Patent ID: 7172304
Filing Date: 2007-02-06
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An illuminator, comprising: a top wall having an opening formed therein; a flat sheet of clear material mounted in said opening formed in said top wall; a bottom wall formed of a flat sheet of clear material; a plurality of sidewalls disposed in interconnecting relation to said top wall and said bottom wall at the respective peripheries of said top wall and said bottom wall; said bottom wall being adapted to sit atop an object to be illuminated and to be slideably moved with respect to said object with a low friction interface between said bottom wall and said object; a light source adapted to emit light; a light guide that guides light emitted by said light source; a diffuser mounted in parallel relation to said object; said diffuser mounted a fixed distance from said object; said light guide adapted to guide light from said light source into a horizontal path of travel where said light travels substantially parallel to a rough top surface of said diffuser until said light is bent by and passes through said diffuser in a first downward direction so that said light is adapted to impinge upon said object; whereby said light passes through said diffuser a second time in an upward direction opposite to said first downward direction after reflecting from said object; and whereby said object is viewed by a user through said flat sheet of clear material formed in said top wall.