JP6708922B2 - Lighting equipment and door lining - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an illuminating device and a door lining , and more particularly, to an illuminating device having a structure in which a holder holds a light guide that transmits light from a light emitting section, and a door lining provided with the illuminating device .

A lighting device used in a vehicle may be attached to a door lining, a center console, or the like and used for the purpose of enhancing the decorativeness of the vehicle. An example of such an illumination device is the illumination device described in Patent Document 1. The lighting device described in Patent Document 1 is a lighting device for a vehicle, and is attached to a predetermined position while holding a light source, a light guide body (specifically, a light guide rod) that transmits light from the light source, and these. Lighting device main body (hereinafter, simply referred to as main body).

JP, 2011-121503, A

In the illuminating device described in Patent Document 1, the light guide is attached to the main body by sandwiching the light guide between the cover member assembled to the main body and the main body. More specifically, an engagement claw is formed on the cover member, and the engagement claw can be engaged with the engaged claw provided on the main body. Then, the engaging claw engages with the engaged claw in a state where the light guide is sandwiched between the cover part and the body part, whereby the light guide is attached to the body part.

By the way, when the engaging claw is engaged with the engaged claw, it is necessary that a regular portion of the engaging claw is engaged with the engaged claw. However, for example, when the cover member unintentionally moves, the portion of the engaging claw that is engaged with the engaged claw may be displaced from the normal portion. If the engaged claw engages with the engaged claw at a position displaced from the original engagement position in this way, the engaged state between the engaged claw and the engaged claw is not stable, As a result, the light guide may not be properly attached to the main body.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is an illumination device capable of appropriately sandwiching and holding a light guide in a structure in which a light guide is sandwiched and held by a holder. To provide.

According to the lighting device of the present invention, the above-mentioned problem is to hold the light guide in a state in which the light emitting section, the light guide extending linearly, and the light guide facing the light emitting section. And a holder main body to which the light emitting portion is assembled, and the holder in the light guide body in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the held portion held by the holder. The two sandwiching portions that engage with each other while sandwiching the holding portion and the two sandwiching portions that are arranged in the extending direction in the extending direction, and the engaging portions of the two sandwiching portions are the holder main body in the extending direction. and a suppressor for suppressing section from deviating in a direction in which the position, the suppressing portion is solved by the protrusion der Rukoto protruding from the holder main body toward the two nipping portions in the extending direction.

In the lighting device of the present invention configured as described above, the holder main body is provided with the restraint portion, and the restraint portion causes the engagement portions of the two sandwiched portions in the extending direction of the held portion of the light guide body. It is possible to prevent the holder body from being displaced in the direction in which it is located. As a result, the two sandwiched portions come to be engaged with each other at an appropriate engaging portion, and as a result, the light guide body is properly held by the holder.

In the configuration above reporting, since the suppressing portion by the projecting portion protruding from the holder main body is formed at a simpler configuration, it is possible to provide a suppressing portion in the holder body.

Further, in the above lighting device, one of the two sandwiched portions has a convex portion formed on a surface facing the held portion, and the two sandwiched portions sandwich the held portion in a state of being sandwiched. It is preferable that the convex portion is in contact with the held portion.
In the above structure, when the two sandwiched portions sandwich the held portion of the light guide, the convex portion provided on one sandwiched portion contacts the held portion and presses the held portion. This makes it possible to prevent the held portion sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions from coming out.

Further, in the illumination device described above, the convex portion is a wedge-shaped projection, it may that have a slope approaching the target holding portion which faces farther from the holder main body in the extending direction.
In the above configuration, the convex portion that presses the held portion is a wedge-shaped protrusion, and the protrusion has an inclined surface that becomes lower as it gets away from the holder body. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the held portion that is sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions from coming out.

In addition, in the above lighting device, it is preferable that the top portion of the convex portion is cut out in an arc shape.
In the above configuration, since the top of the convex portion is cut out in an arc shape, it is possible to prevent the held portion of the light guide body from being damaged by being pressed by the convex portion.

Further, in the above lighting device, one of the two sandwiched portions is a claw-shaped engaging portion that engages with the other engaged portion, and one of the engaging portions in the extending direction is the holder main body. It is advisable to have a neighboring end portion and an adjacent portion that is adjacent to the end portion, and the adjacent portion may have a shape that cannot engage with the engaged portion.
In the above configuration, the adjacent portion adjacent to the engaging portion in the one sandwiched portion cannot engage with the engaged portion provided in the other sandwiched portion. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the engagement portions of the two sandwiched portions from being displaced in the extending direction of the held portion of the light guide body.

Further, in the above lighting device, a gap is formed between one of the two sandwiched portions and the holder main body in a state where the two sandwiched portions are engaged, and a part of the held portion is It is preferable that it is exposed through the gap.
In the above configuration, a gap is formed between the one sandwiching portion and the holder body in a state where the two sandwiching portions are engaged with each other. Then, a part of the held portion is exposed through this gap. This makes it possible to confirm the position and the like of the held portion through the gap.

