Lamp, method of driving the lamp, backlight assembly and liquid crystal display device having the backlight assembly
View Patent ↗A lamp, a method of driving the lamp, a backlight assembly having the lamp, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having the backlight assembly are disclosed. The lamp includes a tube that contains gas and first through fourth electrodes. The first and second electrodes are disposed in the tube adjacent to first and second ends of the tube. The third and fourth electrodes are disposed at the first and second ends of the tube. Voltages applied to the electrodes are sufficient for light to be emitted throughout the lamp. The first and second voltages, third and fourth voltages, first and third voltages, and second and fourth voltages have different polarities while the first and fourth voltages and the second and third voltages have the same polarity.
1. A lamp comprising:
a tube containing gas;
first and second electrodes disposed in the tube adjacent to first and second ends of the tube; and
third and fourth electrodes disposed at the first and second ends of the tube, respectively, such that a first region of the lamp is formed between the first and second electrodes, a second region of the lamp is formed between the first and third electrodes, and a third region of the lamp is formed between the second and fourth electrodes,
wherein first to fourth voltages are respectively applied to the first to fourth electrodes, and
wherein first light is generated in the first region due to the first and second voltages applied to the first and second electrodes, second light is generated in the second region due to the first and third voltages applied to the first and the third electrodes, and third light is generated in the third region due to the second and fourth voltages applied to the second and fourth electrodes.
2. The lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising first, second, third, and fourth electric power terminals electrically connected to the first, second, third and fourth electrodes, respectively.
3. The lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second electric power terminals are respectively connected to the first and second electrodes, respectively, and the first and second electric power terminals extend through and are isolated from the third and fourth electrodes, respectively.
4. The lamp according to claim 3 , further comprising a first insulating connector between the first electric power terminal and the third electrode and a second insulating connector between the second power electric terminal and the fourth electrode.
5. The lamp according to claim 4 , wherein the first and second electric power terminals are respectively connected to the first and second electrodes through the first and second insulating connectors.
6. The lamp according to claim 4 , wherein the first and second connectors comprises a material different from the tube.
7. The lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the first and third electric power terminals extend from the first end of the tube, and the second and fourth electric power terminals extend from the second end of the tube.
8. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the third and fourth electrodes each comprise a metal tape adhered to the first and second ends of the tube, respectively.
9. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the third and fourth electrodes each comprise a plated conductive material on the first and second ends of the tube, respectively.
10. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein each of the third and fourth electrodes extend over the entire inner surface of the first and second ends of the tube, respectively.
11. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the first to fourth voltages are respectively set such that the first to third lights have all the same intensity.
12. A method of driving a lamp having a tube containing gas, first and second electrodes disposed in the tube adjacent to first and second ends of the tube, and third and fourth electrodes disposed at the first and second ends of the tube such that a first region is formed between the first and second electrodes, a second region is formed between the first and third electrodes, and a third region is formed between the second and fourth electrodes, the method comprising applying first to fourth voltages to the first to fourth electrodes, respectively,
wherein first light is generated in the first region due to the first and second voltages applied to the first and second electrodes, second light is generated in the second region due to the first and third voltages applied to the first and the third electrodes, and third light is generated in the third region due to the second and fourth voltages applied to the second and fourth electrodes.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second voltages have different polarities.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the third and fourth voltages have different polarities.
15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the first and third voltages have different polarities.
16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second and fourth voltages have different polarities.
17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the first and fourth voltages have the same polarity.
18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second and third voltages have the same polarity.
19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the first to fourth voltages are respectively set such that the first to third lights have all the same intensity.