JP2001297612A - Optical medium and luminous body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical medium and a luminous body that are compact and capable of obtaining desired illumination. SOLUTION: A luminous body is provided with a light source 1, and an optical medium 2 covering the light source 1. A concave portion 6 of a well-type for installing the light source 1 is formed in the optical medium 2. The concave portion 6 of a well-type is constituted by a bottom portion to be incident surface 2, and the sidewall of the concave portion 5 formed continuously with the bottom potion 2. The optical medium 2 is additionally provided with an irradiation surface 3 for irradiating light, and a light-transmitting portion 4 for connecting the incident surface 2 with the irradiation surface 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an application technology of a small light source such as an incandescent bulb, a small discharge tube (polar discharge lamp), an electrodeless discharge lamp, a semiconductor light emitting device, etc., and particularly to an optical medium for the small light source. And a luminous body using this optical medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Light from an incandescent sphere basically diverges in the direction of a full solid angle of 4π. Therefore, in the prior art, when the light from the incandescent sphere is converted into a parallel ray by using a lens, a lens having an infinite diameter is required to improve the light collection efficiency. Infinite diameter lenses are not practical and must usually be limited to certain dimensions. However, this fact means that a considerable amount of light energy is lost in a real optical system.

Meanwhile, traffic accidents in Japan tend to increase year by year. Among them, bicycle-related accidents account for about 3%. The most prominent among bicycle accidents is accidents caused by "non-lighting driving" at night, and the lighting rate of bicycle lamps is very low at 20% even though the mounting rate of the bicycle lamp is close to 100%. This is because most of the lamps mounted on bicycles are generators (dynamo type). (A) When the lamp is attached, the pedals become heavy and the legs are burdened. (B) Unpleasant noise is generated when the generator and the wheels come into contact. (C) If there is puddles or mud on the road,
Generators spatter water and mud and soil clothing. (D) Many people run the generator without lighting because the lights become darker when the speed of the bicycle decreases. In the case of an accident involving a bicycle and a car (or pedestrian) that are not lit at night, the bicycle is often responsible, and the responsibility of the cyclist is questioned. Under such circumstances, battery-operated
Light and bright lighting fixtures have been desired.

[0004] As an outdoor luminaire, a portable luminaire that is small, has a long battery life, and is bright is demanded.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical medium that can efficiently condense output light from a light source such as an incandescent bulb without increasing the size of an optical system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a small and lightweight luminous body which is inexpensive, has sufficient illuminance, and has long-term stability and reliability.

[0007]

A first feature of the present invention is as follows.
An incident surface, a concave portion including the incident surface as a bottom, a concave side wall formed continuously with the bottom, an exit surface for emitting light incident from the incident surface, and an incident surface and an exit surface. And a light transmission unit made of a solid that is connected to and transparent to the wavelength of light emitted from the light source. Specifically, the entrance surface and the exit surface may exist as end surfaces of the optical transmission unit. In the case of using a light source that generates heat when emitting light such as an incandescent bulb, a heat-resistant optical material may be used as the “transparent solid”. As the heat-resistant optical material, a heat-resistant glass, a heat-resistant resin, or a crystalline material such as a semiconductor can be used.

The optical medium according to the first aspect of the present invention has a high light-collecting efficiency, so that a desired illuminance can be easily obtained with a small structure. This illuminance is an illuminance that cannot be achieved by using a conventionally known optical system such as a lens with the same geometric size. In other words, illuminance that cannot be predicted with conventional common sense can be realized with a small size.

It should be noted that, in the optical medium according to the first aspect of the present invention, one of the entrance surface and the exit surface may include a flat surface having an infinite radius of curvature or a shape close to infinity. It is. This is because if one of the entrance surface and the exit surface has a predetermined (finite) radius of curvature that is not infinite, the convergence and divergence of light can be controlled. It should also be noted that the “predetermined divergence angle” may include 0 °, ie, parallel rays. Even if the divergence angle is 90 °, the light can be effectively condensed because the concave portion almost completely covers the main light emitting portion of the light source optically.

[0010] A second feature of the present invention is that the illuminant is constituted by at least a light source that emits light of a predetermined wavelength and an optical medium that almost completely covers the main light emitting portion of the light source. The optical medium is constituted by an incident surface, a concave portion for accommodating the main light emitting portion of the light source, a bottom portion, and a concave portion side wall formed continuously with the bottom portion to form the concave portion. The concave portion, an emission surface for emitting light incident from the incident surface, and at least an optical transmission portion that connects the incident surface and the emission surface, and is made of a solid that is transparent to the wavelength of light emitted from the light source. ing. Here, as the “light source”, an incandescent bulb, a small discharge tube, an electrodeless discharge lamp, a semiconductor light emitting element, or the like can be used. Examples of the incandescent bulb include halogen lamps such as an iodine (I ₂ ) tungsten lamp, a xenon (Xe) tungsten lamp (xenon lamp), a krypton (Kr) tungsten lamp (krypton lamp), a nipple bulb, and a spot bulb. It includes a bean ball filled with vacuum or argon gas. Further, miniature lamps such as halogen miniature lamps are also included in the incandescent bulb. As the small discharge tube, a small xenon lamp, a small metal halide lamp, a small high-pressure sodium lamp, and a small mercury lamp can be used in addition to the fluorescent discharge tube. As an electrodeless discharge lamp, argon (Ar), neon (N
e), rare gases such as xenon (Xe) and krypton (Kr) and metal halides such as gallium (Ga), indium (In) and thallium (Tl), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), sulfur (S ), Selenium (Se), tellurium (T
It is possible to use a structure in which a discharge medium such as e) is sealed. And, for example, 100 MHz to 2.45 GH
When z or a higher frequency microwave is applied to the tube, the discharge medium discharges and emits light. In order to reduce the size, the microwave may be constituted by a transistor oscillation circuit. Further, it is preferable that the bulb itself of the electrodeless discharge lamp has a structure that is also used by the optical medium of the present invention. In this way, by filling a predetermined discharge medium into the recess of the present invention, a luminous body using a very small electrodeless discharge lamp as a light source is completed. As the semiconductor light emitting element, a light emitting diode (LED) or a semiconductor laser can be used.

According to the illuminant according to the second aspect of the present invention, desired illuminance and beam parallelism can be easily obtained without increasing the size of the optical system. This illuminance is an illuminance that cannot be achieved with a conventionally known optical system having the same geometric size, and is a sufficient brightness that cannot be predicted by conventional common sense.

As described in the first aspect, one of the incident surface and the outgoing surface may include a flat surface having an infinite radius of curvature or a shape close to infinity.

[0013] A third feature of the present invention is that a plurality of light sources emitting light of a predetermined wavelength, a plurality of independent incident surfaces for receiving light emitted from the plurality of light sources, and the plurality of independent light incident surfaces. Each of the entrance surfaces has a bottom portion, and a plurality of independent well-shaped recesses for accommodating a plurality of light sources, which are constituted by a plurality of independent recess side walls continuously formed on the bottom portion, and a plurality of entrance surfaces. A luminous body includes an emission surface having a single curved surface for emitting a plurality of incident lights, and an optical medium including an optical transmission unit connecting the plurality of incidence surfaces and the emission surface.

According to the illuminant according to the third aspect of the present invention, sufficient brightness and beam parallelism can be obtained even when a light source having generally insufficient illuminance is used as compared with a halogen lamp such as an LED. can get. Since an LED consumes less power, it can constitute a lighting fixture with a very long battery life.
In addition, this lighting fixture has excellent stability and reliability over a long period of time.

A plurality of light sources (accordingly, a plurality of independent well-shaped recesses corresponding thereto) may be two-dimensionally arranged on the same plane level, and may have a multilayer structure, in which a plurality of light sources are arranged in each layer. It does not matter if it is arranged.

[0016]

Next, first to tenth embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematic,
It should be noted that the relationship between the thickness and the plane dimension, the ratio of the thickness of each layer, and the like are different from actual ones. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined in consideration of the following description. In addition, it is needless to say that the drawings include portions having different dimensional relationships and ratios.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a luminous body according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the luminous body according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a light source 1 that emits light of a predetermined wavelength, and an optical medium 20 that almost completely covers a main light emitting portion of the light source 1. At least configured. Then, this optical medium 20
Is a well-shaped concave portion 6 composed of an incident surface 2, a concave portion side wall 5 having the incident surface 2 as a bottom portion and formed continuously with the bottom portion, and an output surface for emitting light incident from the incident surface 2. 3
And an optical transmission unit 4 which connects the incident surface 2 and the output surface 3 and is made of a solid transparent to the wavelength of light emitted from the light source.