Further, in the above illumination device, the light emitting unit includes a light source and a condenser lens that condenses light emitted from the light source, and the holder body has a wall having an opening, The two sandwiched portions may be engaged with each other while sandwiching the held portion such that the end surface of the held portion faces the condenser lens through the opening.
In the above configuration, when the held portion is sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions, the end surface of the held portion faces the condenser lens through the opening. With such a configuration, the light guide can be held by the holder so that the light emitted from the condenser lens can be favorably captured.

In addition, the light emitting unit , a light guide extending linearly, and a holder that holds the light guide in a state where the light guide faces the light emitting unit. , The holder main body having a wall in which the light emitting unit is assembled and having an opening formed therein, and the light-guiding member sandwiches the held portion in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the held portion held by the holder. And two sandwiching portions that engage with each other in a closed state, the light guide is an optical fiber, and a size of an end of the opening closer to the held portion has a size of a cross section of the optical fiber. It should be smaller than the size.
In the above configuration, the size of the end of the opening closer to the held portion is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the optical fiber forming the light guide. Therefore, the light emitted from the condenser lens is more appropriately directed to the optical fiber (strictly speaking, the end surface of the held portion). As a result, light can be efficiently transmitted through the optical fiber.

Also, in the above lighting device, one of the two sandwiched portions is connected to the other by a hinge and is rotatable with respect to the other, and the two sandwiched portions are restrained in the extension direction. It is preferable to engage at a position in front of the part.
In the above configuration, since the two sandwiched portions are connected by the hinge, the sandwiched portions are easier to handle (particularly, the sandwiched portions are engaged with each other) as compared with the configuration in which the sandwiched portions are separated. . Further, in the extending direction of the held portion of the light guide, the two sandwiched portions engage at the front position of the suppressing portion, so that the suppressing function of the engaging portion can be properly performed. ..
Further, it is preferable that the lighting device is provided in the door lining.

According to the present invention, the displacement of the engaging portions of the two sandwiched portions is suppressed, so that the light guide body is properly held by the holder.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the suppressing portion on the holder body with a simple structure.
Further, according to the present invention, the convex portion provided on one of the sandwiched portions comes into contact with the held portion and presses the held portion, so that the held portion sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions comes out. It becomes possible to suppress that.
Further, according to the present invention, since the convex portion formed of the wedge-shaped projection has the slope that becomes lower as it goes away from the holder body, the held portion sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions comes out. Can be suppressed more effectively.
Further, according to the present invention, since the top of the convex portion is cut out in an arc shape, it is possible to prevent the held portion of the light guide body from being damaged by being pressed by the convex portion. Becomes
Further, according to the present invention, it is impossible to engage the adjacent portion adjacent to the engaging portion in one sandwiching portion and the engaged portion provided in the other sandwiching portion, so that the engagement between the two sandwiching portions is impossible. It is possible to more effectively suppress the misalignment of the joint portion.
Further, according to the present invention, a gap is formed between the other sandwiching portion and the holder body in a state where one sandwiching portion is engaged with the other sandwiching portion. Then, it becomes possible to confirm the position and the like of the held portion through this gap.
Further, according to the present invention, the held portion sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions faces the condenser lens through the opening. Therefore, it becomes possible to hold the light guide body in the holder so that the light emitted from the condenser lens can be captured well.
Further, according to the present invention, the size of the end of the opening closer to the held portion is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the optical fiber forming the light guide. Therefore, the light emitted from the condenser lens is more appropriately directed to the optical fiber, and the light is efficiently transmitted in the optical fiber.
Further, according to the present invention, since the two sandwiched portions are connected by the hinge, handling of the sandwiched portions (particularly, engagement between the sandwiched portions) becomes easy. In addition, since the two sandwiched portions are engaged at the front position of the suppressing portion, the function of shifting the position of the engaging portion by the suppressing portion can be properly exerted.

It is a figure which shows the usage example of the illuminating device of this invention. It is a perspective view of an illuminating device, and is a figure when an illuminating device is seen from the diagonal side. It is a perspective view of an illuminating device, and is a figure when an illuminating device is seen from the slanting lower part. It is a figure when a lighting installation is seen from the lower part. It is a figure when the illuminating device is seen from the side. It is a perspective view of a light-emitting part, and is a figure when the light-emitting part is seen from an oblique side. It is a figure when a light-emitting part is seen from the bottom. It is a perspective view which shows a light-emitting part main body, and is a figure when the light-emitting part main body is seen from the diagonal side. It is a figure which shows a holder in a released state. It is a figure which shows the holding|maintenance state of a light guide, and is a figure which shows the AA cross section in FIG. It is a figure which shows the convex part provided in the one pinching part. It is a perspective view of the illuminating device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and is a figure when an illuminating device is seen from the diagonal side. It is a perspective view of the holder which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and is a figure when a holder is seen from the diagonal side. It is a figure which shows the convex part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure when the convex part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is seen from the direction opposite to the direction which looks at the convex part in FIG.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention (this embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiments described below are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. That is, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof and, of course, the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

Further, in the following description, three directions orthogonal to each other will be referred to as “X direction”, “Y direction” and “Z direction”. Here, the “Y direction” corresponds to the “extension direction of the held portion of the light guide body” in the present invention. Further, the "Z direction" corresponds to the "direction intersecting the extending direction of the held portion of the light guide body", that is, the "first direction" in the present invention. Further, the “X direction” corresponds to the “direction intersecting with both the extending direction of the held portion of the light guide body and the first direction” in the present invention, that is, the “second direction”. Note that, in each of FIGS. 2 to 15, a corresponding direction (a direction that can be illustrated in each drawing) of the above three directions is illustrated.

