JP5264608B2 - Organic EL panel for lighting - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an organic EL panel for lighting provided with an auxiliary electrode for supplying power to an organic EL (electroluminescence) light emitting layer.

  Conventionally, in this type of organic EL panel for illumination, ITO (indium tin oxide) having a high transparency is used as an element electrode. However, since ITO has a high resistivity, power supply to the element electrode is, for example, one contact point. In the case of using only, the power supply to the EL light emitting layer decreases as the distance from the contact point increases due to a voltage drop in the ITO, resulting in luminance variations. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, there is known one using an auxiliary electrode that sandwiches the element electrode and the substrate and makes surface contact (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The structure of the auxiliary electrode of such an organic EL panel 100 for illumination is shown in FIG. In this organic EL panel for illumination 100, an organic EL light emitting layer is laminated on a transparent substrate 101, and an element electrode 102 is led to the outer periphery of a sealing portion 104 that seals the light emitting layer. The element electrode 102 is clamped by the auxiliary electrode 103 having a clip-like spring property. The auxiliary electrode 103 is brought into direct contact with the substrate 101 at the first contact portion 131 that is one contact portion, and an elastic conductor in order to improve adhesion at the second contact portion 132 that is the other contact portion. It is electrically connected to the element electrode 102 via 105. Although only one auxiliary electrode 103 is shown in the figure, there is an auxiliary electrode that supplies power to another element electrode.

  However, in the configuration as described above, the adhesion with the element electrode 102 is improved by the elastic conductor 105, but the substrate 101 is in direct contact with the first contact portion 131, and thus the first contact portion 131. The substrate 101 may be damaged or cracked due to the stress from. Further, a loss may occur due to the resistance component of the elastic conductor 105.

JP 2008-269988 A

  The present invention solves the above-described problem, and in an organic EL panel for lighting provided with an auxiliary electrode for supplying power to a substrate having a light emitting layer, the substrate can be sandwiched by the auxiliary electrode without damaging the substrate. An object is to provide an organic EL panel for illumination.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is directed to a substrate on which a light emitting layer having a light emitting surface is provided, a sealing portion disposed opposite to the substrate on the opposite side of the light emitting surface, An organic EL panel for illumination comprising an element electrode led to the outer periphery of a sealing portion and disposed on the substrate, and an auxiliary electrode that contacts the element electrode and supplies power from the outside, wherein the auxiliary electrode is the substrate A first abutting portion that extends along a side direction of the substrate and contacts the substrate; a second abutting portion that is disposed opposite the first abutting portion and contacts the element electrode; and the first abutting portion. And a connecting portion for connecting the second abutting portion, the substrate and the element electrode are sandwiched with elastic stress, and the element electrode is disposed between the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion. And a stress mark from the first contact portion to the substrate is inserted between the substrate and the first contact portion. Protective member made of an elastic member for suppressing in which is disposed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the organic EL panel for illumination according to the first aspect, the protection member is provided at an edge of the substrate and / or the first contact portion along a side direction of the substrate. It is.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the organic EL panel for illumination according to the first or second aspect, the auxiliary electrode is in contact with the element electrode with the second contact portion forming a planar shape. It is what.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the organic EL panel for illumination according to any one of the first to third aspects, the protective member is provided in a frame shape around the light emission surface of the substrate. is there.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the organic EL panel for illumination according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the protective member has a light-transmitting shape and has a surface shape, and the light of the substrate. It is provided so as to cover the discharge surface.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the illumination organic EL panel according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the contact surface between the first contact portion and the protective member is a convex portion on either side. The other is provided with a recess, and the projection and the recess are engaged with each other.

According to the invention of claim 1, since the stress application to the substrate from the first contact portion is suppressed by the protective member, the substrate is prevented from being damaged or cracked by the auxiliary electrode. Can be pinched without being damaged. Moreover, even if the thicknesses of the element electrode, the substrate, and the protection member vary, the auxiliary electrode can be securely held by the elasticity of the auxiliary electrode. Furthermore, since the protective member is elastically deformed when pressed by the first contact portion, the stress application to the substrate is further suppressed, and the auxiliary electrode is brought into close contact with the element electrode without causing damage to the substrate. Can be pinched.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when the substrate is inserted between the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the first contact portion does not directly contact the edge of the substrate. , Cracks can be prevented.

According to the invention of claim 3 , since a wide contact surface between the second contact portion and the element electrode can be obtained, the contact resistance can be reduced, and the efficiency of power supply is improved.

