Illumination apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8950896-B2
Application number	US-201113883814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2011
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Feb 10, 2015
Grant date	Feb 10, 2015

Abstract

An illumination apparatus includes lenses, a first casing that has a radiation plane provided with annularly arranged windows for attaching the lenses, respectively, independently, and that has an opening at a position opposite to the radiation plane, and a first substrate associated with each of the lenses and accordingly disposed. The first substrate has at least one light emitting device mounted thereon. The first casing includes a holding portion associated with each of the windows. The holding portion each permits the lens to be attached to the first casing from a side thereof having the opening and also restrains the lens from moving through the first casing toward the radiation plane, and when the lens is attached to the first casing, the lens has an optical axis in a direction having a predetermined angle relative to a center axis of the first casing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination apparatus comprising:
a plurality of lenses;
a first casing that has a radiation plane provided with a plurality of annularly arranged windows for attaching said plurality of lenses, respectively, independently, and that has an opening at a position opposite to said radiation plane;
a first substrate associated with each of said plurality of lenses and accordingly disposed, said first substrate each having at least one light emitting device mounted thereon; and
a second casing closing said opening of said first casing, wherein:
said first casing includes a holding portion associated with each of said plurality of windows; and
said holding portion each permits said lens to be attached to said first casing from a side thereof having said opening and also restrains said lens from moving through said first casing toward said radiation plane, and when said lens is attached to said first casing said lens has an optical axis in a direction having a predetermined angle relative to a center axis of said first casing.

2. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second substrate for electrical connection between said first substrate and another said first substrate, wherein:
said first substrate is configured as a rigid body; and
said second substrate is configured to have flexibility.

3. The illumination apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
said second substrate is bent in accordance with how said plurality of windows are arranged; and
said first substrate is each bent relative to an associated portion of said second substrate at an angle corresponding to an inclination of said lens held by said holding portion.

4. The illumination apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said holding portion each further holds said first substrate to maintain a predetermined, relative, positional relationship with said lens.

5. The illumination apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said second casing includes a pressing portion for pressing each said first substrate that has been attached to said first casing toward said radiation plane when said second casing is coupled with said first casing.

6. The illumination apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said pressing portion is each configured to press opposite ends of said first substrate associated therewith.

7. The illumination apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a heat conducting and elastic sheet inserted between said first substrate and said pressing portion of said second casing.

8. The illumination apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said sheet is generally round, and also has a cut and is thus sectioned to correspond to how said first substrate is arranged.

9. The illumination apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a power supply cable penetrating said first and second casings and thus introduced therein, wherein:
said second substrate includes a pair of connectors for electrical connection to said power supply cable; and
said pair of connectors are provided in a direction corresponding to a position at which said power supply cable is introduced.

Assignees

• Nishimori Naoki
• Matsui Akira
• Masuda Rie
• Ota Jun
• Nakada Sayuki
• Inazumi Shingo
• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Nishimori Naoki
• Matsui Akira
• Masuda Rie
• Ota Jun
• Nakada Sayuki
• Inazumi Shingo

Classifications

• G01N21/9036

  using arrays of emitters or receivers · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• G01N21/89

  in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles (G01N21/90, G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) · CPC title

• F21V5/007 Primary

  Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane (combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008) · CPC title

• G01N21/8806

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title