<<Outline of Illumination Device According to This Embodiment>>
First, the outline of the illumination device according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following, the lighting device according to the present embodiment will be described by taking a lighting device used as an interior component (decorative component) for a vehicle as an example. However, the lighting device of the present invention is not limited to one used as an interior part for a vehicle, but may be used as an exterior part for a vehicle, or is used for a vehicle other than a vehicle. It may be one.

The illumination device according to the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the present device 10) is used as a component that constitutes the vehicle door lining 1, as shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, this device 10 constitutes a vehicle door lining 1 together with a base trim 2 and a panel trim 3. Further, the device 10 is arranged on the back side of the base trim 2 in the vehicle door lining 1. More specifically, the device 10 is fixed to the inner panel (not shown) of the door on the back side of the base trim 2 by a fastener such as a bolt.

The device 10 includes a light source and an optical fiber as a light guide. The optical fiber receives the light emitted from the light source and transmits the light along the fiber installation direction (direction in which the optical fiber is installed). The optical fiber is housed in the housing groove 4 formed on the surface of the base trim 2 and is routed along the housing groove 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, an upper end portion of the panel trim 3 is located at a position facing the housing groove 4 in the vehicle door lining 1. A fixed gap is provided between the portion of the base trim 2 where the housing groove 4 is formed and the upper end of the panel trim 3. Then, the light emitted from each part of the optical fiber is emitted toward the vehicle compartment through the gap.

As described above, the device 10 distributes the light transmitted through the optical fiber through the gap formed between the base trim 2 and the panel trim 3. As a result, in the vehicle door lining 1, light is emitted along the wiring direction of the optical fiber (in other words, the gap forming direction). As a result, the interior of the vehicle is illuminated and the decorativeness (design) of the vehicle door lining 1 is improved.

<<Example of configuration of lighting device>>
Next, as a configuration example of the illumination device, the configuration of the illumination device 10A according to the first embodiment will be described. Here, the illumination device 10A corresponds to the illumination device according to the reference example.

The illumination device 10A employs the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, and specifically describes the light emitting unit 20 illustrated in FIG. 2, an optical fiber 30 as a light guide, and a holder 40. .. The light emitting unit 20 has a light source and is assembled to the holder 40 (strictly speaking, the holder main body 41). The optical fiber 30 is a member that extends linearly and has the same configuration as a general optical fiber. That is, the optical fiber 30 is composed of a core and a clad, and its cross section is substantially circular.

The holder 40 is a component that holds the optical fiber 30 in a state where the optical fiber 30 faces the light emitting unit 20. Further, the holder 40 holds the held portion 31 by using the end portion of the optical fiber 30 as the held portion 31.

By the way, a contraction band 32 is fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the end portion of the optical fiber 30 serving as the held portion 31, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The contraction band 32 is a cylindrical rubber band that covers the outer peripheral portion of the end portion of the optical fiber 30. Then, the shrinkage band 32 is fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the end portion of the optical fiber 30, so that the frictional resistance between the held portion 31 and the holder 40 increases. As a result, the held portion 31 of the optical fiber 30 held by the holder 40 is less likely to come off the holder 40. Further, by covering the outer peripheral portion of the end portion of the optical fiber 30 with the contraction band 32, light leakage at the end portion is suppressed.

The holder 40 itself is fixed by fixing a fixing portion 42 provided at an end portion (strictly speaking, one end portion in the X direction) of the holder 40 to an inner panel of a vehicle door.

Hereinafter, detailed configurations of the light emitting unit 20 and the holder 40 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the already-described FIGS. 2 to 5 and FIGS. 6 to 11.

(Light emitting unit 20)
Explaining the configuration of the light emitting unit 20, the light emitting unit 20 has the outer shape shown in FIG. Specifically, the light emitting section 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and includes a base section 21 and a light emitting section body 22 as shown in FIG. The base portion 21 is a resin component, and the light emitting portion main body 22 is attached thereto as shown in FIG. Further, the base 21 is assembled to the holder 40 (strictly, the holder main body 41) as shown in FIGS.

The base 21 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the base 21 has a structure in which two rectangular parallelepiped portions having different heights (lengths in the Y direction) are continuous in the X direction. Hereinafter, a portion of the base portion 21 having a lower height will be referred to as a low height portion 21F, and a portion of a higher height will be referred to as a high height portion 21R.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the low-height portion 21F is housed in the holder body 41 in a state where the light emitting unit 20 is assembled to the holder 40. More specifically, a coupling projection 21a for snap fitting is formed on the side surface of the low-height portion 21F. When the light emitting unit 20 is assembled to the holder 40, the low-height portion 21F is housed in the accommodation space provided in the holder body 41, and the coupling projection 21a is engaged with the coupling hole 41c formed in the holder body 41. To do. As a result, the low-height portion 21F of the base portion 21 is joined to the holder body 41 by the snap fit method. As a result, the light emitting unit 20 is assembled to the holder body 41.

