Edge light for a lighting panel

• US 6,953,255 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citizen Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Citizen Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Masaaki, Horiuchi, Megumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US10/265,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20030067761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249, 362/800, 362/84, 362/256, 362/267, 362/231, 313/110, 313/511, 313/512
• US Class Current: 362/611
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape

Abstract

A light emitting element is mounted on a substrate, a convex seal made of a transparent material is provided for sealing the light emitting element. The seal has a rectangular shape in plan view and has a convex shape. The convex shape of the seal has a first top in a direction of a long side of the rectangle, and has a second top in a direction of a short side of the rectangle, the first top has a first curved sectional shape, the second top has a second curved sectional shape, an average curvature of the first curved sectional shape is set to a value so that lightbeams discharged from the first top are expanded in the direction of the long side.

Claims

1. An edge light for illuminating a panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a light emitting element mounted on the substrate;

terminal electrodes provided on a surface of the substrate and connected to the light emitting element for applying a current to the light emitting element;

a convex seal made of a transparent material and sealing the light emitting element;

wherein,

each of the substrate and the convex seal has a rectangular shape in plan view;

the convex shape of the seal has a first top in a direction of a long side of the rectangular shape of the substrate, and has a second top in a direction of a short side of the rectangular shape of the substrate;

the first top has a first curved sectional shape;

the second top as a second sectional shape; and

a curvature of the first curved sectional shape is set to a value so that light beams discharged from the first top are expanded from both end faces of a long side of the substrate,

thereby radiating a beam of light of an inverted trapezoid in a sectional view having a long side longer than the long side of the rectangular shape of the substrate.

2. The edge light according to claim 1 wherein the first curved sectional shape has a parabola.

3. The edge light according to claim 1 wherein the first curved sectional shape has a circularly curved line.

4. The edge light according to claim 1 wherein the first curved sectional shape comprises a pair of parabolas.

5. The edge light according to claim 1 wherein the second top has a second curved sectional shape.

6. The edge light according to claim 1 wherein the second top has a straight line.

7. The edge light according to claim 5 wherein an average curvature of the first curved sectional shape is smaller than that of the second curved sectional shape so that the light beams discharged from the first top are expanded in the direction of the long side.