JP7593248B2 - Illumination structure in the housing - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lighting structure for a housing of an electronic device that irradiates light from a light source such as an LED from the housing to the outside of the housing.

Conventional lighting structures for this type of electronic device are described in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. The lighting structures disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 include a plurality of LED elements (lighting) mounted on a board inside a housing, and an LED lens that guides light emitted from these LED elements to the outside of the housing. The LED lens has a light guide section that guides light for each LED element, and the plurality of light guide sections are connected to each other by connecting sections to form an integrated unit. The lighting structures shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 have a problem in that the light of an LED element leaks into the light guide section of an adjacent LED element. Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 describe partitioning the light guide section with a partition plate to prevent such light leakage.

JP 2019-176027 A JP 2012-230998 A

However, since the LED lens is formed so that multiple light guides are integrated, light may leak as it is guided through the LED lens. In the lighting structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the individual light guides are connected above the housing, i.e., at a position away from the LED elements, so it is difficult for the light emitted from the LED elements to reach the adjacent light guides, and light emitted from the LED elements of the adjacent light guides is unlikely to leak through the lens. However, depending on the positions of the board and other components placed in the housing, there are cases where it is necessary to connect the individual light guides near the LED elements. In such cases, there is a high possibility that the light emitted from the LED elements will be guided from the light guides through the inside of the LED lens (connecting portion) and reach the adjacent light guide, resulting in light leakage.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lighting structure in a housing in which light is unlikely to reach an adjacent light guide section and no light leakage occurs, even if a connecting section is formed in a position close to the light source.

To achieve this object, the lighting structure in the housing of the present invention includes a lens having a plurality of light sources arranged in a row on a substrate inside the housing, a plurality of light guide sections for each of the light sources extending from a light receiving section facing the light source to a light emitting section exposed outside the housing, and a connecting section connecting the light guide sections to each other, the connecting section being a crank-shaped connecting piece consisting of a first arm extending from the light receiving section toward the adjacent light guide section in a first direction parallel to the direction in which the plurality of light sources are arranged, a second arm extending from the tip of the first arm in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a third arm extending from the tip of the second arm toward the adjacent light guide section in the first direction, the tips of the third arms are butted against each other to form an integrated shape, and the third arm engages with a restricting wall formed on the inner wall of the housing.

In the lighting structure of the present invention, the housing may have a first wall parallel to the substrate and a second wall perpendicular to the first wall and extending in the first direction, the light-emitting section may be exposed to the outside of the housing through a through-hole formed in the second wall, the second arm may extend along the second wall, and the restricting wall may be formed to straddle the first wall and the second wall.

In the present invention, in the lighting structure in the housing, another substrate parallel to the substrate is provided inside the housing, and the light guide section has a convex piece that is inserted between the substrate on which the light source is mounted and the other substrate, and may also have a restricting surface that faces closely to an end face of the other substrate.

In the present invention, in the lighting structure in the housing, the light receiving section may be formed by a recess that opens toward the board on which the light source is mounted and into which the light source is inserted.

The present invention provides a lighting structure in a housing that prevents light from reaching adjacent light guides and does not leak light, even if the connecting section is formed close to the light source.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a housing employing a lighting structure according to the present invention, with a part cut away. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a housing employing the lighting structure according to the present invention, with a part cut away. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the lighting structure. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lighting structure. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an LED lens. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the LED lens. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the LED lens. FIG. 8 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the illumination structure. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional front view of the lighting structure. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of the lighting structure. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a portion of the lighting structure. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an illumination structure for a housing according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.
1 and 2 is a box-shaped housing for an electronic device. A main board 2 on which electronic components (not shown) are mounted is housed inside the housing 1. The housing 1 is configured to include a front plate 3 and a lens holder 4 as an inner wall portion along the front plate 3, and is provided with an illumination structure 6 for illuminating the insides of a plurality of through holes 5 formed in the front plate 3.

