Fluorescent lamp module structure

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6452327
  • Patent Number
    6,452,327
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, January 3, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 17, 2002
    21 years ago
Abstract
A fluorescent lamp module structure includes a Cold Cathode Flat Fluorescent Lamp (CCFFL) and a combine metallic housing for containing and positioning the CCFFL. The CCFFL is a rectangular box with a certain thickness including a 1st side, a 2nd side, a 3rd side and a 4 side. The 1st side includes a 1st end with a 1st electrode, a 2nd end with a 2nd electrode and a middle section with a exhaust tube. Moreover, the combined metallic housing is composed of a plurality of metallic housing portions cut from an integrated metallic housing. The integrated metallic housing is composed of a base plate and a plurality of upright pieces bent upward at a right angle to the base plate, and having height close to the thickness of CCFFL. Furthermore, the plurality of metallic housing portions is formed by a plurality of base plate areas, adjacent to one another, cut from the base plate of the integrated metallic housing.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The invention relates to a fluorescent lamp module structure, and more particularly, relates to a combined metallic housing which contains and positions a Cold Cathode Flat Fluorescent Lamp (CCFFL), and does not affect the distribution of its electrical field after the fluorescent lamp module structure is assembled, and also improves its luminance uniformity.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION





FIG. 1

is an exploded view of the fluorescent lamp module structure according to the prior art. As shown in

FIG. 1

, the fluorescent lamp module structure of the prior art includes a CCFFL


10


and an integrated metallic housing


20


.




The CCFFL


10


being a rectangular box with certain thickness, includes a 1


st


side


11


on the top, a 2


nd


side


13


on the bottom, a 3


rd


side


15


on the left and a 4


th


side


17


on the right. The 1


st


side includes a 1


st


end


12


on the left, a 2


nd


end on the right, and a middle section between the 1


st


end


12


and the 2


nd


end


14


. Furthermore, the 1


st


end


12


has a 1


st


electrode


22


, the 2


nd


end


14


has a 2


nd


electrode


24


, and the middle section


16


has an exhaust tube


26


.




The integrated metallic housing


20


is composed of a base plate


25


and a plurality of upright piece


28


bent upward at a right angle to the base plate


25


with a height that is close to the thickness of the CCFFL


10


for containing and positioning the CCFFL


10


.




The air in the sealed chamber (not shown) of CCFFL


10


is drawn out through the exhaust tube


26


and changed into inert gas or mercury vapor. Afterward, a high voltage is applied between the electrodes


12


and


14


to induce electrons jumping from one electrode to another making the electrons collides with gas molecules to excite the inert gas or mercury vapor in the sealed chamber so as to radiate ultraviolet light. In this way, the ultraviolet light can excite “the phosphor coating” coated on the interior wall of the CCFFL


10


and generate luminescence.





FIG. 2

shows the curves illustrating the effect on the uniformity of a flat lamp when an integrated metallic housing is added. As shown in

FIG. 2

, the abscissa represents ten samples of the flat lamp, and each sample has nine test points (not shown in the figure) showing the luminance of the uniformly distributed areas. In addition, the ordinate represents the luminescent uniformity. Each sample's luminescent uniformity is defined as the ratio in percentage value of the lowest illumination to the highest illumination of the same sample among the nine illumination test points.




Curve


2




a


shows the luminescent uniformity of naked piece of the flat lamp before the integrated metallic housing


20


is added. Curve


2




b


shows the luminescent uniformity of the flat lamp after integrated metallic housing is added. From the curve


2




a


and


2




b


of the

FIG. 2

, we can see the luminescent uniformity of the CCFFL


10


of the fluorescent lamp module structure of the prior art is lowered in a great extent from an average of 90% before assembling to an average of 50% after assembling. This is due to the combination of the CCFFL


10


with the integrated metallic housing


20


that greatly affects the electric field.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In the light of the above-mentioned disadvantage of the prior art, the invention provides a fluorescent lamp module structure including a CCFFL and a combined metallic housing for containing and positioning the CCFFL. The CCFFL being a rectangular box with a certain thickness including a 1


st


side, a 2


nd


side, a 3


rd


side and a


4


th side. Furthermore, the 1


st


side includes a 1


st


end having a 1


st


electrode, a 2


nd


end having a 2


nd


electrode and a middle section having an exhaust tube.




In addition, the combined metallic housing is composed of a plurality of “metallic housing portions” cut from an integrated metallic housing. The integrated metallic housing is composed of a base plate and a plurality of upright piece bent upward at a right angle to the base plate with a height close to the thickness of the CCFFL. Moreover, a plurality of metallic housing portions is formed by a plurality of base plates, which are adjacent to one another, cut from the base plate of the integrated metallic housing. Thus, a plurality of metallic housing portions, adjacent to one another, can efficiently eliminate the effect on the electric field resulting from the adding of integrated metallic housing while the CCFFL is operating. It can restore the luminescent uniformity in a great extent, thereby, greatly improve the quality of the image display.




Regarding the invention's object, advantages and characteristics as above-mentioned or others can be better understood by the following “detailed description of the preferred embodiments”.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded view of the fluorescent lamp module structure according to a prior art.





FIG. 2

shows the curves illustrating the effect on the uniformity of a flat lamp when an integrated metallic housing is added according to a prior art.





