Surface light emitting unit and surface light emitting device

Abstract

To provide a surface light emitting unit whose strength can be enhanced while manufacturing cost is reduced.SOLUTION: A surface light emitting unit comprises: a light source part 3 including a plurality of light sources 2; a surface light emitting part 5 including a plurality of light guide lenses 4 radially arranged in a plane around the light source part 3; and a case 6 housing the plurality of light sources 2 and the plurality of light guide lenses 4 on the inside. The plurality of light sources 2 emit light L toward radial directions from positions opposed to the plurality of light guide lenses 4, respectively. The plurality of light guide lenses 4 have: incidence surfaces 4a for making the light L emitted from the light sources 2, incident on the inside; reflection surfaces 4b for reflecting the light L incident from the incidence surfaces 4a, to a front side from a back side; and emission surfaces 4c for emitting the light L reflected by the reflection surfaces 4b, to the outside from the front side. The case 6 has a plurality of reflectors 6b opposed to the back side of the plurality of light guide lenses 4. The light L emitted from the back side of the plurality of light guide lenses 4 is reflected toward the front side of the light guide lenses 4 by the reflectors 6b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a surface light-emitting unit and a surface light-emitting device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there is a surface light emitting device that combines a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED) with a plate-shaped light guide lens (light guide plate) (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] Specifically, Patent Document 1 below discloses a surface lighting device that includes a light guide plate with holes provided at positions away from the outer edge and an LED light source unit attached to the holes in the light guide plate, and the light guide plate emits light from the surface of the light from the LEDs that enters from inside the holes. Also, the invention described in Patent Document 1 uses a plurality of surface lighting devices arranged side by side on a surface to illuminate a signboard.

[0004] The LED light source unit comprises a case open on one side and a lid, within which a number of boards mounted with LEDs are arranged to form a polygon, and is attached to the light guide plate so that the case and lid sandwich the periphery of a hole formed in the light guide plate, with the LEDs facing the inner surface of the hole in the light guide plate when attached, a cable carrying AC current is connected to the case, and a power supply circuit is built into the case that converts AC current to DC current and supplies it to the LEDs, there are two cables, an input cable and an output cable, and connectors are provided at the tip of each cable, and the LED light source units can be freely linked together by connecting the output cable of one LED light source unit to the input cable of another LED light source unit with the connector, and within the case another LED is arranged facing one side inside the boards arranged to form a polygon, and the lid is translucent. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5374267 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, in addition to the multiple LEDs that emit light radially from the center toward the periphery, an LED for emitting light from the center is also arranged inside the case. However, with this configuration, the manufacturing cost increases due to the increased number of light sources.

[0007] In addition, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the light is scattered and reflected by the action of a light reflector and dots provided on the back side of the light guide plate, causing the front side of the light guide plate to emit light uniformly. However, with such a configuration, it is difficult to increase the mechanical strength of the surface lighting device. Therefore, when used to illuminate a signboard, multiple surface lighting devices are installed side by side inside the main frame and cover that make up the signboard, thereby protecting the surface lighting devices.

