Patent ID: 7220040

Claim:
An edge-lit backlighting system for use with a liquid crystal display, comprising: a heat exchanger; at least one light strip including a plurality of light engines mounted at spaced intervals therealong, each of said light engines including a plurality of primary color light emitting diodes, said light emitting diodes being selected so that when illuminated the primary color light emitted therefrom is combined to collectively produce a white light of desired reference white chromaticity; a separate protective casing for enclosing said light emitting diodes on each of said light engines, each of said protective casings protruding from the surface of said light engine; a light guide mounted in position to receive said white light produced by said at least one light strip; a light reflective sheet coupled to said at least one light strip, said light reflective sheet and said at least one light strip being mounted to said heat exchanger, said light reflective sheet having an upturned, peripheral edge formed with a plurality of spaced apertures, each of said apertures receiving one of said protective casings of a light engine to permit the transmission of white light to said light guide while said space along said at least one light strip between adjacent light engines is covered by said reflective sheet; and at least one enhancement film overlying said light guide.