JP2003231440A - Lighting equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide, with a simple structure, general purpose lighting equipment capable of illuminating a specific area such as an area near an occupant in the interior of a vehicle, capable of providing the high degree of freedom of a mounting positions, and capable of easily performing a switching operation between a non-illumination state and an illumination state by detecting the position of a light source in the non-illumination state. <P>SOLUTION: In this lighting equipment, a LED light source is stored in a casing and a light shielding member slidable or rotatable relative to the casing and having an optical window is installed. In a first state, the light shielding member covers the LED light source on the light emitting side, and light from the LED light source is radiated to the outside through the optical window in the light shielding member. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a lighting device. The lighting device of the present invention can be installed on a roof portion of a vehicle or an aircraft, a wall surface of a seat, a wall surface of a door, or the like, and can be used to illuminate a specific area (for example, a passenger's hand). Also,
The lighting device of the present invention is installed in a vehicle compartment such as a glove box, console box, coin box, accessory case,
It can be applied to a box-shaped storage part such as an ashtray.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is used a system in which a light source unit is installed in a roof portion of a vehicle compartment and the vehicle interior is illuminated by light emitted downward from the roof portion. The lighting state of the light source unit is controlled by a switch installed in, for example, the center console section. In such an illumination system, the visibility is enhanced by turning on a light source when necessary by operating a switch and irradiating light to a preset region such as a center console or a console box.

[0003]

In the above illumination system, a bulb is generally used as a light source forming a light source unit. However, since the bulb generates a large amount of heat due to lighting, it is necessary to consider the thermal influence on surrounding members when installing the light source unit.
Considering the design of the passenger compartment, it is not desirable for the light source in the light source unit to be observed by the occupant during non-illumination, and therefore the light source unit is installed at a position where it is difficult for the occupant to observe it (for example, above the occupant's head). It was common to do. As described above, in the conventional configuration, the installation position is largely restricted in terms of the amount of heat generated by the light source used and the design. Such a constraint also means that the illumination target or illumination area is limited. Therefore, there is a problem in that the versatility is lacking, and a sufficient lighting effect cannot be obtained depending on the purpose of lighting. Further, when the bulb is used as a light source, it is not suitable for continuous lighting for a long time because of the problem of heat generation as described above, and it can be used only for temporary illumination. On the other hand, in order to facilitate the operation of turning on the light source, for example, a light source that is turned on in synchronization with a side-light is provided near the switch, and the switch is displayed by the light of the light source. In such a configuration, a switch light source is provided separately from the illumination light source,
Further, since it is necessary to control the lighting of the light source, the configuration of the entire system becomes complicated. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is a lighting device capable of illuminating a specific area such as a passenger's hand in a room such as a vehicle, which has a degree of freedom of mounting position. And to provide a highly versatile lighting device with a simple configuration. Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device with a simple configuration that can grasp the position of a light source in a non-illuminated state and can easily perform a conversion operation between the non-illuminated state and the illuminated state. Furthermore, it is to provide a lighting device having a high appearance design in a non-illuminated state.

[0004]

The present invention has the following constitution in order to solve at least one of the above objects. LED light source, housing for housing the LED light source, and the LE
A light-blocking member that has an optical window through which light from the D light source can be transmitted and that can slide or rotate with respect to the housing; The lighting device is characterized in that the light emitting side is covered and the light of the LED light source is radiated to the outside through the optical window.

