JP2011040584A - White light emitting device and linear lighting device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a white light emitting device which is constructed by assembling white LEDs emitting light out of a desired whiteness level and emits light having a desired chromaticity by mixing lights emitted from the white LEDs, and a linear lighting device. <P>SOLUTION: The white light emitting device (20) includes a light source part in which a first white LED (11) emitting white light having a chromaticity shifted from a predetermined white zone to a blue zone of a CIE chromaticity diagram and a second white LED (12) emitting white light having a chromaticity shifted from the predetermined white zone to a yellow zone are disposed adjacent to each other in the approximately same direction of an optical axis, and a current controlling means for driving blue LED chips in the first and second white LEDs independently. Lights emitted from the first and second white LEDs (11, 12) are mixed and adjusted to a chromaticity within the predetermined white zone by using the current controlling means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a white light emitting device and a line illumination device using the white light emitting device. In particular, the present invention relates to a white light emitting device equipped with a white LED and a line illumination device using the same, which are used in an image reading device.

  In devices such as a facsimile, a copier, and a hand scanner, an image reading device such as an image sensor is used as a device for reading a document. Usually, as such an image reading apparatus, a contact type image sensor that has a short optical path length and can be easily incorporated into a device is used.

  The contact-type image sensor includes a line illumination device that irradiates the document surface linearly over the main scanning range. As a line illumination device, a long light guide is used, and light incident from a light source disposed on the end face of the light guide is propagated while being reflected by the inner surface to be emitted from a longitudinal light exit surface. An indirect irradiation type is known.

  As a light source in such a line illumination device, it is known that a white LED composed of a blue LED chip and a YAG phosphor is used. The white LED light source is compatible with color image reading, has a simple lighting control, and is excellent in terms of luminance characteristics, miniaturization, and weight reduction, as compared with multi-chip LEDs that emit RGB three colors. It is said that it has been adopted as a light source for contact image sensors as well as improving luminous efficiency.

  In addition, a line-shaped lighting device in which LEDs composed of a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged as light sources on the end face of the light guide emits light emitted by the plurality of chips without causing color balance and mixing the colors sufficiently in the light guide. However, it is required to irradiate a color original as illumination with a line-like and uniform color tone. For solving these problems or as an invention characterized by the shape of the light guide, Patent Document 1 and the like are disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses that when white LEDs are mass-produced, considerable variation occurs in the emission wavelength and emission luminance of the blue LED chip. In addition, the amount of fluorescent particles of the YAG phosphor mixed in the covering member and the dispersion of the white light also affect the mixed white light. As a result, the finished white LED has a large variation in color and brightness. It is said that.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 16, when a lot of white LEDs are mass-produced, the distribution of the variation in emission color tone will be described using a part of the chromaticity coordinates. The distribution chart shown in FIG. 16 is disclosed in Patent Document 2. Each black dot shown in FIG. 16 indicates individual color tone data of the white LED, and the color tone is dispersed in a band shape rising to the right as shown in the figure. More specifically, it is dispersed in a band shape in a white region substantially on a line passing from yellow to white through a white point according to chromaticity classification of JIS Z 8110. Here, the dispersion in the width direction (arrow line A) is a variation in color tone mainly caused by the variation in the emission wavelength of the blue light emitting element, and the dispersion in the longitudinal direction (arrow line B) is a fluorescent particle mainly mixed in the covering member. Variation in color tone caused by variation in amount and dispersion. Since the emission wavelength of the blue light emitting element has a large variation between lots, the dispersion in the width direction (arrow line A) is further widened in actual mass production (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-287923 A JP 2004-119743 A JP 2006-287923 A Japanese Patent No. 3990437

  Here, when the light source of the line illumination device for the image reading apparatus is to be configured using such a white LED, only the white LED selected by ranking the emission color in a desired chromaticity range is used. It is preferable in terms of center color tone, color tone unevenness, and the like. However, in the case of the configuration using only the white LED of a specific ranked product, there is a problem that other rank products are unnecessary and the total cost for obtaining the white LED is high.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and is configured by combining white LEDs that emit light with a wide range of whiteness that deviates from the desired whiteness. Provided are a white light emitting device that emits light and a line illumination device using the same. Furthermore, it aims at improving the yield of white LED by increasing the utilization of white LED of wide chromaticity, and reducing the manufacturing cost of white LED.

  In the white light emitting device according to the first invention, in a white light emitting device using a white LED having a blue LED chip and a phosphor, white light is emitted with a chromaticity shifted from a predetermined white region of the CIE chromaticity diagram to the blue side. A light source unit in which a first white LED and a second white LED that emits white light with a chromaticity shifted from the predetermined white region to the yellow side are arranged adjacent to each other in substantially the same direction; and the first and second Current control means for independently driving the blue LED chip in the white LED, and the color mixture of light emitted from the first and second white LEDs is adjusted to the chromaticity of the predetermined white region using the current control means. It is characterized by being adjusted.