The light source 1 has, for example, a maximum diameter (outer diameter).
2 to 3 mm ^phi of iodine _{(I 2)} tungsten lamp (halogen lamp), i.e. incandescent beans lamp shape. The optical medium 20 has a bullet-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. The concave side wall 5 of the concave portion 6 of the optical medium 20 has a diameter (inner diameter) so that the main light emitting portion of the light source (incandescent bulb) 1 can be housed.
And it has a cylindrical shape (well-shaped) of 2.5~4mm ^φ. Although not shown, a spacer having a thickness of about 1 to 2.5 mm is provided between the socket portion of the light source 1 and the concave portion 6 of the optical medium 20 in order to fix the light source 1 and the optical medium 20. Inserted (the “socket portion” in FIG. 1
It means a portion on the electrode lead side (left side) of the light source 1. ).
The spacer has ventilation holes through which air can enter and exit,
The light source 1 can be cooled. It is sufficient that the main light-emitting portion of the light source (incandescent bulb) 1 is housed in the well-shaped concave portion 6, and the socket portion of the light source 1 may be outside the concave portion 6. In this case, a mounting jig provided on the socket of the light source 1 is fixed to the well-shaped concave portion 6. The diameter (outer diameter) of the cylindrical portion of the bullet-shaped optical medium 20 can be selected according to the purpose of use of the luminous body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, even below 10 mm ^phi, 30 mm ^phi
That's fine. Optical media 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, different refractive index n and the refractive index n ₀ of the air
_One . The distance between the entrance surface 2 and the exit surface 3, that is, the thickness of the light transmission unit 4 is preferably equal to or greater than the depth of the well-shaped recess 6. For example, it is preferable that the thickness of the optical transmission section 4 be two to three times the depth of the well-shaped recess 6.

In FIG. 1, the concave side wall 5 of the concave portion 6 other than the incident surface 2 (bottom) can also function as an effective light incident portion. Between the light source 1 and the concave portion 6 of the optical medium 20, light components reflected at respective interfaces are multiple-reflected to become stray light components. In a conventionally known optical system such as a lens, these stray light components cannot be extracted so as to contribute to illumination. However, in the first embodiment of the present invention, these stray light components are also confined inside the well-shaped concave portion 6, and may eventually be components that can contribute to illumination. As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, since the light source 1 is almost completely confined in the concave portion 6 of the optical medium 20, all output light including the stray light component emitted from the light source 1 is output. Can effectively contribute to lighting.

As described above, according to the luminous body according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a light beam having a desired parallelism and irradiation area is secured as a light beam contributing to illumination, and a desired illuminance is obtained. Can be easily obtained. This illuminance is an illuminance that cannot be achieved by a conventionally known optical system such as a lens. Thus, according to the luminous body according to the first embodiment of the present invention,
Illuminance that cannot be predicted at all with the common technical knowledge of the related art can be realized with a small and simple structure as shown in FIG. For reference, if a conventional convex lens is used, its diameter needs to be about three times the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the optical medium 20 of the present invention in order to obtain the same light-collecting characteristics as those of the present invention. Therefore, 1
That is, a size reduction of ／ has been achieved.

As the optical medium 20 used for the luminous body according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a heat-resistant optical material is preferable in consideration of the heat generated by the light source (incandescent bulb) 1. As the heat-resistant optical material, heat-resistant glass such as quartz glass and sapphire glass is preferable. Alternatively, a heat-resistant optical material such as a heat-resistant resin such as a polysulfone resin, a polyether sulfone resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polyetheresteramide resin, a methacrylic resin, an amorphous polyolefin resin, or a polymer material having a perfluoroalkyl group is used. Can be used. A crystalline material such as zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc sulfide (ZnS), and silicon carbide (SiC) may be used. The light source 1
In the case where a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED is used, a resin having low heat resistance such as an acrylic resin can be used because it does not generate heat.

The luminous body according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a small structure and can easily obtain desired parallelism and illuminance, so that it can be used as a strobe built in a camera. In this case, a xenon lamp or a halogen lamp may be used as a light source. In addition, a lighting fixture or the like can be configured by arranging a plurality of luminous bodies according to the first embodiment. In this case, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional arrangement is possible. For example, a bunch of about ten light-emitting bodies according to the first embodiment can constitute a flash for photographing.

[First Modification of First Embodiment] In the luminous body according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. Medium 23
If the third optical medium 24 is disposed outside the second optical medium 23, the beam diameter of the light from the light source 1 can be enlarged so as to have a larger irradiation area.
The second optical medium 23 is, like the first optical medium 22,
It is made of a solid that is transparent to the wavelength of light, has a second incident surface at the bottom, and has a second entrance for accommodating the first optical medium 22.
And a second exit surface facing the second entrance surface. Further, the third optical medium 24 has a third incident surface at the bottom, a third concave portion for accommodating the second optical medium 3, and a third emission surface facing the third incident surface. Surface.

[0024] Then, the first optical medium 22 having a refractive index n ₂ houses a light source 1 through the air having a refractive index n _0. Further, the second optical medium 23 having a refractive index n ₃ houses the first optical medium 22 through the air having a refractive index n _0. The third optical medium 4 having the refractive index n ₄ houses a second optical medium 23 through the air. Light source 1, first optical medium 22 and second optical medium 23 via a fluid or fluid other than air
May be stored in the respective concave portions. Also, the refractive index n
₂ , the refractive index n ₃ or the refractive index n ₄ is gradually increased,
Alternatively, the optical path may be designed to be gradually reduced.

As in the first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, if the beam diameter is too wide, the illuminance will decrease. Therefore, it is not suitable for a purpose such as a flashlight. This is suitable for a required backlight (indirect illumination system).

[Modification 2 of First Embodiment] In FIG. 1, the optical medium 2 has a concave entrance surface 2 and a convex exit surface 3. However, FIG. 1 is an example, and various shapes can be adopted for the entrance surface 2 and the exit surface 3 according to the purpose.

FIG. 3 shows an optical medium 21 having a concave exit surface 3 as a modification 2 of the first embodiment of the present invention. When a concave exit surface 3 as shown in FIG. 3 is used, light tends to be dispersed, so that uniformity suitable for a backlight (indirect illumination system) can be obtained. FIG.
The structure shown in (1) is also suitable as an outdoor lantern.

(Second Embodiment) As shown in FIG.
The luminous body according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes an emission surface 3 serving as a light emission surface, a rear surface facing the emission surface 3, an optical transmission unit connecting the emission surface 3 and the rear surface, and one of the rear surfaces. Outgoing surface 3 from part
An optical medium 25 having at least a well-shaped concave portion 6 formed inside the optical transmission section along the direction, the light source 1 housed in the well-shaped concave portion 6, and a rear surface arranged on the rear surface of the optical medium 25 And a mirror 55. The rear mirror 55 is the optical medium 2
5 is extended to a part of the side surface. FIG.
In the embodiment, the rear mirror 55 covers a part of the side surface of the optical medium 25. However, the rear mirror 55 may be formed so as to cover substantially the entire side surface of the optical medium 25. The rear mirror 55 is formed by grinding a metal such as Al, brass, stainless steel, or the like into a shape shown in FIG. 4 using a lathe, a milling machine, or the like, or molding the metal using a press machine, and then polishing the surface thereof. Good. Furthermore, it is preferable to apply nickel (Ni) plating or gold (Au) plating on these surfaces because the reflectance is improved. As an inexpensive and simple method, a structure in which a metal thin film having high reflectivity such as an Al thin film is bonded may be used. Alternatively, a structure in which a thermoplastic resin is processed into a shape shown in FIG. 4 by extrusion molding or injection molding, and a metal thin film or a dielectric multilayer film having a high reflectance such as an Al foil is deposited on the surface by vacuum evaporation or sputtering, or A structure in which a highly reflective polyester white film or the like is adhered may be used. Further, a structure in which a metal thin film having a high reflectivity or a dielectric multilayer film is directly deposited on the rear surface of the optical medium 25 by vacuum evaporation or sputtering, a structure in which a metal thin film having a high reflectivity is formed by plating, or a composite film thereof may be used. Absent.

