In particular, an illuminator according to the present invention can not only reduce power consumption and increase brightness of light emitted outwardly, but also provide smooth light uniformly in all directions, to an extended visible distance, without making eyes tired in use.

Background Art In general, an illuminator uses one or a plurality of light sources such as a fluorescent lamp or light bulb by using a lamp cover that is formed of plastic so that light is provided through the lamp cover, or a chandelier having a plurality of light bulbs with decorations.

Since the conventional illuminator provides light generated from the light source such as a light bulb directly, or indirectly via the lamp cover, light is bright within a predetermined distance due to a short wavelength and darker as it is far from the light source. Since the light generated from the light source is provided in a flickering state, the human eye is easily tired. Since the light is not provided uniformly, a particular portion is bright while the other portion remains dark, which makes a user inconvenient.

To increase the brightness of light, a plurality of light bulbs need to be installed, which consumes a large amount of electric power.

Also, since the shape of light source is hidden only when the lamp cover is installed separated a predetermined distance from the light source, the thickness of the illuminator is 100 mm or more. Thus, in view of a domestic housing construction

environment, such a thick illuminator prevents decrease of the height of a floor so that the total floors of a building is limited.

Furthermore, in the conventional illuminator, insects go into the lamp and accumulate dirt inside which lowers the brightness of light and make a user inconveniently clean the lamp.

Disclosure of the Invention To solve the above and other problems, it is an object of the preset invention to provide an illuminator having light sources radiating light from both side surface of a panel formed of a transparent plastic material, so that the rightness of light is increased, the human eyes are not easily tired owing to smooth light uniformly radiating in all direction, a visible distance is extended, power consumption is reduced, the thickness of a product is reduced which does not limit to building houses.

To achieve the above object, there is provided an illuminator capable of providing smooth light comprising: a front panel and a rear panel which are formed of a transparent plastic material to outwardly provide light provided from a light source which is a fluorescent lamp or an electric bulb installed in the illuminator, wherein the front panel includes a plurality of front concave portions engraved in a horizontal direction in a front surface of the front panel and a plurality of front protruding portions corresponding to an outer portion of an edge of the front concave portions, to provide the light provided from the light source, wherein the concave portions are engraved in a body deeper from a first concave portion at an edge side of the front concave portion to a second concave portion in a middle portion thereof, and the rear panel includes a plurality of rear concave portions engraved in a vertical direction to a predetermined depth in an inner surface of the body and a plurality of rear protruding portions corresponding to an outer portion of an edge of the rear concave portions, which are formed at a front surface of rear panel to strongly provide the light provided from the light source outwardly; a reflection film which is attached to a rear surface of the rear panel to reflect light ; front and rear cases to house the front panel, the rear panel, the light source, and the reflection film ; and upper and lower covers to fix the above elements.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an illuminator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled illuminator of FIG. 1, in which a state in which a front concave portion and a rear concave portion in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, are shown magnified; FIG. 3 is a magnified front view of a front panel ; FIG. 4 is a magnified sectional view taken along line A-A'indicating a reflection direction of light of the front panel ; FIG. 5A is a magnified section view taken along line B-B'of the front panel ; FIG. 5B is a magnified section view taken along line C-C'of the front panel ; FIG. 5C is a magnified section view taken along line D-D'of the front panel ; FIG. 6 is a magnified front view of a rear panel ; FIG. 7 is a magnified sectional view taken along line A-A'indicating a reflection direction of light of the rear panel ; FIG. 8 is a magnified section view taken along line B-B (of the rear panel ; FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a sate in which a plurality of the front and rear panels according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention are used; FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of an illuminator according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a reference view illustrating an illuminator according to yet another preferred embodiment.