According to the invention of claim 4 , the holding strength of the substrate is increased by the frame-shaped protective member, and the sealing portion of the substrate and the lead-out portion of the element electrode can be hidden, so that the appearance is improved.

According to the invention of claim 5 , since the light emitting surface of the substrate is covered with the protection member, the substrate surface can be protected from external stress application.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the auxiliary electrodes to be mounted on the substrate can be positioned, and a click feeling can be obtained when the auxiliary electrodes are engaged with each other.

1 is an exploded perspective view of an organic EL panel for illumination according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing of the panel. The exploded partial side view of the panel. The decomposition | disassembly partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on said modification. The decomposition | disassembly partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on said other modification. The decomposition | disassembly partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on another other modification of said. (A) is a partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (b) is a side view of the auxiliary electrode of the panel. (A) is a partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention, (b) is a side view of the auxiliary electrode of the panel. The partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on said modification. The partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on said other modification. The partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel at the time of extending a protection member to the end surface of a board | substrate in the said modification. The partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel at the time of extending a protective member to the end surface of the 1st contact part in the said modification. (A) is a perspective view of the protection member on the board | substrate which looked at the light irradiation surface side of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the partial side view of the same panel. The perspective view of the protection member on the board | substrate which looked at the light irradiation surface side of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on said modification. (A) is a perspective view of the protection member on the board | substrate which looked at the light irradiation surface side of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the partial side view of the same panel. The perspective view of the protection member on the board | substrate which looked at the light irradiation surface side of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on said modification. (A) is the decomposition | disassembly partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the partial side view of the panel. (A) is a decomposition | disassembly partial side view of the organic electroluminescent panel which concerns on said modification, (b) is a partial side view of the panel. Sectional drawing of the auxiliary electrode part of the conventional organic EL panel for illumination.

  Hereinafter, an organic EL panel for illumination according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show an exploded perspective view and a cross-section, respectively, of an illumination organic EL panel 1 (hereinafter referred to as an EL panel) of the present embodiment. The EL panel 1 includes a transparent substrate 2 on which a light emitting layer 6 of organic EL is provided, a sealing portion 3 that seals the light emitting layer 6, a pair of element electrodes 4 that feed power to the light emitting layer 6, and these element electrodes 4 And a pair of auxiliary electrodes 5 for supplying power from the outside, and a protection member 8 provided at the contact portion between the substrate 2 and the auxiliary electrode 5 for protecting the substrate 2. In the EL panel 1, the auxiliary electrode 5 is brought into contact with the element electrode 4 on the substrate 2 to supply power to the light emitting layer 6.

  The substrate 2 is made of a transparent member such as glass having a substantially rectangular shape, and an element electrode 4 serving as an electrode for feeding power to the light emitting layer 6 is formed thereon, and the light emitting layer 6 is laminated on the element electrode 4. Configured as a light-emitting panel. The opposite surface side (back surface side) of the substrate 2 on which the light emitting layer 6 is formed is a light emission surface for EL light emission.

  The element electrode 4 is formed in a planar shape on the substrate 2 as a transparent electrode by using, for example, ITO (indium tin oxide), and has a rectangular electrode 41 and an electrode 42 that become a plus electrode and a minus electrode to the light emitting layer 6, respectively. The electrode 41 and the electrode 42 are composed of two rectangular patterns separated by a rectangular insulating separation layer between them, and the area of the electrode 41 is larger than that of the electrode 42.

  On the electrode 41, a light emitting layer 6 made of, for example, an organic thin film containing a fluorescent organic compound is formed as a light emitter. A submicron-thick aluminum electrode 7 is formed on the upper surface of the light emitting layer 6 by vapor deposition or the like, and the aluminum electrode 7 is connected to the electrode 42. The light emitting layer 6 and the aluminum electrode 7 are sealed with a sealing portion 3 made of silicon resin or the like. The electrode 41 and the electrode 42 are led out to the outer periphery of the sealing portion 3, and come into contact with the auxiliary electrode 5 at a lead-out portion along a pair of opposing side directions of the substrate 2. Here, the substrate thickness of the substrate 2 including the thickness of the element electrode 4 is H1. The electrode 42 is not necessarily a transparent electrode, and may be an aluminum electrode or the like.