According to this structure, since the LED light source that is small and generates a small amount of heat is used, the entire device becomes compact and the thermal influence on the surroundings is reduced.
The degree of freedom of mounting position is high. Since the mounting position has a high degree of freedom, the range of selection of the illumination target or the illumination area is widened, that is, the illumination device is highly versatile. Moreover, by using a light shielding member that can be slid or the like, it is possible to create an illuminated state or a non-illuminated state by moving the position of the light shielding member, so there is no need to separately provide a switch for converting between these states. , The configuration is simple. Furthermore, the light blocking member
In the first state (non-illuminated state), the light emitting side of the LED light source is covered, and the LED light source is radiated to the outside through the optical window provided in the light shielding member. Even in the illuminated state, the position of the lighting device (the position of the light blocking member) can be ascertained by the light emitted through the optical window. Therefore, the conversion from the non-illuminated state to the illuminated state can be easily performed. In addition, the design of the illuminating device in the non-illuminating state is enhanced by the light emitted from the outside through the optical window of the light shielding member. Therefore, the lighting device has a high appearance design. Furthermore, 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 wide.

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. Moreover, since the size of the lighting device is small, the entire lighting device can be downsized, and the handling property of the lighting device and the degree of freedom of the mounting position can be increased. LED
The type is not particularly limited, and various types such as a bullet type and a tip type can be adopted.

The emission color of the LED light source is not particularly limited.
For example, an LED having an emission wavelength in the visible region such as 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. An LE that can emit light in the visible region and the ultraviolet region
A D light source may be used.

The phosphor can be contained in, for example, a light-shielding member (to be described later) installed on the light emitting side of the LED light source.
For example, a layer containing a phosphor can be provided on the surface of an optical window formed in the light shielding member. When the optical window is made of a light-transmitting resin (light guide), a phosphor may be mixed in the resin. It is also possible to separately provide a layer containing a phosphor.

The type of phosphor used is not particularly limited, and it can be used regardless of whether it is organic or inorganic. By using an organic phosphor, it is possible to obtain light with a clear emission color. On the other hand, when an inorganic phosphor is used, it is possible to obtain light of a luminescent color having a matte feeling. Phosphors having various fluorescent colors can be adopted. For example, in addition to phosphors having fluorescent colors of red, green, or blue which are the three primary colors of light, phosphors that emit intermediate colors thereof can be used. . A plurality of phosphors may be used in combination, and for example, a red phosphor, a green phosphor, and a blue phosphor may be mixed and used.

An LED light source may be formed by combining a plurality of LEDs. In this case, it is possible to use a plurality of LEDs of the same type or to use LEDs of different emission colors in combination. By using a plurality of LEDs, it is possible to obtain effects such as enhancement of luminous intensity (luminance) or illumination of various emission colors by color mixture of light. The number of LEDs used can be determined in consideration of the illumination range, the required brightness, and the like.

The light shielding member has an optical window through which the light of the LED light source can be transmitted, and is provided so as to be slidable or rotatable with respect to the housing in which the LED light source is housed. The position of the light blocking member changes by sliding or rotating,
The state in which the light emitting side of the D light source is covered (first state) and the state in which it is not covered are changed to change the aspect of the light emitted to the outside. When the light blocking member covers the light emitting side of the LED light source (first state), the light emitted from the LED light source is radiated to the outside through the optical window formed in the light blocking member. As a specific example of the light-shielding member, a lid (or a lid portion) of a box-shaped storage portion such as a glove box, a console box, a coin box, an accessory case, and an ashtray installed in a vehicle compartment can be cited.

The optical window can be formed by providing a through hole in a part of the light shielding member. Alternatively, a part of the light shielding member may be formed of a light guide (light transmissive resin) and used as an optical window. In particular,
By filling a through hole provided in a part of the light shielding member with a polycarbonate resin or the like, an optical window made of a light guide can be formed. Further, the edge portion of the light shielding member may be formed of a light guide, and the edge portion may be an optical window. Further, a light-guiding member having a desired size and shape is prepared in advance, and the light-guiding member is attached to a molded product of a material that does not transmit light, thereby providing a light-shielding member partially provided with an optical window (light-guiding member). Can also be configured. It is also possible to use, as a light-shielding member, a member that is made of a material that does not transmit light and that has a through hole (or a plurality of holes) partially provided with a light guide body so as to cover the through hole portion. When such a light shielding member is used, both are arranged so that the light from the LED light source irradiates the surface on the side where the light guide is not installed. With this configuration, the light of the LED light source is introduced into the light guide body after passing through the through hole of the light shielding member, and the light is emitted from the surface of the light guide body.

