JP2003165383A - Lighting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting device for vehicle capable of effectively and continuously illuminating an area alone requiring illumination, being used for a large number of applications and providing a variety of illumination effects (decorative effects). <P>SOLUTION: In this lighting device disposed in a vehicle compartment at a roof part, a plurality of LED light sources are disposed on a design surface side so that light emitted from each LED light sources can illuminate a specific area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lighting device for a vehicle interior. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lighting device installed on the roof of a vehicle interior.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An illumination device (room lamp) for illuminating the interior of a vehicle is installed in the roof of a vehicle for the purpose of improving safety when getting on or off the vehicle at night. In such an illuminating device, a bulb is generally used as a light source.

[0003]

In the conventional lighting device using the bulb as the light source, a relatively wide area is illuminated because the directivity of the light emitted from the bulb is low. Therefore, although the visibility of the seat position and the like can be improved to some extent when the passenger gets on the vehicle, it is difficult to effectively illuminate the feet and the like that require illumination. On the other hand, it is difficult to illuminate only a necessary area even when a passenger or a passenger in the rear seat needs a light while traveling. That is, there was a fear that it would illuminate the surroundings unnecessarily and annoy other passengers. Moreover, since the bulb has a large amount of heat generation, it is not suitable for continuous lighting for a long time. Therefore, the conventional illuminating device cannot be used for applications requiring long-time illumination, for example, illumination for reading in a rear seat, and the applications have been very limited. Further, conventionally, a lighting device is generally used which simply switches a state in which the bulb is turned on (illumination state) and a state in which the bulb is extinguished (non-illumination state) in conjunction with opening / closing of a switch or a door. Was monotonous. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an illumination device for a vehicle that can effectively illuminate only an area that requires illumination. Moreover, it aims at providing the illuminating device for vehicles which can be illuminated continuously and can be used for various purposes by this. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle lighting device capable of exhibiting various lighting effects (decorative effects).

[0004]

The present invention has the following constitution in order to solve the above object. An illumination device installed on a roof part in a vehicle compartment, which includes a plurality of LED light sources arranged so that light emitted from each LED light source illuminates a unique area.

According to this structure, the LED having high directivity is provided.
Is used as a light source, and each LED light source is arranged so as to illuminate a unique area, so that spotlight-like illumination with a narrow irradiation range can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to effectively illuminate only the area that needs illumination. Also, by adopting an LED light source that generates a small amount of heat, continuous lighting is possible for a long time, and the range of uses thereof is expanded. Furthermore, since providing a plurality of LED light sources each capable of illuminating a unique area means that various lighting modes can be realized by controlling the lighting state of each LED light source, the lighting with a wide variety of lighting modes is possible. It becomes a device.

In the above structure, a plurality of LED light sources may be a combination of LED light sources having different lighting modes. By doing so, it is possible to configure a lighting device having a wide variety of lighting modes. Then, an appropriate lighting mode can be selected according to the situation, and various lighting effects can be obtained. Further, in addition to the original purpose of improving the visibility of the light irradiation area, it can also be used for the purpose of improving the decorativeness of the vehicle interior. For example,
A plurality of LED light sources that emit light with a predetermined brightness in the first illumination state and one or a plurality of LED light sources that emit light with a predetermined brightness in the second illumination state are combined. An LED light source can be constructed.
According to this structure, for example, a lighting device that can select three modes of an on state (first lighting state), an off state, or an on state (second lighting state) linked with opening and closing of a door is configured. . In this case, it is possible to use a plurality of LEDs that are turned on only in the first illumination state and a plurality of LEDs that are turned on only in the second illumination state.
Also, a plurality of LEs that are turned on only in the first illumination state
It is also possible to use D in combination with a plurality of LEDs that are turned on in the first illumination state and the second illumination state. The LED light sources of the present invention are not limited to the above two types and may be a combination of three or more LED light sources having different light emission modes.

