JP5125437B2 - Illumination body - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an illuminating body. Specifically, the present invention relates to an illuminating body using an LED light source.

LED light sources are being used in various lighting applications. In illumination applications, it is usually required to irradiate the illumination target with a desired mode of light. Therefore, until now, efforts have been focused on the development and improvement of technologies related to light control (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for controlling light from an LED light source with a lens. On the other hand, in a lighting application, a configuration that actively shows the light source itself is not generally adopted. Rather, in order to prevent the deterioration of the design, some measures are often taken so that the light source is not visually recognized.
Although not directly related to the present invention, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique related to improvement of an LED light source.
JP 2001-44515 A JP-A-2005-197423

  Under the above background, it is an object to provide an illuminating body that exhibits a high decorative effect and also produces unexpectedness.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
An illumination body comprising an LED light source and a transparent lens through which light from the LED light source enters from the back side,
The lens includes a reflection region surrounding the front end portion of the front side, and the reflection region is a rotationally symmetric convex curved surface with the optical axis of the LED light source as a rotation axis, and is emitted from the LED light source. After that, the light that has directly guided through the lens and reached directly is totally reflected at the lens interface, and is condensed on the optical axis near the front end of the lens front side.
It is the illumination body characterized by this.

  According to the illuminating body of the present invention, the light of the LED light source is collected near the front end of the lens front side by the reflection action of the reflection region provided on the front side of the lens, and a light emitting point is generated. That is, a light emitting point appears at a position away from the original position of the light source, and unexpectedness is produced. In addition, the appearance of the light emitting point and the crystal feeling and transparency created by the lens combine to provide a unique illumination mode with a high decorative effect. As described above, the lighting body of the present invention exhibits a high decorative effect in spite of a simple configuration, and at the same time produces an unexpectedness.

(LED light source)
In the illumination body of the present invention, an LED light source is used as a light source. The LED light source has various advantages such as small size, low driving power, low calorific value, and long life. The type of the LED light source is not particularly limited, and various types of LED light sources such as a bullet type (lens type), a surface mount (SMD) type, a chip on board (COB) type, and the like can be adopted. The emission color of the LED light source can be arbitrarily selected. For example, an LED light source having a light emission wavelength in the visible region such as white, red, orange, green, and blue can be employed.

It is also possible to use an LED light source that converts a part of the light of the LED chip with a phosphor and emits light in which the light of the LED chip and fluorescence are mixed. For example, the phosphor can be contained in a sealing resin of an LED light source. A layer containing a phosphor may be provided on the surface of the sealing resin.
An LED lamp in which a plurality of LED chips of the same type or different types are incorporated can also be used. For example, a desired color can be emitted by using an LED lamp in which LED chips of red, green, and blue colors are mounted on one substrate and controlling the light emission mode of each LED chip. Thereby, the illuminating body which emits a desired luminescent color is configured.
LED lamps with various emission characteristics can be used. The optimum directivity angle varies depending on the shape and size of the lens, which will be described later. For example, an LED lamp having a directivity angle in the range up to 120 °, preferably in the range of 10 ° to 90 ° can be used.

(lens)
The lens is made of a transparent light guide. The material of the lens is not particularly limited as long as it is transparent to the light from the LED light source. Examples of the lens material include acrylic resin, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate resin, and glass.

  Although a colored lens can be used, a colorless and transparent lens is preferably used. In the case of a colored lens, there is a possibility that the entire lens may shine by scattering light.

