Patent ID: 8172426
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
1. A collapsible backlight system for providing wide area back lighting for display assemblies, said collapsible backlight system comprising: a flexible sheet having a first end, a second end, a first edge and a second edge, said first and second edges generally extending from said first end to said second end, said flexible sheet including a plurality of sheaths each adapted to substantially protectively envelope an elongated light source; a plurality of elongated light sources, each of said elongated light sources being elongated along its longitudinal axis and being in substantially protectively enveloped engagement with one of said sheaths, said plurality of elongated light sources being electrically interconnected in series or parallel; and an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, said flexible sheet being generally planar and said elongated light sources being spatially dispersed in said expanded configuration, said flexible sheet being generally non-planar and said elongated light sources being proximal to each other in generally parallel fashion in said collapsed configuration, both said expanded and collapsed configurations adapted to allowing said elongated light sources to remain in said substantially protectively enveloped engagement.