JP2004185932A - Lens structure for signal indicator lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lens structure of a globe corresponding to the radiating structure, in regard to a signal indicator lamp having an efficient radiating structure. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of LED 6 as a light source are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the covering globe 5 or near there with a predetermined interval from each other. Each of the LED is arranged in the globe with a predetermined angle to radiate the opposite inner peripheral surface of the globe. The light source light from the LED 6 radiates obliquely downward. In relation to the radiation light having this inclination, a nearly saw-like refraction lens is provided on the peripheral surface of the globe to refract the light for emission in the nearly horizontal direction, and visibility in a front view can be maintained and improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is installed in automatic machines, robots, production lines, parking lots, and other dangerous places, and displays signals for signaling various states such as material shortage, work jams, fullness, danger, and the like. It is about lights.
[0002]
[Prior art]
This type of signal indicator light is for transmitting and informing a user or the like of state information at a site or the like by irradiating light from a light source disposed inside to the surroundings. In recent years, there has been a tendency to use an LED (light emitting diode) as a light source in consideration of frequent replacement of a conventional incandescent lamp. Since the amount of light per LED is small, developments such as increasing the number of LEDs to achieve the desired brightness as a product have been conducted. However, mounting a large number of LEDs increases the cost of the light source. Inherited from the point and the structure of the light bulb specification, it was located in the center of the unit that displays the LED, so that the light from the LED hit the covering glove without being diffused sufficiently, irradiating the entire glove Was not enough. Therefore, a method of diffusing and irradiating the light source light using the reflection means has been devised. However, it is difficult to maintain the luminance of the light source light sufficiently from the viewpoint of reflection efficiency. Incorporation into the lamp has left some problems, such as the complexity of the product itself and increased costs.
[0003]
Therefore, an invention has been made in which the LEDs are provided at the inner periphery of the globe or at a position close to the inner periphery (the LEDs are opposed to each other) so that each LED light is directly diffused and emitted to the periphery of the facing globe. (JP-A-2000-268604). As a result, the problem in the case where the LED is arranged in the center of the glove and the problem in the case where the reflection means is used can be solved, and the LED light can be used efficiently. When mass-producing a product utilizing the invention, as shown in FIG. 5A, the display unit 9 arranges a substrate 92 on (or below) each of the laminated globes 91, and It is preferable to mount the LED 93 on the substrate 92 at a predetermined angle and to irradiate the LED light in an oblique direction, because it is relatively easy in terms of design and assembly, and is preferable.
[0004]
However, when this structure is employed, since the LED light is uniformly emitted in the oblique direction, the visibility is not sufficiently satisfied in the horizontal front view. Therefore, when a diffusion lens 94 having a horizontal rib shape is applied to the entire outer surface of the globe 91 as is known, the LED light hitting the inner surface of the globe 91 is refracted and diffused in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. Thus, light is emitted from the outer periphery of the globe 91. If this structure is adopted, the irradiation in the horizontal direction can be compensated. On the other hand, in the lens structure as described above, since the degree of refraction is determined according to the incident angle, the LED light is obliquely downward. In the case of irradiation, light that is refracted further downward and emitted from the outer periphery of the globe is generated, and irradiation is performed outside a region where visibility is required. That is, this lens structure is made in consideration of the case where the LED light irradiates the inner surface of the globe 91 in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. Not suitable for irradiation.
[0005]
On the other hand, a method of forming irregularities in a diamond lattice pattern by providing a lens on a glove is also provided (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-118402). Since the LED light refracts and radiates in multiple directions, the visibility in a specific direction such as the front direction is not sufficiently satisfied.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2000-268604 [Patent Document 2] JP-A-2001-118402
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an optimal structure of a lens to be applied to a glove by solving a conventional problem in a signal indicator light adopting a light source structure for irradiating an LED at a predetermined angle as described above. is there.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The signal indicating lamp according to claim 1 for achieving the above object, is a signal formed by a single or laminated display unit including a light source and a globe that covers the light source and transmits the light of the light source to the outside. In the indicator light, the light source light emitted from the light source at an inclination of a predetermined angle toward the inner peripheral surface of the opposing glove is substantially illuminated by a lens structure having a substantially saw-tooth cross-section provided continuously in the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the glove. It is characterized by being refracted and emitted in the horizontal direction.