  The lens includes a light incident portion for the LED light source on the back side thereof. It is preferable to provide the light incident portion at the center position on the rear side of the lens. This is to prevent the occurrence of bias in the light distribution in the lens.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the LED light source is integrally formed with the lens. Typically, an LED light source is included (embedded) in a light incident portion of a lens. According to this mode, it is possible to prevent light loss at the time of incident light. In addition, handling during construction is facilitated. It is preferable that the LED light source is completely embedded in the light incident portion of the lens. Such a configuration can be easily produced by using an in-mold molding method. Note that a configuration in which a concave portion for an LED light source is provided in the light incident portion of the lens and the LED light source is fitted in the concave portion is referred to as “a state in which the LED light source is included in the light incident portion of the lens”.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the LED light source and the lens are configured as separate bodies, and the LED light source is disposed so as to face a part of the lens (that is, the light incident portion). In this embodiment, for example, if the LED light source can be attached to and detached from the lens, the LED light source can be easily replaced as necessary. Therefore, it is advantageous in terms of maintenance. If LED light sources having different emission colors are prepared, illumination light of various colors can be generated, and the illumination body has a rich variation in illumination colors.

  It is preferable to form a light guide path including a protruding portion as the light incident portion. In this mode, the light from the LED light source is taken into the lens through the light guide. By forming the light guide, the luminous flux of the LED light source is adjusted, and unnecessary light components can be removed. A small-diameter cylindrical light guide is preferable. Here, “small diameter” means that the diameter is smaller than the diameter of the lens. The diameter of the light guide path is, for example, 0.1 to 0.7 times, preferably 0.2 to 0.5 times the diameter of the largest cross section of the lens cross section perpendicular to the LED optical axis.

  The lens has a reflective area on the front side. The reflection region is formed so as to surround the front end portion of the lens. The reflection area is a rotationally symmetric convex curved surface whose outer axis is the optical axis of the LED light source, and after radiating from the LED light source, the light that has directly reached through the lens is totally reflected at the lens interface. To focus on the optical axis near the front end of the lens front side. As long as this condition is satisfied, the shape of the reflective region is not particularly limited. A typical example of the outer shape of the reflection region is a rotationally convex paraboloid (rotating paraboloid convex outward). If light parallel to the optical axis is incident on the reflection area consisting of the outer shape of the rotating convex paraboloid, the light generated by total reflection from the lens interface is condensed at the focal position of the rotating convex paraboloid. To do. Note that the reflection region reflects a part of the light that arrives after being reflected by another part.

  Preferably, the entire outer shape of the reflection region is a rotating convex paraboloid. In other words, the outer shape of the reflection region may be configured to be a shape in which a plurality of rotating convex parabolas are gathered. Specifically, a plurality of rotating convex parabolas may be designed so as to be arranged concentrically around the optical axis of the LED light source. If comprised in this way, in each position of a reflective area | region, the reflection and condensing effect | action according to the external shape there will arise, and a 1 or several light emission point will arise on an optical axis. In addition, if each rotating convex paraboloid is designed so that all the reflected light is collected in a narrow area, it is possible to obtain light emission with high luminance.

  The outer shape of the rear side of the lens is not particularly limited, and may be a flat surface or a curved surface. Preferably, a reflective region consisting of a convex curved surface that continuously approaches the front side as it approaches the outer periphery is provided on the back side of the lens. According to this configuration, light in the front direction of the lens is generated by the reflection region, and the light utilization rate is increased.

  The outer shape of the side surface of the lens is not particularly limited. However, in order to suppress the leakage of light from the side surface and increase the light traveling in the front direction of the lens, it is a surface that is parallel to the optical axis of the LED light source, or an inclination that expands the lens from the back side toward the front side. The side surface of the lens may be constituted by a surface having

  As shown in the examples described later, typically, a rotationally symmetric lens with the optical axis of the LED light source as the rotation axis is used. According to the embodiment, the light distribution in the lens is good. Therefore, it is advantageous for generating a high-luminance light emitting point. On the other hand, there is an effect that the design of the lens itself is enhanced.

  The greatest feature of the illuminating body of the present invention is that a light emitting point is observed near the front center of the transparent lens (tip), but the lens itself is also an important design element. Therefore, it is not preferable to cover the lens surface and impair the transparency. In other words, it is preferable that the lens surface be exposed so that high transparency can be obtained. However, the light incident portion is not limited to this because it is advantageous for producing an unexpected effect if the inside of the light incident portion is not visually recognized. In particular, when the LED light source is in-molded in the light incident portion, it is important for the surprising production to prevent the inside of the light incident portion from being visually recognized. In addition, when it is better to positively show the LED light source itself from the viewpoints of design properties and lighting effects, the surface of the light incident portion may be exposed.

