Lighting device

Abstract

To provide a lighting device which can secure brightness of a road surface and a space above the road surface while reducing manufacturing costs.SOLUTION: A lighting device according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a casing having a transmission part which transmits light; a light source module disposed in the casing; and a reflection member disposed in the casing and having a reflection surface which reflects a first light emitted from the light source module toward a road surface through the transmission part and reflects a second light emitted from the light source module in a direction along a road traveling direction through the transmission part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting device used, for example, for lighting highways. [Background technology]

[0002] Low-position lighting, in which lighting fixtures are installed at a low position of about 1 m above the road surface, is used for lighting installed on highways and other roads.

[0003] As an example of this type of low-position lighting device, Patent Document 1 discloses a lighting device that includes a casing, a window member attached to the casing, and a base member installed inside the casing, with the base member having a support plate portion with a support surface on which a plurality of light-emitting elements are mounted, a reflector portion formed integrally with the support plate portion and reflecting light emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements toward the window member, and a light-shielding plate portion formed integrally with the support plate portion and restricting incidence of the emitted light on the window member from a predetermined direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7154255 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional low-position lighting devices, when brightening the space above the road surface, a method of illuminating the road from a high position using a pole is generally used. However, in this case, a separate lighting fixture must be installed, which increases the installation (manufacturing) cost.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device that can ensure brightness on the road surface and the space above the road surface while suppressing manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An illumination device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a casing having a light transmitting portion that transmits light, a light source module disposed inside the casing, and a reflecting member. The reflecting member is disposed inside the casing and has a reflecting surface that reflects the first light emitted from the light source module toward the road surface via the transmitting portion and reflects the second light emitted from the light source module toward the direction along the road travel direction via the transmitting portion.

[0008] The light source module may have one or more light-emitting elements arranged inside the casing and having an optical axis in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, and one or more lens portions that cover the light-emitting elements and include a lens surface that increases the light distribution intensity in oblique directions inclined at a predetermined angle from the optical axis direction to both sides of the traveling direction more than the light distribution intensity in the optical axis direction.

[0009] The first light may be light that is emitted from the light source module, a portion of which is reflected by the reflecting member, and the reflected portion of the emitted light irradiates the road surface through the transmitting portion.

[0010] The second light may be light that is generated when another portion of the emitted light from the light source module is reflected by the transmitting portion, another portion of the reflected emitted light is reflected again by the reflecting member, and another portion of the emitted light reflected again by the reflecting member is irradiated in a direction along the traveling direction of the road via the transmitting portion.

[0011] The light distribution of the lens portion may be a pro-beam light distribution that is irradiated along the traveling direction.

[0012] the casing has a rear wall portion facing the window member, The reflecting member may further include a fixing plate portion that is fixed to the rear wall portion together with the support plate portion.

[0013] The reflecting surface may have a uniformly curved cross section perpendicular to the traveling direction.

[0014] The reflecting surface may have a concave-convex portion locally provided in a partial area on the fixed plate portion side.

[0015] the light-emitting element is a plurality of elements, The reflective member is a first reflecting member that reflects light emitted from some of the plurality of light-emitting elements toward the transmitting portion with a first light distribution characteristic; The light source may further include a second reflecting member that reflects light emitted from another part of the plurality of light-emitting elements toward the transmitting portion with a second light distribution characteristic different from the first light distribution characteristic.

[0016] The first reflecting member may be disposed adjacent to the second reflecting member in the traveling direction.

[0017] The first reflecting member may irradiate a region farther away with reflected light than a region reflected by the second reflecting member.

[0018] The device may further include a rotation mechanism configured to rotate at least one of the light source module and the reflecting member around the traveling direction.

[0019] The rotation mechanism may be configured to rotate the light source module and the reflecting member integrally around the traveling direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, the illuminance in the width direction of the lighting device along the longitudinal direction of the casing can be increased, thereby increasing the installation interval of the lighting devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a lighting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]2A is a front view, FIG. 2B is a bottom view, and FIG. 2C is a side view of the lighting device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lighting device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of installation of the lighting device on a road. [Figure 5] FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of a light source module in the lighting device. [Figure 7] 4 is an enlarged side view of a main part showing the light distribution characteristics along the X-axis direction of emitted light that passes through a lens portion in the light source module. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a ray tracing diagram of illumination light in the illumination device. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the illuminance distribution of the lighting device in the left-right direction, where (A) shows the case with a lens array and (B) shows the case without a lens array. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a ray tracing diagram of illumination light emitted along the traveling direction of the road by the lighting device. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are ray tracing diagrams of illumination light emitted along the road travel direction in the above-mentioned lighting device, where (A) is a perspective view of the lighting device from an oblique direction, and (B) is a top view of the optical unit from above. [Figure 12] 3 is a diagram showing the illuminance distribution of illumination light emitted along the traveling direction of the road by the lighting device. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical unit in the lighting device as viewed from the front. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a side view of the optical unit. [Figure 16] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the light distribution characteristics of the optical unit, in which (A) shows the illuminance distribution of light reflected by the first reflecting member, and (B) shows the illuminance distribution of light reflected by the second reflecting member. [Figure 17]FIG. 10 is an illuminance distribution diagram of combined light of reflected light from the first reflecting member and second reflecting member 22B. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a front view of an illumination device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, with a window member removed. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device. [Figure 20] 3A and 3B are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of an optical unit in the illumination device. [Figure 21] 2A and 2B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of an LED substrate that constitutes the optical unit. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a front view of the optical unit and the rotation mechanism. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a side view of the optical unit and a rotation mechanism. [Figure 24] 3A and 3B are a side view and a front view of a movable plate portion that constitutes the rotation mechanism. [Figure 25] 3 is an illuminance distribution diagram showing one effect of the lighting device. FIG. [Figure 26] 1A is a perspective view, FIG. 1B is a side view, and FIG. 1B is a front view of a light source module according to a first modified example of the present invention. [Figure 27] 10 is an enlarged side view of a main part showing the light distribution characteristics along the X-axis direction of emitted light that passes through a lens portion in the light source module of the first modified example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an illumination device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2(A) is a front view thereof, Fig. 2(B) is a bottom view thereof, Fig. 2(C) is a side view thereof, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis indicate three mutually orthogonal axial directions, with the X-axis corresponding to the left-right direction (width direction, direction of travel), the Y-axis corresponding to the front-rear direction, and the Z-axis corresponding to the height direction.

