JP2010170373A - Lamp unit, traffic signal lamp unit, and antireflection unit of lamp unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a new lamp unit, a traffic signal lamp unit and an antireflection unit, for making it unnecessary to provide any strut for antenna installation, and for preventing the appearance of a road from being spoiled. <P>SOLUTION: A traffic signal lamp unit is provided with: an optical unit 104 having a substrate 401, a light emitting body 303 arranged on the substrate 401 and a visible light penetrable cover member 301 covering the front part of the light emitting body on the front face; a patch antenna 106 in which a ground element 403 and a patch element 404 are installed in the optical unit 104, and the ground element 403 is arranged at the front part of the substrate 401, and the patch element 404 is arranged at the front part of the ground element 403; and a lamp light diffusing member 402 installed in the optical unit 104 for diffusing the lamp rays of light from the light emitting body 303, wherein at least a portion of the light diffusing member 402 is arranged at the front part of the patch element 404. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lamp, a traffic signal lamp, and an antireflection unit for the lamp.

  In recent years, an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) has been proposed for the purpose of promoting traffic safety and preventing traffic accidents. In this ITS, a communication device (infrastructure device) is installed on the road, and the information emitted from the antenna of this communication device is received by the in-vehicle device of the vehicle traveling on the road, and this information is utilized, It is possible to improve the safety of traveling of the vehicle (see Patent Document 1).

  When such road-to-vehicle communication is performed wirelessly, from the viewpoint of securing the prospect of wireless communication, an arm is extended from the column installed on the sidewalk or the like to the roadway side, and the antenna of the communication device is mounted on this arm. Further, when the line of sight can be secured without providing the arm, an antenna can be attached to the support column.

Japanese Patent No. 2806801

In order to install the antenna of the communication apparatus on the road, it is not economical to provide a new support for the antenna, and it is not preferable from the viewpoint of the aesthetics of the road.
Therefore, since vehicle detectors, optical beacon heads, and the like are installed on the road, it is conceivable that an antenna is provided alongside a column or arm to which these are attached. However, even in this case, it is not preferable in terms of aesthetics.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new technical means that does not require an antenna support column and does not impair the beauty of roads and the like.

The lamp provided from one aspect of the present invention includes a substrate, a light emitter disposed on the substrate, an optical unit having a visible light transmissive cover member that covers the light emitter on the front surface, and a ground element. And a patch element provided in the optical unit, the ground element is disposed in front of the substrate, the patch element is disposed in front of the ground element, and the patch unit is provided in the optical unit. A lamp light diffusing member for diffusing lamp light from the light emitter, and at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member is disposed in front of the patch element.
In this lamp, since the patch antenna is stored in the optical unit, the patch antenna can be made inconspicuous, and a post dedicated to antenna installation can be eliminated.

  Furthermore, in order to prevent the board from interfering with transmission / reception of radio waves by the patch antenna, the ground element and the patch element need to be provided in front of the board. Further, in order for this patch antenna to exhibit desired performance, it is necessary to provide a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction of the lamp unit between the patch element and the ground element.

  However, since the light emitters disposed on the substrate are shorter in the front-rear direction than the interval, the patch element is positioned in front of the front end of the light emitter. As a result, the patch element may interfere with the lamp light from the light emitter. Even if the patch element is provided so that the lamp light can be seen well from outside the lamp in a specific direction such as in front of the lamp, it is difficult to provide an optical path so as not to disturb the lamp in other directions.

  On the other hand, when the patch element is arranged behind the front end of the light emitter so that the patch element does not interfere with the lamp light from the light emitter, the length of the light emitter in the front-rear direction is short. The distance between the ground element and the patch element in the front-rear direction can be set only with a small value, and the patch antenna may not be able to exhibit desired performance.

  Therefore, in this lamp, the ground element and the patch element are disposed in front of the light emitter, and at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member is disposed in front of the patch element. For this reason, if the lamp light from the light emitter passes through the ground element and the patch element, the passed lamp light is diffused by the lamp diffusion member in front of the patch element. The lamp light diffused by the lamp diffusion member is not blocked by the patch element. That is, even if the light path from the LED to the lamp light diffusing member is limited to the front of the lamp, the necessary light intensity can be ensured in any direction by diffusing the lamp light with the lamp light diffusing member. As a result, it is possible to appropriately recognize the lamp from various directions. In addition, since it is not necessary to place the front end of the light emitter in front of the patch element, the gap between the ground element and the patch element is not limited in order not to disturb the lamp, and the desired performance can be easily exerted on the patch antenna. Can be made.

  The lamp can further include a lamp light guide member that guides the lamp light from the light emitter to the lamp diffusion member. Accordingly, more lamp light can be diffused by the lamp light diffusing member, and a desired luminous intensity can be easily obtained.

  The lamp further includes a plate-shaped antireflection member that is disposed between the cover member and the patch element and prevents light incident on the optical unit from being reflected in the optical unit. The antireflection member may have a passage hole through which the lamp light from the light emitter passes forward, and the lamp light diffusing member may be attached in front of the passage hole of the antireflection member.