[0008] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a surface-emitting unit that can increase its strength while reducing manufacturing costs, and a surface-emitting device equipped with such a surface-emitting unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means. [1] A light source unit including a plurality of light sources; a surface light emitting unit including a plurality of light guide lenses arranged radially within a plane centered on the light source unit; a housing that houses the plurality of light sources and the plurality of light guide lenses therein, the plurality of light sources emit light in a radiation direction from positions facing the plurality of light guide lenses, the plurality of light guide lenses each have an incident surface through which light emitted from the light source enters the interior, a reflecting surface that reflects the light incident from the incident surface from the back side to the front side, and an exit surface that emits the light reflected by the reflecting surface from the front side to the outside, The surface-emitting unit is characterized in that the housing has a plurality of reflectors facing the rear sides of the plurality of light-guiding lenses, and light emitted from the rear sides of the light-guiding lenses is reflected by the reflectors toward the front sides of the light-guiding lenses. [2] The reflecting surface is inclined so that the thickness of the light guide lens decreases from the incident surface toward the radiation direction, The surface-emitting unit according to [1], wherein the reflector is provided at an angle opposite to the reflective surface of the light-guiding lens. [3] The housing has a central space in a central portion of its surface that is formed by the entrance surfaces of the plurality of light guide lenses surrounding the periphery of the light source unit, The surface-emitting unit described in [1] above is characterized in that the plurality of light sources are arranged in the central space. [4] The surface-emitting unit according to [3], wherein the housing has a plurality of partition walls that separate adjacent ones of the plurality of light-guiding lenses. [5] A lens body fitted into the central space, The surface-emitting unit described in [3] is characterized in that the lens body has an exit surface that emits light to the front side, and a portion of the light emitted from the multiple light sources enters the interior and then exits to the outside from the exit surface. [6] A diffusing lens covering the surfaces of the plurality of light guide lenses and the lens body is provided, The surface-emitting unit described in [5] above, characterized in that the diffusion lens transmits light emitted from the plurality of light-guiding lenses and the emission surface of the lens body while diffusing the light. [7] The light source unit includes a flexible wiring board on which the plurality of light sources are mounted; a support member for supporting the flexible wiring board; the flexible wiring board has a plurality of bent pieces provided so as to be freely bent in correspondence with the plurality of light sources, The surface-emitting unit described in [3] is characterized in that the support member has a plurality of support walls facing the surface of the folded piece opposite the surface on which the light source is mounted, and a plurality of partition walls extending radially to separate each adjacent one of the plurality of light sources. [8] A surface light-emitting unit according to any one of [1] to [7], A surface light emitting device characterized in that a plurality of the surface light emitting units are arranged side by side on a surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the present invention provides a surface light-emitting unit that can be manufactured at reduced cost while increasing its strength, and a surface light-emitting device including such a surface light-emitting unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vehicle equipped with a surface light emitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of a surface light-emitting unit constituting the surface light-emitting device shown in FIG. 1, seen from the front side. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of a surface light-emitting unit constituting the surface light-emitting device shown in FIG. 1, seen from the back side. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a surface light-emitting unit that constitutes the surface light-emitting device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the surface light-emitting unit taken along line AA shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the surface light-emitting unit of a circled portion C shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the surface light-emitting unit taken along line BB shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the surface light-emitting unit of FIG. 7 showing a boxed portion D. [Figure 9]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the light source unit shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the flexible wiring board shown in FIG. 9, seen from the back side. [Figure 11] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the flexible wiring board shown in FIG. 9 is supported by a support member. [Figure 12] 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the surface light-emitting unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 13] 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the light source unit shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are plan views illustrating examples of other shapes of the surface-emitting unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the dimensions of the components may be shown at different scales to make them easier to see, and the dimensional ratios of the components may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

[0013] As one embodiment of the present invention, a surface light emitting device 100 including a surface light emitting unit 1 shown in, for example, FIGS. 1 to 14 will be described.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vehicle T equipped with a surface-emitting device 100. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a surface-emitting unit 1 constituting the surface-emitting device 100, as seen from the front side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the surface-emitting unit 1 constituting the surface-emitting device 100, as seen from the back side. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the surface-emitting unit 1 constituting the surface-emitting device 100. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the surface-emitting unit 1 taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the surface-emitting unit 1, enlarging an enclosed portion C in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the surface-emitting unit 1 taken along line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the surface-emitting unit 1, enlarging an enclosed portion D in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the light source unit 3. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the flexible wiring board 8, as seen from the back side. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the flexible wiring board 8 is supported by a support member 9. FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of the surface-emitting unit 1. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the light source unit 3. FIG. 14 is a plan view illustrating another example of the surface-emitting unit 1. In FIG.

[0015] In addition, in the drawings shown below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set up, and the X-axis direction is shown as the first direction (vertical direction) within the plane of the surface-emitting unit 1A, the Y-axis direction is shown as the second direction (horizontal direction) within the plane of the surface-emitting unit 1A that is perpendicular to the first direction, and the Z-axis direction is shown as the third direction (thickness direction) that is perpendicular to the plane of the surface-emitting unit 1.

[0016] 1, the surface light emitting device 100 of this embodiment emits light onto the floor surface inside the vehicle T. Specifically, this surface light emitting device 100 includes the surface light emitting unit 1 of this embodiment, and is configured by arranging a plurality of these surface light emitting units 1 side by side on the floor surface.

[0017] In the surface emitting device 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to illuminate the floor surface by causing the surface emitting units 1 to emit light. In addition, in the surface emitting device 100 of this embodiment, it is also possible to partially illuminate the floor surface or switch the illuminance and luminous color of the floor surface by controlling the lighting state of each surface emitting unit 1.

