JP2017174636A - Light guide lens and lighting device including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light guide lens capable of making the entire of its outer peripheral edge brightly emit light uniformly and also to provide a lighting device including the same.SOLUTION: Provided is a noncircular light guide lens 3, in a shape of a flat plate, including a circular arc portion 3A on a part of its outer peripheral edge, in which the light guide lens guides, toward a plate surface, light incident from an LED (light source) 4 disposed at the center of the circular arc portion 3A and makes the outer peripheral edge emit light by the light exiting in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface at a reflective surface 3a formed on the outer peripheral edge, the light guide lens 3 being characterized in that a groove (refracting means) 3d and a groove (reflecting means) 3e are formed for controlling, to approximately 90°, the angle of the light incident on a portion of the reflective surface 3a formed on the outer peripheral edge excluding the circular arc portion 3A, when viewed in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a light guide lens that emits light from a non-circular outer peripheral edge and an illumination device including the same.

  For example, some cup holders arranged in a passenger compartment of a vehicle are provided with an illuminating device for clearly indicating the position to the occupant at night. As a light source of such an illuminating device, an LED (light emitting diode) having advantages such as high luminous efficiency, long life, and power saving is being used in recent years.

  By the way, since the light emitted from the LED has a strong directivity, the light is incident into a light guide lens having a shape along the contour of the cup holder, and the light incident in the light guide lens is totally reflected and proceeds. In the process, the light is reflected along the contour of the cup holder by reflecting the light and emitting it outside (for example, see Patent Document 1). Here, an example of a light guide lens used in an illumination device such as a cup holder will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  9 is a bottom view of a conventional light guide lens, FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a partial bottom view showing a light beam image of the light guide lens. The flat light guide lens 103 has a non-circular shape along the outer shape of a cup holder (not shown), and its outer peripheral edge is U-shaped in plan view. More specifically, the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 103 includes a circular arc part 103A in part, and the other part forms a straight part 103B parallel to each other. As shown in FIG. 10, a reflection surface 103 a cut at 45 ° is formed on the arc portion 103 </ b> A and the linear portion 103 </ b> B on the outer periphery of the lower surface of the light guide lens 103.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 10, a cylindrical convex portion 103C is integrally projected downward from the center of the arc portion 103A on the lower surface of the light guide lens 103, and this convex portion 103C is formed. A circular hole 103b that opens upward and an inverted conical (funnel-shaped) concave portion 103c that opens upward are formed in the portion, and the inner peripheral surface of the concave portion 103c forms a reflective surface. .

  The lower surface of the convex portion 103C of the light guide lens 103 constitutes an incident surface, and the LED 104 as a light source is disposed below the incident surface. Here, the LED 104 is mounted on the substrate 105 so that the light emission direction is vertically upward.

  Thus, in the illumination device including the light guide lens 103 configured as described above, when current is supplied to the LED 104 and the LED 104 emits light, light emitted upward from the LED 104 as shown in FIG. Enters from the lower surface (incident surface) of the convex portion 103C of the light guide lens 103, refracts perpendicularly to the optical axis at the reflective surface of the concave portion 103c, and proceeds horizontally in almost all directions. Because the light is reflected vertically upward by the reflecting surface 103a formed at the arc portion 103A and the straight portion 103B on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide, the arc portion 103A and the straight portion 103B on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 103 emit light. To do. For this reason, the passenger | crew can visually recognize the position of a cup holder also at night.

Special table 2010-525546 gazette

  By the way, the conventional light guide lens 103 shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 has a non-circular U-shape in a plan view of the light emitting portion at the outer peripheral edge, and includes an arc portion 103A in a part thereof. 11 constitutes the straight line portion 103B, and therefore the light L traveling toward the arc portion 103A on the outer peripheral edge out of the light traveling horizontally in almost all directions inside the light guide lens 103 is as shown in FIG. Then, the light is incident on the arc portion 103A in a substantially right angle direction in a plan view. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10, the light L directed to the arc portion 103A of the light guide lens 103 is reflected by the reflecting surface 103a formed in the arc portion 103A and is emitted vertically upward. For this reason, when the light guide lens 103 is viewed from above, the arc portion 103A on the outer peripheral edge thereof appears to shine brightly.

