JPH10268814A - Led display unit and signal lamp using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an LED display unit having excellent mass-productivity, easy to exchange a signal unit and to simply change the direction of arrow, by providing a package holding means on the opposite side to the emitted light observation surface on the package through a light emitting diode. SOLUTION: A substrate 203 installing/holding a light emitting diode 202 in a desired shape such as an arrow shape and a driver 207 turning on the light emitting diode 202 electrically connected to the substrate 203 at any request are arranged in the package for protecting the influence from external environment. The package is composed of a clear lens 208 on the side of the emitted light observing surface of the light emitting diode 202 and a back case 204 fixed through a packing. A handle as a package holding means 201 is arranged in the same direction as that shown by the arrow of the light emitting diode 202 arranged on the substrate 203 fixed to the back case 204. By fixing the LED display unit being thus formed to a lamp box 209 of a vehicle signal device, the signal device is constituted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an LED display unit using two or more light emitting diodes. It relates to the used signal light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, traffic lights for roads or railways generally use a white light bulb as a light source. Arrow signals and the like among such traffic lights have a cross-sectional configuration as shown in FIG. That is, each of the blue, yellow, and red signal lamps and the light box 409 are shared so that the lamp units can be replaced. The difference between a normal signal light and an arrow signal is that an arrow mask 410 is used so that an arrow can be displayed in addition to the lens member 408 where the arrow signal also functions as a color filter. Accordingly, light from the white light bulb can be emitted in an arrow shape using the mask.

[0003] Such an arrow signal can be shared with other signal lights, and as shown in FIG.
By simply changing the direction of the arrow and the direction of the mask 410, it is relatively easy to select various types such as straight ahead, left turn and right turn. Therefore, not only the mass productivity is good, but also the signal light can be changed relatively easily while the signal lamp is driven, such as when the arrow signal is installed or the direction of the already installed and driven arrow is changed.

On the other hand, recently, light-emitting diodes capable of emitting light with an ultra-high luminance of 1000 mcd or more, such as blue, green, yellow, and red, have been developed. Since such a light emitting diode has a monochromatic peak wavelength, it is not necessary to use a color filter. Therefore, there is no pseudo lighting phenomenon that occurs in a conventional signal lamp in which light from an incandescent lamp is reflected by a reflector and visually recognized through a color filter or the like. In addition, a signal unit of 20 W or less can be configured for 60 W to 70 W of an incandescent lamp, and power consumption can be reduced. Further, the light emitting diode can be a maintenance-free signal light or the like having a long life and a small number of replacements of the light emitting unit. From such various advantages, a signal light using a light emitting diode is considered.
In particular, a signal lamp or the like using a light emitting diode can emit light in various shapes by selecting various arrangements of the light emitting diode, and the mask for the arrow itself can be removed.

[0005] Unlike a signal light using a mask, such a signal light has a directivity in the light emitting portion itself. Therefore, when the direction of the arrow is changed, the entire LED display unit in which the light emitting diode is disposed is used. You have to change the direction.

[0006]

However, the unit is installed from the back and the direction of the arrow is unclear. In addition, a signal light in which light emitting diodes are arranged for a relatively light and directional mask called a mask must move the entire unit. Also,
Some vehicle signal units are stipulated in standards to some extent and have a size as large as 30 cm or more in diameter. Therefore, replacing the entire unit in the signal light may be enormous, and there is a problem that the signal light must be stopped. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an LED display unit which solves the above-mentioned problems, is excellent in mass productivity, allows easy replacement of a signal unit, and can relatively easily change the arrow direction and the like, and a signal lamp using the same.

[0007]

The LED display unit of the present invention is an LED display unit having a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a desired shape in a package when viewed from the light emission observation surface side. The package has package holding means on the side opposite to the light emission observation surface side via the light emitting diode. Further, the LED display unit according to claim 2 of the present invention,
The package has at least one selected from a protrusion, a recess, and a printed portion on the back side opposite to the light emission observation side of the package, in which the arrangement of the light emitting diodes is known. Further, the LED display unit according to the third aspect of the present invention is provided with a package holding means in accordance with the arrangement of the light emitting diodes. In the signal lamp according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an LED display unit having a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a desired shape in a package as viewed from the light emission observation surface side is arranged in a light box. The package has package holding means on the side opposite to the light emission observation surface side via the light emitting diode.

