Lighting device, display device and television receiver

• US 8,876,357 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• 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: Kasai, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CARTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/395,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 362632-634
• US Class Current: 362/632
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133604 with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133608 including particular frames or supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133628 with cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/36 Airflow channels, e.g. constructional arrangements facilitating the flow of air

Abstract

The invention is intended to provide a lighting device that shortens time required to obtain peak brightness. A backlight unit 16 according to the invention includes: cold cathode tubes 22 as a light source; a chassis 18 housing the cold cathode tubes 22; a reflection sheet 21 disposed within the chassis 18 and reflecting light; and a heat insulator 27 disposed between the chassis 18 and the reflection sheet 21. Because the heat insulator 27 is disposes between the chassis 18 and the reflection sheet 21, heat in the chassis 18 is less likely to escape to the outside. Therefore, the temperature inside the chassis 18 can be efficiently increased with the heat generated by the cold cathode tubes 22.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a light source;

a chassis housing the light source;

a reflection sheet disposed within the chassis and reflecting light; and

a heat insulator disposed between the chassis and the reflection sheet;

wherein

the chassis is disposed such that a main plate surface thereof is aligned along a vertical direction;

the chassis includes at least an upper portion and a lower portion;

the heat insulator includes an upper portion overlapping area overlapping the upper portion of the chassis and a lower portion overlapping area overlapping the lower portion of the chassis, the upper portion overlapping area is smaller than the lower portion overlapping area;

the heat insulator has a shape such that an area thereof decreases from bottom to top in the vertical direction; and

the upper portion overlapping area is formed such that an area thereof gradually decreases from bottom to top in the vertical direction.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion overlapping area includes a plurality of angled portions having edges angled relative to the vertical direction, the angled portions being arranged along a direction crossing the vertical direction and parallel to each other.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the angled portions are arranged at substantially equal intervals.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulator is made of a foamed resin material.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection sheet has a surface in a white-based color.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a cold cathode tube.

7. A display device comprising:

the lighting device according to claim 1; and

a display panel configured to provide a display using light from the lighting device.

8. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising:

an exterior member configured to hold the lighting device and the display panel, the exterior member including at least an upper portion and a lower portion, and having heat release holes with openings, an area of the openings in the upper portion is smaller than an area of the openings in the lower portion; and

a support member supporting the chassis such that the main plate surface of the chassis is aligned with the vertical direction.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the area of the openings of the heat release holes decreases from bottom to top in the vertical direction.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the heat release holes are formed in a substantially same shape a number of the heat release holes decreasing from bottom to top in the vertical direction.

11. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel including liquid crystals sealed between a pair of glass substrates.

12. A television receiver comprising the display device according to claim 7.

13. A lighting device, comprising:

a light source;

a chassis housing the light source;

a reflection sheet disposed within the chassis and reflecting light; and

a heat insulator disposed between the chassis and the reflection sheet;

wherein

the chassis is disposed such that a main plate surface thereof is aligned along a vertical direction;

the chassis includes at least an upper portion and a lower portion;

the heat insulator includes an upper portion overlapping area overlapping the upper portion of the chassis and a lower portion overlapping area overlapping the lower portion of the chassis, the upper portion overlapping area is smaller than the lower portion overlapping area;

the heat insulator has a shape such that an area thereof decreases from bottom to top in the vertical direction; and

the upper portion overlapping area is formed such that an area thereof decreases stepwise from bottom to top in the vertical direction.

14. The lighting device according to claim 13, wherein the upper portion overlapping area has through holes such that an opening area of the upper portion overlapping area increases stepwise from bottom to top in the vertical direction.

15. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein the through holes are formed in a substantially same shape and arranged such that a number of the through holes increases from bottom to top in the vertical direction.

16. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein the through holes are arranged so as to overlap the light source.

17. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein the through holes are arranged in lines perpendicular to the vertical direction.

18. A lighting device, comprising:

a light source;

a chassis housing the light source;

a reflection sheet disposed within the chassis and reflecting light; and

a heat insulator disposed between the chassis and the reflection sheet;

wherein

the chassis has a bottom plate disposed on a side opposite to a light output side with respect to the light source;

the reflection sheet and the heat insulator are disposed so as to extend over a substantially entire area of the bottom plate;

the chassis has a side plate rising from the bottom plate toward the light output side, and

the reflection sheet and the heat insulator have bottom portions disposed along the bottom plate and rising portions rising from the respective bottom portion toward the light output side and disposed along the side plate;

the chassis has a receiving plate jutting outward from a distal end of the side plate; and

the reflection sheet and the heat insulator have extending portions extending from an edge of the distal end along the receiving plate.

19. The lighting device according to claim 18, wherein the heat insulator includes portions arranged in areas overlapping the light source.

20. The lighting device according to claim 18, further comprising a holding member holding the reflection sheet and the heat insulator between the holding member and the chassis.

21. The lighting device according to claim 20, wherein

the holding member is provided with a light source holding portion configured to hold the light source.

22. The lighting device according to claim 20, further comprising an optical member arranged on the light output side with respect to the light source so as to face the light source, wherein

the holding member includes a support portion supporting the optical member from a side opposite to the light output side.