Backlighting assembly for use in slim flat panel display and display device having same

A display device comprising:

• a display panel that is configured to display an image using externally supplied light;
• and
• a backlight assembly disposed under the display panel to provide the display panel with the externally supplied light, the backlight assembly including:
• a plurality of lamps each having an elongated rod shape that is extended in a first direction, where the lamps are distributively arranged along a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, where the lamps each have a respective major axis extending centrally through its rod shape, the plurality of major axes of the lamps being disposed in a shared plane, the major axes being distributively arranged equidistant from each other along the second direction;
• a diffusion member having an uppermost surface and a lowest surface both disposed parallel to the shared plane of the major axes of the lamps and having at least two optical plates, each of the optical plates including a plurality of optical patterns on a surface opposite to the lamps, and the optical patterns being extended in the first direction and aligned along the second direction;
• optical sheets disposed over the diffusion member to improve optical characteristics;
• and
• a receiving container including a bottom plate and a sidewall formed on an edge of the bottom plate to receive the lamps, the diffusion member and the optical sheets,
• wherein a first distance (L) between the major axes of adjacent ones of the equidistant lamps is greater than a second distance (D2) between the major axes of the lamps and the lowest surface of the diffusion member so that L is more than two times D2 but not greater than about four times D2,
• wherein each of the optical patterns has an elliptical arch shape as its cross-section, the elliptical arch shape being defined as a sliced section hypothetically formed by slicing a hypothetical ellipse with a hypothetical line extending parallel to a minor radius (B) of the hypothetical ellipse,
• wherein a ratio between the minor radius (B) of the hypothetical ellipse and a major radius (A) of the hypothetical ellipse is about 1.4 to about 2.2,
• wherein a length (P) of a base portion of the elliptical arch shape is about 100 μm to about 300 μm, and a height of the elliptical arch shape is about 50 μm to about 100 μm, and
• wherein each given one of the two optical plates comprises:
• a main core layer;
• an upper cladding layer disposed on a first surface of the main core layer and having optical patterns defined thereon for dispersing light to an area above the given optical plate;
• and
• a lower cladding layer disposed on a second surface of the main core layer to face a light source, the second surface of the main core layer being opposite to the first surface of the main core layer,
• wherein a thickness of the main core layer is about 0.8 mm to about 1.5 mm,
• wherein a thickness of the upper cladding layer is about 50 μm to about 150 μm, and a thickness of the lower cladding layer is about 50 μm to about 150 μm.