JP3194307U - Lighting fixture with elongated light guide - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a lighting fixture that can be used as a portable lighting fixture in various situations and that can easily irradiate an object that is difficult to reach light to improve workability. A lighting apparatus 100 includes a light guide unit 110 for guiding light to irradiate an object, a light source unit 120 as a light source of the light guide unit, and a power source unit 130 as a power source of the light source unit. The light guide portion is formed of a light-transmitting material having a refractive index higher than that of air, and the light guide portion is gradually tapered and a portion having a diameter of 10 mm or less is 60 mm to 500 mm. Features. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a lighting apparatus.

  Even indoors where lighting is on the ceiling, such as equipment inspections, maintenance work, and dental examinations, it is often the case that light does not reach the object and a lighting device is required to directly illuminate the object.

  In such a case, for example, in the inspection and maintenance work of equipment, conventionally, a collaborator uses a flashlight to illuminate, or the operator himself holds a flashlight with one hand to illuminate an object and the other It was common to work by hand. However, when collaborators use a flashlight to illuminate, there are many cases where the shadow of the worker is created and the object cannot be illuminated pinpointed, and the work cost increases because it is a two-person operation. It was. As a solution to such a problem, for example, an illumination device that can be attached to a driver tool, and a light emitter for illuminating the shaft tip direction of the driver tool when attached to the driver tool on the case, An illumination device for a driver tool is proposed, which is provided with a power source for causing the luminous body to emit light, a switch for turning on / off the power source, and an appropriate mounting means for mounting on the shaft of the driver tool. (See Patent Document 1).

  For example, in a dental examination, it is necessary to check the condition of the teeth including the back teeth and the back surface of the front teeth. For example, the back teeth are located approximately 50 mm deep from the front teeth, so light does not reach and the teeth It was difficult to confirm the state of the back teeth only with a mirror. As the dental light diagnostic apparatus, for example, a visual guide for irradiating a tooth part or a visible light for a surface image and a camera, a diagnostic low-coherent light generating means and a signal light are used to scan a designated area of the surface image. Proposed is a dental optical diagnostic apparatus comprising: an optical tomographic image or an OCT means for obtaining a surface image and an optical tomographic image by detecting reflected light from a predetermined depth in the region with a probe for a dental optical diagnostic apparatus. (See Patent Document 2).

  In addition, a fiber rod that guides incident light using a fiber having a high refractive index core and a low refractive index clad covering the core has been proposed (see Patent Document 3).

JP 2005-66734 A JP 2004-344260 A JP 2004-275276 A

  However, when an operator holds a flashlight with one hand to illuminate an object and performs work with the other hand, equipment inspection and maintenance work is often performed with small objects, so the flashlight must be turned on. Even if it is used to illuminate the object, there is a problem in that the devices and cables around the object become obstacles and the object cannot be illuminated brightly.

  Moreover, since the lighting device for a driver tool described in Patent Document 1 is a lighting device dedicated to a driver, there is a problem that it cannot be applied to other work tools. Many of the maintenance and inspection work for equipment can be done with one hand, and it is often more effective to work with the other hand while illuminating the object with one hand.

  Further, the dental optical diagnostic apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is an expensive and large-scale apparatus, which is expensive, cannot be used easily, and is difficult to transport. Is unsuitable.

  Furthermore, in Document 3, it is difficult to form a clad portion in the core as a fiber lot, and a combination of condensing lenses is required, which is an expensive instrument.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a lighting fixture according to the present invention includes a light guide unit that guides light to irradiate an object, a light source unit that is a light source of the light guide unit, and a power source of the light source unit. A light source, wherein the light guide is formed of a light-transmitting material having a higher refractive index than air, and the light guide is gradually tapered and has a diameter. Is 10 mm or less, 60 mm to 500 mm.

  Moreover, the front-end | tip part of the said light guide part may have a curved part which curves 40 degrees or more from the trunk | trunk part of the said light guide part.