[0008]

In the unit using the LED display,
Unlike a signal light using a white light bulb, there is no need to replace the light emitting part (light bulb) installed at the approximate center of the back surface when the ball burns out. Therefore, the back side of the unit can be designed relatively freely. According to the present invention, the unit holding means is configured on the back surface side of the LED display unit by utilizing the wide design flexibility of the LED display unit. Thereby, the light emitting unit of the LED display can be replaced relatively easily. Also, the direction of the light emitting diode, such as an arrow signal, when the light emitting diode is arranged in a specific shape or angle is recognized by the unit holding means. Therefore, it is possible to relatively easily change the direction of the LED display unit by recognizing the direction of the arrow where the light emitting diodes are arranged from the non-light emitting surface.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As a result of various experiments, the present inventor has found that when installing or replacing an LED display unit using a plurality of light emitting diodes, unit holding means is formed on the non-light emitting surface side of the LED display unit. As a result, it has been found that the installation work efficiency and the like can be significantly improved, and the present invention has been accomplished.

That is, the light emitting portion is not taken out from the back surface side, and the LED display unit which is the non-light emitting portion side has L
The package holding means can rotate and replace the ED display unit. Specifically, a substrate for mounting and maintaining a light emitting diode in a desired shape such as an arrow shape, and a driver electrically connected to the substrate and lighting the light emitting diode as desired are packaged for protection from the external environment. Is located within. The package is composed of a clear lens on the light emission observation surface side of the light emitting diode and a back case fixed via packing. Further, a cord for supplying power to a light emitting diode or the like extends from a part of the back case. A handle is attached to the back case as unit holding means that can change the direction of the entire unit. The direction of the handle as the package holding means is arranged in the same direction as the direction indicated by the arrow of the light emitting diode fixed to the back case and arranged on the substrate. LE formed in this way
The traffic light can be configured by fixing the D display unit to the light box of the traffic light for a vehicle. Hereinafter, each configuration of the present invention will be described in detail.

(Package) The package used in the present invention mechanically protects each light emitting diode 202 and the like disposed on the substrate 203 from the outside, and is variously formed to a desired size and shape. Can be. The package includes a lens member 2 having a lens effect of condensing or scattering light of the light emitting diode 202.
08 and the back case 204 can be suitably formed by fixing them via packing. Further, the back case 204 is provided with a cord 304 for supplying power to the light emitting diode fixed inside from the outside.
Is derived through packing. Further, the lens member 208 can be colored as desired.

Since the package is exposed to the external environment, the lens member 208 and the mating portion of the back case 204, the opening of the electric cord for establishing electrical continuity with the light emitting diode, and the like are sealed so that moisture and dust do not enter. It is preferable that they are sealed by When the light box 209 has high airtightness, an opening may be provided on the back surface side of the back case 204 to circulate the air inside the package in which the light emitting diodes are arranged, or to discharge the air to the outside.

Since the package is affected by heat from the light emitting diode 202 and the like, a package having a small coefficient of thermal expansion is preferable. In addition, it is desirable to use a material that is easy to mold because it is formed into a desired shape. Specifically, as a material of such a package, various resins such as a polycarbonate resin, an ABS resin, an epoxy resin, and a phenol resin, aluminum, an alloy thereof, and the like are preferable. In particular, aluminum is particularly preferable because it can efficiently release the heat of the light emitting diode to the outside. When the power supply is AC, a rectifier circuit for driving each light-emitting diode is provided in the package, and the power supply for the light-emitting diode can be used.

(Package holding means 301, 311 and 3
21) Package holding means 301 used in the present invention,
Reference numerals 311 and 321 are formed so that the LED display unit can be rotated or replaced from the light box of the traffic light. Therefore, it can be formed integrally with the LED display unit, or the package holding means can be attached after the back case is formed. Further, it is more preferable that the package holding means is configured so that the arrangement of the light emitting diodes and the arrangement of the light emitting characteristics can be understood. Specifically, by making the arrow direction and the package holding means substantially parallel, the direction of the arrow can be easily recognized from the back surface.