  In the white light emitting device according to the second invention, the first and second white LEDs are composed of a blue LED chip and a YAG phosphor.

  In the white light emitting device according to the third aspect of the invention, the emission color of the white LED is such that the blue chromaticity point emitted from the blue LED chip and the yellow chromaticity point emitted from the phosphor on the CIE chromaticity diagram. The white area between the two is distributed in a band shape, and the central area of the band is defined as the predetermined white area.

  In the white light emitting device according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the predetermined white region has chromaticity points (x, y) in the CIE chromaticity diagram of (0.296, 0.276), (0.283, 0.305). ), (0.330, 0.360), and (0.330, 0.318). The chromaticity point of light emission in the CIE chromaticity diagram of the first white LED ( x, y) is surrounded by four points (0.280, 0.248), (0.264, 0.267), (0.283, 0.305), and (0.296, 0.276). The chromaticity points (x, y) of light emission in the CIE chromaticity diagram of the second white LED are (0.330, 0.318), (0.330, 0.360), ( 0.361, 0.385) and (0.356, 0.351).

  In the white light emitting device according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the current control means is a white light emitting white light having a chromaticity close to a target chromaticity point in the mixed-color CIE chromaticity diagram among the first and second white LEDs. A constant current is supplied to the LED, and a PWM-controlled current is supplied to the other white LED.

  In the white light emitting device according to a sixth aspect of the invention, the current control means PWM-controls at least one drive current of the first and second white LEDs, and the target chromaticity in the mixed-color CIE chromaticity diagram. The first and second in inverse proportion to the distance from the point to the chromaticity point where the first white LED emits light and the distance from the target chromaticity point to the chromaticity point where the second white LED emits light Each pulse width for driving the white LED is set.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a linear illumination device that reflects light incident from a light source disposed on an incident surface provided on an end face in a length direction of a rod-shaped light guide made of a transparent member, on an inner surface of the rod-shaped light guide. The light source is a white light emitting device according to any one of the first to sixth inventions, wherein light is emitted from a light exit surface provided along the length direction.

  The line-shaped illumination device according to an eighth aspect is characterized in that an outer shape of a radiation surface that emits light of the white light emitting device is a size that fits in an outer shape of an incident surface of the light guide.

  According to the white light emitting device of the present invention, a wide range of chromaticities can be obtained by using a combination of white LEDs having chromaticities that deviate from a predetermined white range in the ranked white range provided as a product. White LEDs can be used. That is, the product cost of the white LED is reduced by reducing the number of products that have not been used due to the color tone inherent in the white LED composed of the blue LED chip and the YAG phosphor.

Further, according to the white light emitting device of the present invention, in order to compensate for the chromaticity variation, which is a defect of the white LED, a new LED chip that emits a different wavelength, addition of a different fluorescent material, and a change in the phosphor composition are made. Thus, it is possible to perform light emission in a target predetermined white region without using the complicated configuration that has been performed in the prior art.
Further, for example, by using the white light emitting device according to the present invention as a light source of the line illumination device, a bright line illumination device that illuminates with a predetermined white chromaticity can be manufactured.

It is a perspective view which shows the light source part of the white light-emitting device of Example 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure showing an example of the electric circuit diagram which drives the white light-emitting device of Example 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating control of the lighting time of two white LED of Example 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating a typical white area | region using the chromaticity coordinate by JISZ8110. It is a figure which shows the example which divided into 4 ranks and the light emission area | region of white LED by one manufacturer was represented on the CIE chromaticity diagram. It is a figure which shows the coordinate value of the corner of each area by the rank division | segmentation of FIG. 5A. It is a figure which shows the example which divided into 7 ranks and the light emission area | region of white LED by one manufacturer was represented on the CIE chromaticity diagram. It is a figure which shows the coordinate value of the corner of each area by the rank division | segmentation of FIG. 6A. It is the figure which reranked the light emission chromaticity in a white LED commercial product, and re-ranked it to the A, B, C area, and represented it on the CIE chromaticity diagram. It is a figure which shows the coordinate value of each corner of the A, B, and C area which were re-ranked of FIG. 7A. It is a chromaticity diagram explaining the control which mixes light emission from two white LED of the white light-emitting device of Example 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the white light-emitting device used as 1st or 2nd white LED which light-emits the chromaticity of an outer strip | belt area from a white area with a rank. It is a figure for demonstrating the chromaticity of light emission of the white light-emitting device of Example 2 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating control of the lighting time of two white LED of Example 2 which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the linear illuminating device of Example 3 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the radiation | emission surface of the white light-emitting device used for the light source of the linear illuminating device of Example 3 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the CIS unit incorporating the linear illuminating device of Example 3 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the illuminance distribution of the longitudinal direction which divided the illumination light in the line-shaped illuminating device of Example 3 which concerns on this invention into RGB. It is a distribution map which shows variation in chromaticity of white LED.