  Moreover, the front-end | tip part of the said light guide part may have a linear part extended | stretched linearly from the said curved part further.

  Further, the light guide section may have a diffusion section for diffusing light on the peripheral surface.

  In addition, the top surface of the light guide unit may be subjected to fine unevenness processing for scattering light.

  The straight portion of the light guide portion may be subjected to fine unevenness processing for scattering light.

  In addition, at least the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the light guide unit may be formed by crystallizing a resin.

  Moreover, the said light guide part may be attached to the said light source part so that attachment or detachment is possible.

  The lighting fixture may further include a cap that is detachably attached to the light guide unit, and the lighting fixture may irradiate the object in a state where the cap is attached.

  The lighting fixture further includes an auxiliary tip for further guiding the light guided by the light guide and irradiating the object, and the auxiliary tip is detachably connected to the light guide. And may be curved at 40 degrees or more with respect to the light guide section.

  Further, the auxiliary tip portion may be made of a deformable material.

  The light guide unit may be made of a saturated polyester resin.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can be used in various scenes as a portable lighting fixture, and the lighting fixture which improves the workability | operativity can be provided by simply irradiating the target object to which light does not reach easily.

It is a figure which shows the lighting fixture which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the light guide part of the lighting fixture which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the usage example of the lighting fixture which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the lighting fixture which concerns on the modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the lighting fixture which concerns on the modification 2 of Embodiment 1. FIG.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a lighting fixture according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 is an example of embodiment of the lighting fixture which concerns on this invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a lighting fixture 100 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a light guide portion of the lighting fixture 100, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a usage example of the lighting fixture 100.

  First, the structure of the lighting fixture 100 is demonstrated. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the lighting fixture 100 includes a light guide unit 110, a light source unit 120, and a power supply unit 130.

  The light guide unit 110 is a part for guiding light to irradiate an object. As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the light guide part 110 is an elongate substantially round rod-shaped body, and is tapering gradually.

  The light guide unit 110 is formed of a translucent material having a higher refractive index than air. Preferably, it is formed using a material having low thermal conductivity, for example, acrylic, polycarbonate, ABS resin, polypropylene or the like. When alcohol sterilization is necessary, it is desirable to use a saturated polyester resin or the like. The light guide unit 110 is an interface (contact surface with the cladding part) in the core that does not use the difference in refractive index between air (outside air) such as an optical fiber composed of a high refractive index core and a low refractive index cladding part. Unlike a member that causes total reflection, it can be made of a homogeneous material, that is, a material having a uniform refractive index, near the core and near the outer periphery. Since a material with a uniform refractive index may be used, manufacturing is easy and cost is low.

  In addition, the light guide unit 110 can be formed by crystallizing resin at least in the vicinity of the peripheral surface. That is, by crystallizing at least the vicinity of the surface of the resin (the peripheral surface of the light guide 110), the surface hardness is increased, the surface is less likely to be damaged, the durability is increased, and the refractive index is increased. Thus, the light guide property can be improved. For example, it may be crystallized with a crystalline resin such as PET resin (polyethylene terephthalate), a crystallization accelerator such as PTT (polytrimethylene terephthalate) is blended, or an amorphous resin such as PC resin (polycarbonate). It is also possible to use a material that induces crystallization to achieve crystallization. In this case, the light guide unit 110 has a configuration in which the vicinity of the peripheral surface has a high refractive index. Thus, by increasing the difference in refractive index between the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the light guide unit 110 and air (outside air), it is possible to further improve the light guide property and to improve the light guide efficiency. In any of these configurations, the configuration of the optical fiber provided with the core and the clad portion that causes total reflection at the interface (contact surface with the clad portion) in the core that does not use the difference in refractive index with air (outside air). Different.

  The light guide part 110 includes a base end part 111, a trunk part 112, and a tip part 113.