The high-height portion 21R has a rectangular tube shape. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the high-height portion 21R is not housed in the holder body 41 and protrudes out of the holder body 41 when the light emitting unit 20 is assembled to the holder 40. Further, the high-height portion 21R is to be attached to a power connector (not shown), and specifically, the power connector comes to enter the rectangular tube-shaped high-height portion 21R.

In addition, as to the method of assembling the light emitting unit 20 to the holder 40, a snap-fit coupling method using the coupling projection 21a and the coupling hole 41c is adopted, and concave-convex fitting is further used. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a convex protrusion 21b is provided on the surface of the base 21 on which the coupling protrusion 21a is formed. The convex protrusions 21b are provided on both sides of the coupling protrusion 21a in the X direction, and extend somewhat longer in the Y direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a slit 41a is formed in the side wall portion of the holder body 41 in which the coupling hole 41c is formed. The slits 41a are formed on both sides of the coupling hole 41c in the X direction, respectively, and are formed slightly longer in the Y direction.

Then, when the light emitting unit 20 is assembled to the holder 40, the coupling protrusions 21a engage with the coupling holes 41c, and each convex protrusion 21b fits into the corresponding slit 41a. As a result, the light emitting unit 20 is more firmly assembled to the holder body 41.

In addition, a rib 41b for reinforcement is provided on the side wall portion of the holder body 41 in which the slit 41a is formed, as shown in FIGS. One rib 41b is erected on each side of each slit 41a in the X direction.

The light emitting unit main body 22 forms an optical main part of the light emitting unit 20, and has an LED substrate 23 and a condenser lens 24 as shown in FIG. The LED board 23 corresponds to a light source, includes an LED (not shown), and is supplied with power to cause the LED to emit light. As shown in FIG. 8, the LED board 23 is provided with a terminal 23a for receiving power. The terminal 23 a is located inside the high-back portion 21 R of the base 21 when the light emitting unit body 22 is attached to the base 21. As a result, when the tall portion 21R is assembled to the power connector, the terminal 23a is connected to the power connector inside the tall portion 21R.

The condenser lens 24 is placed on the LED substrate 23 and collects the irradiation light from the LED. The condensing lens 24 projects in a mountain shape from the flat base portion 24a in the Y direction, and has a shape that narrows toward the top. The condenser lens 24 is formed integrally with the base portion 24a. Incidentally, the materials of the condenser lens 24 and the base portion 24a are not particularly limited as long as they have a condensing property.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the light emitting unit main body 22 is attached to the base portion 21, and specifically, the light emitting unit main body 22 is fitted in the recess formed in the end surface of the base portion 21 in the Y direction. In addition, in the state where the light emitting unit main body 22 is assembled to the base 21, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the top of the condenser lens 24 is located outside in the Y direction (the side opposite to the side where the base 21 is located). It is facing.

(Holder 40)
The structure of the holder 40 will be described. The holder 40 is a resin molded product, and has the appearance shown in FIG. 9 in the released state where the optical fiber 30 is not fixed. Further, as shown in the figure, the holder 40 has a holder body 41, a fixing portion 42, a raised wall 43 as a wall, and two sandwiched portions 44 and 45. In addition, each part of the holder 40 described above (specifically, the holder main body 41, the fixing part 42, the raised wall 43, and the two sandwiched parts 44 and 45) is in an integrated state, in other words, one part. Is resin molded. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each part of the holder 40 may be formed as a separate component, and these components may be combined to form one holder 40.

The holder body 41 is a portion to which the light emitting unit 20 (strictly speaking, the low-height portion 21F of the base portion 21) is attached. More specifically, the holder body 41 is composed of a substantially rectangular bottom wall portion and a side wall portion standing upright from the bottom wall portion. The side wall portion forming the holder body 41 is formed along two long sides and one short side of the four sides corresponding to the outer edge of the bottom wall portion. The above-mentioned slit 41a and coupling hole 41c are formed in the side wall portion, and ribs 41b are formed on both sides of the slit 41a.

Then, the base portion 21 is accommodated in a space (accommodation space) surrounded by the bottom wall portion and the side wall portion. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one end (one end in the X direction) of the accommodation space is an open end without a side wall. Therefore, the light emitting unit 20 can be attached to the holder main body 41 in a state where a part of the base portion 21 (specifically, the high-height portion 21R) protrudes out of the accommodation space through the opening end.

Further, the light emitting unit 20 is attached to the holder main body 41 with the top of the condenser lens 24 facing the bottom wall of the holder main body 41. More specifically, a part of the bottom wall portion, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, bulges into a cylindrical shape to form a bulging wall 43. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, in the state where the light emitting unit 20 is attached to the holder main body 41, the top of the condenser lens 24 enters the inside of the raised wall 43.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, a through-hole-shaped opening 43h is formed in a portion of the raised wall 43 on the outermost side in the Y direction (the side opposite to the side where the light emitting unit 20 is located). .. When the light emitting unit 20 is attached to the holder body 41, the top of the condenser lens 24 faces the opening 43h. Therefore, the light emitted from the condenser lens 24 passes through the opening 43h.