[0009]
With such a configuration, even when the light source light has a predetermined inclination, the irradiation light passes through the outer peripheral surface of the glove and travels in a substantially horizontal direction, so that visibility in a front view can be secured. Further, by providing the lens structure having a substantially sawtooth shape on the outer peripheral surface of the glove, the lens structure can be integrally formed with the glove without any difficulty in taking out the molded product from the mold during the molding of the glove.
[0010]
A signal indicator according to a second aspect is the lens structure of the signal indicator according to the first aspect, wherein a horizontally extending horizontal surface and a curved surface having a substantially parabolic shape are alternately connected. Is formed, and light traveling from the light source is refracted and emitted in a substantially horizontal direction through the curved surface. With such a configuration, it is possible to provide a shape in which the curved surface is continuous in the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the glove, and it is possible to provide a lens structure that refracts in a substantially horizontal direction on the entire surface in the axial direction of the glove. Further, as described in the third aspect, if the lens structure has a vertical surface added to the outer peripheral surface of the globe, the light source light can be emitted to the surroundings without being limited to one straight traveling direction.
[0011]
The curved surface or vertical surface formed as the lens structure may be determined according to the distance or angle from the light source accommodated in the glove, and it is not essential that the shape of each lens structure be exactly the same. Absent.
For example, if the configuration described in claim 4 is adopted, even if there is a difference in the inclination angle of the light source light incident on the glove, the light can be uniformly refracted and emitted in a substantially horizontal direction. This solves the problem that the visibility from the front is inferior even if the LED is arranged at an arbitrary place in the glove.
[0012]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external front view of one embodiment of the signal indicator lamp of the present invention.
The signal indicator lamp 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a display unit 2 containing a light source therein, a head cover 3 placed on the top of the display unit 2, and a continuous connection therebelow. And a case 4 accommodating a board for blink control and a transformer for voltage transformation. The display unit 2 is covered with a colored transparent globe 5 around the light source, and the display unit 2 is stacked up and down to form the entire signal display lamp 1. In addition, as a fixing method between the stacked units, for example, a method of fixing a long screw (not shown) penetrating these to the case 4 can be cited.
[0013]
The signal indicator lamp 1 has a configuration in which a light source in the display unit is turned on and blinks in response to a signal from an installed device or the like, and the state information is transmitted and notified to the surroundings. In order to increase the content to be transmitted / informed, the number of stages of the display unit 2 is increased, and if the globe is configured with gloves of each stage, various signals can be displayed in different colors. For example, in a specification in which the display unit 2 has three stages, the upper stage is composed of red gloves, the middle stage is composed of yellow gloves, and the lower stage is composed of green gloves, the red indicates a stopped state, the yellow indicates an abnormal operation state, and the green indicates a normal operation state. By associating with the device to be installed, various states can be confirmed from outside the device. The operation may be detected by using the power supply of the machine or various sensors.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the display unit 2 shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2 (a) is a front sectional view and FIG. 2 (b) is a bottom view. In the display unit 2, a plurality of LEDs 6 are arranged on the inner periphery of the globe 5 or in the vicinity thereof at a distance from each other while keeping the light projecting axis 6 a inclined at a predetermined angle toward the central axis of the signal display lamp. I have. By arranging in this manner, the light source light from each LED 6 irradiates while diffusing at a sufficient distance to the inner peripheral surface of the opposing globe 5. Therefore, it is possible to irradiate the globe 5 with the direct light from the light source as it is, without irrespective of using a reflection means, and to irradiate the globe 5 with the direct light from the light source. And an efficient irradiation structure can be realized. Furthermore, since the irradiation light of each LED 6 is sufficiently diffused on the inner peripheral surface of the globe, the number of LEDs can be suppressed, and power can be saved. In particular, as shown in FIG. 2A, if the LEDs 6 are arranged at the corners of the upper edge of the globe 5 and are inclined diagonally, the light source light can be emitted over the upper and lower surfaces of the opposing inner peripheral surface of the globe, and sufficient It is efficient because an irradiation area can be provided. It is desirable that the LED 6 serving as a light source adopts a specification having strong directivity.