  In contrast, as shown in FIG. 11, the light L ′ traveling toward the straight line portion 103B other than the arc portion 103A on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 103 does not enter the straight line portion 103A at a right angle in a plan view. Incidently. For this reason, the light L ′ traveling toward the straight line portion 103 </ b> B of the light guide lens 103 is reflected by the reflecting surface 103 a formed on the straight line portion 103 </ b> B and is emitted obliquely with respect to the vertical. For this reason, when the light guide lens 103 is viewed from above, the linear portion 103B at the outer peripheral edge thereof becomes darker than the arc portion 103A, and the brightness becomes darker toward the end portion. Therefore, there arises a problem that the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 103 cannot be uniformly and brightly illuminated in a U shape in a plan view.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a light guide lens capable of uniformly and brightly emitting the entire light emitting portion on the outer peripheral edge, and an illumination device including the same. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a flat non-circular light guide lens including an arc portion at a part of an outer peripheral edge, and is incident from a light source disposed at the center of the arc portion. In the light guide lens in which the outer peripheral edge emits light by guiding the light to the plate surface direction, and the light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface by the reflection surface formed on the outer peripheral edge, the arc portion of the reflection surface A refracting means and a reflecting means for controlling the incident angle in the vertical direction with respect to the plate surface of the light on the reflecting surface formed on the outer peripheral edge other than the above are formed.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the refracting means and the reflecting means are constituted by grooves or holes formed in a surface of the light guide lens facing the light source. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, an illumination device is configured including the light guide lens and the light source.

  According to the present invention, even if the shape of the outer peripheral edge is a non-circular light guide lens, the light is applied to the reflective surface formed on the outer peripheral edge portion other than the arc portion among the reflective surfaces formed on the outer peripheral edge. Since the incident angle in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface is controlled to be approximately 90 ° by the refracting means and the reflecting means, it is formed on all the outer peripheral edge portions (arc portion and other portions) of the light guide lens. The light is incident on the reflecting surface at a substantially right angle in plan view. For this reason, all the light traveling in all directions toward the outer peripheral edge in the direction of the plate surface inside the light guide lens is reflected and emitted in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface by the reflecting surface formed on the outer peripheral edge. When the light guide lens is viewed from the direction perpendicular to the plate surface, the entire outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens appears to shine uniformly and brightly. As a result, the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens emits light uniformly and brightly, and the normal function of the illumination device including the light guide lens is exhibited.

It is the perspective view which looked at the cup holder provided with the illuminating device which concerns on this invention from diagonally upward. It is the perspective view which looked at the cup holder provided with the illuminating device which concerns on this invention from diagonally downward. It is a top view of a cup holder provided with an illuminating device concerning the present invention. It is a bottom view of the light guide lens concerning the present invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a partial bottom view which shows the light ray image of a light guide lens. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a bottom view of the conventional light guide lens. FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 9. It is a partial bottom view which shows the light ray image of the conventional light guide lens.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cup holder provided with an illumination device according to the present invention as viewed obliquely from above, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cup holder as viewed from obliquely below, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cup holder. 4 is a bottom view of the light guide lens according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial bottom view, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.

  The cup holder 1 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is installed in the air-conditioner outlet in a vehicle interior, and this includes an illumination device 2 for illuminating the cup holder 1 at night and clearly indicating its position. Is provided at the bottom.

  The cup holder 1 includes a non-cylindrical holder main body 1A, and an L-shaped 2 for installing the cup holder 1 in an air conditioner outlet (not shown) on the flat side surface 1a of the holder main body 1A. Two hooks 2b are integrally projected.

  The lighting device 2 disposed at the bottom of the cup holder 1 includes a transparent light guide lens 3 constituting a bottom plate capable of receiving a cup, an LED 4 serving as a light source disposed below the light guide lens 3, A substrate 5 on which the LED 4 is mounted is provided. Here, the light guide lens 3 is horizontally installed so as to cover the lower surface opening of the holder main body 1A of the cup holder 1, and is configured as a non-circular flat plate by a transparent resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate.

