JP5186451B2 - Organic EL light source unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an organic EL light source unit including an organic electroluminescence (hereinafter referred to as EL) light emitting element.

  In a conventional organic EL light emitting device (hereinafter referred to as a light emitting device), ITO (indium tin oxide) having good transparency is usually used for the device electrode. Since this ITO has a high resistivity, for example, when power is supplied to the device electrode with only one contact, the supply power to the light emitting layer decreases as the distance from the contact decreases due to a voltage drop in the ITO. Brightness spots are likely to occur. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, an organic EL light source unit (hereinafter referred to as a unit) including a light emitting element and a power supply unit that is in surface contact with the element electrode of the light emitting element is known (for example, a patent). Reference 1).

  7 and 8 show the configuration of such a unit 100. FIG. The unit 100 includes a light emitting element 11, a pair of plate-shaped power feeding portions 12 that feed power to the light emitting element 11, and front and back side element cases 13 a and 13 b that hold the light emitting element 11. The light emitting element 11 includes an element substrate 16 provided with a light emitting layer 15, a sealing substrate 17 that seals the light emitting layer 15 and the like, a plus electrode 18a and a minus electrode 18b for supplying power to the light emitting layer 15, and a minus electrode 18b. And an aluminum electrode 23 for connecting the light emitting layer 15.

  The power feeding unit 12 feeds power to the light emitting layer 15 by making surface contact with the plus electrode 18a and the minus electrode 18b, respectively. The element cases 13 a and 13 b are overlapped to hold the light emitting element 11 and the power feeding unit 12. Since the power supply unit 12 and the electrodes 18a and 18b are in contact with each other in the unit 100, power supply is not concentrated in one place, power supply is ensured, luminance unevenness is reduced, and luminance is equalized. Can be planned. However, since the power feeding unit 12 and the electrodes 18a and 18b are in contact with each other, if both contact surfaces are not finished with high accuracy, the electrical contact becomes partial and uneven spots occur. Spots may occur.

JP 2006-228455 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL light source unit capable of suppressing luminance unevenness by ensuring power feeding to the element electrode.

In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 includes an element substrate provided with a light emitting layer having a light emitting surface, and a sealing substrate disposed opposite to the element substrate on the opposite side of the light emitting surface. An organic EL light emitting element having an element electrode led to the outer periphery of the sealing substrate and disposed on the element substrate, a power feeding unit that feeds power to the element electrode, and holds the organic EL light emitting element and the power feeding unit An organic EL light source unit including a front-side element case and a back-side element case, wherein the power feeding unit has a plurality of contact parts that protrude toward the element electrode, and each of the contact parts is It is mechanically and electrically connected at multiple points by being pressed against the element electrode by the front side element case and the back side element case .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the organic EL light source unit according to the first aspect, the contact portion has a comb shape.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the organic EL light source unit according to the second aspect, wherein a part of the comb-shaped contact portion has a rigidity different from that of the other comb-shaped contact portion.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the organic EL light source unit according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a part of the contact portion positions a position of the power feeding portion with respect to the element electrode. It is what has been.

  Invention of Claim 5 is a lighting fixture, Comprising: The organic EL light source unit as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4, and the wiring part which supplies electric power to the said electric power feeding part are included. is there.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the plurality of contact portions are connected to the element electrode at multiple points, the contact pressure is uniform at each contact portion, the power supply to the element electrode is ensured, and luminance unevenness is suppressed. can do.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the contact portions are comb-like, the contact pressures of the contact points between the contact portions and the element electrodes are made more uniform, and the power supply to the element electrodes is more reliable and the luminance unevenness is suppressed. Can do.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the contact portion having high rigidity reduces the force applied to the contact portion having low rigidity when the power feeding portion and the element electrode are in contact with each other, the contact portion having low rigidity is difficult to sag. . For this reason, the period during which the power supply to the element electrode is ensured becomes longer, so that the luminance unevenness can be suppressed for a longer period.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the power feeding portion has a shape that follows the shape of the light emitting element, the power feeding portion can be easily positioned with respect to the element electrode.

  According to invention of Claim 5, the lighting fixture from which the above effects are acquired can be provided.

Sectional drawing of the lighting fixture using the organic electroluminescent light source unit which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The exploded view of the lighting fixture. Exploded view of the unit. The perspective view of the light emitting element and electric power feeding part of the organic electroluminescent light source unit which concern on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view of the modification of the light emitting element and electric power feeding part of the unit. The perspective view of the other modification of the light emitting element and electric power feeding part of the unit. Sectional drawing of the conventional organic EL light source unit. Exploded view of the unit.