An LED light source for illuminating each passenger seat (driver's seat, passenger seat, etc.) can be provided. For example, an LED light source is provided in each of the four corners of the lighting device, and the lighting device of the present invention is configured such that the light emitted from each LED light source illuminates the driver's seat, passenger seat, right rear seat, and left rear seat, respectively. be able to. In this case, there are multiple L
An ED light source may be arranged. Further, in addition to the LED light source arranged at each corner, one or a plurality of LED light sources can be arranged at the central portion. LE placed in this center
The D light source can be used, for example, to illuminate the center console or illuminate the entire vehicle interior. When the region in which the LED light source is arranged is divided into a plurality of regions according to the irradiation target as described above, it is preferable that each region can be individually controlled to be lit. For example, a switch for collectively turning on / off the LED light sources included therein is provided for each area.

A light transmissive cover may be provided on the light emitting side of the LED light source. In this case, the light emitted from the LED light source is applied to the passenger compartment through the cover. By subjecting this cover to a desired cutting treatment, coloring, etc., the appearance and color of the light emitted from the outside can be changed. It is also possible to perform such a treatment on a partial area of the cover, and to give such a change only to the light emitted through the area. Further, it is also possible to perform a cutting process or the like in a different mode for each region so that the light emitted from each region has a unique light emission mode.

In addition to the cover or in place of the cover, a lens is provided and the light of the LED light source is converged or diverged by the lens, whereby the irradiation range of the light can be adjusted and changed. If such a lens is installed so that the distance from the LED light source can be changed, it is possible to obtain light in various irradiation ranges by adjusting the position of the lens. In other words, an illumination device that can change the light irradiation range by adjusting the lens position is configured.

The plurality of LED light sources are arranged so that the LED light sources are arranged in a matrix when viewed from the design surface side, for example. By arranging them in a matrix, dot-like light, linear light, planar light, specific shape (for example, T-shape)
Various types of light can be externally radiated, such as the above light. Therefore, it is possible to select an appropriate light emission mode as needed, for example, lighting for the passenger seat only, simultaneous lighting for the passenger seat and the rear seats, lighting for only the console box, or for the central passage of a wagon car, etc. The lighting device is capable of performing a wide variety of lighting such as lighting. In addition, since it is possible to illuminate a necessary and sufficient range, a spotlight-like illumination state can be created, and the illumination effect is high.

In the present invention, an LED light source is used as the light source. Since the LED light source consumes less power and generates less heat and has a long life, it is a light source suitable for continuous lighting for a long time. In addition, since it is small, the entire lighting device can be made smaller and thinner. Therefore, the installation space is small and the vehicle interior space is not occupied. In addition, the small size increases the degree of freedom in the mounting position, and the interior is excellent. LE
The type of LED used for the D light source is not particularly limited,
Various types such as a shell type and a chip type can be adopted.

The emission color of the LED light source is also not particularly limited.
For example, an LED having an emission wavelength in the visible region such as white, red, orange, green, and blue can be adopted. Also, an LED having an emission wavelength in the ultraviolet region can be used. In this case, a phosphor that receives fluorescence in the ultraviolet region and fluoresces can be used together, and the fluorescence can also be used as illumination light. The phosphor can be contained in, for example, a cover installed on the light emitting side of the LED light source. A layer containing a phosphor can be provided on the surface of the cover. It is also possible to use LED light sources of different types and / or different emission colors in combination.