The back mirror 55 has a first pin 27 and a second
There is a hole through which the pin 28 passes through insulators 93 and 94. The insulators 93 and 94 prevent the first pin 27 and the second pin 28 from being electrically short-circuited by the conductive rear mirror 55. Electric power is supplied to the light source 1 via a lead 91 connected to the first pin 27 and a lead 92 connected to the second pin 28. Light output from the light source 1 in the left direction (front direction) is output from the emission surface 3 with directivity at a predetermined divergence angle. On the other hand, light output from the light source 1 in the right direction (back direction) is reflected by the rear mirror 55 and is output from the surface of the light source 1 to the left. As a result, the light output in the right direction (back direction) of the light source 1 is also given a predetermined divergence angle by the emission surface 3 having a convex shape near the top.

The concave side wall 5 of the concave portion 6 of the optical medium 25 has a diameter (inner diameter) of 2.5 to 4 mm so that the light source 1 can be accommodated.
^{It has} a cylindrical shape of ^φ (well shape). The optical medium 25 has spherical surfaces at both end surfaces and a cylindrical shape at the center. The diameter (outer diameter) of the cylindrical part is 10 to 30 mm ^φ
It is. The diameter (outer diameter) of the optical medium 25 is the second diameter of the present invention.
Can be selected according to the purpose of use of the luminous body according to the embodiment. Therefore, it may be smaller than 10 ^mmφ or ^larger than 30 mmφ.

When an incandescent bulb is used as the light source 1, the optical medium 25 is preferably made of a transparent and heat-resistant plastic material, heat-resistant glass material or the like. A colored heat-resistant resin or a heat-resistant resin containing a fluorescent material can also be used. When a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED is used as the light source 1, a material having a low heat resistance, such as an acrylic resin, can be used because the calorific value is much smaller. A thermoplastic resin such as an acrylic resin or a polyvinyl chloride resin is a material suitable for mass-producing the optical medium 25. In other words, once a mold is made and extrusion molding or injection molding is performed using this mold, the optical medium 25 can be easily mass-produced. As a glass material, quartz glass is preferable if heat resistance is required. In addition, various glass materials such as soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, and lead glass can be selected according to the characteristics of the light source 1.
Alternatively, a crystalline material such as ZnO, ZnS, or SiC may be used.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the light source 1 is almost completely confined in the concave portion 6 of the optical medium 25, and a rear mirror 55 is disposed on the rear surface of the optical medium 25. Focusing on the well-shaped concave portion 6, the concave side wall 5 of the concave portion 6 other than the bottom incident surface 2 also functions as an effective light incident portion, and the stray light component transmitted through the concave side wall 5 is reflected by the rear mirror 55. Finally, the light can be output from the emission surface 3 side.
In addition, between the light source 1 and the concave portion 6 of the optical medium 25, there are stray light components reflected at respective interfaces and multiple-reflected in various directions. In the second embodiment of the present invention, these stray light components are also confined inside the well-shaped concave portion 6, reflected internally by the rear mirror 55, and guided to the emission surface 3 side. As a result, all of these stray light components are finally output from the emission surface 3.

As described above, according to the luminous body according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a desired irradiation area as a light beam contributing to illumination can be obtained without enlarging the optical medium 25 as a lens. And the desired illuminance can be easily obtained. This illuminance is an illuminance that cannot be achieved by a conventionally known optical system such as a lens. As described above, according to the illuminant according to the second embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to realize illuminance that cannot be predicted at all with the conventional common sense with a small and simple structure as shown in FIG.

As the light source 1 used for the luminous body according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor light emitting element can be used in addition to an incandescent bulb, a small discharge tube, a non-polar discharge lamp.
In the case of a non-polar discharge lamp, the rear mirror 55 can be used as a microwave power supply unit. Therefore, considering the wavelength of the microwave, the dimensions of the back mirror 55 may be selected so as to be the resonance wavelength. The dimension of the non-polar discharge lamp becomes smaller as the frequency of the microwave increases, and the discharge efficiency increases. Therefore, a high-frequency microwave of a millimeter wave band or more is preferable. As the semiconductor light emitting element, double-sided light emitting LEDs of various colors (wavelengths) can be used. However, for lighting purposes such as flashlights, white LEDs are preferred because they are natural to the human eye. White LEDs having various structures can be used. For example, red (R), green (G) and blue (B)
The three double-sided light emitting LED chips may be vertically stacked on a transparent substrate, or may be arranged close to each other at a distance regarded as a point light source. Then, this white LED is used as the light source 1 shown in FIG. 4 to constitute a light emitting body according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and a battery case and a battery case are provided so that a predetermined voltage can be applied to the white light source 1. If a battery (for example, AA batteries) in the battery case is stored, a pen-type slender flashlight (portable lighting fixture) is completed. The structure may be such that the electrode of the white light source 1 is connected to the anode and the cathode of this battery, respectively. As a result, a flashlight (portable lighting device) with a simple structure and low manufacturing cost can be provided. This flashlight (portable lighting device) has excellent stability and reliability over a long period of time, and in particular, has an unpredictable excellent characteristic that the battery life is long because of low power consumption. When three LED chips of RGB are integrated, all colors of the visible light band spectrum can be generated by adjusting and mixing the emission intensity of each of RGB. In this case, in practice, color unevenness may occur due to variations in the manufacturing process. However, the light from the RGB LED chips is reflected and mixed by the rear mirror 55 to balance the colors. take,
It has the advantage of eliminating color unevenness.

The luminous body according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be used as a strobe built in a camera because it can easily obtain desired parallelism and illuminance with a small structure. In this case, a xenon lamp or a halogen lamp may be used as a light source. In addition, a lighting fixture or the like can be configured by arranging a plurality of luminous bodies according to the second embodiment. In this case, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional arrangement is possible. For example, a flash at the time of photographing can be configured by bundling about 10 light-emitting bodies.

Further, similarly to FIG. 2, a second optical medium is arranged outside the optical medium (first optical medium) 25.
By arranging the third optical medium,... Outside the second optical medium, it is possible to enlarge the beam diameter of the light of the light source 1 so as to have a larger irradiation area. The second optical medium, like the first optical medium 25, is made of a solid that is transparent to the wavelength of light, and includes a recess for accommodating the first optical medium 25, and an emission surface. I have. In addition, the third optical medium may have a recess for accommodating the second optical medium. In FIG. 4, the exit surface 3 of the optical medium 25 has a convex exit surface 3. But,
FIG. 4 is an exemplification, and various shapes can be adopted for the curved surface according to the purpose, and an optical medium having a concave exit surface 3 similar to that in FIG. 3 may be used. When a concave curved surface is used for the light emitting surface 3 (light emitting surface), light tends to be dispersed, so that uniformity suitable for various backlights (indirect illumination systems) can be obtained.

(Third Embodiment) It was mentioned at the outset that the battery type is more preferable than the dynamo type as the bicycle lamp. Bicycle lamps require sufficient brightness and long battery life. In order to extend the life of the battery, a light source with low power consumption is preferable. In this regard, an LED may be used. But LED
Generally lacks illuminance. In the third embodiment of the present invention, a luminous body using LEDs and having sufficient brightness will be described.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a luminous body according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the luminous body according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of light sources (first to fourth light sources) 1a that emit light of a predetermined wavelength.
1 to 1d and the optical medium 26 which houses the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d independently and covers the main light-emitting portions almost completely. In order to accommodate the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d independently, the optical medium 26 is provided with a plurality of independent well-shaped recesses (first to fourth recesses) 6a to 6d.

The well-shaped first to fourth recesses 6a to 6d are
The first to fourth incident surfaces 2a to 2d which are independent from each other, and the first to fourth concave side walls 5a to which the first to fourth incident surfaces 2a to 2d are formed continuously from the bottom and are independent from each other. 5d. Plural incident surfaces 2a to
The exit surface 3 that emits a plurality of lights incident from 2d is formed of a single curved surface. The light transmission unit 4 connects the first to fourth entrance surfaces 2a to 2d and the exit surface 3, and has a light transmission unit 4 made of a solid transparent to the wavelength of light emitted from the light source.

