JP2009282725A - Luminaire for vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simply structure luminaire for a vending machine, producible at a low cost, uniformly illuminating each commodity sample, and imparting high visibility to each commodity sample. <P>SOLUTION: This luminaire for the vending machine has: a flat diffusion panel 22 disposed close to the plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged commodity samples 6; a flat reflection sheet 23 disposed opposite to the rear face on a side opposite to the arrangement side of the commodity samples 6 of the diffusion panel 22; and a light source 21 disposed on both one side end sides of the diffusion panel 22 and the reflection sheet 23. The reflection sheet 23 is inclined such that its distance to the diffusion panel 22 is gradually reduced as the reflection sheet 23 comes apart from the light source 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lighting device for a vending machine, and more particularly to a technology for improving visibility by illuminating a product sample arranged vertically and horizontally in an exhibition space provided on the front surface of a vending machine body from the back side. .

  Generally, a vending machine is provided with a main door that opens and closes when a product is replenished or replaced on the front of a substantially box-shaped vending machine body, and a transparent cover panel is provided above the main door. An exhibition space is formed inside the cover panel, and a plurality of product samples are arranged vertically and horizontally at predetermined intervals in the exhibition space.

  In such a vending machine, a light source for illuminating each product sample is provided so that each product sample can be sufficiently visually recognized even when installed at night or in the shade. Conventionally, fluorescent lamps have been widely used as light sources in this case, but fluorescent lamps are insufficient in terms of extending their life and maintenance.

  Therefore, in the prior art, an LED lamp formed by unitizing a large number of LEDs (light emitting diodes) as an array at a predetermined pitch is used as a light source, and a reflective dot consisting of minute convex portions on the back side of the product sample. A plurality of light guide plates are arranged, and the LED lamps are arranged to face each other on one end surface of the light guide plate. After introducing light from the LED lamps into the light guide plate, the light is reflected by reflection dots of the light guide plate. A product that illuminates a product sample has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1 below).

In addition, another conventional technique has been proposed in which an LED and a concave reflecting mirror are provided for each product sample arranged in an exhibition space so that the product sample is concentrated and uniformly illuminated (for example, , See Patent Document 2 below).
JP 2007-25990 A Japanese Patent No. 2004-164250

  However, in the prior art described in the former Patent Document 1, a light guide plate for illuminating a product sample by introducing light from an LED lamp is used. This light guide plate is made of glass, acrylic resin, or the like. Since a plastic transparent member is applied, the light guide plate itself is heavy and not only increases the weight of the entire vending machine, but it is also necessary to form a large number of reflective dots consisting of minute convex portions on the back side of the light guide plate. Therefore, the processing of the light guide plate takes time and is expensive. Moreover, since the interior of the exhibition space is generally illuminated, there is a problem that the portion where the product sample is not arranged is also illuminated and brightened at the same time, and the visibility of the product sample is insufficient.

  In the latter prior art described in Patent Document 2, since the LED and the reflecting mirror are provided for each product sample, the product sample can be concentrated and uniformly illuminated, and the visibility can be improved. Since it is necessary to separately provide an LED and a reflecting mirror for each product sample, there is a problem that the structure becomes complicated overall and becomes expensive.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can uniformly illuminate each product sample and improve the visibility of each product sample, and is manufactured at a low cost with a simple structure. An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting apparatus for a vending machine that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, a lighting device for a vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a planar diffusion panel arranged close to a plurality of product samples arranged vertically and horizontally, and the diffusion panel. A planar reflection sheet disposed opposite to the back surface opposite to the arrangement side of the product sample, and a light source disposed on one side end of the diffusion panel and the reflection sheet, and the reflection The sheet is characterized in that the sheet is inclined so that the distance from the diffusion panel gradually decreases as the distance from the light source increases.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lighting apparatus for a vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the reflection sheet is formed so that the reflectance gradually increases as the distance from the light source increases. It is characterized by having.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lighting apparatus for a vending machine according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the diffuser panel reflects at least a portion where a product sample is vertically divided. A member is provided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine lighting apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the reflecting member is provided on an outer surface of the diffusion panel on the arrangement side of the product sample. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, the light from the light source is directly transmitted through the diffusion panel and applied to the product sample, and after being reflected by the reflection sheet, is transmitted through the diffusion panel and applied to the product sample. In that case, since the reflection sheet is inclined so that the distance from the diffusion panel gradually decreases as the distance from the light source increases, the amount of light reflected by the reflection sheet increases as the distance from the light source increases. Thereby, irrespective of the distance from a light source, each product sample can be illuminated uniformly. Moreover, since the lighting fixture has a simple structure including only the light source, the reflection sheet, and the diffusion panel, it can be manufactured at low cost. Moreover, the lighting fixture itself becomes light and thin, and it becomes easy to secure a product storage space.

