WO2012164696A1

WO2012164696A1 - Illumination device

Info

Publication number: WO2012164696A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/062563
Authority: WO
Inventors: 崎山　秀知
Original assignee: 興和株式会社
Priority date: 2011-06-01
Filing date: 2011-06-01
Publication date: 2012-12-06
Also published as: JPWO2012164696A1

Abstract

An illumination device has a surface-emission illumination means including a light source (11) for radiating surface-emission illumination light through a light guide plate (17), and constitutes a spot light illumination means including a second light source (13) for radiating spot illumination light through a substantially central section of the light guide plate (17) in a direction orthogonal to the light guide plate (17). A lens (15) that causes convergence or divergence of the spot illumination light is configured integrally with a diffusion plate (16) that is disposed, for example, in front of the light guide plate (17) and determines illumination characteristics relating to the illumination range and/or to the quantity of illumination light of the surface-emission illumination.

Description

Lighting equipment

The present invention relates to an illuminating device having both a surface emitting illumination function for illuminating a relatively wide range and a spotlight function for illuminating a relatively limited range.

As illumination devices, there are known illumination devices that perform surface-emitting illumination that illuminates a relatively wide range and spotlight illumination devices that illuminate a relatively limited range.

For example, as a lighting unit for a vehicle disposed in a car interior, a room light (room lamp) for illuminating the entire parked vehicle and making it easy to get on and off at night has been known for a long time. Currently, a configuration in which a spotlight called a map lamp or the like is arranged separately from the room light is common.

The room light is configured to illuminate the entire interior of the vehicle through, for example, a diffuser plate or a lens close to the diffuser, and lighting during travel may hinder driving. A configuration is used in which only a necessary range near the hand is illuminated so that a document or the like can be read, and the directivity of the illumination light is increased so that no extra light is emitted.

For this reason, spotlights have a configuration in which light from a light source is reflected in one direction and illuminated through a lens or the like, and recently, many point light source LEDs are used as light sources. Compared to this, a sufficient amount of light can be secured. Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique for effectively using a vehicle interior space by using an LED as a light source as an illumination unit for a vehicle interior and using a thin sheet-like switch.

Japanese Patent No. 3841349

As described above, the vehicle room light and spotlight have different illumination ranges and directivities, and have different structures. Therefore, these lighting units must be installed in each unit. There is a problem that the whole unit tends to be enlarged.

In addition, in a spotlight using LEDs, particularly a lighting device in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged to make a spotlight, the illumination light generated by such a point light source is dazzling when entering the field of view, and is clear from the linearity of the light Since it is easy to make a shadow, a plurality of individual shadows can be formed, and there is a problem that it is uncomfortable when used for a long time.

On the other hand, the surface emission obtained by illuminating the light guide plate from the side with a light source such as an LED is the greatest feature that the brightness is lower than the light emission of the point light source and there is no local glare, It is also known as light that is difficult to shadow. Also, it is known that a surface light emitting device can emit spotlight-like light while performing surface light emission by controlling the light emission angle using a prism sheet or the like.

Therefore, by using a configuration in which the directivity of part of the irradiation light of the surface emitting illumination device is made different, it is not unthinkable to configure the vehicle room light and spotlight as an integrated unit. However, with such a configuration, for example, there is a problem that the amount of light tends to be insufficient as compared with a conventional spotlight in which the spotlight function portion is composed of components such as a point light source, a reflector, and a lens.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and has a surface light emitting function and a spotlight function that can be used as a room light and a spotlight, for example, for interior lighting of an automobile, with one lighting unit, An object of the present invention is to provide an illumination device that can be used by switching between the illumination functions according to the illuminance and the situation.

In order to solve the above-described problems, in the present invention, a light-emitting plate, and a surface-emitting illumination unit including a first light source that is disposed on a side edge of the light-guide plate and emits surface-emitting illumination light through the light-guide plate And a spotlight illuminating means including a second light source that irradiates spot illumination light in a direction intersecting with the light guide plate through a substantially central portion of the light guide plate.

With the above-described characteristic configuration, according to the present invention, since the spot illumination light is irradiated in the direction intersecting with the light guide plate after passing through the surface emitting illumination means, the entire apparatus is reduced in size. There is an excellent effect that it is light and thin and can minimize the installation space required in an installation place, for example, a vehicle room such as an automobile.