  In one embodiment of the lamp, the lamp light diffusing member diffuses a part of lamp light from the light emitter obliquely downward. The lamp diffusing member may diffuse the lamp light from the light emitter so that the lamp light of the lamp has a luminous intensity of at least 1 cd within a range of 45 degrees from the center of the lamp. Thereby, even when the lamp is viewed from below, a desired light distribution characteristic can be obtained.

  The lamp may further include a reflection suppressing film that is formed on the rear end surface of the lamp light diffusing member and suppresses the light from the light emitter from being reflected on the rear end surface. As a result, more lamp light from the light emitter can be made incident on the lamp light diffusing member, and a desired luminous intensity can be easily obtained.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a lamp includes an optical unit having a substrate and a light emitter disposed on the substrate, a ground element and a patch element, and the ground element is provided in the optical unit. A patch antenna disposed in front of the substrate and the patch element disposed in front of the ground element; and a lamp light diffusing member provided in the optical unit and diffusing lamp light from the light emitter. The at least part of the lamp light diffusing member is disposed in front of the patch element.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, a traffic signal lamp includes: a substrate; a light emitter disposed on the substrate; an optical unit having a visible light transmissive cover member that covers the light emitter forward; and a ground A patch antenna in which an element and a patch element are provided in the optical unit, the ground element is disposed in front of the substrate, the patch element is disposed in front of the ground element, and a lamp from the light emitter And at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member is disposed in front of the patch element.

  An antireflection unit provided according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a substrate, a light emitter disposed on the substrate, an optical unit having a visible light transmissive cover member that covers the light emitter in front, and a ground. An antireflection device for a lamp provided with an element and a patch element provided in the optical unit, the ground element disposed in front of the substrate, and the patch antenna disposed in front of the ground element A plate-shaped antireflection member which is disposed between the cover member and the patch element and prevents light incident on the optical unit from being reflected in the optical unit; and the antireflection member And a lamp light diffusing member that is attached to the front of the hole formed in the lamp and diffuses the lamp light from the light emitter that has passed through the hole.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the need for an antenna support column, and the appearance of a road or the like is not impaired.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the traffic signal lamp device which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the light distribution characteristic calculated | required by the traffic signal lamp device. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the external appearance of an optical unit. It is a front view of an example of an optical unit incorporating an antenna. It is sectional drawing of an example of the optical unit which incorporated the antenna. It is a cross-sectional enlarged view which shows LED and a lamp light diffusing member and its peripheral part. It is a figure explaining one of the modifications of a lamp light diffusing member. It is a figure explaining another modification of a lamp light diffusing member. 6 is a chart showing the relationship between the relative dielectric constant of a dielectric, the outer shape of the patch element, the position of the patch element, and the like.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is embodied as a traffic signal lamp device including an optical unit having a plurality of light emitting diodes as a light emitter.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a traffic signal lamp according to the present embodiment. The traffic signal lamp 101 is a vehicle lamp installed on a road. The signal lamp 101 is attached to a column 102 provided on the side of a sidewalk or the like. An arm 103 is provided on the upper side of the support column 102 so as to project toward the roadway side. The signal lamp 101 is attached to the tip of the arm 103 so that it can be seen from a vehicle traveling on the roadway.

  The signal lamp device 101 includes a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of optical units 104 and a housing 105 in which these optical units 104 are incorporated. The three optical units 104 each store a plurality of light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEDs), and have red, yellow, and blue lamp colors. Further, in the present embodiment, the yellow optical unit 104 stores the patch antenna 106 for road-to-vehicle communication. By storing the patch antenna 106 in the optical unit 104, there is no need for a post dedicated to the antenna, whereby the aesthetic appearance of the road is not impaired. In addition, the installation structure of the signal lamp device 101 may be other than that illustrated, and the form of the support column 102 and the arm 103 may be different. The signal lamp 101 may be constructed on a pedestrian bridge.

  A control device 107 is also attached to the column 102. In this embodiment, the control device 107 controls lighting and the like of each optical unit 104 and also controls wireless communication by the patch antenna 106. The control device 107 is connected to the patch antenna 106 in the optical unit 104 by a coaxial cable 108. Further, a lamp line for flowing the LED drive current is also laid between the control device 107 and the optical unit. However, it is not necessary to perform both the display control of the signal lamp 101 and the wireless communication control by the control device 107, and both controls may be performed by separate devices. Further, the control device may be built in the housing 105 of the signal lamp device 101.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of light distribution characteristics required for a traffic signal lamp. The traffic light of the traffic signal lamp needs to be sufficiently visible not only from a distant vehicle but also from the nearest vehicle that is about to pass through the intersection. For this reason, the optical unit of the traffic signal lamp is required not only to have a relatively high luminous intensity in the front direction but also to have a certain degree of luminous intensity obliquely downward. In this example, in addition to a relatively high luminous intensity of 288 cd on the center line, a luminous intensity of 3.6 cd is also required at 33 ° vertically below.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the optical unit. In the present embodiment, there is almost no difference in appearance depending on whether or not the optical unit 104 includes a patch antenna. The optical unit 104 includes a cover member 301 and a housing member 302. The cover member 301 is a glass or resin member having visible light permeability, and covers the front surface of the optical unit 104. The optical unit 104 emits lamp light through the cover member 301. The accommodating member 302 is a dish-shaped member formed of a steel plate, aluminum, or a synthetic resin material, and has a bottom portion (bottom wall) 302a and a side portion (side wall) 302b erected from the periphery of the bottom wall 302a. ing. A cover member 301 is detachably attached to the inner periphery of the opening of the housing member 302. The optical unit 104 accommodates the LED 303 and a substrate on which the LED is mounted in a space surrounded by the cover member 301 and the accommodation member 302. However, since the antireflection member (light shielding member) 304 is provided in front of the substrate of the optical unit 104, the substrate is not visually recognized from the outside. In the optical unit 104 that does not incorporate an antenna, the mold front ends of the plurality of LEDs 303 arranged concentrically are arranged in front of the antireflection member 304.