[0024] The lighting device 100 of this embodiment is configured as a low-positioned lighting lamp to be installed, for example, on a highway, etc. The lighting device 100 includes a device main body 10 and a pair of legs 81, 82 that support the device main body 10. The device main body 10 includes a casing 110, and built-in components such as an optical unit 20, a terminal block 31, and a power supply unit 32 (described later) that are installed inside the casing 110, and a window member 120 that covers the inside of the casing 110.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing an example of installation of the lighting device 100 on a road R (road surface R'). In the figure, W1 is a retaining wall, W2 is a median strip, Tz1 is a first lane, Tz2 is a second lane, and Rs is a roadside strip. As shown in the figure, a plurality of lighting devices 100 are installed on the retaining wall W1 at predetermined intervals in the vehicle travel direction, with the window members 120 facing the median strip W2. The lighting devices 100 irradiate light L emitted from the light source units 20 through the window members 120 toward the median strip W2 in a direction perpendicular to the lanes Tz1 and Tz2. The installation height of the lighting device 100 relative to the retaining wall W1 is not particularly limited and is, for example, 1.2 m. The lighting device 100 may be installed not only on the retaining wall W1 but also on the median strip W2.

[0026] [Overall configuration of lighting equipment] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2(A) Hereinafter, the overall configuration of the lighting device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0027] (Casing) The casing 110 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in one axial direction (X-axis direction). The casing 110 has a three-part structure consisting of a main block 111 extending in the X-axis direction and a pair of side blocks 131 and 132 attached to both ends of the main block 111 in the X-axis direction. The main block 111 and the pair of side blocks 131 and 132 are made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy.

[0028] The main block 111 has a generally U-shaped cross section, with a top wall S1 and a bottom wall S2 each extending in the X-axis direction, and a back wall S3 (see FIG. 5). The main block 111 is made of a molded body with a uniform cross section perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and is produced by extrusion molding in this embodiment.

[0029] On the other hand, window member (transmitting portion) 120 is made of a light-transmitting material such as reinforced glass or reinforced plastic, with its long side in the X-axis direction. Window member 120 is formed in a shape similar to the front shape of casing 110 (the shape when viewed from the X-axis direction). Window member 120 is attached to the front side of casing 110 so as to face rear wall portion S3 in the X-axis direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the window member 120 is rotatably attached to the casing 110. A plurality of hinge members 71 that support the upper long side of the window member 120 are attached to the upper wall portion S1 of the casing 110 (main block 111). This allows the interior of the device main body 10 to be opened by rotating the window member 120, ensuring ease of maintenance of the built-in parts such as the optical unit 20, terminal block 31, and power supply unit 32 that are installed inside the device main body 10.

[0031] Additionally, a plurality of stoppers 72 capable of fastening the lower long side portions of the window member 120 are attached to the bottom wall portion S3 of the casing 110 (main block 111). The stoppers 72 consist of a ring portion attached to the casing 110 side and a hook portion attached to the window member 120 side, and the ring portion and the hook portion engage with each other at a position where the window member 120 closes the casing 110. This prevents the window member 120 from rotating unintentionally.

[0032] 1, the window member 120 has a window portion W formed therein that transmits light emitted from the optical unit 20. The window portion W is a rectangle elongated in the X-axis direction, and is partially formed in an area facing the optical unit 20 in the Y-axis direction. The area of ​​the window member 120 other than the window portion W is covered with a black light-shielding layer Wb formed on the inner surface side of the window member 120. The light-shielding layer Wb is intended to prevent areas inside the casing 110 other than the area corresponding to the optical unit 20 from being visible from the outside, and may be omitted as necessary depending on the size of the casing 110 or the optical unit 20.

[0033] As described above, the main block 111 of the casing 110 is formed from a molded body having a uniform cross-sectional shape in the X-axis direction. The main block 111 has seven guide grooves G1 to G7 extending parallel to the X-axis direction. Specifically, guide grooves G1, G2, and G3 are formed on the inner surface of the rear wall portion S3, and guide grooves G4 and G5 are formed on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion S2. Guide groove G6 is formed in the front end of the top wall portion S1, and guide groove G7 is formed in the front end of the bottom wall portion S2.

[0034] Each of the guide grooves G1 to G7 is formed across the entire width direction (X-axis direction) of the main block 111. Of these, the guide grooves G1 to G5 have return portions that form an opening width wider than the groove width, and are formed so as to be engageable with the head of a screw member or bolt member (hereinafter also referred to as a fastener) that fits into each guide groove. The guide grooves G6 and G7 form a housing portion for the seal ring 140 that is interposed between the main block 111 and the window member 120.

