JP6832543B2 - Interior lighting device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an interior lighting device provided in a refrigerator or the like.

In the conventional refrigerator, in order to improve the visibility of the user in the refrigerator, in order to illuminate the entire refrigerator brightly, a plurality of interior lighting devices having different light irradiation directions are provided.

Patent Document 1 describes the interior lighting device shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in the depth direction (Z-axis direction). 18 indicates the refrigerator door, and 19 indicates the inside of the refrigerator. The interior lighting device 20 is provided on the ceiling surface 21 in the interior. The interior lighting device 20 composed of a plurality of lighting devices is composed of a front row mounting board 22 and a back row mounting board 23 on which a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as LED) is mounted. The front row mounting substrate 22 irradiates the front of the internal shelf 24 and the door pocket 25 with light, and the rear row mounting substrate 23 irradiates the rearmost portion of the first stage of the internal shelf 24. 26 is a duct.

Japanese Patent No. 51245438

In the conventional interior lighting device, the back row mounting board 23 on which the LED is mounted is tilted toward the back surface of the interior 19 to improve the visibility of food, but the uppermost interior wall of the interior 19 is installed. Since it is difficult for the light to reach 27, the visibility of the food placed at the back of the inner shelf is low.

In addition, although the light distribution is controlled in the depth direction of the refrigerator, it is not controlled in the width direction of the refrigerator (X-axis direction), and the light spreads evenly, so both ends of the refrigerator are from LEDs. Due to the distance, it is difficult for light to reach from the center of the refrigerator and it is dark.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and to provide an interior lighting device capable of improving the visibility of stored items at both ends of the refrigerator as compared with the conventional one.

In order to achieve the above object, the interior lighting device of the present invention
An interior lighting device that is installed on the top surface of the refrigerator and illuminates the inside of the refrigerator.
A plurality of light emitting elements in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged side by side in the width direction of the refrigerator,
A cover for covering the light emitting element is provided.
The cover has a plurality of lenses that control the light distribution of the light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements in a plurality of directions.
In order to control the light distribution of the light emitted from the light emitting element in a plurality of directions, the plurality of lenses have the lens in each lens with respect to an axis perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light emitting element and passing through the central portion. The amount of eccentricity of the central portion of the curved surface on the exit surface side of the lens is closer to both ends in the width direction than the lens in the central portion in the width direction of the inside of the refrigerator. The lens, which is larger and closer to both ends in the width direction than the lens in the central portion in the width direction in the refrigerator, has a larger angle in the irradiation direction in the depth direction in the refrigerator.
The light emitted from the interior lighting device is characterized in that it has an irradiation distribution having a strong light irradiation peak toward the wall surface of the interior as compared with the central portion in the width direction of the interior.

Further, in order to control the light distribution of the light emitted from the light emitting element, the lens has a central portion of a curved surface on the exit surface side of the lens with respect to an axis perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light emitting element and passing through the central portion. Is eccentric.

Further, the plurality of lenses are characterized in that the shapes of the respective lenses are different in order to control the light distribution of the light emitted from the light emitting element in a plurality of directions.

Further, the plurality of lenses are characterized in that they are a lens in which the curves of two curvatures in which the ends are connected in each lens are combined in order to control the light distribution of the light emitted from the light emitting element in a plurality of directions. To do.

According to this configuration, due to the light distribution control of the lens held in the cover, the irradiated light has an irradiation distribution having a strong light irradiation peak toward the wall surface of the refrigerator as compared with the central portion in the width direction of the refrigerator. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly brighten the wall surface of the refrigerator and at the same time reflect light on the wall surface to brighten both ends of the refrigerator and improve the visibility of the stored items at both ends of the refrigerator.

A cross-sectional view in the depth direction of a refrigerator provided with an interior lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in the same embodiment in the width direction (A) Top plan of the top surface and (b) Cross-sectional view of the top surface in the same embodiment. An explanatory diagram in which (a) a lens group formed on a cover in the same embodiment is simply illustrated, and (b) an explanatory diagram of a light distribution angle in the depth direction inside the refrigerator. In the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the lens shape 12a, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the lens shape 12b. (A) A cross-sectional view in the width direction of the refrigerator and (b) a cross-sectional view in the depth direction of the refrigerator showing the lighting state when food is put into the refrigerator provided with the internal lighting device 6 of the same embodiment. In the comparative example, (a) an explanatory diagram in which a lens group formed on the cover is simply illustrated, and (b) an explanatory diagram of the light distribution angle in the depth direction inside the refrigerator. Cross-sectional view in the depth direction inside a conventional refrigerator

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

1 to 6 (a) and 6 (b) show embodiments of the present invention. 7 (a) and 7 (b) show comparative examples.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 1 in the depth direction (Z-axis direction), and FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 1 in the width direction (X-axis direction). 2 indicates the refrigerator door, and 3 indicates the inside of the refrigerator. Since the top surface 4 and the side surface 5 of the chamber 3 are made of a white resin material, they have a property of reflecting and diffusing light. The top surface 4 is provided with an interior lighting device 6 that illuminates the entire interior 3. Storage shelves 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d made of a transparent resin material are provided in the refrigerator 3, and when food is not stored in the storage shelves 7a to 7d, the lighting device 6 in the refrigerator 6 Light is transmitted from the upper surface of the refrigerator through the storage shelves 7a to 7d toward the lower surface of the refrigerator. Further, since the inner surface 8 of the refrigerator is also made of white resin like the top surface 4 and the side surface 5, it has a characteristic of reflecting light.

The irradiation light R1 emitted from the interior lighting device 6 in the depth direction (Z-axis direction) of the interior illuminates the entire interior as shown in FIG. 1, and food is stored in the storage shelves 7a to 7d. When the food is present, the visibility of the food is enhanced by being illuminated by the light reflected on the top surface 4, the side surface 5, and the back surface 8 in addition to the light directly irradiated to the food.

The irradiation light R2 emitted from the interior lighting device 6 in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the interior illuminates the entire interior as shown in FIG. In order to improve the visibility of the food stored in the storage shelves 7a to 7d, it is necessary to irradiate the food directly with light, but in addition, it is possible for people to feel brighter than the entire interior. The visibility of food can be improved. For that purpose, it is necessary to uniformly brighten all the top surface 4, side surface 5, and back surface 8 in the refrigerator. Therefore, the lighting device 6 in the refrigerator needs to control the light distribution in the entire chamber, but even if the light distribution is simply expanded, the light efficiency is lowered, so that the light distribution control according to the shape of the refrigerator is required.

The interior lighting device 6 is configured as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) to 5.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the interior lighting device 6 includes an LED mounting substrate 10 on which an LED group 9 as a light emitting element is mounted in the X-axis direction at a predetermined pitch, an LED mounting substrate 10, and an interior. It is composed of a top cover 11 interposed between the 3 and the top cover 11.

Specifically, LED mounting substrate 10 are mounted fourteen _{LED9 1 ~9 14, LED9 1 ~9} 14 lens ₁₂ 1 _{to 12 14} in the X-axis direction in the top cover 11 corresponding to the The lens group 12 including the lens group 12 is integrally resin-molded. The top cover 11 is made of a transparent resin material. The material is polystyrene. The shapes of the _{lenses 12 1 to} 12 ₁₄ having the role of controlling the light distribution from the LEDs 9 _{1 to 9 14} are not all uniform, and the lens shape differs depending on the position in the X-axis direction. Specifically, in order to control the light distribution of the light emitted from the LED in a plurality of directions, _{the emission surface of each lens 12 1 to} 12 ₁₄ is perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the LED and with respect to the axis passing through the central portion. The amount of eccentricity in the central part of the curved surface on the side is larger in the lens closer to both ends in the width direction than in the lens in the central part with respect to the width direction (X-axis direction) of the interior 3. large.

Figure 4 (a) (b) is an illustration of the lens group 12 of the top cover 11 in a simple manner, the X-axis direction of light from the LED 9 ₁ to 9 ₁₄ corresponding to the respective lenses by the respective lenses Light distribution is controlled in the Z-axis direction.

The lenses 12 _{1 to} 12 ₃ and 12 _{12 to} 12 ₁₄ are controlled to distribute light in a direction that spreads with respect to the width direction (X-axis direction) of the refrigerator. This irradiates the back surface 8 and the side surface 5 of the inner shelf 7a of the first stage from the top and the inner shelf 7b of the second stage from the top with light, and the light reaches in the structure of the refrigerator 1. It has the effect of brightening difficult areas. Angle of the irradiation direction where the lens ₁₂ 1 to 12 ₃ of the refrigerator in the depth direction (Z axis direction), as shown in FIG. 4 (b), larger than the lens _{12 4-12 6,} 12 _{9-12 11} .. Angle of the irradiation direction of the lens ₁₂ 7, 12 ₈ of the refrigerator in the depth direction (Z axis direction), whereas the lens _{12 4-12 6,} 12 _{9-12 11} is inclined in the depth direction (Z axis direction) It is tilted toward you in the opposite direction.

Lenses 12 _{4 to} 12 ₆ and 12 _{9 to} 12 ₁₁ irradiate the inner surface 8 and the side surface 5 of the inner shelf 7c of the third stage and the inner shelf 7d of the fourth stage from the top with light, and inside the refrigerator. The farthest part from the lighting device 6 is illuminated with the light condensed by the lens.

FIG. 5 (a) shows the lens shapes 12a of _{the lenses 12 1 to} 12 ₃ , 12 ₅ and 12 ₆ , 12 ₉ and 12 ₁₀ and 12 _{12 to} 12 _14. In the curved surface of the lens shape 12a, the central portion of the curved surface on the emitting surface side of the lens is biased with respect to the optical axis A in which the curved surface on the emitting side is perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the LED constituting the LED group 9 and passes through the central portion. I have a heart. This is an effective means for controlling the light distribution in a specific direction when the mounting positions of the LED group 9 and the LED mounting substrate 10 are restricted. R3 is refracted light.

5 (b) shows the lens _{12 4,} 12 _7, 12 8, _{12 11} of the lens shape 12b. The lens shape 12b is a lens that combines two curves of curvature in which adjacent ends of the two lenses are connected. By passing through this lens, the light from one LED can be irradiated in two directions, which is an effective means for further spreading the light from the LED.

Here, the lenses 12 ₄ and 12 ₁₁ have a lens shape 12b, and in order to spread as a whole in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the refrigerator, light is emitted in two directions, which are the left and right ends in the width direction of the refrigerator. Is distributing light. If divided here into symmetrical lens group 12 in the width direction, because the center lens 12 4 of the respective lens _groups, 12 ₁₁ are located, has a characteristic that spread evenly with respect to the right and left spread. R4 is refracted light.

Further, the center of the lens 12 _7, 12 ₈ of the lens group 12 is compared to other lens vector components smaller has a positive component Z axis, the internal 3 the front direction (Z-axis positive direction) The light distribution is controlled toward. Further, the lens 12 _7, 12 _8, so that the light outside the storage room 3 is not irradiated, is irradiated by light distribution control in the X-axis direction on the condensed. Further, in order to spread entirely in the width direction of the refrigerator, 12 _7, 12 ₈ is composed of a lens shape 12b, and the light distribution of the light in two directions is left and right ends of the refrigerator in the width direction There is.

When the light distribution distributions of the lenses 12 _{1 to} 12 ₁₄ are superposed, as shown in FIG. 4A, the strong light is directed toward the wall surface of the refrigerator as compared with the central portion in the width direction of the refrigerator. The irradiation distribution 13 has an irradiation peak, and the distribution has peaks symmetrically with respect to the width direction of the refrigerator as compared with the center. As a result, not only the foods stored in the inner shelves 7a to 7d but also the top surface 4, the side surface 5, and the back surface 8 in the refrigerator can be uniformly irradiated with light. Therefore, both ends of the refrigerator 3 become brighter, and the visibility of food at both ends of the refrigerator 3 is improved.

The lighting state when food is stored in the refrigerator 1 provided with the internal lighting device 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B. Reference numeral 14 denotes a duct provided on the inner surface 8 of the refrigerator.

The food 15 is stored on the front side (Z-axis negative direction) of the inner shelf 7a, which is the first stage from the top of the refrigerator. Food 16 is stored in the back side (Z-axis positive direction) of the inner shelf 7b, which is the second stage from the top. Of the light emitted from the internal lighting device 6, the light ray R7 that is not blocked by the food 15 passes through the internal shelf 7a and reaches the food 16 directly. The light beam R6 blocked by the food 15 does not reach the food 16.

The reflected light R5 that is irradiated from the interior lighting device 6 and reflected on the side surface 5 reaches the food 16.

Therefore, when the food 15 is on the inner shelf 7a on the first stage from the top, it is necessary to increase the reflected light R5 that is reflected on the side surface 5 and reaches the food 16 in order to improve the visibility of the food 16. Its rays from the lens ₁₂ 1 to 12 ₃ and the lens _{12 12-12 14} in FIGS. 4 (a) to are light distribution control in the spreading direction relative to the refrigerator in the width direction (X-axis direction).

Multiple addition, food 15, it is effective that the light from the plurality of directions are irradiated to improve the visibility of the food 16, in order that, by light rays from the lens _{12 4-12 6,} 12 _{9-12 11} Since the irradiation is performed from the direction, the visibility of the food 15 and the food 16 can be enhanced.

7 (a) and 7 (b) show comparative examples.

In this comparative example, the shape of the lens group of the internal lighting device 6 is different from that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 4 (a) and 4 (b). In the comparative example of FIG. 7A, the 14 lenses have one lens surface and the same eccentricity and curvature. Here, _{the angles of the irradiation directions of the lenses 12 1 to} 12 ₁₄ in the depth direction (Z-axis direction) of the refrigerator are the same as shown in FIG. 7 (b).

