WO2005004187A1

WO2005004187A1 - Flat type fluorescent lamp

Info

Publication number: WO2005004187A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/001664
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kye-Seung Lee
Original assignee: Kye-Seung Lee
Priority date: 2003-07-08
Filing date: 2004-07-07
Publication date: 2005-01-13

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flat type fluorescent lamp that can enhance light emission efficiency and a uniform brightness by eliminating a non-emission region that has been generated by spacers. A flat type fluorescent lamp includes a lamp body having front and rear panels and a side seal member to define a discharge space and a plurality of spacer units disposed between the front and rear panels to defined a discharge path, each of the spacer units formed having stacked three layers.

Description

FLAT TYPE FLUORESCENT LAMP

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a flat type fluorescent lamp, and more particularly, to a flat type fluorescent lamp that can enhance light emission efficiency and a uniform brightness by eliminating a non-emission region that has been generated by spacers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A flat type fluorescent lamp has been widely used as a backlight of a flat display device or lighting devices, being increasingly applied to a variety of applications. FIG. 1 shows a conventional flat type fluorescent lamp. As shown in the drawing, a conventional flat type fluorescent lamp includes two flat glass substrates 1 , side-sealing member 3 coupling the glass su bstrates to each other, and a plurality of spacers 5 disposed between the glass substrates 1 to uniformly maintain a gap between them and define a discharge path. A phosphor layer (not shown) is deposited on an inner surface of a lamp body and d ischarge electrodes

7 are formed on both ends of the side-sealing member. One end of the spacers 5 is designed to be less than a width of the lamp body. That is, the spacers and the side-sealing member define a plurality of alternate gaps, thereby defining a zigzag-shaped d ischarge path . When voltage is applied to the discharge electrodes 7 formed on the both ends of the fluorescent lamp, discharge is realized on the discharge path , thereby exciting the phosphor layer to function as a planar light source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FI G. 1 is a plane sectional view of a conventional flat type fluorescent lamp; FIG . 2 is an exploded perspective view of a flat type fluorescent lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention; FI G . 3 is a sectional view of FIG . 2; FI G. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a flat type fluorescent lamp accord ing to another embodiment of the present invention ; FIG . 5 is a sectional view of FIG . 4; FIGS. 6 th rough 9 are sectional and plane views of a spacer unit of a fluorescent lamp according to another embodiments of the present invention; FIG . 1 0 is an exploded perspective view of a spacer unit of a fluorescent lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention ; and FI GS . 1 1 and 12 are respective sectional and plane views of FI G.

1 0. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL OBJECT Although the above-described conventional flat type fluorescent lamp can real ize the planar light source, it cannot provide uniform light emission and brightness throughout an entire surface. For example, since spacers are designed in a flat type having a predetermined width , a non-emission region is generated as large as the width of the spacers. Therefore, the width of the spacers should be reduced as thin as possible. However, there is limitation in reducing the width of the spacers. Accordingly, in the conventional flat type fluorescent lamp, the brightness at the region where the spacers are installed is remarkably deteriorated while the brightness of other regions is increased . As a result, the uniformity of the brightness is deteriorated , thereby degrad ing the overall light emission efficiency. Therefore, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-described problems. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a flat type fluorescent lamp that eliminate a non-emission region and enhance light emission efficiency by improving spacer structure, and improve the uniformity of the light emission by modifying a d ischarge path. TECHNICAL SOLUTION To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a flat type fluorescent lamp comprising a lamp body having front and rear panels and a side seal member to define an inner discharge space; and a plurality of spacer units disposed between the front and rear panels to define a discharge path, each of the spacer u nits formed having stacked three layers. Preferably, discharge electrodes are disposed on the side seal member or an outside of the side seal member. More than one discharge electrodes are installed on both ends of the zigzag-shaped discharge path . A first group of the spacer units is formed extending from a first side of the side seal member toward an opposite second side of the side seal member, a gap being defined between each spacer of the first grou p and the second side of the side seal member, and a second group of the spacer units is formed extend ing from the second side of the side seal member toward the first side of the side seal member and d isposed alternately with the first grou p of the spacer units, a gap being defined between each spacer of the second group and the first side of the side seal member, thereby defining a zigzag-shaped d ischarge path . Alternatively, the spacer units are formed extending from a first side of the side seal member up to an opposite second side of the side seal member or formed having opposite ends spaced away from the side seal member at a predetermined gap. Each of the spacer units may comprises two lines of base layers formed on the rear panel, an intermediate transparent layer formed on the base layers and a top transparent layer formed between the intermediate layer and the front panel. Alternatively, each of the spacer units comprises two lines of base layers formed on the rear panel, a top transparent layer formed on the front panel and two lines of intermediate transparent layers formed between the respective base layers and the top transparent layer at a predetermined inclined angle. Alternatively, each of the spacer units may comprise two lines of base layers formed on the rear panel , an intermediate transparent layer formed on the base layers and two lines of top transparent layers formed between the intermediate layers and the front panel . At this point, the front panel may be formed having a plu rality of sections to seal spaces between the spacer units and spaces between the side seal member and the spacer units, and the intermed iate transparent layer extends up to the side seal member to define an inner discharge space. Preferably, at least one line of the base layer is provided with discharge openings to enable smooth discharge. One end of the spacer units defining the discharge path may be blocked. The blocked end of the spacer units may be further provided with a projection . Preferably, the base layer is formed of a glass adhesive. The intermediate transparent layer is formed of a glass panel, and the top transparent layer is formed of a transparent glass adhesive. Alternatively, the base layer may comprise a first glass adhesive formed on the rear panel, a glass panel disposed on the first glass adhesive and a second glass adhesive formed between the glass panel and the intermediate transparent layer. The top transparent layer may comprise a first transparent glass adhesive formed on the intermediate transparent layer, a transparent glass panel disposed on the first transparent glass adhesive and a second transparent glass adhesive formed between the transparent glass panel and the front panel. The side seal member may be formed in an identical stacking structure to that of the spacer units.