The opening 43h is a tapered circular hole as shown in FIG. 10, and the diameter thereof decreases as the distance from the condenser lens 24 increases. Incidentally, the opening 43h is not limited to a circular hole, and may be a semicircular hole or a rectangular hole. By changing the shape of the opening 43h in this manner, the amount of light passing through the opening 43h can be adjusted. That is, since the amount of light reaching the optical fiber 30 can be adjusted, by preparing a plurality of holders 40 having different shapes of the openings 43h, the optical fiber can be used while using LEDs having the same emission intensity. It is possible to adjust the amount of light emitted from 30.

The fixing portion 42 is a portion formed to fix the holder 40 at a predetermined fixing position (specifically, the inner panel of the door). The fixing portion 42 protrudes in a tongue shape from the end of the holder body 41 in the X direction along the same direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, a circular hole as a bolt insertion hole is formed in the central portion of the fixing portion 42. The holder 40 is fixed at a predetermined position of the inner panel by screwing the bolt inserted into the bolt insertion hole into a hole (not shown) provided in the inner panel of the door.

The two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are the end portions of the optical fiber 30 in the holder 40, that is, the portions that hold the held portion 31. More specifically, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 engage with each other while sandwiching the held portion 31 in the Z direction, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. In this way, the held portion 31 of the optical fiber 30 is held by the holder 40 by being sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions 44 in the engaged state.

The details of the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are provided at a position in front of the raised wall 43 in the Y direction (a position on the opposite side of the light emitting unit 20 from the raised wall 43 ). Further, the one sandwiching portion 44 and the other sandwiching portion 45 are connected by a hinge. Therefore, the one sandwiching portion 44 is rotatable with respect to the other sandwiching portion 45. More specifically, one sandwiching portion 44 is rotated around a rotation axis along the Y direction (strictly speaking, a connecting portion 49 between the sandwiching portions 44 and 45), so that it is illustrated in FIG. It is possible to move between the release position and the holding position shown in FIGS.

The rotating shaft when one of the sandwiching portions 44 rotates, that is, the connecting portion 49 between the sandwiching portions 44 and 45 is on the side opposite to the fixed portion 42 in the X direction as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9. Located in. In other words, the fixed portion 42 is provided on the side opposite to the side on which the rotating shaft is located in the X direction. Due to such a positional relationship, the interference between the rotating shaft and the fixed portion 42 is appropriately suppressed.

Further, one sandwiching portion 44 is bent in an L shape, and an engaging claw 46 is provided at a tip portion of its short side portion. The engaging claw 46 corresponds to the engaging portion and has a certain width in the Y direction. The other sandwiching portion 45 includes a protrusion 48 that engages with the engagement claw 46 at the end in the X direction (end opposite to the connecting portion 49). The protrusion 48 corresponds to the engaged portion and has a certain width in the Y direction like the engaging claw 46.

Then, when the one sandwiching portion 44 rotates with respect to the other sandwiching portion 45 and reaches the holding position shown in FIG. 5, the engaging claw 46 engages with the protrusion 48. In this way, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged with each other. At this time, when the held portion 31 of the optical fiber 30 is arranged between the sandwiched portions 44 and 45, the held portion 31 is sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 in the Z direction, and the sandwiched portion 44, Will be held between 45.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the two sandwiched portions 44, 45 are located at positions adjacent to the held portion 31 in the X direction, more specifically, the sandwiched portions 44, 45 viewed from the held portion 31. It engages at a position adjacent to the held portion 31 on the side opposite to the connecting portion 49. In this way, by the configuration in which the two sandwiching portions 44 and 45 are engaged at the side position of the optical fiber 30, each sandwiching portion 44 and 45 has a more compact structure.

More specifically, with the above configuration, it is possible to minimize the length of the sandwiching portions 44 and 45 (particularly the length in the Y direction) required to sandwich the optical fiber 30. Become. As a result, each of the sandwiched portions 44 and 45 becomes more compact, and the holder 40 becomes smaller.

Incidentally, the two sandwiching portions 44 and 45 are connected by the hinge as described above. With such a configuration, handling of the sandwiched portions 44, 45 (particularly, engagement of the sandwiched portions 44, 45) becomes easier as compared with a configuration in which the sandwiched portions 44, 45 are separated from each other. .. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 may be separated from each other without being connected.

Further, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 have a structure capable of favorably retaining the retained portion 31 of the optical fiber 30. Below, the structure of each sandwiching portion 44, 45 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 11, one sandwiching portion 44 (L-shaped sandwiching portion 44) has a convex portion 50 formed on a surface facing the held portion 31. The protrusion 50 is a protrusion that projects in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Then, the convex portion 50 is in contact with the held portion 31 and presses the held portion 31 in a state in which the two held portions 44 and 45 sandwich the held portion 31. That is, while the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 sandwich the held portion 31, the held portion 31 is pressed by the convex portion 50. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress the situation in which the held portion 31 sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 comes out.

Note that the top surface of the convex portion 50 is curved in an arc shape as shown in FIG. 11 in order to prevent excessive stress from being generated when pressing the held portion 31 and damaging the held portion 31. Is desirable.

Further, the engaging claw 46 formed on the one sandwiched portion 44 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the shape of one end (the end closer to the holder body 41) of the engaging claw 46 in the Y direction is as follows. , The shape is different from other parts. More specifically, one end portion of the engaging claw 46 in the Y direction is expanded in the Z direction more than other portions. This expanded portion is a locking portion 46x formed in a substantially triangular shape.