  In the present invention, the inventors have studied the characteristics of a white LED having a blue LED chip and a fluorescent material, and have studied a white light emitting device and a white light emitting lighting device that emit high output light with uniform whiteness, and an easy configuration. It has been completed.

  Note that white as an illumination light source in the present embodiment is typically defined as JIS Z 8110 reference figure 1 “General chromaticity classification of system color names” in the JIS standard as shown in FIG. Among them, the colors are classified into white, (blueish) white, (purple) white, (yellowish) white, (greenish) white, and (lightly) pink. Called the typical “white”.

  Adjusting the light mixture ratio to adjust the color of the illumination light source to the target white color is called white balance. This adjustment is performed using a measurement sensor jig. In this example, the brightness, luminance, chromaticity, and xy coordinates on the CIE chromaticity diagram of the white LED were measured or calculated using a spectrophotometer. However, even if the white balance is adjusted using a measurement sensor jig other than the spectrophotometer, there is no problem in implementing the present invention.

  Manufacturers of white LEDs include a white point (x = 0.33, y = 0.33) on the CIE chromaticity diagram and a certain width and length within the typical white region described above. This area is ranked and provided as the light emitting area of the white LED. For example, in the product catalog (2008 version) of Nichia Corporation (hereinafter abbreviated as “N” company), as shown in FIG. 5A, the ranking is divided into four areas a0, b1, b2, and c0. The coordinate values of the corners of each region are shown in FIG. 5B. In the product catalog (2008 edition) of Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (hereinafter abbreviated as T company) blue LED + phosphor type white LED, as shown in FIG. 6A, seven light emission areas AA, AB, B3 to B6, C0 are shown. They are ranked into areas. The coordinate values of the corners of each region are shown in FIG. 6B. The total areas ranked by both companies are only different on the CIE chromaticity diagram at the same overlapping and subdivided area level.

  Here, in order to explain the present embodiment, these ranked areas are re-ranked into three areas of A, B, and C areas. That is, the a0 area of N company and the (AA + AB) area of T company are the same area (hereinafter referred to as A area), and the c0 area of N company and the C0 area of T company are the same area (hereinafter referred to as C area). Yes, the (b1 + b2) region of the N company and the (B3 + B4 + B5 + B6) region of the T company are the same region (hereinafter referred to as the B region), and are overlapping regions. FIG. 7A shows the light emitting areas reranked in this way. The A area, the B area, and the C area shown in FIG. 7A are areas where the light emission chromaticities in the white LED commercial products are ranked. In addition, the coordinate value of the angle | corner of each area | region is shown to FIG. 7B. In FIG. 7A, there is a white point (x = 0.33, y = 0.33) on the boundary between the B region and the C region, and as shown in FIG. It is an area.

  Hereinafter, this (A + B + C) region is referred to as a ranked white region. The B area is called a predetermined white area (desired color tone) and is a target color tone of the emission color of the white light emitting device in the embodiment. In this way, in the ranked white area where the manufacturer ranks the white light emission of the white LED, the predetermined white area (B area) is located in the center, and the A area is shifted from the predetermined white area to the blue side, and the A area is yellow. This is a region on the CIE chromaticity diagram in which the C region is connected with a shift to the side. As shown in FIG. 7B, the coordinate values (x, y) on the CIE chromaticity diagram are (0.296, 0.276) and (0.283, 0. 305), (0.330, 0.360), and (0.330, 0.318) are chromaticities within a range surrounded by four points. Further, the area A is surrounded by four points (0.280, 0.248), (0.264, 0.267), (0.283, 0.305), and (0.296, 0.276). And the C region is (0.330, 0.318), (0.330, 0.360), (0.361, 0.385), (0.356, 0.351) The chromaticity is within a range surrounded by four points.

  In the image reading apparatus using the white light emitting device or the line illumination device according to the present invention, the photoelectric conversion sensor receives and recognizes the light source or the reflected light thereof instead of being directly recognized by the human eye. Mechanism. Therefore, the central color tone of the luminescent color does not necessarily need to be the white point (x = 0.33, y = 0.33) on the CIE chromaticity diagram, and the cost of the light source can be reduced within the adjustable range of the image reading apparatus. The color tone of the light source is selected in consideration.

  Note that the coordinate values (x = 0.307, y = 0.315) of the corners common to the B3 to B6 areas shown in FIG. 6A are adopted as the coordinates of the center of the B area, and the arrival of chromaticity in this embodiment is achieved. The target coordinate value (target chromaticity point) to be used. Therefore, the light source in the image reading apparatus that is the object of the present invention is preferable in that it can easily suppress uneven color tone if it is configured using only the white LED in the B region, but the A region and the C region are unnecessary and the cost is low. From this point of view, this is an issue to be considered.

  The present invention relates to a white LED that emits chromaticity in a ranked white region provided by a manufacturer, and uses a white LED that emits light in an A or C region that is out of a predetermined white region (B region). A white light emitting device or a line illumination device that emits light with the color tone adjusted. As a result, the number of unnecessary white LEDs is reduced. Specific examples of the invention will be described below.

