Lighting unit, lighting module, and liquid crystal display

• US 20050265051A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tsunenori, Konno, Akitoyo, Hiyama, Ikuo, Kajita, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/002 making direct electrical contact, e.g. by piercing F21V21/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133612 Electrical details

Abstract

There is provided a lighting unit whose area is implemented into a large area by assembling a plurality of lighting modules in a flat-surface-like manner. Moreover, a plurality of electrical connectors are positioned in each lighting module in such a manner that the electrical connectors face each side of each lighting module. Here, the plurality of electrical connectors are mutually connected to the plurality of lighting modules adjacent thereto.

Claims

1. A lighting unit whose area is implemented into a large area by assembling a plurality of lighting modules in a flat-surface-like manner, wherein a plurality of electrical connectors are positioned in each lighting module such that said electrical connectors face each side of each lighting module, said plurality of electrical connectors being mutually connected to said plurality of lighting modules adjacent thereto.

2. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said electrical connectors of each lighting module are basically positioned such that said electrical connectors face portions other than places at which perpendicular lines are dropped onto each side of each lighting module from the most-outer circumference of each light-source component in each lighting module.

3. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said electrical connectors of each lighting module face two sides opposed to each other, said electrical connectors being further positioned at the same position in a direction perpendicular to said two sides.

4. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the same lighting modules are made adjacent to each other by being made successive in a flat-surface manner, said electrical connectors of each lighting module are positioned such that said electrical connectors are opposed to each other.

9. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein light-source components in each lighting module are LED elements, power-to-brightness conversion efficiency of a LED element used in a lighting module positioned in central portion being higher than power-to-brightness conversion efficiency of a LED element used in a lighting module positioned in peripheral portion.

10. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein light-source components in each lighting module are LED elements, a heat sink for exhausting heat with a high efficiency being installed on rear-surface side of central portion.

11. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein upper portion of a light-source component in each lighting module is a flat surface which is parallel to a flat surface of each lighting module.

12. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein outside configuration of each lighting module is a rectangle.

13. The lighting unit according to claim 12, wherein aspect ratio of each-lighting-module outside configuration is equal to about 16:

9.

14. The lighting unit according to claim 12, wherein aspect ratio of each-lighting-module outside configuration is equal to about 4:

3.

15. The lighting unit according to claim 12, wherein diagonal size of each-lighting-module outside configuration is equal to an integral multiple of about 1 inch.

16. A liquid-crystal display wherein said lighting unit according to claim 1 is used as a backlight.

5. A lighting unit whose area is implemented into a large area by assembling a plurality of lighting modules in a flat-surface-like manner, wherein a plurality of electrical connectors and a light-source control component for controlling each lighting module are positioned in each lighting module, said plurality of electrical connectors being mutually connected to said plurality of lighting modules adjacent thereto, said electrical connectors and said light-source control component being positioned at portions which are in no contact with a support member for supporting each lighting module.

6. The lighting unit according to claim 5, wherein said electrical connectors of each lighting module are positioned such that said electrical connectors face each side of each lighting module.

7. The lighting unit according to claim 5, wherein said electrical connectors of each lighting module face two sides opposed to each other, said electrical connectors being further positioned at the same position in a direction perpendicular to said two sides.

8. The lighting unit according to claim 5, wherein, when the same lighting modules are made adjacent to each other by being made successive in a flat-surface manner, said electrical connectors of each lighting module are positioned such that said electrical connectors are opposed to each other.

17. A lighting module, comprising

a base;

a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on a surface of said base; and

a plurality of electrical connectors, which are disposed on sides of said base, for connecting to other lighting modules.

18. The lighting module according to claim 17, wherein said electrical connectors are basically positioned such that said electrical connectors face portions other than places at which normal lines are pulled down onto each side of each lighting module from the most-outer circumference of each light-source component.

19. The lighting module according to claim 17, wherein said electrical connectors of each lighting module and a light-source control component for controlling each lighting module are positioned at portions which are in no contact with a support member for supporting each lighting module.

20. The lighting module according to claim 17, wherein said electrical connectors of each lighting module face two sides opposed to each other, said electrical connectors being further positioned at the same position in a direction perpendicular to said two sides.

21. The lighting module according to claim 17, wherein, when the same lighting modules are made adjacent to each other by being made successive in a flat-surface manner, said electrical connectors of each lighting module are positioned such that said electrical connectors are opposed to each other.

22. The lighting module according to claim 17, wherein light-source components in each lighting module are LED elements, said respective lighting modules being fabricated in a manner of being classified according to rank of power-to-brightness conversion efficiency of said LED elements, and, when said plurality of lighting modules are assembled thereby to be used as said lighting unit, said lighting modules are positioned whose ranks differ depending on respective locations of peripheral portion and central portion.

23. The lighting module according to claim 17, wherein upper portion of a light-source component in each lighting module is a flat surface which is parallel to a flat surface of each lighting module.

24. The lighting module according to claim 17, wherein outside configuration of each lighting module a rectangle.

25. The lighting module according to claim 24, wherein aspect ratio of each-lighting-module outside configuration is equal to about 16:

9.

26. The lighting module according to claim 24, wherein aspect ratio of each-lighting-module outside configuration is equal to about 4:

3.

27. The lighting module according to claim 24, wherein diagonal size of each-lighting-module outside configuration is equal to an integral multiple of about 1 inch.

28. A liquid-crystal display wherein said plurality of lighting modules according to claim 17 are assembled thereby to be used as a backlight.