  The anti-reflective member 304 restricts the sunlight such as the sun and the morning sun from entering the front surface of the reflecting mirror and the substrate in the LED 303, thereby making it difficult to see the signal lamp due to the reflection by the reflecting mirror and the substrate. This is to prevent the occurrence of “pseudo lighting” in which a signal lamp that is not lit appears to be lit. The antireflection member 304 is formed in a plate shape from a synthetic resin material made of an insulating material (nonconductor). In the present embodiment, the antireflection member 304 has a plate-like portion 304 a formed in a circular plate shape (planar shape), and a flange portion 304 b that covers the upper portion of each LED 303. The plate-like portion 304a mainly prevents sunlight from directly hitting the substrate. A plurality of through holes 304 c are formed in the plate-like portion 304 a corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of LEDs 303. In the optical unit 104 that does not incorporate an antenna, the LEDs 303 are inserted into the through holes 304c. The flange portion 304b is provided so as to protrude from the upper edge of each through hole 304c. The eaves part 304b prevents the sunlight which shines from diagonally upwards, such as a western day or an Asahi, entering into the reflective mirror of LED303. In order to prevent such reflection, the antireflection member 304 is formed of a black synthetic resin material, or at least the front surface of the plate-like portion 304a is painted black. Alternatively, a black sheet may be attached.

In the optical unit 104 that does not include an antenna, the mold front end of the LED 303 is disposed in front of the antireflection member 304 as described above. For this reason, the lamp light from the LED 303 is emitted from the cover member 301 without being disturbed. Therefore, what is necessary is just to select LED303 itself, the number, arrangement | positioning, etc. so that the light distribution characteristic shown in FIG. 2 may be satisfy | filled.
However, inconvenience arises when the patch antenna is accommodated behind the antireflection member 304 in the optical unit 104. In terms of a patch antenna, the substrate of the LED 303 is a conductor plate. For this reason, in order to prevent the transmission and reception of radio waves from being disturbed by the LED substrate, it is necessary to dispose the patch element and the ground element of the patch antenna in front of the substrate. If the front end of the LED 303 is located behind the patch element in order to dispose the patch element and the ground element in front of the substrate, the patch element may obstruct forward lighting by the LED 303. Even if the patch element is provided avoiding the front direction of the LED 303, it is difficult to provide the patch element so as not to disturb the lamp light of the LED 303 even in a different direction, for example, obliquely below. Therefore, there is a possibility that the light distribution characteristics shown in FIG. 2 cannot be obtained sufficiently.

  In order for the patch antenna to exhibit desired performance, a predetermined interval is required between the patch element and the ground element. If the height of the LED 303 front end from the substrate is shorter than the interval, if the LED 303 front end is arranged in front of the patch element so as not to interfere with the lamp light from the LED 303, the interval cannot be secured, and the patch antenna is desired. It becomes impossible to demonstrate performance.

  Therefore, in the signal lamp according to the present embodiment, in the optical unit 104 incorporating the antenna, at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member that diffuses the lamp light from the LED 303 is disposed in front of the patch element. Here, since the light diffusing member is made of the same material as the mold of the LED 303 and has almost the same shape, there is almost no difference in appearance depending on whether or not the optical unit 104 incorporates an antenna.

  4 and 5 are a front view and a cross-sectional view of an example of an optical unit incorporating an antenna. The optical unit 104 includes an LED substrate 401, a patch antenna 106, and a light diffusing member 402 in addition to the cover member 301, the housing member 302, the LED 303, and the antireflection member 304.

  The LED substrate 401 is formed in a circular plate shape, and is disposed at a position closest to the bottom surface 302 a of the housing member 302. The plurality of LEDs 303 are provided in a planar shape on the front surface 401 a of the substrate 401. A current is applied to the LED 303 according to the control of the control device, and the signal lamp is turned on.

