Lighting device

Abstract

To provide a lighting device which can inhibit light leakage caused by light guide in a wall part of a light transmissive case.SOLUTION: A lighting device 1 includes: a substrate 10 mounted with a light source 11; and a light transmissive case 50 which houses at least a part of the substrate 10. An inner surface 51f of the case 50 has, in a range which light La emitted from the light source 11 reaches and excludes a light transmitting surface 54 which is expected to transmit the light La emitted from the light source 11 to the outside, an uneven surface 53 which has been subjected to surface treatment for forming an uneven shape on the surface. The uneven surface 53 may be a surface which has been subjected to emboss processing or blast processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are charging inlets installed in vehicles such as electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles to supply power to the onboard battery from outside the vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses technology related to a display device that illuminates a display panel with an indicator design from behind, which can be used to display the charging status, etc., in the charging inlet. The display device has a case made of a transparent material and a light-shielding wall inside that prevents light emitted from an LED from leaking to the outside in a specific direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-200365 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the display device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a portion of the light emitted from the LED is guided within the wall of the case and leaks to the outside, which can result in the entire case illuminating.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the conventional technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device that suppresses light leakage caused by light guided within the wall of a light-transmitting case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An illumination device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a substrate on which a light source is mounted, and a light-transmitting case that houses at least a portion of the substrate, and the inner surface of the case has an uneven surface that has been subjected to a surface treatment to create an uneven shape within the range reached by light emitted from the light source, excluding a light-transmitting surface that is pre-designed to transmit the light emitted from the light source to the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lighting device that suppresses light leakage caused by light guiding within the wall of a light-transmitting case. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a charging inlet to which an illumination device according to an embodiment is attached. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illumination device according to an embodiment that allows a tip portion to be viewed. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illumination device according to an embodiment that allows a rear end portion to be viewed. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of an illumination device according to an embodiment with the case removed; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 2B is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device according to the embodiment, corresponding to the VV section in FIG. 2A. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a partially enlarged view of the lighting device according to the embodiment, corresponding to the section VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a partially enlarged view of the lighting device according to the embodiment, corresponding to the VII-VII portion of FIG. 6. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a lighting device according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of convenience and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a charging inlet 100 to which an illumination device 1 according to one embodiment is attached. In Fig. 1, the illumination device 1 disposed inside the charging inlet 100 is schematically indicated by a dashed line.

[0011] As an example, the following describes the charging inlet 100 installed in a vehicle and the lighting device 1 attached to the charging inlet 100, and defines each direction as follows: First, the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction. If the horizontal plane perpendicular to the Z direction is defined as the XY plane, the X direction corresponds to the direction in which the lighting device 1 is attached to the charging inlet 100. The Y direction is perpendicular to the X direction in the XY plane.

[0012] Charging inlet 100 is installed in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and is a connector for supplying power to the vehicle's onboard battery by appropriately connecting a charging connector (not shown) from outside the vehicle. The external charging connector is sometimes called a "charging gun." Charging inlet 100 includes a terminal holder (not shown) that holds multiple terminals, and inlet housing 110.

[0013] Inlet housing 110 is made of synthetic resin, and the front side that is exposed to the outside when the charging connector is connected forms an exterior part, and the back side has a terminal holder attached. Inlet housing 110 has, for example, a cylindrical part 111, a fitting frame part 112, a flange part 113, and a lighting device holding part 114.

[0014] Cylindrical portion 111 has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 111a that individually accommodate and protect the connection portions of a plurality of terminals held in the terminal holder. Each terminal accommodating chamber 111a has a cylindrical shape that allows an external terminal to be inserted therein to be connected to the terminal. Note that inlet housing 110 may have a cylindrical portion other than cylindrical portion 111 in order to conform to the standards of various charging methods.

[0015] The fitting frame 112 is provided so as to follow the outer peripheral shape of the cylindrical portion 111, and fits into a part of a housing (hereinafter referred to as "external housing") provided in the charging connector. When the external housing is fitted into the fitting frame 112, power is supplied from an external power source or the like to the on-board battery, and the on-board battery is charged.