The shape, size and number of optical windows are not particularly limited. However, when the light shielding member is in the first state,
It is necessary to adopt an optical window having a shape and size sufficient for recognizing the position of the light shielding member (that is, the position of the lighting device) by the light externally emitted through the optical window. On the other hand, if a window having a shape and size that makes the brightness of the light externally radiated through the optical window unnecessarily large is provided, the surroundings are unnecessarily illuminated when the light shielding member is in the first state. This is not preferable because it may result in damage to the design of the installation target (for example, the design of the automobile interior).

When the optical window is formed by the light guide (including the case where the through hole is filled with the light guide and the case where the light guide is installed so as to cover the through hole), the light guide is provided. It is preferable to form a projection-like portion on the surface on the light emission observation surface side. Such a protruding portion is used as an operating portion for sliding or rotating the light shielding member. Here, when the light shielding member is in the first state (that is, the state where the light emitting side of the LED light source is covered), the light is irradiated through the optical window, that is, the light guide, and the light is guided by the light. It is displayed by itself. Therefore, it is easy to visually recognize the protruding portion provided on the light guide, and the light shielding member can be easily slid or rotated using the protruding portion. When the light-shielding member is the lid (or lid portion) of the box-shaped storage portion, an optical window that leaks light from the inside can be provided on the surface of the lid (or lid portion). At this time, the optical window can be formed in, for example, the opening / closing button portion or the handle portion. With such a configuration, when the lid (or the lid portion) is closed (first state), the opening / closing button or the like is illuminated by the light of the light source. As a result, the position of the opening / closing button or the like can be easily grasped even at night when the vehicle interior is dark, so that the lid can be easily opened / closed. The surface of the optical window (the side where the light of the LED is irradiated or the side where the light emission is observed) is subjected to a cutting treatment or a rough surface treatment, or unevenness different from that of the above-mentioned protruding portion is provided, so that the optical It is also possible to change the light emission mode of the light externally emitted through the window.

A color conversion material may be contained in the optical window to convert the color of light emitted externally through the window. For example, an optical window is formed by using a light guide body containing a dye of red, green, blue or an intermediate color thereof. Further, the optical window may contain a phosphor that emits fluorescence upon receiving light from the LED light source. It is also possible to provide a layer containing the color conversion member as described above on the surface of the optical window to convert the color of light emitted to the outside. Such a color conversion layer may be provided at a position apart from the optical window (between the LED light source and the optical window, or between the optical window and the irradiation target).

The lighting device of the present invention can be used for illuminating a predetermined area in a vehicle such as an automobile or a train, or in a room such as an aircraft. For example, it can be installed as a door (door trim), a ceiling, or a seat of an automobile and used as a map light, a reading light, or the like. Further, the lighting device of the present invention can be applied to a box-shaped storage unit such as a glove box, a console box, a coin box, an accessory case, and an ashtray installed in a vehicle compartment.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle interior lighting device 1 (hereinafter referred to as “lighting device 1”) that is an embodiment of the present invention.
The usage figure of is shown. A lamp assembly is installed along the wall surface 50 in the door portion of the automobile, and the lighting device 1 is assembled to the door portion (door trim) via the lamp assembly. 1A shows the non-illuminated state (first state), and FIG. 1B shows the illuminated state. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in FIG. 1, showing an internal configuration of the lighting device 1.

The illumination device 1 is roughly composed of a housing 10, an LED 11, a substrate 12, a lens 13, and a cover 20. The housing 10 is a cylindrical member made of a light-transmissive resin (acrylic resin in this embodiment), and a part thereof is provided with a fixing portion (not shown) for an installation portion (door trim in this embodiment). A substrate 12 on which the LED 11 is mounted and a lens 13 are installed and fixed in the housing 10. The LED 11 is a white type, chip type LED. In this embodiment, two LEDs are used. Lens 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a convex lens, which is installed one by one in the optical axis direction of each LED 11.