The first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d are, for example,
Maximum of diameter of the bullet type LED (external diameter) 2 to 3 mm ^phi. The optical medium 26 has a semicylindrical shape as shown in FIG. The first to fourth elements provided in the optical medium 26
First to fourth recess side walls 5a of each of recesses 6a to 6d
To 5d are first to fourth light sources (bullet-shaped LEDs) 1a to 1
2.5 (diameter) to accommodate the main light emitting part
It has a cylindrical shape (well shape) of about 4 mm ^φ . Although not shown, in order to fix the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d and the optical medium 26, the first to fourth light sources 1a
1 to 4d and first to fourth recesses 6a to 6d, spacers each having a thickness of about 0.2 to 0.5 mm are inserted. The width of the Kamaboko optical medium 26 can be selected according to the purpose of use of the illuminant according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, it may be smaller than 30 ^mmφ or ^larger than 100 mmφ. In FIG. 1, four light sources 1a to 1d
Is shown, but even if the number of light sources is five or more,
Three or less is acceptable. However, if it is for bicycles, 3
About 5 to 5 is sufficient. Although FIG. 5 shows a structure in which four light sources 1a to 1d are two-dimensionally arranged on the same plane level, the light source has a two-layer structure, and the first and second light sources 1a, 1
b, a three-dimensional arrangement in which the third and fourth light sources 1c and 1d are arranged in a lower layer may be used. Further, similarly to the second embodiment, the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d are respectively provided with the first light sources 1a to 1d.
Alternatively, a fourth rear mirror may be provided.

For lighting purposes such as bicycle lamps and flashlights, as described in the second embodiment, white LEDs are preferred because they are natural for human eyes. As described in the second embodiment, the white LED may adopt a structure in which three RGB LED chips are vertically stacked or arranged close to each other in one package. That is, inside the bullet-shaped resin sealing body,
What is necessary is just to prepare the 1st thru | or 4th white LED which respectively mount three LED chips of RGB. When the battery case and the battery (eg, AA battery) in the battery case are housed so that a predetermined voltage can be applied to each of the first to fourth white LEDs, a bicycle lamp is completed. It goes without saying that this bicycle lamp may be provided with an attachment to be attached to a bicycle handle or the like. The anode and the cathode of this battery are
First to fourth white light sources LE as first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d
What is necessary is just to make the structure which connects the electrode of D. As a result, it is possible to provide a bicycle lamp and a flashlight with a simple structure and low manufacturing cost. The bicycle lamp and the flashlight have excellent long-term stability and reliability, and particularly have a very long battery life due to low power consumption.

The optical medium 26 according to a third embodiment of the present invention has different refractive index n ₁ is the refractive index n ₀ of air. First of the first to fourth concave portions 6a to 6d of the optical medium 26
The fourth to fourth concave side walls 5a to 5d also have the first to fourth light sources 1a.
-1d can function as an effective light incident portion. Between the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d and the first to fourth recesses 6a to 6d of the optical medium 26, light components reflected at respective interfaces are multiple-reflected and become stray light components. In a conventionally known optical system such as a lens, these stray light components cannot be extracted so as to contribute to illumination. But,
In the third embodiment of the present invention, these stray light components are also confined inside the first to fourth recesses 6a to 6d, so that they can eventually be components that can contribute to illumination. As described above, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d are the first light sources 1a to 1d of the optical medium 26.
Since it is almost completely confined in the first to fourth concave portions 6a to 6d, all output light including stray light components emitted from the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d can effectively contribute to illumination.

As described above, according to the illuminant according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a light beam having desired parallelism that can be used as a bicycle lamp is secured, and a desired illuminance is obtained. Can be easily obtained. This illuminance is an illuminance that cannot be achieved by a conventionally known optical system such as a lens. Thus, according to the luminous body according to the third embodiment of the present invention,
Illuminance that cannot be predicted at all with the conventional common sense can be realized with a simple structure as shown in FIG.

As the optical medium 26 used for the luminous body according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a transparent plastic material,
A glass material or the like can be used, and a colored resin or a resin containing a fluorescent material can also be used. Among them, a thermoplastic resin such as an acrylic resin or a polyvinyl chloride resin is used for the optical medium 26.
Is a suitable material for mass-producing. In other words, once a mold is made and extrusion molding or injection molding is performed using this mold, the optical medium 26 can be easily mass-produced. Various glass materials such as quartz glass, soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, and lead glass can be used as the glass material. Alternatively, a crystalline material such as ZnO, ZnS, or SiC may be used. As the first to fourth light sources 1a to 1d, in addition to LEDs, incandescent bulbs such as halogen lamps, or other light sources such as small discharge tubes and non-polar discharge lamps can be used. Considering the heat generated by the halogen lamp or the like, in the case of a light source that generates heat, the optical medium 26 is preferably made of a heat-resistant optical material. As the heat-resistant optical material, heat-resistant glass such as quartz glass and sapphire glass is preferable. Alternatively, a heat-resistant optical material such as a heat-resistant resin such as a polycarbonate resin can be used. A crystalline material such as ZnO, ZnS, or SiC may be used.

In order to prevent a traffic accident due to non-lighting running as described at the beginning, a lightness sensor may be provided so that the light is automatically turned on when it becomes dark. Since the LED consumes less power, it may be turned on unattended. However, in order to further extend the life of the battery, a weight sensor may be provided on the saddle and / or the pedal so as to be turned on only during operation. That is, a logical product (AND) circuit of the signal of the lightness sensor and the signal of the weight sensor may be provided so that the light is automatically turned on only when the vehicle is dark and only during driving, and is automatically turned off when the signal of the weight sensor disappears.

(Fourth embodiment: rod-shaped illuminant) FIG. 6
FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along an axial direction for illustrating a rod-shaped light-emitting body according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the AA direction in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the luminous body according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is disposed to face each other, and has a first light source 41 and a second light source 42 emitting light of a predetermined wavelength, and A first optical medium 51 and a second optical medium 52 having first and second well-shaped concave portions that cover the main light-emitting portions almost completely, respectively, from the first light source 41 and the second light source 42.
At least.

That is, the first optical medium 51 has a first incident surface as a bottom, and a first well-type recess formed by a recess sidewall formed continuously with the bottom, and a first well. A first light emitting surface for emitting light incident from the light incident surface, a first light transmission for connecting the first light incident surface and the first light emitting surface, and transmitting light emitted from the first light source 41; And at least a part. On the other hand, the second optical medium 52 has a second incident surface as a bottom, a second well-shaped concave portion composed of a concave side wall formed continuously with the second incident surface, and a second incident surface. A second exit surface for emitting the incident light; a second entrance surface;
And a second light transmission unit for transmitting light emitted from the second light source 42.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the first exit surface of the first optical medium 51 has a curved surface composed of a continuous step-shaped portion composed of four inclined surfaces and three flat surfaces. I have. Similarly, the second exit surface of the second optical medium 52 has a second exit surface formed of a continuous stepped portion including four inclined surfaces and three flat surfaces. By arranging the first and second emission surfaces to face each other, output light is emitted upward in FIG. 6A via the respective inclined surfaces. However, the number of inclined surfaces and the number of flat surfaces constituting the continuous step-shaped portion can be arbitrarily selected in design. Further, the second and second emission surfaces constituting the first and second emission surfaces may be gently curved surfaces having a predetermined radius of curvature. In order to emit light in a specific direction (upward in FIG. 6A), it is of course preferable to dispose the reflector 72 on the opposite side of the direction of the output light from the first and second emission surfaces. It is. In FIG. 6A, the reflection plate 72 also plays a role of a support substrate on which the first optical medium 51 and the second optical medium 52 are mounted. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the reflection plate 72, the first optical medium 51, the second optical medium 52, and the like are housed inside a cylindrical outer cover 71. Further, the first light source 41 and the second light source 42 include a first terminal portion 34 and a second terminal portion 3 connected to respective concave portions of the first optical medium 51 and the second optical medium 52.
5 fixed.