[0018] The surface-emitting unit 1 of this embodiment will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2 to 8, the surface-emitting unit 1 of this embodiment includes a light source section 3 including a plurality of (four in this embodiment) light sources 2, a surface-emitting section 5 including a plurality of (four in this embodiment) light-guiding lenses 4 arranged radially in a plane centered on the light source section 3, a housing 6 that houses the plurality of light sources 2 and the plurality of light-guiding lenses 4 inside, and a diffusing lens 7 that covers the surface of the housing 6.

[0020] The plurality of light sources 2 are made up of light emitting elements such as LEDs that emit white light (hereinafter simply referred to as "light") L. The plurality of light sources 2 are located in a central space K1 provided in the center of the surface of the housing 6, and are arranged opposite the plurality of light guiding lenses 4, respectively.

[0021] As a result, in the light source unit 3, light L is radially emitted from each light source 2 toward each light guiding lens 4. In other words, the multiple light sources 2 are arranged to radially emit light L from positions facing each of the multiple light guiding lenses 4 in a radiation direction within a plane centered on the light source unit 3.

[0022] The light source 2 is not limited to emitting white light as described above, but may also emit light of other colors. Furthermore, the light source 2 is not limited to being made up of one light-emitting element, but may also be made up of multiple light-emitting elements.

[0023] Furthermore, the light source 2 can be configured to include a red light-emitting element that emits red light, a green light-emitting element that emits green light, and a blue light-emitting element that emits blue light, and to emit light L of a color tone (emission color) according to the proportion of color light emitted from each light-emitting element.

[0024] The light guide lenses 4 are made of a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin such as polycarbonate or acrylic, or glass. The light guide lenses 4 are made of light guide plates each having the same substantially rectangular shape. The light guide lenses 4 are arranged radially within a plane centered on the light source unit 3, thereby forming a rectangular surface light-emitting unit 5 with a substantially circular opening in the center in a plan view.

[0025] Each light-guiding lens 4 has an incident surface 4a through which light L emitted from the light source 2 enters the interior, a reflecting surface 4b that reflects the light L incident from the incident surface 4a from the back (rear) side to the front (surface) side, and an exit surface 4c that emits the light reflected by the reflecting surface 4b from the front (surface) side to the outside.

[0026] The incident surface 4a is configured as a flat or curved surface by cutting out the end (corner) of the light guide lens 4 on the side facing the light source 2. In this embodiment, the incident surface 4a is configured as a concave curved surface that is curved in an arc shape around the light source 2 in a plan view.

[0027] Furthermore, the central portion within the plane of the housing 6 is surrounded by the incident surfaces 4a of the light guide lenses 4, thereby forming the above-mentioned central space K1 that opens in a substantially circular shape in plan view.

[0028] The reflecting surface 4b is configured as an inclined surface in which the thickness of the light guiding lens 4 decreases from the incident surface 4a toward the radiation direction. That is, the reflecting surface 4b is inclined so that the thickness decreases from the incident surface 4a toward the three ends (corners) on the opposite side to the side facing the light source 2.

[0029] The reflecting surface 4b may be configured to have a plurality of reflection cutouts (not shown) that reflect the light L incident on the rear side of the light guide lens 4 toward the front side of the light guide lens 4.

[0030] The multiple reflection cuts need only reflect L incident on the back side of the light-guiding lens 4 at an angle that causes it to exit (transmit) from the front side of the light-guiding lens 4 to the outside, and there are no particular limitations on their shape, size, number, etc.

[0031] The light emitting surface 4c is formed by a flat surface parallel to the surface of the housing 6. The light guiding lenses 4 are arranged side by side in the same plane so that the light emitting surfaces 4c of the lenses are flush with each other.

[0032] In the surface light emitting unit 5, light L radially emitted from each light source 2 enters the interior from the incident surface 4a of each light guiding lens 4. The light L incident from the incident surface 4a is guided toward the respective radiation directions while diffusing radially in the in-plane direction inside each light guiding lens 4. Furthermore, the light L incident on the back side of each light guiding lens 4 is reflected by the reflective surface 4b of each light guiding lens 4 toward the front side of each light guiding lens 4. The light L reflected by the reflective surface 4b is guided toward the front side of each light guiding lens 4, and then emitted to the outside from the exit surface 4c of each light guiding lens 4. This makes it possible for the surface light emitting unit 5 to emit light from the exit surface 4c of each light guiding lens 4.

