Patent · US Expired

Spread illuminating apparatus

US6286970A · kind A · utility

33Cited by
4References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 1999
Grant dateSep 11, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 28, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/133615
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A spread illuminating apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a transparent substrate, a linear light source made up of a light reflector 16 as an optical path conversion portion and/or a light conductor 13 made of a linear transparent material and having optical path conversion portion at least, on either side and disposed closely along at least one side end surface 3 of a transparent substrate 2, and a dot-shaped light source 12 disposed on one end portion 14 of the light conductor 13. The light emitted from the dot-shaped light source 12 enters the light conductor 13/or reflected on the light reflector, and the light emitted from a surface 18 opposing to the transparent substrate 2 enters the transparent substrate 2, to thereby become a linear light source as a whole. Accordingly, since a fluorescent lamp which has been employed as a conventional light source is not used, impact resistance is improved, and illumination is enabled at a low voltage.

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