[0015]
Regarding the configuration of the display unit 2, a plurality of LEDs 6 are arranged concentrically on the inner periphery of the globe 5 while having an inclination as described above. The LED light may be colored, such as red or yellow, or white. The substrate 7 is placed on a rib (not shown) extending toward the center on the inner peripheral surface above the globe 5 with the LED 6 facing downward. At this time, the LEDs 6 implanted on the substrate 7 are inclined downward. A plurality of conductive connection terminals 8 are attached to the periphery of the substrate 7 to supply power to the LEDs 6. When the display units 2 are stacked, the connection terminals of each display unit are connected to each other, and A power supply path to the arranged LEDs is realized. In FIG. 2B, the connection terminals 8 are radially arranged in a total of six places, but the power supply path to each display unit is realized by a lead wire, a connector, or the like in addition to this configuration. Is possible.
[0016]
The globe 5 is formed of a light-transmitting material such as a synthetic resin or a glass material, and may be colored according to the colored light of the LED light, or may be colorless and transparent. The globe 5 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and a vertical rib-shaped diffusion lens 51 is provided on the entire inner peripheral surface thereof. That is, the rib 52 on the ridge is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the globe 5, and the rib-shaped surface plays the role of the diffusion lens 51. The light source light from the LED 6 is diffused in the circumferential direction (lateral direction) via the diffusion lens 51 and emitted.
A laterally rib-shaped refractive lens 53 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the globe 5 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 3B, the refracting lens 53 has a horizontal surface 53a extending in a horizontal direction and a parabolic surface so as to reach a starting point of a horizontal surface located below a horizontal surface at a predetermined distance from an end of the horizontal surface. The connected curved surfaces 53b alternately form a substantially saw-toothed lens shape.
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, when the LED light emitted obliquely downward reaches the outer peripheral surface of the globe 5, the LED light is refracted in a substantially horizontal direction by the prism action caused by the shape of the curved surface. And emit light. Thereby, the irradiation light in the obliquely downward direction can be refracted and emitted in the horizontal direction and the area in the upper and lower areas thereof, and visibility in front view can be secured.
[0017]
FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the diffusing lens applied to the outer peripheral surface of the globe, in which a vertical surface 54c is provided between a horizontal surface 54a and a curved surface 54b to form one form of a lens shape. The LED light reaching the vertical surface 54c is emitted to the outside without changing the trace of the incident angle. That is, in the second embodiment, the irradiation light in the obliquely downward direction can be emitted in two directions, that is, the substantially horizontal direction and the obliquely downward direction, and the visibility in the front view and the visibility from below can be improved. The secured irradiation can be realized.
