Abstract: A cold cathode lamp includes a light-transmitting insulating tube, first and second internal electrodes arranged inside the insulating tube, first and second external electrodes arranged outside the insulating tube and respectively connected with the first and second internal electrodes, first and second insulating bodies respectively covering the first and second external electrodes, a first counter electrode arranged opposite to the first external electrode via the first insulating body, and a second counter electrode arranged opposite to the second external electrode via the second insulating body. The first (second) counter electrode has a portion which does not face the first (second) external electrode, and the space between this portion and the insulating tube is filled with the first (second) insulating body. A plurality of such cold cathode lamps can be lit by being connected in parallel with a power supply.

Abstract: In a backlight apparatus, laminated optical sheets are housed in a tray such that a wall portion thereof surrounds their circumferences so that the optical sheets receive light from fluorescent lights. Tips of one corner portion A of optical sheets preferably have a shape in which the tips are trimmed by line segments extending between two edges defining the corner portions. At the wall portion of the tray, an opposing surface is formed along the line segments of the corner portions so as to correspond to the shape of the corner portions having tips trimmed off. The opposing surface restrains the line segments.

Abstract: A lighting device for a display device includes a plurality of light sources, a power source arranged to provide drive power for the light sources, a common electrode arranged to supply the drive power to the plurality of light sources, a plurality of holder electrodes arranged to hold the respective light sources and supply the drive power from the common electrode individually to the respective light sources, and a dielectric portion provided between the common electrode and each of the holder electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display of the present invention contains a first panel and a second panel being stacked. Adjacent pairs of polarizers (A to C) disposed on the panels form crossed Nicols. When the first panel produces a display according to a first display signal, the second panel produces a display according to a second display signal obtained from the first display signal. Each of the two joined panels is provided with a light diffusion layer having a light diffusing property. The provision of the light diffusion layers enables reducing moire pattern occurrences which would otherwise markedly increase when two liquid crystal panels are stacked. As a result, the liquid crystal display has high display quality.

Abstract: A backlight device includes a light guide plate opposed to fluorescent tubes, a diffusion sheet stacked on the light guide plate, and lens sheets further stacked on the diffusion sheet. A tip end of a corner portion of the diffusion sheet has a shape defined by removing a portion of the sheet along a straight line spanning between two sides constituting the corner portion. In first of the lens sheets, a tip end portion of a corner portion formed by two sides has a shape defined by removing a portion of the sheet in a larger amount than in the diffusion sheet by a circular arc which projects outward. In a second of the lens sheets, a tip end of a corner portion formed by two sides has a shape defined by removing a larger amount than in the first of the lens sheets along a straight line.

Abstract: A lighting device 12 includes at least one point light source 17, an optical member 15a provided on a light output side of the lighting device 12 from the point light source 17. The optical member 15a is formed of a member having a substantially uniform light reflectance. A first light reflecting portion 31 is formed on a portion of the optical member 15a that overlaps the point light source 17, and the first light reflecting portion 31 reflects light from the point light source 17. A second light reflecting portion 30a, 23 is provided to reflect the light that is reflected by the first light reflecting portion 31 to be directed to the first light reflecting portion 31.

Abstract: In a discharge tube, a conductive ferrule is provided on an end portion of a glass tube. The ferrule includes a body that is to be mounted to the outer circumference of the glass tube and has a contact portion to be electrically conductively fixed to a relay connector (or a bearing device). Further included is a conductive portion that extends from the body so as to have elastic contact with an outer lead. The outer lead will not be under load due to the weight of the discharge tube, but the conductive portion solely has elastic contact therewith. Thus, stress concentration on the outer lead can be prevented.

Abstract: A display device 10 of the present invention includes a relay connector 14 configured to relay power supply from the power board 16 mounted to a chassis 13 to a discharge tube 15. The relay connector 14 includes a holder 20 and a relay terminal 30. The holder has insulation properties and is mounted to the chassis 13. The relay terminal 30 is electrically connected to the power board 16 and the discharge tube 15, and attached to the holder 20. The relay terminal includes a pair of flexible portions 34 that hold the power board therebetween and are electrically connected to the power board 16. The flexible portions 34 are formed such that the longitudinal directions thereof cross the longitudinal direction of the discharge tube 15.

Abstract: A backlight unit 12 for a display device is a lighting device for illuminating a display panel. The backlight unit 12 includes a cold cathode tube 17, an inverter circuit 30a, a voltage measurement circuit 34 and a power-supply control circuit 33. The inverter circuit supplies power to the cold cathode tube 17. The voltage measurement circuit 34 measures a voltage Va applied to the cold cathode tube 17. The power-supply circuit 33 performs power-supply control for shutting off the power supply to the cold cathode tube 17 if the voltage Va measured by the voltage measurement circuit 34 is equal to or lower than a reference voltage Vb.

Abstract: A thin, lightweight illuminating device, in the form of a backlight unit, is capable of securing even brightness and improving light use efficiency. The backlight unit includes a light source including a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on a mounting surface of a board, a diffusion plate which has a light introduction surface that faces the mounting surface of the board at a predetermined distance therefrom and diffuses the light emitted from the plurality of light emitting diodes, and a reflection sheet that is adhered to the mounting surface of the board. A light emission direction of the plurality of light emitting diodes is parallel or substantially parallel to the light introduction surface of the diffusion plate.