The cover 20 is a cylindrical member having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the housing 10, and has a light transmitting portion (transparent portion) 21 and a light non-transmitting portion (opaque portion) 2
2 is provided. As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the transparent portion 21 is formed in a window shape. On the outer surface of the cover 20, a light guide section 23 made of a light guide is provided along the longitudinal axis. The cover 20 as described above is manufactured by forming a part excluding the light guide portion 23 by two-color molding of a black resin and a light transmissive resin, and then separately adhering a rod-shaped light guide body 23 thereto. You can In this embodiment, a black colored acrylic resin is used as the black resin,
A colorless transparent acrylic resin was used as the transparent resin. The light guide 23 is made of a polycarbonate resin colored in blue.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cover 20 is arranged so as to enclose the housing 10. Cover 20 and housing 1
A bearing mechanism is provided between the cover 20 and 0, whereby the cover 20 is rotatable with respect to the housing 10.
A guide groove may be provided on the outer peripheral wall of the housing 10, and the cover 20 may be slidably (rotatably) attached to the housing 10 using the guide groove.

Next, the illumination mode of the illumination device 1 will be described. First, in the non-illuminated state (first state, FIG. 1A), the light guide portion 23 of the cover 20 is in the lowest position. When the small lamp of the automobile is turned on in this state, power is supplied to the LED 11 in synchronization with this and white light is emitted from the LED 11. The emitted light is emitted through the lens 13, and in this state, the light emitting side of the lens 13 is the opaque portion 2 of the cover 20.
Since it is covered by 2, most of the light emitted through the lens 13 is blocked by this opaque section 22. On the other hand, a part of the light is emitted through the lens 13 and then introduced into the light guide portion 23 through the transparent portion 21 of the cover 20. The introduced light is colored blue while passing through the light guide portion 23, and finally emitted from the outer surface of the light guide portion 23. As a result, blue light is observed in a line from the occupant. Since this line-shaped light causes the light guide section 23 to emit light, the occupant can recognize the position of the light guide section 23 by relying on the light, and thus the cover using the light guide section 23. The rotation operation of 20, that is, the conversion operation from the non-illuminated state to the later-described illuminated state can be easily performed. As described above, the lighting device 1 is one in which the occupant himself / herself can easily perform the conversion from the non-illuminated state to the illuminated state, that is, the operability is extremely excellent. On the other hand, the line-shaped light observed during non-illumination imparts a decorative effect to the interior of the vehicle to improve the design of the vehicle.

When the cover 20 is rotated upward using the light guide portion 23, the cover 20 is illuminated (FIG. 1 (b)). In this state, the transparent portion 21 of the cover 20 is located on the light emitting side of the lens 13. Therefore, the light emitted from the LED 11 passes through the lens 13 and the transparent portion 21 and is radiated to the outside. here,
Since the light of the LED 11 is condensed when passing through the lens 13, a predetermined range (a passenger's hand in this embodiment) in the vehicle interior is illuminated by spotlight-like white light. Since spotlight-like illumination can be performed in this manner, the illumination range becomes necessary and sufficient, and illumination with high illuminance can be performed.

Although the illuminating device 1 is installed in the door portion of the automobile in the above embodiments, the installation place of the illuminating device 1 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the roof part (FIG. 3 (a)) or It can be installed behind the seat (Fig. 3 (b)). In addition, interior wall surfaces of airplanes (eg roofs, seats)
It can also be installed in a vehicle and used as lighting for passengers.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Another embodiment of the vehicle interior lighting device 2 shown in FIGS.
(Hereinafter, referred to as “illumination device 2”). 4A and 4B are perspective views showing usage patterns of the lighting device 2, where FIG. 4A shows a non-illuminated state (first state), and FIG. 4B shows an illuminated state. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.
The internal structure of is shown. In the illuminating device 2, the same members as those of the illuminating device 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Similarly to the lighting device 1, the lighting device 2 is also installed on the wall surface 50 of the automobile door and is used for illuminating the occupant's hands.