  The patch antenna 106 is housed in a space surrounded by the cover member 301 and the housing member 302 and has a ground element 403 and a patch element 404. In the optical unit 104, the ground element 403 is provided in front of the substrate 401, and the patch element 404 is provided in front of the ground element 403. For this reason, the board 401 does not interfere with transmission / reception of radio waves by the patch antenna 106. In the optical unit 104, the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 are provided behind the antireflection member 304, so that the patch antenna 106 is hidden by the antireflection member 304. For this reason, it can hide from the front of a signal lamp.

  Here, the ground element 403 of the patch antenna 106 is formed in a circular flat plate shape, and is attached to the antireflection member 304 on the front surface 401 a side of the substrate 401. The ground element 403 is located between the substrate 401 and the antireflection member 304 in the front-rear direction of the optical unit 104 and is provided behind the patch element 404. The contour shape of the ground element 403 is larger than that of the patch element 404. Note that the planar shape of the ground element 403 is not limited to a circle, and may be another shape such as a rectangle. However, when the optical unit 104 is circular in a front view as shown in FIG. 4, the ground element 403 is also preferably circular. That is, it is preferable that the optical unit 104 and the ground element 403 have the same contour shape (similar shape). This is because the area of the ground element 403 can be made larger (maximum) when the outline shape of the ground element 403 is circular than when the outline shape is rectangular. Further, by making the area of the ground element 403 larger (to some extent) than that of the patch element 404, it is possible to reduce the emission of radio waves in the ground direction (back direction). That is, the radio wave can be efficiently emitted forward. The patch element 404 is formed in a planar shape (for example, a circle or a rectangle).

  The patch element 404 is attached to the plate-like portion 304a of the antireflection member 304 by a fastener made of a bolt and a nut (not shown), for example. Here, the patch element 404 is provided on the rear side of the plate-like portion 304a. The patch element 404 is provided away from the substrate 401 in the forward direction, and is positioned in front of the front end of the LED 303.

  The ground element 403 and the patch element 404 can be formed of a metal plate. The material of the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 is preferably a material having conductivity and high conductivity. For example, copper, a copper alloy such as brass, aluminum is preferable, and iron, nickel, or other metal may be used. it can. Further, since a current flows on the surface at a high frequency, a plate member made of a non-conductor such as a resin may be subjected to metal vapor deposition or metal plating (gold or silver plating).

  The lamp light diffusing member 402 is attached to the antireflection member 304. In the antireflection member 304, a plurality of lamp light diffusing members 402 are arranged so as to spread in a planar shape with the center lines aligned with the respective LEDs 303. Each lamp diffusion member 402 diffuses the light incident from the corresponding LED 303 ahead of the patch element 404 and emits it.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the LED, the light diffusing member, and the periphery thereof. The LED 303 has a general configuration, and includes a light emitting body 303a and two lead wires 303b and 303c extending rearward from the light emitting body 303a. The lead wires 303b and 303c are inserted into the substrate 401 and connected to a wiring pattern provided on the back surface of the substrate 401. The light emitting body 303a includes an LED element (LED chip) 303d, a reflecting mirror 303e, and a mold part 303f for enclosing them. The front end of the mold part 303f is the front end of the LED 303. The mold part 303 f forms a lens, and the LED 303 emits, for example, narrow-directional lamp light in the center line direction 601 of the optical unit 104.

  The plurality of LEDs 303 are respectively inserted into the plurality of holes 403 a formed in the ground element 403 because the ground element 403 is close to the substrate 401 in the front-rear direction. The arrangement of the holes 403a coincides with the LEDs 303, and the ground element 403 has a mesh structure.

  Further, since the patch element 404 and the LED 303 overlap with each other in the front-rear direction, the patch element 404 is formed with holes 404a for allowing the lamps from the plurality of LEDs 303 to pass therethrough. The arrangement of the holes 404a also matches the LED 303, and the patch element 404 has a mesh structure. This network structure includes a structure in which several holes are formed in a flat plate such as briquette.

  Between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404, a dielectric (dielectric member) 602 having a relative dielectric constant larger than that of air may be interposed, or air is interposed without the dielectric. Also good. A dielectric 602 may be inserted in the whole or a part between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404. The dielectric 602 is a plate member made of resin or ceramics, for example. In the case of a resin, a fluororesin, polyethylene, glass epoxy, FRP, polyacetal, ABS resin, or polyethylene terephthalate can be used for the dielectric 602.

  In addition, the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 may have a mesh structure. In this case, the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 are formed by conducting wires (knitting the conducting wires). When the dielectric 602 is interposed between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404, the dielectric 602 is also provided with holes 602a through which lamps from the plurality of LEDs 303 pass.

  Since these holes 403a, 404a, 602a and the through hole 304c of the antireflection member 304 are all provided in accordance with the arrangement of the LED 303, the holes 403a, 404a, 602a and the through hole 304c are arranged on the same axis. The The lamp light from the LED 303 passes through the holes 403 a, 404 a, 602 a and the through hole 304 c and is emitted forward from the antireflection member 304. However, the light distribution characteristic as shown in FIG. 2 cannot be obtained only by ensuring the luminous intensity in the front direction of the optical unit 104.

