Illumination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11048034-B1
Application number	US-202016953391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2020
Priority date	Dec 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

An illumination device is disclosed including: a plurality of light guide plate units each including a light guide plate and an LED substrate; and a base to which the plurality of light guide plate units are attached so as to be laid over the base. The attachment surface of the base is divided into sections for attaching the light guide plate units so as to lay the light guide plate units over the base and each section is provided with an IC board for driving the corresponding LED substrate and snap-fit engagement portions for fixing the light guide plate unit to the base. A case for covering the back surface of the light guide plate units formed transparently, and the base is also formed transparently.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination device, comprising:
a plurality of flat light guide plate units each comprising a light guide plate, a light source unit, a cover covering a light emission surface of the light guide plate, and a case disposed on a back surface side of the light guide plate; and
a base to which the plurality of light guide plate units are attached so as to be laid over an attachment surface of the base,
wherein the attachment surface is divided into sections for attaching the plurality of light guide plate units such that the plurality of light guide plate units are laid over the attachment surface,
each of the sections is provided with a circuit board for driving the light source unit, and a fixing portion for detachably fixing the light guide plate unit to the base,
the case further comprises a transparent region on at least an inner side excluding a peripheral edge portion, and
the base comprises a transparent region in at least a portion corresponding to the transparent region of the case.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein
unevenness is positioned on the entire back surface of each light guide plate so that the light guided therein is emitted from the front surface.

3. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the light guide plate units and each of the light guide plates in the plurality of light guide plate units have an outer shape of a regular polygon having an internal angle by which 360 degrees are divisible.

4. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein
the attachment surface comprises a corner portion having a predetermined angle,
the illumination device further comprises a bent-shaped light guide plate unit to be attached to the corner portion, and
the bent-shaped light guide plate unit has a shape obtained by bending the flat light guide plate unit at the same angle as the corner portion.

5. The illumination device according to claim 4 , wherein
the bent-shaped light guide plate unit is formed by butting together end portions of division lines of halved light guide plates obtained by dividing the light guide plate of the flat light guide plate unit into two, and forming an inclined surface with a reflection function at one end portion, the inclined surface with a reflection function being for changing an angle of guided light to cause the light to enter the other end portion.

6. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein
each of the light guide plate units and each of the light guide plates in the plurality of light guide plate units have an outer shape of a regular polygon having an internal angle by which 360 degrees are divisible.

7. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein
the attachment surface includes a corner portion having a predetermined angle,
the illumination device further comprises a bent-shaped light guide plate unit to be attached to the corner portion, and
the bent-shaped light guide plate unit has a shape obtained by bending the flat light guide plate unit at the same angle as the corner portion.

8. The illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein
the attachment surface includes a corner portion having a predetermined angle,
the illumination device further comprises a bent-shaped light guide plate unit to be attached to the corner portion, and
the bent-shaped light guide plate unit has a shape obtained by bending the flat light guide plate unit at the same angle as the corner portion.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Onitsuka Hiroyuki
• Fujita Junya
• Agata Takehiro

Classifications

• G02B6/0095

  Light guides as housings, housing portions, shelves, doors, tiles, windows, or the like · CPC title

• G02B6/0083

  Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like · CPC title

• G02B6/0078

  Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays · CPC title

• G02B6/0021 Primary

  for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses · CPC title

• G02B6/0073

  Light emitting diode [LED] · CPC title