In the case of this comparative example, when the light distribution from the LEDs 9 _{1 to 9 14 is controlled by each lens and the light distribution distributions of the lenses 12 1 to} 12 ₁₄ are superimposed, the irradiation distribution 17 in FIG. 7 (a) is obtained. Therefore, the spread becomes uniform in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the refrigerator. When the inside of the refrigerator is illuminated with this, it becomes dark because the light does not easily reach the side surface 5 of FIG. Therefore, a person feels that the entire interior of the refrigerator is dark, and the visibility of food cannot be improved.

In the above embodiment, the top cover 11 is described as one block with respect to the top 4, but it can be divided into a plurality of blocks depending on design and structural restrictions.

In the above embodiment, the lens group 12 of the top cover 11 has a total of 14 light distribution lenses arranged, but the number is not limited, and the lens shape is also the lens shape 12a. , 12b are arranged side by side, but it is possible to form a light distribution with various combinations.

In FIGS. 5A and 5B of the above embodiment, one LED 9 is used for the lens shape 12a and the lens shape 12b, but a multi-chip type LED is used due to high output or the like. You may.

In the above embodiment, the lens shapes 12a and 12b are described as having a convex shape on the exit surface side and a concave shape on the incident surface side, but both may be convex or concave, and the incident surface and exit may be both convex and concave. Either of the surfaces may have a planar shape. Further, although a step is generated, a Fresnel lens shape may be used in order to reduce the thickness of the lens.

In the above embodiment, the top cover 11 is made of polystyrene, but a transparent resin such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin may be used.

In the above embodiment, the refrigerator 1 has a structure in which the uppermost inner surface 8 in the refrigerator is narrowed in order to arrange the compressor in the upper part of the refrigerator 1, but the structure is limited to this structure. It's not a thing.

In the above embodiment, the top surface 4, the side surface 5 and the back surface 8 in the refrigerator are made of white resin, but due to design or the like, a glass or stainless steel surface is provided in order to provide a mirror surface. It may be made into a member to enhance the reflectivity.

Although the case of the refrigerator in which the interior lighting device 6 is attached to the top surface 4 of the refrigerator in the above embodiment has been described as an example, the interior lighting device 6 is attached to the top surface of the freezer. The same applies to the attached freezer.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, the visibility of stored items at both ends of the refrigerator can be improved as compared with the conventional case, and the stored items can be easily taken in and out, which contributes to higher functionality of various products such as refrigerators and freezers.

1 fridge 2 refrigerator compartment door 3-compartment 4-compartment of the top panel 5 in-compartment side 6-compartment lighting device 7a, 7b, 7c, inner surface 9 LED groups within 7d-compartment shelf 8 box 9 ₁ to 9 ₁₄ LED
10 LED mounting board 11 Top cover 12 Lens group 12 _{1 to} 12 ₁₄ Lens 13 Irradiation distribution with strong light irradiation peak toward the wall surface in the refrigerator 14 Duct 15, 16 Food 17 Light distribution by the lens group of the comparative example X Width direction in the refrigerator Z Depth direction in the refrigerator

Claims (4)

An interior lighting device that is installed on the top surface of the refrigerator and illuminates the inside of the refrigerator.
A plurality of light emitting elements in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged side by side in the width direction of the refrigerator,
A cover for covering the light emitting element is provided.
The cover has a plurality of lenses that control the light distribution of the light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements in a plurality of directions.
In order to control the light distribution of the light emitted from the light emitting element in a plurality of directions, the plurality of lenses have the lens in each lens with respect to an axis perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light emitting element and passing through the central portion. The amount of eccentricity of the central portion of the curved surface on the exit surface side of the lens is closer to both ends in the width direction than the lens in the central portion in the width direction of the inside of the refrigerator. The lens, which is larger and closer to both ends in the width direction than the lens in the central portion in the width direction in the refrigerator, has a larger angle in the irradiation direction in the depth direction in the refrigerator.
The light emitted from the interior lighting device has an irradiation distribution having a strong light irradiation peak toward the wall surface of the interior as compared with the central portion in the width direction of the interior.
Interior lighting device. The plurality of lenses are characterized in that they are a lens in which the curves of two curvatures in which the ends are connected in each lens are combined in order to control the light distribution of the light emitted from the light emitting element in a plurality of directions. , The interior lighting device according to claim 1. A refrigerator provided with the interior lighting device according to claim 1 or 2. A freezer provided with the interior lighting device according to claim 1 or 2.

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