The illuminating device 2 is roughly composed of a housing 30, an LED 11, a substrate 12, a lens 13, and a cover 40. The housing 30 is a box-shaped member having an opening on one side, and is made of resin that does not transmit light (black resin in this embodiment).
Is. A part of the housing 30 is provided with a fixing part (not shown) for the installation part (door trim in this embodiment). By using this fixing portion, the lighting device 2 is provided with the door wall surface 50.
Is installed in. The substrate 12 on which the LED 11 is mounted and the lens 13 are installed and fixed in the housing 30.
The configuration and arrangement of the LED 11 and the lens 13 are the same as those of the lighting device 1.

The cover 40 is a plate-shaped member, and the lower half (transparent portion 41) is made of a light-transmissive material (acrylic resin in this embodiment) and the upper half (opaque portion 42) transmits light. It is made of a non-use material (black resin in this embodiment).
Further, a rod-shaped light guide is adhered to the surface of the upper edge of the transparent part 41, whereby a light guide 43 is formed. In this embodiment, the light guide 43 is made of a polycarbonate resin colored in blue. The cover 40 is attached to the housing 30 slidably in the vertical direction in the drawing.

Subsequently, an illumination mode of the illumination device 2 will be described. First, in the non-illuminated state (first state, FIG. 4A), most of the light emitting side of the lens 13 is covered with the opaque portion 42 of the cover 40. When the small lamp of the automobile is turned on in this state, the LED1 is synchronized with this.
1 is powered and white light is emitted from the LED 11. The emitted light is emitted through the lens 13,
Most of them are blocked by the opaque portion 42 of the cover 40. On the other hand, a part of the light is emitted through the lens 13 and then introduced into the light guide portion 43 through the transparent portion 41 of the cover 40. The introduced light is colored blue while passing through the light guide 43, and finally emitted from the outer surface of the light guide 43. As a result, blue light is observed in a line from the occupant. Thereby, the occupant can grasp the position of the light guide portion 43, and the cover 40 is slid using the light guide portion 43 (that is, conversion from a non-illuminated state to an illuminated state described later).
Can be easily performed. Moreover, a decorative effect can also be obtained by this line-shaped light.

By sliding the cover 20 upward, the non-illuminated state is changed to the illuminated state (FIG. 4 (b)). In this state, the light emitted from the LED 11 is externally radiated via the lens 13 and the transparent portion 41. as a result,
Spotlight-like white light whose irradiation range is narrowed down by the lens 13 illuminates a predetermined range in the vehicle interior.

Next, a vehicle interior illumination device 3 (hereinafter referred to as "illumination device 3") which is another embodiment of the present invention will be described. 6 and 7 show perspective views of the lighting device 3 which is an embodiment of the present invention. 6 shows a state where the cover 80 is closed (first state), and FIG. 7 shows a state where the cover 80 is opened. The illuminating device 3 is installed in the door portion of the automobile as in the above-described embodiment and is used for illuminating passengers.
The lighting device 3 is roughly configured by a housing 60, an LED unit 70, and a cover 80. The housing 60 is a box-shaped member having a rectangular opening on one side, and is made of a resin that does not transmit light (black resin in this embodiment). A guide groove 61 used for housing the cover 80 is formed inside the housing 60. Also, on the inner bottom surface of the housing 60,
The pedestal 6 that inclines upward from the opening side toward the rear side
2 is formed.