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION A flat type fluorescent lamp of the present invention uses a stacked type spacer units to improve light emission efficiency by converting a non-emission region, which has been generated by the spacers in the prior art, into an emission region. I n addition , a discharge path can be formed in a variety of type such as a zigzag type, a linear type or main and sub-discharge type, thereby providing uniform brightness. Accord ingly, the present invention can provide a flat type fluorescent lamp that can realize a planar light source improving light emission efficiency.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE PRESENT INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. FIGS . 2 and 3 show an entire assembly structure and an inner sectional structure of a flat type fluorescent lamp accord ing to an embod iment of the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the inventive flat type fluorescent lamp is for realizing a planar light source such as a backlight of a flat display device or lighting devices, having a rectangular parallelepiped lamp body. The lamp body includes a transparent front panel 1 1 , a rear panel 13 and a side seal member 1 5 attaching the front and rear panels 1 1 and 13 to each other. The rear panel 13 and the side seal member 15 may be formed of transparent or semitransparent material . As a feature of the present invention, spacer units 17 are disposed between the front and rear panels 1 1 and 13. The spacer u nits 1 7 are not formed of a barrier type, such as a bar or plate, but formed of at least three layers stacked one another to define a discharge path T. A first group of the spacer units 17 is formed extending from a first side of the side seal member 15 to an opposite second side of the side seal member 1 5. A second group of the spacer u nits 1 7 is formed extending from the second side of the side seal member 1 5 to the first side of the side seal member 15. There are predetermined gaps between the spacer units 17 and the first and second sides of the side seal member 1 5 to define a discharge path. Meanwhile, the spacers of the first group are alternately disposed with the spacers of the second group, thereby defining the discharge path in a zigzag shape. Each of the spacer units 17 includes two lines of base layers 1 9a and 1 9b formed on the rear panel 13, an intermediate transparent layer 21 formed on the base layers 19a and 19b, and a top transparent layer 23 formed between the intermediate transparent layer 21 and a rear surface of the front panel 1 1 . The base layers 19a and 19b may be formed of nontransparent or transparent glass material, at least one line of which is formed of a plurality of sections that are spaced away from each other to define a plurality of discharge openings 19c therebetween, thereby allowing the discharge to be effectively realized through the side of the discharge path T. The intermediate transparent layer 21 of the spacer units 17 may be formed of a horizontal transparent glass panel disposed on the base layers 1 9a and 19b to define the discharge path T. The top transparent layer 23 may be formed of transparent glass adhesive. A phosphor layer 24 is formed on a surface of the spacer units 1 7 and an inner surface of the lamp body. Discharge electrodes (not shown) are installed on the side seal member 1 5 or an outside of the side seal member 1 5. The discharge electrodes are formed of cold cathode or a thermal cathode, which can be driven by an outer electrode driving method . More than one discharge electrodes are installed on both ends of the zigzag-shaped discharge path. The side seal member 15 may be formed of glass strip after the spacer u nits 17 are formed . Alternatively, in order to improve the productivity, the side seal member 1 5 may be simultaneously formed with the spacer units 1 7 in a three-layer structure. At this point, the side seal member 1 5 is formed of material identical to that of the spacer u nits 1 7. As described above, the flat type fluorescent lamp of the present invention can completely eliminate the non-emission region wh ich has been formed by the spacers in the prior art. That is, in the spacer units 1 7 of the present invention, the non-emission region covered by the base layers 19a and 19b is converted into the emission region by emission of the phosphor layer 24 deposited on the front surface of the intermediate transparent layer 21 . Likewise, the non-emission region covered by the top transparent layer 23 is also converted into the emission region by emission of the phosphor layer 24 deposited on the rear su rface of the intermediate transparent layer 21 . I n addition, since the intermediate and top transparent layers 21 and 23 are formed of transparent material, the brightness is not deteriorated , realizing uniform light emission efficiency. FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the flat type fluorescent lamp of this embodiment is formed in an identical structure to that of the aforementioned embodiments, including front and rear panels 1 1 and 13, a side seal member 15, spacer units 17, a phosphor layer 24, and discharge electrodes. However, in this embodiment, a discharge path T defined by the three-layer spacer units 17 between the front and rear panels 1 1 and 13 is formed in a linear shape. That is, the spacer units 1 7 are formed extending from the first side of the side seal member 15 up to the opposite second side of the side seal member 1 5, thereby defining a linear discharge path . At this point, more than one discharge electrodes are formed on the side seal member 15 to correspond to opposite ends of the discharge path . Alternatively, the spacer units 17 may be disposed such that opposite ends of the spacer units 1 7 can be spaced away from the side seal member 1 5. Each of the spacer units 17 includes two lines of base layers 19a and 19b formed on the rear panel 13, a top transparent layer 23 formed on the front panel 1 1 and two lines of intermediate transparent layers 21 formed between the respective base layers 1 9a and 19b and the top transparent layer 23 at a predetermined inclined angle. The base layers 19a and 19b may be formed of nontransparent or transparent glass material, at least one line of which is formed of a plurality of sections that are spaced away from each other to define a plurality of discharge openings 19c. The intermed iate transparent layers 21 are disposed on the respective base layers 19a and 19b, extending to the top transparent layer 23, thereby defining the discharge path T. The top transparent layer 23 may be formed of transparent glass material. FIG . 6 shows another example of an arrangement of the spacer units accord ing to the present invention. I n this example, a spacer units 17 includes two lines of base layers 1 9a and 1 9b formed on the rear panel 13, an intermediate transparent layer 21 formed on the base layers 19a and 19b and a top transparent layer 23 formed on the intermediate transparent layer 21 . An adjacent spacer units 17 includes an one line of base layer 1 9 formed on the rear panel 13, an intermediate transparent layer 21 formed on the base layer 19 and two lines of top transparent layers 23a and 23b formed on the intermediate transparent layer 21 . FIG. 7 shows an example for more effectively controlling the discharge path. One end of the d ischarge path T defined by the spacer units 1 7 is blocked to block the linear discharge path but define a round-shaped main discharge path 25a formed around the spacer u nits 1 7. I n add ition , a sub-d ischarge path 25b is formed into the d ischarge path T through the discharge openings 19c. Accord ingly, it can be avoided that the discharge is concentrated in the narrow d ischarge path T, thereby realizing the uniform discharge through an entire surface of the lamp. FIG . 8 shows a spacer units 1 7 having one end blocked but provided with a projection 27. The projection 27 forms a more remote main discharge path 25a and the discharge is realized at a location remote from the surface of the spacer units 17. Such a remote discharge prevents the spacer units 17 from quickly deteriorated , thereby prolonging the service life of the fluorescent lamp. FIG . 9 shows another example of a spacer unit 17 according to the present invention. The spacer units 1 7 include base layers 1 9a and 1 9b, an intermediate transparent layer 21 and a top transparent layer 23. Accord ing to a feature of this example, the base layers 19a and 1 9b are formed in three layers and the top transparent layer 23 is also formed in three layers. For example, each of the base layers 19a and 1 9b includes a first glass adhesive layer 191 disposed on the rear panel 13, a glass panel 193 disposed on the glass adhesive layer 191 and a second glass adhesive layer 195 disposed between the glass panel 1 93 and the intermediate transparent layer 21 . The top transparent layer 23 includes a first transparent glass adhesive layer 197 formed on the intermediate transparent layer 21 , a transparent glass panel 199 disposed on the first transparent glass adhesive layer 197 and a second transparent glass ad hesive layer 201 disposed between the transparent glass panel 199 and the front panel 1 1 . FIGS. 10 through 12 show another embodiment of the present invention . As shown in the d rawings, the flat type fluorescent lamp of this embodiment is formed in an identical structure to that of the aforementioned embodiments, including front and rear panels 1 1 and