The illuminating device of the present invention is used by being installed on the roof of a vehicle compartment. For example, it can be installed and used in a roof portion between a driver's seat and a passenger seat, a roof portion at substantially equal intervals from a driver's seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A specific configuration of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a vehicle interior lighting device 1 (hereinafter, referred to as “lighting device 1”) which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the same perspective view. Is. The lighting device 1 has a substantially thin plate shape and includes a housing 10 having a rectangular opening for emitting light and an opening for a switch on one side, a plurality of LEDs 21 to 25, a cover 30, and a switch section 40. LEDs 21-2
Reference numeral 5 is a bullet-shaped, amber-colored LED.
The plurality of LEDs 25 arranged in the central portion of the lighting device 1 are
Both are fixed on a substrate (not shown) so that the optical axis thereof is substantially perpendicular to the cover 30. On the other hand, in the LEDs 21 to 24 arranged at the four corners, the respective optical axes of the LEDs 21 to 24 are slightly a little from the direction perpendicular to the cover 30 (in FIG.
In that case, the position is adjusted so that it moves to the upper right.

The cover 30 is made of a light-transmissive resin (for example, polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin), and has a central portion (hatched area), that is, the inside of the portion irradiated with the light from the LED 25, for light diffusion. It has been cut. A switch 40 is provided on the substrate not shown.
A control circuit for controlling the lighting state of the LEDs 21 to 25 is provided corresponding to the position of.

As shown in FIG. 3, the illuminating device 1 is used by being installed substantially at the center of the roof portion 50 in the interior of the automobile with the switch portion 40 side facing the traveling direction. Next, an illumination mode of the illumination device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. In addition, when the LEDs 21 to 25 are shown in black in FIG. 4, it indicates that they are in a lighting state. First, the switch 40 is turned off as shown in FIG.
In the position of, the LEDs 21 to 25 are not turned on. Next, when the switch 40 is in the ON position, a current is supplied to all the LEDs 21 to 25 and the LEDs are turned on (state of FIG. 4A). In this state, LEDs 21-24
Highly directional light illuminates the driver's seat, passenger seat, and left and right rear seats in a spotlight manner. At the same time, the lights of the plurality of LEDs 25 are diffused by the cover 30 and then radiated to the outside to illuminate a wide area in the vehicle interior. On the other hand, when the switch 40 is in the DOOR position, the LEDs 21 to 24 are turned on and off in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door. FIG. 4 (b) shows a state in which one of the doors is opened (that is,
It shows the light emitting state of the illumination device 1 when getting on and off). In this state, the driver seat, the front passenger seat, and the left and right rear seats are illuminated by the highly directional light emitted from the LEDs 21 to 24, and the visibility thereof is enhanced. Here, since the spotlight-like illumination is performed by the light having high directivity, it is possible to effectively illuminate the feet and the like required when getting on and off the vehicle. Moreover, a decorative effect is also exhibited.
In this embodiment, when any of the doors is open, LE
Although it has been decided to turn on all of D21 to D24, control such that only the corresponding LED is turned on (for example, the corresponding LED21 is turned on when the driver's seat door is in the open state).
You can also do Further, when the switch 40 is at the DOOR position, LE is linked with the side light (small light).
It is also possible to turn on D21 to D24. In this case, L
It is also possible to control the brightness of the ED and turn it on faintly.

Next, another embodiment of the vehicle interior illumination device 2 (hereinafter referred to as "illumination device 2") will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 is a plan view of the lighting device 2 on the design surface side, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. In the lighting device 2, the same members as those in the above-described embodiment (lighting device 1) are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the lighting device 2, a cross-shaped opening for emitting light from the plurality of LEDs 26 and the LEDs 21 to 24.
A housing 11 having a circular opening for emitting the light is used. The LEDs 21 to 24 are LEDs that emit amber color, and the LED 26 is an LED that emits white color. A light-transmissive cover 31 having a cutting process inside is attached to the cross-shaped opening. On the other hand, on the light emitting side of the LEDs 21 to 24, lenses 61 to 64 also serving as covers are installed so that the distances to the corresponding LEDs can be changed (see FIG. 6). This lens 6
Reference numerals 1 to 64 denote convex lenses, which are lens frames 61a to 64a.
It is vertically movable (dial type) attached to the housing via. That is, by rotating the lens frames 61a to 64a, the lenses 61 to 64 are moved up and down, whereby the irradiation range of the light externally emitted via the lenses 61 to 64 can be changed. Push-type switches 71 to 74 are provided beside each of the LEDs 21 to 24, and the on / off of the LEDs 21 to 24 can be individually switched by the switches.