Abstract: A display device is capable of efficiently cooling electronic or electrical components disposed therein without installing a cooling element or member on the electronic or electrical components. In the display device, a ceramic or ceramic-containing layer is formed on any one of a surface of a member placed in proximity to the electronic or electrical component, the surface facing at least the electronic or electrical component, a surface of the member placed in proximity to the electronic or electrical component, the surface opposite to the surface facing the electronic or electrical component, a surface of the electronic or electrical component, and a surface of a circuit board, the surface opposite to a surface of the circuit board on which the electronic or electrical component is mounted.

Abstract: A lighting device for a display device includes a plurality of light sources, a power source arranged to provide drive power for the light sources, a common electrode arranged to supply the drive power to the plurality of light sources, a plurality of holder electrodes arranged to hold the respective light sources and supply the drive power from the common electrode individually to the respective light sources, and a dielectric portion provided between the common electrode and each of the holder electrodes.

Abstract: An optical member manufacturing method includes the steps of molding a hardening resin formed on a surface of a translucent sheet into a shape of a convex lens group having a plurality of convex lenses disposed in parallel arrangement, performing exposure of a photosensitive adhesive layer formed on a surface of the translucent sheet through the convex lens group, the side being on a side opposite to a side where the convex lens group has been formed, and forming a light-reflective material on the photosensitive adhesive layer after the exposure step is performed. The molding step molds the shape of the convex lens group with a longitudinal direction of the convex lenses inclined to an edge side direction of the translucent sheet.

Abstract: In a backlight apparatus, laminated optical sheets are housed in a tray such that a wall portion thereof surrounds their circumferences so that the optical sheets receive light from fluorescent lights. Tips of one corner portion A of optical sheets preferably have a shape in which the tips are trimmed by line segments extending between two edges defining the corner portions. At the wall portion of the tray, an opposing surface is formed along the line segments of the corner portions so as to correspond to the shape of the corner portions having tips trimmed off. The opposing surface restrains the line segments.

Abstract: A lamp holding apparatus for mounting a lamp to a base member includes a mounting plate having a pair of locking portions protruding to a base side. The locking portion is inserted into a mounting hole provided at the base and capable of being locked to a peripheral edge on its back side. Abutting portions, which protrude to the base side and are capable of abutting the base at the time of mounting, are provided on a bottom surface of the mounting plate that is an opposing surface to the base. The abutting portions are provided at three spots with one of the locking portions interposed therebetween. At the time of mounting, each of the abutting portions abut the base, and the mounting plate is elastically deformed so as to be warped, whereby the locking surface of the locking portion is kept in the state in which it is locked to a peripheral edge of a back side of the mounting hole by its elastic force.

Abstract: In a backlight module, when relay connectors exposed to a back side of a chassis are engaged with the connector portions of a lighting jig, the power from the power supply source of the lighting jig is supplied to discharge tubes via the connector portions and the relay connectors. Thereby, the discharge tubes can be lighted, even if a power board is not connected to the relay connectors. At the time, the lighting jig is arranged to face the back surface of the chassis, and therefore optical sheets can be mounted to the chassis from the front side.

Abstract: A cold cathode tube lamp is fed with power from a first conductive member and a second conductive member provided outside in a mounted state, and includes a glass tube, first and second internal electrodes provided inside the glass tube, a first external electrode provided outside the glass tube and connected to the first internal electrode, a second external electrode provided outside the glass tube and connected to the second internal electrode, a first insulating layer coated on the first external electrode, and a second insulating layer coated on the second external electrode. In a mounted state, the first conductive member and the first external electrode are capacitively coupled together, and the second conductive member and the second external electrode are capacitively coupled together. With such a structure, parallel lighting can be achieved by parallel driving.

Abstract: A lamp holder includes a mounting portion, a lamp holding part which is connected to the mounting portion, and includes an end capable of surrounding a peripheral surface of a lamp, and is capable of being elastically opened and deformed during attaching and detaching of the lamp. The lamp holder also includes a recessed portion positioned at a surface of the lamp holding part that is opposite to the lamp and located at a position between an end portion and a connecting region of a mounting portion, such that the recessed portion allows the lamp holding part to bend so that the end portion is displaced in a direction away from the peripheral surface of the lamp.

Abstract: An illumination device is provided on a backside of a display panel so as to irradiate a display panel with light, the illumination device including a plurality of rod-like light sources arranged in a planar configuration such that they do not cross each other, and columnar members being respectively provided adjacent to the rod-like light sources, each columnar member including a light incidence plane through which light emitted from a longitudinal direction of the rod-like light sources enters, a first light exit plane arranged to emit the incoming light from the light incidence plane toward the display panel, and a first light reflecting plane arranged to reflect the incoming light from the light incidence plane to the light exit plane. Therefore, with the illumination device applied as a direct backlight, it is possible to reduce luminance unevenness in both a front direction and oblique directions sufficiently, so as to reduce the luminance unevenness of the backlight sufficiently, as a whole.

Abstract: In a backlight apparatus, laminated optical sheets are housed in a tray such that a wall portion thereof surrounds their circumferences so that the optical sheets receive light from fluorescent lights. Tips of one corner portion A of optical sheets preferably have a shape in which the tips are trimmed by line segments extending between two edges defining the corner portions. At the wall portion of the tray, an opposing surface is formed along the line segments of the corner portions so as to correspond to the shape of the corner portions having tips trimmed off. The opposing surface restrains the line segments.