The illuminating body of the present invention may be used alone or in combination. In the latter case, an illuminator unit composed of an LED light source and a lens is connected to form one illuminating device. An example of the use of such a lighting device is a chandelier or an object.
EXAMPLES Hereinafter, an Example is shown and this invention is demonstrated in detail.

  FIG. 1 shows an illuminating body 1 that is one embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a side view of the illuminating body 1, FIG. 1B is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, FIG. 1C is a front view thereof, and FIG. 1D is a rear view thereof. The illuminator 1 is used as an illuminator or light emitter for interior decoration or outdoor decoration.

  As illustrated, the illuminating body 1 includes an LED lamp 10 and a lens 20. The LED lamp 10 is a white light emitting LED lamp provided with a bullet-type lens. The directivity angle of the LED lamp 10 is about 90 ° (45 ° on one side). The LED lamp 10 is connected to an external power source (battery, battery, etc.) (not shown). A control circuit for controlling the lighting state is also connected to the LED lamp 10 (not shown).

  On the other hand, the lens 20 is a solid lens made of transparent acrylic resin. The lens 20 is a rotationally symmetric body with the optical axis L of the LED lamp 10 as the rotation axis, and has a substantially egg-shaped outer shape. On the front side of the lens 20 (the lower side is the front side of the lens 20 in FIGS. 1A and 1B), a reflection region 23 is formed so as to surround the lens tip 22. The reflection region 23 radiates from the LED lamp 10, then guides the light through the lens 20 and directly reflects the light directly reaching the lens interface, and collects it on the optical axis L near the lens tip 22. The outer shape of the reflection region 23 is a shape in which a plurality of rotating convex paraboloid surfaces arranged concentrically around the optical axis L of the LED lamp 10 are gathered.

  A light guide 21 is formed in the center of the back side of the lens 20. The rear edge 24 is a plane perpendicular to the optical axis L. The connecting portion 25 that connects the light guide path 21 and the edge portion 24 has a convex curved outer shape that continuously approaches the front side as it approaches the outer periphery of the lens 20. By having such a shape, the connection portion 24 functions as a reflection region for increasing the amount of light traveling in the lens front direction.

The light guide path 21 is composed of a cylindrical protrusion, and its diameter a is about 1/4 of the maximum diameter A of the lens 20 (see FIG. 1B). By forming the light guide path 21, the light flux emitted from the LED lamp 10 can be adjusted, and light components that cause stray light and the like can be removed. The shape of the light guide 21 is not limited to this example, and it is possible to form a light guide that expands in diameter toward the front side of the lens or a polygonal light guide.
A metal material layer is formed on the surface of the light guide path 21 to prevent the inside from being visible. On the other hand, the lens surface of the lens 20 other than the light guide path 21 is exposed.

  The LED lamp 10 is embedded in the distal end portion of the light guide path 21. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent light loss upon incidence. Moreover, the handling of the illuminating body 1 is facilitated, and the design of the illuminating body 1 is improved.

  The diameter of the lens 20 is increased from the back side toward the front side except for the portion where the back side and the reflection region 23 are formed (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). In other words, the lens side surface 26 has an inclination that expands the diameter of the lens from the back side toward the front side.

Then, the illumination aspect of the illumination body 1 is demonstrated, referring FIG. FIG. 2 shows a ray trajectory obtained by simulation under a predetermined condition. FIG. 2A shows the trajectory of the entire pointing angle range, FIG. 2B shows the trajectory in the range of −15 ° to 15 °, and FIG. 2C shows the trajectory in the range of 15 ° to 30 °. The simulation conditions were as follows.
Point light source with directivity angle of 120 ° (60 ° on one side) Refractive index of lens (acrylic resin) 1.49