[0035] The guide grooves G1 to G3 are provided at intervals in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the rear wall portion S3 of the main block 111. The topmost guide groove G1 is engaged with the heads of multiple fasteners F1 (see FIG. 5) that secure the upper ends of the optical unit 20 and the terminal block 31. The central guide groove G2 is engaged with the heads of multiple fasteners that secure the power supply unit 32 that supplies power to the optical unit 20. The bottommost guide groove G3 is engaged with the head of a fastener that secures the lower end of the terminal block 31. A nut member N1 (see FIG. 5) is screwed onto the shaft of each of the fasteners, thereby securing the optical unit 20, the terminal block 31, and the power supply unit 32 to the guide grooves G1 to G3, respectively.

[0036] The power supply unit 32 is disposed between the optical unit 20 and the terminal block 31. The terminal block 31 electrically connects the power supply unit 32 and a power cable inserted into the casing 110 via a bush B attached to one of the side blocks 131.

[0037] The guide grooves G4, G5 are provided at intervals in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) of the bottom wall portion S2 of the main block 111. The heads of fasteners F2 (see FIG. 5) that secure a pair of legs 81, 82 for installing the device main body 10 on the retaining wall W1 engage with the guide grooves G4, G5. A nut member N2 (see FIG. 5) is screwed onto the shaft of each fastener F2, thereby securing the pair of legs 81, 82 to the guide grooves G4, G5, respectively. The pair of legs 81, 82 are secured by two fasteners F2 that face each other in the front-rear direction. The lighting device 100 is installed via the pair of legs 81, 82 with its longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) facing parallel to the installation surface.

[0038] The main block 111 further has four screw receiving portions H1 to H4 that extend parallel to the X-axis direction. Specifically, the screw receiving portions H1 to H4 have a partial cylindrical shape with an axis in the X-axis direction. A partial cylindrical shape refers to a cylindrical shape with a portion of the circumference missing.

[0039] The screw receiving portion H1 is formed directly above the guide groove G1 on the rear wall portion S3. The screw receiving portion H2 is formed on the front side of the top wall portion S1. The screw receiving portion H3 is formed at the boundary between the bottom wall portion S2 and the rear wall portion S3. The screw receiving portion H4 is formed on the front side of the bottom wall portion S2. These screw receiving portions H1 to H4 are formed across the entire width direction (X-axis direction) of the main block 111 and function as screw holes into which a plurality of screw members P that fix the pair of side blocks 131, 132 to both ends of the main block 111 in the X-axis direction are screwed.

[0040] The pair of side blocks 131, 132 form both side walls of the casing 110 facing each other in the X-axis direction. The pair of side blocks 131, 132 are attached to both end portions of the main block 111 in the X-axis direction, and each have an opening 13P having a shape corresponding to the end portion. The openings 13P of the side blocks 131, 132 are typically fixed to both end portions of the main block 111 via seal rings. The seal rings may each be configured as independent parts, or may be formed integrally with the seal ring 140.

[0041] Guide grooves G8 and G9 that accommodate folded portions at both ends of the seal ring 140 in the X-axis direction are provided at the front end portions of the pair of side blocks 131 and 132, respectively (see FIG. 3). The guide grooves G8 and G9 are continuously connected to the guide grooves G6 and G7 provided in the main block 111. This allows the seal ring 140 to be stably held between the casing 110 and the window member 120.

[0042] The pair of side blocks 131, 132 have a plurality of screw insertion holes M (see FIG. 3) formed at positions corresponding to the screw receiving portions H1 to H4 of the main block 111. The pair of side blocks 131, 132 are fixed together by a plurality of screw members P inserted into the screw insertion holes M.

[0043] The device main body 10 further includes a plurality of plug members T embedded in the screw insertion holes M of the side blocks 131, 132. The plug members T function as sealing members for preventing moisture such as raindrops from entering the device main body 10 through the screw insertion holes M.

[0044] (Optical unit) Next, the optical unit 20 will be described in detail.

[0045] The optical unit 20 is an illumination light source emitted from the lighting device 100. The optical unit 20 has a light source module 21 and a reflecting member 22, which are respectively installed inside a casing 110, as shown in FIGS.

[0046] The light source module 21 has an LED substrate 211 on which a plurality of light emitting elements 210 are mounted, a lens array 212 that distributes light emitted from each light emitting element 210, and a support plate portion 215 that supports the LED substrate 211 and the lens array 212. Fig. 6(A) is a plan view of the light source module 21 as seen from the light emitting surface, and Fig. 6(B) is a side view thereof.

[0047] The light emitting elements 210 are typically semiconductor light emitting elements such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), and typically emit white light. In this embodiment, LED components that form white light by combining a blue LED with a yellow phosphor, which is its complementary color, are used, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0048] The LED board 211 is a rectangular circuit board having long sides in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the casing 110, and has a plurality of light emitting elements 210 mounted on its surface. A plurality of female screw members 214 are embedded at predetermined intervals in the long side direction in the central part in the width direction of the LED board 211, and are screwed into a plurality of fasteners F3 inserted into the support plate part 215. In addition, a connector 213 for connection with a wiring cable (not shown) extending from the power supply unit 32 is mounted on one end of the LED board 211 in the long side direction.

[0049] In this embodiment, a plurality of (two in this example) LED substrates 211 are aligned in the X-axis direction and mounted on the support plate portion 215, but this is not limitative and the number of LED substrates 211 may be one. In this case, the longitudinal size of the light source unit 20 may be approximately the length of the long side of the LED substrate 211.