In the Y direction, one end of the engaging claw 46 in which the locking portion 46x is formed cannot engage with the protrusion 48 formed in the other sandwiching portion 45. Therefore, the engaging claw 46 engages with the protrusion 48 at a portion other than the one end.

Then, in a state in which the portion of the engaging claw 46 other than the one end is engaged with the protrusion 48, the locking portion 46x formed at the one end is in contact with the protrusion 48. In this way, the locking portion 46x comes into contact with the protrusion 48, so that the locking portion 46x locks the protrusion 48 in the Y direction. Specifically, the protrusion 48 is displaced with respect to the engaging claw 46 in the Y direction (in other words, the one sandwiching portion 44 with respect to the other sandwiching portion 45 in the direction away from the holder main body 41 in the Y direction. To move). As a result, the engagement claw 46 comes to engage with the protrusion 48 at an appropriate engagement location. That is, the situation in which the engagement claw 46 engages with the protrusion 48 in a state where the engagement claw 46 is displaced from the original engagement position is appropriately suppressed by the locking portion 46x.

Explaining the structure of the other sandwiching portion 45, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, a substantially U-shaped portion is provided at the middle position (the middle position in the X direction) of the sandwiching portion 45. The substantially U-shaped portion corresponds to a positioning portion 47 that positions the held portion 31 when holding the held portion 31 of the optical fiber 30. The positioning portion 47 is formed so as to extend from the outer surface of the raised wall 43 along the Y direction.

When the held portion 31 is sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45, the held portion 31 is inserted into the inner space of the positioning portion 47 (the space surrounded by the U-shaped positioning portion 47). At this time, the end surface of the held portion 31, that is, the end of the optical fiber 30 is butted against the surface of the raised wall 43. In this state, the held portion 31 is positioned by the positioning portion 47. That is, the positioning portion 47 positions the held portion 31 at the position where the end surface of the held portion 31 abuts the raised wall 43.

Further, when the held portion 31 is positioned at the above position by the positioning portion 47, as shown in FIG. 10, a part of the end surface of the held portion 31 that abuts the raised wall 43 is formed on the raised wall 43. It comes to face the opened opening 43h. Further, the top of the condenser lens 24 is located on the side opposite to the held portion 31 with the opening 43h interposed therebetween. Therefore, when the held portion 31 is positioned by the positioning portion 47, the end surface of the held portion 31 faces the top of the condenser lens 24 through the opening 43h. In other words, the positioning part 47 positions the held portion 31 at a position where the end surface of the held portion 31 faces the condenser lens 24 through the opening 43h. As a result, the light emitted from the condenser lens 24 is properly directed to the end of the optical fiber 30 through the opening 43h.

As shown in FIG. 10, the size (specifically, the outer diameter) of the end of the opening 43h closer to the held portion 31 is the cross-sectional size of the optical fiber 30 (specifically, the outer diameter). It is slightly smaller than the diameter size). Therefore, the light emitted from the condenser lens 24 is directed to the end of the optical fiber 30 more appropriately. As a result, the transmission of light in the optical fiber 30 is efficiently performed.

By the way, the size of the opening 43h (strictly speaking, the size of the end closer to the held portion 31) is not limited to the size shown in FIG. 10, and is much smaller than the cross-sectional size of the optical fiber 30. May be This makes it possible to control the amount of light reaching the optical fiber 30, as described above.

After the held portion 31 is positioned by the positioning portion 47 as described above, the one sandwiching portion 44 rotates with respect to the other sandwiching portion 45, and the two sandwiching portions 44, 45 are engaged with each other. That is, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged with each other while sandwiching the held portion 31 so that the end surface of the held portion 31 faces the condenser lens 24 through the opening 43h. As a result, the optical fiber 30 is held by the holder 40 in a state in which the light emitted from the condenser lens 24 can be properly captured.

The protruding portion 48 provided on the other sandwiched portion 45 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the positioning portion 47, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. More specifically, the protruding portion 48 is formed so as to protrude in the X direction from the end of the outer periphery of the positioning portion 47 that is located on the opposite side of the two sandwiching portions 44, 45 from the connecting portion 49 in the X direction. Has been done. Since the protrusion 48 is provided on the positioning portion 47 as described above, the sandwiched portions 44 and 45 can be engaged with each other while the held portion 31 of the optical fiber 30 is positioned.

Further, in a state where the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged, that is, in a state where the optical fiber 30 is held by the holder 40, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the held portion 31 of the optical fiber 30 is held. A part of the outer circumference of is surrounded by two sandwiching portions 44 and 45. More specifically, the held portion 31 is housed in the internal space of the positioning portion 47 when the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged with each other. Further, when the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged with each other, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a part of one sandwiched portion 44 (a portion corresponding to the long side of the L-shape) is the positioning portion. It is in contact with the open end of 47. As a result, a part of the outer periphery of the held portion 31 is surrounded by the one sandwiching portion 44 and the positioning portion 47 of the other sandwiching portion 45.