(First embodiment)
1 and 2 show a configuration of a lighting fixture 2 using an organic EL light source unit 1 (hereinafter referred to as a unit) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the unit 1. The unit 1 is a light source that irradiates light in the present embodiment, and constitutes one component of the lighting fixture 2. The lighting fixture 2 supplies power to the unit 1, the front-side and back-side housings 3 a and 3 b that hold the unit 1, the front panel 4 that emits light (white arrows) emitted from the unit 1, and the unit 1. A wiring unit 5 to be supplied.

  The front-side housing 3a is formed in a frame shape, and the back-side housing 3b is formed in a lid shape with a lower surface opening. The casings 3a and 3b are overlapped to hold the unit 1. The front housing 3a has a groove 7 through which a wiring portion 5 such as a lead wire of a conductor or a connector passes in a peripheral edge portion 6 in contact with a side wall of the rear housing 3b. A plate-like front panel 4 having light properties is installed.

  The unit 1 includes an organic EL light emitting element 11 (hereinafter referred to as a light emitting element), a power feeding unit 12 that feeds power to the light emitting element 11, and front and rear side element cases 13a and 13b that hold the light emitting element 11 and the power feeding unit 12. .

  The light emitting element 11 is a transparent rectangular element substrate 16 provided with a light emitting layer 15 of organic EL, a sealing substrate 17 for sealing the light emitting layer 15 and the like, and an element electrode for supplying power to the light emitting layer 15. An electrode 18a and a negative electrode 18b are provided and configured as a light emitting panel. The light emitting element 11 is fed with power to the light emitting layer 15 when the pair of power feeding parts 12 to which the wiring part 5 is attached contacts the plus electrode 18a and the minus electrode 18b.

  The power feeding unit 12 has a plurality of contact portions 14 that are in contact with the electrodes 18a and 18b. The contact portions 14 are mechanically and electrically multipointed by being in pressure contact with the electrodes 18a and 18b by the element cases 13a and 13b. Connected at. The contact portion 14 is formed in a dimple shape by bending the power feeding portion 12 made of a metal conductor such as plate-like copper or stainless steel, and the convex side of the dimple portion comes into contact with the electrodes 18a and 18b. . The power feeding unit 12 may be, for example, a linear metal conductor formed with a coil-shaped contact part 14 in addition to a plate-shaped metal conductor formed with a dimple-shaped contact part 14. Good.

  In the unit 1, since a plurality of contact portions 14 are connected to the electrodes 18a and 18b at multiple points, the contact pressure at each contact portion 14 is uniform, and the power supply to the electrodes 18a and 18b is ensured, thereby causing luminance unevenness. Can be suppressed. Further, the unit 1 has an extremely low resistance value as compared with ITO, which is the material of the positive electrode 18a and the negative electrode 18b, in the unit 1, so that the influence of the resistance of the positive electrode 18a and the negative electrode 18b is minimized. . That is, the phenomenon of voltage drop applied to the plus electrode 18a and the minus electrode 18b is minimized, and luminance spots can be reduced.

  The element cases 13a and 13b are both formed in a lid shape. The front-side element case 13a has an opening 21 for emitting light to the case wall facing the element substrate 16, and a groove 22 for holding the power feeding part 12 on the case side wall. The element cases 13a and 13b are formed of a resin such as acrylic, and are overlapped so that the side walls thereof are in contact with each other, thereby forming a rectangular parallelepiped box shape and holding the light emitting element 11 and the power feeding portion 12.

  The element substrate 16 derives light emitted from the light emitting layer 15 and is made of a transparent member such as glass or transparent resin. On the element substrate 16, a plus electrode 18 a and a minus electrode 18 b serving as electrodes for feeding power to the light emitting layer 15 are provided. The light emitting layer 15 is formed on the plus electrode 18a and the minus electrode 18b. The opposite surface side (back surface side) on which the light emitting layer 15 of the element substrate 16 is formed is a light emission surface for EL light emission.

  The electrodes 18a and 18b are formed of two rectangular patterns formed on the element substrate 16 as a transparent electrode by ITO (indium tin oxide), for example, and separated by a rectangular insulating separation layer therebetween. The area of the electrode 18a is larger than the area of the negative electrode 18b.

  On the plus electrode 18a, a light emitting layer 15 made of, for example, an organic thin film containing a fluorescent organic compound is formed as a light emitter. On the upper surface of the light emitting layer 15, a submicron-thick aluminum electrode 23 is formed by vapor deposition. The The aluminum electrode 23 is connected to the negative electrode 18b. The light emitting layer 15 and the aluminum electrode 23 are sealed with a sealing substrate 17 made of silicon resin. The plus electrode 18 a and the minus electrode 18 b are led out to the outer periphery of the sealing substrate 17, and are in direct contact with the power feeding unit 12 at the lead-out portions along the pair of opposing side directions of the element substrate 16 or conductive. Contact indirectly through a thin film.