[0050] The light emitting elements 210 are arranged in a single row at predetermined intervals along the long side direction (X-axis direction) on the LED substrate 211, but may also be arranged in multiple rows. Each light emitting element 210 has an optical axis in the normal direction of the LED substrate 211, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the casing 110. The LED substrate 211 is fixed to the support plate portion 215 using a plurality of fasteners F3, with the mounting surface of the light emitting elements 210 facing downward, i.e., toward the reflecting surface 221 of the reflecting member 22.

[0051] The lens array 212 has a plurality of lens portions 212a that individually cover the plurality of light emitting elements 210. The lens array 212 is fixed onto the LED substrate 211 using a plurality of fasteners, an adhesive, or the like.

[0052] FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of a main part showing the light distribution characteristics along the X-axis direction of the emitted light transmitted through the lens portion 212a.

[0053] Each lens portion 212a includes an incident-side lens surface 212a1 that houses light-emitting element 210, and an exit-side lens surface 212a2 that enhances the light distribution intensity in oblique directions inclined at a predetermined angle to both the left and right directions (X-axis direction) from the optical axis direction compared to the light distribution intensity in the optical axis direction of light-emitting element 210. In this embodiment, incident-side lens surface 212a1 has a concave shape with a substantially semicircular cross section, and exit-side lens surface 212a2 has a convex shape provided on both the left and right sides of the optical axis direction. The shapes of incident-side lens surface 212a1 and exit-side lens surface 212a2 are not particularly limited and can be designed as long as they have the above-mentioned light distribution characteristics.

[0054] The support plate 215 is formed of a molded body made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy having a uniform cross-sectional shape in the X-axis direction, and as shown in Fig. 5, has an inclined surface 215a that supports the LED substrate 211 and a vertical surface 215b that is fixed to the rear wall S3 of the casing 110. The inclined surface 215a extends from the rear wall S3 side toward the window member 120 so as to be inclined downward at a predetermined angle, and the LED substrate 211 is attached to its underside. This prevents the light source module 21 from being directly visible from the front of the lighting device 100, and reduces glare when a vehicle occupant looks at the lighting device 100.

[0055] The reflective member 22 supports the light source module 21 and functions as a reflector having a reflective surface 221 that reflects light emitted from the light source module 21 toward the window member 120. The reflective member 22 extends in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the casing 110, and is made of a molded body of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy that has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the X-axis direction, and is produced by extrusion molding in this embodiment.

[0056] The reflecting member 22 has a reflecting surface 221 that reflects light emitted from the light source module 21 toward the window member 120 (window portion W). The reflecting surface 221 is formed of a curved surface having a uniform cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the casing 110 and a curved shape that is convex toward the rear wall portion S3 side.

[0057] The reflecting surface 221 of the reflecting member 22 reflects the first light L of the emitted light emitted from the light source module 21 toward the road surface R' through (transmits) the window member 120. The reflecting surface 221 of the reflecting member 22 also reflects the second light L' of the emitted light from the light source module 21 toward the direction along the traveling direction of the road R (X-axis direction) through (transmits) the window member 120.

[0058] Here, the first light L refers to light that is emitted from the light source module 21, part of which is reflected by the reflecting member 21, and part of the reflected light irradiates the road surface R' through the window member 120 (see FIG. 8). The second light L' refers to light that is emitted from the light source module 21, part of which is reflected by the window member 120, part of which is reflected again by the reflecting member 21, and part of which is reflected again by the reflecting member 21, and part of which is irradiated through the window member 120 in a direction along the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the road R (see FIGS. 10 and 11).

[0059] The reflective surface 221 is subjected to a surface treatment to increase light reflectance, such as vapor deposition of a metal film, mirror finishing, or attachment of metal foil or white PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The surfaces of the reflective member 22 other than the reflective surface 221 are colored black (for example, anodized) to prevent reflection of stray light within the casing 110.

[0060] The reflecting member 22 further includes a fixed plate portion 222 , a reference surface portion 223 , and a leg plate portion 224 .

[0061] The fixing plate 222 is fixed to the rear wall S3 of the casing 110 together with the support plate 215 of the light source module 21. The fixing plate 222 is fixed together with the support plate 215 by fasteners F1 so as to be sandwiched between the vertical surface 215b of the support plate 215 and the guide groove G1 of the rear wall S3.

[0062] The reference surface portion 223 positions the light source module 21 by abutting against the support plate portion 215 of the light source module 21 , and ensures the desired inclination of the LED substrate 211 and the relative distance to the reflecting surface portion 221 .

[0063] The leg plate portion 224 is a flat plate portion provided so as to protrude from the rear side of the reflecting member 22 toward the rear wall portion S3 of the casing 110. The tip of the leg plate portion 224 abuts against the inner surface of the rear wall portion S3 (see FIG. 5), thereby maintaining a fixed position of the reflecting member 22 (optical unit 20) within the casing 110.

[0064] 8 is a ray tracing diagram of emitted light (illumination light (first light) L) in the optical unit 20. As shown in the figure, emitted light (first light L) from the light source module 21 is reflected by the reflecting member 22 toward the front direction of the lighting device 100, passes through the window member 120, and is irradiated to the outside.