  The base end portion 111 is a portion that is connected to the light source portion 120 and introduces light, and is gradually tapered as a whole except for the connection portion 114 with the light source portion 120. The light guide part 110 is detachably attached to the light source part 120 by a base end part 111. Specifically, the connection portion 114 of the base end portion 111 is formed in a cylindrical body having a smaller diameter than the main body of the base end portion 111 and is detachably inserted into an opening 125 described later of the light source unit 120. The diameter of the connecting portion 114 of the base end portion 111 is desirably equal to or larger than the diameter of the light emitting diode 122 described later. In addition, the connection to the light source part 120 by the base end part 111 should just be attached to the light source part 120 so that attachment or detachment is possible, and is not limited to this.

  The trunk portion 112 is a substantially columnar portion extending linearly from the base end portion 111, and further gradually and gradually tapers. The trunk portion 112 has a diameter of 10 mm or less and an axial length of 60 mm to 500 mm. For example, when the luminaire 100 is used for dental examination, the trunk 112 can have a diameter in the range of 3 mm to 8 mm and an axial length in the range of 60 mm to 100 mm. As an example, the light guide part 110 shown in FIG. 2 is gradually tapered until the axial length L of the trunk part 112 is about 72 mm and the diameter is about 5.9 mm to 4.7 mm. Further, for example, when the lighting apparatus 100 is used for equipment maintenance and inspection, the axial length of the trunk 112 is set to a range of 60 mm to 200 mm when the object is small, and 200 mm to 500 mm when the object is large. It can be a range. Further, although not shown in the drawings, the light guide 110 is added to increase the length (for example, one is convex and the other is concave and is fitted to each other and added), and the trunk 112 according to the object. The axial length may be changed.

  The tip portion 113 is gradually tapered, and has a curved portion 115 and a straight portion 116. The curved portion 115 is curved from the trunk portion 112 by 40 degrees or more. More preferably, the bending portion 115 is bent from the trunk portion 112 by about 60 degrees to 70 degrees. As an example, in the light guide unit 110 illustrated in FIG. 2, the bending degree α of the bending unit 115 is 65 degrees. In addition, the radius of curvature of the curved portion 115 can be set to three times or more the average of the diameters of the light guide portions 110. As an example, the light guide 110 shown in FIG. 2 has an average diameter of about 5 mm and a curvature radius R of about 15 mm. The straight portion 116 extends linearly from the curved portion 115. Moreover, the front end surface 117 of the front end portion 113 can have a shape with rounded corners.

  The light source unit 120 is a light source of the light guide unit 110. The light source unit 120 includes at least a light source case 121, a light emitting diode 122, a substrate 123, and a switch 124. When power is supplied from the power source unit 130, the switch 124 is in an ON state and the light emitting diode 122 is turned on. Configured to fire. The light source unit 120 has an opening 125 at a portion connected to the light guide unit 110, and the connection unit 114 of the light guide unit 110 is inserted therein.

  The power supply unit 130 is a power supply for the light source unit 120. The power supply unit 130 includes at least a power supply case 131, a battery 132, a contact coil 133, and a contact terminal 134, so that the battery 132 is in contact with the contact terminal 134 and the negative electrode is in elastic contact with the contact coil 133. If it is accommodated, the light source unit 120 can be supplied with power.

  The light emitted from the light emitting diode 122 is introduced from the connection part 114 of the light guide part 110 to the light guide part 110, and since the light guide part 110 has a high refractive index, it is totally reflected on the inner peripheral surface of the light guide part 110. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the light is emitted from the front end surface 117 of the front end portion 113 to irradiate the object. Note that since the light emitting diode has a strong directivity in light emission, a reflecting mirror is not particularly required in the connection portion 114 here.

  The brightness of the light emitting diode 122 is preferably 5 lumens or more. Further, the brightness of the light emitting diode 122 can be appropriately determined according to the length of the light guide unit 110, more specifically, the length of the trunk portion 112 in the axial direction. For example, when the axial length of the trunk 112 is 60 mm to 100 mm, the brightness of the light emitting diode 122 is in the range of 10 to 100 lumen, and the axial length of the trunk 112 is long (for example, 500 mm). Can be between 50 and 300 lumens.