Note that the first optical medium 51 and the second optical medium 52 may be formed of a thin transparent material so as to be continuous with each other. That is, the first optical medium 51, the second optical medium 52, and the thin transparent material of the connecting portion may be made of the same material to be integrally formed.

The rod-shaped light-emitting body according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention can be interpreted as a structure in which two light-emitting bodies according to the first embodiment are prepared and arranged to face each other. . That is, the first light source 41 and the second light source 42 may be any of an incandescent bulb, a small discharge tube, a non-polar discharge lamp, and a semiconductor light emitting element. As the semiconductor light emitting element, LEDs of various colors (wavelengths) can be used. However, for lighting purposes, white LEDs may be preferred because they are natural to the human eye. By arranging the first light source 41 and the second light source 42 facing each other in this manner, a rod-shaped (one-dimensional) light emitter suitable for a lighting device can be formed. First optical medium 5 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention
As the first and second optical media 52, heat-resistant optical materials are preferable in consideration of heat generation of the light source 1. As the heat-resistant optical material, heat-resistant glass such as quartz glass and sapphire glass is preferable. Alternatively, a heat-resistant optical material such as a heat-resistant resin such as a polysulfone resin, a polyether sulfone resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polyetheresteramide resin, a methacrylic resin, an amorphous polyolefin resin, or a polymer material having a perfluoroalkyl group is used. Can be used. A crystalline material such as zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc sulfide (ZnS), and silicon carbide (SiC) may be used. In the case where a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED is used as the light source 1, a resin having a low heat resistance such as an acrylic resin can be used because it does not generate heat.

In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the first light source 41 and the second light source 42 are almost completely enclosed in the first and second recesses, respectively. The stray light components from 41 and 42 can effectively contribute to illumination. In addition, between the first light source 41 and the first concave portion of the first optical medium 51 and between the second light source 42 and the second concave portion of the first optical medium 52 at respective interfaces. The reflected light components are multiple reflected and become stray light components. These stray light components are also confined inside the concave portions, and may eventually be components that can contribute to illumination.

(Fifth Embodiment: Planar Light Emitting Body) FIG. 7
FIG. 7B is a schematic top view of a planar light emitting device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7A is a BB view of FIG. 7B.
It is the typical sectional view seen from the direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, a planar light emitting device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,. , And a plurality of second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,... And a plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,.
.. and a plurality of second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,...
.. Are composed of a first optical medium 61 and a second optical medium 62 that almost completely cover the respective main light-emitting portions.

The first optical medium 61 has a first incident surface,
The first light source 41a, 41b, 41c,... Formed of a solid transparent to the wavelength of light emitted from the first light source 41a, 41b, 41c,.
A light transmitting unit, a plurality of first recesses having an incident surface at the bottom, for accommodating a main light emitting unit of the first light source 41, and a first optical transmitting unit for transmitting light incident from the incident surface. And a first light exit surface that emits light through the light emitting device. On the other hand, the second optical medium 6
Reference numeral 2 denotes a second incident surface made of a second incident surface and a second solid made of a solid transparent to the wavelength of light emitted from the plurality of second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,. 2, a second light transmitting unit, a plurality of second recesses having a second incident surface at the bottom, for accommodating the main light emitting unit of the second light source 42, and light incident from the second incident surface. And a second exit surface composed of a second exit surface for exiting through the second optical transmission unit. The first and second recesses have a well shape.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the first exit surface of the first optical medium 61 has a curved surface composed of a continuous step-shaped portion composed of four inclined surfaces and three flat surfaces. I have. Similarly, the second exit surface of the second optical medium 62 has a second exit surface formed of a continuous step-shaped portion including four inclined surfaces and three flat surfaces. And, by arranging the first and second emission surfaces opposite to each other, the output light is configured to be emitted upward in FIG. 7A via the respective inclined surfaces. However, the second and second emission surfaces constituting the first and second emission surfaces may be gentle curved surfaces having a predetermined radius of curvature. In order to emit light in a specific direction (upward in FIG. 7A), it is needless to say that it is preferable to dispose the reflector 72 on the side opposite to the direction of the output light from the first and second emission surfaces. It is. In FIG. 7A, the reflection plate 7
Reference numeral 2 also functions as a support substrate on which the first optical medium 61 and the second optical medium 62 are mounted. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a bottom plate 37 is disposed below these reflection plates 72, and an outer cover 38 is provided above the first optical medium 61 and the second optical medium 62. . The plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,... And the plurality of second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,.
The first optical medium 61 and the second optical medium 62 are fixed by the outer peripheral portion 36 connected to the respective concave portions and the bottom plate 37. Although not shown, a predetermined spacer is inserted between the plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,... And the outer peripheral portion 36 or the bottom plate 37.
Similarly, a plurality of second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,
A predetermined spacer is inserted and fixed between the outer peripheral portion 36 and the bottom plate 37.

The first optical medium 61 and the second optical medium 62 may be formed of a thin transparent material so as to be continuous with each other. That is, the first optical medium 61, the second optical medium 62, and the thin transparent material of the connection portion may be made of the same material, and thus may be integrally formed.

The planar illuminant according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention can be interpreted as a structure in which the rod-shaped illuminators according to the fourth embodiment are arranged in parallel. The plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,...
Any of a small discharge tube, a non-polar discharge lamp, and a semiconductor light emitting element may be used. Similarly, a plurality of second light sources 42g,
Reference numerals 42h, 42i,... Denote light sources such as incandescent bulbs, small discharge tubes, non-polar discharge lamps, and semiconductor light emitting elements. As the semiconductor light emitting element, LEDs of various colors (wavelengths) can be used. However, for illumination purposes, white LEDs are preferred. These light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,.
, 42g, 42h, 42i,... Have a convex curved surface as shown in FIG. 7A. The light from the light source is shown in FIG.
In (a), they are output in the left-right direction to face each other. In this manner, the plurality of first light sources 41 facing each other
a, 41b, 41c,... and a plurality of second light sources 4
By arranging 2g, 42h, 42i,...
A plate-shaped (two-dimensional) light emitter suitable for a lighting device can be formed. As the first optical medium 61 and the second optical medium 62 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, heat-resistant optical materials are preferable in consideration of heat generation of the light source 1. As the heat-resistant optical material, heat-resistant glass such as quartz glass and sapphire glass is preferable. Alternatively, a heat-resistant optical material such as a heat-resistant resin such as a polysulfone resin, a polyether sulfone resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polyetheresteramide resin, a methacrylic resin, an amorphous polyolefin resin, or a polymer material having a perfluoroalkyl group is used. Can be used. A crystalline material such as zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc sulfide (ZnS), and silicon carbide (SiC) may be used. In the case where a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED is used as the light source 1, a resin having a low heat resistance such as an acrylic resin can be used because it does not generate heat.

In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, as already described in the first embodiment, a plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,. Since the second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,... Are almost completely confined in the concave portions of the first optical medium 61 and the second optical medium 62, respectively, stray light from these light sources is obtained. The components can effectively contribute to the illumination.
Further, a plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,.
.. And the concave portions of the first optical medium 61, and between the plurality of second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,. The components of the light reflected at the interface are multiple reflected and become stray light components. These stray light components are confined inside the concave portion, and may eventually be components that can contribute to illumination.

As described above, according to the planar light emitting device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, a small number of first light sources 4
1a, 41b, 41c,..., 42g, 42h, 42
can be used for room lighting and backlight lighting of liquid crystal display devices such as personal computers using i.
A desired illuminance can be easily obtained.

In FIG. 7, a plurality of first light sources 41a, 41b, 41c,... Are on the left, and a plurality of second light sources 42g, 42h, 42i,. Are arranged on the right side and opposed to each other, but a plurality of similar third light sources are arranged along the upper side of the rectangle shown in FIG.
May be arranged along the lower side of the rectangle shown in FIG. 7 and the four sides may be surrounded by an array of light sources.

In FIG. 7, the first optical medium 6
Although the first and second optical media 62 are arranged in parallel with the first and second emission surfaces facing each other,
In a configuration in which four sides are surrounded by an arrangement of light sources, steps or curved portions may be arranged on a concentric square or concentric circle. For example, the geometric shape may be designed so that an optical path is formed almost uniformly inward from a conical or hemispherical slope.
That is, an optical system is configured such that the light emitted from the plurality of light sources arranged on each of the four sides is emitted upward in FIG. 7A while maintaining the optical paths inclined in the center line direction. May be. In the case of arranging steps or curved surfaces on concentric squares or concentric circles, the optical medium can be formed integrally.