FIG. 3

is an exploded view of the fluorescent lamp module structure in accordance with the invention.





FIG. 4

shows the curves illustrating the effect on the uniformity of the flat lamp when a combined metallic housing is added in accordance with the invention.











DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 3

is an exploded view of the fluorescent lamp module structure of the invention. The invention includes a CCFFL


30


and a combined metallic housing


40


. The CCFFL


30


being a rectangular box with a certain thickness including a 1


st


side


31


on the top, a 2


nd


side


33


on the bottom, a 3


rd


side


35


on the left, and a 4


th


side


37


on the right. The 1


st


side


31


includes a 1


st


end


32


on the left, a 2


nd


end


34


on the right and a middle section


36


between the 1


st


end


32


and 2


nd


end


34


. Furthermore, the 1


st


end


32


has an electrode


42


, the 2


nd


end


34


has an electrode


44


and the middle section


36


has an exhaust tube


46


.




The combined metallic housing


40


being provided to contain and position the CCFFL


30


is composed of two metallic housing portions


45


and


47


which are cut from the integrated metallic housing


20


as shown in the FIG.


1


. An insulated paster


49


can also be added to combine the two metallic housing portions


45


and


47


. The integrated metallic housing


20


(as shown in

FIG. 1

) is composed of a base plate


25


and a plurality of upright piece


28


bent upward at a right angle to the base plate and had height close to the thickness of CCFFL


10


. The two metallic housing portions


45


and


47


are formed by two base plates, which are adjacent to each other, cut from the base plate of the integrated metallic housing


20


. The cutting line is positioned between the 3


rd


side and 4


th


side of the CCFFL


30


to become two neighboring base plates. Each of the metallic housing


45


or


47


is composed of a base plate


41


or


43


as well as a plurality of upright piece


48


bent upward at a right angle to the base plate and had height close to the thickness of CCFFL


30


.





FIG. 4

shows the curves illustrating the effect on the uniformity of the flat lamp when a combined metallic housing is added in accordance with the invention. As shown in

FIG. 4

, the abscissa represents ten samples of the flat lamp, and each sample has nine test points showing the luminance of average area (not shown in the figure). In addition, the ordinate represents the luminescent uniformity. Each sample's luminescent uniformity is defined as the percentage value of the lowest illumination to the highest illumination of the same samples showing among the illumination test points.




Curve


4




a


showing the luminescent uniformity of naked piece of the flat lamp before the combined metallic housing


40


is added. Curve


4




b


showing the luminescent uniformity of the flat lamp


30


after the integrated metallic housing


20


(as shown in FIG.


1


). Curve


4




c


showing the luminescent uniformity of the flat lamp


30


after the combined metallic housing


40


is added. From the curve


4




a


,


4




b


and


4




c


of the

FIG. 4

, we can see that the luminescent uniformity of the CCFFL


30


of fluorescent lamp module structure according to the invention is improved in a great extent. It varies from 90% average on the naked piece of the flat lamp to 50% average after assembling with the integrated metallic housing


20


, then improves to 85% after assembling with the combined metallic housing


40


. This is because that the assembling with integrated metallic housing


20


will affect the electric field when the flat lamp is operating and the assembling with combined metallic housing


40


will eliminate the effect in a great extent.




In the other embodiment, the combined metallic housing


40


is composed of two neighboring base plates, or four neighboring base plates. In general, the combined metallic housing


40


can also be composed of a plurality of neighboring base plates.




While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclose embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications.



Claims
  • 1. A Fluorescent Lamp Module Structure comprising:a Cold Cathode Flat Fluorescent Lamp (CCFFL), which is a rectangular box with a certain thickness including a 1st side on the top, a 2nd side on the bottom, a 3rd side on the left and a 4th side on the right wherein the 1st side includes a 1st end with a 1st electrode on the left, a 2nd end with a 2nd electrode on the right, and a middle section having an exhaust tube positioned between the 1st end and 2nd end, a combined metallic housing for containing and positioning the CCFFL including a plurality of metallic housing cut from an integrated metallic housing that has a base plate and a plurality of upright pieces bent upward at a right angle to the base plate with a height close to the thickness of CCFFL, and the plurality of metallic housings is formed by a plurality of base plates, adjacent to one another, cut from the base plate area of the integrated metallic housing.
  • 2. The fluorescent lamp module structure of claim 1, wherein the combined metallic housing is composed of a plurality of metallic housing portions and an insulated paster for combining the plurality of metallic housings.
  • 3. The fluorescent lamp module structure of claim 1, wherein the borderlines of the metallic housing portions of the combined metallic housing are in between the 3rd and 4th sides of the CCFFL.
  • 4. The fluorescent lamp module structure of claim 1, wherein the borderlines of the metallic housing portions of the combined metallic housing are in between the 1st and 2nd sides of the CCFFL.
  • 5. The fluorescent lamp module structure of claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the combined metallic housing is composed of two metallic housing portions and an insulated paster for combining the two metallic housing portions.
  • 6. The fluorescent lamp module structure of claim 1, wherein the combined metallic housing is formed by four neighboring metallic housing portions disposed in a form of up, bottom, left and right base plate areas.
  • 7. The fluorescent lamp module structure of claim 6, wherein said combined metallic housing is composed of four metallic housing portions and an insulated paster for combining the four metallic housing portions.