The LED unit 70 is a white bullet type LE.
Built-in D71. Each LED 71 is an LED unit 7
It is arranged linearly on the substrate 72 installed in 0. Although three LEDs 71 are used in this embodiment, a smaller number or a larger number of LEDs may be used depending on the required illuminance. Moreover, the arrangement of the LEDs is not limited to the linear shape as shown in FIG.
A mode in which the ED is arranged can also be adopted.
Further, the LEDs may be arranged on the arc or elliptic arc at a predetermined interval. Furthermore, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the LEDs are arranged in a matrix. The LED unit 70 is installed on the pedestal 72 of the housing. As a result, each LED 71 in the LED unit 70
The light emission direction (optical axis) of is in the oblique downward direction as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the illuminating device 3 is installed on the wall surface of the door, the region in the obliquely downward direction is illuminated by the light of the LED 71.

The cover 80 is a thin plate member having a semi-circular cross section, and an edge portion (light guide portion 81) at one end side thereof is formed by a light guide. The other part of the cover 80 is the housing 6
Like 0, it is made of a material that does not transmit light (black resin in this embodiment). Such a cover 80 is
For example, it can be manufactured by laminating the light guide part 81 manufactured by molding with the other part also manufactured by molding. In this embodiment, the light guide section 81
Was made of a polycarbonate colored in blue. Cover 8
Reference numeral 0 is slidably attached to the housing 60 via the guide groove 61. In this embodiment, the light guide portion 8 of the cover 80
One surface is formed in a protrusion shape, and the cover 80 can be slid up and down by utilizing this protrusion portion.

Subsequently, an illumination mode of the illumination device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 6, showing a state where the cover is closed (non-illuminated state). On the other hand, FIG. 9 shows B- in FIG.
It is a B line sectional view, and shows the state (illumination state) with which the cover was opened. First, in the non-illuminated state (first state, FIG. 8), the cover 80 is closed. When the small lamp of the car is turned on in this state, L is synchronized with this.
Electric power is supplied to the ED 71, and white light is emitted from the LED 71. Most of the emitted white light is blocked by the cover 80, but a part of the light is applied to the light guide portion 81 and introduced into the light guide body. The introduced light is colored blue while passing through the light guide body, and finally emitted from the outer surface of the light guide portion 81. As a result, blue light is observed in a line from the occupant. Since this line-shaped light causes the light guide 81 to emit light, the occupant can rely on this light to recognize the position of the light guide 81, and thus the cover using the light guide 81 is provided. The slide operation of 80, that is, the conversion operation from the non-illuminated state to the illuminated state can be easily performed. As described above, the illuminating device 3 allows the occupant to easily perform the conversion from the non-illuminating state to the illuminating state, that is, the operability is extremely excellent. On the other hand, the line-shaped light observed when the cover 80 is closed imparts decorativeness to the interior of the vehicle and also improves the design of the interior of the vehicle.

Next, in the state where the cover 80 is slid upward and opened (illumination state, FIG. 9), the light emitting side of the LED 71 is opened, and the light emitted from the LED 71 is directly emitted into the vehicle interior. As a result, a predetermined range in the vehicle interior (hand of the occupant in this embodiment) is illuminated with white light.

Next, a coin box 90 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing how the coin box 90 is used. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the coin box 90 (cross-section taken along the line III-III in FIG. 10), where (a) shows the closed state of the coin box 90 and (b).
Shows the open state of the coin box 90, respectively. As shown in the figure, the coin box 90 is installed and used in an instrument panel unit 110 of an automobile.

