Light guide body, light emitting apparatus, and amusement machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869812-B2
Application number	US-201414553836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Dec 27, 2013
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A light guide body configured to guide at least first and second light having different colors that enter the light guide body from at least one light source has a light exit surface having a light emitting region that emits the first light and the second light from the at least one light source, and a reflection region that reflects, toward the light emitting region, the first light and the second light that enters the light guide body. The reflection region has a first pattern region where a plurality of first reflection patterns that reflects the first light are arranged, and a second pattern region where a plurality of second reflection patterns that reflects the second light are arranged. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, the first pattern region and the second pattern region at least partially overlapping with each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light guide body configured to guide at least first and second light having different colors that enter the light guide body from at least one light source, comprising:
a light exit surface comprising a light emitting region that emits the first light and the second light from the at least one light source; and
a reflection region that reflects, toward the light emitting region, the first light and the second light that enters the light guide body,
wherein the reflection region comprises:
a first pattern region where a plurality of first reflection patterns that reflects the first light are arranged, and
a second pattern region where a plurality of second reflection patterns that reflects the second light are arranged,

wherein, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, the first pattern region and the second pattern region at least partially overlapping with each other, and
wherein the light emitting region forms a shape of an object displayed on a surface of the light guide body,
wherein the object is displayed by at least light having a color obtained by mixing the first light and the second light, by causing a portion of the light emitting region to emit the light having the color obtained by mixing the first light and the second light, and
wherein the portion of the light emitting region corresponds to a region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other; wherein a reflection amount of the first light reflected by the plurality of the first reflection patterns gradually decreases toward a region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other, and
wherein a reflection amount of the second light reflected by the plurality of second reflection patterns gradually decreases toward the region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other.

2. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein, when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, only a part of the first pattern region and only a part of the second pattern region overlap with each other.

3. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 ,
wherein a density at which the plurality of first reflection patterns are arranged and a density at which the plurality of second reflection patterns are arranged gradually decrease toward the region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other.

4. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein surface areas of reflection surfaces of the respective plurality of first reflection patterns and surface areas of reflection surfaces of the respective plurality of second reflection patterns gradually decrease toward the region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other.

5. The light guide body as set forth in claim 4 , wherein widths, in an in-plane direction of the light exit surface, of the respective plurality of first reflection patterns and widths, in the in-plane direction, of the respective plurality of second reflection patterns gradually decrease toward the region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other.

6. The light guide body as set forth in claim 4 , wherein lengths, in an inclination direction in which the reflection surfaces of the plurality of first reflection patterns are inclined, of the reflection surfaces of the respective plurality of first reflection patterns and lengths, in an inclination direction in which the reflection surfaces of the plurality of second reflection patterns are inclined, of the reflection surfaces of the respective plurality of second reflection patterns gradually decrease toward the region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other.

7. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein, when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, facing directions of the reflection surfaces of the respective plurality of first reflection patterns are different from those of the reflection surfaces of the respective plurality of second reflection patterns.

8. The light guide body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first light and the second light are caused to exit from the light emitting region in a same direction.

9. The light guide body as set forth in claim 8 ,
wherein the plurality of first reflection patterns further reflect, in a direction different from that in which the first light is reflected, third light having entered the light guide body from a direction different from that in which the first light enters the light guide body,
wherein the plurality of second reflection patterns further reflect, in a direction different from that in which the second light is reflected, fourth light having entered the light guide body from a direction different from that in which the second light enters the light guide body, and
wherein light guide body is structured to emit the third light and the fourth light from the light emitting region in a same direction.

10. A light emitting apparatus, comprising:
a first light source that emits first light;
a second light source that emits second light that is different in color from the first light; and
a light guide body that guides the first light and the second light that enter the light guide body from the first light source and the second light source,
wherein the light guide body comprises:
a light exit surface comprising a light emitting region that emits the first light and the second light from the first light source and the second light source, and
a reflection region that reflects, toward the light emitting region, the first light and the second light that enters the light guide body,
wherein the reflection region comprises:
a first pattern region where a plurality of first reflection patterns that reflects the first light are arranged, and
a second pattern region where a plurality of second reflection patterns that reflects the second light are arranged,

wherein, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface, the first pattern region and the second pattern region at least partially overlapping with each other, and
wherein the light emitting region forms a shape of an object displayed on a surface of the light guide body,
wherein the object is displayed by at least light having a color obtained by mixing the first light and the second light, by causing a portion of the light emitting region to emit the light having the color obtained by mixing the first light and the second light, and
wherein the portion of the light emitting region corresponds to a region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other; wherein a reflection amount of the first light reflected by the plurality of the first reflection patterns gradually decreases toward a region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other, and
wherein a reflection amount of the second light reflected by the plurality of second reflection patterns gradually decreases toward the region where the first pattern region and the second pattern region overlap with each other.

11. An amusement machine, comprising:
a light emitting apparatus, comprising:
a first light source that emits first light;
a second light source that emits second light that is different in color from the first light; and
a light guide body that guides the first light and the second light that enter the light guide body from the first light source and the second light source,
wherein

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Takagi Yoshihiko
• Osumi Yoshimasa
• Kitamura Norikazu
• Shinohara Masayuki

Classifications

• G02B6/0061

  to provide homogeneous light output intensity · CPC title

• G02B6/0068 Primary

  Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources · CPC title

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title