Fixation device for flexible light emitting device

The flexible light-emitting device fixing device addresses lateral displacement issues by using long fixing members with connecting holes and pins, ensuring straight-line connections and light-tight seals.

JP2025137100APending Publication Date: 2025-09-19ATEX CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024036105
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-08
Publication Date
2025-09-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional methods for fixing flexible light-emitting devices to structures using straight resin channels are prone to lateral displacement due to individual screw fixation of multiple members.

Method used

A flexible light-emitting device fixing device comprising long fixing members with longitudinal connecting holes and connecting members with pins that fit into these holes, along with a cover member to prevent light leakage, allowing easy connection without lateral displacement.

Benefits of technology

Enables easy connection of multiple fixing members in a straight line without lateral displacement and prevents light leakage at contact points.

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Abstract

To provide a fixation device for a flexible light emitting device which enables a plurality of long fixing members for fixing the flexible light emitting device to a wall surface, a ceiling surface, or the like of a structure to be easily connected without causing lateral slipping.SOLUTION: A fixation device 2 for a flexible light emitting device is used to house a flexible light emitting device 1 in a housing part 20 and fix the flexible light emitting device 1 and includes: a plurality of long fixing members 4 each of which forms a part of the housing part 20 and is cut into a desired length to be used; and a connection member 5 which is provided between the fixing members 4 to connect the fixing members 4 with each other and forms a part of the housing part 20. Each fixing member 4 has connection holes 42 extending in a longitudinal direction and the connection member 5 has pins 52 which are respectively fitted into the connection holes 42 of the fixing members 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixture for a flexible light-emitting device for fixing a flexible light-emitting device such as a flexible strip-shaped LED light to a wall surface, ceiling surface, or the like of a structure. [Background technology]

[0002] When multiple SMD (Surface Mount Device) type LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are mounted in a line on a circuit board and turned on, the LEDs generally emit light perpendicular to the circuit board. In this case, if the circuit board is made from an easily bendable strip-shaped FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit), a strip-shaped light-emitting module can be made that can be bent in the direction of the LED light emission. Many such products are manufactured and sold commercially as tape lights (flexible light-emitting devices) (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, for example, strip lights that can be cut to a desired length and used are fixed to the wall or ceiling of a structure using a long fixing member such as a straight resin channel and used as a lighting fixture (see Non-Patent Document 1, for example). In this case, multiple fixing members are used depending on the length of the strip light cut to the desired length to fix it to the wall or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5031011 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] “TMV Tape Light Indoor”, [online], Atex Co., Ltd., [Retrieved June 20, 2023], Internet<URL:https: / / www.atex-jp.com / list / detail / 1> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventionally, the connection of fixing members such as straight resin channels is performed by arranging multiple fixing members and individually fixing each fixing member to the structure with screws, etc. This has the problem of making the fixing members prone to lateral displacement when connected.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a flexible light-emitting device fixing device that can easily connect multiple long fixing members that fix a flexible light-emitting device to the wall surface or ceiling surface of a structure without causing lateral displacement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The flexible light-emitting device fixing device of the present invention is a flexible light-emitting device fixing device for storing and fixing a flexible light-emitting device in a storage section, and includes a plurality of long fixing members that form part of the storage section and are cut to a desired length for use, and connecting members that are provided between the plurality of fixing members and connect the plurality of fixing members to each other and form part of the storage section, characterized in that the plurality of fixing members have connecting holes extending in the longitudinal direction, and the connecting members have pins that fit into the connecting holes of each of the plurality of fixing members.

[0009] According to the flexible light-emitting device fixing device of the present invention, connecting members are disposed between a plurality of fixing members, and the connecting holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the plurality of fixing members are fitted with pins of the connecting members, thereby connecting the plurality of fixing members in a straight line via the connecting members. Furthermore, when the fixing members are cut to a desired length, the connecting holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixing members are exposed at the cut end surfaces, and by fitting the pins of the connecting members into the exposed connecting holes, the plurality of fixing members are connected in a straight line via the connecting members.

[0010] Furthermore, the flexible light-emitting device fixing device of the present invention preferably includes a cover member that covers the contact portions between the fixing members and the connecting members, thereby preventing light from the flexible light-emitting device from leaking from the contact portions between the fixing members and the connecting members. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] (1) The flexible light-emitting device fixing device of the present invention makes it possible to easily connect multiple long fixing members, which are cut to the desired length, without lateral displacement to form a linear lighting fixture.

[0012] (2) By including a cover member that covers the contact portions between the fixing members and the connecting members, it is possible to prevent light from the flexible light-emitting device from leaking from the contact portions between the fixing members and the connecting members. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting fixture using a flexible light-emitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting fixture of FIG. 1 fixed to a structure. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fixing member of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting member of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting fixture using a flexible light-emitting device in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting fixture of FIG. 1 fixed to a structure, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fixing member of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting member of FIG. 1.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the lighting fixture according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a flexible light-emitting device 1 having flexibility, and a flexible light-emitting device fixing device (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "fixing device") 2 for accommodating the flexible light-emitting device 1 and fixing it to a structure S (see Fig. 2). In addition, a semi-transparent cover 3 for diffusing light from the flexible light-emitting device 1 may be attached to the fixing device 2.

[0016] The flexible light-emitting device 1 may be, for example, that described in Patent Document 1. The flexible light-emitting device 1 is formed by sealing an LED-mounted substrate or the like, on which multiple LED chips are mounted at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of a strip-shaped FPC, with a flexible exterior 10. End caps 11 made of soft synthetic resin are provided at the ends of the flexible exterior 10.

[0017] The fixing device 2 is composed of a plurality of long fixing members 4, connecting members 5 that are provided between the fixing members 4 and connect the fixing members 4 together, and a terminating member 6 that is provided at the end.

[0018] The fixing member 4 is a long, linear member made of, for example, an aluminum alloy, a synthetic resin, etc. As shown in Fig. 4, the fixing member 4 has a housing portion 40 that forms part of the housing portion 20 that houses the flexible light-emitting device 1. The flexible exterior 10 of the flexible light-emitting device 1 is housed in the housing portion 40 through an opening 41.

[0019] The fixing member 4 has connecting holes 42 extending in the longitudinal direction. The connecting holes 42 are provided at multiple corners of a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the connecting holes 42 are provided at both corners on the side opposite the opening 41 (the lower side in Figure 4). The connecting holes 42 are formed so as to penetrate in a straight line from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction. The fixing member 4 is cut to a desired length before use. Because the connecting holes 42 are formed so as to penetrate from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction, when the fixing member 4 is cut, the connecting holes 42 are exposed at the cut end surface.

[0020] The fixing member 4 has a groove 43 into which the semi-transparent cover 3 is fitted. The groove 43 is formed at a position where the semi-transparent cover 3 fitted into the groove 43 covers the flexible light-emitting device 1 accommodated in the accommodation section 40, i.e., so as to close the opening 41.

[0021] The fixing member 4 is attached to the structure S by a screw 7 as shown in Fig. 2. A recess 44 is provided at the back of the storage section 40 (the lower side in Fig. 4) to accommodate the head 70 of the screw 7 so that it does not protrude into the storage section 40.

[0022] The connecting member 5 is a member made of, for example, an aluminum alloy or a synthetic resin, and has the same cross-sectional shape as the fixing member 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the connecting member 5 has a housing portion 50 that forms part of the housing portion 20 that houses the flexible light-emitting device 1. A portion of the flexible exterior casing 10 of the flexible light-emitting device 1 is housed in the housing portion 50 through an opening portion 51.

[0023] The connecting member 5 has pins 52 that fit into the connecting holes 42 of each of the fixing members 4. The pins 52 each protrude from a contact surface 55 (see FIG. 3) that comes into contact with the fixing member 4 to be connected.

[0024] The connecting member 5 has a groove 53 into which the semi-transparent cover 3 is fitted. The groove 53 is formed at a position where the semi-transparent cover 3 fitted into the groove 53 covers the flexible light-emitting device 1 accommodated in the accommodation section 50, i.e., so as to close the opening 51.

[0025] Since the connecting member 5 is short, it does not need to be attached to the structure S with screws 7 like the fixing member 4, but a recess 54 similar to that of the fixing member 4 is provided at the back of the storage section 50 (lower side in Figure 5).

[0026] The terminating member 6 is a member made of, for example, an aluminum alloy or a synthetic resin, and has the same cross-sectional shape as the fixing member 4. However, the terminating member 6 has a accommodating portion 60 with a larger cross-sectional area than the accommodating portion 40 of the fixing member 4 so that the terminating member 6 can accommodate the portion of the end cap 11 that is larger than the portion of the flexible exterior 10 of the flexible light-emitting device 1. The portion of the end cap 11 of the flexible light-emitting device 1 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 60 through an opening 61.

[0027] The terminating member 6 has pins 62 that fit into the connecting holes 42 of the fixing member 4. The pins 62 each protrude from a contact surface 65 (see FIG. 1) that comes into contact with the fixing member 4 to be connected.

[0028] The terminating member 6 has a groove 63 into which the semi-transparent cover 3 is fitted. The groove 63 is formed at a position where the semi-transparent cover 3 fitted into the groove 63 covers the end cap 11 of the flexible light-emitting device 1 housed in the housing section 60, i.e., so as to close the opening 61. In addition, a recess 64 similar to the fixing member 4 is provided at the back of the housing section 60.

[0029] Further, a fixing plate 66 for attaching to the structure S with screws is provided to protrude from the terminating member 6. The fixing plate 66 is provided with openings 67 through which the screws pass.

[0030] Furthermore, this embodiment has a cover member 8 that covers the contact portions between the multiple fixing members 4 and the connecting members 5. The cover member 8 is formed, for example, from a spring material, and is fitted from the outside into the contact portions between the fixing members 4 and the connecting members 5 to cover the gaps at these contact portions. The cover member 8 can also be formed from a rubber material or the like, and can be fixed with double-sided tape. It is also possible to sandwich a rubber seal between the fixing members 4 and the connecting members 5.

[0031] Next, a procedure for attaching the flexible light-emitting device 1 to the structure S using the fixing tool 2 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described.

[0032] (1) Temporary placement The fixing device 2 is temporarily placed on the structure S using double-sided tape in the following order: terminating member 6 → fixing member 4 → connecting member 5. At this time, the multiple pins 62 of the terminating member 6 are inserted into and fitted to the multiple connecting holes 42 at one end of the fixing member 4. Also, the multiple pins 52 at one end of the connecting member 5 are inserted into and fitted to the multiple connecting holes 42 at the other end of the fixing member 4.

[0033] (2) Screw fixing After the temporary fastening, the fixing device 2 is fixed to the structure S with the screws 7. At this time, the terminating member 6, fixing member 4, and connecting member 5 have multiple pins 52, 62 fitted into multiple connecting holes 42, so the terminating member 6, fixing member 4, and connecting member 5 are positioned perfectly in a straight line. Note that the fixing member 4, which requires length adjustment, is not yet fixed.

[0034] (3) Adjusting the length of the fixing member 4 The flexible light-emitting device 1 is temporarily fitted into the fixing fixture 2, and the cutting position of the fixing member 4 where length adjustment is required is marked and then cut straight using a cutting tool. Note that, because the end cap 11 portion of the flexible light-emitting device 1 is housed in the housing portion 60 of the terminating member 6, the cutting position of the fixing member 4 is an inner position taking into consideration the length from the end of the flexible light-emitting device 1 to the end cap 11 portion. In addition, the cut end surface of the fixing member 4 is deburred to prevent scratches on the flexible light-emitting device 1, and lightly chamfered with a drill or the like to prevent the connection hole 42 exposed on the cut end surface from being blocked.

[0035] (4) Screwing the fixing member 4 and the terminating member 6 after length adjustment The fixing member 4 and the terminating member 6 whose lengths have been adjusted are fixed to the structure S with screws 7. Thereafter, the flexible light-emitting device 1 is fitted into the fixing fixture 2 properly.

[0036] (5) Attaching the milk half cover 3 The milk half cover 3 is placed on the fixing device 2 starting from the end. The unnecessary part of the milk half cover 3 is cut straight with a mole cutter or the like to adjust the length.

[0037] According to the fixing device 2 of the present embodiment, connecting members 5 are disposed between multiple fixing members 4, and pins 52 of the connecting members 5 are fitted into connecting holes 42 extending in the longitudinal direction of the multiple fixing members 4, thereby connecting the multiple fixing members 4 in a straight line via the connecting members 5. Furthermore, when the fixing members 4 are cut to a desired length, the connecting holes 42 extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixing members 4 are exposed at the cut end surfaces, and the pins 52 of the connecting members 5 are fitted into these exposed connecting holes 42, thereby connecting the multiple fixing members 4 in a straight line via the connecting members 5. Therefore, according to this fixing device 2, it is possible to easily connect multiple long fixing members 4 that are cut to a desired length and used without lateral displacement, to form a linear lighting fixture.

[0038] In addition, the fixing device 2 can prevent light from the flexible light-emitting device 1 from leaking from the contact points between the multiple fixing members 4 and the connecting members 5 by covering the contact points between the multiple fixing members 4 and the connecting members 5 with a cover member 8.

[0039] In this embodiment, the connecting holes 42 penetrate from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction, but they do not have to penetrate all the way from one end to the other. In short, they only need to extend in the longitudinal direction so that the pins 52 of the connecting member 5 can be fitted into them. Also, in this embodiment, the connecting member 5 has a configuration in which two pins 52 are provided facing each side of the multiple fixing members 4 to be connected, but it is also possible to have one pin provided facing each side of the multiple fixing members 4. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] The present invention is useful as a fixing device for fixing a flexible light-emitting device, such as a flexible strip-shaped LED light, to the wall or ceiling surface of a structure, and is particularly suitable as a fixing device that can easily connect multiple long fixing members that fix a flexible light-emitting device to the wall or ceiling surface of a structure without causing lateral displacement. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Flexible light-emitting device 2 Fixing tools 3. Half breast cover 4 Fixing parts 5 Connecting parts 6 Ending members 7 screws 8 Cover member 10 Flexible outer shell 11 End cap 20, 40, 50, 60 storage compartment 41, 51, 61 Openings 42 Connection hole 43, 53, 63 Groove 44,54,64 recesses 52,62 pin 66 Fixing plate 70 head

Claims

1. A flexible light-emitting device fixing tool for accommodating and fixing a flexible light-emitting device in an accommodating part, a plurality of elongated fixing members that form a part of the housing portion and that are cut to a desired length when used; a connecting member that is provided between the plurality of fixing members and connects the plurality of fixing members to each other, and that forms a part of the accommodation portion, The plurality of fixing members have connecting holes extending in the longitudinal direction, The connecting member has a pin that fits into the connecting hole of each of the plurality of fixing members. Flexible light-emitting device fixing fixture.

2. The fixture for a flexible light-emitting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover member for covering contact portions between the plurality of fixing members and the connecting member.

Citation Information

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