Two or more package holding means can be provided so that the LED display unit can be easily replaced. Further, when the light box itself has a hermetic property, holes may be provided so that the heat from the LED display unit can be released to the outside together with the formation of the package holding means. The package holding means can be formed using not only the protrusion shape but also a concave portion or a hole provided in the back case. Further, printing can be performed on the back surface of the package so that the arrangement and direction of the light emitting diodes can be recognized. In addition, apart from the package holding means, at least one selected from a protrusion 312, a concave part 302, and a printing part 322 may be provided so that the arrangement and direction of the light emitting diodes can be recognized using the back surface of the package or the surface of the package holding means. it can.

(Light Emitting Diodes 101 and 202) As the light emitting diodes 101 and 202 used in the present invention, light emitting elements using various semiconductors are suitably used. Specifically, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, SiC, and G are formed on a substrate by a liquid phase growth method, an HDVPE method, an MOCVD method, or the like.
aP, GaAs, AlAs, InP, GaAsP, Ga
AlAs, AlInGaP, GaN, AlN, InN,
A light emitting layer formed of a semiconductor such as GaAlN, InGaN, or AlInGaN is used. Preferred examples of the semiconductor structure include a homostructure having a MIS junction, a PIN junction and a PN junction, a heterostructure, and a double heterostructure. The emission wavelength can be variously selected from ultraviolet light to infrared light depending on the material of the semiconductor layer and the degree of mixed crystal thereof. Further, the light emitting layer may have a single quantum well structure or a multiple quantum well structure in which a thin film having a quantum effect is formed.

[0017] LED in a place where external light is relatively strong such as outdoors
When a display unit is used, it is preferable to use a gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor for green and blue light as a light-emitting element capable of emitting light with superbrightness. It is preferable to use a gallium-aluminum-arsenic-based semiconductor or an aluminum-indium-gallium-phosphorus-based semiconductor in red and yellow systems.

If the unit or light box is highly sealed,
The light emitting diode may be used as an LED chip,
The ED chip may be protected by resin, glass, or the like. In order to protect the LED chip with resin etc., fix the LED chip on the cup of the mount lead, and connect both the positive and negative electrodes or one electrode of the LED chip and the inner lead etc. to the conductive material such as gold wire, platinum or aluminum wire. Electrically connected by a conductive wire. When the conductive wire is used only for one polarity electrode, fix the LED chip with Ag,
A conductive material such as C, ITO, SnO ₂ , ZnO or the like may be fixed with a conductive paste mixed with a resin binder and may be electrically connected to a mount lead or the like. Next, it is also possible to form a light emitting diode by coating the electrically conductive one with a mold member for protecting the LED chip and a metal wire for electrical connection thereof from external force, moisture and the like. it can.

The mold member can contain various additives such as a diffusing agent, a light stabilizer, a coloring agent and a fluorescent substance, if desired. By including a diffusing material, L
The viewing angle can also be increased by relaxing the directivity of light from the ED chip. As the diffusing agent, barium titanate, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide and the like are suitably used. In addition, by including a coloring material, unnecessary wavelengths can be cut off to obtain a light emitting diode having a desired light emitting wavelength. Therefore, various dyes and / or pigments are selected according to the emission color of the light emitting diode (main emission wavelength which is the main peak of the emission light). The light stabilizing material prevents deterioration of the resin used for the mold member when the light from the external light or the light emitted from the LED chip includes ultraviolet light, and obtains stable light emission characteristics over a long period of time. be able to. As the light stabilizer, a benzotriazole-based ultraviolet absorber, a benzophenone-based ultraviolet absorber, a hindered amine-based light stabilizer, or the like is suitably used. By including a fluorescent substance that emits light when excited by the light of the LED chip, white light or the like that cannot be emitted by only one LED chip can also be emitted. Specifically, a white LED can be emitted using a single LED chip by optically coupling a fluorescent substance that emits a yellow emission color with light from the LED to a blue LED. . Examples of the fluorescent substance include an yttrium / aluminum oxide-based phosphor activated with cerium, a perylene-based derivative, and the like.