[0016] Flange portion 113 supports tubular portion 111 and fitting frame portion 112. Note that the shape of flange portion 113 shown in FIG. 1 is one example, and the specific shape of flange portion 113 is determined according to the specifications of the vehicle in which charging inlet 100 is installed. The surface of flange portion 113 that is exposed to the outside is exterior surface 113a. In this embodiment, exterior surface 113a is an inclined surface with an inclination angle θ of approximately 20° relative to a vertical plane. The openings of tubular portion 111 and fitting frame portion 112 that open to the outside from exterior surface 113a are charging port 120.

[0017] The lighting device holding portion 114 holds the lighting device 1 so that the lighting device 1 illuminates the charging port 120 of the charging inlet 100. The lighting device holding portion 114 is provided vertically above the charging port 120 of the charging inlet 100 and is a box-shaped portion that protrudes from the exterior surface 113a of the flange portion 113. The lighting device holding portion 114 has an accommodation portion 114a therein that accommodates at least the tip of the lighting device 1. The accommodation portion 114a is open at the back surface 113b of the flange portion 113 opposite the exterior surface 113a, and the lighting device 1 can be accommodated through the open opening.

[0018] Furthermore, the lighting device holding portion 114 has a first lighting port portion 114b that penetrates from the accommodation portion 114a toward the charging port 120. The first lighting port portion 114b is formed at a position that allows light emitted from the first light source 11a of the two light sources 11 provided in the lighting device 1 to pass toward the charging port 120. In FIG. 1, the light La irradiated from the lighting device 1 through the first lighting port portion 114b and the illumination area IA by the light La are respectively illustrated by dashed dotted lines.

[0019] Furthermore, the lighting device holder 114 has a second lighting port 114c penetrating from the housing 114a in the X direction and an indicator display 114d. The second lighting port 114c is formed at a position that allows light emitted from the second light source 11b of the two light sources 11 provided in the lighting device 1 to pass in the X direction. The indicator display 114d is a light-transmitting member attached to the opening of the second lighting port 114c, and the second light source 11b emits light La, thereby notifying the user of the battery's charging state, etc. Here, the indicator display 114d may be provided with an indicator design that indicates the charging state, etc. Alternatively, the indicator display 114d may simply be a light-transmitting member, and the second light source 11b may change its lighting state according to the charging state, thereby notifying the user of the charging state.

[0020] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the lighting device 1 from which the front end portion can be seen. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the lighting device 1 from which the rear end portion can be seen. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lighting device 1 from which the case 50 has been removed. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lighting device 1. Here, the front end portion of the lighting device 1 refers to a part of the lighting device 1 that includes the front end wall 51a of the case 50. Also, the rear end portion of the lighting device 1 refers to a part of the lighting device 1 where the connector opening 22a of the connector portion 22 is open.

[0021] In this embodiment, as described above, the lighting device 1 is attached to the charging inlet 100 to illuminate the charging port 120 of the charging inlet 100 provided in a vehicle. The lighting device 1 includes a substrate 10, a housing 20, a plurality of bus bars 30, a light-shielding unit 40, a case 50, and a packing 60.

[0022] The substrate 10 has at least one light source 11 and the like mounted thereon. The substrate 10 has a roughly rectangular shape with two main planes, a first substrate surface 10a and a second substrate surface 10b (see FIGS. 5 and 6) that are positioned opposite each other. The normal direction of the first substrate surface 10a is the Z direction. The normal direction of the second substrate surface 10b is the direction opposite to the Z direction. The substrate 10 also has two side edges along the X direction and a front edge 10d and a rear edge 10e along the Y direction.

[0023] For example, the front edge 10d may be formed with a tip groove 10c to which a light-shielding wall support portion 42 included in the light-shielding unit 40 is attached. When the light-shielding wall support portion 42 is attached to the substrate 10 so as to fit into the tip groove 10c, a part of the light-shielding wall support portion 42 fits into the tip groove 10c in the direction opposite to the X direction. Therefore, the tip groove 10c can prevent the light-shielding unit 40 from shifting in position relative to the substrate 10 in the Y direction.

[0024] In this embodiment, the substrate 10 has two light sources 11: a first light source 11a and a second light source 11b. The first light source 11a includes a first light exit surface 13a and is disposed on the first substrate surface 10a. The light exit direction from the first light exit surface 13a is the Z direction. The second light source 11b includes a second light exit surface 13b and is disposed on the second substrate surface 10b. The light exit direction from the second light exit surface 13b is the X direction. Here, the light exit direction is synonymous with the normal direction of each light exit surface when the first light exit surface 13a and the second light exit surface 13b are assumed to be approximately flat. The light source 11 may be an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence), or the like.