  The auxiliary electrode 5 is made of a metal plate having extremely high conductivity as compared with ITO. The auxiliary electrode 5 has a substantially U shape in side view so that the substrate 2 and the element electrode 4 (electrode 41 or electrode 42) can be inserted, and the auxiliary electrode 5 extends along a pair of opposing side directions of the substrate 2. A first contact portion 51 that is in contact with the substrate 2, a second contact portion 52 that is opposed to the first contact portion 51 and is in contact with the element electrode 4, and a first contact portion 51 and a second contact portion. And a connecting portion 53 that connects the contact portion 52. The distance between the contact surfaces of the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 is substantially parallel with H2, and the substrate 2 is inserted between them. The first contact portion 51 and the first contact portion 52 are connected by a wiring (not shown) from an external power source and supplied with power.

  The protective member 8 is made of, for example, an elastic member such as urethane foam, EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene rubber), and a resin member having higher elasticity than a glass material, and is provided between the first contact portion 51 and the substrate 2. The substrate 2 is protected by suppressing the stress applied from the first contact portion 51 to the substrate 2. The protective member 8 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a height from the substrate 2 as H3, and extends along a pair of opposing side directions of the substrate 2 and the edge of the first contact portion 51 in the auxiliary electrode 5. And fixed with an adhesive or the like. Here, the auxiliary electrode 5 sandwiches the protective member 8 on the substrate 2 and the element electrode 4 with almost no clearance.

  FIG. 3 shows an exploded side view of the EL panel 1. The substrate 2 is inserted between the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 from the end surface direction, and is pushed into the auxiliary electrode 5 while maintaining the contact between the element electrode 4 and the second contact portion 52. . At this time, since the clearance between the auxiliary electrode 5 and the protective member 8 and the element electrode 4 is close to zero, the protective member 8 comes into close contact with the substrate 2 over its entire upper surface, and the second contact The part 52 and the electrode 42 are also in close contact with each other and connected with a small contact resistance.

  According to the EL panel 1 of this embodiment, when the substrate 2 is inserted between the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52, the auxiliary electrode 5 is separated from the first contact portion 51 by the protective member 8. Since the application of stress to the substrate 2 is suppressed, it is possible to prevent the substrate 2 from being damaged or cracked by the pressing from the first abutting portion 51, and the substrate 2 can be prevented from being cracked. 2 can be stably held without being damaged.

  In addition, the second contact portion 52 and the electrode 42 are in direct contact with each other without inserting an elastic conductor therebetween, so that a power supply loss due to the resistance of the conventional elastic conductor does not occur. Further, since the protection member 8 is mounted between the contact surfaces of the substrate 2 and the first contact portion 51 that do not involve power feeding, the protection member 8 may not be a conductive member, and can be manufactured at low cost using an insulating member. Close contact is possible.

  Further, by providing chamfering or curved rounded (R) at the longitudinal corner of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the protective member 8, the substrate 2 can be inserted into the auxiliary electrode 5 more smoothly. A plurality of protective members 8 may be provided in parallel to each other. In the above description, the protective member 8 has a rectangular cross section. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other polygonal shapes, shapes having curved surfaces, and shapes obtained by combining them may be used.

  FIG. 4 shows a modification of the above embodiment. In the present modification, the protection member 8 is the opening end of the auxiliary electrode 5 and is disposed along the edge of the first contact portion 51. Thereby, since the board | substrate 2 is inserted so that it may not contact the 1st contact part 51 directly with the protection member 8, malfunctions, such as a crack entering the board | substrate 2, can be avoided.

  FIG. 5 shows another modification of the above embodiment. In this modification, the protection member 8 is provided in the vicinity of the edge along the pair of opposing sides of the substrate 2. According to this modification, it is easier to attach the protection member 8 than when the protection member 8 is provided in the first contact portion 51.

  FIG. 6 shows still another modification of the above embodiment. In this modification, the protection member 8 is provided along the edges of a pair of opposing sides of the substrate 2. Thus, as described above, when the substrate 2 is inserted into the auxiliary electrode 5, the first contact portion 51 can be prevented from directly contacting the substrate 2, thereby avoiding problems such as cracks in the substrate 2. Can do.

  Next, the auxiliary electrode of the EL panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary electrode 5 sandwiches the substrate 2 and the element electrode 4 with elastic stress.