It is the front view which showed the structure of the illuminating device which employ | adopted this invention. It is the side view which showed the structure of the illuminating device which employ | adopted this invention. It is the side view which showed the different side surface of the illuminating device which employ | adopted this invention. It is the typical perspective view which showed the structure of the upper surface (side accommodated in the roof of a vehicle) of the illuminating device which employ | adopted this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which showed the structural example of the principal part of the illumination mechanism by this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which showed the example of a different structure of the principal part of the illumination mechanism by this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, a configuration of a lighting device suitable for arranging in a car of a vehicle in which room lights and spotlights (map lamps) are integrally formed as one unit will be exemplified.

FIGS. 1a to 1c show the configuration of a lighting device for an automobile adopting the present invention from three sides. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the upper surface (side accommodated in the vehicle roof) of the illumination device. 3 and 4 are schematic cross-sectional views showing different structural examples of the main part of the illumination mechanism of the illumination device.

The housing 30 of the lighting device adopting the present invention has a substantially rectangular overall shape as shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c and FIG. 2, and the surface shown in FIG. It is configured so that it can be arranged at a substantially central portion inside the roof (ceiling) of the vehicle so that the lower surface) faces the interior of the vehicle. The constituent members of the housing 30 can be made of a material such as plastic by injection molding or the like.

2 schematically shows a side (top surface or top surface) of the housing 30 embedded in the inner surface of the roof of the vehicle. In this figure, the shape of the base 31 of the housing 30 described below is omitted. . The configuration shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to the illumination mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3 described later, and a light source substrate 20 described later is provided on the top surface (upper surface) of the housing 30.

As shown in FIG. 1b and FIG. 1c, respectively, the base portion 31 of the housing 30 is configured to be narrower than the front face arranged in the vehicle compartment shown in FIG. 1a. The housing 30 is mounted on the inner surface of the roof in the vehicle compartment by engaging an engaging claw (not shown) provided in the 31 portion with a coupling portion disposed inside the crash pad of the vehicle roof. In this mounted state, the front (lower surface) of FIG. 1a can be configured to be flush with the crash pad of the vehicle roof. For this reason, for example, the curvature shape 33 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the crash pad of the vehicle roof and the lower surface of the housing 30 can form a smooth curved surface having substantially no protrusions.

On the front surface (lower surface) of the housing 30, a diffusion plate 16 that functions as a light emitting part of the room light is disposed. The diffuser plate 16 is for determining illumination characteristics relating to the illumination range or light quantity of the surface emitting illumination. The diffuser plate 16 is substantially flush with the front surface (lower surface) of the housing 30 and is relatively large. Exposed on the same surface to occupy the area. The diffusing plate 16 is made of, for example, a milky white plastic material, and further diffuses illumination light by a structure such as a pear ground or protrusion provided on the front surface or the back surface. The shape of the part exposed to the front surface (lower surface) of the diffusing plate 16 is arbitrary, and can be appropriately determined according to conditions such as required illuminance or matching with a design in the vehicle compartment.

Note that the diffusion plate 16 may have, for example, a very small diffusion performance as long as it can obtain characteristics related to the desired illumination range or illumination light quantity of the surface emitting illumination. Depending on the light guiding or diffusing performance, a simple transparent plate (or a diffusing plate close thereto) may be substituted or may be omitted at all.

A lens 15 functioning as a light-emitting part of a spotlight (map lamp) is disposed at substantially the center (this position is arbitrary) of the diffusion plate 16 that functions as a light-emitting part of the room light. The lens 15 is configured to have an optical characteristic capable of performing condensing (or diverging) so as to obtain a specific spotlight illumination condition.

The lens 15 is formed by integrally molding with the diffuser plate 16 or by fitting a separately manufactured lens part into a round hole provided in the diffuser plate 16 (this shape is also arbitrary).

The lens 15 may be formed integrally with the light guide plate 17 instead of the diffusion plate 16. In this case, the position of the lens 15 of the diffusing plate 16 can be an opening, or a transparent material can be fitted. Alternatively, a spherical surface (or an aspheric surface such as Fresnel or fly-eye) that functions as a lens is formed on both the light guide plate 17 and the diffusion plate 16, and the desired light converging (diverging) performance is obtained by combining the two. It may be.

The configuration of the main part of the illumination device that constitutes the room light and the spotlight (map lamp) will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS.

Further, an operation switch 32 is arranged on the front surface (lower surface) of the housing 30 along with the exposed portion of the diffusion plate 16 as shown in FIG. 1a. Although illustrated as a simple rectangular shape, the operation switch 32 may be constituted by, for example, a switch having a plurality of functions in order to turn on / off the illumination or switch the illumination function of the room light and the spotlight (map lamp). it can.

