Illumination device for flat-panel display and light-emitting lamp

• US 7,384,178 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ajichi, Yuhsaku, Masuda, Takeshi, Sumida, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar; Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunwiddie; Meghan K
• Application Number:
  US10/875,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 362/612, 362/615, 362/620, 362/603, 362/555, 362/307, 362/608, 362/609
• US Class Current: 362/609
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

An illumination device for a flat panel display may include a light-guiding member for guiding light from a light-emitting lamp, wherein the light-emitting lamp has a light-emitting device incorporated in a lamp body, wherein the lamp body has a reflection surface that reflects light from the light-emitting device and an emitting surface that is opposite to the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light from the reflection surface toward the light-guiding member. In certain example embodiments, the emitting surface is formed into a shape along the irradiated surface of the light-guiding member and the reflection surface is formed to be curved such that the reflected light is made approximately parallel seen from one direction upon reflecting the light from the light-emitting device.

Claims

1. An illumination device for a flat panel display comprising:

a light-guiding member for guiding light emitted from a light-emitting lamp, wherein

the light-emitting lamp comprises a light-emitting device at least partially embedded in a lamp body comprising resin;

wherein

the lamp body has a reflection surface that reflects light from the light-emitting device and an emitting surface that is opposite to the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light from the reflection surface toward the light-guiding member, wherein the light-emitting device is located between the reflection surface of the lamp body and the light-guiding member;

wherein

the emitting surface is formed to have a shape along the irradiated surface of the light-guiding member; and

the reflection surface is formed to be curved in a lateral dimension extending parallel to a plane of the light-guiding member such that the reflected light becomes approximately parallel as it proceeds toward the light-guiding member after being reflected by the reflection surface; and

wherein the light-emitting device is at least partially embedded in the lamp body at a side thereof at or proximate the emitting surface so that the light-emitting device is closer to the emitting surface of the lamp body than to the reflection surface of the lamp body.

2. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein the emitting surface is formed to have an approximately rectangular shape seen from the irradiated surface.

3. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein the emitting surface is divided into an irradiation section that transmits the light reflected by the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light toward a subject to be irradiated, a first electrode section on which the light-emitting device is formed and a second electrode section for electrically connecting the light-emitting device and an external power source, wherein

the length of an area, in the direction of the thickness of the light-emitting lamp, where the second electrode section is overlapped with the irradiated surface of the light-guiding member, is formed to be not more than 0.2 mm.

4. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein the emitting surface is divided into an irradiation section that transmits the light reflected by the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light toward a subject to be irradiated, a first electrode section on which the light-emitting device is formed and a second electrode section for electrically connecting the light-emitting device and an external power source.

5. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device is arranged to be shifted in either the upward direction or downward direction from the center of the direction of the thickness of the reflection surface.

6. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein a transparent substrate is arranged on the emitting surface.

7. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein an electrode that electrically connects the light-emitting device and an external power source is formed on the emitting surface, this electrode being made of a transparent material.

8. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflection surface is formed into a curved surface having a focal point on the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting device or in the vicinity thereof.

9. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamp body 1 has an upper surface and a lower surface that communicate to an upper surface and lower surface of the light-guiding member.

10. An illumination device claimed in claim 9, wherein a reflection layer is provided on at least the upper surface or the lower surface of the lamp body.

11. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device is an LED.

12. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein diffusion means is provided on the emitting surface.

13. An illumination device claimed in claim 12, wherein the diffusion means is a fluorescent material formed on the emitting surface.

14. An illumination device claimed in claim 12, wherein the diffusion means is formed by at least one concave/convex surface.

15. An illumination device claimed in claim 14, wherein the concave/convex surface is arranged one-dimensionally.

16. An illumination device claimed in claim 15, wherein the concave/convex surface is composed of plural convex members that are formed along a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the reflected light can be seen as parallel.

17. An illumination device claimed in claim 1, wherein plural lamp bodies are arranged.

18. An illumination device claimed in claim 17, wherein the plural lamp bodies are integrally formed.

19. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamp body has an upper surface and a lower surface formed into a plane.

20. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 19, wherein a reflection layer is provided on at least the upper surface or the lower surface of the lamp body.

21. A light-emitting lamp for irradiating light toward a subject to be irradiated such as a light-guiding member or the like, comprising:

a lamp body having a light-emitting device incorporated therein;

wherein

the lamp body has a reflection surface that reflects light from the light-emitting device and an emitting surface that is opposite to the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light from the reflection surface toward the subject to be irradiated;

wherein

the emitting surface is formed to have a shape along the irradiated surface of the subject to be irradiated;

the reflection surface is formed to be curved such that the reflected light becomes approximately parallel seen from one direction upon reflecting light from the light-emitting device;

wherein the emitting surface is divided into an irradiation section that transmits the light reflected by the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light toward the subject to be irradiated, a first electrode section on which the light-emitting device is formed and a second electrode section for electrically connecting the light-emitting device and an external power source, wherein

the length of an area, in the direction of the thickness of the light-emitting lamp, where the second electrode section is overlapped with the irradiated surface of the subject to be irradiated, is formed to be not more than 0.2 mm.

22. An illumination device claimed in claim 21, wherein the emitting surface is formed to have an approximately rectangular shape seen from the irradiated surface.

23. An illumination device claimed in claim 21, wherein the emitting surface is divided into an irradiation section that transmits the light reflected by the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light toward the subject to be irradiated, a first electrode section on which the light-emitting device is formed and a second electrode section for electrically connecting the light-emitting device and an external power source.

24. An illumination device claimed in claim 21, wherein the light-emitting device is arranged to be shifted in either the upward direction or downward direction from the center of the direction of the thickness of the reflection surface.

25. An illumination device claimed in claim 21, wherein a transparent substrate is arranged on the emitting surface.

26. An illumination device claimed in claim 21, wherein an electrode that electrically connects the light-emitting device and an external power source is formed on the emitting surface, this electrode being made of a transparent material.

27. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 21 wherein the reflection surface is formed into a curved surface having a focal point on the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting device or in the vicinity thereof.

28. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 21, wherein the light-emitting device is an LED.

29. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 21, wherein diffusion means is provided on the emitting surface.

30. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 29, wherein the diffusion means is a fluorescent material formed on the emitting surface.

31. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 29, wherein the diffusion means is formed by at least one concave/convex surface.

32. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 31, wherein the concave/convex surface is arranged one-dimensionally.

33. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 32, wherein the concave/convex surface is composed of plural convex members that are formed along a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the reflected light can be seen as parallel.

34. A light-emitting lamp claimed in claim 21, wherein plural lamp bodies are arranged so as to be integrally formed.

35. An illumination device for a flat panel display comprising:

a light-guiding member for guiding light emitted from a light-emitting lamp, wherein

the light-emitting lamp comprises a light-emitting device incorporated in a lamp body;

wherein

the lamp body has a reflection surface that reflects light from the light-emitting device and an emitting surface that is opposite to the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light from the reflection surface toward the light-guiding member;

wherein

the emitting surface is formed to have a shape along the irradiated surface of the light-guiding member;

the reflection surface is formed to be curved such that the reflected light becomes approximately parallel seen from one direction upon reflecting light from the light-emitting device; and

wherein the emitting surface is divided into an irradiation section that transmits the light reflected by the reflection surface and irradiates the reflected light toward a subject to be irradiated, a first electrode section on which the light-emitting device is formed and a second electrode section for electrically connecting the light-emitting device and an external power source, wherein

the length of an area, in the direction of the thickness of the light-emitting lamp, where the second electrode section is overlapped with the irradiated surface of the light-guiding member, is formed to be not more than 0.2 mm.