  The white light emitting device used in the image reading apparatus of Embodiment 1 is provided with two white LEDs. Each of the white LEDs includes a blue LED chip and a phosphor layer that emits yellow light when excited by radiation emitted from the blue LED chip. Yellow is a complementary color of blue. Here, the white light-emitting device 20 provided with two white LED is demonstrated, referring FIGS. 1-4 and FIG.

  The white light emitting device 20 according to the present embodiment includes the light source unit 10 and the current control unit 33. FIG. 1 illustrates the light source unit 10 of the white light emitting device 20. The light source unit 10 includes a first white LED 11 that emits white light in a region A shifted from a predetermined white region (B region) to the blue side in the above-described ranked white region (A region + B region + C region), and A second white LED 12 that emits white light in the C region shifted from the predetermined white region (B region) to the yellow side is mounted on the printed circuit board 15 adjacently. The first and second white LEDs 11 and 12 are arranged adjacent to each other so that their main light emitting directions, that is, optical axes are parallel to each other and substantially in the same direction. On the printed board 15, an anode line common to the two white LEDs 11 and 12 and two cathode lines connected to the white LEDs 11 and 12 are provided as wirings 16 for supplying power. These anode lines and two cathode lines are connected to current control units 33 (see FIG. 2) provided outside from terminals A, K1, and K2, respectively. By the current control unit 33, the first and second white LEDs 11 and 12 constituting the light source unit 10 of the white light emitting device 20 are independently driven. In FIG. 1, the phosphor layer covering the blue LED chip is omitted.

  The white LED used in this example is, for example, a commercially available surface-mount LED package (Nichia Chemical Industries, Ltd .; NESW007A) having a vertical and horizontal dimension of about 2.0 × 1.2 mm. Specify and obtain a white LED whose A is the A and C regions. Alternatively, the white LED of the above-mentioned product number is obtained, and the LED that emits light in the A region and the light that emits light in the C region in the lighting state with a rated forward current of 10 mA are identified by the measurement sensor jig described above. Can be used.

  The white light emitting device according to the present invention mixes the white light of two white LEDs to obtain the B region chromaticity, and this relationship will be described with reference to the CIE chromaticity diagram shown in FIG. To do. In addition, the coordinate value of the corner | angular of each area is the same as FIG. 7B. Here, the first white LED emits white light LA1 at the chromaticity point PA1 in the A area on the CIE chromaticity diagram shown in FIG. 8, and the second white LED emits the chromaticity point in the C area shown in FIG. It was configured to emit white light LC1 of PC1.

  In order to match the color mixture of the light emission colors of the first and second white LEDs to the point PD0 shown in FIG. 8, the lightness of the white light LA1 at the point PA1 and the lightness of the white light LC1 at the point PC1 are weighted. The brightness may be adjusted so that a weighted average value of the chromaticity coordinates of PA1 and the chromaticity coordinates of the point PC1 becomes a predetermined chromaticity coordinate. Note that the point PD0 is a target point where the mixed colors should be reached, and the coordinate values are (x = 0.307, y = 0.315) and are the coordinates of the center of the above-described B area.

  The adjustment of the brightness (brightness) of the light emission color by the white LED of this embodiment is recommended because the color change is small, and the PWM control that changes the pulse width while keeping the forward current to drive each LED chip constant. It was done in.

  Next, a method for adjusting color mixture in the white light emitting device 20 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electric circuit for driving the white light emitting device 20. This electric circuit includes a light source unit 10 and a current control unit 33 as current control means. The light source unit 10 corresponds to the part shown in FIG. The current controller 33 is independently provided with a current controller that controls the current flowing through the first and second white LEDs 11 and 12. For example, for each of the first and second white LEDs 11 and 12, current adjustment circuits 21 and 22 are connected in parallel to the two cathode terminals K 1 and K 2 of the light source unit 10. Transistors T1 and T2 for turning on / off the white LEDs 11 and 12 are connected to current adjustment circuits 21 and 22, respectively. The transistors T1 and T2 are connected to the ground GND.

  For example, an operation amplifier, a transistor, and a current limiting resistor R1 or a current limiting resistor R2 are provided in the current adjusting circuits 21 and 22. The current control unit 33 applies a forward current to the white LEDs 11 and 12 respectively, and the transistors T1 and T2 are turned on and off by the PWM control method to control the lighting of the white LEDs 11 and 12, respectively. Such a current control unit 33 functions as a current control unit.

Next, current control for causing the emission color mixed by the white light emitting device 20 of this embodiment to be a target point that should be substantially reached on the chromaticity diagram will be described. FIG. 3 is a timing chart for performing PWM control for the lighting time of the first and second white LEDs 11 and 12.
First, the pulse period T is set to 10 milliseconds, the current for driving the first and second white LEDs 11 and 12 is set to 10 mA using the current adjusting circuits 21 and 22, and the lighting time t1 of the first white LED 11 is set to one. The white light emitting device 20 is operated for 5 milliseconds per cycle. The drive currents of the white LEDs 11 and 12 are set by the current adjustment circuits 21 and 22, respectively, and the lighting time t1 is adjusted by the transistor T1.