  In the optical unit 104 in the present embodiment, the lamp light diffusing member 402 is attached to the antireflection member 304 as described above, and the light from the LED 303 is diffused in front of the patch element 404 by the lamp light diffusing member 402. Thus, the light distribution characteristic is obtained.

  In this embodiment, the light diffusing member 402 is a resin-made transparent member having a bullet-like shape like the mold part 303 f of the LED 303 and forms a lens. Light from the LED 303 enters from the rear end surface 402 a of the lamp light diffusing member 402. The lamp light diffusing member 402 emits light with a directional angle of the incident light expanded by a lens action. In order to obtain the light distribution characteristic of FIG. 2, the lamp light diffusing member 402 needs to diffuse the lamp light forward from the LED 303 at least obliquely downward 603. Here, the lamp light from the LED 303 is diffused so as to have a luminous intensity of at least 1 cd within a range of 45 ° from the center line below the horizontal line. Since the lamp light diffusing member 402 is attached to the through hole 304 c of the antireflection member 304 in front of the patch element 404, at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member 402 is the optical element 104 rather than the patch element 404 and further the antireflection member 304. Placed in front of. Therefore, the lamp light emitted from the lamp light diffusing member 402 is not hindered by the patch element 404 or the antireflection member 304.

  In addition, since the light distribution characteristic of the signal lamp is determined by the lamp light emitted from the lamp light diffusing member 402, it is not necessary to arrange the front end of the LED 303 ahead of the patch element 404 and the antireflection member 304. When the signal lamp storing the patch antenna is used for an intelligent road traffic system (ITS) that performs radio communication between road vehicles, the frequency used for the patch antenna is set to a 700 MHz band frequency (715 MHz to 725 MHz). In order to provide the patch antenna with this antenna performance (band characteristic, VSWR characteristic), it is necessary to set a wide interval in the front-rear direction between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404. For example, when the patch element 404 is square and one side thereof is about 170 mm and a dielectric having a dielectric constant larger than air is provided, the distance between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 in the front-rear direction is set to about 20 mm to 40 mm. Is done. This interval is set according to the presence or absence of a dielectric and the type of dielectric. As described above, in order to use the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 at a 700 MHz band frequency, the distance between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 in front of the substrate 401 needs to be a large value. However, as described above, the lamp light diffusing member 402 is attached to the antireflection member 304 in front of the patch element 404, and the light distribution characteristics of the signal lamp are determined by the lamp light emitted from the lamp light diffusing member 402. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the front end of the LED 303 ahead of the patch element 404 and the antireflection member 304. Therefore, even when a signal lamp in which the patch antenna is stored in the optical unit 104 is used for ITS, there is no restriction on the light between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404, and the patch antenna can exhibit desired performance. Becomes easier.

  In the optical unit 104, the patch antenna is connected to the control device via the coaxial cable 108. The coaxial cable 108 includes an inner conductor 108a, an insulator 108b, an outer conductor 108c, and a covering portion 108d. The inner conductor 108a is connected to the patch element 404, and the outer conductor 108c is connected to the ground element 403. As shown in FIG. 5, the coaxial cable 108 is drawn into the optical unit 104 via an attachment portion 501 provided on the bottom surface 302 a of the housing member 302.

  As described above, using the patch antenna stored in the optical unit 104, wireless communication can be performed according to the control of the control device. Furthermore, since the ground element 403 and the patch element 404 are disposed to face each other in the front-rear direction, the directivity of the patch antenna can be provided in front of the signal lamp. As a result, the optical axis of the optical unit 104 and the antenna directivity substantially coincide. Since the signal lamp is installed at a position where the line of sight is good with respect to the vehicle, a good communication state with the vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle can be obtained by the antenna directivity.

  An assembly process for storing the patch antenna in the optical unit for manufacturing the signal lamp in this embodiment will be described. The LED is mounted on the substrate with solder. In addition, a light diffusing member, a patch element, a dielectric, and a ground element are attached to the antireflection member. And the board | substrate with which LED was mounted, and the reflection preventing member which has a patch antenna are united, and this integral product is attached to a storage member. When the substrate and the antireflection member are integrated, the LED is inserted through a hole or the like provided in the patch element or the like. Then, the cover member is attached to the housing member. Thereby, the patch antenna can be stored in the optical unit. If an antireflection unit in which a lamp light diffusing member is attached to the antireflection member is used, a patch antenna can be easily built in a normal traffic signal lamp.

  In the above-described optical unit, since the patch antenna is not in an exposed state (a protruding state), it is not necessary to additionally consider the wind load applied to the antenna in the design of the support and arm for attaching the signal lamp. Further, it is not necessary to additionally consider rust prevention and dust prevention for the antenna.

  In addition, traffic signal lamps are installed on the road in consideration of visibility by the driver of the vehicle, so that when the wireless communication is performed between the antenna and the in-vehicle device of the vehicle, the visibility is good. Naturally obtained. Thereby, it becomes easy to utilize the antenna incorporated in the optical unit 2 of the signal lamp for an intelligent road traffic system (ITS) that performs wireless communication between road vehicles and a good communication state is obtained.