[0033] As shown in Figures 9 to 12, the light source unit 3 includes a flexible wiring board (hereinafter referred to as "FPC") 8 on which multiple light sources 2 are mounted, a support member 9 that supports the FPC 8, and a lens body 10 that is fitted into the central space K1 with the support member 9 sandwiched between the FPC 8 and the lens body 10.

[0034] The FPC 8 is made of a substantially disk-shaped printed wiring board on which a plurality of wiring patterns (not shown) electrically connected to each light source 2 are provided between flexible insulating films.

[0035] The FPC 8 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) bending pieces 8a that are provided so as to be freely bendable in correspondence with each of the plurality of light sources 2. Each bending piece 8a is formed into a rectangular flat plate by cutting out the periphery thereof, and is bent at a right angle (90°) to the surface of the FPC 8. In addition, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) openings 8b are formed in the FPC 8 in a radial pattern within the surface of the FPC 8 by cutting out the periphery of each bending piece 8a.

[0036] The plurality of light sources 2 are mounted on one surface (front surface) of each bent piece 8a, and are arranged to face the entrance surface 4a of each light guide lens 4.

[0037] Furthermore, a plurality of connectors 11 (two in this embodiment) are arranged on the back surface of the FPC 8 to be electrically connected to a wiring cord (not shown) for external connection. The plurality of connectors 11 are electrically connected to a wiring pattern (not shown) that is electrically connected to each of the light sources 2 described above. In this embodiment, the two connectors 11 are located on the outer periphery of the FPC 8 and attached facing each other.

[0038] The support member 9 is made of a reflective material with light diffusibility, such as white resin, and has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) support walls 9a facing the other surface (rear surface) of each bent piece 8a, and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) partition walls 9b extending radially to separate adjacent ones of the plurality of light sources 2.

[0039] The support member 9 is disposed opposite the surface of the FPC 8, and supports each of the bent pieces 8a in a bent state by attaching the back surface of each bent piece 8a to the support wall 9a. The support member 9 also reflects light L that is radially emitted from each light source 2 and that enters the partition wall 9b toward the incident surface 4a of each light guide lens 4 while diffusing the light L.

[0040] The lens body 10 is made of the same light-transmitting material as the above-described light guide lens 4. The lens body 10 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) peripheral wall portions 10a that surround the peripheries of the plurality of light sources 2 (light source units 3), and a top wall portion 10b that covers the top surfaces of the plurality of peripheral wall portions 10a.

[0041] Each peripheral wall portion 10a faces the incident surface 4a of each light guide lens 4 and constitutes a lens surface that transmits the light L emitted from each light source 2 toward the incident surface 4a of each light guide lens 4. The top wall portion 10b has an exit surface 10c that causes a portion of the light L emitted from each light source 2 to enter the inside of the lens body 10 and then exits from the front (surface) side to the outside.

[0042] The light exit surface 10c is formed by a flat surface parallel to the plane of the housing 6. The lens body 10 is fitted into the central space K1, and is arranged so that the light exit surface 10c is flush with the light exit surfaces 4c of the plurality of light guide lenses 4.

[0043] The lens body 10 has a pair of locking pieces 10d located at the lower end of each peripheral wall portion 10a and locked around each opening 8b of the FPC 8. The pair of locking pieces 10d protrude from the lower end of each peripheral wall portion 10a and have a hook shape that is bent in opposite directions along the lower end of each peripheral wall portion 10a.

[0044] The lens body 10 is attached integrally with the FPC 8 by engaging a pair of locking pieces 10d around the periphery of each opening 8b of the FPC 8 with the support member 9 sandwiched between the lens body 10 and the FPC 8. The lens body 10 is fitted into the central space K1 and closes this central space K1.

[0045] The housing 6 is made of a reflective material having light diffusibility, such as white resin, etc. The housing 6 is formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate corresponding to the outer shape (outline) of the plurality of light guide lenses 4 (surface light emitting units 5).

[0046] The housing 6 has, on its front (surface) side, a central recess 6a in which the FPC 8 is housed, multiple (four in this embodiment) reflectors 6b facing the back sides of the multiple light-guiding lenses 4, an outer peripheral wall 6c surrounding the outer shapes of the multiple light-guiding lenses 4, and multiple (four in this embodiment) partition walls 6d separating adjacent ones of the multiple light-guiding lenses 4.

[0047] The light guide lenses 4 are accommodated in a plurality of (four in this embodiment) peripheral spaces K2 formed by the outer peripheral wall 6c and the partition walls 6d, and are fitted into the peripheral spaces K2. The edge of each light guide lens 4 is provided with a step 4d with which the outer peripheral wall 6c and the partition walls 6d engage.

[0048] Each reflector 6b is inclined in the opposite direction to, and in contact with, the reflecting surface 4b of each light guiding lens 4. This allows the housing 6 to accommodate each light guiding lens 4 in each peripheral space K2 while supporting the back side of each light guiding lens 4.

[0049] In the housing 6, the light L emitted from the back side of each light guiding lens 4 is reflected by each reflector 6b toward the front side of each light guiding lens 4. This makes it possible to improve the utilization efficiency of the light L guided inside each light guiding lens 4.

[0050] In addition, in the housing 6, the light guide lenses 4 housed in each peripheral space K2 are separated by partition walls 6d, making it possible to prevent leakage light from entering between adjacent light guide lenses 4.

[0051] The housing 6 is provided with a pair of holes 6e through which the pair of connectors 11 pass. In addition, the rear (back) side of the housing 6 is provided with grooves 6f through which the wiring cords connected to the pair of connectors 11 are routed.

[0052] The grooves 6f are provided so as to cut out from the center of the rear (back) side of the housing 6 including the pair of holes 6e toward the center end of each side of the housing 6. Note that the shape of the grooves 6f is not limited to this shape and can be changed as appropriate.

[0053] In the surface light emitting device 100 of this embodiment, the adjacent surface light emitting units 1 can be electrically connected to each other via wiring cords through the grooves 6f.

[0054] The diffusing lens 7 is made of a light diffusing material in which light-diffusing particles are dispersed in a transparent resin, for example. The diffusing lens 7 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape corresponding to the outer shape (outline) of the housing 6. The diffusing lens 7 is attached to the housing 6 in a state where it covers the surfaces of the plurality of light guide lenses 4 and the lens body 10 (the front side of the housing 6).

[0055] The diffusing lens 7 can be attached to the housing 6 by screwing or gluing. The diffusing lens 7 is not limited to the one made of the light diffusing material described above, and may be made of a light-transmitting material and have a diffusing portion provided on one surface thereof.

[0056] The diffusion portion may be, for example, an uneven structure formed by applying a texturing process, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a diffusion portion on the exit surfaces 4c and 10c of the light guide lenses 4 and the lens body 10.

[0057] The diffusing lens 7 transmits and diffuses the light L emitted from the plurality of light guide lenses 4 and the emission surfaces 4c, 10c of the lens body 10. This allows the diffusing lens 7 to emit light from its surface more uniformly.

[0058] In the surface-emitting unit 1 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, a plurality of light sources 2 are provided in the center of the surface of the above-described housing 6, and a plurality of light guide lenses 4 are arranged radially around the light source units 3, and it is possible to make each of the light guide lenses 4 emit light uniformly on its surface by utilizing the light L emitted from each of the light sources 2. In addition, it is possible to make the lens body 10 provided in the center of the surface of the housing 6 emit light uniformly on its surface together with the plurality of light guide lenses 4 by utilizing a portion of the light L emitted from the plurality of light sources 2.

[0059] As a result, in the surface-emitting unit 1 of this embodiment, there is no need to place a separate light source that emits light toward the lens body 10 as in the conventional case, and it is possible to keep manufacturing costs low by reducing the number of parts.

[0060] Furthermore, in the surface-emitting unit 1 of this embodiment, the above-mentioned housing 6 and support member 9 firmly support the lens body 10 housed in the central space K1 of the housing 6 and the light-guiding lenses 4 housed in each peripheral space K2 of the housing 6. This makes it possible to increase the mechanical strength of the surface-emitting unit 1 of this embodiment.

[0061] In addition, in the surface-emitting device 100 of this embodiment, by arranging multiple surface-emitting units 1 side by side on the floor surface of the vehicle T described above and electrically connecting adjacent surface-emitting units 1, it is possible to emit surface light from the floor surface of the vehicle T.

