Illumination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10234615-B2
Application number	US-201615049981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

An illumination device can include a light source; and a light guiding lens for receiving light from the light source. The light guiding lens includes a light emission portion that extends in a predetermined direction and has a main surface with reflecting cuts, and a light guiding portion provided to the light emission portion at an end portion thereof in the predetermined direction. The light guiding portion is configured to project more than the light emission portion in a thickness direction of the light emission portion and extend along the end portion of the light emission portion. The light source is disposed to face to an end face of the light guiding portion in an extending direction of the light guiding portion, the end face projecting more than the light emission portion. An end face of the light guiding portion has reflecting cuts arranged in the extending direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination device comprising:
a first light source for emitting light towards a first light emission direction; and
a light guiding lens for receiving the light from the first light source and guiding the light to propagate light within the light guiding lens and output the light in a second output direction different from the first light emission direction, wherein
the light guiding lens includes,
a first light guiding portion located adjacent the first light source, the first light guiding portion having a longitudinal axis extending along the light emission direction away from the first light source from a front end portion of the first light guiding portion that faces the first light source to a second end portion of the first light guiding portion,
a first light emission portion having a plate shape and a longitudinal axis extending downward away from a front edge of the first light guiding portion such that light that travels along the longitudinal axis of the first light guiding portion is transferred to the first light emission portion via the front edge of the first light guiding portion to travel along the longitudinal axis of the first light emission portion, and
a second light emission portion having a plate shape and located adjacent the first light emission portion, the second light emission portion having a longitudinal axis extending downward away from the second end portion of the first light guiding portion such that light that travels along the longitudinal axis of the first light guiding portion is transferred to a top front edge of the second light emission portion via the second end portion of the first light guiding portion,
wherein the first light emission portion has a main front surface, and a main rear surface having a plurality of reflecting cuts formed therein to reflect the propagated light into the second output direction, and a front end portion on a light-entering side of the first light emission portion,
wherein the first light guiding portion is located adjacent to the front end portion of the first light emission portion, the first light guiding portion extending along the longitudinal axis of the first light guiding portion a greater distance than a distance that the front end portion of the first light emission portion extends in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the first light guiding portion such that the front end portion of the first light guiding portion has an end face located close to the first light source and the front end portion of the first light guiding portion projects from the first light emission portion to a position closer to the first light source than the first light emission portion along the first light emission direction,
wherein the front edge of the first light guiding portion is located adjacent to the front end portion of the first light emission portion and has a plurality of reflecting cuts arranged side by side along the first light emission direction,

the first light guiding portion projects in a direction away from the main rear surface of the first light emission portion in a direction opposed to the second light output direction,
the second light emission portion has a main front surface, and a main rear surface with a plurality of reflecting cuts formed therein,
the second light emission portion bends along the longitudinal axis of the second light emission portion, and the top front edge of the second light emission portion has a longitudinal axis that is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first light guiding portion,
and
the second end portion of the first light guiding portion includes a reflecting face that internally reflects light, which has been guided through the first light guiding portion in the first light emission direction, in a third direction toward the second light emission portion.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light guiding lens includes
a third light emission portion in a plate shape that extends in the third direction and has a main front surface, a main rear surface with a plurality of reflecting cuts formed therein, and a light-entering front end portion on a light-entering side, and
a second light guiding portion located adjacent the front end portion of the third light emission portion,
the third light emission portion is connected to the second light emission portion on a first side of the second light emission portion that is opposed to a second side of the second light emission portion to which the first light emission portion is connected, and the light entering front end portion of the third emission portion extends along a front end longitudinal axis that is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the top front edge of the second light emission portion,
the illumination device includes a second light source disposed adjacent to and facing the second light guiding portion at one end face of the second light guiding portion, the one end face projecting towards the second light source from a side of the third light emission portion,
the second light guiding portion has a downward facing face located adjacent to the light-entering front end portion of the third light emission portion, and a portion of the downward facing face at a position corresponding to the light-entering front end portion of the third light emission portion has a plurality of reflecting cuts arranged side by side along a longitudinal axis direction of the second light guiding portion.

3. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein
the second light guiding portion is connected to the second light emission portion at an other end portion of the second light guiding portion opposite to the end face of the second light guiding portion, and
the other end portion of the second light guiding portion overlaps with the reflecting face of the first light guiding portion.

4. An illumination device comprising:
a first light source for emitting light towards a first light emission direction; and
a light guiding lens for receiving the light from the first light source and guiding the light to propagate light within the light guiding lens and output the light in a second output direction different from the first light emission direction, wherein
the light guiding lens includes
a first light guiding portion located adjacent the first light source, the first light guiding portion having a longitudinal axis extending along the light emission direction away from the first light source from a front end portion of the first light guiding portion that faces the first light source to a second end portion of the first light guiding portion,
a first light emission portion having a plate shape and a longitudinal axis extending downward away from a front edge of the first light guiding portion such that light that travels along the longitudinal axis of the first light guiding portion is transferred to the first light emission portion via the front edge of the first light guiding portion to travel along the longitudinal axis of the first light emission portion, and
a second light emission portion having a plate shape and located adjacent the first light emission portion, the second light emission portion having a longitudinal axis extending downward away from the second end portion of the first light guiding portion such that light that travels along the longitudinal axis of the first light guiding portion is transferred to a top front edge of the second light emission portion via the second end portion of the first light guiding portion,

wherein the first light emission portion has a main front surface, and a main rear surface having a plurality of reflecting cuts formed therein to reflect the propagated light into the second output direction and a front end portion on

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Osaka Kouichi
• Nakashima Daisuke
• Sone Naoya
• Imazeki Norifumi
• Kawabata Mari

Classifications

• G02B6/0073

  Light emitting diode [LED] · CPC title

• F21S43/247

  with a single light source being coupled into the light guide · CPC title

• F21S43/243

  emitting light from one or more of its extremities · CPC title

• F21S43/241

  of complex shape · CPC title

• G02B6/0018 Primary

  Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide · CPC title