As described above, since the part of the outer periphery of the held portion 31 is surrounded by the two sandwiching portions 44 and 45, the held state of the held portion 31 becomes stable. Further, leakage of light from the held portion 31 is suppressed, and as a result, light is efficiently transmitted in the optical fiber 30.

Further, the width (length in the Y direction) of the one sandwiching portion 44 is shorter than the width (length in the Y direction) of the positioning portion 47 of the other sandwiching portion 45. More specifically, one end of the one sandwiching portion 44 is at substantially the same position as one end (free end) of the positioning portion 47 in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the other end of the one sandwiching portion 44 is located slightly before the other end (fixed end) of the positioning portion 47 in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. In the above configuration, when the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged with each other, as shown in FIG. 10, a gap g is formed between the one sandwiched portion 44 and the holder body 41 (strictly speaking, the raised wall 43). Become so.

Then, in the state where the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged, of the held portion 31 in the positioning portion 47, the portion located near the fixed end of the positioning portion 47 in the Y direction is the above-mentioned gap g. Is exposed through. Therefore, it is possible to visually recognize the position and the holding state of the held portion 31 (for example, whether or not the end surface of the held portion 31 surely abuts the raised wall 43) through the gap g.

<<Variations of Illumination Device Configuration>>
Next, as a modified example of the configuration of the illumination device, the configuration of the illumination device 10B according to the second embodiment will be described. Here, the lighting device 10B corresponds to the present device 10 (that is, the lighting device of the present invention).

The lighting device 10B according to the second embodiment is similar to the lighting device 10A according to the first embodiment in terms of basic configuration. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the lighting device 10B includes the light emitting unit 20, the optical fiber 30, and the holder 60. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a lighting device 10B according to the second embodiment, and is a drawing corresponding to FIG. Note that, in FIG. 12, components having the same functions and structures as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Further, the description of the components having the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment will be omitted hereinafter.

On the other hand, in the lighting device 10B according to the second embodiment, the holder 60 is different from the holder 40 included in the lighting device 10A according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the holder 60 according to the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the holder 40 according to the first embodiment.

The holder 60 according to the second embodiment is similar to the holder 40 according to the first embodiment in terms of basic configuration. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the holder 60 according to the second embodiment has a holder body 41, a fixing portion 42, a raised wall 43 as a wall, and two sandwiched portions 44 and 45. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the holder 60 according to the second embodiment. Note that, in FIG. 13, portions having the same functions and structures as those of the holder 40 according to the first embodiment have the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. Further, the description of the parts having the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment will be omitted hereinafter.

Further, the holder 60 according to the second embodiment includes a protrusion 61, as shown in FIG. 13. The protruding portion 61 is a portion protruding from the holder main body 41 toward the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 in the Y direction. Then, the protruding portion 61 functions as a restraining portion, and restrains the engaging portions of the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 from being displaced in the direction in which the holder body 41 is located in the Y direction.

The protrusion 61 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 12, the protrusion 61 is provided at a position aligned with the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 in the Y direction. More specifically, the protrusion 61 is provided at a position aligned with the protrusion 48 in the other sandwiching portion 45 in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 13. In addition, in the present embodiment, the protrusion 61 is provided in the space of the corner formed between the raised wall 43 and the positioning portion 47.

Then, when the one sandwiching portion 44 rotates with respect to the other sandwiching portion 45 and reaches the position (holding position) where the engaging claw 46 engages with the protruding portion 48, it is adjacent to the protruding portion 61 in the Y direction. The engaging claw 46 is arranged at the position. At this position, the engaging claw 46 comes into engagement with the protrusion 48. In other words, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 engage with each other at the front position of the protruding portion 61 in the Y direction (the position opposite to the side where the holder body 41 is located when viewed from the protruding portion 61).

By providing the protrusion 61 as described above, it is possible to prevent the engagement portions of the two sandwiching portions 44 and 45 from being displaced in the direction in which the holder body 41 is located in the Y direction. More specifically, when one of the sandwiched portions 44 rotates, it moves out of the regular path and rotates, and the engagement claw 46 is somewhat displaced from the original engagement position toward the holder body 41. When attempting to engage the protrusion 48 with, the engaging claw 46 comes into contact with the protrusion 61 immediately before that. This makes it possible to prevent the engagement claw 46 from engaging with the protrusion 48 in a state where the position of the engagement portion is displaced. As a result, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are engaged with each other at appropriate engagement points, and the optical fiber 30 is properly held by the holder 40.

By the way, in the second embodiment, in one of the sandwiched portions 44, a tip portion where the engaging claw 46 is formed is provided with a portion having a shape different from that of the engaging claw 46. Such a portion is an adjacent portion 62 adjacent to the end portion of the engaging claw 46 closer to the holder body 41 in the Y direction. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 14 and 15, the adjacent portion 62 does not have a shape constricted at an intermediate position like the engaging claw 46, but has a shape with a substantially uniform thickness (strictly, in FIG. As shown, it has a substantially trapezoidal shape in a front view.