  Specifically, the outer periphery shape of the light guide lens 3 forms a U-shape in plan view along the inner periphery of the holder body 1A, and the semicircular arc portion 3A of the outer periphery, Two linear portions 3B extending linearly in parallel from both ends of the arc portion 3A emit light in a U shape in a plan view. And the upper surface (the part which attached the oblique line in FIG. 3) except the light emission part of the outer periphery of the light guide lens 3 is coat | covered with the black light shielding film 6 (refer FIG. 8).

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a reflection surface 3 a cut at 45 ° is formed on the arc portion 3 </ b> A and the straight portion 3 </ b> B on the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the light guide lens 3. A cylindrical convex portion 3C is integrally projected downward at the center of the arc portion 3A on the lower surface of the light guide lens 3, and a portion where the convex portion 3C is formed is upward. An open circular hole 3b and an inverted conical (funnel-shaped) recess 3c that opens upward are formed, and the inner peripheral surface of the recess 3c constitutes a reflection surface. Here, the lower surface of the convex portion 3C of the light guide lens 3 constitutes an incident surface, and the LED 4 is disposed below the incident surface. The LED 4 is mounted on the substrate 5 so that the light emission direction is vertically upward.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower surface of the light guide lens 3 has a planar view of light to the reflecting surface 3a (see FIG. 6) formed on the linear portion 3B of the outer peripheral edge. A refracting means and a reflecting means for controlling the incident angle (viewed in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface) to approximately 90 ° are formed. Specifically, the refracting means is formed by two substantially triangular grooves 3d. The reflecting means is constituted by a substantially triangular groove 3e. Here, the groove 3d as a refracting means is for allowing light to enter the reflecting surface 3a formed in the region R1 of each linear portion 3B on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 3 at a substantially right angle. The groove 3e as a means is for causing light to enter the reflecting surface 3a formed in the region R2 of each linear portion 3B on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 3 at a substantially right angle. In this embodiment, the refracting means and the reflecting means are configured by the grooves 3d and 3e, respectively, but may be configured by holes (through holes) instead of the grooves 3d and 3e.

  Thus, in the illumination device 2 (see FIGS. 2 and 8) including the light guide lens 3 configured as described above, when the LED 4 emits light when current is supplied to the LED 4 from a power source (not shown) such as a battery. As shown in FIG. 8, the light emitted upward from the LED 4 enters from the lower surface (incident surface) of the convex portion 3C of the light guide lens 3, and is perpendicular to the optical axis at the reflective surface of the concave portion 3c. In order to be refracted and proceed horizontally in almost all directions, reflected vertically upward by the reflecting surface 3a formed in the arc portion 3A and the straight portion 3B on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 3, and then emitted upward. When the light guide lens 3 is viewed from above, the arc portion 3A and the straight portion 3B at the outer peripheral edge appear bright and shining. For this reason, the passenger | crew can visually recognize the position of the cup holder 1 correctly also at night.

  By the way, when the groove 3d as the refracting means and the groove 3e as the reflecting means are not provided on the bottom surface of the light guide lens 3, the linear portion 3B is the reflecting surface formed on the outer peripheral edge that emits light. There is a problem that light does not enter at a right angle in a plan view with respect to 3a, and the amount of light emitted upward is reduced because it is incident obliquely, or it does not reach at all and becomes dark or does not emit light. This is as described above.

  However, in this embodiment, since the two triangular grooves 3d as the diffusing means and the one triangular groove 3e as the reflecting means are formed on the bottom surface of the light guide lens 3, as shown in FIG. Of the light traveling in the optical lens 3 toward the outer peripheral edge, the light L1 toward the region R1 of the linear portion 3B on the outer peripheral edge travels straight on one surface 3d1 of the groove 3d as the refracting means and is emitted into the air. Then, the light is refracted when re-entering the light guide lens 3 from the other surface 3d2, and enters the reflecting surface 3a formed in the region R1 of the linear portion 3B at a substantially right angle in plan view. Is reflected vertically upward and emitted upward. For this reason, when the region R1 of the linear portion 3B that has been dark or did not emit light conventionally is viewed from above at the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 3, this portion appears to shine brightly.

