Claims
- 1. A backlighting system for a liquid crystal display, said system having an illuminated front surface, comprising:
- a first faceted light pipe proximal the illuminated front surface of the backlight having a generally planar front surface for providing light to said illuminated front surface, having a faceted back surface wherein said back surface includes a plurality of generally planar portions parallel to said front surface and a plurality of facets formed at an angle to said front surface and located connecting said back surface parallel portions, and having at least one end surface for receiving light to be transmitted through said front surface;
- a first light source means located adjacent said end surface for receiving light of said first faceted light pipe for providing light to said first light pipe;
- a second faceted light pipe proximal the back surface of the first faceted light pipe having a generally planar front surface situated such that light exiting said front surface enters the back surface of the first faceted light pipe, having a faceted back surface wherein said back surface includes a plurality of generally planar portions parallel to said front surface and a plurality of facets formed at an angle to said front surface and located connecting said back surface parallel portions, and having at least one end surface for receiving light to be transmitted through said front surface; and,
- a second light source means located adjacent said end surface for receiving light of said second faceted light pipe for providing light to said second light pipe.
- 2. A backlighting system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first light source means and the second light source means are situated on the same side of the backlight.
- 3. A backlighting system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first light source means and the second light source means are situated on opposing sides of the backlight.
- 4. A backlighting system for a liquid crystal display, said system having an illuminated front surface, comprising:
- a first faceted light pipe proximal the illuminated front surface of the backlight having a generally planar front surface for providing light to said illuminated front surface, having a faceted back surface wherein said back surface includes a plurality of generally planar portions parallel to said front surface and a plurality of facets formed at an angle to said front surface and located connecting said back surface parallel portions, and having at least one end surface for receiving light to be transmitted through said front surface;
- a first light source means located adjacent said end surface for receiving light of said first faceted light pipe for providing light to said first light pipe;
- a second faceted light pipe proximal the back surface of the first faceted light pipe having a generally planar front surface situated such that light exiting said front surface enters the back surface of the first faceted light pipe, having a faceted back surface wherein said back surface includes a plurality of generally planar portions parallel to said front surface and a plurality of facets formed at an angle to said front surface and located connecting said back surface parallel portions, and having at least one end surface for receiving light to be transmitted through said front surface;
- light source means located adjacent the faceted back surface of the second faceted light pipe; and,
- light transmission means for directing the light from the light source means to the end surfaces for receiving light of the first and second faceted light pipes.
- 5. A backlighting system as recited in claim 4 wherein the light transmission means is a light pipe.
- 6. The backlighting system of claim 4 further comprising at least one lens situated between the light source means and the light transmission means.
- 7. A backlighting system as recited in claim 6 wherein the light source means is an apertured fluorescent lamp having a plurality of discrete apertures and at least one lens is aligned so as to receive and focus light exiting from at least one aperture of the lamp.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 07/589,325 filed Sep. 27th, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,946.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
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4914553 |
Hamada et al. |
Apr 1990 |
|
5099343 |
Margerum et al. |
Mar 1992 |
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5123077 |
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Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0210327 |
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JPX |
0027908 |
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JPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
589325 |
Sep 1990 |
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