  First, when the LED lamp 10 receives power and emits light, the light emitted in the direction of the optical axis L and the surrounding light (light in the range of about −6 ° to about 6 °) travel through the lens 20 and the front end of the lens. It radiates outside through the part 22 (FIG.2 (b)). On the other hand, a part of the light emitted from the LED lamp 10 (light in the range of about −15 ° to about −6 °, light in the range of about 6 ° to about 15 °) travels in the lens 20 and is directly reflected. The region 23 is reached (FIG. 2B). The light that reaches the reflection region 23 is totally reflected at the lens interface, and is condensed on the optical axis L in the vicinity of the lens tip 22. Specifically, the light is condensed in a narrow region between the position of the lens tip 22a and the position X slightly behind the lens tip 22a. In this example, the light is most concentrated at the position X, and as a result, the position X emits light with high luminance. As described above, a light emitting point appears in the vicinity of the lens front end portion 22, which is a position away from the LED lamp 10, by the reflection / condensing action of the reflection region 23.

  Here, as described above, in the lens 20, the side surface 26 has an inclination to increase the diameter of the lens from the back side toward the front side. By designing the side surface shape in this way, light of about 15 ° to 30 ° is reflected by the lens side surface 26 portion and converted to light in the front direction as shown in FIG. As a result, the light utilization rate is improved and the lighting effect is improved. Further, part of the light generated by the reflection by the side surface portion 26 is also used for generating a light emitting point. As a result, it is possible to generate a light emission point with higher luminance.

  Further, since the lens 20 is a rotationally symmetric body with the optical axis L of the LED lamp 10 as the rotation axis, a well-balanced light distribution is performed with respect to the reflection area 23 and the light generated by the action of the reflection area 23 is good. Condensed to

  As a result of the above effects, the illuminating body 1 provides a surprising illumination mode in which a high-luminance light emitting point suddenly appears in the vicinity of the tip 22 of the lens 20 when the LED lamp 10 is turned on. In addition, the appearance of the light emitting point in this way and the crystal feeling and transparency produced by the lens are combined to provide a unique illumination mode with a high decorative effect.

  In the illuminating body 1 of the above embodiment, the LED lamp 10 and the lens 20 are configured integrally. FIG. 3 shows an example of an illuminating body in which the LED lamp and the lens are configured separately. In FIG. 3, the same or equivalent members / elements as those of the illuminator 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In the illuminating body shown in FIG. 3A, a gantry 30 having an insertion port 31 is used. The LED lamp 10 is disposed at the bottom of the insertion port 31. In use, the light guide path 21 of the lens 40 is inserted into the insertion port 31, and the rear side 24 of the lens 40 is brought into contact with the upper surface 32 of the gantry 30. As a result, the LED lamp 10 and the lens 40 are temporarily fixed in a predetermined positional relationship. In order to prevent the loss of light at the time of incidence, a concave groove 21 a that matches the lens shape of the LED lamp 10 is formed at the tip of the light guide path 21. The lens 40 of this illuminating body has an oval shape except for the light guide path 21.

  The illuminating body shown in FIG. 3B is an example employing a screw-type fixing method. A fixture 50 having a thread 51 (or thread groove) on the inner wall surface is used. Corresponding screw grooves 61 (or threads) are formed in the light guide path 21 of the lens 60. As in the lens 40 of FIG. 3A, a concave groove 21 a that matches the lens shape of the LED lamp 10 is formed at the tip of the light guide path 21. Similarly to the lens 40, the lens 60 is oval except for the light guide path 21.

  In the two examples shown in FIG. 3, the LED lamp is detachable from the lens, and the LED lamp can be easily replaced. Therefore, maintenance is easy. Moreover, if a plurality of LED lamps having different emission colors are prepared, various illumination modes can be created.

  In the illuminating body 1 of the above embodiment, the substantially egg-shaped lens 20 is used. However, there is no particular limitation on the shape of the lens as long as a light emitting point can be generated near the center of the front end of the lens. Examples of usable lens shapes are shown in FIG. Each of the lenses listed in FIG. 4 is a rotationally symmetric body having a central axis M (which coincides with the optical axis of the LED lamp when an illuminating body is configured in combination with an LED lamp) as a rotational axis.