[0065] In this embodiment, since the reflecting surface 221 of the reflecting member 22 is formed in a curved shape, almost all of the light emitted from the light source module 21 can be reflected in the forward direction, thereby improving the light utilization efficiency. Furthermore, since the reflecting surface 221 is formed in a curved shape, the light emitted from the light source module 21 can be irradiated onto a predetermined irradiation range over a predetermined angle range in the up-down direction (height direction) of the lighting device 100.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light source module 21 includes the lens array 212 that emits light from each light-emitting element 210 in an oblique direction with a higher luminous intensity than in the optical axis direction, thereby increasing the illuminance in the left-right direction (width direction) of the lighting device 100 along the longitudinal direction of the casing 110. This allows the lighting devices 100 to be installed at wider intervals.

[0067] Fig. 9(A) is a diagram of the illuminance distribution of the lighting device 100 in the left-right direction. For comparison, Fig. 9(B) shows the illuminance distribution when the lens array 212 is omitted from this lighting device 100. As shown in Fig. 9(A), according to this embodiment, the light irradiation range can be greatly expanded in the left-right direction compared to the case without the lens array (Fig. 9(B)). This allows the interval D (see Fig. 4) between lighting devices 100 installed on the road along the vehicle travel direction to be increased, thereby reducing the number of lamps installed.

[0068] Note that the installation of lens array 212 may cause light emitted from both widthwise ends of lighting device 100 to be irradiated onto the road surface (particularly the road surface near lighting device 100) as yellowish light due to the color separation effect of lens array 212, which may cause color unevenness in the illumination light on the road surface. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, uneven portion 221a is locally provided in a partial area on the fixing plate portion 222 side of reflecting surface 221. Uneven portion 221a is formed by a partially spherical convex surface extending in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) of casing 110.

[0069] The uneven portion 221a is provided at a position where light emitted from both ends of the light source module 21 reaches, and reflects the light incident on the uneven surface 221a in a forward direction as shown in Fig. 8. As a result, the emitted light (yellowish light) that has been color-separated at both ends of the lens array 212 is reflected forward (in the forward direction), thereby suppressing the occurrence of color unevenness on the road surface near the lighting device 100.

[0070] Figure 10 is a ray tracing diagram of illumination light (second light) L' emitted by the lighting device 100 along the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the road R, and Figure 11 is a ray tracing diagram of illumination light (second light) L' emitted by the lighting device 100 along the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the road R, where (A) is an oblique view of the lighting device 100, and (B) is a top view of the optical unit 20.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10, 11(A), and 11(B), of the light emitted from the light source module 21, the emitted light (second light) L' emitted along the X-axis direction is reflected (Fresnel reflection) by the window member 120. The reflected emitted light L' is reflected again by the reflecting member 22. The reflected emitted light L' then travels in the direction along the X-axis direction and passes through the window member 120. In this embodiment, only the traveling direction (positive direction of the X-axis) is shown, but of course, this is not limiting, and the emitted light L' is also similarly emitted in the negative direction of the X-axis.

[0072] FIG. 12 is an illuminance distribution diagram of illumination light (first light L and second light L') emitted by the lighting device 100 along the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the road R. The illuminance distribution shown in FIG. 12 is the distribution when the lighting device 100 is viewed from the X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 12, the light emitted from the light source module 21 includes the first light L that illuminates the road surface R' and the second light L' that is emitted along the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the road R and illuminates the space above the road surface R'. In this embodiment, the illuminance of the second light L' is approximately several percent of the illuminance of the first light L.

[0073] That is, in this embodiment, not only the road surface R' but also the space above the road surface R' can be illuminated, so that the space above the road surface R' can be illuminated without providing a separate light source for illuminating the space above the road surface R' (while reducing manufacturing costs). Furthermore, when the lighting device 100 is installed in a tunnel, it can illuminate not only the road surface R' but also the wall surfaces inside the tunnel. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second light L' is emitted in the traveling direction and into the space above, so that glare from light when a passenger looks at the lighting device 100 can be reduced.

[0074] <Second embodiment> This type of low-position lighting device has a problem in that the optimum light distribution differs depending on the shoulder width (or side strip width) and lane width, and therefore it is necessary to prepare multiple types of lighting devices with different light distributions to accommodate different shoulder widths, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, a lighting device that can be applied to roads with different shoulder widths and lane widths will be described.

[0075] 13 is an exploded perspective view of an illumination device 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the description of the same configurations and functions as those of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified, and the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0076] The illumination device 200 of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the configuration of the optical unit. In the optical unit 220 of this embodiment, the reflecting member 22 has a first reflecting member 22A and a second reflecting member 22B.

[0077] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the optical unit 220 as seen from the front, and FIG. 15 is a side view of the optical unit 220 as seen from the X-axis direction.

[0078] The first reflecting member 22A and the second reflecting member 22B are disposed adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the casing 110. The first reflecting member 22A and the second reflecting member 22B have the same configuration, but the light reflection characteristics (light distribution characteristics) of the reflecting surfaces 221A and 221B are different from each other.

[0079] In this embodiment, the first reflecting member 22A is configured as a reflecting member for a narrow road shoulder (or side strip; the same applies below) with a relatively narrow width (e.g., 0.5 m), while the second reflecting member 22B is configured as a reflecting member for a wide road shoulder with a relatively wide width (e.g., 2 m).

[0080] More specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the curvatures of both reflecting surfaces 221A and 221B are designed so that the angle of incidence of light emitted from the light source module 21 (the angle of incidence based on the normal direction of reflecting surfaces 221A and 221B) of reflecting surface 221A of first reflecting member 22A is larger than that of reflecting surface 221B of second reflecting member 22B.