[0025] The substrate 10 also has a plurality of conductors 12 exposed from at least the first substrate surface 10a. Each of the conductors 12 is in contact with one of the bus bars 30 to supply power to the light source 11. In this embodiment, there are four conductors 12.

[0026] The housing 20 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is an insulating member that holds the substrate 10. The housing 20 has a housing main body portion 21, a connector portion 22, and a plurality of engagement portions 23.

[0027] First, the substrate 10 is inserted into the housing main body 21 through the substrate insertion opening 21a, thereby accommodating a portion of the substrate 10 supporting the multiple bus bars 30. The housing main body 21 then enters the inside of the case main body 51 of the case 50, thereby attaching the case 50 to the housing 20. In this embodiment, the direction in which the substrate 10 is inserted through the substrate insertion opening 21a is opposite to the X direction. The direction in which the housing main body 21 enters the inside of the case main body 51 is the X direction.

[0028] The connector portion 22 is connected to an external connector (not shown) that constitutes part of the charging inlet 100. In this embodiment, the lighting device 1 is attached to the charging inlet 100 installed in a vehicle, and therefore the external connector referred to here is a vehicle-side connector. As shown in FIG. 2B , the connector portion 22 is configured in a cylindrical shape with its axial direction along the X direction and is continuous with the housing main body 21 in the X direction. The interior of the connector portion 22 communicates with the outside through a connector opening 22a and at least partially communicates with the interior of the housing main body 21. The terminal connection portion 32 of each bus bar 30 enters the connector portion 22 from the interior of the housing main body 21.

[0029] When the case body 51 is connected to the housing main body 21, the multiple engagement portions 23 engage with multiple locking claws 52 provided on the case 50, thereby preventing the case 50 from falling off the housing 20. Each of the multiple engagement portions 23 is a rectangular, annular elastic piece that is cantilevered along the X direction. Focusing on one engagement portion 23, the base end in the X direction is a fixed end that is continuous with the outer peripheral surface 21b of the housing main body 21, and the tip end in the X direction is a free end. In this embodiment, with respect to the substrate 10 held by the housing main body 21, there are two engagement portions 23: one that faces the first substrate surface 10a and one that faces the second substrate surface 10b. The shapes of the housing main body 21 and at least one engagement portion 23 are preset so as not to obstruct the travel of light emitted from the first light source 11a.

[0030] Each of the multiple bus bars 30 is formed, for example, by sheet metal processing, and is a conductive member that electrically connects the substrate 10 to multiple terminals (hereinafter referred to as "external terminals") provided on an external connector connected to the connector portion 22. In this embodiment, since the substrate 10 has four conductor portions 12 due to the presence of two light sources 11, there are four bus bars 30 corresponding to each conductor portion 12. All of the bus bars 30 have the same shape. Each bus bar 30 is connected to the substrate 10 in an orientation in which the main plane is parallel to the XZ plane.

[0031] The busbar 30 has a board connecting portion 31 and a terminal connection portion 32. The board connecting portion 31 is connected to the board 10 by sandwiching the board 10 while at least a portion of the board connecting portion 31 elastically deforms. In this embodiment, the board connecting portion 31 is assembled to the board 10 so that a portion of the board connecting portion 31 faces the rear end edge 10e in the X direction. When the busbar 30 is connected to the board 10, a portion of the board connecting portion 31 contacts one of the conductor portions 12 on the board 10. The terminal connection portion 32 is a rod-shaped portion with at least a tip portion exposed inside the connector portion 22. The terminal connection portion 32 connects to an external terminal when an external connector is connected to the connector portion 22. Note that, because the busbar 30 has the shape and function described above, it is sometimes referred to as a "terminal."

[0032] The light-shielding unit 40 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is installed inside a case body 51 that constitutes the case 50 in accordance with the arrangement of at least one light source 11. The light-shielding unit 40 has a light-shielding wall 41 and a light-shielding wall support portion 42.

[0033] The light-shielding wall 41 is a wall portion for separating the first light exit space S1 of the first light source 11a and the second light exit space S2 of the second light source 11b inside the case body 51 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). In other words, when viewed from the first light source 11a as a reference, the light-shielding wall 41 blocks the light La emitted from the first light source 11a from directly heading toward the second light exit space S2. In this embodiment, the light-shielding wall 41 has a first main surface 41a and a second main surface 41b, both of which are approximately parallel to the YZ plane and are opposite each other. When the substrate 10 is placed inside the case body 51, the first main surface 41a faces closely to the tip wall 51a of the case body 51. The second main surface 41b faces the first light exit space S1.

[0034] The light-shielding wall support portion 42 supports the light-shielding wall 41 and grips a portion of the substrate 10. In this embodiment, the light-shielding wall support portion 42 is a pair of support wall portions integrated with the light-shielding wall 41. Each of the pair of support wall portions supports the light-shielding wall 41 at its tip edge portion in the X direction so as to be continuous with both ends of the second main surface 41b of the light-shielding wall 41 in the width direction along the Y direction. In this embodiment, the pair of support wall portions have the same shape and face each other in the Y direction. Furthermore, the pair of support wall portions have gripping portions 42a that grip the substrate 10 by elastic force when the light-shielding wall 41 is arranged so as to cover the first light exit surface 13a of the first light source 11a.

[0035] Here, as described above, the light-shielding wall support part 42 is attached to the substrate 10 in alignment with the position of the tip groove 10c formed in the front edge 10d of the substrate 10. Therefore, it is desirable that the width dimension of the light-shielding wall support part 42 in the Y direction be set so that at least a part of the light-shielding wall support part 42 can fit into the tip groove 10c.

[0036] The case 50 is made of a light-transmitting material and houses and protects at least a portion of the substrate 10. The case 50 has a case body 51 and a plurality of locking claws 52.

[0037] The case body 51 has a tip wall 51a, a first side wall 51b, a second side wall 51c (see FIGS. 5 and 6), a third side wall 51d (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and a fourth side wall 51e. The notation "tip wall 51a," "first side wall 51b," "inner surface 51f," etc. of the case 50 means the tip wall 51a, the first side wall 51b, the inner surface 51f, etc. of the case body 51.

[0038] The tip wall 51a is located at the tip in the X direction. The side of the case body 51 facing the tip wall 51a becomes an opening through which the housing body 21 enters when the case body 51 is connected to the housing body 21. The tip wall 51a faces the second light exit surface 13b of the second light source 11b when the board 10 is placed inside the case body 51, and transmits light emitted from the second light exit surface 13b to the outside.

[0039] The first side wall 51b and the second side wall 51c face each other in the Z direction. When the substrate 10 is placed inside the case body 51, the first side wall 51b faces the first substrate surface 10a and the first light exit surface 13a of the first light source 11a, and transmits light emitted from the first light exit surface 13a to the outside. When the substrate 10 is placed inside the case body 51, the second side wall 51c faces the second substrate surface 10b.

[0040] The third side wall 51d and the fourth side wall 51e face each other in the Y direction. Regarding the dimensions of the case body 51, the dimension in the Y direction, which corresponds to the width direction of the substrate 10, is set wider than the dimension in the Z direction, which corresponds to the thickness direction of the substrate 10, in accordance with the arrangement of the substrate 10 inside the case body 51. In other words, the distance between the third side wall 51d and the fourth side wall 51e is wider than the distance between the first side wall 51b and the second side wall 51c.

[0041] In this embodiment, the inner surface 51f of the case body 51 has an uneven surface 53 in a partial range (see FIG. 5, etc.). The uneven surface 53 will be described in detail below together with the explanation of the principle of suppressing light guide in the lighting device 1.

[0042] As described above, when the case body 51 is connected to the housing main body 21, the multiple locking claws 52 engage with the multiple engaging portions 23 provided on the housing 20, thereby preventing the case 50 from falling off the housing 20. In this embodiment, there are two locking claws 52: one provided on the outer surface of the first side wall 51b and one provided on the outer surface of the second side wall 51c. The position or shape of at least one locking claw 52 is preset so as not to obstruct the progression of light emitted from the first light source 11a.

[0043] The packing 60 is a waterproof member that prevents moisture from entering the interior of the lighting device 1 from the outside. The packing 60 is an annular elastic member that is tightly attached to fit the outer peripheral surface 21b of the housing main body 21. When the case main body 51 is connected to the housing main body 21, the packing 60 seals the gap between the outer peripheral surface 21b of the housing main body 21 and the inner surface 51f of the case main body 51. Note that the area of ​​the inner surface 51f where the packing 60 is expected to come into close contact is not the uneven surface 53 but a smooth surface equivalent to the light-transmitting surface 54.

[0044] Next, the principle of light guide suppression in the lighting device 1 will be described.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the illumination device 1 corresponding to the VV section in Fig. 2A. Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged view of the illumination device 1 corresponding to the VI-VI section in Fig. 5. The cut surfaces in Figs. 5 and 6 include the XZ cross sections of the first light source 11a and the second light source 11b, respectively. Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged view of the illumination device 1 corresponding to the VII-VII section in Fig. 6.

[0046] First, the inner surface 51f of the case body 51 has an uneven surface 53 in a partial range. The uneven surface 53 refers to a surface that has been subjected to a surface treatment to form an uneven shape. In this embodiment, the uneven surface 53 is, for example, a surface that has been subjected to a graining treatment. Note that the uneven surface 53 may be a surface that has been subjected to a blasting treatment, for example, other than a graining treatment. In Figures 5 and 6, for convenience, the portion of the inner surface 51f that is the uneven surface 53 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0047] The partial area of ​​the inner surface 51f where the uneven surface 53 is provided refers to the area where the light La emitted from the light source 11 reaches, excluding the light transmitting surface .

[0048] Here, the range of the inner surface 51f reached by the light La emitted from the light source 11 refers to the range reached directly or indirectly by the light La emitted from at least one light source 11. For example, referring to FIG. 5, the case body 51 accommodates not only the first light source 11a and the second light source 11b mounted on the substrate 10, but also a part of the housing main body 21 with a packing 60 tightly attached to the outer peripheral surface 21b. In this case, the space between the inner surface 51f of the case body 51 and the outer peripheral surface 21b of the housing main body 21 is a narrow space. Therefore, the light La emitted from any of the light sources 11 does not reach the inner surface 51f facing the narrow space, and therefore the uneven surface 53 does not need to be provided.

[0049] The light-transmitting surface 54 refers to a smooth surface that is designed to transmit the light La emitted from the light source 11 to the outside. In this embodiment, the light-transmitting surface 54 includes a first light-transmitting surface 54a that is designed to transmit the light La emitted from the first light source 11a to the outside, and a second light-transmitting surface 54b that is designed to transmit the light La emitted from the second light source 11b to the outside. The first light-transmitting surface 54a is set on the inner surface 51f of the first side wall 51b of the case body 51, over a certain range centered on a region facing the first light-emitting surface 13a of the first light source 11a. The second light-transmitting surface 54b is set on the inner surface 51f of the tip wall 51a of the case body 51, over a certain range centered on a region facing the second light-emitting surface 13b of the second light source 11b.

[0050] The lighting device 1 having the uneven surface 53 on the inner surface 51f of the case main body 51 is held in the lighting device holding portion 114 of the charging inlet 100. When the connector portion 22 is connected to an external connector on the vehicle side, the lighting device 1 is placed in a state where it can be energized, and the lighting device 1 is turned on and off as appropriate. Light La emitted by the first light source 11a upon lighting is emitted to the outside through the first illumination port portion 114b and illuminates the charging port 120. In other words, the certain range on the inner surface 51f that serves as the first light-transmitting surface 54a is at least the range necessary to illuminate the charging port 120. On the other hand, light La emitted by the second light source 11b upon lighting is used for indicator display through the second illumination port portion 114c. In other words, the certain range on the inner surface 51f that serves as the second light-transmitting surface 54b is at least the range necessary to illuminate the indicator display portion 114d.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, within the case body 51, the space sandwiched between the first substrate surface 10a of the substrate 10 and the inner surface 51f of the first side wall 51b roughly corresponds to the first light exit space S1 of the first light source 11a. Meanwhile, the space sandwiched between the second substrate surface 10b of the substrate 10 and the inner surface 51f of the second side wall 51c roughly corresponds to the second light exit space S2 of the second light source 11b. Furthermore, the light-shielding wall 41 provided on the substrate 10 effectively separates the first light exit space S1 and the second light exit space S2. That is, the light-shielding wall 41 prevents the light La emitted from the first light source 11a from entering the second light exit space S2 and prevents the light La emitted from the second light source 11b from entering the first light exit space S1.

[0052] Here, the light-shielding wall 41 can prevent light from being blocked between the first light exit space S1 and the second light exit space S2. However, assuming that the inner surface 51f of the case body 51 does not have the uneven surface 53, the light La emitted from each light source 11 reaches a wide area of ​​the smooth inner surface 51f. As a result, some of the light La that reaches the case body 51 may be guided inside each wall of the case body 51, such as the tip wall 51a or the first side wall 51b, and leak to the outside, causing the entire case 50 to glow. This is undesirable because it may cause a user to see the indicator display unit 114d as if it were lit, for example, when only the first light source 11a is emitting light La.

[0053] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, on the inner surface 51f of the case body 51, the first light transmitting surface 54a and the second light transmitting surface 54b necessary for irradiating the light La to the outside are made smooth surfaces, while an uneven surface 53 is provided in a specified range other than that.

[0054] 6 and 7, focusing on the light La emitted from the first light source 11a, the light La that reaches the first light-transmitting surface 54a is directly irradiated outward. On the other hand, the light La that reaches the uneven surface 53 provided around the first light-transmitting surface 54a is diffusely reflected due to the uneven shape created by the texturing, as shown in Fig. 7. Therefore, the light La is guided within the wall portion, such as the first side wall 51b, where it enters the interior of the first side wall 51b and spreads while repeatedly refracting, more effectively than when the uneven surface 53 is not provided on the inner surface 51f, thereby reducing the occurrence of an incident in which parts of the case 50 outside the desired area are illuminated.

[0055] The same is true for the light La emitted from the second light source 11b: the light La that reaches the second light-transmitting surface 54b is directly irradiated outward, and the light La that reaches the uneven surface 53 provided around the second light-transmitting surface 54b is diffusely reflected. Also in this case, light guiding within the wall portions such as the tip wall 51a is suppressed, reducing the occurrence of an incident in which parts of the case 50 other than the desired area are illuminated.

[0056] Next, the effects of the lighting device 1 will be described.

[0057] The lighting device 1 includes a substrate 10 on which a light source 11 is mounted, and a light-transmitting case 50 that houses at least a portion of the substrate 10. An inner surface 51f of the case 50 has an uneven surface 53 that has been subjected to a surface treatment to form an uneven shape, within a range that is reached by the light La emitted from the light source 11, excluding a light-transmitting surface 54 that is preliminarily expected to transmit the light La emitted from the light source 11 to the outside.

[0058] According to the lighting device 1, as illustrated above, the inner surface 51f of the case 50 has the light-transmitting surface 54 necessary for irradiating the light La to the outside, while the part of the light La other than that incident on the light-transmitting surface 54 is diffusely reflected by the uneven surface 53. Therefore, the incidence of the light La into the walls constituting the case 50 is suppressed, and as a result, light guiding within the walls is suppressed, thereby suppressing light leakage that would illuminate parts of the case 50 other than the desired range.

[0059] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the lighting device 1 that suppresses light leakage caused by light guiding within the wall portion of the light-transmitting case 50.

[0060] Furthermore, the uneven surface 53 of the lighting device 1 may be a surface that has been subjected to a graining process or a blasting process.

[0061] According to the lighting device 1, it is possible to easily form the uneven surface 53 on the inner surface 51f of the case 50, which is capable of diffusing and reflecting the light La that reaches the surface.

[0062] Furthermore, the lighting device 1 may include at least a first light source 11a mounted on the first board surface 10a of the board 10 and a second light source 11b mounted on the second board surface 10b opposite the first board surface 10a of the board 10. The light exit surface of the first light source 11a may face one side wall of the case 50. The light exit surface of the second light source 11b may face the front wall 51a of the case 50.

[0063] In the above example, the light exit surface of the first light source 11a corresponds to the first light exit surface 13a, and the light exit surface of the second light source 11b corresponds to the second light exit surface 13b. Also, in the above example, one side wall of the case 50 that faces the first light exit surface 13a corresponds to the first side wall 51b.

[0064] If there are two or more light sources 11 and the inner surface 51f of the case 50 does not have the uneven surface 53, it is conceivable that when light La emitted from one light source 11 is guided inside the wall of the case 50, it may become difficult to recognize the illumination state of the other light sources 11. In contrast, the lighting device 1 can suppress light leakage caused by light guided inside the wall of the case 50, and therefore, when there are two or more light sources 11, it is possible to prevent the illumination state of the other light sources 11 from becoming difficult to recognize.

[0065] The lighting device 1 may also include a light-shielding wall 41 in which the tip wall 51a of the case 50 and the first main surface 41a are closely opposed to each other, and the second main surface 41b opposite the first main surface 41a is opposed to the light emission space of the first light source 11a.

[0066] In the above example, the light exit space of the first light source 11a corresponds to the first light exit space S1.

[0067] According to the lighting device 1, since it is provided with the light-shielding wall 41 having the above-mentioned specified shape, it is possible to prevent the light La emitted from the first light source 11a from entering the second light emission space S2 and to prevent the light La emitted from the second light source 11b from entering the first light emission space S1.

[0068] The lighting device 1 may also include a light-shielding wall support portion 42 that supports the light-shielding wall 41 and grips a part of the substrate 10 .

[0069] According to the lighting device 1, the light-shielding wall 41 can be freely attached to and detached from the substrate 10. Therefore, the assembly work during the manufacturing of the lighting device 1 becomes easy.

[0070] Furthermore, the lighting device 1 may include a housing 20 that holds the substrate 10. The housing 20 may have a connector portion 22 that is connected to an external connector that constitutes a part of the charging inlet 100. When the connector portion 22 is connected to the external connector, the light La emitted from the first light source 11a may be directed toward the charging port 120 of the charging inlet 100. When the connector portion 22 is connected to the external connector, the light La emitted from the second light source 11b may be directed outward from the charging inlet 100.

[0071] When the lighting device 1 is installed in the charging inlet 100, firstly, the light La emitted from the first light source 11a can illuminate the charging port 120, thereby improving the efficiency of the user's work during the power supply operation. Secondly, the light La emitted from the second light source 11b can be used for indicator display, allowing the user to recognize information such as the battery charge state during the power supply operation.

[0072] In the above example, lighting device 1 is described as being installed in charging inlet 100 of a vehicle and illuminating charging port 120, but this is not limited to this. In other words, lighting device 1 may be used to illuminate something other than charging port 120, or may be installed in various devices other than charging inlet 100 of a vehicle.

[0073] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1. Lighting equipment 10 Substrate 11 Light source 11a 1st light source 11b Second light source 13 Light exit surface 13a First light exit surface 13b Second light exit surface 20. Housing 22 Connector part 41 Blackout wall 41a 1st main surface 41b 2nd main surface 42 Shading wall support part 50 cases 51a Tip wall 51b 1st side wall 51f Inside 53 Uneven surface 54 Light transmission surface 100 Charging Inlet 120 charging port La Hikari S1 1st light exit space

Claims

1. a substrate on which a light source is mounted; a light-transmitting case that accommodates at least a portion of the substrate; an inner surface of the case having an uneven surface that has been subjected to a surface treatment to create an uneven shape within a range that is reached by light emitted from the light source, excluding a light-transmitting surface that is pre-planed to transmit the light emitted from the light source to the outside;

2. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the uneven surface is a surface that has been subjected to a graining process or a blasting process.

3. the light sources include at least a first light source mounted on a first substrate surface of the substrate and a second light source mounted on a second substrate surface of the substrate opposite to the first substrate surface, a light exit surface of the first light source facing one side wall of the case; The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein a light exit surface of the second light source faces a front end wall of the case.

4. 4. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the tip wall and a first main surface of the case are closely opposed to each other, and a second main surface opposite the first main surface is provided with a light-shielding wall that faces the light emission space of the first light source.

5. The lighting device according to claim 4 , further comprising a light-shielding wall support portion that supports the light-shielding wall and grips a portion of the substrate.

6. a housing for holding the substrate; the housing has a connector portion connected to an external connector that constitutes a part of the charging inlet; When the connector portion is connected to the external connector, The light emitted from the first light source is directed toward a charging port of the charging inlet, and The lighting device according to claim 3 , wherein the light emitted from the second light source is directed outward from the charging inlet.

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