IP Library Granted Patent US 10,078,176
Granted Patent B2
US 10,078,176 · App. 15/014,578 · Granted Sep 18, 2018

Planar illumination device

Inventors: Shohei Takada (Hamamatsu, JP); Keito Azumi (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
G02B6/0088G02B6/002G02B6/0031G02B6/0068G02B6/0083
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,078,176
App. No.
15/014,578
Granted
Sep 18, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A planar illumination device includes: a frame including a side wall; a circuit board including a mounted portion arranged on the side wall, and a folded portion folded with respect to the mounted portion; a plurality of point light sources arranged on the mounted portion; a light guiding plate that includes an incoming surface facing the plurality of point light sources and that is accommodated in the frame; and a fixing nail that is formed in the light guiding plate, protrudes from the incoming surface towards a part of the mounted portion where the plurality of point light sources are not arranged and arranges the mounted portion on the side wall.

Claims (22)

1. A planar illumination device, comprising:

a frame including a side wall;

a circuit board including a mounted portion arranged on the side wall, and a folded portion folded with respect to the mounted portion, and having a slit between the mounted portion and the folded portion;

a plurality of point light sources arranged on the mounted portion;

a light guiding plate that includes an incoming surface facing the plurality of point light sources and that is accommodated in the frame;

a fixing nail that is formed in the light guiding plate, protrudes from the incoming surface towards a part of the mounted portion where the plurality of point light sources are not arranged and arranges the mounted portion on the side wall; and

a reflecting plate, wherein:

the folded portion is folded towards the light guiding plate at the slit of the circuit board so as to face the light guiding plate, and

the reflecting plate is arranged between a surface of the folded portion and the light guiding plate, wherein the surface of the folded portion faces the light guiding plate, so as to cover at least a part of the slit of the circuit board.

2. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing nail is formed to form a gap between the plurality of point light sources and the incoming surface.

3. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressing unit that is arranged on an end face of the light guiding plate, the end face being opposite to the incoming surface, and that presses the light guiding plate so that the fixing nail biases the mounted portion towards the side wall.

4. The planar illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein

the frame includes an end face side side wall provided on an end face side opposite to the incoming surface of the light guiding plat, and

the pressing unit is an elastic body arranged between the end face opposite to the incoming surface of the light guiding plate and the end face side wall.

5. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflecting plate is provided from a position overlapping the plurality of point light sources to a position overlapping the light guiding plate in a top view.

6. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing nail is configured such that a width of the fixing nail near the incoming surface is wider than a width of the fixing nail away from the incoming surface in a top view.

7. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising a reflecting sheet arranged on a surface of the light guiding plate, wherein the surface of the light guiding plate faces a bottom surface side of the frame, wherein the reflecting sheet is provided up to a position overlapping the plurality of point light sources in a top view.

8. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light guiding plate includes a light introducing guide portion at an incoming surface side thereof, the light introducing guide portion having thickness that gradually decreases from the incoming surface side towards an end face side opposite to the incoming surface.

9. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing nail is arranged at a side of an end of the incoming surface, the side of the end being nearer to the folded portion of the circuit board.

10. The planar illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein

the slit of the circuit board includes a folded portion side region formed in the folded portion and a mounted portion side region formed in the mounted region, and

the reflecting plate is arranged so as to cover at least a part of the folded portion side region of the slit and not to cover the mounted portion side region of the slit.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2020
From: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
To: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
Reel/Frame 051803/0293 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDRESS OF THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 003765 FRAME: 0010. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 29, 2016
From: TAKADA, SHOHEI; AZUMI, KEITO
To: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 038284/0615 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2016
From: TAKADA, SHOHEI; AZUMI, KEITO
To: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 037657/0010 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-023645 · Feb 9, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160231499A1 · Aug 11, 2016