[0081] As a result, first reflecting member 22A reflects the light emitted from light source module 21 toward window member 120 at a larger reflection angle than second reflecting member 22B, and second reflecting member 22B reflects the light emitted from light source module 21 toward window member 120 at a smaller reflection angle than first reflecting member 22A. As a result, the light reflected by second reflecting member 22B is irradiated to a farther area than the light reflected by first reflecting member 22A. In this way, lighting device 200 of the present embodiment is configured to irradiate a composite light of the light reflected by first reflecting member 22A and second reflecting member 22A, which have different reflection characteristics from each other.

[0082] The above configuration also changes the irradiation direction of the second light L' described in the first embodiment. For example, in this embodiment, the first reflecting member 22A reflects the light emitted from the light source module 21 toward the window member 120 at a larger reflection angle than the second reflecting member 22B, and the second reflecting member 22B reflects the light emitted from the light source module 21 toward the window member 120 at a smaller reflection angle than the first reflecting member 22A. Therefore, the second light L' reflected by the window member 120 and then reflected again by the first reflecting member 22A becomes light that is more aligned with the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the road R than the second light L' reflected again by the second reflecting member 22B. This makes it easier to direct the emitted light toward a desired location, such as the wall surface inside a tunnel.

[0083] The light source module 21 is divided into a first light source module 21A and a second light source module 22B so as to correspond to the first reflecting member 22A and the second reflecting member 22B. The light source modules 21A and 21B have the same configuration and are positioned adjacent to each other in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the casing 110 via reference surface portions 223 of the reflecting members 22A and 22B (see FIG. 15). The reference surface portions 223 are formed to belong to the same plane, and therefore the light source modules 21A and 21B are also similarly arranged on the same plane.

[0084] In this embodiment, each of the light source modules 21A and 21B includes a lens array 212, so that the illuminance in the left-right direction (width direction) of the lighting device 200 along the longitudinal direction of the casing 110 is increased, as in the first embodiment.

[0085] Fig. 16(A) shows an example of the illuminance distribution of light reflected by first reflecting member 22A, and Fig. 16(B) shows an example of the illuminance distribution of light reflected by second reflecting member 22B. Fig. 17 is an illuminance distribution diagram of the combined light of the light reflected by first reflecting member 22A and the light reflected by second reflecting member 22B.

[0086] As described above, according to this embodiment, a single lighting device 200 can be used for different purposes, such as narrow and wide road shoulders. Furthermore, by incorporating reflective members 22A and 22B with different light distributions, the illuminance in the first traffic lane Tz1 and the second traffic lane Tz2 can be made uniform. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by applying it to lighting curved areas of a road, it has the advantage of being able to emit illumination light over a wider range, for example, on the exit side of the curve.

[0087] <Third embodiment> In the above-described embodiments, the optical unit is not configured to be rotatable, but of course, this is not limited thereto, and the optical unit may be configured to be rotatable. Fig. 18 is a front view of an illumination device 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, with the window member 120 removed, and Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the illumination device 300. Fig. 20 is (A) a plan view and (B) a front view of an optical unit 20A in the illumination device 300, and Fig. 21 is (A) a plan view and (B) a side view of an LED substrate constituting the optical unit 20A. Hereinafter, descriptions of parts similar to those of the second embodiment in terms of configuration and operation will be omitted or simplified, and differences from the second embodiment will be mainly described.

[0088] The illumination device 300 of this embodiment further includes a rotation mechanism 90 that supports the optical unit 20A so that the optical unit 20A can rotate about the X axis.

[0089] Guide grooves G1 to G3 provided in casing 110 are spaced apart in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of rear wall S3 of main block 111. Heads of multiple fasteners F1 (see FIG. 19) that secure the upper end of rotation mechanism 90 and the upper end of terminal block 31 engage with guide groove G1 located at the top. Heads of multiple fasteners that secure the lower end of rotation mechanism 90 and power supply unit 32 that supplies power to optical unit 20 engage with guide groove G2 located in the center.

[0090] The optical unit 20A is a light source unit for the illumination light emitted from the lighting device 300. As shown in Fig. 19, the optical unit 20A is installed inside the casing 110, and has a base member 21' (reflective member) and a plurality of LED substrates 22'.

[0091] The base member 21' supports an LED substrate 22' (light source module) that supports a plurality of light emitting elements, and also functions as a reflector that reflects light emitted from the LED substrate 22' toward the window member 120. The base member 21' extends in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the casing 110, and is made of a molded body of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy that has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the X-axis direction, and is produced by extrusion molding in this embodiment.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 19, the base member 21' has a support plate portion 211' and a reflecting mirror portion 212', which are integrally formed continuously in the X-axis direction.

[0093] The support plate portion 211′ has a support surface 211a′ on which the LED substrate 22′ is mounted. The reflector portion 212′ (reflecting member) is formed integrally with the support plate portion 211′ and reflects light emitted from the LED substrate 22′ toward the window member 120.

[0094] Fig. 20(A) is a plan view of the optical unit 20A seen from the Z-axis direction, and Fig. 20(B) is a front view of the optical unit 20A seen from the Y-axis direction. Fig. 21(A) is a plan view showing the light-emitting element mounting surface of the LED substrate 22', and Fig. 20(B) is a side view of the LED substrate 22'.

[0095] The LED board 22' corresponds to the light source module of the present invention and includes a circuit board 221' having a long side in the X-axis direction and a plurality of light-emitting elements 222' mounted on the circuit board 221'. The circuit board 221' is rectangular and extends longitudinally in the X-axis direction. A plurality of female screw members 224' are embedded in the center of the circuit board 221' at predetermined intervals in the X-axis direction to be screwed into a plurality of fasteners V inserted into the support plate portion 211' of the base member 21'. A connector 223' for connection to a wiring cable (not shown) extending from the power supply unit 32' is mounted on one longitudinal end of the circuit board 221'.

