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:
Jun. 30, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 07, 2005
Makoto Ikeda, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Nemoto, Tokyo, JP;
Takashi Kishimoto, Tokyo, JP;
Takeshi Ishimaru, Tokyo, JP;
Hirohiko Iwase, Tokyo, JP;
Hidemitsu Takeuchi, Tokyo, JP;
Tomihisa Saito, Tokyo, JP;
Makoto Ikeda, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Nemoto, Tokyo, JP;
Takashi Kishimoto, Tokyo, JP;
Takeshi Ishimaru, Tokyo, JP;
Hirohiko Iwase, Tokyo, JP;
Hidemitsu Takeuchi, Tokyo, JP;
Tomihisa Saito, Tokyo, JP;
Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An improved illumination device shortens a redundant area of insufficient light intensity close to a longitudinal end thereof. The device includes a casing, a bar-shaped light guide housed in the casing to cause a light-emitting surface thereof to be exposed, a light-emitting unit secured to an end section of the casing, wherein light from the light-emitting unit is introduced into the bar-shaped light guide through the end face thereof and is totally reflected within the bar-shaped light guide to be emitted through the light-emitting surface, and a shielding section provided to cover an end section of the bar-shaped light guide including the redundant area at the end section of the casing close to the light-emitting unit. A notch is formed at the end section of the bar-shaped light guide on the light-emitting surface side close to the light-emitting unit, and light from the light-emitting unit is reflected on a rear surface of the shielding section through a gap between this notch and the light-emitting unit to be introduced into the bar-shaped light guide.