Patent ID: 8517589

Claim:
A lighting system for a data display device, the lighting system comprising: (a) a data display device; and (b) a light guide, wherein the light guide includes (i) an injection area, wherein a light produced by at least one light source is injected into the injection area of the light guide; (ii) an extraction area, wherein the extraction area is an extended area of the injection area, wherein the extraction area is disposed to extract the light propagating inside the light guide to light the display device, and wherein the extraction area has light extractors, wherein the light extractors are disposed to (1) direct the extracted light towards a data display surface of the data display device when the data display device is of the reflective type and the data display surface is turned towards the extraction area; or (2) direct the extracted light towards a rear surface of the data display device opposed to a data display surface when the data display device is of the transmissive type and the rear surface of the data display device is turned towards the extraction area, wherein the light guide takes the form of a closed loop, wherein the loop is closed at the light injection area to allow the light originating from the light source that was not extracted from the light guide in the extraction area to continue to travel inside the light guide and to return to the starting point thereof at the light injection area, wherein the light guide is dimensioned so the data display device can be arranged inside the loop, and wherein the light is extracted from the light guide along a perpendicular direction to a plane defined by the direction of injection of light into the guide, and by a generatrix line of the loop.