  In the optical unit 104 described above, a reflection suppressing film may be formed on the rear end surface 402a of the lamp light diffusing member 402 so as to suppress the reflection of lamp light from the LED 303. By suppressing the reflection of the lamp light with the antireflection coating, more light can be guided into the lamp light diffusing member 402.

  FIG. 7 is a view for explaining one of the modifications of the lamp light diffusing member. The lamp light diffusing member 701 in this example is formed integrally with the LED 702. The LED 702 has a mold part 703 extended in the optical axis direction. The mold part 703, which is a resinous transparent member, is formed in the hole 403a of the ground element 403, the hole 602a of the dielectric 602, the hole 404a of the patch element 404, and the through hole 304c of the antireflection member 304 arranged on the same axis. The tip is inserted from the antireflection member 304. The LED 702 having such a mold part 703 has a light emitting main body part 704, an extension part 705, and a tip part 706 constituting a lamp light diffusing member 701.

  The light emitting body 704 corresponds to the light emitting body 303a in the LED 303 of FIG. 6 and emits light. The light emitting body 704 is not different from the light emitting body 303 a, is between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404, and is provided behind the patch element 404.

  The extension part 705 constitutes a lamp light guide member that guides the lamp light from the light emitting main body part 704 to the tip part 706. The extension part 705 is a part of the mold part 703 and is a transparent member made of resin having a refractive index higher than that of air. Therefore, the lamp light from the light emitting main body part 704 disposed behind the patch element 404 is hardly damaged. Instead, the light is diffused to the lamp diffusing member 701.

  The tip 706 constituting the lamp light diffusing member 701 has a bullet-like shape like the LED 303, and at least a part of the tip 706 is arranged in front of the signal lamp device with respect to the patch element 404 and further the antireflection member 304. The The distal end portion 706 diffuses the light guide guided by the extension portion 705 in front of the antireflection member 304, and obtains the light distribution characteristic of FIG.

  In this manner, the lamp light diffusing member can be formed integrally with the LED, or a separate lamp light guide member may be disposed between the LED and the lamp light diffusing member. If the lamp diffusion member is formed integrally with the LED by extending the LED mold, the light from the LED is not reflected on the rear surface of the lamp diffusion member. Further, the lamp light guide member can more efficiently guide the lamp light from the LED to the lamp light diffusing member. For this reason, the amount of current required to obtain the same luminous intensity can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, in this example, a scattering portion 707 is provided in a band shape on the peripheral surface of the tip portion 706 in order to further diffuse the lamp light. The scattering unit 707 can be configured by making the surface of the mold unit 703 milky white, providing bubbles on the surface, or depositing metal powder. Due to the scattering portion 707, a part of the light guide guided by the extension portion 705 is scattered obliquely below the signal lamp. Here, the scattering portion 707 is not provided at the tip 708 of the distal end portion 706, and the lamp light traveling in the optical axis direction (front direction of the signal lamp) from the light emitting main body portion 704 is not scattered. This makes it easier to obtain an appropriate light intensity, for example, obliquely below, while ensuring a relatively high light intensity in the front direction. Note that the scattering portion 707 need not be provided in a strip shape, and may be formed only on the upper surface of the tip portion 706, for example.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining another modification of the lamp light diffusing member. The lamp light diffusing member 801 in this example is configured by the flange portion 802 of the antireflection member 304. The collar portion 802 diffuses the lamp light from the LED 303 on its lower surface 803.

  The LED 303 has the same configuration as in FIG. 6 and is disposed between the ground element 403 and the patch element 404. The mold part 303 f of the LED 303 is inserted into the hole 403 a of the ground element 403 and the hole 602 a of the dielectric 602, and the front end of the mold part 303 f that is the front end of the LED 303 is located behind the patch element 404. The lamp light from the LED 303 travels forward of the patch element 404 through the hole 602 a of the dielectric 602, the hole 404 a of the patch element 404, and the through hole 304 c of the antireflection member 304.

  Since the flange portion 802 of the antireflection member 304 is provided so as to protrude from the plate-like portion 304a, the flange portion 802 is positioned in front of the patch element 404 and the plate-like portion 304a. The collar portion 802 is provided to be inclined slightly downward, and a part of the lamp light from the LED 303 is incident on the lower surface 803 thereof. The lower surface 803 is subjected to scattering processing such as providing a large number of minute protrusions, and the lamp light incident on the lower surface 803 is scattered in front of the patch element 403 and the plate-like portion 304a. The light in the vicinity of the optical axis of the LED 303 does not enter the lower surface 803 of the flange 802 and travels in the front direction of the signal lamp. As a result, even if the light path from the LED 303 to the through hole 304c of the antireflection member 304 is limited to the front direction, as shown in FIG. 2, while maintaining a relatively high luminous intensity in the front direction, for example, Appropriate luminous intensity can be obtained even obliquely below. Therefore, the lamp can be appropriately confirmed from any direction.

