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Planar light generating device and display device having the samePlanar light generating device and display device having the same description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070182304, Planar light generating device and display device having the same. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to devices for displaying images, and more particularly, to a device for generating planar light and an image display device having the planar light generating device. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are one of the types of the image display devices. Since the LCD devices have advantageous properties such as small thickness, low driving voltage, low power consumption, etc., they have been widely used for displaying images. [0005] The LCD devices display images using liquid crystal, and it is necessary to externally provide light to the liquid crystal in an LCD device. Accordingly, the LCD devices generally have a backlight assembly to generate light to the liquid crystal. [0006] Conventional backlight assemblies include a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) having a tubular shape. The CCFLs may be classified into edge illumination type CCFLs and direct illumination type CCFLs. In an LCD device employing the edge illumination type CCFL(s), one or two edge illumination type CCFLs are disposed on edge portions of a light guide plate having a reflecting layer so as to supply light to an LCD panel. In an LCD device employing the direct illumination type CCFL, the direct illumination type CCFL is disposed under the light guide plate. A reflection plate and a diffusion plate are disposed under the direct illumination type CCFL and on the light guide plate, respectively, so as to supply light to an LCD panel. [0007] A conventional backlight assembly includes optical members, such as the light guide plate or the diffusion plate, so that the optical members absorb a portion of the light. As a result, luminance of the light generated from the backlight assembly is decreased. Also, uniformity of the luminance is decreased. In addition, since the conventional backlight assemblies have a complex structure, their manufacturing cost increases. [0008] Planar light generating devices have been developed to solve the above mentioned problems. The planar light generating devices generally include a body and electrodes. The body includes discharge spaces disposed adjacent to one another. A discharge voltage is applied to the body through the electrodes. The discharge spaces are connected to one another so that distribution of a discharge gas in the discharge spaces may be uniformized. The discharge voltage is applied to the electrodes to form a plasma discharge in the discharge spaces, thereby generating the light. [0009] When the plasma discharge is formed in the discharge spaces, current may flow through the discharge spaces so that a voltage drop is formed in each of the discharge spaces. The amount of the voltage drop is substantially equal to the current multiplied by a square of a resistance of each of the discharge spaces. The resistances of the discharge spaces are different from one another, so that the voltage drops of the discharge spaces are different from one another. The difference between the voltage drops form a potential difference between the discharge spaces, so that a portion of the current may be concentrated on one of the discharge spaces, thereby forming a channeling of the current. The channeling of the current deteriorates the luminance, and the uniformity of the luminance may also be decreased. As a result, image display quality of the LCD device is lowered. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The above mentioned and other drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by a light generating device and a display device employing the same according to the present invention. In one embodiment, a device for generating light comprises a body having discharge spaces that generate light in response to a voltage signal, in which the discharge spaces are apart from each other at a selected distance, electrodes that provide the voltage signal to the discharge spaces, in which the electrodes are disposed at external portions, respectively, of the body, and space diving members being each disposed between the adjacent discharge spaces. The space dividing members include connecting passages each of which connects the adjacent discharge spaces. The discharge spaces are arranged substantially parallel with each other, and the adjacent discharge spaces are apart from each other at a first distance. [0011] The body includes a first substrate, and a second substrate disposed on the first substrate. The second substrate includes space forming members that are disposed on the first substrate and have a shape such that each space forming member and the first substrate defines each discharge space, and the space dividing members that are in contact with the first substrate, in which the space dividing members are each disposed between adjacent ones of the space forming members. The space forming members each form a hollow column on the first substrate, so that the discharge spaces each have a hollow column shape. The space dividing members each have a first width substantially equal to the first distance. The space forming members each have a second width larger than the first width. [0012] Each of the space dividing members includes one or more connecting passages. The connecting passages are each disposed in a diagonal direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the discharge spaces. The connecting passages are each disposed at a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the respective space dividing members. The electrodes are disposed on an exterior surface of the space forming members and have a substantially identical width. The electrodes each have a varying width such that a width at a center portion of the electrodes is smaller than a width at a side portion of the electrodes. [0013] In another embodiment, an image display device includes a display panel that displays images using an image signal, a driving signal and light, the light generating device that provides the light to the display panel, and an inverter that generates the voltage signal to the planar light generating device. The image display device also includes a container that receives the planar light generating device, an optical member disposed between the container and the display panel, and a fixing member that securely holds the display panel in the container. [0014] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. [0015] The present application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 2004-38648, filed on May 29, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] The above and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a planar light generating device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [0018] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the body taken along line I-I' in FIG. 1; [0019] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion "A" in FIG. 2; [0020] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of portion "B" in FIG. 1; [0021] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the body taken along line II-II' in FIG. 4; Continue reading about Planar light generating device and display device having the same... 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