JP2006147262A - Lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting system having superior portability, in the vicinity of the user for illuminating a desired area. <P>SOLUTION: When in use, two housings 1 of a lighting system in a folded condition are turned about the other end 8 of each of connection parts 6 (a second turning axis) to be opened to the both sides of a grip part 5 so that a luminous surface 3 of each of the housings 1 is exposed. Further, the two housings 1 are turned around one end 7 (a first turning axis) of each of the connection parts 6 to be positioned at a second position B, where they have predetermined elevation angles or depression angles, respectively. In this state, when the grip part 5 is placed on a placing surface of a top board or the like of a desk, the two housings 1 are supported at the predetermined elevation angles or depression angles by the grip part 5 via the corresponding connecting parts 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a lighting device, and more particularly to a surface-emitting type lighting device.

Among lighting devices that partially illuminate only a desired area such as a desk, hand, human face, etc., as a device considering portability, there is an illumination device using a linear light source such as a cold cathode tube or a rare gas discharge tube. Although known, it generates a large amount of heat and it is dazzling when looking directly at the light source, so it is not suitable for being placed near the user. Furthermore, in an illuminating device using a line light source, a large number of parts including a reflector and the like are required to make the light emitting portion a surface light source, and it has been difficult to construct a small, particularly thin illuminating device.
Thus, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a stand-type illumination device using a surface light source composed of an electroluminescence (EL) element. The EL element generates a small amount of heat and emits uniform light from the entire light emitting surface, so that it can be used without feeling heat and glare. Furthermore, since the element itself can be made extremely thin, for example, 1 mm or less, a thin lighting device can be realized. For this reason, it is suitable for the portable illuminating device which is mounted and used in the vicinity of the illumination target.

JP 2001-325805 A

  However, the illuminating device of Patent Document 1 is configured such that a pair of light source support plates each accommodating an EL element are rotatably connected to each other via a hinge and are opened at a predetermined angle with each other and mounted on the edges of these light source support plates. Since the light emitting surface is self-supporting, the light emitting surface cannot be directed upward or downward, and in some cases, it is difficult to illuminate a desired area. Therefore, if a separate support device is prepared to support the lighting device in order to tilt the light emitting surface in the vertical direction, the number of parts is increased and the portability is lowered.

  This invention was made in order to eliminate such a problem, and it aims at providing the illuminating device which can be mounted in the vicinity of a user and can illuminate a desired area | region while being excellent in portability. To do.

A lighting device according to the present invention is a lighting device including a surface light emitting device, each of which includes a plurality of housings each housing a surface light emitting device, and the plurality of housings adjacent to each other. And a connecting portion movably connected between a first position where the light emitting surfaces are folded so as to face each other and a second position where the light emitting surface of the surface light emitting device of each housing is exposed. The plurality of housings are supported at a predetermined angle with respect to the connecting portion while being moved to the second position.
Each housing is supported at a predetermined elevation angle or depression angle by the connecting portion at the second position, thereby enabling illumination of a desired area.

The connecting part preferably supports the plurality of housings moved to the second position so that the angle with respect to the connecting part can be adjusted.
Moreover, the connection part can have a grip part and a plurality of connection parts for movably connecting a plurality of housings to the grip part.
Each connection portion can have a first rotation shaft that is rotatably connected to a corresponding housing, and a second rotation shaft that is rotatably connected to the grip portion. Each housing is rotated about the first rotation axis of the connection portion to adjust the angle with respect to the coupling portion, and the plurality of housings are rotated about the second rotation axis of the connection portion. By doing so, it is preferable to be configured to move between the first position and the second position.
Moreover, each connection part can also be formed from a universal joint.

Further, a power source can be built in, and in that case, it is preferable that the power source is built in the connecting portion.
Further, the surface light emitting device can be driven by this power source.
In addition, Preferably, the surface emitting device has an organic electroluminescent element.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an illumination device that is excellent in portability and can be placed near a user to illuminate a desired area.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a lighting apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This illuminating device has two housings 1 having a horizontally long and substantially flat plate shape, and each housing 1 accommodates a surface light emitting device 2 having an organic electroluminescence (hereinafter referred to as EL) element appropriately. In addition, the light emitting surface 3 of the surface light emitting device 2 is formed on one main surface of the housing 1. These two casings 1 are arranged adjacent to each other and are connected to each other via a connecting portion 4. The connecting portion 4 is formed by a vertically long and substantially rectangular parallelepiped gripping portion 5 disposed between two housings 1 and a connection portion 6 that connects the gripping portion 5 and the two housings 1. Yes. In addition, the grip portion 5 is placed on a placement surface such as a top plate of a desk, and each grip 1 is placed on the grip portion 5 via each connection portion 6 by the grip portion 5, that is, the placement portion. It is supported at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the surface.

  The organic EL element used in the surface light emitting device 2 is formed by laminating, for example, a transparent electrode layer, an organic layer including a light emitting layer, a reflective electrode layer, and the like on the surface of the glass substrate. The back surface is disposed on the main surface of the housing 1 as the light emitting surface 3.

