Patent · US Expired

Plane light source unit and light guide used therein

US5779337A · kind A · utility

154Cited by
3References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 31, 1996
Grant dateJul 14, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 31, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/0053
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A plane light source unit includes a tubular light source, and a light guide. The light guide has a light emitting surface and a reflecting surface in addition to a light incident face placed near the tubular light source to receive light emitted from the tubular light source. The light guide has a plurality of projections or grooves arrayed on the light emitting surface to extend parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of the tubular light source so as to cause the light incident from the light incident face to emerge from the light emitting surface. The height or depth of each of the projections or grooves increases from the central portion to the two end portions in the longitudinal direction of the tubular light source.

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