The coin box 90 comprises a coin box body 91 and a light source unit 100. The coin box body 91 has a box shape with an open top and is made of a resin that does not transmit light (in this embodiment, a resin of the same color (black) as the instrument panel lower cover 111).
A through hole is provided in substantially the center of the front side wall surface (lid portion 92) of the coin box body 91, and the button portion 95 made of a light transmissive resin (acrylic resin in this embodiment) is provided in the through hole.
Is inserted and fixed. The button portion 95 is inserted into the through hole of the lid portion 92 by pushing the back surface side provided with the locking claw. Then, the button portion 95 is fixed by fitting the locking claw and the periphery (locking claw) of the through hole of the lid 92. Further, the front surface side of the button portion 95 is slightly projected, and a part of the surface of the lid portion 92 is covered by this projected portion. The front surface of the button portion 95 is formed into a curved surface having a substantially convex lens shape. As another example, the button portion can be formed by filling the through hole of the lid portion 92 with a light transmissive resin. The coin box body 91 having such a button portion can be manufactured, for example, as follows. First, a portion other than the button portion 95 is manufactured by molding using a black resin so that a through hole will be formed in a portion that will later become a button portion. Then, the through hole is filled with the light transmissive resin so that the surface thereof has a desired shape.

The upper portion of the lid 92 of the coin box body 91 can be attached to and detached from the instrument panel lower cover 111. Then, by unlocking the upper part of the lid 92, the coin box body 91 rotates (slides) clockwise in the drawing to shift from the closed state (FIG. 11A) to the open state (FIG. 11B). . Detachable mechanism (opening and closing mechanism)
A well-known structure such as a magnet type or a hook type can be adopted as the above.

The LED unit 100 incorporates a bullet-shaped LED 101 whose emission color is amber. The emission color and type of the LED can be arbitrarily selected. Also, multiple LEDs
Can also be used in combination. The LED unit 1 is provided on the rear side of the instrument panel lower cover 111.
A rib 105 for fixing 00 is provided.
Using 05, the LED unit 100 is fixed at a predetermined position at a predetermined irradiation angle. The LED unit 100 is connected to the power source of the automobile through a power line (not shown). It is also connected to a controller that controls the lighting state of the LED 101. The LED unit 1 is provided on the rear side of the instrument panel lower cover 111.
By disposing 00, it is possible to prevent the LED unit 90 from being visually recognized by an occupant when the coin box 90 is in the open state.

In the coin box 90, first, the LED unit 1 is synchronized with the lighting of the small light of the automobile.
00 is supplied with electric power. As a result, the LED 101 is turned on and the amber color light is emitted from the LED unit 100. When the coin box 90 is in the closed state (FIG. 11A), the emitted light irradiates the front side wall surface (lid 92) thereof. A part of the irradiation light is introduced into the button portion 95 from the back side thereof, and is guided inside the button portion 95 to the front side. Then, it is radiated to the outside through the front surface of the button portion 95. As a result, the surface of the button portion 95 is observed by emitting amber light. Thereby, the occupant can easily grasp the position of the button portion 95, that is, the position of the coin box 90. Further, the light emission gives the coin box 90 a decorative property, and the effect of improving the design of the coin box 90 is also obtained.

On the other hand, when the coin box 90 is opened, the light emitted from the LED unit 100 illuminates the inside of the coin box 90. This allows the occupant to easily check the stored items in the coin box 90, which improves the convenience of the storing or taking out work. Further, since the inside of the coin box 90 is illuminated with a specific color (amber color in this embodiment), a decorative effect is also exhibited. Here, the surface of the button portion 95 (the surface on the observation surface side or the back surface side) can be subjected to half mirror processing. With such a configuration, light entering the button portion 95 from the vehicle interior side is reflected by the half mirror layer when the illuminance inside the vehicle interior is high (such as during the daytime), and as a result, the button portion 95 is observed in a metallic tone. In this way, if half mirror processing is used, it looks metallic when the illuminance in the vehicle interior is high during the day, and it appears to emit light in a specific color when the illuminance in the vehicle interior is low during the night.
It is possible to perform a dramatic effect with a high decorative effect. Further, the button portion 95 can be formed of a material containing a phosphor, and the color of light can be converted inside the button portion 95. In such a configuration, the color of light that illuminates the inside of the coin box 90 and the color of light that indicates the position of the coin box 90 are different, and a different impression can be given depending on the open / closed state of the coin box. That is, a surprising decorative effect is exhibited.