  In particular, in the invention described in claim 2, since the reflectance of the reflection sheet is formed so as to gradually increase as the distance from the light source increases, a more uniform light emitting surface can be obtained, and individual product samples can be made even more uniform. Can be illuminated.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 3, since the reflecting member is provided at least at the place where the product sample is divided up and down, the diffuser panel does not generally illuminate the inside of the exhibition space, but the product sample. It will be intensively lit. For this reason, the contrast of the arrangement | positioning location of a merchandise sample and a location other than that becomes clear, and the visibility of each merchandise sample becomes high.

  In the invention according to claim 4, since the reflecting member is provided on the outer surface of the diffusion panel on the arrangement side of the product sample, the light guiding the inside of the diffusion panel is in a portion where the product sample is not arranged. Leakage and brightening are avoided. As a result, the product sample can be illuminated more intensively, and the visibility of each product sample can be further enhanced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine to which the lighting device for a vending machine according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a front view showing an enlarged portion of the lighting device of the vending machine, and FIG. It is sectional drawing along the -A line.

  In this embodiment, the vending machine 1 is provided with a main door 3 that is opened and closed when a product is replenished or replaced on the front surface of a substantially box-shaped vending machine body 2. A transparent cover panel 4 is provided on the front surface. An exhibition space 5 is formed inside the transparent cover panel 4, and a plurality of product samples 6 are arranged vertically and horizontally in the exhibition space 5. That is, in the exhibition space 5, a plurality of product samples 6 are provided across a plurality of upper and lower stages in a state where a plurality of product samples 6 are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval. Here, each merchandise sample 6 is made of a light-transmitting material molded to simulate the merchandise shape, and a brand is displayed on the surface thereof.

  A product selection push button 7 is individually provided at the lower end side of each product sample 6, and below the transparent cover panel 4 of the main door 3, a coin slot 8, a bill slot 9, and a change return slot. 10 is provided, and a product outlet 11 is provided therebelow.

  A lighting fixture 20 is provided on the back side of the product sample 6. The lighting fixture 20 includes a light source 21, a diffusion panel 22, a reflection sheet 23, and a reflection member 24. The lighting fixture 20 covers a substantially box-shaped case 26 whose front is open and the front side of the case 26. It is housed in a housing 27 composed of the transparent cover panel 4. In this case, the back portion of the case 26 facing the transparent cover panel 4 is formed to be inclined toward the transparent cover panel 4 side.

  The light source 21 is disposed in the housing 27 at a position slightly spaced above the upper end side of the diffusion panel 22 and the reflection sheet 23. The light source 21 is composed of an LED lamp formed by unitizing a plurality of LEDs 21b in an array at a predetermined pitch on a circuit board 21a extending along the width direction of the casing 27.

  The diffusion panel 22 is disposed in the vicinity of the product sample 6. The diffusion panel 22 is configured by forming fine irregularities on the surface of a plastic flat plate such as acrylic resin by a process such as sandblasting. Yes.

  The reflection sheet 23 is provided on the back surface facing the diffusion panel 22 in the case 26 and on the left and right side end surfaces. Accordingly, the back-side reflection sheet 23 at a position facing the diffusion panel 22 is inclined so that the distance from the diffusion panel 22 gradually decreases as the distance from the light source 21 increases. The reflecting sheet 23 is, for example, a plastic sheet such as acrylic resin coated with a white paint applied to the inner surface of the case 26, or an aluminum foil applied to the inner surface of the case 26, or the inner surface of the case 26 It is configured by directly depositing aluminum on the surface.