(Sixth Embodiment: Planar Light Emitting Element)
In the first and second embodiments, it has been described that a lighting fixture or the like can be configured by arranging a plurality of luminous bodies of the present invention. In a sixth embodiment of the present invention, an application example in which a plurality of light emitters are arranged will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, the planar light emitting device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of light sources 211, 212, 213,... , 22
, 226, 231,..., 236, and a plurality of optical media 111, 112, 113 that house the main light emitting portion of the light source and emit light of the light source with a fixed directivity.・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ 11
6, 121,..., 126, 131,.
A main reflector 12 composed of a plane mirror for reflecting light from a plurality of optical media, and a translucent plate 11 arranged at a certain angle to the main reflector and transmitting the light reflected by the main reflector. At least have. The planar illuminant according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention further includes a main reflector 12 and a translucent plate 11.
And a side reflection plate (first side reflection plate) 13 is provided between the first and second side reflection plates. Although not shown, another side reflector (a second side reflector) is provided opposite to the side reflector 13. A plurality of light sources 211, 212, 213,
....., 216, 221, ..., 226, 231, ...
., 236 are fixed to each other by the rear plate 15.
A triangular prism-shaped cavity is formed by the main reflector 12, the translucent plate 11, the side reflector (first side reflector) 13, another side reflector (second side reflector), and the rear plate 15. I have. Although not shown, the plurality of light sources 211, 212, 21
, 216,221, ..., 226,231
, 236 are connected to the light source socket and a predetermined voltage is applied. The plurality of optical media 111, 112,
113,..., 116, 121,.
The bundle of 1,..., 136 can be used as various lighting fixtures and signal lights even when used alone.

The optical medium 116 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention has the same structure as that shown in FIG. 1 in the first embodiment. Other plural optical media 11
2,113, ..., 116,121, ..., 126,
, 136 have the same structure as that of FIG. A plurality of optical media 111, 112, 113, ..., 116, 121, ... according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.
, 126, 131,..., 136, the light source 2
11, 212, 213, ..., 216, 221, ...
, 226, 231,..., 236, heat-resistant optical materials are preferred. As the heat-resistant optical material, heat-resistant glass such as quartz glass and sapphire glass is preferable. Alternatively, a heat-resistant optical material such as a heat-resistant resin such as a polysulfone resin, a polyether sulfone resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polyetheresteramide resin, a methacrylic resin, an amorphous polyolefin resin, or a polymer material having a perfluoroalkyl group is used. Can be used. Zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc sulfide (ZnS), silicon carbide (Si
A crystalline material such as C) may be used. The light sources 211 and 21
2,213, ..., 216,221, ..., 226
When a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED is used as 231,..., 236, a resin having low heat resistance such as an acrylic resin can be used because it does not generate heat.

The main reflector 12, the first and second side reflectors may be made by polishing the surface of a metal such as aluminum (Al), brass, stainless steel or the like. It may be gold (Au) plated. Alternatively, a structure in which a metal thin film having a high reflectivity such as an Al foil or a highly reflective polyester white film or the like is adhered to the surface of the resin substrate may be used. As the translucent plate 11, a white fine powder having a high refractive index such as TiO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , BaS
A milk half plate such as a resin plate in which O ₄ is dispersed in a resin or the like may be used (more specifically, a methacrylic resin milk half plate or the like may be used). Further, the translucent plate 11 may be a material obtained by roughening the surface of a milk semi-plate or a transparent plate, or a resin plate formed by kneading other light scattering particles into a transparent molding material. Alternatively, the translucent plate 11 may be configured by attaching a resin film having a roughened surface such as matting on one or both surfaces to the surface. Further, the translucent plate 11 can use a colored or transparent material depending on the emission color of the light source.

According to the planar illuminant according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a uniform and desired illuminance over a wide area without requiring a large number of light sources.

In FIG. 8, a plurality of optical media 1
11,..., 116, 121,.
, 136 are arranged in a 3 × 6 matrix, but it is not necessary to limit the arrangement to such a matrix. For example, a plurality of first-layer optical media 131,...
, 136 and a plurality of optical media 121 of the second layer,.
26 are shifted from each other by ピ ッ チ pitch, and the plurality of optical media 121,..., 126 of the second layer and the plurality of optical media 111,. Needless to say, it may be a close-packed arrangement shifted by 1/2 pitch.

(Seventh Embodiment: Planar Light-Emitting Body) FIG.
As shown in (a), the planar light emitter according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention includes an integrated optical medium 31 having a plurality of well-shaped concave portions and a plurality of convex portions opposed to the concave portions, A plurality of light sources 211, 212, 213,..., 216, 22 that emit light of a predetermined wavelength stored in the plurality of well-shaped concave portions.
, 226, 231,..., 236, and the main reflector 12 composed of a plane mirror that reflects light from a plurality of convex portions
(However, in the bird's-eye view of FIG. 9A, the main reflector is not shown because it is on the back side), and the light reflected by the main reflector 12 is arranged at a certain angle with the main reflector 12. And a translucent plate 11 that transmits light. In the planar light emitting device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, a side reflector (first side reflector) 13 is further provided between the main reflector 12 and the translucent plate 11. . Although not shown because it is on the back side in the bird's-eye view of FIG. 9A, another side reflector (second side reflector) is provided opposite to the side reflector 13. . The integrated optical medium 31 is fixed to the rear plate 15. Main reflector 12, translucent plate 11, side reflector (first side reflector)
13. Another side reflector (second side reflector) and rear plate 1
5 is similar to the sixth embodiment in that a triangular prism-shaped cavity is formed. The other points are the same as those described in the sixth embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

As described above, the provision of the integrated optical medium 31 facilitates the assembly of the planar light emitter. Therefore,
In the sixth embodiment, the productivity is improved as compared with the case where a large number of optical media are individually manufactured. Even when the integrated optical medium 31 is used alone (naked), it has sufficient brightness and beam parallelism, so that it can be used as various lighting fixtures and signal lights.

FIG. 9B is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to a modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.
The outer peripheral surface of the integrated optical medium 31 shown in FIG. 9A has a waveform shape composed of a plurality of cylindrical surfaces, whereas the outer peripheral surface of the integrated optical medium 32 shown in FIG. 9B is formed of a flat surface. Is different. 9 (a) shows the seventh embodiment of the present invention.
Since it is the same as the planar light-emitting body according to the embodiment, the duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to another modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.
The integrated optical medium 32 shown in FIG.
This is an example in which three units are assembled to form a large-area planar light-emitting body. That is, in FIG. 10, the first integrated optical medium 32a and the second integrated optical medium 32b are arranged adjacent to each other. Then, the first integrated optical medium 32a
18 light sources 211a, 212a, 2
, 216a, 221a, ..., 226
, 236a are provided in the plurality of concave portions of the second integrated optical medium 32b by the other 18 light sources 211.
b, 212b, 213b,..., 216b, 221
, 226b, 231b, ..., 236b are stored respectively. A planar light-emitting body according to another modified example of the seventh embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 10 further includes a main reflector 8 composed of a plane mirror and a predetermined angle with the main reflector 8. And at least a translucent plate 16 that transmits light reflected by the main reflecting plate 8. The main reflector 8 and the translucent plate 16 have twice the area of the main reflector 12 and the translucent plate 11 shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to still another modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.
This is an example in which the unitary optical medium 32 shown in FIG. 9B is used as a unit, and four units are assembled to form a planar light-emitting body having a larger area than that of FIG. That is, in FIG. 11, a third integrated optical medium 32c and a fourth integrated optical medium 32d are arranged under the structure adjacent to the first integrated optical medium 32a and the second integrated optical medium 32b. Is formed. And FIG.
The planar light-emitting body shown in FIG.
And a translucent plate 18 arranged at a fixed angle to the main reflector 9 and transmitting the light reflected by the main reflector 9. The main reflection plate 9 and the translucent plate 18 are shown in FIG.
It is also possible to make the area four times as large as the main reflector 12 and the translucent plate 11 shown in FIG. Further, if the angle is selected, the area need not be quadrupled.

