Illumination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11320582-B2
Application number	US-202017098523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 26, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

An illumination device is disclosed that may constitute a partition wall or the like having an impact in a bright and brilliant space. An illumination device according to an embodiment may include: 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.

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, and
each of the sections is positioned on a circuit board for driving the light source unit, and a fixing portion for detachably fixing the light guide plate unit to the base.

2. 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 comprise an outer shape of a regular polygon having an internal angle by which 360 degrees are divisible.

3. 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 comprises a shape obtained by bending the flat light guide plate unit at the same angle as the corner portion.

4. The illumination device according to claim 2 , 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 comprises 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 3 , 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 1 , wherein
a connector of the light source unit and a snap-fit portion engaged with the corresponding fixing portion are positioned on the back surface of each of the light guide plate units,
each of the fixing portions is a snap-fit engagement portion engaged with the corresponding snap-fit portion, and
a connector of each of the circuit boards is positioned on the attachment surface at a position facing the connector of the light source unit of the corresponding light guide plate unit that is in a state of being fixed by the fixing portion.

7. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein
a connector of the light source unit and a snap-fit portion engaged with the corresponding fixing portion are positioned on the back surface of each of the light guide plate units,
each of the fixing portions is a snap-fit engagement portion engaged with the corresponding snap-fit portion, and
a connector of each of the circuit boards is positioned on the attachment surface at a position facing the connector of the light source unit of the corresponding light guide plate unit that is in a state of being fixed by the fixing portion.

8. The illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein
a connector of the light source unit and a snap-fit portion engaged with the corresponding fixing portion are positioned on the back surface of each of the light guide plate units,
each of the fixing portions is a snap-fit engagement portion engaged with the corresponding snap-fit portion, and
a connector of each of the circuit boards is positioned on the attachment surface at a position facing the connector of the light source unit of the corresponding light guide plate unit that is in a state of being fixed by the fixing portion.

9. The illumination device according to claim 4 , wherein
a connector of the light source unit and a snap-fit portion engaged with the corresponding fixing portion are positioned on the back surface of each of the light guide plate units,
each of the fixing portions is a snap-fit engagement portion engaged with the corresponding snap-fit portion, and
a connector of each of the circuit boards is positioned on the attachment surface at a position facing the connector of the light source unit of the corresponding light guide plate unit that is in a state of being fixed by the fixing portion.

10. The illumination device according to claim 5 , further comprising
a support that slidably supports the corresponding circuit board with respect to the base.

11. The illumination device according to claim 6 , wherein
the support is arranged with an opening for exposing the connector of the circuit board, and a guide pin or a guide hole of the light guide plate unit that is positioned on a straight line in the sliding direction passing through the opening on a surface facing the light guide plate unit,
an opening for exposing the connector of the light source unit and a guide hole or a guide shaft that is positioned on a straight line passing through the opening and that is engaged with the guide pin or the guide hole of the support are provided on a back surface of each of the light guide plate units, and
the guide pin or the guide hole of the support and the guide hole or the guide shaft of the light guide plate unit are engaged with each other before the connector of the light source unit and the connector of the circuit board are fitted to each other.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Onitsuka Hiroyuki
• Fujita Junya
• Agata Takehiro

Classifications

• G02B6/0078 Primary

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

• G07F17/3211

  Display means · CPC title

• G02B6/0095

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

• G07F17/3216

  Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects · CPC title

• G02B6/0021

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