  Next, a measurement sensor jig is installed above the light emitting surface of the white light emitting device 20 at a position where the light emitted from the two white LEDs 11 and 12 is sufficiently mixed, or above the scattering plate. The chromaticity measurement of the emission color of the device 20 is started. Here, chromaticity measurement is started with a measurement time of several tens of times the period T.

  Thereafter, the lighting time t2 per cycle of the white LED 12 is adjusted by the transistor T2, and the chromaticity measurement value of the light emission by the white light emitting device 20 is the center point PD0 (x = 0.307, y in the B area shown in FIG. 8). = 0.315) and find the lighting time t2.

  Here, in order to make the chromaticity of the luminescent color mixed by the white light emitting device 20 substantially coincide with the point PD0 of the coordinate value at the substantially center of the B area on the CIE chromaticity diagram, the current control unit 33. The first white LED 11 may be lit at a duty ratio D1 = t1 / T and the second white LED 12 may be lit at a duty ratio D2 = t2 / T by PWM control.

  Depending on the coordinate position in the A area corresponding to the emission color of the selected first white LED and the coordinate position in the C area corresponding to the emission color of the second white LED, the mixed color is matched with the point PD0. It may not be possible. However, since the chromaticity in the B area can be adjusted, the present invention is satisfactory for solving the problems of the present invention. In addition, since the white area with all ranks is connected to the A area + B area + C area and the bow shape, it is extremely rare to select a white LED that emits chromaticity that is extremely inside the bow shape in the A area and the C area. The chromaticity coordinates of the mixed color may slightly deviate from the B area. In this case, it may be determined whether or not the chromaticity of this mixed color is acceptable.

  In contrast to a conventional white light emitting device that suppresses color unevenness by selecting only white LEDs that emit light in a relatively narrow predetermined white region, the white light emitting device according to the present invention is among the ranked white regions provided as products. In this case, a white LED having a chromaticity that deviates from a predetermined white range is also used in combination. Therefore, according to the present invention, the product cost is reduced by reducing the number of white LEDs that have been previously sorted out due to the color tone inherent to the white LED composed of the blue LED chip and the YAG phosphor. Can be made.

  In addition, according to the present invention, in order to compensate for the chromaticity variation, which is a defect of white LEDs, conventional techniques such as newly adding LED chips emitting different wavelengths, adding different kinds of fluorescent materials, and changing the phosphor composition, etc. Thus, it is possible to manufacture a white light emitting device capable of emitting light in a predetermined predetermined white region without using the complicated structure performed in the above.

  As the current control in the white light emitting device 20, the magnitude of the current for driving the white LEDs 11 and 12 may be controlled instead of the PWM control. The current magnitude can be controlled by the current adjustment circuits 21 and 22. Further, PWM control and current magnitude control may be combined.

  In the above-described embodiment, the chromaticity emitted by the white LED has been described based on the ranked white area provided by the manufacturer. However, the distribution of chromaticity emitted by the white LED composed of the blue LED chip and the YAG phosphor is white on the CIE chromaticity diagram between the blue light emitting area of the blue LED chip and the yellow light emitting area of the phosphor. The area can also be distributed in a band-like area 66 shown in FIG. A typical white area 67 according to the reference JIS Z 8110 reference figure 1 (see FIG. 9) defined above extends to the outside of the ranked white area (A area + B area + C area) 65, and is white in the CIE chromaticity diagram. This is an elliptical region having a major axis extending from a point on the blue side (x = 0.23, y = 0.21) to a point on the yellow side (x = 0.41, y = 0.41). The present invention can also be used for a white LED having a zonal region 66 having a chromaticity in which the emission color of the white LED is distributed within the typical white region 67.

  A white LED that emits white light having a chromaticity shifted from the desired white region (B region) to the blue side in the belt-like region 66 outside the ranked white region is defined as a first white LED. A white LED emitting white light having a chromaticity shifted from the desired chromaticity region (B region) to the yellow side in the belt-like region 66 is used as a second white LED, and a white light emitting device is manufactured in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. . And when the luminescent color of the first white LED is a chromaticity of a white region shifted further to the blue side than the A region, or the white region where the luminescent color of the second white LED is shifted further to the yellow side than the C region Even when the chromaticity of the white light emitting device 20 is the same, the white light emitting device 20 can similarly adjust the emission chromaticity to the chromaticity in the B region by the PWM control of the current control unit 33.