  A lamp light guide member 804 may be disposed between the LED 303 and the lamp light diffusing member 801. The lamp light guide member 804 is made of a transparent member having a refractive index higher than that of air, and guides the lamp light from the LED 303 to the lamp light diffusing member. The lamp light guide member 804 can be made of glass, transparent resin, optical fiber, or other members. By disposing the lamp light guide member 804, more lamp light can be guided to the lamp light diffusing member 801. It is preferable to form a reflection suppressing film for suppressing reflection on the rear end surface of the lamp light guide member 804. Furthermore, it is preferable to form a reflection suppressing film that suppresses reflection on the front end surface. Further, the side surface of the light guide member 804 is preferably coated with a reflective film such as metal. Thereby, it can suppress effectively that light leaks from the side surface of the lamp light guide member 804. In addition to the case where the lamp light scattering structure is provided on the flange portion 802 of the antireflection member 304 as in this example, when the lamp light diffusing member is attached to the through hole 304c of the antireflection member 304 as in the example of FIG. Alternatively, a lamp light guide member that is a separate member from the lamp diffusion member may be disposed between the lamp diffusion member and the LED.

  FIG. 9 is a chart showing the relationship between the relative dielectric constant εr of the dielectric disposed between the ground element and the patch element, the outer shape of the patch element, the position of the patch element, and the like. This table shows the result of modeling and modeling the signal lamp used in the 720 MHz band. In this modeling, the patch element and the ground element are made circular, and the LED, the LED insertion hole and the antireflection member are omitted because they have little influence on the element outer shape and the element position. Further, the input portion of the coaxial cable is positioned 1 mm downward from the upper end of the patch element.

  In FIG. 9, the element outline indicates the length of one side of the ground element and the patch element that are square, and the element height indicates the value of the distance between the ground element and the patch element in the front-rear direction. When the relative dielectric constant εr is 1, that is, when the space between the ground element and the patch element is air, the element outer shape is 170.5 mm and the element height is 25.0 mm. When a dielectric having a larger rate εr than that of air is interposed, the outer shape of the element is reduced and the height of the element is increased.

  Thus, the size of the patch element (patch antenna) can be reduced by providing the dielectric having a relative dielectric constant εr larger than that of air between the ground element and the patch element. This is considered to be because the wavelength shortening rate in the element increases. Thus, since the patch antenna can be made small, another antenna can be further stored in the optical unit. As another antenna, for example, it may be used in a frequency band (for example, 2.4 GHz band or the like) for communication between mobile phones and ITS roads.

  In addition, it is preferable that the lower limit of the dielectric constant εr of the dielectric for the patch antenna stored in the lamp is 2 (2 or more). The relative dielectric constant εr is preferably 5 (up to 5). Specifically, fluororesin, polyethylene, glass epoxy, FRP, polyacetal, ABS resin, or polyethylene terephthalate is preferable in terms of price and workability.

  As described above, in the signal lamp according to the present embodiment, the patch antenna is stored in the optical unit. As a result, the antenna can be made inconspicuous and installed in the signal lamp, and the aesthetic appearance of the road is not impaired. And since an antenna is stored in an optical unit, the exclusive support | pillar for antenna installation can be made unnecessary. In addition, since the antenna is provided in front of the substrate, it can be prevented that the substrate interferes with transmission and reception of radio waves by the antenna.

  Further, in order to use the patch antenna at a 700 MHz band frequency (715 MHz to 725 MHz), the distance in the front-rear direction between the patch element and the ground element is set to a predetermined value (for example, 20 mm to 40 mm). Therefore, when the patch antenna is stored in the optical unit as being in front of the substrate, the patch element exists at a position away from the substrate in the forward direction. However, even in this case, according to the present embodiment, the lamp light from the LED can be diffused by the lamp light diffusing member in front of the patch element, and the light path of the lamp light from the LED to the lamp light diffusing member is the front direction. Even if it is limited to, the desired luminous intensity can be obtained in the other directions in the lamp light emitted from the lamp. As a result, it is possible to appropriately view the lamp light not only from a specific direction but also from various angles. Moreover, since it is not necessary to dispose the LED in front of the patch element in order not to disturb the lamp, the distance between the ground element and the patch element is not limited. For this reason, a patch antenna can be easily functioned as an antenna for communicating at a 700 MHz band frequency.

  The embodiments described above do not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and various modifications and applications other than those already described are possible within the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the ground element and the patch element may be arranged in parallel, but in order to adjust the antenna directivity, one or both of the ground element and the patch element are arranged to be inclined with respect to the substrate. May be.

  Further, in view of visibility to the driver, the signal lamp is usually installed with the board itself inclined slightly downward. Therefore, by attaching the ground element and the patch element in parallel to the substrate, the directivity of the antenna is also directed downward. For example, the purpose is to limit the radio communication area between road vehicles in ITS or increase the reliability. As an alternative, it may be tilted further downward than the substrate.