  Of the light traveling in the light guide lens 3 toward the outer peripheral edge, the light traveling toward the region R2 of the linear portion 3B on the outer peripheral edge is reflected by the curved surface (reflecting surface) 3e1 of the groove 3e as the reflecting means. Then, the light enters the reflection surface 3a formed in the region R2 of the straight portion 3B at a substantially right angle in a plan view, is reflected vertically upward by the reflection surface 3a, and is emitted upward. For this reason, when the regions R1 and R2 of the linear portion 3B that are dark or did not emit light conventionally are viewed from above on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 3, these portions appear to shine brightly.

  Of the light traveling in the light guide lens 3 toward the outer peripheral edge, the light L3 toward the circular arc portion 3A on the outer peripheral edge is in any position on the circular arc portion 3A with respect to the reflecting surface 3a formed on this portion. Therefore, the light L3 is reflected vertically upward by the reflecting surface 3a and is emitted upward. For this reason, the arc portion 3A on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 3 always appears bright and bright as in the conventional case when viewed from above.

  As described above, in the light guide lens 3 according to the present embodiment, even if the shape of the outer peripheral edge is non-circular, the linear part other than the arc part 3A among the reflecting surfaces 3a formed on the outer peripheral edge. Since the incident angle of the light on the reflecting surface 3a formed on 3B in plan view is controlled to be approximately 90 ° by the groove 3d as the refracting means and the groove 3e as the reflecting means, all of the light guide lens 3 Light enters the reflecting surface 3a formed at the outer peripheral edge portion (the arc portion 3A and the straight portion 3B) at a substantially right angle in plan view. For this reason, all the light which goes inside the light guide lens 3 toward the outer peripheral edge in all directions is reflected and emitted vertically upward by the reflecting surface 3a formed on the outer peripheral edge. When viewed from above, the entire outer peripheral edge (the arc portion 3A and the straight portion 3B) of the light guide lens 3 appears to shine brightly in a uniform U shape. As a result, in the cup holder 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in which the illumination device 2 including the light guide lens 3 is provided, the arc portion 3A on the outer peripheral edge of the light guide lens 3 which is a bottom plate that receives the cup even at night. The linear portion 3B emits light uniformly in a U-shape, and the position of the cup holder 1 can be reliably recognized even in a dark vehicle interior.

  In the present embodiment, the light guide lens according to the present invention and the lighting device including the same are applied to an in-vehicle cup holder. However, the light guiding lens according to the present invention and the lighting device are Of course, the present invention can be similarly applied to any device other than the holder.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cup holder 2 Illuminating device 3 Light guide lens 3A Arc part of outer periphery of light guide lens 3B Straight line part of outer periphery of light guide lens 3a Reflecting surface of light guide lens 3d Groove (refractive means) of light guide lens
3e Groove of light guide lens (reflection means)
4 LED
5 Substrate 6 Light shielding film L1 to L3 Light R1, R2 Area of outer peripheral edge of light guide lens

Claims (3)

A flat non-circular light guide lens including an arc portion at a part of the outer periphery,
The light incident from the light source arranged at the center of the arc portion is guided in the plate surface direction, and the light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface by the reflection surface formed on the outer periphery, whereby the outer periphery emits light. In the optical lens,
Of the reflecting surfaces, refracting means and reflecting means are formed for controlling the incident angle in a perpendicular direction with respect to the plate surface of the light to the reflecting surface formed on the outer peripheral portion other than the arc portion, to approximately 90 °. A light guide lens characterized by that.   2. The light guide lens according to claim 1, wherein the refracting means and the reflecting means are configured by grooves or holes formed in a surface facing the light source. An illumination device comprising the light guide lens according to claim 1 and the light source.

Images