  As described above, when the chromaticity emitted by the first or second white LED is widely selected in a wide area in the band 66, the target chromaticity point or the predetermined white area of the mixed color of light emission from the two white LEDs is However, it is not necessarily limited to the B area, and may be a central area between the chromaticity points at which the two white LEDs emit light, and this mixed color chromaticity point moves from the B area to the blue side or the yellow side. May be.

  Thus, by making it possible to select the chromaticity of a wide area outside the ranked white area as the emission color of the first or second white LED, the usability of the white LED is further increased and the product cost can be reduced.

  The second embodiment relates to PWM control of a drive current that effectively drives the two white LEDs used in the white light emitting device of the first embodiment and increases the lightness of the white light emitting device in which both light emission colors are mixed. is there. Further, the present invention relates to a white light emitting device that can select and use white LEDs distributed in a wide region of chromaticity to emit light by PWM control of this embodiment. The emission colors of the first and second white LEDs in Example 2 will be described using chromaticities in the A and C areas, respectively, as in Example 1.

  First, in the CIE chromaticity diagram, when there is a difference in the distance from the coordinate point of each chromaticity emitted by the two white LEDs 11 and 12 to be used to the target point PD0 of the mixed chromaticity, these two white LEDs The current control for adjusting the chromaticity of the white light emitting device configured as follows will be described. At this time, it is preferable to select the first white LED 11 and the second white LED 12 that have substantially the same luminous intensity at the rated current. In order to align the luminosity, the luminosity rank may be specified and obtained from the manufacturer, or may be individually driven to measure the luminosity and select.

  For example, as shown in the CIE chromaticity diagram of FIG. 10, the chromaticity LA2 of the emission color by the first white LED 11 is located in the PA2 of the A area, and the chromaticity of the emission color LC2 by the second white LED 12 is the C area. Located on PC2. A case will be described in which the color tone is adjusted to the point PD0 located on the line segment connecting the two points PA2 and PC2 and approximately in the center of the B area. For this purpose, the brightness of each emission color may be adjusted so that the weighted average obtained by weighting the brightness of the emission colors LA2 and LC2 to the coordinates of PA2 and PC2 becomes the coordinate value of PD0. In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the distance ratio between the distance (PA2-PD0) and the distance (PC2-PD0) is 1: 2, so the lightness ratio of the emission colors LA2 and LC2 is expressed as the distance. By adjusting to 2: 1 that is inversely proportional to the ratio, the mixed emission color from the white light emitting device becomes the chromaticity of the point PD0.

  In the above description, as shown in FIG. 10, the chromaticity PA2 of the first white LED, the target chromaticity point PD0 of the mixed color, and the chromaticity PC2 of the second white LED are substantially collinear on the CIE chromaticity diagram. This is the case. However, even if they are not on the same straight line, if the brightness of the emission colors LA2 and LC2 is set in inverse proportion to the distance between the distance (PA2-PD0) and the distance (PC2-PD0), the emission colors of both The color mixture of approximately has a chromaticity of a predetermined white region (B region) and is suitable.

  Expressing this color mixing adjustment method separately, the brightness of a white LED that emits light with a chromaticity close to the target point PD0 of the mixed chromaticity is higher than that of the other white LED that emits light with a chromaticity at a position far from the target point PD0. It is to be. In the white light emitting device of this embodiment in which the two white LEDs having substantially the same luminous intensity are selected, the current control circuit shown in FIG. 2 is used as the drive current of the white LED 11 closer to the target point PD0 by using the current control unit 33. A constant current (not a pulse current) was continuously supplied by 21. In this state, only the drive current of the other white LED 12 is supplied by PWM control, and its pulse width t2 is determined by the same method as in the first embodiment so that the mixed color of the two white LEDs matches the target chromaticity (see FIG. 11).

  In addition to the current control shown in FIG. 11, the current control unit 33 is used to set the cycle T to 100 msec, t1 (pulse width PWM-controlled by the driving current of the white LED 11) to 90 msec, and t2 to 45 msec. However, although the color mixture is almost the target chromaticity, it has been confirmed that the brightness is higher when the current is controlled in FIG. Of course, it is also preferable to drive the white LED 12 by continuously driving the white LED 11 with t1 being the same as the period and setting t2 to be half of t1.

  The pulse width setting method in the PWM control is summarized as follows. For each of the first and second white LEDs, the chromaticity of light emission is measured in advance with a measurement sensor jig, and after the color mixture on the CIE chromaticity diagram. Each distance to the target chromaticity point PD0 is calculated. The drive current of the white LED having the shorter distance is supplied as a constant current. Alternatively, when current is supplied by PWM control, the duty ratio of the pulse width P is set to be maximized. On the other hand, the pulse width p for driving the white LED having the longer distance is preferably set to a value inversely proportional to the distance ratio with respect to the pulse width P. Of course, the pulse width for driving the white LED having the longer distance to the target chromaticity point may be adjusted while monitoring the color mixture with the measurement sensor jig as in the first embodiment.