Such additives may be dispersed and formed at various ratios in the mold member as desired.
That is, the concentration can be increased or decreased as the LED chip is approached, and various choices can be made.
The mold member mixes and stirs various additives in the raw material of the mold member and the like. After that, the LED chip and the like and the raw material of the mold member are put together in a mold that can be formed into a desired shape of the mold member such as a shell shape, and the mixture is cured.

Further, by forming the mold member into a desired shape, it is possible to provide a lens effect of converging or diffusing light emitted from the LED chip. Therefore, a structure in which a plurality of mold members are stacked may be employed. Specifically, the shape is a convex lens shape, a concave lens shape, or a combination thereof. Also, the shape of the light emitting diode viewed from the light emission observation surface side can be variously formed such as a true circle, an ellipse, and a square depending on the purpose.
As a material of the mold member, a translucent resin having excellent weather resistance, such as an epoxy resin or a urea resin, or glass is suitably used.

(Substrates 102 and 203) Substrates 102 and 20
3 is suitably used for arranging a plurality of light emitting diodes in a desired shape such as an arrow shape. Therefore, when the light emitting diodes can be maintained in a predetermined shape by direct electrical connection using the lead frames of the light emitting diodes 101 and 202, the substrates 102 and 203 may not be used.

As the substrate on which the light emitting diodes are arranged,
The substrate 20 for the driving circuit as well as the arrangement of the light emitting diodes
7 may also be used. The substrates 102, 203, 207
Those having high mechanical strength and little thermal deformation are preferred. Specifically, a substrate using ceramics, glass epoxy resin, aluminum, or the like on which a conductor such as a copper foil is formed can be suitably used. Substrate 10 on which light emitting diode is mounted
Since the surface of 2,203 coincides with the display surface of the LED display unit, it is more preferable that the surface is colored dark brown or black to improve the contrast. Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0024]

【Example】

(Example 1) A clear lens and a back case, which is the back surface of the package, were configured in accordance with the size of the light box of the vehicle traffic light. In the package, 420 blue-green light emitting diodes were used as an LED display.
The light emitting diode used was a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor having a light emitting layer capable of emitting blue-green light. An LED display was formed by disposing a light emitting diode on a substrate and electrically connecting the light emitting diode to a driving substrate.

On the other hand, the package of the LED display unit has a back case structure as shown in FIG. 3A made of urethane resin, and the unit holding means 301 is formed on the back side which is a non-light emitting surface. After electrically connecting the power cord 304 through the LED display and the packing, the LED
The back case of the display unit and the LED display were fixed with screws. Further, the package and the clear lens are fixed by rubber packing. LED formed
The display unit itself is fixed to the light box with screws. By tightening or loosening the screw fixed to the light box, it is relatively easily detachable from the light box, and the LED display unit can be smoothly replaced from the light bulb type signal light unit during driving of the traffic light.

(Example 2) The rear surface of the clear lens and the package were configured in accordance with the size of the light box of the traffic light for a vehicle. In the package, 120 blue-green light emitting diodes were used as an LED display. The light emitting diode used was a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor having a light emitting layer capable of emitting blue-green light. As shown in FIG. 1, each light emitting diode was arranged on a substrate so as to be visually recognized in an arrow shape. An LED display was constructed by electrically connecting a substrate on which each light emitting diode was disposed and a driving substrate disposed on the back side of the substrate.

On the other hand, the package of the LED display unit is formed of urethane resin in parallel with the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 3B, and includes a unit holding means 311 having a projection 312 so that the direction of the arrow can be seen from the back side. Was configured. After the power cord was electrically connected through the LED display and the packing, it was fixed with the LED display unit package and screws. Further, the package and the clear lens were fixed by packing. The thus formed LED display unit itself was fixed to the light box with screws. The LED display unit can be relatively easily attached to and detached from the light box by loosening or tightening the screws, so that the LED display unit can be smoothly replaced from the bulb type signal light unit while the traffic light is being driven. Further, the direction of the arrow can be easily recognized even at the time of installation, and the installation can be performed relatively easily, such as for straight ahead, right turn, and left turn.

(Example 3) The rear surface of the clear lens and the package were configured according to the size of the light box of the railway traffic light. In the package, 420 blue-green light emitting diodes were used as an LED display. As the light emitting diode, an LED chip using a gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor as a light emitting layer was used. LED on the LED chip
Y ₃ Al ₅ O ₁₂ as a yttrium aluminum oxide phosphor yellow is excited by blue light is activated by capable of emitting cerium from the chip: was coated with Ce on the LED chip. Thus, a light emitting diode capable of emitting white light was used. An LED display was formed by disposing a light emitting diode on a substrate and electrically connecting the light emitting diode to a driving substrate. All the light emitting diodes are inclined at a fixed angle with respect to the substrate.

On the other hand, the package of the LED display unit was made of urethane resin as shown in FIG. 3C, and the unit holding means was formed on the back side. A rectangular opening 321 as a unit holding means is provided on the back surface of the package.
The structure has a structure in which heat released from the LED display easily flows in the light box. After electrically connecting the power cord through the LED indicator and the packing, the light emitting characteristics are directed in a specific direction by tilting all the light emitting diodes. An arrow 322 is indicated by a printing unit 322 in a direction in which the light emission characteristics are directed. It was fixed with the LED display unit package and screws. Further, the package and the clear lens were fixed by packing. The LED display unit itself formed in this way was fixed to a light box with screws to form a signal lamp. L
The ED display unit can be relatively easily attached to and detached from the light box by loosening or tightening the screw, and the LED display unit can be less affected by the heat of the light emitting diode.

[0030]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the LED display unit can be replaced with a light bulb type signal unit relatively easily.

According to the configuration of the second aspect of the present invention, the LED display unit can be relatively easily replaced and the display unit can be easily rotated. Further, since the arrangement of the light emitting diodes can be recognized from the back side, the LED display unit can be directed in a desired direction.

With the configuration of the third aspect of the present invention, the LED display unit can be more easily replaced and the display unit can be easily rotated.

According to the configuration of claim 4 of the present invention, the LED display unit can be a signal light which can be replaced with a light bulb type signal unit relatively easily.

[0034]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an LED display unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are schematic diagrams showing the back surface side of the LED display unit of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a signal unit using a light bulb shown for comparison with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view for changing the direction of an arrow signal unit using a light bulb shown for comparison with the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: Light-emitting diode 102: Substrate 201: Package holding means 202: Light-emitting diode 203: Substrate 204: Back case 205 on the back of the package 205: Fix the package to the light box with screws Fixing member 207 Drive circuit 208 Lens member 209 Light box 301, 311, 321 Package holding means 302 Depression indicating arrangement of light emitting diodes 303 Package in back case A fixing member for fixing the holding means 304... An electric cord for supplying power to the LED display 312... A projection 322 provided on the package holding means and indicating the arrangement of the light emitting diodes 322. Printing section 402 showing the arrangement of the incandescent lamps 404... Reflector Fixing members 408 ... lens member 409 ... lamp box 410 ... mask to Screw the become unit 405 ... package lighting box

Claims (4)

[Claims] An LED having a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a desired shape in a package when viewed from a light emission observation surface side.
An LED display unit, comprising: a display unit, wherein the package has a package holding unit on a side opposite to a light emission observation surface side via a light emitting diode. 2. The LE according to claim 1, further comprising at least one selected from a protrusion, a recess, and a printed portion on a side of the package opposite to the light emission observing surface, from which the arrangement of the light emitting diodes is known.
D display unit. 3. The LED according to claim 1, wherein a package holding means is provided in accordance with the arrangement of said light emitting diodes.
Display unit. 4. An LED having a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a desired shape in a package as viewed from a light emission observation surface side.
The display unit is a signal light arranged in a light box, wherein the package has a package holding means on a side opposite to a light emission observation surface side via a light emitting diode.