For example, the operation switch 32 can be composed of a push button type or seesaw type two-division operation unit for turning on / off each of a room light and a spotlight (map lamp) by a toggle operation. Alternatively, the operation switch 32 may have a structure in which a seesaw switch that can be pressed in two or more directions for switching the illumination function and a push button for turning on / off the illumination are arranged at the center thereof. As described above, by using the switch with a variety of operation functions as the operation switch 32, the illumination function can be switched and turned on / off, and the light amount of each illumination function can be adjusted. The detailed structure of the operation switch 32 or the illumination control circuit for turning on / off the light sources 11 and 13 (and adjusting the light quantity) described later by the operation thereof can be arbitrarily configured by a known technique. Description is omitted. Part or all of the illumination control circuit is accommodated in the housing 30.

Next, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show different configuration examples of the illumination mechanism of the illumination device that integrates the room light and spotlight (map lamp) functions as described above. The structure shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is a main part of the illumination mechanism accommodated in the housing 30, but the structure of the spotlight part is different.

First, the basic structure of the illumination mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. The surface light emitting room light portion has a structure in which a diffusion plate 16, a light guide plate 17, and a reflection plate 18 are stacked in this order from the light emission surface (diffusion plate 16) side below the figure.

The light source 11 mounted on the light source substrate 12 is disposed at the short side edge of the light guide plate 17. The light source 11 is a first light source of surface emitting illumination means as room light, and is composed of an illumination element such as an LED, for example, but other illumination elements such as a cold cathode tube and a light bulb can be used. In consideration of the illumination light quantity, illumination light distribution, and the like, a plurality of

light sources

11, 11... Are provided along the side edge (for example, on the short side) of the light guide plate 17 as shown in FIG. Can be arranged in any pattern.

Since the configuration of the light guide plate 17 is known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here, but the light guide plate 17 is a so-called side edge type that is used to irradiate incident light from the side edge by surface emission. The light source 11 is molded from a plastic material and irradiated from the side edge so that the illumination light is directed downward in the figure. In particular, the upper surface of the light source 11 can be efficiently guided downward. Alternatively, grooves or frustoconical dot processing is performed on a specific surface of the lower surface.

The reflector 18 disposed behind the light guide plate 17 is for reflecting the surface emitting illumination light in the illumination direction and improving the surface emitting illumination efficiency. The reflector 18 includes a metal plate such as aluminum, Any structure such as a plastic plate subjected to metal foil processing or the like can be used, and a mirror surface processing or the like can be applied to the lower surface, which is a reflection surface, as necessary.

When the light source 11 is turned on by operating the operation switch 32, the illumination light of the light source 11 incident from the side edge is guided by the light guide plate 17 to the lower side of the figure, and the illumination light emitted above the light guide plate 17 is reflected. Reflected downward by the plate 18. In this way, the illumination light of the surface-emitting illumination emitted downward from the light guide plate 17 irradiates a relatively wide range in the vehicle through the diffusion plate 16. Thus, this illuminating device can be used as a room light.

Further, the diffuser plate 16 is integrated with the lens 15 constituting the light emitting part of the spotlight (map lamp) at the position shown in FIG. As described above, the lens 15 is integrated with the diffusion plate 16 by integral molding or fitting.

The light source 13 mounted on the light source substrate 20 is disposed at a position on the reflector 18 corresponding to the lens 15. The light source 13 is a light source (second light source) of spotlight illuminating means for irradiating spot illumination light. Like the light source 11, the light source 13 can be composed of illumination elements such as LEDs, cold cathode tubes, and light bulbs.

With such a configuration, the illumination light of the spotlight (map lamp) is emitted from the light source 13 from behind the light guide plate 17 constituting the surface light emitting illumination unit functioning as a room light so as to substantially intersect the arrangement direction of the light guide plate 17. Irradiate.

In such a configuration, when the operation switch 32 is operated to turn on the light source 13, the illumination light passes through the light guide plate 17 through the opening 41 provided in the reflection plate 18 and further has directivity through the lens 15. Raised and irradiated downwards. In this way, the illumination device can be used as a spotlight (map lamp).

In the above description, the reflection plate 18 installed behind the light guide plate 17 is provided with the opening 41 through which the illumination light of the light source 13 passes. However, when the reflection plate 18 has sufficient transmittance, the opening 41 is not necessarily provided. There is no need to provide. For example, when the reflector 18 has a structure in which an appropriate mirror process is applied to resin or glass and has a transmittance that can function as a half mirror, the opening 41 can be omitted. Thereby, manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Generally, it may be considered that the condition that the opening 41 is required in the reflecting plate 18 is when the total transmittance of the reflecting plate 18 is, for example, about 75% or less.