Here, one end portion 7 of each connection portion 6 is rotatably connected to the vicinity of the end portion of the side surface of the corresponding housing 1, and the elevation angle (0 ° <θ <90 °) of each housing 1 or In order to adjust the depression angle (90 ° <θ <180 °), the housing 1 is used as a first rotation shaft for rotating the housing 1 relative to the grip portion 5. Further, the other end 8 of each connecting portion 6 is pivotally connected to one end of the gripping portion 5 and grips the housing 1 in order to fold the two housings 1 into one as shown in FIG. This is used as a second rotation shaft that rotates with respect to the portion 5.
However, the one end 7 and the housing 1 of the connecting portion 6 and the other end 8 and the gripping portion 5 of the connecting portion 6 are tightly coupled to each other, and each housing 1 is fixed at an arbitrary elevation angle or depression angle. It is configured to be able to.

The operation of the lighting device having the above configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the two housings 1 are positioned at the first position A where the light emitting surfaces 3 face each other and are folded together, the light emitting surfaces 3 of the respective housings 1 are covered. Thus, an illumination device that is protected and extremely small in size and particularly excellent in portability is realized.
In use, the lighting device in the folded state is turned upside down in the direction of the arrow so that the gripping portion 5 is positioned downward as shown in FIG. By rotating in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 around the other end 8 (second rotation axis) of the part 6, each casing 1 opens to both sides of the gripping part 5 as shown in FIG. The light emitting surface 3 is exposed. Further, two casings 1 are rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4 around one end 7 (first rotation axis) of each connecting portion 6, thereby providing two casings as shown in FIG. 1. 1 is positioned at a second position B having a predetermined elevation angle or depression angle. In this state, when the grip portion 5 is placed on a placement surface such as a table top, the two casings 1 are supported by the grip portion 5 via the corresponding connection portions 6 at predetermined elevation angles or depression angles, respectively. This makes it possible to illuminate a desired area such as a face.

Further, at this time, by gripping the grip portion 5, the lighting device can be carried in a lighted state or a light-off state.
In addition, since the two casings 1 are pivotally connected to the grip portion 5 by the separate connecting portions 6, the angles of the two casings 1 can be independently adjusted, thereby The degree of freedom is improved and a desired area can be illuminated over a wide range.
Further, by rotating each housing 1 around the other end 8 (second rotating shaft) of the connecting portion 6, as shown in FIG. The housings 1 can be angled with respect to each other in a vertical plane. That is, the two housings 1 can be independently adjusted not only in the elevation angle or depression direction but also in the vertical direction, and a desired area can be illuminated over a wider range. For example, if two housings 1 are placed on a placement surface in a state where a predetermined angle is given to each other in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. It is stably supported by three points with the end portion 5a of the grip portion 5.
Instead of placing the gripping part 5 on the placement surface, the gripping part 5 can be held by hand or assembled to a dedicated member. It is supported at a predetermined angle with respect to the grip portion 5.

<Embodiment 2>
In FIG. 6, the structure of the illuminating device based on Embodiment 2 of this invention is shown. This lighting device includes two casings 1 and a gripping portion using a universal joint 9 made of a flexible tube or the like in place of the connection portion 6 having the first and second rotating shafts in the first embodiment. Are connected to each other. Even in this case, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, each housing 1 is supported at a predetermined angle with respect to the grip portion 5, and a desired area can be illuminated. In addition, since the universal joint 9 is used, the two casings 1 respectively in the second position can be angled with each other in the horizontal plane. That is, the angle of the two housings 1 can be adjusted independently in the horizontal direction, and a desired area can be illuminated over a wider range.

<Embodiment 3>
In FIG. 7, the structure of the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention is shown. This illuminating device is used by connecting four casings 1 in the illuminating device according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. That is, the gripping portions 5 are arranged between two housings 1 adjacent to each other, and each gripping portion 5 and the two housings 1 positioned on both sides of the gripping portions 5 are rotatably connected to each other by connecting portions. As a result, the four casings 1 are connected to each other. Each grip 5 is placed on a placement surface, and the four housings 1 are supported at a predetermined angle with respect to the corresponding grip 5, that is, at a predetermined elevation or depression with respect to the placement surface. ing.

Also in this case, each casing 1 is rotated with respect to the corresponding gripping portion 5 around one end portion (first rotation axis) of each connection portion, whereby the elevation angle or depression angle of each casing 1 is set. As in the first embodiment described above, the corresponding housing 1 is supported at a predetermined elevation angle or depression angle by the respective gripping portions 5 to illuminate a desired area. it can.
Further, as shown in FIG. 8, in the gripping portions 5 at both ends of the three gripping portions 5, the two housings 1 positioned on both sides of each gripping portion 5 are rotated in the direction of the arrows to mutually emit the light emitting surfaces 3. Are folded in the first position facing each other, and the two housings 1 located on both sides of the center gripping portion 5 are rotated in the direction of the arrows so that the surfaces opposite to the light emitting surfaces 3 face each other. As shown in FIG. 9, four housings 1 can be folded into one. Thereby, the light emission surface 3 of each housing | casing 1 is covered and protected, and it becomes very small, and the illuminating device excellent in especially portability is implement | achieved.

Further, for example, from the state where the four casings 1 are opened as shown in FIG. 7, the casings 1 are rotated with respect to the gripping part 5 around the other end portion (second rotation shaft) of each connecting portion. As shown in FIG. 10, the two casings 1 adjacent to each other are angle-adjusted so as to form approximately 90 ° in the vertical plane to form a substantially rectangular ring as a whole. If 5 is assembled to a dedicated fixing member and the four housings 1 are arranged around the lens 11 of the camera, this illumination device can be used as an umbrella light for camera photography.
Note that the housing 1 and the grip portion 5 may be connected via a universal joint such as a flexible tube instead of the connection portion 6 having the first and second rotating shafts.

In the third embodiment described above, four casings 1 are connected to each other, but three casings 1 or five or more casings 1 may be connected to each other.
Further, in FIG. 10, the ring is arranged so as to form a substantially rectangular ring as a whole. However, the ring may be arranged so as to form a substantially circular ring or various other shapes as a whole. Further, instead of forming a ring, it may be arranged so as to form a curved shape such as a semicircle or a triangular wave shape as a whole. In this case, the grip portion 5 is assembled to a dedicated fixing member. In addition, it can be used by being placed on a placement surface.

In the first to third embodiments, a battery or the like can be incorporated in the lighting device as a power source for each surface light emitting device 2. If it does in this way, the surface emitting device 2 can be driven with a battery, and thereby portability and mobility are improved, and it is effective when used outdoors, for example.
As the battery, a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, or a secondary battery such as a nickel-cadmium battery or a nickel / hydrogen battery can be used.
The battery can be incorporated in the grip portion 5 of the connecting portion 4 of each lighting device. This eliminates the need to increase the size of the housing 1 and the like for battery storage.
Further, the surface light emitting device 2 can be driven by an external power source without incorporating a battery or the like. In this case, a connection terminal or the like for electrical connection to an external power source may be disposed at an appropriate location.

Although not shown in the drawings, in the first to third embodiments, a switch for turning on / off the light emission by the surface light emitting device 2 is arranged in the grip portion 5 or the housing 1.
In the first to third embodiments, the grip portion 5 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, but can be formed in various shapes such as a cube shape, a cylindrical shape, and a spherical shape.

  In each of the above embodiments, an organic EL element is used as the surface light emitting device 2, but an inorganic EL element may be used.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of casings 1 are movably connected to each other via the connecting portion 4 so that the light emitting surfaces 3 of the surface light emitting devices 2 of the two casings 1 adjacent to each other face each other when stored. Since each light emitting surface 3 is protected by being folded, the connecting portion 4 functions as a supporting member that supports the plurality of housings 1 at a predetermined angle with respect to the connecting portion 4 during use. It is possible to illuminate a desired area without having to prepare and to improve portability. In addition, since the surface light emitting device 2 is used as a light source, the amount of heat generation is small, and it is difficult to feel glare even when looking directly, so that it is suitable for being placed near the user.

It is a perspective view which shows the use condition of the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a stored state of the lighting apparatus according to Embodiment 1. It is a perspective view which shows the intermediate | middle stage which uses the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the intermediate | middle stage which uses the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the other use condition of the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a usage state of the lighting apparatus according to Embodiment 2. It is a front view which shows the use condition of the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the intermediate | middle stage which accommodates the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a storage state of the lighting apparatus according to Embodiment 3. It is a front view which shows the other use condition of the illuminating device which concerns on Embodiment 3. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case, 2 surface light-emitting device, 3 light emission surface, 4 connection part, 5 holding part, 6 connection part, 7 one end part (1st rotation axis) of a connection part, 8 other end part (2nd 9) universal joint, A first position, B second position.

Claims (10)

A lighting device including a surface light emitting device,
A plurality of housings each housing a surface emitting device;
A first position where the light emitting surfaces of the surface light emitting devices of the two housings adjacent to each other are folded so that the light emitting surfaces of the housings face each other, and a light emitting surface of the surface light emitting device of each housing is exposed. And a plurality of housings that are supported at a predetermined angle with respect to the connecting portions while being moved to the second position. A lighting device characterized by the above.   The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion supports the plurality of housings moved to the second position so that an angle with respect to the connecting portion is adjustable.   The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion includes a gripping portion and a plurality of connection portions for movably connecting the plurality of housings to the gripping portion.   Each connection part has the 1st rotation axis | shaft connected to the corresponding housing | casing so that rotation was possible, and the 2nd rotation axis | shaft connected rotatably to the said holding | grip part. Lighting equipment. Each casing is rotated around the first rotation axis of the connection portion to adjust the angle with respect to the connection portion,
The lighting device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of housings move between the first position and the second position by rotating about the second rotation axis of the connection portion. .   The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein each connection portion includes a universal joint.   The illumination device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a power source is incorporated.   The lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the power source is built in the connecting portion.   The lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the surface light emitting device is driven by the power source.   The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the surface light-emitting device includes an organic electroluminescence element.

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