  Further, a strip-shaped reflecting member 24 extending along the width direction of the housing 27 is joined to the diffusion panel 22 on the outer surface of the product sample 6 on the side where the product sample is vertically divided. Has been. Each of these reflecting members 24 is configured, for example, by applying a white paint on a thin sheet made of plastic such as an acrylic resin or attaching an aluminum foil.

  In the lighting fixture 20 having the above-described configuration, the light from the light source 21 is directly transmitted through the diffusion panel 22 and irradiated to the product sample 6, and after being reflected by the inner surface of the reflection sheet 23, the light is transmitted through the diffusion panel 22. The product sample 6 is irradiated. In this case, the reflection sheet 23 is inclined so that the distance from the diffusion panel 22 gradually decreases as the distance from the light source 21 increases. Therefore, the amount of light reflected by the reflection sheet 23 increases as the distance from the light source 21 increases. Thereby, regardless of the distance from the light source 21, the individual product samples 6 can be illuminated uniformly.

  In addition, a reflecting member 24 is joined to the diffuser panel 22 at a location where the product sample 6 is vertically divided, and these reflecting members 24 are provided on the outer surface of the diffuser panel 22. The transmitted light is reflected inward by these reflecting members 24, and the light guided through the diffusion panel 22 is also reflected by this reflecting member 24. For this reason, it is avoided that light leaks excessively to the part where the product sample 6 is not arranged and becomes bright. Thereby, instead of illuminating the interior of the exhibition space 5 in general, the product sample 6 can be intensively illuminated, and the contrast between the arrangement location of the product sample 6 and other locations becomes clear. The visibility of the product sample 6 can be further enhanced.

  In addition, since the lighting fixture 20 has a simple structure in which the light source 21, the reflection sheet 23, and the diffusion panel 22 are provided in the housing 27, it can be manufactured at low cost. Further, the lighting fixture 20 itself becomes light and thin, and a product storage space can be easily secured below the back side of the housing 27.

  In addition, about the reflective sheet 23 in the position which opposes the diffuser panel 22, it is still more preferable to form so that the reflectance may become large gradually as it leaves | separates from the light source 21, when each product sample 6 is illuminated uniformly.

  As an example, as shown in FIG. 4, the reflectance of the reflection sheet 23 changes in three stages, that is, a low reflectance portion 23 c, a middle reflectance portion 23 b, and a high reflectance portion 23 a as the distance from the light source 21 increases. Can be made. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the reflectance of each part 23 a to 23 c is adjusted by applying a white paint to form a large number of circular dot patterns 29 to obtain a reflective surface. In order to obtain the dot pattern 29, the diameter of the dot pattern 29 is increased (see (a) in the figure), the diameter is moderate for the medium reflectance (see (b) in the same figure), and the diameter is minimized at the low reflectance (see ( c)). Alternatively, the distance between the adjacent dot patterns 29 can be set to be small for high reflectance, medium for medium reflectance, and largest for low reflectance.

  In this way, a more uniform light emitting surface can be obtained than in the case of the above-described embodiment, and even when the lighting fixture 20 is applied to a large-sized vending machine, the individual product samples 6 are illuminated more uniformly. It becomes possible to improve visibility.

It is a front view of the vending machine to which the lighting fixture for vending machines in the embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a front view which expands and shows the part of the lighting fixture of the vending machine. It is sectional drawing along the AA line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the lighting fixture for vending machines of this invention. It is a top view which expands and shows a part of reflection sheet of the lighting fixture.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine 6 Product sample 20 Lighting equipment 21 for vending machines Light source 22 Diffusion panel 23 Reflective sheet 24 Reflective member

Claims (4)

  A planar diffuser panel disposed in proximity to a plurality of product samples arranged vertically and horizontally, and a planar reflective sheet disposed opposite the back surface of the diffuser panel opposite to the product sample disposed side And a light source disposed on one side end of the diffusion panel and the reflection sheet, and the reflection sheet is inclined so that the distance from the diffusion panel gradually decreases as the distance from the light source increases. Lighting equipment for vending machines.   2. The vending machine lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection sheet is formed so that the reflectance thereof gradually increases as the distance from the light source increases. 3.   The vending machine lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion panel is provided with a reflecting member at least at a location where a product sample is vertically divided.   The lighting device for a vending machine according to claim 3, wherein the reflecting member is provided on an outer surface of the diffusion panel on the arrangement side of the product sample.

Images