  In the above-described embodiment, the patch element is provided behind the antireflection member. However, the patch element may be provided in front of the antireflection member. Even in this case, at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member only needs to be in front of the patch element. When the patch element is provided on the front surface of the antireflection member, the patch element can be attached to the front surface of the antireflection member or attached with a set screw. In this case, it is preferable to coat the patch element in the same color as the antireflection member. Thereby, the patch element becomes inconspicuous. Furthermore, the front surface of the antireflection member is subjected to a surface treatment with fine irregularities such as a satin finish in order to diffusely reflect sunlight (in order not to reflect sunlight in a certain direction like a mirror). When the patch element is disposed in front of the antireflection member, it is preferable that the patch element is also subjected to the same surface treatment (the process having the same roughness), thereby making the patch element more inconspicuous. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the patch antenna is incorporated in the yellow optical unit. However, the patch antenna may be incorporated in other light colors, or a plurality or all of the light color optical units. When a patch antenna is incorporated in a plurality or all of the light-colored optical units, it may be used as a diversity antenna, or may be used as an array antenna to improve gain or change directivity. Good.

  Further, the signal lamp may be for a pedestrian other than the vehicle. Further, the light emitter included in the signal lamp may be a light bulb or an organic EL element in addition to the LED. Moreover, this invention may be an illuminating lamp for road illumination other than a signal lamp. In this case, there are mercury lamps and sodium lamps as light emitters.

  The lamp and the antireflection unit according to the present invention do not require a support for installing an antenna, and do not impair the aesthetics of the road. Signal lamps for vehicles and pedestrians and illumination lamps for illumination, It is useful for other lamps and antireflection units used for them.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Traffic light lamp 102 Support | pillar 103 Arm 104 Optical unit 105 Case 106 Patch antenna 107 Control apparatus 108 Coaxial cable 301 Cover member 302 Housing member 302a Bottom of housing member 302b Side of housing member 303 LED
303a LED light emitting body 303b, 303c LED lead wire 303d LED element 303e LED reflecting mirror 303f LED mold part 304 Antireflection member 304a Antireflection member plate part 304b Antireflection member collar part 304c Antireflection member penetration Hole 401 LED substrate 402, 701 Light diffusion member 403 Ground element 404 Patch antenna 601 Center line direction of optical unit 602 Dielectric 702 LED
703 LED mold part 704 Light emitting body part 705 Extension part 706 Tip part 801 Light diffusion member 802 Antireflection member collar 803 Lower surface of collar 804 Lamp light guide member

Claims (9)

An optical unit having a substrate, a light emitter disposed on the substrate, and a visible light transmissive cover member that covers the light emitter on the front surface on the front surface;
A patch antenna in which a ground element and a patch element are provided in the optical unit, the ground element is disposed in front of the substrate, and the patch element is disposed in front of the ground element;
A lamp light diffusing member that is provided in the optical unit and diffuses the lamp light from the light emitter;
A lamp device in which at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member is disposed in front of the patch element.   The lamp device according to claim 1, further comprising a lamp light guide member that guides lamp light from the light emitter to the lamp light diffusing member. A plate-shaped antireflection member that is disposed between the cover member and the patch element and prevents light incident on the optical unit from being reflected in the optical unit;
The antireflection member has a passage hole through which the lamp from the light emitter passes forward;
The lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lamp light diffusing member is attached in front of the passage hole of the antireflection member.   The lamp device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lamp light diffusing member diffuses part of lamp light from the light emitter obliquely downward.   5. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the lamp diffusion member diffuses lamp light from the light emitter so that the lamp light of the lamp has a luminous intensity of at least 1 cd within a range of 45 degrees from the center of the lamp. The lamp according to item 1.   The lamp device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a reflection suppression film that is formed on a rear end surface of the lamp light diffusing member and suppresses the reflection of the lamp light from the light emitter on the rear end surface. An optical unit having a substrate and a light emitter disposed on the substrate;
A patch antenna in which a ground element and a patch element are provided in the optical unit, the ground element is disposed in front of the substrate, and the patch element is disposed in front of the ground element;
A lamp light diffusing member that is provided in the optical unit and diffuses the lamp light from the light emitter;
A lamp device in which at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member is disposed in front of the patch element. An optical unit having a substrate, a light emitter disposed on the substrate, and a visible light transmissive cover member that covers the light emitter in front;
A patch antenna in which a ground element and a patch element are provided in the optical unit, the ground element is disposed in front of the substrate, and the patch element is disposed in front of the ground element;
A lamp light diffusing member for diffusing lamp light from the light emitter,
A traffic signal lamp in which at least a part of the lamp light diffusing member is disposed in front of the patch element. An optical unit having a substrate, a light emitter disposed on the substrate, and a visible light transmissive cover member that covers the light emitter forward, a ground element and a patch element are provided in the optical unit, and the ground element Is a reflection preventing unit of a lamp provided with a patch antenna disposed in front of the substrate and the patch element disposed in front of the ground element,
A plate-shaped antireflection member that is disposed between the cover member and the patch element and prevents light incident on the optical unit from being reflected in the optical unit;
An antireflection unit for a lamp, comprising: a lamp light diffusing member that is attached in front of a hole formed in the antireflection member and diffuses lamp light from the light emitter that has passed through the hole.

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