(Eighth Embodiment: Planar Light Emitting Body) FIG.
As shown in the figure, the planar light-emitting body according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention accommodates a plurality of light sources 211,... Optical media 311, 312, 313, 321, 322, and 33 that emit light with different characteristics
1, 332, 333, a main reflector 12 composed of a plane mirror that reflects light from a plurality of optical media, and a half that is arranged at a fixed angle to the main reflector and transmits light reflected by the main reflector. And at least a transparent plate 11. A plurality of optical media 311, 312, 313, 321, 322, 323, 3
31, 332 and 333 have a flat structure that extends in the horizontal direction, unlike the optical medium of the planar light-emitting body according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of optical media 311, 312,
313 and the plurality of optical media 321 and 322 are 1 /
The layers are stacked with a shift of two pitches. Further, a plurality of optical media 321 and 322 and a plurality of optical media 331, 332 and 33
3 are similarly shifted from each other by ピ ッ チ pitch (however, it is needless to say that they may be arranged in a 3 × 3 matrix similar to the sixth embodiment of the present invention). . Then, the planar light-emitting body according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention comprises:
Further, between the main reflector 12 and the translucent plate 11, a side reflector (first side reflector) 13 is provided. Although not shown, another side reflector (a second side reflector) is provided opposite to the side reflector 13. The plurality of light sources 211 are fixed to each other by the rear plate 15. A triangular prism-shaped cavity is formed by the main reflector 12, the translucent plate 11, the side reflector (first side reflector) 13, and another side reflector (second side reflector and) a rear plate 15. I have.

As shown in FIG. 12B, the eighth embodiment of the present invention
The flat optical medium 311 according to the embodiment has a long axis W and a short axis H. And this flat optical medium 311
Is configured to cover the main light emitting portion of the light source 211 almost completely. Other plurality of flat optical media 312, 31
3,321,322,323,331,332,333
The same applies to. In the center axis of the flat optical medium 311, a well-shaped concave portion for accommodating the main light-emitting portion of the light source 211 is provided, and the concave portion is disposed to face the bottom portion functioning as an incident surface and the incident surface, It has an emission surface for emitting light. Since the light source 211 is almost completely confined in the concave portion of the flat optical medium 311, these stray light components can effectively contribute to illumination. That is, the side wall of the concave portion other than the incident surface (bottom) can also function as an effective light incident portion. The light source 211 and the flat optical medium 31
The light component reflected at each interface between the first concave portion and the first concave portion is multiple-reflected and becomes a stray light component. In the eighth embodiment of the present invention, these stray light components are also confined inside the concave portions, and may eventually become components that can contribute to illumination. In this manner, according to the flat optical medium 311 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention, the light beam having a desired irradiation area can be used as a light beam that contributes to illumination without requiring a large number of light sources 211. And uniform and desired illuminance can be easily obtained over a wide area.

Other details are the same as those described in the sixth embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

(Ninth Embodiment: Planar Light Emitting Element) In the sixth to eighth embodiments of the present invention, a single-sided planar light emitting element that emits light in one direction has been described. A two-sided planar light-emitting body that emits light in two directions opposite to each other may simply be a single-sided planar light-emitting body bonded to each other back to back.

FIG. 13 is a view showing another double-sided planar illuminant as a ninth embodiment of the present invention. That is, in FIG. 13, the first integrated optical medium 33a and the second integrated optical medium 33b are composed of a main reflector 43 made of a plane mirror.
Are arranged to face each other. The main reflection plate 43 is a double-sided mirror, and includes a first integrated optical medium 33a and a second integrated optical medium 33a.
Is disposed obliquely with the integrated optical medium 33b. The first integrated optical medium 33a is provided with 18 concave portions, and 18 light sources (not shown) are inserted into the 18 concave portions. Similarly, the second integrated optical medium 33b is provided with 18 concave portions, and the 18 concave portions are provided.
The other 18 light sources 211b, 212b, 2
.., 216b, 221b,.
, 236b are stored respectively. The double-sided planar light-emitting body according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 13 is further arranged at a certain angle with the main reflector 43, and reflects the light reflected by the main reflector 43. The first translucent plate 73 that transmits light, and the first translucent plate 7
3 and at least a second translucent plate 74 arranged in the direction opposite to the main reflector 43. In FIG. 13, light reflected on the front surface of the main reflector 43 is emitted upward, and light reflected on the back surface of the main reflector 43 is emitted downward. Other points are the same as those of the planar light-emitting body according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, and thus redundant description will be omitted.

According to the ninth embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easily provide a double-sided planar light-emitting body having a uniform and desired illuminance without requiring a large number of light sources.

(Tenth Embodiment: Planar Light Emitting Element) FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another single-sided planar light-emitting body as a tenth embodiment of the present invention. That is, in FIG. 14, a first integrated optical medium 34a and a second integrated optical medium 34b are arranged to face each other via a Λ-shaped main reflector. The 反射 -shaped main reflector is a first mirror made of a plane mirror.
Of the main reflection plate 85 and the second main reflection plate 86. The first main reflector 85 is a plane mirror that mainly reflects light from the first integrated optical medium 34a, and the second main reflector 86 is mainly a mirror that reflects light from the second integrated optical medium 34b. It is a plane mirror that reflects light. The first integrated optical medium 34a is provided with 18 concave portions, and 18 light sources (not shown) are inserted into the 18 concave portions.
Similarly, the second integrated optical medium 34b is provided with eighteen concave portions, and the other eighteen light sources 5 are provided in the eighteen concave portions.
, 516b, 521b, ..., 526
, 536b are respectively stored. The planar light-emitting body according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 14 further includes a first main reflector 85 and a second main reflector 85.
And a translucent plate 53 that transmits the light reflected by the first main reflector 85 and the second main reflector 86. The first main reflector 85 and the second main reflector 8 are arranged in a direction parallel to the translucent plate 53.
In the opposite direction with respect to 6, a bottom plate 54 is arranged.
As shown in FIG. 14, the connection between the first main reflection plate 85 and the second main reflection plate 86, that is, the top of the Λ-shape, has a constant distance d.
And is separated from the translucent plate 53. Translucent plate 5
By setting the constant distance d from 3, the shadow at the top of the triangle can be prevented from being observed from the surface of the translucent plate 53. Other points are the same as those of the planar light-emitting body according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, and thus redundant description will be omitted.

According to the planar illuminant according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention, a large area having a long dimension in the longitudinal direction can be uniformly illuminated without requiring a large number of light sources.

FIG. 15 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar illuminant according to a modification of the tenth embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 15, a pyramid (quadrangular pyramid) including a first main reflector 81, a second main reflector 82, a third main reflector 83, and a fourth main reflector 84 in the center of a plane mirror.
Are provided, and along the four bases of the quadrangular pyramid, there are provided walls made up of a set of 3 × 12 = 36 optical media in which 12 optical media are laminated in three layers. That is,
Along the base of the isosceles triangle forming the first main reflector 81, the optical media 622d, 621d, 620d,.
, 722d are stacked and optical media 611c, 612c, 613c,..., 622 are formed along the base of the isosceles triangle forming the second main reflector 82.
, 811c,... are stacked. Further, along the base of the isosceles triangle constituting the third main reflector 83, the optical media 611b,.
, 711b,... 722b, 811b,.
The optical media 611a,..., 6 are stacked along the base of the isosceles triangle forming the fourth main reflector 84.
22a, 711a,..., 722a, 811a,.
., 822a are stacked. Optical media 611b,...
, 622b, 711b, ... 722b, 811b, ...
, 822b and optical media 611a,.
, 711a,..., 722a, 811a,.
,..., 6 inside the light source 631.
42b, 731b,... 742b, 831b,.
842b and light sources 631a, ..., 642a, 731
, 742a, 831a, ..., 842a are stored. Although not shown, the optical medium 622
, d, 621d, 620d,..., 722d,.
22d and optical media 611c, 612c, 613c,.
, 622c, 711c,..., 811c,. Thus, around the pyramid, 3 × 12 × 4 = 1
A wall consisting of a collection of 44 optical media surrounds, 3 × 1
2 × 4 = 144 light sources are arranged. Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the first main reflector 81, the second main reflector 82, the third main reflector 83, and the fourth main reflector 8 are further provided.
4, the first main reflector 8
1, the second main reflector 82, the third main reflector 83, and the fourth
Has a translucent plate 79 that transmits the light reflected by the main reflection plate 84. In the direction parallel to the translucent plate 79 and the first
A bottom plate 65 is arranged in the opposite direction with respect to the main reflector 81, the second main reflector 82, the third main reflector 83, and the fourth main reflector 84. Although illustration is omitted, FIG.
As in 4, the tops of the pyramids make a certain distance d,
It is separated from the translucent plate 79. By being spaced apart from the translucent plate 79 by a certain distance d, the shadow at the top of the quadrangular pyramid can be prevented from being observed from the surface of the translucent plate 79. Other points are the same as those of the planar light-emitting body according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, and thus redundant description will be omitted. In addition, a configuration in which a quadrangular pyramid is surrounded using an integrated optical medium as in FIG. 14 is also possible.

