Lighting device for vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016131818-A1
Application number	US-201514922096-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A light guide plate which guides light from light sources at both ends and reflection surface grooves having plural types of reflection surfaces formed on a reverse side of the light guide plate are provided in a direction perpendicular to a front direction of a suction tool, thereby forming light rays radiating to a floor surface from three directions and lighting the floor surface as the surface to be cleaned in front of the suction tool over a wide range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A lighting device for a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner performing cleaning while a suction tool having a suction port is moved, the suction port sucking dust into a lower surface facing a surface to be cleaned, the lighting device comprising:
a light guide plate provided in the suction tool, the light guide plate extends in a direction crossing a moving direction of the suction tool and parallel to the surface to be cleaned, the light guide plate guiding light so as to be reflected thereinside and emitting the guided light from an emitting surface facing the moving direction; light sources provided in both ends of the light guide plate in the extending direction; and plural reflection surface grooves formed on a reverse surface of the light guide plate which is a surface opposite to the emitting surface, wherein the reflection surface grooves have reflection surfaces reflecting light from the light sources, light reflected on the reflection surfaces and emitted from the emitting surface radiates to the surface to be cleaned from plural directions, and angles made by the reflection surfaces of respective reflection surface grooves and the reverse surface differ from one another.

2 . The lighting device for the vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plural directions are three directions including the moving direction.

3 . The lighting device for the vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 ,
wherein a first reflection surface groove, a second reflection surface groove, a third reflection surface groove, and a fourth reflection surface groove are arranged as the reflection surface grooves, the third reflection surface groove and the fourth reflection surface groove respectively have plane symmetrical shapes with respect to the first reflection surface groove and the second reflection surface groove about a cross section at the center of the light guide plate in the extending direction, the first reflection surface groove and the third reflection surface groove reflect the light in the moving direction, the second reflection surface groove and the fourth reflection surface groove reflect the light in directions inclined to the moving direction which are opposite to each other.

4 . The lighting device for the vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 ,
wherein angles existing inside the reflection surface grooves are defined as inclination angles in the angles made by the reverse surface and the reflection surfaces, the inclination angle of the first reflection surface groove is larger than the inclination angle of the second reflection surface groove, and the inclination angle of the third reflection surface groove is larger than the inclination angle of the fourth reflection surface groove.

5 . The lighting device for the vacuum cleaner according to claim 4 ,
wherein the lighting device is formed by including the light guide plate and the light sources provided in both ends of the light guide plate in the extending direction to thereby shorten a length of the suction tool of the lighting device in the moving direction.

6 . The lighting device for the vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the distance between an end portion of the reflection surface grooves in the moving direction and the reverse surface is increased from the end portion of the light guide plate toward the center of the light guide plate.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakaguchi Tomohisa
• Fujita Masaru

Classifications

• G02B6/0058

  varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide · CPC title

• F21W2131/30

  Lighting for domestic or personal use · CPC title

• G02B6/0073

  Light emitting diode [LED] · CPC title

• G02B6/0038 Primary

  Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide · CPC title

• F21V33/0044

  Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title