  In this embodiment, the ratio (t1 / t2) between the pulse width t1 of the white LED 11 near the point PD0 and the pulse width t2 of the white LED 12 far from the point PD0 can be set larger because t1 is a maximum. This can increase the distance (PC2-PD0) relative to the distance (PA2-PD0), and enables the use of a white LED that emits chromaticity farther from the target point PD0 of the mixed color. This improves the usability of the white LED that emits chromaticity outside the predetermined white region (B region), and can reduce the total cost when obtaining the white LED.

  The third embodiment relates to the line illumination device 50 using the white light emitting device 20 of the first embodiment. The line illumination device 50 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  The line illumination device 50 of this embodiment is used for illuminating a document surface such as a paper surface in an image reading device, for example. As shown in FIG. 12, the line-shaped illumination device 50 includes a rod-shaped light guide 51 made of a transparent material and a light source unit 10 arranged toward an incident surface 54 provided at one end thereof. Is provided. The current control unit 33 is connected to the light source unit 10 through the terminal lead 62 as in the first embodiment (not shown in FIG. 12). The light guide 51 is guided in the longitudinal direction while the light incident from the incident surface 54 is reflected by the inner surface of the light guide 51, and the light from the light guide 52 is linear in the longitudinal direction. A light exit part 53 having a light exit surface for allowing light to exit is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the outer dimensions of the radiation surface 63 that emits the light of the light source unit 10 are such that the light from the light source unit 10 can enter from the incident surface 54 of the light guide 51 without waste. It is designed to fit within the outer shape of the incident surface 54 of the body 51 with a margin. For example, on the surface side of the light source unit 10 that emits light, two white LEDs each having a size of 1.2 mm × 2 mm are arranged as shown in FIG. The external dimensions of the are 2.5 mm (horizontal direction) × 2 mm (vertical direction). On the other hand, the outer size of the incident surface 54 of the light guide 51 shown in FIG. 12 is formed to be 3.5 mm (W direction) × 2.5 mm (H direction). In addition, by arranging the radiation surface 63 of the light source unit 10 as close as possible to the incident surface 54 of the light guide 51, the light from the white light emitting device 20 is incident on the light guide 51 without waste.

  In addition, as the light guide 51, for example, a light guide corresponding to a three primary color light source in which LEDs of three types of wavelengths (for example, red, green, and blue) are arranged and arranged (different arrangement positions) can be used. . In other words, light from multiple light sources with different wavelengths is incident from the incident surface, and appropriate reflection and scattering are performed within the light guide for each wavelength, and the output of each wavelength is evenly distributed over the longitudinal direction. Thus, it is possible to use one designed for line illumination that emits light. Details of the light guide having such a function are disclosed in Patent Document 3, for example.

  Therefore, even when there is a difference in color tone between the two white LEDs 11 and 12 of the light source unit 10 of the white light emitting device 20 used as the light source, and the two light emission center points are not in the same position, Furthermore, even when the distance from the white light emitting device 20 to the incident surface 54 is short and sufficient color mixture cannot be obtained during this time, the light guide 51 sufficiently mixes the incident light from the incident surface 54 and is uniform. Line illumination light with whiteness distribution can be emitted.

  The present inventors have confirmed the above-described effects of the line illumination device 50 of the present embodiment by the following procedure. First, as shown in FIG. 14, the line illumination device 50 was incorporated into a contact image sensor unit (hereinafter abbreviated as CIS unit) 60 constituting the image reading device. Although not shown, the current control unit 33 of the white light emitting device 20 is connected via the connector 61.

  In the CIS unit 60, the reflected light from the paper original 59 is imaged on the line sensor 56 by the lens array 55. As the line sensor 56, a straight line configured to receive and photoelectrically convert each color of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) and composed of three pixel columns (not shown) is used. ). In the line sensor 56, three types of color filters having transmission wavelength ranges corresponding to RGB are arranged on each pixel column. Accordingly, each pixel column functions with a spectral sensitivity corresponding to each color of RBG. Such a sensor array is described in, for example, Patent Document 4 and the like.

  Therefore, the CIS unit 60 can split the white reflected light from the paper original 59 into RGB colors and measure the illuminance for each pixel arranged in the longitudinal direction of the pixel row. The illuminance measurement value for each pixel can be expressed as an illuminance distribution corresponding to one end face in the longitudinal direction of the light guide 51 from the incident surface side to the other end face.

  Next, after the paper document 59 was replaced with the determined reference white paper surface, both the first and second white LEDs 11 and 12 were driven using the current control unit 33 as in the first embodiment. And the relative illumination intensity of each RGB color was measured as illumination intensity distribution of a line direction with respect to the illumination light of the line-shaped illuminating device 50. FIG. At this time, the currents flowing through the white LEDs 11 and 12 were each set to 10 mA. In the measurement result of the illuminance distribution, as shown in FIG. 15, the red and green relative illuminances were almost the same value, and the distribution in the longitudinal direction was substantially uniform. In addition, blue has a substantially uniform distribution in the longitudinal direction, and has a higher relative illuminance than red and green.

