Linear light source

• US 5,607,227 A
• Filed: 08/24/1994
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tottori Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tottori Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Motoike, Tatsuya, Yasumoto, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US08/295,168
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 362/235, 362/240, 362/241, 362/244, 362/245, 362/249, 362/800, 362/294, 362/373, 313/502, 313/500, 257/81, 257/98, 257/99, 257/100
• US Class Current: 362/249.06
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00909 Cleaning arrangements or preventing or counter-acting contamination from dust or the like cleaning in general, prevention of fouling in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00976 Arrangements for regulating environment, e.g. removing static electricity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/02815 Means for illuminating the original, not specific to a particular type of pick-up head
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/02865 using an array of light sources or a combination of such arrays, e.g. an LED bar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

Grooves are formed along the length inside a frame member formed by integrating a lens and reflecting frames. A base plate on which light emitting diodes are arranged in a line is held in the frame member by being inserted in the grooves. The lower part of the frame member is open so that heat is released directly from the base plate, thereby preventing the warp of the base plate and the frame member due to an increase in temperature.

Claims

1. A linear light source comprising:

a long frame member formed by integrating a lens and reflecting frames through extrusion molding of a resin so that a lower part of the frame member is open along an entire length thereof to release heat, said lens comprising a bar lens refracting and converging light and being located at an upper part of the frame member, said reflecting frames being located at both sides of the frame member, said reflecting frames each including a groove on an inner surface thereof inserting and receiving a long base plate therein, each groove being formed at a same height as each other and in parallel to the lens, said inner surface of said each reflecting frame facing an inner surface of another reflecting frame;

said long base plate held in the frame member by being substantially in close contact with the grooves; and

a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged on an upper surface of the base plate along the length thereof so as to face the lens.

2. A linear light source according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first engagement portion provided in a vicinity of an end of the base plate; and

a fixer having a second engagement portion which engages with the first engagement portion, said fixer being fitted in a gap between a bottom of the lens and the upper surface of the base plate in a vicinity of an end of the frame member and being substantially in contact with an end surface of the frame member,

wherein said fixer is fitted between the lens and the base plate in the vicinity of the end of the frame member, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion engage with each other to fix the base plate and to close the end of the frame member.

3. A linear light source comprising:

a base plate on which a plurality of electrodes are separately formed;

a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged on the electrodes so as to be substantially in a line, one light emitting diode being disposed on one electrode;

reflecting frames fixed to the base plate so as to surround the light emitting diodes;

a lens arranged above the light emitting diodes, said lens being fixed to the reflecting frames;

a reflecting coat formed on the base plate; and

a coating resin comprising a hardened quantity of a liquid resin applied so as to cover each of the light emitting diodes,

where the reflecting coat is formed on the base plate except circular belt areas surrounding the light emitting diodes, and the coating resin is applied inside each of the areas, each of said belt areas preventing the liquid resin applied inside of the belt area from flowing out of the belt area so that the resin is hardened into a shape having a domed top with a circular bottom surface.

4. A linear light source according to claim 3, a coating resin is formed so as to have a domed top substantially at a midpoint between the light emitting diodes.