LIGHTING DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting device with a long life and high reliability, as well as with an excellent heat radiation property, and as a result, capable of effectively avoiding pin holes from being generated on an external-electrode fluorescent lamp. SOLUTION: The lighting device includes an external-electrode fluorescent lamp 5 as a light source, with a phosphor layer 52 formed on an inner wall surface of a glass tube 51, a discharge medium 53 sealed inside the glass tube, and electrodes 54 set outside either end of the glass tube. A thermal diffusion member 2 formed of a material of an insulation property and high-temperature conductivity is attached at a part corresponding to at least a power-feeding member mounting position of a lower frame 1 of synthetic resin making up a lower half of a chassis, a metal plate 3 for power-feeding member connection is attached on the thermal diffusion member 2, the predetermined number of power-feeding members 4 are fixed at a predetermined position of the metal plate 3 for power-feeding member connection, and the external electrodes at either end of the external-electrode fluorescent lamp 5 are elastically supported and fixed by the power-feeding member 4. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT