JPH039107Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention is a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as LED).
This relates to a traffic or communication signal lamp that uses a light source as a light source.

[Conventional technology]

When an LED is used as a light source in this type of signal light, the structure shown in FIG. 5, for example, can be considered. The configuration of this signal light is that a heat sink 1 is attached to the back side of a board 2, and a large number of
The LEDs 3 are mounted closely and closely together, and a front lens 4 is provided with a lens cut for protecting the LEDs 3 and making the luminous flux emitted from each LED into a predetermined light distribution pattern.

For signal lights with this configuration, LED3
There is a problem in that the luminous flux emitted from the sensor is not effectively utilized. That is, as shown in Figure 6
The light flux a on the front side emitted from the light emitting element 5 of the LED becomes a substantially parallel light beam from the top 3a of the LED 3 and heads toward the front lens 4, but the light flux b emitted in the direction of the side surface 3b is mostly on the front side. Since it is not directed towards the target, it becomes a luminous flux that is not used. In addition, in order to obtain appropriate illuminance as a signal light, the used luminous flux a must be emitted in a contiguous state, so a large number of LEDs must be arranged in a contiguous state, which only increases power consumption. However, there is also the problem that more heat is emitted from the closely packed LEDs, and the heat dissipation plate 1 must also be made of a highly efficient one, leading to an overall cost increase.

Furthermore, as is clear from Fig. 6, the luminous diameter X of the effective luminous flux a emitted from the LED 3 is smaller than the outer diameter Y of the LED 3, that is, the lamp, and even if the LEDs 3 are arranged adjacent to each other, the luminous flux a cannot be emitted from each LED. There is also the problem that the intervals between the effective light beams a are relatively wide, and the brightness unevenness in the front lens 4 becomes large.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

The present invention attempts to solve the problem of not being able to effectively utilize the luminous flux emitted from LEDs, and the problems of high cost and heat dissipation caused by using a large number of LEDs in a crowded state.

[Means for solving problems]

As a specific means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a heat dissipation plate attached to the back side of a board on which a large number of LEDs are arranged, and a front lens arranged on the front side of the board so as to cover the LEDs. A signal light, in which each of the LEDs is arranged at appropriate intervals,
A total reflection lens is attached to each LED through a through hole provided in the center thereof, and the total reflection lens extends from the side to the back so that the luminous flux emitted in the side direction of the LED is totally reflected to the front side. The present invention provides a signal lamp characterized in that the total reflection lens is formed into a substantially parabolic curved surface, and the total reflection lenses are arranged with their peripheral edges adjacent to each other, and the total reflection lens is attached to each of the LEDs. Since the LEDs to be installed are spaced at appropriate intervals, the number of LEDs used is reduced to approximately 1/3, but the luminous flux emitted from each LED in the side direction is effectively reflected to the front side by the total reflection lens. Therefore, there is no reduction in illuminance, and the number of LEDs used is significantly reduced, which is extremely advantageous in terms of cost and heat dissipation.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the illustrated embodiment. Reference numeral 11 denotes a heat sink, and the heat sink is connected to the substrate 1.
A large number of LEDs 13 are attached to the substrate at appropriate intervals, and a front lens 14 is attached to protect these LEDs. The LED 13 includes a light emitting element 15 therein,
The top portion 13a is a rounded lens portion, which is the same as in the conventional example.

Each LED arranged at appropriate intervals
A total reflection lens 16 is attached to each of the lenses 13 . As shown in FIG. 3, the total reflection lens 16 has an arm-like overall shape and is made of a light-transmitting resin or rubber. That is, a through hole 17 into which the LED 13 fits is provided approximately in the center of the total reflection lens 16,
The LED 13 is inserted and attached to the through hole 17, and the total reflection lens 16 has a substantially parabolic curved surface 18 as a whole from the side surface to the back surface.
The parabolic curved surface 18 is configured to reflect the luminous flux emitted from the LED 13 in the side direction toward the front side. Incidentally, reference numeral 19 denotes a bulge portion that protrudes from the back side and along the through hole 17. A total reflection lens 16 having such a configuration is connected to each LED 13.
When attached to the lens through the through hole 17, the total reflection lenses 16 are arranged so that their peripheral edges are adjacent to each other as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The state of the emitted light flux from the LED 13 to which the total reflection lens 16 is attached is as shown in FIG. In other words, the luminous flux a emitted from the light emitting element 15 of the LED 13 to the front side (upper side in the figure) is
It is taken out in a substantially parallel line from the top 13a of the LED 13, passes through the through hole 17, and passes through the front lens 1.
4. The light beam b emitted from the light emitting element 15 in the side direction is totally reflected toward the front side by the substantially parabolic curved surface 18 of the total reflection lens 16, and reaches the front lens 14 as a substantially parallel light beam. Therefore, almost all of the light beam b in the lateral direction, which was not used in the past, is reflected to the front side and is used as an effective light beam.

Furthermore, as is clear from FIG. 4, a total reflection lens 16 with a larger diameter than the LED 13 is attached, and the front side of the total reflection lens 16 is illuminated almost entirely by the light beams a and b. , the emission diameter X of the effective luminous fluxes a and b emitted from the LED 13, and the LED
13 and the outer diameter Y of the lamp including the total reflection lens 16
are substantially the same, and by arranging the total reflection lenses 16 adjacent to each other, uneven brightness in the front lens 14 can be extremely reduced.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, the signal light according to the present invention is a signal light in which a heat sink is attached to the back side of a board on which a large number of LEDs are arranged, and a front lens is arranged on the front side of the board to cover the LEDs. Then, arrange each of the LEDs at appropriate intervals, and
A total reflection lens is attached to the LED through a through hole provided in its center, and the total reflection lens emits light from the side to the back so that the luminous flux emitted in the side direction of the LED is totally reflected to the front side. Formed into a curved surface,
By arranging the total reflection lenses so that their peripheral edges are adjacent to each other, almost all of the luminous flux from the side of the LED, which has not been used in the past, can be reflected to the front side, thereby increasing the overall illuminance. At the same time, it has the excellent effect of greatly reducing the number of LEDs used and reducing the cost of signal lights.

In addition, by attaching a total reflection lens to each LED,
Since the number of LEDs that must be attached to the board is inevitably reduced, the installation work becomes easier, and
Since the power consumption is halved and the amount of heat generated from the LED is also reduced, it is easier to take measures for heat dissipation, and it also has excellent economical effects, such as allowing the size of the heat sink to be made smaller.

Furthermore, since the total internal reflection lenses are arranged so that their peripheral edges are adjacent to each other, the boundaries between the light beams emitted from each total internal reflection lens are almost inconspicuous, and the brightness of the light emitted from the front lens is reduced. It also has the excellent effect of eliminating unevenness and increasing visibility as a signal light.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a partially cutaway front view of the signal light according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a total reflection coating on the LED of the signal light. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the lens, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the reflection state of the total reflection lens, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a possible signal light when an LED is used as a light source, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a signal light used in the same signal light. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a light emitting state of an LED. 11... Heat sink, 12... Board, 13... LED,
14...Front lens, 15...Light emitting element, 16...
... Total reflection lens, 17 ... Through hole, 18 ... substantially parabolic curved surface, 19 ... bed part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A signal light in which a heat sink 11 is attached to the back side of a board 12 on which a large number of LEDs 13 are arranged, and a front lens 14 is arranged on the front side of the board 12 so as to cover the LEDs 13, and each of the LEDs 13 is arranged as appropriate. Each LED 13 has a through hole 17 provided with a total reflection lens 16 in its center.
The total reflection lens 16 is
A substantially parabolic curved surface 18 is formed from the side surface to the back surface so that the luminous flux emitted in the side surface direction of the LED 13 is totally reflected toward the front surface, and each of the total reflection lenses 16 is arranged with the peripheral edges adjacent to each other. A signal light.