# US 7,407,318 B2 · Spacer and backlight module using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,407,318 B2 - Document ID: US7407318B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/407,595 - Filed: 2006-04-20 - Published: 2007-04-26 - Granted: 2008-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2005-10-21 - Assignees: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shao-Han Chang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7407318B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/133604: {with lamps} - G02F 1/133608: {including particular frames or supporting means} - G02F 1/133606: {including a specially adapted diffusing, scattering or light controlling members} - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract A spacer includes a base, at least a supporting column, and at least a clamp. The base includes at least a bridge-shaped portion and at least a flat portion. The bridge-shaped portion includes a bridge top surface, and two curving sidewalls respectively extend from two ends of the bridge top surface and connect with the flat portion. The supporting column is disposed on the bridge top surface of the base. The clamp is disposed on the flat portion of the base. A backlight module using the same spacers is also provided. The backlight module has a reflective plate having a plurality of projections parallel to linear light sources. The spacers are coupled to the projections and support a diffusing plate. Curving sidewalls of the spacers and the adjacent curving surface of the projections facing the corresponding light sources would give the present spacer and backlight module have good optical uniformity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A spacer comprising: a base having: at least one bridge-shaped portion and at least one flat portion, wherein the bridge-shaped portion includes a bridge top surface, and two curving sidewalls respectively extending downwards from two ends of the bridge top surface, wherein an end of the at least one flat portion connects with an end of one of the two curving sidewalls, and the at least one flat portion is located at a side of the bridge-shaped portion; at least one supporting column disposed on the bridge top surface of the base; and at least one clamp disposed on the at least one flat portion of the base. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The spacer according to claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener member disposed on the flat portion, the fastener and the clamp respectively being disposed at the two sides of the flat portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The spacer according to claim 1, wherein curving surfaces of the curving sidewalls faces the adjacent clamp. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The spacer according to claim 1, further comprising a high reflectivity film deposited on curving surfaces of the curving sidewalls and the upper surface of the flat portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The spacer according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the clamps is selected from a group comprising of a C-shaped structure and a U-shaped structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The spacer according to claim 3, wherein a material of the spacers is selected from a group comprising of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), and other suitable transparent resin materials. ### Claim 7 A backlight module comprising: a frame having a substrate and a plurality of circumferential sidewalls that extends from the substrate to define an opening; a diffusing plate disposed above the opening of the frame; a plurality of linear light sources arranged in the frame under the diffusing plate; a reflective plate disposed on the substrate of the frame, wherein the reflective plate defines a plurality of projections extending out towards the diffusing plate, and a plurality of curving surfaces are defined by the projections of the reflective plate, each curving surface facing the adjacent light source; and at least one spacer disposed between the diffusing plate and the reflective plate, each spacer including: a base having at least one bridge-shaped portion mated with the curving surfaces of the projections and at least one flat portion, wherein the bridge-shaped portion includes a bridge top surface, and two curving sidewalls respectively extending from two ends of the bridge top surface and connecting with the flat portion; at least one supporting column disposed on the bridge top surface for supporting the diffusing plate; and at least one clamp disposed on the at least one flat portion for fixing the linear light source. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of side reflective plates extending from the reflective plate and connecting with the sidewalls of the frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, wherein the spacer may further includes a plurality of fasteners disposed on one surface facing the reflective plate of the flat portions, and the frame and reflective plate respectively defines a plurality of corresponding holes therein for receiving the fasteners. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, wherein the spacer may further includes a plurality of columns disposed on one surface of the flat portions facing the reflective plate, and the frame and reflective plate respectively define a plurality of corresponding holes therein for receiving the columns that are fixed to the frame by a plurality of screws outside of the frame. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, wherein each spacer is attached to the reflecting plate by using a bond or a double-coated adhesive tape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, wherein a distance between two adjacent projections of the reflective plate is larger than a length of each flat portion of the base of the spacer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, wherein curving surfaces of the curving sidewalls face the adjacent clamp. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, further comprising a high reflectivity film deposited on curving surfaces of the curving sidewalls and the upper surface of the flat portions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, wherein a shape of the clamps is selected from a group comprising of a C-shaped structure, and a U-shaped structure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, wherein the light source is selected from the group comprising light emitting diodes and cold cathode fluorescent lamps. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The backlight module according to claim 7, further comprising a number of optical corrective films stacked on the diffusing plate, the optical corrective films being one of a prism sheet or a polarized sheet.