The illuminating device 2, like the illuminating device 1, is used by being installed in the central portion of the roof of an automobile. Next, the illumination mode of the illumination device 2 will be described. First, when the switch 40 is in the OFF position as shown in FIG.
21-24 and 26 are not turned on. Next, when the switch 40 is in the ON position, current is supplied to all the LEDs 26 and the LEDs 26 are turned on. In this state, multiple LEDs
The white light 26 is diffused by the cover 31 and radiated to the outside. As a result, the vehicle interior is illuminated over a wide area by the white light. On the other hand, when the switch 40 is in the DOOR position, the LEDs 21 to 24 are interlocked with the opening and closing of the door.
Is turned on and off. That is, when the door is open (that is, when getting on and off), the amber light from the LEDs 21 to 24 illuminates the driver's seat, the passenger seat, and the rear seat like a spotlight. Here, white LED is used as an LED used for a wide range of illumination, while L that illuminates the driver's seat etc. individually.
Since an amber LED is used as the ED, illumination with lights of different colors is performed, and a decorative effect can be obtained.

Then, push type switches 71 to 74,
LED2 regarding the action and effect of the lenses 61 to 64
The light emitted from No. 1 will be described as an example. First, when the push type switch 71 is pressed when the switch 40 is in the OFF or DOOR position, the LED 21 is turned on and lights up. As a result, the light from the LED 21 is applied to the driver's seat side as a spotlight. If the lens frame 61a is rotated to move the lens 61 up and down, LE
The irradiation range of D21 can be changed. That is, by rotating the lens frame 61a, the range of light to be irradiated can be adjusted to a desired range.

As described above, in the lighting device 2, the LED 21
Push-type switch 7 with individual lighting of ~ 24
Since the control can be performed also by 1 to 74, only the necessary LEDs can be turned on depending on the situation. Therefore, for example, when an occupant in the rear seat needs light at hand, by turning on only the LED (LED 63 or 64) for the seat, necessary illumination can be obtained and at the same time, other seats (driver seat, The passenger's seat) is not illuminated unnecessarily, that is, the necessary and sufficient lighting effect is obtained. Further, since the irradiation range of the LEDs 21 to 24 can be adjusted by using the lenses 61 to 64, it is possible to appropriately obtain light in the irradiation range as needed. In the illumination device 2 of this embodiment, the irradiation directions of the LEDs 21 to 24 are fixed and only the irradiation range can be adjusted by the positions of the lenses 61 to 64. However, the irradiation directions of the LEDs 21 to 24 can be manually or electrically moved up and down. It can also be changed left and right. By doing so, more accurate illumination can be performed and a high illumination effect can be obtained, and the range of objects that can be illuminated by one LED is widened, and convenience is improved.

7 and 8 show a vehicle interior lighting device 3 (hereinafter, referred to as "lighting device 3") which is another embodiment of the present invention.
2A and 2B are a plan view and a side view, respectively. The illuminating device 3 is also installed and used on the roof part of the automobile as in the above-mentioned embodiment. In the lighting device 3, the housing 100
Amber LEDs 81 to 85 that irradiate light from through holes provided in the central portion and each corner are used. Also,
Covers 91 to 95 made of a light transmissive resin are used to cover the LEDs 81 to 85. This cover 91-
95 has a cutting process on its inner side. Further, its edge portion is connected to a switch circuit in the housing 100 through a slit provided in the housing 100, and by pushing the covers 91 to 95 toward the housing 100, the corresponding LEDs are switched on and off. To be For example, cover 9
By pressing 1, the LED 81 is turned on and light is emitted through the cover 91. As a result, a part of the vehicle interior (for example, the driver's seat) is illuminated. On the other hand, LED
If the cover 91 is pressed while the light 81 is on, the LED 81 is turned off. Thus, in the lighting device 3, the covers 91 to 9
Each LED is turned on and off by using 5 as a switch.