That is, the adjacent portion 62 is no longer the engaging claw 46 and cannot engage with the protrusion 48 formed on the other sandwiching portion 45. By providing such an adjacent portion 62, it is possible to more effectively prevent the engagement portions of the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 from being displaced in the Y direction. More specifically, when the engaging claw 46 tries to engage with the protrusion 48 in a state in which the engaging claw 46 is slightly displaced from the original engagement position in the direction away from the holder body 41, the adjacent portion 62 is projected immediately before that. Abut on the portion 48. However, since the adjacent portion 62 cannot engage with the protrusion 48 as described above, the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 cannot engage with each other in the state as it is. As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the engaging portions of the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 are displaced from each other in the Y direction, and as a result, the engaging claw 46 engages with the protrusion 48 at an appropriate engaging portion. Become.

Further, in the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, one sandwiching portion 44 (L-shaped sandwiching portion 44) has a convex portion 63 formed on a surface facing the held portion 31. However, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the convex portion 63 according to the second embodiment has a different shape from the convex portion 50 according to the first embodiment, and is specifically a wedge-shaped protrusion. That is, the convex portion 63 according to the second embodiment includes the slope 63a. The slope 63a is lower in the Y direction as it goes away from the holder body 41 (in other words, the slope 63a is closer to the surface of the one sandwiching portion 44 facing the held portion 31).

Then, in a state where the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 sandwich the held portion 31, the wedge-shaped convex portion 63 is in contact with the held portion 31 at the slope 63a. That is, while the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 sandwich the held portion 31, the held portion 31 is pressed by the wedge-shaped convex portion 63. At this time, since the slope 63a is inclined in the above-described inclination direction, the force pressing the held portion 31 increases toward the end of the held portion 31. As a result, the situation in which the held portion 31 sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 comes out can be remarkably effectively suppressed.

Note that the top of the convex portion 63 may be cut out in an arc shape as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 for the purpose of avoiding damage to the held portion 31. If the top of the protrusion 63 is cut out in an arc shape, the contact area between the protrusion 63 and the held portion 31 increases. As a result, it is possible to more effectively suppress the situation where the held portion 31 sandwiched between the two sandwiched portions 44 and 45 comes out.

1 Vehicle Door Lining 2 Base Trim 3 Panel Trim 4 Housing Groove 10 This Device (Lighting Device)
10A Lighting device 10B Lighting device 20 Light emitting part 21 Base part 21F Low back part 21R High back part 21a Coupling projection 21b Convex projection 22 Light emitting part main body 23 LED board (light source)
23a Terminal 24 Condenser lens 24a Base part 30 Optical fiber (light guide)
31 Retained portion 32 Shrink band 40 Holder 41 Holder body 41a Slit 41b Rib 41c Coupling hole 42 Fixing portion 43 Raised wall (wall)
43h opening 44 sandwiching portion 45 sandwiching portion 46 engaging claw (engaging portion)
46x Locking part 47 Positioning part 48 Projection part (engaged part)
49 connection part 50 convex part 60 holder 61 projecting part (suppressing part)
62 Adjacent part 63 Convex part 63a Slope g Gap

Claims (10)

A light emitting part, a light guide extending linearly, and a holder for holding the light guide in a state where the light guide faces the light emitting part,
The holder is
A holder body to which the light emitting unit is assembled,
Of the light guide body, two sandwiched portions that engage with each other while sandwiching the held portion in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the held portion held by the holder;
A suppressing portion that is provided at a position aligned with the two sandwiching portions in the extension direction, and that suppresses an engagement portion of the two sandwiching portions from being displaced in a direction in which the holder main body is located in the extension direction,
The illumination device, wherein the suppressing portion is a protruding portion protruding from the holder main body toward the two sandwiched portions in the extending direction. One of the two sandwiched portions has a convex portion formed on a surface facing the held portion,
The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is in contact with the held portion in a state where the two held portions sandwich the held portion. The convex portion is a wedge-shaped projection, according to claim 2, wherein the benzalkonium which have a slope that is close to the object holding part which faces farther from the holder main body in the direction of elongation Lighting equipment. The lighting device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a top portion of the convex portion is cut out in an arc shape. One of the two sandwiched portions is
A claw-shaped engaging portion that engages with the other engaged portion,
Of the engaging portion in the extending direction, an adjacent portion that is adjacent to the end portion closer to the holder body,
The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the adjacent portion has a shape that cannot be engaged with the engaged portion. A gap is formed between one of the two sandwiched portions and the holder main body in a state where the two sandwiched portions are engaged, and a part of the held portion is exposed through the gap. The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The light emitting unit includes a light source and a condenser lens that collects light emitted from the light source,
The holder body has a wall in which an opening is formed,
7. The two sandwiched portions engage with each other while sandwiching the held portion such that an end surface of the held portion faces the condenser lens through the opening. The lighting device according to claim 1. One of the two sandwiched portions is connected to the other by a hinge and is rotatable with respect to the other,
The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the two sandwiched portions are engaged with each other at a front position of the suppressing portion in the extension direction. A light emitting part, a light guide that extends linearly, and a holder that holds the light guide in a state where the light guide faces the light emitting part,
The holder is
A holder main body having a wall in which the light emitting unit is assembled and an opening is formed,
Of the light guide body, two sandwiching portions that engage with each other while sandwiching the held portion in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the held portion held by the holder,
The light guide is an optical fiber,
The illuminating device, wherein a size of an end of the opening closer to the held portion is smaller than a size of a cross section of the optical fiber. A door lining provided with the lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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