<List of major elements 10: illuminator 1: front case 11: body 12: insertion portion 13,14 : vis screw hole 15: power cord 2,2a : front panel 21: body 22,22a : front concave portion 23: first front concave portion 24: second front concave portion 25,25a : front protruding portion 26: front surface 27,27a, 27b, 27c: interval 3,3a : rear panel 31: body 32,32a : rear concave portion 33,33a : rear protruding portion 34: front surface 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d: interval

4: reflection film 5: rear case 51: body 52,53 : vis screw hole 6: cover 61: upper cover 62: lower cover 63,63a, 64,64a : vis screw hole 65: power cord 7,7a : light source 8,8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e: vis screw 9: frame 91: left frame 91 a, 92a: cover 91 b, 92b: support plate 92: right frame 93,94 : decoration Best mode for carrying out the Invention An illuminator 10 capable of providing smooth light according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be applied to any illuminator which can provide light radiated from a light source such as a fluorescent lamp or electric bulb indoor or outdoor. The illuminator 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a front case 1 and a front panel 2 which are formed of a transparent plastic material such as poly-methyl-meta-acrelate (P. M. M. A. ), a rear panel 3, a rear case 5, light sources 7 and 7A which are fluorescent lamp or electric bulb, a reflection film 4 formed of synthetic resin and capable of reflecting light, and upper and lower covers 61 and 62 formed of a metal or aluminum material. The front panel 2, the rear panel 3, the reflection film 4, and the light sources 7 and 7a are housed in the front case 1. In this state, the front case 1 is assembled to the rear case 5 which is disposed at the rear of the rear panel 3.

Then, the upper and lower covers 61 and 62 are coupled to the front and rear cases 1 and 5.

The front case 1 is formed of a transparent plastic material and has an insertion portion 12 which is a space formed in a middle portion of the front case 1. The front panel 2, and the rear panel 3, and the light sources 7 and 7a are inserted in the insertion portion 12. Vis screw holes 13 and 14 are formed in the upper and lower portions of the front case 1 so as to be coupled to the rear case 5 by using vis screws 8 and 8a. The light sources 7 and 7a which are fluorescent lamps or electric bulbs are installed at both inner sides of the front case 1. The light sources 7 and 7a are electrically connected to an external power source through a power cord 15 installed at one side of the front case 1. The front panel 2, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, has a

plurality of front concave portions 22 and front protruding portions 25 arranged in a horizontal direction at a particular interval in a front surface 26 of a transparent plastic panel body 21 so as to reflect light. As shown in FIGS. 5A through 5C, the front concave portion 22 has an oval shape and is engraved deeper in the body 21 from a first concave portion 23 at both edges to a second concave portion 24 at the center portion. The light emitted from the light sources 7 and 7a is reflected uniformly in all direction through the first and second concave portions 23 and 24 which are engraved so that bright and smooth light can be provided outwardly. Since the second concave portion 24 disposed at the farthest position from the light sources 7 and 7a is formed deepest, bright light can be provided by the deep concave portion regardless of the far distance. The front protruding portion 25 naturally formed by the first and second concave portions 23 and 24 and corresponding to an outer portion of an edge of the front concave portion 22 has the same height as that of the front panel 2. Also, since the front concave portion 22 is formed such that intervals 27,27a, 27b, and 27c having a predetermined length at the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the front panel 2, diffused reflection of the light provided outwardly from the front panel 2 can be prevented.

The rear panel 3, as shown in FIG. 6, is disposed at the rear of the front panel 2 and has a plurality of rear concave portions 32 arranged in a vertical direction at a particular interval in a front surface 34 of a transparent plastic panel body 31 so as to reflect light toward the front panel 2. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the rear concave portion 32 has a plurality of concaves engraved on the front surface of the body 31.

The light emitted from the light sources 7 and 7a is reflected uniformly in all direction through the concave portions so that light can be strongly transferred to the front concave portion 22 of the front panel 2. The rear protruding portion 33 naturally formed by the concave portions of the rear concave portion 32 and corresponding to an outer portion of an edge of the rear concave portion 32 has the same height as that of the rear panel 3 so that the light can be transferred farther. Also, since the rear concave portion 32 is formed such that intervals 35,35a, 35b, and 35c having a predetermined length at the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the rear panel 3, diffused reflection of the light provided outwardly from the rear panel 3 can be prevented.

The reflection film 4 for reflecting light is attached to a read surface of the rear

panel 3, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the light provided from the light sources 7 and 7a can be transferred to the rear panel 3. The rear case 5 formed of a transparent plastic material is disposed at the rear of the reflection film 4 and coupled to the front case 1 by vis screws 8b and 8c through vis screw holes 52 and 53 formed in the upper and lower portions of the rear case 5. The upper and lower covers 61 and 62 formed of aluminum or metal material are coupled outside the front and rear cases 1 and 5 so that the illuminator capable of providing smooth light according to the present invention is manufactured. As shown in FIG. 9, the front panel 2 and the rear panel 3 are provided in a multiple number so that a plurality of the front panels 2 and 2a and the rear panels 3 and 3a can provide brighter light outwardly.