In each of the above embodiments, the lighting control of the LED is performed in synchronization with the lighting of the small lamp, but it may be performed in synchronization with the lighting of the head lamp. Further, the LED can be turned on and off in conjunction with turning on / off of the ignition switch.

In each of the above embodiments, the LED is adopted as the light source, so that the LED can be designed compactly and the degree of freedom of the installation position (attachment target) is high. Also, L
Since the ED has a small amount of heat generation, it can be continuously lit for a long time as described above, and can rotate or slide the cover (or the lid) to switch between the illuminated state and the non-illuminated state. Therefore, the switch mechanism is separately provided. It is not necessary to provide a control circuit or the like, and the configuration is simplified. Furthermore, the cover (or lid) in the non-illuminated state
The light is radiated from the light guide portion, and the position of the lighting device can be visually recognized by the light, and the conversion operation from the non-illuminated state to the illuminated state is easy. Moreover, a decorative illumination effect can be obtained by the light in the non-illuminated state.

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 perspective view showing a usage mode of a vehicle interior lighting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) represents a non-illuminated state, and (b) represents an illuminated state.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG.

3A and 3B are views showing an application example of the vehicle interior lighting device 1, in which FIG. 3A shows an example installed on a roof portion, and FIG. 3B shows an example installed behind a seat.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a usage state of a vehicle interior lighting device 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention. (a) represents a non-illuminated state, and (b) represents an illuminated state.

5 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a vehicle interior lighting device 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The state where the cover 80 is closed (non-illuminated state) is shown.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle interior lighting device 3 of the same manner. The state where the cover 80 is opened (illumination state) is shown.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 6) of the vehicle interior lighting device 3, showing a light emission mode when the cover 80 is closed (non-illuminated state). .

9 is a sectional view of the vehicle lighting device 3 (FIG. 7).
Is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4), and shows a radiation mode of light in a state (illumination state) in which the cover 80 is opened.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a usage state of a coin box 90 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a coin box 90. (A) is a sectional view of the coin box 90 in a closed state,
(B) is a sectional view of the coin box 90 in an open state.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 2 3 Vehicle interior lighting device 10 30 60 housing 11 71 White LED 12 substrates 13 lenses 20 40 80 Cover 21 41 Transparent part 22 42 Opaque part 23 43 81 Light guide 50 door wall 61 Guide groove 62 pedestal 70 100 LED unit 90 coin box 91 coin box body 92 Lid 95 button 101 amber LED

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yoshio Sano             Aichi Prefecture Kasuga-cho, Nishikasugai-gun Ochiai character Nagahata 1             Address within Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazushi Noda             Aichi Prefecture Kasuga-cho, Nishikasugai-gun Ochiai character Nagahata 1             Address within Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Naeshiro             Aichi Prefecture Kasuga-cho, Nishikasugai-gun Ochiai character Nagahata 1             Address within Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3K040 AA02 CA05 EA01 EA03 EB02                       EC03 EC08 GA02 GA04 GB01                       GB02 GB04 GC01 GC02 GC04

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A light-shielding member that has an LED light source, a housing that houses the LED light source, and an optical window that allows the light of the LED light source to pass therethrough, and that can slide or rotate with respect to the housing. And the light shielding member covers the light emitting side of the LED light source in the first state, and the light of the LED light source is radiated to the outside through the optical window. Lighting equipment. 2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical window is made of a light guide. 3. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the optical window on the light emission observation surface side is formed in a protrusion shape. 4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical window is formed at an edge of the light shielding member. 5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light shielding member is a lid of a box-shaped storage section. 6. The lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the optical window is formed in a button portion or a handle portion for opening and closing the lid. 7. The optical window comprises a color conversion material that converts the color of light externally emitted through the window.
The illumination device according to any one of to 6. 8. The illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising a color conversion member that converts the color of light emitted from the outside through the optical window.