  The light emission color of the white light emitting device 20 used in the line illumination device 50 of Example 3 is a light source adjusted to have the chromaticity in the B region of FIG. 7A in Example 1, and the blue relative illuminance is slightly large. It has become. However, the difference in relative illuminance between red, green, and blue can be adjusted by a data processing unit in the image reading apparatus that controls the CIS unit. The merit of the line illumination device that takes light emitted from the white light emitting device 20 of Example 1 into the light guide 51 and illuminates the paper surface in a line is that the color tone from two white LEDs in the light guide 51 is That is, sufficient color mixing of different emission colors is performed. The disadvantage of white LEDs consisting of a blue LED chip and a YAG phosphor is that there is uneven color between the center and the periphery of the light beam, for example, yellow is strong around the light beam. Each light emission color from the first and second white LEDs is sufficiently scattered and mixed in the light guide 51, and then the original surface is illuminated with a line-shaped light beam, and the reflected light passes through the lens array 55. FIG. 15 shows the output photoelectrically converted by receiving light by the line sensor 56. As shown in FIG. 15, there is a difference in the relative illuminance of each RGB color (blue is large), but the reflected light from the original is uneven in each color in the main scanning direction (from the incident surface side to the opposite surface side) of the CIS unit. It was confirmed that the relative illuminance was almost constant and homogeneous. Therefore, the line illumination device of the present embodiment is an invention that effectively utilizes the characteristics of the white light emitting device 20 of the first embodiment. Moreover, even if it uses the white light-emitting device of Example 2, it can become a line-shaped illuminating device with the same effect.

  The white light emitting device and the line illumination device according to the present invention are effectively used in color image reading devices such as image scanners, facsimiles, and copying machines.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Light source part of white light-emitting device 11 1st white light emitting element 12 2nd white light emitting element 13 Blue LED chip 20 White light-emitting device 33 Current control part 50 Line-shaped illuminating device 51 Light guide 54 Incident surface 55 Lens array 56 lines Sensor 57 CIS Printed Circuit Board 58 Transparent Glass Document Support Stand 59 Paper Document 60 Close Contact Image Sensor Unit, CIS Unit 63 Radiation Surface 65 Rank White Area 66 Banded Area 67 Typical White Area

Claims (8)

In a white light emitting device using a white LED having a blue LED chip and a phosphor,
The first white LED that emits white light with a chromaticity shifted from the predetermined white region to the blue side in the CIE chromaticity diagram and the second white LED that emits white light with chromaticity shifted from the predetermined white region to the yellow side are optical axes. A light source unit arranged adjacent to each other in substantially the same direction,
Current control means for independently driving the blue LED chips in the first and second white LEDs,
A white light emitting device, wherein a mixed color of light emitted from the first and second white LEDs is adjusted to a chromaticity of the predetermined white region using the current control means.   2. The white light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second white LEDs are composed of a blue LED chip and a YAG phosphor.   The emission color of the white LED is distributed in a band in a white region between a blue chromaticity point emitted by the blue LED chip and a yellow chromaticity point emitted by the phosphor on the CIE chromaticity diagram, The white light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the belt-shaped central region is the predetermined white region. In the predetermined white area, chromaticity points (x, y) in the CIE chromaticity diagram are (0.296, 0.276), (0.283, 0.305), (0.330, 0.360). , (0.330, 0.318) within a range surrounded by four points,
The chromaticity points (x, y) of light emission in the CIE chromaticity diagram of the first white LED are (0.280, 0.248), (0.264, 0.267), (0.283, 0). .305) and (0.296, 0.276).
The chromaticity points (x, y) of light emission in the CIE chromaticity diagram of the second white LED are (0.330, 0.318), (0.330, 0.360), (0.361, 0. 385) and (0.356, 0.351). The white light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the white light emitting device is within a range surrounded by four points.   The current control means supplies a constant current to a white LED that emits white light with a chromaticity close to a target chromaticity point in the mixed-color CIE chromaticity diagram among the first and second white LEDs, and the other white LED 5. The white light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a current subjected to PWM control is supplied to the LED. 6.   The current control means PWM-controls at least one drive current of the first and second white LEDs, and the first white LED emits light from a target chromaticity point in the mixed-color CIE chromaticity diagram. Respective pulse widths for driving the first and second white LEDs in inverse proportion to the distance to the chromaticity point and the distance from the target chromaticity point to the chromaticity point at which the second white LED emits light The white light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the white light-emitting device is set.   Light exit surface provided along the length direction while reflecting the light incident from the light source arranged toward the entrance surface provided on the end surface in the length direction of the rod-shaped light guide made of a transparent member, by the inner surface of the rod-shaped light guide A linear illumination device using the white light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the light source emits light from a light source.   The line illumination device according to claim 7, wherein an outer shape of a radiation surface that emits light of the white light emitting device is a size that fits into an outer shape of an incident surface of the light guide.

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