JP2006350242A - On-roof indication lamp of taxi - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an on-roof indication lamp of a taxi which is light on the whole and small in light emission power consumption and has a long life. <P>SOLUTION: On a printed board 4 which is horizontally provided, a plurality of light emitting diodes 5 are arranged having their optical axes upward, and a light diffusion body 6 formed by curving a translucent elastic plastic plate in an inverted U shape is provided covering the light emitting diodes to irradiate the curved part of the light diffusion body with light beams emitted by the light emitting diodes, so that the light beams are diffused. Further, an external cover body 7 made of translucent plastic is provided covering the light diffusion body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure of an indicator lamp installed on a taxi roof, and uses a light emitting diode as a light source to illuminate the entire indicator lamp.

Taxi roof lamps are generally provided with a lamp as a light source inside a semi-transparent plastic outer cover on which a company name is displayed.
On the other hand, in the taxi rooftop display shown in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 below, display patterns such as “empty car” and “forward” are formed on a printed circuit board with a plurality of light emitting elements made of light emitting diodes. The printed circuit board was covered with a transparent plastic outer cover body.
JP 2000-194297 A JP 2000-267605 A

By the way, the conventional indicator lamp using the above-mentioned lamp as a light source has a drawback that the filament is easily cut and needs to be replaced periodically in a short period of time, which results in high cost.
In this regard, a display using a light-emitting diode as a light source has advantages such as being resistant to vibrations and extending its life significantly and reducing power consumption. However, the light-emitting diode described in the above-mentioned patent document is placed on a printed circuit board. Since they are arranged in a plane, there is a problem that the visibility from the side is not good.

In general, a light emitting diode is insert-molded in a transparent resin, and is configured to emit light with a strong directivity toward the front from a portion formed in a convex lens shape at the tip. For this reason, there has been a drawback that the indicator lamp cannot be illuminated brightly as a whole, like a conventional lamp.
The present invention seeks to solve such problems in taxi rooftop indicator lights.

  For this purpose, the taxi rooftop indicator lamp according to the present invention has a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged on a horizontal printed circuit board so that the optical axis faces upward, and a translucent elastic plastic plate is inverted U. By providing a light diffuser that is curved in a letter shape so as to cover the light emitting diode, the light emitted from the light emitting diode is applied to the curved portion of the light diffuser to be diffused, and the light diffusion A semi-transparent plastic outer cover body is provided so as to cover the body.

  Since the light of the light emitting diode is diffused by the light diffuser in the outer cover body, the entire indicator lamp can emit light brightly. In addition, it is a very simple configuration that merely provides a light diffuser formed by bending a translucent elastic plastic plate in an inverted U shape in the outer cover body, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Since the lamp that used the lamp as the light source can be used as it is, the existing taxi can be easily replaced at low cost from the lamp to the light emitting diode.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view of an indicator lamp according to the present invention fixed on a taxi roof, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a mounting substrate, which is fixed by adsorbing a plurality of suction cups 2 projecting on the lower surface to the upper surface of a taxi roof 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a printed circuit board that is horizontally fixed on the mounting board, and a plurality of light emitting diodes 5 are arranged on the printed circuit board in a straight line at appropriate intervals so that the optical axis thereof faces upward. Reference numeral 6 denotes a light diffuser formed by bending a translucent elastic plastic plate into an inverted U shape, and fixing both end edges of the elastic plastic plate to both side edges of the mounting substrate 1. The light emitting diode 5 is covered, and the light emitted from each light emitting diode is applied to the curved portion of the light diffuser to be diffused.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a translucent plastic outer cover body in which characters 8 such as “TAXI” are displayed on the front and rear surfaces, and a symbol 9 such as a company mark is displayed on both sides. The light diffuser 6 is covered by fitting the lower surface opening and fixing it to the mounting substrate 1. Reference numeral 10 denotes a cable wired on the roof for supplying electric power to the light emitting diode.
In addition, as a material of the elastic plastic plate which comprises the light diffusing body 6, what disperse | distributed white fine powders, such as a titanium oxide, a talc, a calcium carbonate, to transparent plastics, such as an acryl, can be used.

In the roof display lamp configured in this way, the light of the light emitting diode 5 diffused by the light diffusing body 6 is irradiated on the inner surface of the outer cover body 7, so that the entire display lamp can emit light uniformly and brightly. For this reason, it is possible to illuminate the characters 8 and the symbols 9 on the front and rear surfaces of the outer cover body in the same manner as the roof-mounted indicator lamp using a conventional lamp as a light source with only a few light-emitting diodes 5 provided on the mounting substrate 1, This also greatly improves the visibility from the side. Therefore, the presence of taxis can be informed to passengers in all directions at night.
The outer cover body 7 is formed not only in the trapezoidal shape shown in this embodiment but also in a form unique to the taxi company such as a fan shape, a spherical shape, a disk shape, or the like.

  As described above, the on-roof indicator lamp according to the present invention has a very simple configuration in which the light diffusing body 6 formed by bending a translucent elastic plastic plate in an inverted U shape in the outer cover body 7 is provided. Therefore, the manufacturing cost is reduced. The outer cover body 7 can be used as it is with a conventional lamp as the light source, and only the light source can be easily replaced from the lamp to the light-emitting diode. Low power consumption and long life are achieved.

The external appearance perspective view of the roof top indicator lamp of the taxi which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the roof-top indicator lamp shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the on-roof indicator lamp shown in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mounting board 2 Roof 4 Printed circuit board 5 Light emitting diode 6 Light diffuser 7 Outer cover body

Claims (1)

  A plurality of light-emitting diodes are arranged on a horizontal printed circuit board so that the optical axis faces upward, and a light diffuser formed by bending a translucent elastic plastic plate in an inverted U shape is provided as the light-emitting diode. Is provided so as to cover the light diffuser so that the light emitted from the light emitting diode is applied to the curved portion of the light diffuser, and a translucent plastic outer cover body is provided so as to cover the light diffuser. Taxi on-roof indicator lights that are provided.

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