Patent · US Expired

Lighting unit

US5375043A · kind A · utility

352Cited by
6References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 6, 1993
Grant dateDec 20, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 6, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S362/80
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is a lighting unit of an indirect type, capable of varying the luminance and color of illumination with respect to a target to be lit thereby ensuring an effective display of the target, and further capable of using itself as a display unit. The lighting unit comprises a light guide plate having one side fashioned into an uneven surface or a reflective surface; a plurality of light emitting diodes for supplying a light to the light guide plate, the light derived from the diodes being dispersed through the light guide plate; and a control section which controls actions including blinking of the light emitting diodes. At least a part of the diodes is intended to emit a light different in color from that of the others so that the color or blinking of illumination can be arbitrarily varied through the control by means of the control section.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.