According to the planar light emitting device according to the modification of the tenth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 15, a relatively thin and large area light emitting device can be provided. The effect of reducing the number of light sources becomes more remarkable as the size of the surface light emitter becomes larger. That is, in the planar light emitting device according to the modification of the tenth embodiment of the present invention, it is sufficient to use only about 1/4 to 1/10 or less light sources as compared with the case where no optical medium is used. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of light sources of several hundred levels, and the unit price per area is reduced.

(Other Embodiments) As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the first to tenth embodiments. However, the description and drawings constituting a part of this disclosure limit the present invention. It should not be understood that there is. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples, and operation techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

For example, the outer shapes of the optical media 2, 21, 24 and the like do not necessarily have to be optically flat, and may have fine irregularities such as crystal glass. If fine irregularities are provided, the output light diverges in all directions, which is advantageous in the case of backlight illumination or indirect illumination.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, light transmitting portions 4R, 4G, 4B of different colors may be formed between the entrance surface 2 and the exit surface 3. Here, the light transmission unit 4R is a red light transmission unit, the light transmission unit 4G is a green light transmission unit, and the light transmission unit 4B is a blue light transmission unit. However, other colors may be used. The color is not limited to three different colors, and may be four or more or two or less.
The reason for two or less is that only the light transmission section is colored glass and the remaining optical medium 25 is transparent glass, or the remaining optical medium 25 is colored glass of a color different from that of the light transmission section. It is intended to include cases. Conversely, only the light transmission section may be made of transparent glass, and the remaining optical medium 25 may be made of colored glass.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 17, a display groove 66 may be provided on the surface of the light exit surface 3 to display characters and patterns. Alternatively, fine irregularities may be provided on the surface of the emission surface 3 to display characters and images.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, a structure in which a rear mirror 55 having a curved surface is formed on the rear surface of the optical medium 25 is shown. The rear mirror 55 is preferably a spheroid for focusing on a specific position, and a paraboloid of revolution for a parallel beam. But,
Depending on the purpose, other geometric shapes such as a conical surface as shown in FIG. 18 can be adopted as the rear mirror 57.

In the description of the sixth to tenth embodiments, the translucent plates 11, 16, 18, 41, 42, 53,
Although the structure having the structures 79 and 97 has been described, a transparent plate may be used instead of the translucent plate, and the translucent plate or the transparent plate may be omitted for a certain purpose. Also,
These translucent plates 11, 16, 18, 41, 42, 5
3, 79, 97 and optical media 111 to 116, 121 to 1
26, 131-136, 611a-622a, 711a
.. 722a, 811a to 822a,... Or the integrated optical media 31, 32, etc., may include a fluorescent material or a colored material.

Further, the optical media 111-116, 121-
126, 131-136, 611a-622a, 711
The optical axes of a to 722a, 811a to 822a,... do not necessarily have to be parallel to the translucent plate or the transparent plate. Further, a plurality of optical media 111-116, 121-
It is not necessary that the optical axes of 126, 131 to 136 are all parallel.

Further, in the structure shown in FIG. 13 or 14, the optical media described in the first and second embodiments may be used in place of the integrated optical media 33a, 33b, 34a and 34b. Of course. Conversely, FIG.
Instead of the optical medium used in the structure of No. 5, an integrated optical medium may be used.

As described above, the present invention naturally includes various embodiments and the like not described herein. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is determined only by the invention specifying matters according to the claims that are appropriate from the above description.

[0092]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical medium capable of efficiently condensing output light from a light source such as an incandescent bulb without increasing the size of the optical system.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a luminous body which is inexpensive, has sufficient illuminance, and has long-term stability and reliability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a luminous body according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a light-emitting body according to a modification (Modification 1) of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a light-emitting body according to a modification (Modification 2) of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a luminous body according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a luminous body according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a schematic sectional view along an axial direction showing a rod-shaped light emitting body according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view of FIG. It is sectional drawing seen from the AA direction of a).

FIG. 7B is a schematic top view of a planar light-emitting body according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
It is the typical sectional view seen from the BB direction of (b).

FIG. 8 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9A is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is a modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to an example.

FIG. 10 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to another modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to still another modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic bird's-eye view showing a planar light-emitting body according to a modification of the tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic sectional view showing a luminous body according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a schematic sectional view showing a luminous body according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic sectional view showing a luminous body according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a-1d Light source 2, 2a-2d Incident surface 3 Outgoing surface 4, 4R, 4G, 4B Light transmission part 5, 5a-5d Recess side wall 6, 6a-6d Recess 8,9,12,43,76,96 Main reflector 11, 16, 18, 53, 79, 97 Translucent plate 13, 19, 44, 56, 77, 98, 99 Side reflector 15, 17 Rear plate 20, 21, 25, 26 Optical medium 22 First 23 The second optical medium 24 The third optical medium 27 The first pin 28 The second pin 31, 32 The integrated optical medium 32a, 33a, 34a The first integrated optical medium 32b, 33b, 34b 2 integrated optical medium 32c third integrated optical medium 32d fourth integrated optical medium 34 first terminal end 35 second terminal end 36 outer peripheral part 37 bottom plate 38, 71 outer cover 41, 41a, 41b, 41c ... First light sources 42, 42g, 42h, 42i,... Second light sources 51, 61 First optical media 52, 62 Second optical media 54, 65 Bottom plates 55, 57 Back surface Mirror 66 Display groove 72 Reflector 73 First translucent plate 74 Second translucent plate 81,85 First main reflector 82,86 Second main reflector 83 Third main reflector 84 Fourth Main reflector 91,92 Lead 93,94 Insulator 111-116,121-126,131-136,6
11a to 622a, 711a to 722a, 811a to 8
22a, optical media 86, 211 to 216, 221 to 226, 231 to 23
6,631b to 642b, 731b to 742b, 831
b to 842b,... light source 311 to 312, 321, 322, 331 to 332 Other optical media

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) F21Y 101: 02 F21S 1/00 F

Claims (4)

[Claims] A concave portion comprising an incident surface, a concave portion side wall formed continuously with the incident surface as a bottom portion, an output surface for emitting light incident from the incident surface, An optical medium comprising at least an optical transmission portion connecting an incident surface and the output surface, and made of a heat-resistant optical material. 2. A concave portion comprising: an incident surface; a concave portion having the incident surface as a bottom portion; and a concave side wall formed continuously with the bottom portion; an output surface for emitting light incident from the incident surface; A luminous body having at least an optical transmission unit connecting an incident surface and the emission surface, and comprising an optical medium made of a heat-resistant optical material and a light source housed in the recess. 3. The luminous body according to claim 2, wherein the light source is any one of an incandescent bulb, a small discharge tube, and an electrodeless discharge lamp. 4. A plurality of independent entrance surfaces for receiving a plurality of lights, a plurality of independent concave side walls formed on the bottom, each of the plurality of independent entrance surfaces being formed as a bottom, A plurality of independent well-shaped recesses, and an emission surface comprising a single curved surface that emits a plurality of lights incident from the plurality of incidence surfaces; and connecting the plurality of incidence surfaces and the emission surface. A light emitting body comprising: an optical medium comprising a light transmitting section; and a plurality of light sources housed in the plurality of independent well-shaped recesses.