Abstract: A ferrule includes a body having a cylindrical shape. Elastic gripping portions are arranged on the body so as to bulge radially inwardly. The elastic gripping portions can have elastic contact with the outer circumferential surface of a glass tube. The body of the ferrule is mounted to the glass tube via the elastic gripping portions capable of elastic and radial deformation. Thereby, the variations in outer diameter of the glass tube can be absorbed, and therefore the dimensional control with high precision is not required for glass tubes at the time of manufacturing. This leads to cost reduction.

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: A power board includes an on-board connector having an output terminal that is surrounded by a housing made of synthetic resin. The output terminal is arranged in an area of the housing that is farther from the edge portion of a circuit board so that sectional arrangement is provided. The output terminal is thus surrounded by the synthetic-resin housing, and thereby a leak at the output terminal can be prevented. Further, the output terminal is arranged in the limited area of the housing farther from the edge portion of the circuit board, resulting in a long distance maintained between the output terminal and the edge portion of the circuit board, which can effectively prevent the leak.

Abstract: Relay connectors are arranged to supply power from power boards arranged on the back side of a chassis having a substantially plate-shaped configuration to discharge tubes arranged on the front side of the chassis. Each relay connector includes a holder having an insulation property and to be mounted to the chassis, and further includes a relay terminal mounted to the holder and capable of electrical connection to the discharge tube and the power board. The relay terminal is immune to direct contact with the chassis. This enables the use of a metallic chassis.

Abstract: Relay connectors are arranged to supply power from power boards arranged on the back side of a chassis having a substantially plate-shaped configuration to discharge tubes arranged on the front side of the chassis. Each relay connector includes a holder having an insulation property and to be mounted to the chassis, and further includes a relay terminal mounted to the holder and capable of electrical connection to the discharge tube and the power board. The relay terminal is immune to direct contact with the chassis. This enables the use of a metallic chassis.

Abstract: A lighting device of the present invention includes a light source 17, a power source 170 configured to supply driving power to the light source 17, and a relay member 150 configured to electrically connect the light source 17 and the power source 170. The light source 17 includes an outer lead 42 for receiving the driving power. The relay member 150 includes a relay body 152 having a void 158 in which the outer lead 42 is placed and the relay body 152 is formed of conductive rubber. The outer lead 42 is placed in the void 158 of the relay body 152 with elastic contact thereof and an inner surface of the void 158.

Abstract: A lighting device 12 of the present invention includes a light source 17, a chassis 14 housing the light source 17 and having an opening 14b for light from the light source 17 to pass through, and an optical member 15a provided so as to face the light source 17 and cover the opening 14b. The optical member 15a is formed of a member having a substantially uniform light reflectance, and has a first surface 30a facing the light source 17 and a second surface 30b opposite from the first surface 30a. A light reflecting portion 31 is formed on a portion of the second surface 30b that overlaps the light source 17. The light reflecting portion 31 reflects light from the first surface 30a. A light scattering portion 32 is formed on a portion of the optical member 15a that does not overlap the light source 17. The light scattering portion 32 scatters the light.

Abstract: A display device 10 of the present invention includes a display panel 10, a fluorescent lamp 17, a brightness controller 40 and a temperature sensor TS. The display panel 10 has a grayscale display function. The fluorescent lamp 17 emits light toward the display panel 10. The brightness controller 40 controls display brightness by adjusting the grayscale of the display panel 10 and the light emission of the fluorescent lamp 17. The temperature sensor TS measures a temperature of the display device 10. The brightness controller 40 selects a way of the brightness control from the display panel 10 grayscale adjustment, the fluorescent lamp 17 emission adjustment and a combination of both based on the temperature of the display device 10 measured by the temperature sensor TS.

Abstract: A backlight device includes a hot cathode fluorescent tube having a pair of electrodes, a power source arranged to apply voltage having an alternating component to at least one of the pair of electrodes, and an electrode heating circuit arranged to supply heating current to the electrodes. The backlight device further includes temperature sensors that detect the temperatures in the electrodes to be supplied with the heating current. Based on the results detected by the temperature sensors, a switch element is driven by the control section. The heating current is thus controlled. With this, the temperatures in the electrodes of the electrical discharge tube can be more accurately grasped, and the temperatures in the electrodes of the discharge tube can be more properly controlled.

Abstract: An optical member 15 includes a planar light transmissive sheet 22 and a number of convex microlenses 23 provided in random settings within a surface of the light transmissive sheet 22. By providing a number of the convex microlenses 23 within the surface of the light transmissive sheet 22, moire patterns are less likely to be created even when the optical member 15 is overlaid on a liquid crystal panel 11 having pixels PE that are regularly arranged.

Abstract: A lighting device of the present invention includes a light source 17, a power source 170 configured to supply driving power to the light source, and a relay terminal 152 configured to electrically connect the light source 17 and the power source 170. The light source 17 includes an electrical terminal 136 configured to receive the supplied driving power. The relay terminal 152 includes a placing surface 153a on which the electrical terminal 136 is placed, and the driving power can be supplied to the light source 17 via the placing surface 153a on which the electrical terminal 136 is placed. The urging member 19 is provided independently from the relay terminal 152 so as to urge the light source 17 toward the placing surface 153a of the relay terminal 152.

