# US 7,745,998 B2 · Lighting unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,745,998 B2 - Document ID: US7745998B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/684,195 - Filed: 2007-03-09 - Published: 2007-10-04 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2006-04-04 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Kenji Teramoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745998B2 ## CPC - G02B 6/0085: {Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A lighting unit of the present invention comprises a light guide board, a fluorescent discharge tube provided on a side surface of the light guide board, having an electrode portion at its end portion, a lead wire having a contact connected to the electrode portion of the fluorescent discharge tube, and a holder having a cavity therein and containing the end portion of the fluorescent discharge tube and the contact of the lead wire inside the cavity. The diameter of the cavity is larger than that of the fluorescent discharge tube. With this construction, the lighting unit can suppress heat dissipation at the end portion of the fluorescent discharge tube as compared with the background art and as a result, can suppress degradation in luminance of the fluorescent discharge tube due to long term use. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lighting unit comprising: a light guide board; a fluorescent discharge tube provided on a side surface of said light guide board, said fluorescent discharge tube including an electrode portion at an end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube; a lead wire including a contact connected to said electrode portion of said fluorescent discharge tube; and a holder forming a cavity around an entire circumference of said end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube, said cavity forming an air layer between said end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube and an inner wall of said holder, said cavity containing said end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube and said contact of said lead wire inside said cavity, wherein an inner diameter of said cavity of said holder is larger than an outer diameter of said fluorescent discharge tube, and said end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube is set inside said cavity so that said entire circumference of said end portion is loosely fitted within said cavity, to thereby form said air layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said holder supports said fluorescent discharge tube at a predetermined arrangement position on said side surface of said light guide board. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said electrode portion comprises: an electrode inside said fluorescent discharge tube; and a sealing wire drawn out from said electrode to an outside of said fluorescent discharge tube, and wherein both said electrode and said sealing wire are contained in said cavity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said holder is divided into a plurality of sidewall bodies which form said cavity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said holder comprises a first interlocking portion including a hole, and a second interlocking portion including a projection which is configured to engage said hole of said first interlocking portion of the holder, said first and second interlocking portions configured to be interlockingly engaged and thereby forming said cavity of said holder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lighting unit according to claim 1, the lighting unit further comprising: a reflector configured to reflect light from said fluorescent discharge tube onto said light guide board, said holder being configured to be removably engaged with said reflector. ### Claim 7 A lighting unit comprising: a light guide board; a fluorescent discharge tube provided on a side surface of said light guide board, said fluorescent discharge tube including an electrode portion at an end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube; a lead wire including a contact connected to said electrode portion of said fluorescent discharge tube; and a holder including a cavity, said cavity containing said end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube, a space between said end portion and said holder, and said contact of said lead wire inside said cavity, wherein an inner diameter of said cavity of said holder is larger than an outer diameter of said fluorescent discharge tube, and said cavity is sealed inside said holder. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The lighting unit according to claim 7, wherein said holder supports said fluorescent discharge tube at a predetermined arrangement position on said side surface of said light guide board. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The lighting unit according to claim 7, wherein said electrode portion comprises: an electrode inside said fluorescent discharge tube; and a sealing wire drawn out from said electrode to an outside of said fluorescent discharge tube, and wherein both said electrode and said sealing wire are contained in said cavity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The lighting unit according to claim 7, wherein said holder is divided into a plurality of sidewall bodies which form said cavity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The lighting unit according to claim 7, wherein said holder comprises a first interlocking portion including a hole, and a second interlocking portion including a projection which is configured to engage said hole of said first interlocking portion of the holder, said first and second interlocking portions configured to be interlockingly engaged and thereby forming said cavity of said holder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The lighting unit according to claim 7, the lighting unit further comprising: a reflector configured to reflect light from said fluorescent discharge tube onto said light guide board, said holder being configured to be removably engaged with said reflector. ### Claim 13 A lighting unit comprising: a light guide board; a fluorescent discharge tube provided on a side surface of said light guide board, said fluorescent discharge tube including an electrode portion at an end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube; a lead wire including a contact connected to said electrode portion of said fluorescent discharge tube; a holder including a cavity, said cavity containing said end portion of said fluorescent discharge tube, a space between said end portion and said holder, and said contact of said lead wire inside said cavity, and said holder comprising an inlet port for said fluorescent discharge tube leading to said cavity; and an elastic body provided between said fluorescent discharge tube and said holder so as to be in contact with said fluorescent discharge tube at said inlet port, wherein an inner diameter of said cavity of said holder is larger than an outer diameter of said fluorescent discharge tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The lighting unit according to claim 13, wherein said holder supports said fluorescent discharge tube at a predetermined arrangement position on said side surface of said light guide board. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The lighting unit according to claim 13, wherein said electrode portion comprises: an electrode inside said fluorescent discharge tube; and a sealing wire drawn out from said electrode to an outside of said fluorescent discharge tube, and wherein both said electrode and said sealing wire are contained in said cavity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The lighting unit according to claim 13, wherein said holder is divided into a plurality of sidewall bodies which form said cavity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The lighting unit according to claim 13, wherein said holder comprises a first interlocking portion including a hole, and a second interlocking portion including a projection which is configured to engage said hole of said first interlocking portion of the holder, said first and second interlocking portions configured to be interlockingly engaged and thereby forming said cavity of said holder. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The lighting unit according to claim 13, the lighting unit further comprising: a reflector configured to reflect light from said fluorescent discharge tube onto said light guide board, said holder being configured to be removably engaged with said reflector. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The lighting unit according to claim 13, wherein said elastic body includes an elastic o-ring. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The lighting unit according to claim 13, wherein said elastic body is provided between said fluorescent discharge tube and said holder along a groove of an internal circumference of said inlet port.