  The auxiliary electrode 5 is made of a springy metal plate such as stainless steel, for example, and the thickness of the auxiliary electrode 5 can be about 1 mm or less, for example. The auxiliary electrode 5 is formed in a clip shape having elasticity, and the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 that are opposed to each other are bent so that the interval therebetween is narrowed. The closest distance between the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 before the substrate 2 is inserted is H5. This interval H5 is less than the sum of the substrate thickness H1 and the height H3 of the protective member 8 to enhance the spring property of the auxiliary electrode 5.

  In the above configuration, when the substrate 2 is inserted into the auxiliary electrode 5, the protective member 8 comes into linear contact with the first contact portion 51, and the stress concentrated in this linear shape is planarized by the surface on the substrate side. Distributed. As a result, a large stress is not locally applied to the substrate 2, stress application from the first contact portion 51 is suppressed, and scratches are less likely to occur. Further, due to the spring property of the auxiliary electrode 5, it is possible to reduce the influence of variations in the substrate thickness H <b> 1, the height H <b> 3 of the protection member 8, and the like.

  Next, an auxiliary electrode of the EL panel according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the first contact portion 51 of the auxiliary electrode 5 is bent inwardly in a mountain shape, and the second contact portion 52 is formed in a planar shape. And the dimension from the edge of the protection member 8 on the board | substrate 2 is made longer than the above-mentioned thing. Before the substrate 2 is inserted into the auxiliary electrode 5, the closest distance H5 between the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 is the same as described above.

  According to the present embodiment, the contact area between the element electrode 4 and the second contact portion 52 is increased, so that the contact resistance is reduced, and the efficiency of power supply can be improved. Further, the contact area between the protective member 8 and the substrate 2 increases, and local stress from the first contact portion 51 to the linearly concentrated substrate 2 is dispersed, so that the substrate 2 is hardly damaged. Further, when the substrate 2 is inserted into the auxiliary electrode 5, it is possible to prevent the substrate 2 from being in direct contact with the first contact portion 51 and being damaged. In addition, the 1st contact part 51 may be divided | segmented into a comb-tooth shape, for example, and each may have elasticity.

  FIG. 9 shows a modification of the above embodiment. The protection member 8 of the present modification has an inclined surface that is in contact with the inclined surface on the opening end side in the mountain shape of the first contact portion 51. Thereby, when inserting the board | substrate 2 in the auxiliary electrode 5, since the 1st contact part 51 and the protection member 8 contact | abut on the inclined surface away from the board | substrate 2, damage to the board | substrate 2 can be prevented.

  10 to 12 show modifications of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, respectively. In the present modification, the protection member 8 is formed using an EPDM rubber body or the like that is easily elastically deformed. For this reason, when the protection member 8 is pressed by the first contact portion 51, the contact portion is dented into a mountain shape and elastically deformed. Thereby, when the board | substrate 2 is inserted in the auxiliary electrode 5, the stress application to the board | substrate 2 from the 1st contact part 51 is suppressed more, and the board | substrate 2 becomes difficult to be damaged. Moreover, since the protective member 8 is dented into a mountain shape by pressing from the first contact portion 51 and the contact area is increased, the adhesion between the first contact portion 51 and the protective member 8 is enhanced.

  Next, a protective member for an EL panel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b). In the present embodiment, the protection member 8 is made of an elastic member, and is provided in a frame shape around the light emission surface of the substrate 2. The contact surface of the protective member 8 with the first contact portion is recessed in a mountain shape by applying stress by the first contact portion.

  According to this embodiment, since the protective member 8 has a frame shape, the holding strength of the substrate 2 is increased, and the sealing portion 3 of the substrate 2 and the lead-out portion of the element electrode 4 can be hidden, so that it looks good. Will be better. Moreover, the protective member 8 can be collectively arranged in a pair of opposing side directions of the substrate 2, and attachment work is facilitated.

  FIG. 14 shows a modification of the above embodiment. In this modification, the outer shape of the frame shape of the protection member 8 is substantially matched with the outer shape of the substrate 2. Thereby, when the board | substrate 2 is inserted in the auxiliary electrode 5, it can prevent contacting the 1st contact part 51 directly and being damaged.

  Next, the auxiliary electrode of the EL panel according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the protection member 8 is provided so as to have translucency and have a surface shape and cover the light emission surface of the substrate 2. As the protective member 8, for example, a light extraction sheet such as an optical film having a light distribution property, a diffusibility property, a color distribution property, or the like can be used. As a result, the light emission surface of the substrate 2 is covered with the protective member 8 in a sheet shape, and is thus protected from external stress application. In addition, for example, by using an optical film in which a random prism pattern or the like is formed on a transparent film, the light distribution from the light emitting surface can be changed and condensed in the front direction to increase the luminance.