  Here, since the front end portion 113 has a circular cross section, it can efficiently guide light. Further, since the linear portion 116 linearly extending from the curved portion 115 is provided, the light irradiation from the distal end surface 117 can be made more uniform (no unevenness).

  Although not shown, the tip surface 117 can be subjected to fine unevenness processing for scattering light. Further, it is possible to irradiate the target object in a relatively wide range including the periphery of the target object by applying a fine uneven process for scattering light to the linear part 116 of the tip end part 113.

  Although not shown, the vicinity of the tip surface 117 may be expanded in a spherical shape, and the tip safety and light may be softened by blasting the vicinity of the tip. In addition, a light condensing fluorescent dye or the like may be mixed into the light guide unit 110 to enhance the light guided to the tip surface 117.

  The luminaire 100 can be used as a portable luminaire in various situations, and is particularly suitable for irradiating an object that is difficult for light to reach, for example, in equipment maintenance and inspection. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the lighting fixture 100. In a dental examination, it is necessary to accurately diagnose the state of the teeth, including parts that are difficult to visually recognize, such as the back teeth and the back surfaces of the front teeth. As described below, the lighting device 100 is effective for such dental examination work.

  As shown in Fig. 3 (a), the back teeth are located approximately 50mm deep from the front teeth, so light does not reach, and in order to check the state of the back teeth with a dental mirror, the light from the front must be reflected skillfully. It is difficult to confirm. Further, in such a case, the patient is required to open his / her mouth widely, and the burden on the patient is great. In this respect, since the lighting device 100 has a portion (stem 112) having a diameter of 10 mm or less in the light guide portion 110, if the lighting device 100 is used, it is possible to easily irradiate the back teeth, and the state of the back teeth with the tooth mirror. Not only can it be confirmed, it can also reduce the burden on the patient. That is, since the light guide unit 110 has a portion of 10 mm or less in the range of 60 mm or more, not only light can easily reach the back teeth, but also a hand holding the lighting device 100 can be prevented from blocking the line of sight. Further, since the back teeth can be easily irradiated and the diameter of the portion inserted into the patient's oral cavity is small and 10 mm or less, the patient does not have to open the mouth forcibly.

  Moreover, when confirming the state of the back surface of an anterior tooth etc., when trying to work on the details of a tooth | gear using a dental mirror and a lighting fixture in a narrow oral cavity, both may not cooperate well. In this respect, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the lighting fixture 100 can irradiate the back surface of the front tooth from various angles such as obliquely laterally because the tip 113 is curved. It becomes easy, and the collaborative work of a dental mirror and a lighting fixture can be performed easily.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), when the lower teeth are confirmed using the curved portion 115 of the distal end portion 113, the lower teeth and the surroundings can be visually observed by pushing down the lips. However, when checking the upper teeth, the lips can be pushed up to visually check the upper teeth and their surroundings, and the lighting device 100 can be used as an auxiliary device at the same time, so that the teeth can be viewed with the teeth exposed. .

  In addition, the light guide unit 110 is excellent in terms of hygiene. As described above, since the light guide unit 110 is detachably attached to the light source unit 120, the light guide unit 110 can be removed and cleaned after use. Further, if a saturated polyester resin or the like is used for the light guide unit 110, it is possible to disinfect alcohol. Therefore, even if a plurality of patients are continuously examined, if the light source unit 120 and the power source unit 130 are covered with a plastic bag or the like, the light guide unit 110 can be replaced or sterilized with alcohol to respond quickly. Can do.

  The luminaire 100 is also effective for equipment maintenance and inspection work. For example, the light guide unit 110 that is gradually tapered is used to dive between obstacles, the obstacles are pressed using a curved part, or the object is irradiated at an appropriate angle to approach the object. Can be irradiated at a pinpoint.