13, a side seal member 15, spacer units 17, a phosphor layer 24, and discharge electrodes. In this embodiment, the spacer units 17 include two lines of base layers 1 9a and 1 9b disposed on the rear panel 13, an intermediate transparent layer 21 disposed on the base layers 19a and 19b and two lines of top transparent layers 23a and 23b disposed on the intermed iate transparent layer 21 . The front panel 1 1 is divided into a plurality of sections. That is, one front panel 1 1 covers the top transparent layer 23a and the side seal member 15 to define a discharge space therein . And, another front panel 1 1 covers the top transparent layer 23b, the side seal member 15 and an adjacent top transparent layer 23a to define another discharge space, The intermediate transparent layer 21 of the spacer units 1 7 extends up to the side seal member 15 to define the discharge path T between the front and rear panels 1 1 and 13. The base layers 19a and 19b of a first group of the spacer units 17 are formed extending from a first side of the side seal member 1 5 toward an opposite second side of the side seal member 1 5, a gap being defined between each spacer of the first group and the second side of the side seal member 15, and the base layers 1 9a and 19b of a second group of the spacer units 17 are disposed alternately with the first group of the spacer units 1 7 and formed extending from the second side of the side seal member 15 toward the first side of the side seal member 15, a gap being defined between each spacer of the second group and the first side of the side seal member 1 5. Preferably, the base layers 19a and 19b are formed of nontransparent or transparent glass material . Particularly, at least one base layer 1 9b may be formed in a plurality of sections spaced away from each other to define a plurality of discharge openings 19c therebetween . FIG. 12 shows an example for more effectively controlling the d ischarge path. One end of the discharge path T defined by the spacer u nits 1 7 is blocked to block the linear discharge path but define a rou nd-shaped main d ischarge path 25a formed around the spacer units 1 7. I n addition , a su b-discharge path 25b is formed into the discharge path T through the discharge openings 19c. Accord ingly, it can be avoided that the discharge is concentrated in the narrow d ischarge path T, thereby realizing the uniform discharge through an entire surface of the lamp.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1 . A flat type fluorescent lamp comprising: a lamp body having front and rear panels and a side seal member; and a plurality of spacer units disposed between the front and rear panels to define a discharge path , each of the spacer units formed having stacked three layers.

2. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 1 , wherein a first group of the spacer units is formed extending from a first side of the side seal member toward an opposite second side of the side seal member, a gap being defined between each spacer of the first group and the second side of the side seal member, and a second group of the spacer units is formed extending from the second side of the side seal member toward the first side of the side seal member and disposed alternately with the first group of the spacer units, a gap being defined between each spacer of the second group and the first side of the side seal member, thereby defining a zigzag-shaped discharge path .

3. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 1 , wherein the spacer units are formed extending from a first side of the side seal member up to an opposite second side of the side seal member or formed having opposite ends spaced away from the side seal member at a predetermined gap.

4. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 1 , wherein each of the spacer units comprises two lines of base layers formed on the rear panel, an intermediate transparent layer formed on the base layers and a top transparent layer formed between the intermediate layer and the front panel .

5. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 1 , each of the spacer units comprises two lines of base layers formed on the rear panel, a top transparent layer formed on the front panel and two lines of intermediate transparent layers formed between the respective base layers and the top transparent layer at a predetermined inclined angle.

6. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 1 , wherein each of the spacer units comprises two lines of base layers formed on the rear panel, an intermediate transparent layer formed on the base layers and two lines of top transparent layers formed between the intermediate layers and the front panel.

7. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 6, the front panel is formed having a plurality of sections to seal spaces between the spacer units and spaces between the side seal member and the spacer units and the intermediate transparent layer extends up to the side seal member to define an inner discharge space.

8. The flat type fluorescent lamp of any one of claims 4 through 6, wherein at least one line of the base layer is provided with discharge openings.

9. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 8, wherein one end of the spacer u nits defining the discharge path is blocked .

10. The flat type fluorescent lamp of claim 9, wherein the blocked end of the spacer units is further provided with a projection .

1 1 . The flat type fluorescent lamp of any one of claims 4 through 6, wherein the base layer is formed of a glass adhesive.

12. The flat type fluorescent lamp of any one of claims 4 through 6, wherein the intermediate transparent layer is formed of a glass panel .

13. The flat type fluorescent lamp of any one of claims 4 through 6, wherein the top transparent layer is formed of a transparent glass adhesive.

14. The flat type fluorescent lamp of any one of claims 4 through 6, wherein the base layer comprises a first glass adhesive formed on the rear panel, a glass panel disposed on the first glass adhesive and a second glass adhesive formed between the glass panel and the intermediate transparent layer.

15. The flat type fluorescent lamp of any one of claims 4 through 6, wherein the top transparent layer comprises a first transparent glass adhesive formed on intermediate transparent layer, a transparent glass panel disposed on the first transparent glass adhesive and a second transparent glass adhesive formed between the transparent glass panel and the front panel.

16. The flat type fluorescent lamp of any one of claims 1 , 4, 5 and 6, the side seal member is formed in an identical stacking structure to that of the spacer units.