Illumination – Light fiber – rod – or pipe – Illuminating or display apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-24
2003-03-25
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light fiber, rod, or pipe
Illuminating or display apparatus
C362S026000, C362S027000, C362S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06536932
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spread illuminating apparatus for illuminating displays, such as signboards or various kinds of reflection type display apparatus, in particular liquid crystal displays.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, due to a low power consumption, relative compactness and light weight, the demand for liquid crystal display apparatuses as displays for computers has increased. As opposed to a light emitting type element, such as a picture tube, the liquid crystal element of the liquid crystal display does not emit light itself, and therefore, the liquid crystal display needs to be illuminated in order to view a picture.
In order to illuminate the liquid crystal display while maintaining compactness, a thin plate-like side light type (light conductive member type) spread illuminating apparatus has been often used. An example of such a side light type of spread illuminating apparatus is shown in
FIGS. 6
to
8
.
FIG. 6
shows a spread illuminating apparatus
1
that includes a longitudinal light source
4
disposed close to one end face
3
of a transparent substrate
2
made of a light permeable material. The transparent substrate
2
is formed to have a wedge-shaped cross section in which the thickness of the transparent substrate
2
tapers from thick to thin as the distance from the one end face
3
is increased.
The light source
4
is formed in general with a long plate-like light conductive member
5
made of a light permeable material and disposed along and close to the one end face
3
of the transparent substrate
2
and a spot-like light source
6
disposed facing one end
5
a
of the light conductive member
5
, and a reflection plate
7
is disposed on and facing the other end
5
b
of the light conductive member
5
.
Additionally, a U-shaped light reflection member
9
is provided in such a manner as to partially cover the longitudinal circumferences of the longitudinal light conductive member
5
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, the light reflection member
9
covers only a second face
5
d,
a third face
5
e,
and a fourth face
5
f
of the light conductive member
5
. As shown in
FIG. 8
, the light reflection member
9
also covers a proximal portion
8
of the transparent substrate
2
. Also, as shown in
FIG. 8
, between both facing portions
9
a
and
9
b
of the light reflection member
9
and the proximal portion
8
of the transparent substrate
2
, double-faced tape
10
is interposed and adapted to fix the light reflection member
9
to the proximal portion
8
.
On an upper surface
11
a
of the transparent substrate
2
, a light reflection pattern
12
is formed. The light reflection pattern
12
is adapted to cause every portion of the transparent substrate
2
to have an approximately uniform brightness, regardless of the distance from the light conductive member
5
.
In the conventional art indicated in
FIGS. 6
to
8
, the light reflection member
9
is fixed to the transparent substrate
2
by using the double-faced tape
10
, and there have been the following problems often occurring.
First, at the time of fixing the light reflection member
9
to the transparent substrate
2
, a process consuming time for adhering the light reflection member
9
to the transparent substrate
2
using the double-faced tape
10
is required, and to that extent, productivity is lowered.
Further, the apparatus as a whole becomes thicker due to the double-faced tape
10
interposed between the light reflection member
9
and the transparent substrate
2
, as shown in FIG.
8
. Additionally, because the double-faced tape
10
is applied on the proximal portion
8
, where light enters the transparent substrate
2
, nonuniformity in rightness at the time of viewing can be generated due to irregularity in applying the double-faced tape
10
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in the light of the above circumstance and in order to provide a compact spread illuminating apparatus which can improve productivity and also prevent any nonuniformity of brightness in the illumination at the time of viewing.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a spread illuminating apparatus is provided in which a bar-like light source is disposed close to an end face of a transparent substrate made of a light permeable material, wherein a frame comprising a light reflection member or having a light reflecting function, which is rigid and configured as having an approximately C-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, is disposed in such a manner that it covers the light source and extends as far as a proximal portion of the transparent substrate and that at least one of two facing plates thereof is provided with resilience working toward an opposing facing plate.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a spread illuminating apparatus is provided in which a longitudinal light source is disposed close to an end face of a transparent substrate made of a light permeable material, wherein the light source is formed with a long plate-like light conductive member made of a light permeable material disposed along and close to at least one end face of the transparent substrate and a spot-like light source disposed close to one or both end faces of the light conductive member, and a frame comprising a light reflection member or having a light reflecting function, that is configured as having an approximately C-shaped or U-shaped cross section, is disposed in such a manner that it covers longitudinal surfaces of the light conductive member except a surface facing the transparent substrate and extends as far as a proximal portion of the transparent substrate, and that at least one of two facing plates hereof is provided with resilience working toward an opposing facing plate.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, resilience of the frame is obtained by pre-bending end portions of the facing plates of the frame toward each other.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the pre-bending is carried out at a proximal portion of the facing plates.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the pre-bending is carried out between the end portion and the proximal portion of the facing plates.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the transparent substrate is tapered away from the one end to form a wedge-shape.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the resilience of the frame is obtained by a projection formed on one or both of the facing plates in such a manner that the projection extends toward the opposing facing plate.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the projection is formed as a cut-raised piece to be worked by a press working, and the projection is bent to be in parallel with the facing plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3610914 (1971-10-01), Blackwell
patent: 6123430 (2000-09-01), Ono et al.
patent: 6164789 (2000-12-01), Unger et al.
patent: 07-020460 (1995-01-01), None
Suzuki Shingo
Toyoda Koichi
Lee Guiyoung
Minebea Co. Ltd.
O'Shea Sandra
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