The front panel 3 is located at the front end of the housing 1 and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. In the following, for convenience in explaining the directions, the long side direction of the front panel 3 is referred to as the left-right direction, and the short side direction of the front panel 3 is referred to as the up-down direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction is referred to as the front-back direction. In this embodiment, the left-right direction corresponds to the "first direction" in this invention, and the up-down direction corresponds to the "second direction" in this invention.

The lens holder 4 supports each component that constitutes the lighting structure 6, and is fixed to a bottom wall 7 (see FIG. 3) of the housing 1.
As shown in Fig. 4, the components constituting the lighting structure 6 are the lens holder 4 located at the bottom in Fig. 4, the lighting board 11 located above the lens holder 4, a plurality of LEDs 12 mounted on the lighting board 11 as light sources, and an LED lens 13 located above the board. The lens holder 4 has a first wall 14 parallel to the lighting board 11, and a second wall 15 perpendicular to the first wall 14 and extending in the left-right direction (first direction). As shown in Fig. 3, the first wall 14 is located below the main board 2 in the housing 1 and is arranged so as to overlap the main board 2 in the up-down direction. The main board 2 corresponds to the "other board" in the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, first and second locking claws 16 and 17 for holding an LED lens 13 (described later) are provided on both left and right ends of the first wall 14, respectively.
A plurality of restricting walls 18 are provided in the left-right intermediate portion of the first wall 14. The restricting walls 18 are arranged in a line at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction, and are formed to straddle the first wall 14 and the second wall 15, extending in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.
A plurality of notches 19 opening upward are formed in the second wall 15. These notches 19 are formed for inserting the front end of an LED lens 13 (described later), and are disposed between the pair of restricting walls 18 and between the rightmost restricting wall 18 and the first and second locking claws 16, 17 in the left-right direction of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the notches 19 in the second wall 15 correspond to the "through portion" as defined in the present invention.

The lighting board 11 is fixed to the first wall 14 of the lens holder 4 by fixing screws (not shown) while being stacked on top of the first wall 14. A plurality of LEDs 12 are mounted on the front end of the lighting board 11 close to the second wall 15 of the lens holder 4 so as to be aligned in a row at regular intervals in the left-right direction. In addition, this front end is formed with a plurality of notches 20 that open toward the second wall 15. These notches 20 are formed so as to be positioned between adjacent LEDs 12. When the lighting board 11 is attached to the lens holder 4, the restricting walls 18 are inserted into the notches 20.

The LED 12 emits light in a direction perpendicular to the illumination board 11 (upward).
The LED lens 13 is molded into a predetermined shape using a translucent plastic material. As shown in Fig. 5, the LED lens 13 is formed of a plurality of light guide sections 21 provided for each LED 12, a plurality of connecting sections 22 connecting the light guide sections 21 together, a first bar 23 on the right end, and a second bar 24 on the left end.

As shown in Figs. 6 to 9, the light guide 21 has a light receiving section 25 facing the LED 12, and is formed to extend from the light receiving section 25 to the light emitting section 26 located at the upper front. The light receiving section 25 is formed by a recess 27 (see Figs. 7 and 9) that opens toward the lighting board 11 and into which the LED is inserted. The recess 27 is formed by a pair of side walls 27a, 27b located on both the left and right sides of the LED 12, and a rear wall 27c located behind the LED 12. The side walls 27a, 27b are placed on the lighting board 11 as shown in Fig. 10.

8, a convex piece 31 is provided at the rear end of the light guiding section 21 and above the light receiving section 25, and is inserted between the lighting board 11 and the main board 2. A restricting surface 32 is formed at the rear end of the light guiding section 21 and above the convex piece 31, so as to face closely to the front end surface 2a of the main board 2.
The front end of the light guide section 21 is formed into a shape that fits into the notch 19 of the lens holder 4. This front end is provided with a semispherical light emitting section 26 that protrudes forward. The light emitting section 26 is inserted into the through hole 5 of the front panel 3 from the rear. Therefore, the light emitting section 26 is exposed to the outside of the housing 1.
Between the light receiving section 25 and the light emitting section 26 in the light guiding section 21, a reflective surface 33 consisting of an inclined surface is formed to reflect the light traveling upward from the light receiving section 25 forward (towards the light emitting section 26).

