FIG. 1—Is an end-view of a plastic lampholder sheet, comprised of:
A. Broad parallel wall (#1)
B. Broad parallel wall (#2)
C. Longitudinal rib (#3)
D. Hollow square tube (#4)
FIG. 2—Is a perspective view of a plastic lampholder sheet
FIG. 3—Is a perspective view showing lamps inserted into a plastic lampholder sheet
FIG. 4—Is a perspective view of a plastic lampholder sheet in which the hollow square tubes that contain the fluorescent lamps are shorter than the adjacent hollow square tubes, providing for extra protection for the ends of the fluorescent lamps.
FIG. 5—Is a perspective view of a plastic lampholder sheet with fluorescent lamps inserted and wiring harness attached.
FIG. 6—Is a perspective view showing an LED strip inserted into a plastic lampholder sheet
FIG. 7—Is a perspective view of a plastic lampholder sheet which has been slit, cut or otherwise kerfed in order to provide flexibility to the backlight panel.
FIG. 8—Is a close-up of the perspective view of a plastic lampholder sheet which has been slit, cut or otherwise kerfed in order to provide flexibility to the backlight panel.
The present invention discloses a backlight including fluorescent lamps or LEDs and a method for driving the same. The backlight is constructed in a manner that a multiplicity of fluorescent lamps or LEDs are inserted into a series of hollow, square, parallel plastic tubes supported between two parallel plastic walls (
The backlight of the present invention is illuminated via fluorescent lamps or LEDs, employing, but not limited to, cold-cathode fluorescent lamps, external electrode fluorescent lamps or LEDs (FIGS. 3,5 and 6). These lamps are typically driven by, but are not limited to, commercially available inverters utilizing a square wave, sine wave, fluorescent ballasts or switching power supplies. A wiring harness is utilized to carry the proper voltage, current and frequency to the ends of each lamp or LED (
The present invention is an improvement on the prior art because:
1. The lamps, either CCFLs, EEFLs, thin fluorescent lamps, or LEDs are protected from shock and breakage by being contained within the plastic lampholder sheet, either with or without plastic, rubber or synthetic, square, circular, or shaped “O”-ring types of spacers encircling the lamps.
2. By varying the placement of the lamps or LEDs in alternate hollow square tubes, the spacing of the lamps or LEDs (the distance between lamps) is easily changed. This change in lamp or LED spacing alters the number of lamps or LEDs used in the lightpanel, thus changing the brightness of the lightpanel and altering the distance needed between the plane of the lamps and an illuminated substrate in order to achieve even illumination across the face of the illuminated substrate.
3. The mounting (insertion) of the lamps within the hollow tubes of the transparent or translucent plastic lampholder sheet allows for the very easy manufacture of double-sided lightpanels and lightboxes, since the illumination from the lamps shines out of both sides of the lampholder sheet, if it is transparent or translucent. Double-sided lightboxes can be easily and inexpensively manufactured to under three inches in depth.
4. The imprinting of translucent material, dots, lines or other light-reducing methods onto the face of the square, hollow tubes, directly in front of the lamps, easily allows for increased control of the intensity and evenness of illumination of the light panel.
5. The rigidity and protection afforded by the plastic lampholder sheet allows for the ease of manufacture of lightpanels for use without the necessity of additional protection by metal or plastic cover-bodies, since the plastic lampholder sheet serves as both protection for the lamps and LEDs and as method of lamp and LED mounting.
6. The slitting of one side of the hollow, square tubes(s), parallel to the longitudinal ribs, on one or both sides of the broad, parallel walls, allows the lampholder sheet to bend. This yields a flexible lightpanel.
7. The use of CCFLs, EEFLs or LEDs in the present backlight panel improves the prior backlight panel art due to the long life of the lamps used, requiring less service and maintenance.
8. Because of all of the above, and more, lightpanels, lightboxes and other products manufactured utilizing the present invention are lighter, less expensive, brighter, illuminated more evenly, require less service and are generally thinner than when using other comparable methods of illumination
Backlight including external electrode fluorescent lamp and method for driving the same. U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,250. Cho, et al., Jan. 6, 2004 Backlight device and method of fabricating the same. U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,584. Bang, et al., Jan. 18, 2005 Lighting device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,056. Amano, et al., Jan. 10, 2006