[0062] In the surface light emitting device 100 of this embodiment, by using a surface light emitting unit 1 that has increased strength while reducing the manufacturing costs as described above, it is possible to obtain durability against the load applied to the surface light emitting unit 1 and high reliability in its light emission even when laid on the floor surface of a vehicle T.

[0063] The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0064] Specifically, the surface-emitting unit 1 is not limited to a configuration in which the bending pieces 8a are bent at a right angle (90°) to the surface of the FPC 8, but may be configured, for example, as shown in Fig. 13, in which the bending pieces 8a are bent obliquely at a predetermined angle (for example, 45°) to the surface of the FPC 8. In this configuration, the light L emitted from the light source 2 can be distributed to the light guide lens 4 side and the lens body 10 side depending on the angle of inclination.

[0065] Furthermore, the surface-emitting unit 1 is not limited to having a rectangular shape in a planar view as described above, but may have a polygonal shape as shown in Figures 14(A) to (C) or a circular shape as shown in Figure 14(D), and the shape can be changed as appropriate.

[0066] The surface light emitting device 100 of this embodiment is not particularly limited to being mounted on the vehicle T described above, but can be applied to various uses. For example, by installing a plurality of surface light emitting units 1 on the floor, wall, or ceiling of a building, it can be used as lighting for the building. Furthermore, it can also be applied to lighting billboards and signs, backlighting for liquid crystal monitors, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...surface-emitting unit 2...light source 3...light source section 4...light-guiding lens 4a...incident surface 4b...reflecting surface 4c...exiting surface 5...surface-emitting section 6...casing 6b...reflector 7...diffusing lens 8...flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 8a...folded piece 9...support member 9a...support wall 9b...partition wall 10...lens body 10c...exiting surface 11...connector 100...surface-emitting device K1...central space K2...peripheral space T...vehicle

Claims

1. a light source unit including a plurality of light sources; a surface light emitting unit including a plurality of light guide lenses arranged radially within a plane centered on the light source unit; a housing that houses the plurality of light sources and the plurality of light guide lenses therein, the plurality of light sources emit light in a radiation direction from positions facing the plurality of light guide lenses, the plurality of light guide lenses each have an incident surface through which light emitted from the light source enters the interior, a reflecting surface that reflects the light incident from the incident surface from the back side to the front side, and an exit surface that emits the light reflected by the reflecting surface from the front side to the outside, The surface-emitting unit is characterized in that the housing has a plurality of reflectors facing the rear sides of the plurality of light-guiding lenses, and light emitted from the rear sides of the light-guiding lenses is reflected by the reflectors toward the front sides of the light-guiding lenses.

2. the reflecting surface is inclined so that the thickness of the light guide lens decreases from the incident surface toward the radiation direction, The surface light-emitting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector is provided so as to be inclined in a direction opposite to the reflective surface of the reflector.

3. the housing has a central space in a central portion of its surface that is formed by the entrance surfaces of the plurality of light guide lenses surrounding the periphery of the light source unit, The surface-emitting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources are arranged in the central space.

4. The surface light-emitting unit according to claim 3 , wherein the housing has a plurality of partition walls that separate adjacent ones of the plurality of light-guiding lenses.

5. a lens body fitted into the central space, The surface-emitting unit described in claim 3, characterized in that the lens body has an exit surface that emits light to the front side, and a portion of the light emitted from the multiple light sources enters the interior and then exits to the outside from the exit surface.

6. a diffusion lens covering the surfaces of the plurality of light guide lenses and the lens body, The surface-emitting unit according to claim 5 , wherein the diffusion lens diffuses and transmits the light emitted from the plurality of light guide lenses and the light-emitting surface of the lens body.

7. The light source unit includes a flexible wiring board on which the plurality of light sources are mounted; a support member for supporting the flexible wiring board; the flexible wiring board has a plurality of bent pieces provided so as to be freely bent in correspondence with the plurality of light sources, The surface-emitting unit described in claim 3, characterized in that the support member has a plurality of support walls facing the surface of the folded piece opposite the surface on which the light source is mounted, and a plurality of partition walls extending radially to separate each adjacent one of the plurality of light sources.

8. A surface-emitting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A surface light emitting device characterized in that a plurality of the surface light emitting units are arranged side by side on a surface.

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