  In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the luminaire 100 may further include a diffusion unit 140. The diffusion unit 140 is for diffusing light, and one or more diffusion units 140 are provided on the peripheral surface of the light guide unit 110. The number, position, size, shape, and the like of the diffusing unit 140 can be set according to an object for which the lighting apparatus 100 is used and a necessary light amount. For example, when there is a wiring or the like near the object, for example, the diffusion unit 140 can be provided between the center of the trunk 112 in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) and the boundary between the trunk 112 and the tip 113. . Further, the size of the diffusing unit 140 can be, for example, within a range of 5 mm to 20 mm in the axial direction of the light guide unit 110 and within a range of 2 mm to 10 mm in the circumferential direction. The diffusion part 140 can be formed by, for example, blasting. By providing the diffusing unit 140, it is possible to improve workability by checking the positional relationship in light of the surroundings of the object, avoiding obstacles such as wiring, and changing the angle.

<Modification 1 of Embodiment 1>
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a lighting fixture 100A according to the first modification of the first embodiment. Since the lighting fixture 100A is different from the lighting fixture 100 according to the first embodiment in that the cap 190A includes the cap 190A, the same reference numerals are used for the parts common to the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. .

  The cap 190A is detachably attached to the distal end portion 113 of the light guide unit 110. The cap 190A is formed of a light-transmitting material. The light that has been guided to the light guide part 110 and reached the tip part 113 is emitted to the outside through the cap 190A and irradiates the work target. That is, 100 A of lighting fixtures irradiate a target object in the state with which cap 190A was mounted | worn.

  As described above, the lighting fixture 100A can protect the tip portion 113 of the light guide portion 110 that is easily damaged by attaching the cap 190A in a detachable manner.

  In addition, here, a part or the whole of the cap 190A is made of a material that scatters light (for example, silicon resin) or processed (for example, white particles as a light-collecting fluorescent dye or filler are mixed as a reflector, Blasting or satin finishing). As a result, light is scattered and emitted from the cap 190A, and the object can be illuminated with soft light. Even when the object is made of a material that easily reflects light, the eyes are not dazzled and the work is performed comfortably. be able to.

<Modification 2 of Embodiment 1>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a lighting fixture 100B according to the second modification of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are used for portions common to the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted, and different points are described.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the lighting fixture 100B includes a light guide unit 110B, a light source unit 120, a power supply unit 130, a diffusion unit 140, and an auxiliary tip unit 180B. The description of the light source unit 120, the power supply unit 130, and the diffusion unit 140 is omitted here.

  The light guide unit 110B is a part for guiding light to irradiate an object. As shown in FIG. 5, the light guide unit 110 </ b> B is a long, substantially round bar-like body, and gradually tapers. The light guide part 110 </ b> B includes a base end part 111 and a trunk part 112. Description of the proximal end portion 111 and the trunk portion 112 is omitted here. The material used for the light guide unit 110B is the same as that of the light guide unit 110 of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted here.

  The auxiliary tip 180B is a part for further guiding the light guided by the light guide unit 110B and irradiating the object. The auxiliary tip 180B is detachably connected to the trunk 112 of the light guide 110B. For example, the auxiliary tip portion 180B is detachably connected to the light guide portion 110B by inserting a connecting end portion 181B formed in a cylindrical shape into the trunk portion 112 of the light guide portion 110B. In addition, the connection of the auxiliary front end portion 180B to the trunk portion 112 of the light guide portion 110B is not limited to this as long as it is detachably connected.

  Further, the auxiliary front end portion 180B is curved by 40 degrees or more with respect to the light guide portion 110B, more specifically, the trunk portion 112 of the light guide portion 110B. More preferably, the auxiliary tip 180B is curved with respect to the trunk 112 by about 60 to 70 degrees. As an example, the auxiliary distal end portion 180B shown in FIG. 5 has a bending degree α of 65 degrees. Further, the radius of curvature of the auxiliary tip 180B can be set to be three times or more the average of the diameters of the light guides 110. As an example, the lighting fixture 100B shown in FIG. 5 has an average diameter of about 5 mm, and the radius of curvature R of the auxiliary tip 180B is about 15 mm. Moreover, the auxiliary | assistant front-end | tip part 180B may have a linear part extended | stretched linearly from a curved part.

