IP Library Granted Patent US 8,636,373
Granted Patent B2
US 8,636,373 · App. 13/558,922 · Granted Jan 28, 2014

Spread illuminating apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,636,373
App. No.
13/558,922
Granted
Jan 28, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A spread illuminating apparatus includes a light source, a flexible printed circuit board, and a light guiding plate. The light guiding plate has a light incident face, and a light output portion planarly outputting light. The light guiding plate has an inclined portion between the light incident face and the light output portion, the inclined portion having an inclined face gradually reducing in thickness from the light incident face toward the light output portion; the flexible printed circuit board is placed on the light guiding plate from the side of the inclined face, and has a mounting portion mounting the light source, and a bent portion bent to the mounting portion and fixed to the inclined face of the inclined portion, and the bent portion includes a thickness reduced portion having a thickness less than the mounting portion.

Claims (15)

1. A spread illuminating apparatus comprising:

a point-like light source;

a flexible printed circuit board on which the point-like light source is mounted; and

a light guiding plate including:

a light incident face, at which the point-like light source is placed; and

a light output portion with a light output face for planarly outputting light that has entered from the light incident face,

wherein the light guiding plate has an inclined portion between the light incident face and the light output portion, the inclined portion having an inclined face and being configured to gradually reduce in thickness in a direction from the light incident face toward the light output portion,

the flexible printed circuit board is placed on the light guiding plate from the side of the inclined face, and has a mounting portion mounting the point-like light source, and a bent portion bent with respect to the mounting portion and fixed to the inclined face of the inclined portion, and

the bent portion includes a thickness reduced portion at least at the side of the front end thereof, the thickness reduced portion having a thickness less than the mounting portion.

2. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an optical sheet placed at the side of the light outputting face of the light guiding plate, wherein the optical sheet is placed such that one end of the optical sheet at the side of the light incident face of the light guiding plate overlaps at least a part of the thickness reduced portion of the flexible printed circuit board.

3. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bent portion of the flexible printed circuit board is entirely comprised of the thickness reduced portion.

4. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board is placed on the light guiding plate such that a boundary line between the mounting portion and the bent portion accords with an inclination start line of the inclined face of the light guiding plate located at the side of the light incident face.

5. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board is placed on the light guiding plate such that a boundary line between the mounting portion and the bent portion is positioned ahead of an inclination start line of the inclined face of the light guiding plate located at the side of the light incident face.

6. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a base film, a wiring layer formed on the base film, and a cover film layered on the wiring layer, and the thickness reduced portion is comprised of the base film.

7. The spread illuminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a base film, a wiring layer formed on the base film, and a cover film layered on the wiring layer, and the thickness reduced portion is comprised of the cover film.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2020
From: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
To: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
Reel/Frame 051803/0293 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2012
From: KUNIMOCHI, TORU
To: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 028642/0828 →