[0096] In this embodiment, one LED substrate 22' is aligned in the X-axis direction and mounted on the support surface 211a' (see FIG. 19). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical unit 20A may include a plurality of LED substrates 22'. In this case, the length of the optical unit 20A in the width direction (X-axis direction) may be longer (approximately twice as long) as the length of the optical unit 20A shown in FIG. 18.

[0097] The plurality of light-emitting elements 222' are typically semiconductor light-emitting elements such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), and typically emit white light. The plurality of light-emitting elements 222' are arranged in a single row at predetermined intervals along the long side direction (X-axis direction) on the circuit board 221', but may be arranged in multiple rows. The plurality of light-emitting elements 222' have optical axes in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction. The LED board 22' is fixed via a plurality of fasteners onto the support surface 211a' of the support plate portion 211', with the mounting surface of the light-emitting elements 222' facing the reflector portion 212'.

[0098] The support plate portion 211' of the base member 21' has a first long side L1 facing the rear wall portion S3 of the casing 110 and a second long side L2 facing the window member 120 on the opposite side (see FIG. 20(A)). The LED board 22' has a plurality of light-emitting elements 222' arranged biased toward one long side of the circuit board 221' (see FIG. 21(A)), and is placed on the support surface 211a' of the support plate portion 211' so that one long side faces the first long side L1 of the support plate portion 211'.

[0099] Furthermore, the support plate portion 211' is inclined downward at a predetermined angle from the first long side portion L1 toward the second long side portion L2, and a support surface 211a' that supports the LED board 22' is set on the lower surface side of the support plate portion 211'. This prevents the light emitting element 222' from being directly viewed from the front of the lighting device 300, and reduces glare when a vehicle passenger looks at the lighting device 300.

[0100] The reflector portion 212' of the base member 21' reflects light emitted from the light-emitting element 222' in the Y-axis direction toward the window member 120. In this embodiment, the reflector portion 212' is connected to the first long side portion L1 of the support plate portion 211' and has a curved surface 212a facing the support surface 211a' (see FIG. 19). The light-reflecting surface of the reflector portion 212' has a curved (curved) shape that is convex toward the rear wall portion S3, thereby efficiently reflecting light emitted from the light-emitting element 222' toward the front. Because the LED substrate 22' is mounted on the lower surface side of the support plate portion 211', the reflector portion 212' is disposed below the support plate portion 211'.

[0101] (Rotation mechanism) Next, the details of the rotation mechanism 90 will be described. Here, the rotation mechanism 90 applied to the optical unit 20A shown in Fig. 18 will be described as an example. Note that the rotation mechanism 90 described below can also be applied to the optical unit 20 shown in the first embodiment.

[0102] FIG. 22 is a front view of the optical unit 20A and the rotation mechanism 90 as viewed from the Y-axis direction, and FIG. 23 is a side view as viewed from the X-axis direction.

[0103] The rotation mechanism 90 includes two rotation mechanisms 90A and 90B that support the longitudinal ends of the optical unit 20A. The rotation mechanisms 90A and 90B have the same configuration, but are configured symmetrically with respect to the YZ plane. The following description will be given using the rotation mechanism 90B, which supports the left end of the optical unit 20A when viewed from the front (FIG. 18), as a representative example.

[0104] The rotation mechanism 90B has a fixed plate 91, a movable plate 92, a fastening member 93, and a rotation axis P1. The fixed plate 91 is fixed to the rear wall S2 of the casing 110 using a fastener F1 and a nut member N1. The rotation axis P1 is a screw member that passes through the fixed plate 91 and has a shaft that is parallel to the X-axis direction. The movable plate 92 is attached to the optical unit 20A and is configured to be able to rotate the optical unit 20A (base member 21′) around the rotation axis P1. The fastening member 93 is a screw member that is attached to the fixed plate 91 and is able to fasten the movable plate 92 to the fixed plate 91.

[0105] The fixed plate 91 has a first plate 911 parallel to the XZ plane and a second plate 912 parallel to the YZ plane. The first plate 911 has two holes through which the shafts of fasteners F1 pass, and is fixed to the rear wall S3 (guide grooves G1, G2) via the two fasteners F1 passing through these holes (see FIG. 23). The second plate 912 has a hole through which a rotation axis P1 passes, and rotatably supports the movable plate 92 via this rotation axis P1. The second plate 912 further has an elongated hole 91a through which the shaft of a fastening member 93 passes. The elongated hole 91a is formed in a partial arc shape with a radius equal to the distance between the rotation axis P1 and the shaft of the fastening member 93. In this embodiment, the arc length of the elongated hole portion 91a is set so that the optical unit 20A can be rotated around the rotation axis P1 over a predetermined angle range (for example, 20 degrees).

[0106] The movable plate portion 92 has a first arm portion 921 and a second arm portion 922 that are each parallel to the YZ plane, and a connecting portion 923 that connects the first arm portion 921 and the second arm portion 922. Figure 24(A) is a side view of the movable plate portion 92, and Figure 24(B) is a front view of the movable plate portion 92.

[0107] The first arm 921 has two holes 921a through which the shafts of two fasteners P2 pass, and is fixed to an end of the optical unit 20 via the two fasteners P2 that pass through these holes 921a. In this embodiment, the first arm 921 is screwed into two partially cylindrical screw receiving portions 214' (see FIG. 19) that are formed on the upper surface of the support plate 211' of the base member 21 in parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0108] The second arm portion 922 has a screw hole portion 922a through which the rotation shaft P1 passes, and a screw hole portion 922b through which the shaft portion of the fastening member 93 passes. The screw holes 922A and 922B are holes provided with nuts.