  The auxiliary tip 180B is formed of a light-transmitting material (acrylic, PET resin, etc.) having a refractive index higher than that of air, and can be formed solid except for the connection end 181B as described above. The light that has been guided to the light guide part 110B and has reached the trunk part 112 further proceeds while being totally reflected by the inner peripheral surface of the auxiliary tip part 180B, and is emitted from the tip surface 182B of the auxiliary tip part 180B to irradiate the object. .

  The luminaire 100B is formed in a curved shape and includes an auxiliary tip portion 180B that is detachably connected, thereby not only protecting the light guide portion 110B that is easily damaged, but also having a curved shape similar to the tip portion of the luminaire 100. Therefore, workability can be improved in equipment maintenance inspection, dental examination, and the like. The details are as described in the first embodiment, and the description is omitted here.

  The auxiliary tip 180B can be formed of a deformable material. Accordingly, the auxiliary tip 180B can be deformed and used in an appropriate shape in consideration of the object and surrounding devices, and therefore, the object can be irradiated closer to the object at a more appropriate angle. Workability is further improved.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of the lighting fixture which concerns on this invention was described, these are only examples of embodiment of this invention, and this invention is not limited to these. The present invention includes a combination of the above embodiments and various modifications.

  For example, the battery of the main body may be rechargeable, a charging connector, or a USB socket, for example. Further, the body may be provided with a mounting hole, or may be suspended by providing a hole for attaching a strap or the like. Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which leans a main body. Further, the light guide part may be made of a flexible material. Moreover, you may form an auxiliary | assistant front-end | tip part hollow.

100, 100A, 100B Lighting fixture 110, 110B Light guide part 111 Base end part 112 Stem part 113 Tip part 120 Light source part 122 Light emitting diode 130 Power supply part 140 Diffusion part 180B Auxiliary tip part 190A Cap

Claims (12)

A light guide for guiding light to irradiate an object;
A light source unit that is a light source of the light guide unit;
A power source that is a power source of the light source;
A lighting fixture comprising:
The light guide portion is formed of a light-transmitting material having a higher refractive index than air,
The said light guide part tapers gradually, and the part whose diameter is 10 mm or less is 60 mm-500 mm. The lighting fixture according to claim 1,
The front end part of the light guide part has a curved part that bends 40 degrees or more from the trunk part of the light guide part. The lighting fixture according to claim 2,
The tip part of the light guide part further has a linear part extending linearly from the curved part. It is a lighting fixture as described in any one of Claims 1-3,
The said light guide part has a spreading | diffusion part for diffusing light in a surrounding surface. It is a lighting fixture as described in any one of Claims 1-4,
The illuminating device is provided with a fine unevenness for scattering light on a front end surface of the light guide unit. The lighting apparatus according to claim 3,
The linear part of the light guide part has a fine unevenness for scattering light. It is a lighting fixture as described in any one of Claims 1-6,
At least the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the light guide is formed by crystallizing resin. It is a lighting fixture as described in any one of Claims 1-7,
The light guide unit is detachably attached to the light source unit. It is a lighting fixture as described in any one of Claims 1-8,
The lighting apparatus further includes a cap that is detachably attached to the light guide unit,
The luminaire illuminates an object with the cap attached. The lighting fixture according to claim 1,
The lighting fixture further includes an auxiliary tip for further guiding the light guided by the light guide and irradiating the object,
The auxiliary tip is detachably connected to the light guide and is curved by 40 degrees or more with respect to the light guide. The lighting apparatus according to claim 10,
The auxiliary tip is a lighting fixture made of a deformable material. It is a lighting fixture as described in any one of Claims 1-11,
The light guide is a lighting fixture made of a saturated polyester resin.

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