  In the lens 70 of FIG. 4A, the side surface 71 is parallel to the central axis M. By having such a side surface 71, leakage of light from the side surface 71 can be suppressed, and the amount of light traveling in the front direction can be increased. In the lens 70, the back side 72 is a flat surface except for the region where the light guide path 21 is formed.

  In the lens 80 of FIG. 4B, the reflection region 23 is small and the curvature of the outer shape of the reflection region 23 is large. The side surface 81 is parallel to the central axis M like the lens 70. Further, the back side 82 is a flat surface except for the region where the light guide path 21 is formed.

  One of the features of the lens 90 in FIG. 4C is that it is thin as a whole. The curvature of the tip is the smallest among the examples listed in FIG. On the other hand, like the lens 20 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the back side 91 has a convex curved outer shape that continuously approaches the front side as it approaches the outer periphery.

  The illuminating body of the present invention can be used for various applications such as interior decoration and outdoor decoration. Examples of applications include interior lamps, chandeliers, Christmas tree decorations, and outdoor illumination decorations.

  The present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments and examples of the invention described above. Various modifications may be included in the present invention as long as those skilled in the art can easily conceive without departing from the description of the scope of claims.

The figure which shows the illuminating body 1 of the Example of this invention. (A) is a side view, (b) is a longitudinal sectional view, (c) is a front view, and (d) is a rear view. The light ray locus | trajectory in the lens of the illuminating body of an Example. A point light source with a directivity angle of 120 ° (60 ° on one side) and a lens (acrylic resin) refractive index of 1.49 were simulated. (A) shows the trajectory of the whole directivity angle range, (b) shows the trajectory in the range of −15 ° to 15 °, and (c) shows the trajectory in the range of 15 ° to 30 °. The figure which shows the other Example (example which made the LED lamp and the lens a different body) of this invention. In (a), the LED lamp and the lens are temporarily fixed using an insertion port provided in the frame. (B) is an example employing a screw-type fixing method. Examples of lenses that can be used in the present invention. (A)-(c) are all the side views of a lens.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Illumination body 10 LED lamp 20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90 Lens 21 Light guide path 22 Lens front-end | tip part 22a Lens front-end | tip 23 Reflection area | region 26, 71, 81 Lens side surface 30 Base 31 Base insertion port 32 Base Top surface 50 Fixing tool 51 Thread 61 Thread groove L Optical axis a of LED lamp a Diameter of light guide path A Diameter of lens X Light emitting point

Claims (3)

An illumination body comprising an LED light source and a transparent lens through which light from the LED light source enters from the back side,
The lens includes a reflection region surrounding the front end portion of the front side, and the reflection region is a rotationally symmetric convex curved surface with the optical axis of the LED light source as a rotation axis, and is emitted from the LED light source. After that, the light that has been directly guided through the lens and totally reached is totally reflected at the lens interface, and condensed on the optical axis near the front end of the lens front side,
The outer shape of at least a part of the reflective region is a rotational convex paraboloid shape,
An illuminating body, wherein the lens includes a light guide path including a protruding portion on a back side, and light of the LED light source is taken into the lens through the light guide path. An illumination body comprising an LED light source and a transparent lens through which light from the LED light source enters from the back side,
The lens includes a reflection region surrounding the front end portion of the front side, and the reflection region is a rotationally symmetric convex curved surface with the optical axis of the LED light source as a rotation axis, and is emitted from the LED light source. After that, the light that has been directly guided through the lens and totally reached is totally reflected at the lens interface, and condensed on the optical axis near the front end of the lens front side,
The outer shape of at least a part of the reflective region is a rotational convex paraboloid shape,
The lens is provided with a light guide path composed of a protrusion on the back side, and the light of the LED light source is taken into the lens through the light guide path,
An illuminating body provided with a reflection area on the back side, which includes a convex curved surface that continuously approaches the front side as the lens approaches the outer periphery. The illumination body according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the LED light source is embedded in the light guide path.

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