Further, the light passing region of the light source 13 of the light guide plate 17 may be formed with light guide means such as grooves or frustoconical dot processing, but the rear side (left of FIG. 3) with respect to irradiation from the light source 11 In the range in which the light guide performance is not affected, the number of the light guide means and the pattern are adjusted, or a member (for example, a transparent material) for improving the irradiation efficiency from the upper side to the lower side is inserted, or A structure in which an opening similar to that of the reflector 18 is provided can be employed.

As described above, it is possible to provide an illuminating device in which room lights and spotlights (map lamps) are integrally configured as one unit, particularly, for example, an illuminating device suitable for placement in an automobile. The illuminating device of the present embodiment has a surface light emitting function and a spotlight function that can be used as room lights and spotlights for interior lighting of automobiles, and both illumination functions according to required illuminance and situation Since it is configured to irradiate spotlight (map lamp) illumination light in a direction intersecting with the light guide plate of the surface emitting illumination unit that functions as room light, the entire apparatus It is compact, lightweight and thin, and can minimize installation space.

In the structure shown in FIG. 3 (or FIG. 2), the light source 13 of the spotlight (map lamp) and its light source substrate 20 are arranged on the upper part of the reflection plate 18, but a configuration as shown in FIG. 4 can also be used.

In the configuration of FIG. 4, the light source 13 of the spotlight (map lamp) is arranged on the light source substrate 12 together with the light source 11 for room light, and the illumination light of the light source 13 is above the lens 15 by the light guide tube 14. It guides to the opening 41 of the reflector 18 and irradiates downward. Other configurations are the same as those described in FIG.

4 can also provide a lighting device suitable for being arranged in a vehicle in which a room light and a spotlight (map lamp) are integrally formed as one unit. According to the structure of FIG. 4, as in FIG. 3, it has a surface light emitting function and a spotlight function that can be used as room lights and spotlights of automobile interior lighting, and the required illuminance and situation. The surface illumination illumination unit that functions as a room light can be used by switching between both illumination functions, and in particular, from the back of the light guide plate that constitutes the surface illumination illumination unit, Since the configuration in which the illumination light of the spotlight (map lamp) is irradiated so as to substantially intersect is adopted, the entire apparatus can be configured to be small and light and thin.

Moreover, according to the structure of FIG. 4, the light source substrates for the room light and spotlight (map lamp)

light sources

11 and 13 are unified to the light source substrate 12, and the light source substrate 20 required in FIG. Since it can be omitted, an illumination device for a vehicle can be configured more easily and inexpensively.

The configuration of the lighting device adopting the present invention can be widely used not only in the lighting device used in the vehicle interior of the automobile described above but also in products such as lighting fixtures such as table lamps.

DESCRIPTION OF

SYMBOLS

11, 13

Light source

12, 20 Light source board | substrate 14 Light guide tube 15 Lens 16 Diffusion plate 17 Light guide plate 18 Reflection plate 30 Housing | casing 31 Base 32 Operation switch 33 Curvature shape 41 Opening

Claims

A surface light-emitting illuminating means including a light guide plate and a first light source that is disposed on a side edge of the light guide plate and emits surface-emitting illumination light through the light guide plate;
Spotlight illuminating means including a second light source that passes through a substantially central portion of the light guide plate and irradiates spot illumination light in a direction intersecting the light guide plate;
A lighting device comprising:
The illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein a diffusion plate or a transparent plate for determining an illumination characteristic relating to an illumination range or an illumination light amount of the surface emitting illumination is disposed in front of the light guide plate of the surface emitting illumination means. .
The lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a reflector for reflecting the surface-emitting illumination light in an intended illumination direction is disposed behind the light guide plate of the surface-emitting illumination means.
The illumination device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising lens means for condensing or diverging spot illumination light of the spotlight illumination means.
The illumination device according to claim 4, wherein the lens unit is configured integrally with a portion of the light guide plate through which the spot illumination light of the spotlight illumination unit passes.
The lens unit is disposed in front of a light guide plate of the surface-emitting illumination unit, and is configured integrally with a diffusion plate or a transparent plate that determines an illumination range or an illumination characteristic related to the amount of illumination of the surface-emitting illumination. The lighting device according to claim 4.
The second light source of the spotlight illuminating means is disposed together with the first light source on a light source substrate on which the first light source is disposed on a side edge of the light guide plate, and illuminates the second light source. The illumination device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising light guide means for guiding light to a portion of the light guide plate through which spot illumination light passes.
The surface emitting illumination means and the spotlight illumination means are arranged in the same casing, and function as room lights or spotlights that illuminate the interior of the vehicle by mounting the casing on the roof inner surface of the vehicle. The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: