The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2009
Filed:
Oct. 01, 2003
Keiji Hayashi, Kawasaki, JP;
Takeshi Gotoh, Kawasaki, JP;
Toshihiro Suzuki, Kawasaki, JP;
Hisashi Yamaguchi, Kawasaki, JP;
Tetsuya Kobayashi, Kawasaki, JP;
Tetsuya Hamada, Kawasaki, JP;
Mari Sugawara, Kawasaki, JP;
Keiji Hayashi, Kawasaki, JP;
Takeshi Gotoh, Kawasaki, JP;
Toshihiro Suzuki, Kawasaki, JP;
Hisashi Yamaguchi, Kawasaki, JP;
Tetsuya Kobayashi, Kawasaki, JP;
Tetsuya Hamada, Kawasaki, JP;
Mari Sugawara, Kawasaki, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A lighting unit including a light-reflecting reflector, a plurality of cold cathode tubes disposed inside the reflector and an optical waveguide connected with an open end of the reflector to guide the light emitted by the cold-cathode tubes. The reflector has a reflective surface that reflects the light having been emitted by the cold-cathode tubes in the direction nearly perpendicular to the wall of each tube, and only in a direction in which the light reflected does not re-enter the cold-cathode tubes. In another embodiment, the lighting unit may include a second optical waveguide disposed in the space between the cold-cathode tube and the reflector, wherein a space is formed between the cold-cathode tube and the second optical waveguide.