Lighting system and liquid crystal backlight device

• US 20060072343A1
• Filed: 08/19/2003
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,380,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/632
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133604 with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133608 including particular frames or supporting means

Abstract

Luminance irregularities caused by the weight of the optical members in a backlight apparatus are reduced. A lighting apparatus comprises optical members 1 and 2, a casing in which the optical members 1 and 2 and a lamp 4 are disposed, a first member 1a formed in optical members 1 and 2, and a second member 3a formed in the casing for attaching the optical members 1 and 2 to the casing by cooperating with the first member 1a. The first and second members 1a and 3a are provided in positions such that no upward stress is applied to the optical members due to their own weights at the bottom in a vertical direction in the plane of the display screen, both in a basic position and a first stop position of the lighting apparatus, the latter position being reached by rotation of the apparatus from the basic position in the plane of the display screen.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A lighting apparatus comprising a lamp, an optical member with an opening, and a locking portion, wherein:

at least one set of said opening and said locking portion is provided on each of left and right sides with respect to the center of said optical member in the horizontal direction, both vertically above and below with respect to the center of gravity of said optical member,

in a vertically upper side said optical member, said optical member is suspended by at least the two sets of said opening and said locking portion on left and right sides horizontally with respect to the center of said optical member such that only an upper edge of said opening abuts on an upper peripheral portion of said locking portion, and

said locking portion in a vertically lower side with respect to the center of gravity of said optical member penetrates said opening in a contactless manner.

17. An LCD apparatus comprising the lighting apparatus according claim 16, and an LCD panel.

18. A lighting apparatus comprising a lamp, an optical member with an opening, and a locking member, said lighting apparatus being capable of mounting a display unit, wherein:

both in a basic position of said lighting apparatus and in a first stop position thereof that is taken when said lighting apparatus is rotated from said basic position in the plane of said display unit, said optical member is suspended by at least one set of said opening and said locking portion as they are engaged with one another in a vertically upper side with respect to the center of gravity of said optical member,

in a vertically lower side with respect to the center of gravity of said optical member, said locking portion penetrates said opening such that said optical member is not subjected to the stress caused by its own weight in the vertically upward direction, nor is it subjected to the stress caused by its contact in the vertically downward direction with said locking portion.

19. The lighting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, both in said basic position of said lighting apparatus and in said first stop position where said lighting apparatus has been rotated in the plane of said display unit, said optical member is disposed in a position such that said opening and said locking portion do not come into contact with one another in a vertically lower side with respect to the center of gravity of said optical member.

20. The lighting apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said position such that said opening and said locking portion are not in contact with one another is a position where, when said lighting apparatus is used in an LCD display apparatus, said optical member is given a degree of spatial freedom within the range of the expansion of said optical member that is caused by thermal expansion and/or absorption of moisture in said optical member within the normal range of use of said LCD apparatus.

21. The lighting apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a pushing member for pushing said optical member from both the display unit side and the lamp side.

22. The lighting apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a pushing member for pushing said optical member from the display unit side.

23. The lighting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said locking portion is in contact with said opening in a longitudinal direction in both said basic position and in said first stop position.

24. The lighting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said first stop position is a position that is taken when said lighting apparatus is rotated by 90°

or 180°

from said basic position in the plane of said display unit.

25. The lighting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the surface of said optical member is provided with an antistatic finish.

26. The lighting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein at least a corner or a side of said optical member is chamfered.

27. The LCD apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said display unit is an LCD panel and said lighting apparatus is a backlight apparatus, said LCD apparatus being comprised of said LCD panel and said backlight apparatus.

28. The LCD apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a rotating mechanism for rotating said display unit.

29. A lighting apparatus comprising an optical member with a cutout portion, and a locking portion, said lighting apparatus being capable of mounting a display unit, wherein:

said cutout portion is formed in each side on the left and right sides horizontally of said optical member, along said side, and

said optical member is suspended in parallel with a display surface of said display unit by causing an upper internal edge of each cutout portion to abut on said locking portion.

30. The lighting apparatus according to claim 29, wherein a cutout portion is formed in each side on the top and bottom vertically of said optical member, along said side.

31. The lighting apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said optical member is suspended by causing the periphery of said locking portion to abut on both sides of each cutout portion in the direction of the side ends, said cutout portion being formed in each side on the left and right horizontally of said optical member.

32. The lighting apparatus according to claim 29, wherein at least one of said cutout portions formed in both sides on the left and right sides horizontally of said optical member is disposed in a vertically upper side with respect to the center of gravity of said optical member.

33. The lighting apparatus according to claim 30, wherein, both in a basic position of said lighting apparatus and in a first stop position that is taken when said lighting apparatus is rotated in the plane of said display unit,

said optical member is supported by causing an upper internal edge of said cutout portion formed in and along each side on the left and right sides horizontally of said optical member in a vertically upper portion of said optical member to abut on said locking portion.

34. An LCD apparatus comprising the lighting apparatus and according to claim 29, and an LCD panel as said display unit.