  FIG. 16 shows a modification of the above embodiment. In the present modification, the outer shape of the light extraction sheet of the protection member 8 is substantially matched with the outer shape of the substrate 2. Thereby, the same effect as the above is obtained.

  Next, an auxiliary electrode of the EL panel according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the contact surface between the first contact portion 51 and the protection member 8 includes a mountain-shaped convex portion 54 and a groove-shaped concave portion 81, respectively. The convex portion 54 and the concave portion 81 are engaged with each other when the substrate 2 is inserted into the auxiliary electrode 5.

  As a result, the auxiliary electrode 5 to be mounted on the substrate 2 can be positioned, and a click feeling can be obtained when the auxiliary electrodes 5 are engaged with each other. The first contact portion 51 may be formed in a comb-like shape and a plurality of convex portions. The recess 81 may have a groove shape having a polygonal shape, a curved surface, or the like.

  18A and 18B show a modification of the above embodiment. In the present modification, the first contact portion 51 has a planar shape and has a spring property, and has a protrusion (convex portion) 54 a on the contact surface with the protection member 8. The protection member 8 has a groove-shaped recess 81 a on the contact surface with the first contact portion 51. The ridges 54a and the recesses 81a have curved surfaces whose cross sections are substantially the same diameter. Thereby, when the protruding item | line 54a of the 1st contact part 51 and the recessed part 81a of the protection member 8 are engaged, the auxiliary electrode 5 can be positioned accurately. Note that a plurality of protrusions 54a and recesses 81a may be provided and engaged with each other. Moreover, the 1st contact part 51 may be made into a comb-tooth shape, and a convex part may be provided in each comb-tooth part. Moreover, you may provide a recessed part in the 1st contact part 51 side, and a convex part in the protection member 8 side.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the structure of the said various embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible suitably in the range which does not change the meaning of invention. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the first contact portion 51 may have a comb shape, and the second contact portion 52 may also have a comb shape. At this time, the protection member 8 may be divided according to each comb tooth of the first contact portion 51. Further, in each of the above embodiments, the auxiliary electrodes 5 that are in contact with each other on the pair of opposing sides of the rectangular substrate 2 are shown. However, plus and minus elements are respectively provided on the two pairs of opposing sides of the substrate 2. Similarly, when the electrode 4 is provided and the auxiliary electrode 5 is contacted from four sides of the substrate 2, the substrate 2 can be prevented from being damaged by the auxiliary electrode 5.

1 EL panel (Organic EL panel for lighting)
2 Substrate 3 Sealing part 4 Element electrode 41, 42 Electrode 5 Auxiliary electrode 51 First contact part 52 Second contact part 53 Connection part 54 Projection part 54a Projection (projection part)
6 Light emitting layer 8 Protective member 81, 81a Recess

Claims (6)

A substrate provided with a light emitting layer having a light emitting surface; a sealing portion disposed opposite to the substrate on the opposite side of the light emitting surface; and led to an outer periphery of the sealing portion and disposed on the substrate In an organic EL panel for illumination comprising an element electrode and an auxiliary electrode that contacts the element electrode and supplies power from the outside,
The auxiliary electrode extends along a side direction of the substrate, contacts a first contact portion, and is disposed opposite the first contact portion and contacts a device electrode. A connection portion for connecting the first contact portion and the second contact portion, and sandwiching the substrate and the element electrode with elastic stress,
A substrate on which the element electrode is disposed between the first contact portion and the second contact portion is inserted,
A protective member made of an elastic member for suppressing stress application from the first contact portion to the substrate is disposed between the substrate and the first contact portion. panel. The organic EL panel for illumination according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is provided at an edge of the substrate and / or the first contact portion along a side direction of the substrate . 3. The organic EL panel for illumination according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary electrode is in contact with the element electrode with the second contact portion having a planar shape . 4. The organic EL panel for illumination according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protective member is provided in a frame shape around a light emission surface of the substrate . 4. The illumination according to claim 1, wherein the protective member has a light transmitting property, has a surface shape, and is provided so as to cover a light emitting surface of the substrate. 5. Organic EL panel. The contact surface between the first contact portion and the protection member includes a convex portion on one side and a concave portion on the other, and the convex portion and the concave portion are engaged with each other. The organic EL panel for illumination according to any one of claims 5.

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