Abstract: A lighting device 12 of the present invention includes a light source 17, a chassis 14 configured to house the light source 17 and having an opening 14b for light from the light source 17 to pass through, and an optical member 15a provided so as to face the light source 17 and cover the opening 14b. The chassis 14 has a surface facing the optical member 15a. The surface includes at least a first end portion 30A, a second end portion 30B, and a middle portion 30C located between the first end portion 30A and the second end portion 30B. One or two of the first end portion 30A, the second end portion 30B and the middle portion 30C are configured as light source installation areas LA in each of which the light source 17 is arranged, and the rest is configured as an empty area LN in which no light source 17 is arranged.

Abstract: A fluorescent tube in which no luminance gradient in the longitudinal direction occurs even when a one-side high-voltage driving method is used, a method of driving the fluorescent tube, an illuminating device for display device, and a display device having the illuminating device are provided. The fluorescent tube for one-side high-voltage driving is arranged behind a display panel via optical sheets. An internal diameter of the fluorescent tube is arranged to become larger gradually toward an electrode part at a high-voltage driving side, which prevents the occurrence of the luminance gradient in the longitudinal direction when a one-side high-voltage driving method is used.

Abstract: A light source device includes a shade that is capable of reflecting light from both of its front and back surfaces and is wider than a hot-cathode tube. The shade is disposed between the hot-cathode tube and the optical member so as to maintain a certain distance from the optical member. Light radiated from the hot-cathode tube to the optical member side is reflected by the shade, and thereby prevented from directly illuminating the optical member. Further, the shade functions as a pseudo light source wider than the hot-cathode tube due to the reflectivity of the optical member side surface of the shade, and thereby formation of lamp images can be suppressed.

Abstract: A chassis assembly comprises a chassis 14 and lamp clips 18. The chassis 14 has mounting holes 33 to 35. Each lamp clip 18 includes a main body 27 to be mounted to the chassis 14, a lamp gripping portions 28 provided on the main body 27 so as to grip cold cathode tubes 17, and mounting portions 30 to 32 protruding from the main body 27 toward the chassis 14 side. The mounting portions 30 to 32 are to be inserted in the respective mounting holes 33 to 25. Rims of the mounting holes 33 to 35 are sandwiched between the main body 27 and the respective mounting portions 30 to 32. Three mounting portions 30 to 32 and three mounting holes 33 to 35 are provided in relative positions so as to restrict mounting of the lamp clip 18 to the chassis 14 in an orientation other than a predefined orientation.

Abstract: A mercury light source tube such that a detrimental effect on its lifetime caused by gathering of mercury at peripheral portions of electrodes can be prevented or controlled, a light source device, and a display device. The mercury light source tube has a tube body in which mercury is sealed, electrodes provided to the tube body, and projections provided on an outer surface of the tube body to be integral with the tube body. The projections are placed between the electrodes or in positions at a distance from the electrodes toward the tube body center. The projections locally increase the surface area of the tube body so as to easily radiate heat to the outside, and locally decrease temperatures of the positions where the projections are placed and their peripheral portions so that mercury gathers at the low temperature portions.

Abstract: A chassis assembly comprises a chassis 14 and lamp clips 18. The chassis 14 has mounting holes 33 to 35. Each lamp clip 18 includes a main body 27 to be mounted to the chassis 14, a lamp gripping portions 28 provided on the main body 27 so as to grip cold cathode tubes 17, and mounting portions 30 to 32 protruding from the main body 27 toward the chassis 14 side. The mounting portions 30 to 32 are to be inserted in the respective mounting holes 33 to 25. Rims of the mounting holes 33 to 35 are sandwiched between the main body 27 and the respective mounting portions 30 to 32. Three mounting portions 30 to 32 and three mounting holes 33 to 35 are provided in relative positions so as to restrict mounting of the lamp clip 18 to the chassis 14 in an orientation other than a predefined orientation.

Abstract: A relay connector 145 of the present invention is provided for supplying power from a power source (a power supply board) arranged on a rear surface side of a chassis 13 to a discharge tube 15 arranged on a front surface side of the chassis 13. It includes a holder 20 having insulation properties and mounted to the chassis 13, and a relay terminal mounted to the holder 20 and electrically connectable to a discharge tube 15 and the power source 16. A space 149 is provided between the chassis 13 and the power source 16. The holder 20 includes a protective wall portion 146 provided in the space 149 between the chassis 13 and the power source 16 and configured to cover the relay terminal from outside.

Abstract: A ferrule includes a body having a cylindrical shape. Elastic gripping portions are arranged on the body so as to bulge radially inwardly. The elastic gripping portions can have elastic contact with the outer circumferential surface of a glass tube. The body of the ferrule is mounted to the glass tube via the elastic gripping portions capable of elastic and radial deformation. Thereby, the variations in outer diameter of the glass tube can be absorbed, and therefore the dimensional control with high precision is not required for glass tubes at the time of manufacturing. This leads to cost reduction.

Abstract: A light source unit for use in, for example, a backlight for illuminating a display panel of a liquid crystal display apparatus, includes a cold-cathode tube having discharge electrodes provided one in each end portion of a glass tube whose interior is filled with a discharge gas. A coil as an inductance element is connected to at least one of the discharge electrodes of the cold-cathode tube so as to eliminate the difficulty in handling a cold-cathode tube caused by its having a negative characteristic such that, as the current flowing therethrough increases, the resistance across it decreases, causing the cold cathode-tube to succumb to current runaway.