  Note that the light emitting element 11 has a hole transport layer for improving the hole injection property to the light emitting layer 15 between the light emitting layer 15 and the plus electrode 18 a, and the light emitting layer 15 between the light emitting layer 15 and the aluminum electrode 23. It may have an electron transport layer for improving the electron injection property. Further, the minus electrode 18b is not necessarily a transparent electrode, and may be an electrode made of aluminum, for example.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 shows the light emitting element 11 and the power feeding unit 12 of the unit 1 according to the second embodiment. The power feeding portion 12 has a comb-teeth-like contact portion 14 instead of a dimple-like one, and the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  Each contact portion 14 has a comb-teeth shape having the same width in a plan view and a bent shape in a V shape in a side view by punching and bending the power feeding portion 12 made of a plate-like metal conductor. The convex side of this V-shaped portion is in contact with the electrodes 18a and 18b. In the unit 1, since the contact portion 14 has a comb-like shape, the contact pressure between the contact portions 14 and the electrodes 18a and 18b becomes more uniform, and the power supply to the electrodes 18a and 18b becomes more reliable, thereby suppressing luminance unevenness. be able to.

  FIG. 5 shows the light emitting element 11 and the power feeding unit 12 of the unit 1 according to the first modification of the present embodiment. The rigidity of the sag preventing portion 14a which is a part of the comb-shaped contact portion 14 is different from that of the other comb-shaped contact portion 14b, and other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment.

  The sagging prevention portion 14a is formed with a wider comb tooth width in plan view than the contact portion 14b, and has high rigidity. In the unit 1, the sag prevention unit 14a having higher rigidity than the contact unit 14b reduces the force applied to the contact unit 14b when the power supply unit 12 and the electrodes 18a and 18b are in contact with each other. It becomes difficult. For this reason, the period during which power supply to the electrodes 18a and 18b is ensured becomes longer, so that the luminance unevenness can be suppressed for a longer period. Note that the sag preventing portion 14a may have higher rigidity by increasing the thickness in side view as compared with the contact portion 14b.

  FIG. 6 shows the light emitting element 11 and the power feeding unit 12 of the unit 1 according to the second modification of the present embodiment. The positioning portions 14c and 14d, which are part of the comb-shaped contact portion 14, are configured to position the power feeding portion 12 with respect to the electrodes 18a and 18b, and the other configurations are the same as in the second embodiment. It is.

  The positioning portion 14 c is formed such that the end portion of the comb teeth is bent in an L shape in a side view and is in contact with the side surface of the sealing substrate 17. The positioning portion 14d is formed by bending the base portion of the comb teeth into an L shape in a side view and is in contact with the side surfaces of the electrodes 18a and 18b. Therefore, in the unit 1, since the power feeding unit 12 has a shape that follows the shape of the light emitting element 11, the power feeding unit 12 can be easily positioned with respect to the electrodes 18 a and 18 b.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the structure of said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not change the summary of invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the pair of power supply portions both have the same contact portion shape, but the contact portion of one power supply portion has a dimple shape and the other has a comb-tooth shape. It doesn't matter.

1 unit (organic EL light source unit)
11 Light Emitting Element (Organic EL Light Emitting Element)
12 Power supply part 14, 14b Contact part 14a Sag prevention part (contact part)
14c, 14d Positioning part (contact part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Light emitting layer 16 Element board | substrate 17 Sealing board | substrate 18a Positive electrode (element electrode)
18b Negative electrode (element electrode)

Claims (5)

An element substrate provided with a light emitting layer having a light emission surface, a sealing substrate disposed opposite to the element substrate on the opposite side of the light emission surface, and an outer periphery of the sealing substrate led to the element substrate An organic EL light emitting device having a device electrode disposed;
A power feeding section for feeding power to the element electrode;
An organic EL light source unit comprising a front side element case and a rear side element case holding the organic EL light emitting element and a power feeding unit,
The power feeding portion has a plurality of contact portions that are convex toward the element electrode, and each of the contact portions is pressed against the element electrode by the front-side element case and the back-side element case . An organic EL light source unit that is electrically connected at multiple points.   The organic EL light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is comb-shaped.   3. The organic EL light source unit according to claim 2, wherein a part of the comb-shaped contact portion has a rigidity different from that of the other comb-shaped contact portion.   The organic EL light source unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a part of the contact portion is configured to position a power supply portion with respect to the element electrode. An organic EL light source unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
And a wiring unit that supplies power to the power feeding unit.

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