6 and 7, the connecting portion 22 of the LED lens 13 is formed by butting together a crank-shaped first connecting piece 41 protruding from the light guide portion 21 to the left and a crank-shaped second connecting piece 42 protruding from the light guide portion 21 to the right, and integrating them. The first connecting piece 41 and the second connecting piece 42 are composed of a first arm 43 extending from the light receiving portion 25 in the left-right direction (first direction parallel to the direction in which the multiple light sources are arranged) toward the adjacent light guide portion 21, a second arm 44 extending upward from the tip of the first arm 43 (second direction perpendicular to the first direction), and a third arm 45 extending from the tip of the second arm 44 in the left-right direction toward the adjacent light guide portion 21. As shown in FIG. 8, the second arm 44 extends along the restricting wall 18 and the second wall 15 of the lens holder 4. The crank-shaped first connecting piece 41 and the second connecting piece 42 are integrated by butting the tips of the third arms 45 together.

As shown in FIG. 11, the third arm 45 engages with the regulating wall 18 of the lens holder 4. A notch 46 that opens upward is formed at the upper end of the regulating wall 18. The third arm 45 passes through the notch 46 of the regulating wall 18. Therefore, the notch 19 of the regulating wall 18 can regulate the forward/backward movement of the LED lens 13 relative to the lens holder 4, and the regulating wall 18 can regulate the left/right movement of the LED lens 13 relative to the lens holder 4.

The first bar 23 at the right end of the LED lens 13 is engaged with the first engagement claw 16 provided at the right end of the lens holder 4 as shown in FIG. 12. The second bar 24 at the left end of the LED lens 13 is engaged with the second engagement claw 17 provided at the left end of the lens holder 4 as shown in FIG. 11. The first and second engagement claws 16, 17 are configured as shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the second engagement claw 17. The first and second engagement claws 16, 17 are formed by bending parts 16a, 17a with a J-shaped cross section, one end of which is connected to the first wall 14 of the lens holder 4, and claw pieces 16b, 17b provided at the upper ends of the bending parts 16a, 17a. The LED lens 13 is fixed to the lens holder 4 by engaging the first and second bars 23, 24 with the first and second locking claws 16, 17 with the side walls 27a, 27b at the lower end of the light guide 21 abutting against the lighting board 11.

In the lighting structure 6 of the housing 1 configured in this manner, when the LED 12 emits light, the light enters the LED lens 13 from the light receiving portion 25 of the LED lens 13, is reflected by the reflecting surface 33, and exits the LED lens 13 from the light emitting portion 26. This light is irradiated toward the front of the housing 1 through the through hole 5 of the front panel 3. A part of the light from the LED 12 passes through the side walls 27a and 27b of the light receiving portion 25 and enters the first arm 43. However, since the optical path passing through the first arm 43 is bent at about 90 degrees with respect to the first arm 43 at the connection portion between the first arm 43 and the second arm 44, this light does not pass through the second arm 44. Even if the incident light entering the first arm 43 is strong, since the optical path at the end of the second arm 44 is bent at about 90 degrees with respect to the second arm 44, this light does not reach the third arm 45 from the second arm 44.
Therefore, according to this embodiment, even though the connecting portion 22 is formed at a position close to the LED 12 (light source), it is difficult for light to reach the adjacent light-guiding portion 21, and a lighting structure can be provided in the housing in which no light leakage occurs.

In this embodiment, the third arm 45 of the LED lens 13 engages with the restricting wall 18. Therefore, when the LED lens 13 is attached to the housing 1, the position of the LED lens 13 is restricted by the restricting wall 18, so the LED lens 13 can be prevented from being attached in a bent state or from bending due to deterioration over time. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent a gap from being generated between the notch 19 of the lens holder 4 and the LED lens 13, causing light leakage.