As described above, when the shape of the lens structure provided on the outer peripheral surface of the globe 5 is considered, it is possible to perform refraction irradiation in a desired direction. In other words, the ratio between the curved surface and the vertical surface may be determined in accordance with the visibility that the user wants to focus on. For example, in the case of a signal indicator light installed in a high place, the signal indicator light looks up and the visibility from below is increased. Is emphasized. In that case, the design may be made so that the ratio of the vertical surface 54c is increased. In addition, since the degree of refraction is also affected by the curved shapes of the curved surfaces 53b and 54b, optimal refraction irradiation can be provided according to the arrangement of the LEDs 6. For example, in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the incident angle of the LED light above the globe 5 is smaller than the incident angle of the LED light below the globe (the incident angle is wider and closer to the horizontal direction). Under these conditions, in order to ensure visibility in the horizontal direction, the area of the vertical surface provided on the outer peripheral surface above the glove is increased, and a form is adopted in which the curved surface is made gentler and as close as possible to the vertical surface. On the other hand, under the globe, since the incident angle of the light source light is narrow and the inclination is steep, the lens shape may be dense and the curved surface may be laid down so that the inclination of the curved surface approaches the horizontal plane. . Further, such a lens structure may be configured to be applied only to a part of the outer peripheral surface of the glove, and in consideration of visibility from below as described above, a curved surface is formed so that the light source light is refracted and emitted in a downward oblique direction. A configuration in which the lens structure is provided in a series on the outer peripheral surface of the globe may be adopted.
[0018]
In the above-described embodiment, the LEDs are arranged downward, but the present invention is also applied to a case where the LEDs are arranged upward. In such a case, the configuration shown in the first embodiment may be inverted, but the light that has reached the vertical plane travels obliquely upward as it is. It works. When the LEDs are arranged above and below the globe, the middle position of the globe may be a vertical surface or a curved surface protruding in a ridge shape, and the saw-toothed lens structure may be arranged symmetrically above and below the globe. . Other than the LED, any other light source having a high directivity may be used, and various design changes are possible without changing the gist of the present invention.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
With the above-described configuration of the present invention, it is possible to provide a lens structure utilizing a high-efficiency irradiation structure in a signal indicator lamp. That is, the light emitted obliquely from the LEDs arranged oppositely travels inside the glove and is sufficiently diffused, and then refracted in a desired direction by the curved surface of the lens structure provided on the outer peripheral surface of the glove for irradiation. it can. Thus, the light source light irradiating the entire surface of the glove can be visually recognized from the horizontal direction, and visibility can be ensured. Further, the present invention can be realized without increasing the number of man-hours for assembling and processing without separately preparing components for securing visibility in a front view.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall view of a signal indicator light showing a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are detailed views of a display unit of the signal indicator light shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A is a front sectional view of the display unit, and FIG.
3A and 3B are diagrams showing irradiation of the signal indicator lamp shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of irradiation and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a region surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. .
FIG. 4 is a view showing a lens structure of a signal indicating lamp according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
5A and 5B are detailed views of a display unit in a conventional signal display lamp, in which FIG. 5A is a front sectional view, and FIG. 5B is a view showing irradiation near a glove.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Signal Indicator Light 2 Display Unit 5 Globe 51 Diffusion Lens 53 Refraction Lens 53a, 54a Horizontal Surface 53b, 54b Curved Surface 54c Vertical Surface 6 LED
6a Projection axis

Claims (4)

In a signal indicator lamp in which a single or a plurality of display units each including a light source and a globe that covers the light source and transmits the light of the light source to the outside are formed by laminating one or more, The signal light is characterized in that the light source light radiated with a predetermined angle of inclination is refracted and emitted in a substantially horizontal direction by a lens structure having a substantially sawtooth cross-section provided continuously in the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the globe. Lens structure. The lens structure is formed by alternately connecting a horizontally extending horizontal surface and a curved surface having a substantially parabolic shape, and the light traveling from the light source is refracted and emitted in a substantially horizontal direction through the curved surface. The signal indicator lamp according to claim 1, wherein: The lens structure is formed by alternately connecting a horizontally extending horizontal surface, a vertical surface hanging down from an end of the horizontal surface, and a curved surface having a substantially parabolic shape. 2. The signal indicating lamp according to claim 1, wherein the vertical surface emits light along an extension of the incident path, and refracts and emits light in a substantially horizontal direction through a curved surface. 4. The signal display according to claim 2, wherein the curved surface on the lens structure has a large degree of curvature from a region having a gentle inclination to a region having a steep inclination in incident light from a light source. light.

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