Next, a vehicle interior lighting device 4 (hereinafter, referred to as "lighting device 4") which is still another embodiment is shown in FIG.
Will be described with reference to. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the lighting device 4 on the design surface side. In the illuminating device 4, the same members as those of the illuminating device 1 of the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the illumination device 4, L which emits amber color is emitted.
The ED 27 and the LED 28 that emits white light are used in combination. As shown in FIG. 9, the LEDs are arranged so that LEDs of the same color form a row. In this embodiment, amber LEDs 27 are arranged in the central row and white LEs are arranged on both sides.
D28 is arranged. A light-transmissive cover 32, which has been subjected to a cutting process inside thereof, is attached to the light emission side of each LED 27, 28.

The illuminating device 4, like the illuminating device 1, is used by being installed in the central portion of the roof of an automobile. Next, the illumination mode of the illumination device 4 will be described. First, switch 40 is O
When in the FF position, the LEDs 27 and 28 are not lit (they are not lit during traveling). Next, when the switch 40 is in the ON position, current is supplied to all the LEDs 27 and 28 to turn them on. In this state, the LED
The amber light emitted from 27 and the white light emitted from the LED 28 are diffused by the cover 32 and emitted to the outside. As a result, mainly the central part of the passenger compartment (for example, the aisle between seats in a 1-box car, the center console part in a sedan car) is illuminated in amber color, and at the same time, the other passenger compartments are illuminated mainly by white light. . On the other hand, when the switch 40 is in the DOOR position, the LEDs 27 and 28 are turned on and off in synchronization with the opening and closing of the door. That is, when the door is open (that is, when getting on and off), all the LEDs 27 and 28 are turned on, and the same lighting effect as above is obtained. Further, the lighting of the LED 27 is performed in conjunction with the lighting of the side lights (small lights), and there is a faint central part of the passenger compartment (for example, a passage between seats in a car of 1 box type, a center console part in a car of sedan type). Is illuminated by amber light. With such illumination, the visibility of the central portion of the vehicle compartment is improved and a decorative effect is obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above description of the embodiments of the invention. Various modifications are also included in the present invention within a range that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a design side plan view of a vehicle interior lighting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle interior lighting device 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially transparent perspective view showing a mounting mode of the vehicle interior lighting device 1.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an illumination mode of the vehicle lighting device 1, (a) is an illumination mode in which a switch 40 is in an ON state,
(b) shows the illumination mode when the door is opened while the switch 40 is off.

FIG. 5 is a design side plan view of a vehicle interior lighting device 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a design side plan view of a vehicle lighting device 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the vehicle interior lighting device 3;

FIG. 9 is a design side plan view of a vehicle lighting device 4 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 2 3 4 Vehicle interior lighting device 10 11 100 housing 21-25 27 81-85 Amber LED 26 28 White LED 30 31 32 91 92 92 93 94 Cover 40 switch 50 Roof part 61-64 lens

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yoshio Sano             Aichi Prefecture Kasuga-cho, Nishikasugai-gun Ochiai character Nagahata 1             Address within Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3K040 AA01 CA05 DA01 EA01 EA03                       EB03 EC03 EC07 FB03 GA02                       GA03 GB01 GB08 GC01

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of LEs arranged such that the light emitted from each LED light source illuminates a respective unique area.
An illumination device equipped with a D light source and installed on a roof portion in a vehicle interior. 2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of LED light sources include LED light sources that respectively illuminate a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat. 3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of LED light sources include an LED light source that illuminates an inter-seat passage. 4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a lens is provided on a light emitting side of at least a part of the plurality of LED light sources so as to be able to change a distance from the LED light source. 5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the LED light sources are arranged in a matrix when viewed from the design surface side. 6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of LED light sources include two or more types of LED light sources that emit different colors.