), Williams
patent: 5993940 (1999-11-01), Ouderkirk et al.
patent: 6277471 (2001-08-01), Tang
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Loney Donald J.
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