As shown in FIG. 10, a dual front panel structure is provided in which a front panel 2a is attached to the rear surface of the front panel 2 without using the rear panel 3. The light generated from the light sources 7 and 7a such as a fluorescent lamp or electric bulb is changed to smooth light by the front concave portions 22a and 22a and the front protruding portions 25 and 25a which are formed dually and provided outwardly.

As shown in FIG. 11, without using the front and rear cases 1 and 5, the light sources 7 and 7a are respectively included in left and right frames 91 and 92, each of which includes a cover 91 a and a cover 92a, and a support plate 91 b and a support plate 92b. The front and read panels 2 and 3 or the dual front panel structure having the front panels 2 and 2a, and the reflection film 4 are assembled in the left and right frames 91 and 92. in this state, vis screws 8d and 8e are screwed into vis screw holes 63a and 64a of the left and right frames 91 and 92 so that an illuminator capable of providing smooth light according to the present preferred embodiment of the present invention is manufactured. Alternatively, decorations 93 and 94 can be attached to the outer surfaces of the left and right frames 91 and 92.

The illuminator capable of providing smooth light according to the present invention includes the front concave portion 22 and the front protruding portion 25 of the front panel 2, the front concave portion 32 and the rear protruding portion 33 of the rear panel 3, and the reflection film 4 to change the light generated from the light source to smooth and bright light and provide the light outwardly.

In particular, in the present invention, the front concave portion 22 is engraved in the front panel 2 so that light can be reflected uniformly in all directions. A plurality of

the front concave portions 22 are engraved in the horizontal direction and deeper from the first concave portion23 at the edge side of the front concave portion 22 to the second concave portion 24 in the middle portion thereof. Thus, the light provided from the light sources 7 and 7a can be changed to smooth and uniformly bright light and provided outwardly. The front panel 2 transfers light farther through a plurality of the front protruding portions 25 which are naturally formed by the front concave portions 22 and correspond to the outer portion of the edge of the front concave portions 22.

When the rear concave portion 32 is formed in the rear panel 3, a plurality of concaves are formed in the vertical direction so that the light provided from the light sources 7 and 7a can be transferred outwardly through the concaves to be brightly and strongly. Thus, the rear panel 3 to which the reflection film 4 is attached can provide light farther through the rear protruding portions 33 which are naturally formed by the rear concave portions 32 and correspond to the outer portion of the edge of the rear concave portions 32.

The rear panel 3 having the rear concave portions 32 arranged in the vertical direction is disposed at the rear of the front panel 2 where the front concave portions 22 are arranged in the horizontal direction. Thus, the front and rear panels can transfer the light provided from the light sources 7 and 7a, strongly by the rear protruding portion 33 in the vertical direction and smoothly and uniformly by the front protruding portion 25 in the horizontal direction.

The front and rear panels can be provided in multiple numbers, i. e. , the front panels 2 and 2a and the rear panels 3 and 3a, so that smooth and bright light can be transferred outwardly.

Industrial Applicability As described above, the illuminator capable of providing smooth light according to the present invention, since the light provided from the light source can be provide outwardly, as smooth and uniformly bright light without exciting the human vision, by the front concave portion of the front panel, the problems in the convention technology, i. e., light is bright only within a particular distance due to a short wavelength and is darker as it is farther, and simultaneously, a particular portion is bright while the other portion is dark as the light is not uniformly provided outwardly, can be solved. The light provided from the light source can be provided outwardly to be strongly and brightly by the rear

concave portions of the rear panel.

Also, since the front concave portions and the rear concave portions of the front and rear panels are coupled in the horizontal and vertical directions and used, the light transferred from the light source can be provided uniformly in all directions and smoothly, without damaging the vision, so that a power cost can be reduced.

In particular, the illuminator providing bright light outwardly can be made slim and contribute to increasing the number of floors of a building and reduction of a construction cost.