The lens holder 4, which constitutes the inner wall of the housing 1 in this embodiment, has a first wall 14 parallel to the lighting board 11, and a second wall 15 perpendicular to the first wall 14 and extending in the left-right direction (first direction).
The light emitting portion 26 of the LED lens 13 is exposed to the outside of the housing 1 through a notch 19 (through portion) formed in the second wall 15 .
The second arm 44 of the connecting portion 22 extends along the second wall 15. The restriction wall 18 of the lens holder 4 is formed so as to straddle the first wall 14 and the second wall 15.
In this embodiment, since the restricting wall 18 is provided between two adjacent light guiding sections 21 , 21 , it is possible to prevent light from leaking between the light guiding sections 21 .

In this embodiment, a main board 2 is provided inside the housing 1, which is parallel to an illumination board 11. The light guide section 21 has a protruding piece 31 that is inserted between the illumination board 11 (a board on which a light source is mounted) on which the LEDs 12 are mounted, and the main board 2 (another board). The light guide section 21 also has a restricting surface 32 that faces and is adjacent to a front end surface 2a (end surface) of the main board 2.
Therefore, when the LED lens 13 is pressed toward the inside of the housing 1, the restricting surface 32 comes into contact with the main board 2, and the rearward movement of the LED lens 13 is restricted by the main board 2. Therefore, even if the LED lens 13 is pressed rearward, light leakage can be prevented.

The light receiving section 25 in this embodiment is formed by a recess 27 that opens toward the lighting board 11 and into which the LED 12 is inserted. This prevents the light from the LED 12 from entering other light guiding sections 21. The bottom ends of both side walls 27a, 27b of the recess 27 are in contact with the lighting board 11. As a result, the amount of light leaking outside the light receiving section 25 can be minimized, and most of the light emitted from the LED 12 can be guided into the LED lens 13.

1...Housing, 4...Lens holder, 6...Illumination structure, 11...Illumination board (board), 12...LED (light source), 13...LED lens, 14...First wall, 15...Second wall, 18...Regulating wall, 19...Notch (penetration), 21...Light guide, 22...Connecting part, 25...Light receiving part, 26...Light emitting part, 27...Recess, 32...Regulating surface, 41...First connecting piece, 42...Second connecting piece, 43...First arm, 44...Second arm, 45...Third arm.

Claims (2)

A plurality of light sources arranged in a row on a substrate within a housing;
a lens having a plurality of light guide sections for each of the light sources, the light guide sections extending from a light receiving section facing the light source to a light emitting section exposed outside the housing, and a connecting section connecting the light guide sections to each other;
The connecting portion is
a first arm extending from the light receiving unit toward an adjacent light guiding unit in a first direction parallel to a direction in which the plurality of light sources are arranged;
a second arm extending from a tip of the first arm in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a crank-shaped connecting piece including a third arm extending from a tip of the second arm toward the adjacent light guiding section in the first direction, the tips of the third arms being butted against each other to be integrated into one piece,
the third arm engages with a restriction wall formed on an inner wall of the housing,
the housing has a first wall parallel to the substrate and a second wall perpendicular to the first wall and extending in the first direction;
the light emitting portion is exposed to the outside of the housing through a through-hole formed in the second wall,
the second arm extends along the second wall;
The restriction wall is formed so as to span the first wall and the second wall,
Another substrate is provided inside the housing and is parallel to the substrate,
A lighting structure in a housing, characterized in that the light-guiding section has a convex piece that is inserted between the substrate on which the light source is mounted and the other substrate, and has a regulating surface that faces closely to an end face of the other substrate . The lighting structure in the housing according to claim 1 ,
A lighting structure in a housing, wherein the light receiving portion is formed by a recess that opens toward the board on which the light source is mounted and into which the light source is inserted.

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