[0109] The connecting portion 923 is, for example, a plate portion parallel to the XY plane, and is opposed in the X-axis direction with a predetermined gap between the first arm portion 921 and the second arm portion 922. This allows at least a portion of the first arm portion 921 and the second arm portion 922 to overlap, which increases the degree of freedom in the position where the screw hole portion 922a is provided and allows the rotation radius of the LED substrate around the rotation axis P1 to be set as desired.

[0110] The fastening member 93 is screwed into the screw hole 922b of the movable plate 92 via the elongated hole 91a of the fixed plate 91. When the fastening member 93 is fastened to the screw hole 922b, the second plate 922 of the fixed plate 91 is clamped between the head of the fastening member 93 and the second arm 922 of the movable plate 92, preventing the movable plate 92 from rotating. On the other hand, when the fastening action of the fastening member 93 is released, the movable plate 92 becomes rotatable to any angular position relative to the fixed plate 91 within the range of the elongated hole 91a.

[0111] The other rotation mechanism 90B is also configured as described above. This allows the optical unit 20A to rotate around rotation P1 inside the casing 110. In this embodiment, the LED substrate 22' and the reflector portion 212' are provided in common on the base member 21', and therefore the LED substrate 22' and the reflector portion 212' are rotated integrally by the rotation mechanism 90.

[0112] As described above, according to this embodiment, the optical unit 20A is configured to be rotatable, and therefore the irradiation range of the illumination light L can be adjusted arbitrarily by changing the rotation angle of the optical unit 20A.

[0113] For example, in the past, in this type of low-position lighting device, the optimum light distribution differed depending on the shoulder width (or side strip width) and lane width, so it was necessary to prepare multiple types of lighting devices with different light distributions to accommodate different shoulder widths, etc. In contrast, in this embodiment, the reflector 212' is configured to be rotatable, so the present invention can be applied to a lamp that combines the functions of one lighting device 300 for both narrow shoulder widths and wide shoulder widths.

[0114] Furthermore, with regard to the second light L' that is irradiated along the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the road R, it was necessary to prepare a plurality of types of lighting devices that have different irradiation angles for the second light L' depending on the environment around the road R (whether inside a tunnel, etc.) In contrast, according to this embodiment, the reflecting mirror 212' is configured to be rotatable, so that a single lighting device 300 can be used in a variety of installation environments.

[0115] Furthermore, by arbitrarily setting the rotation angle range of optical unit 20A, it can be used as a lighting fixture that illuminates a distant area, for example, 10 meters or more away, or as a lighting fixture that illuminates a nearby area several meters away. For example, Fig. 25(A) shows the illuminance distribution of the illumination light when reflector portion 213' is rotated to the maximum angle position, and Fig. 25(B) shows the illuminance distribution when reflector portion 213' is rotated to the minimum angle position (a position -20 degrees from the maximum angle position).

[0116] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the support plate portion 211' and the reflector portion 212' of the base member 21' are integrally formed, stable relative positioning of the optical elements, such as the light-emitting element 222' (LED substrate 22') and the reflector portion 212' mounted on the support plate portion 211', is possible compared to when these optical elements are separately fixed to the casing 110. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the relative positions caused by the influence of individual differences and assembly tolerances between the optical elements, and makes fine adjustments to the positions of the optical elements unnecessary.

[0117] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the LED substrate 22′ and the reflector portion 212′ can be integrated into a single optical unit 20A, which simplifies installation in the casing 110. This further improves the ease of assembly, leading to improvements in productivity and operating costs.

[0118] Furthermore, since the multiple fasteners F1 that secure the optical unit 20A engage with guide grooves G1 formed in the rear wall S3 of the casing 110, the position of the optical unit 20A relative to the casing 110 can be arbitrarily adjusted in one axial direction by sliding the fasteners F1 relative to the guide grooves G1. Similarly, the terminal block 31 and the power supply unit 32 can also be adjusted to arbitrary positions along the guide grooves G1 to G3.

[0119] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and that various modifications can be made.

[0120] For example, in the above embodiment, the lighting device 300 is configured as a low-position lighting device for roadways such as expressways, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied as a lighting device for advertisements, exhibits, etc.

[0121] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the LED substrate 22′ (light source module) and the reflector unit 213′ are rotated integrally as the rotation mechanism 90 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and only one of the LED substrate 22′ (light source module) and the reflector unit 213′ may be configured to be rotatable. This also makes it possible to vary the light distribution of the illumination light reflected by the reflector unit 213′.

[0122] Furthermore, the number of optical units 20 (20A) is not limited to one, and may be multiple. For example, by arranging two optical units 20A with different rotation angles in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) or height direction (Z-axis direction) of the casing 110, it is possible to irradiate a composite light of illumination light from the two optical units with different light distribution characteristics.

[0123] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an LED substrate mounted with a plurality of light-emitting elements 222' is used as the light source module, but this is not limited thereto. For example, a lens array having a lens portion that distributes light emitted from each light-emitting element 222' in a predetermined direction may be used. In this case, a lens array that emits light from each light-emitting element 222 in an oblique direction (the width direction of the casing 110) with a higher luminous intensity than in the direction of its optical axis can be employed. This allows for increased spacing between lighting devices installed on roads.

[0124] <Variation 1> Next, Modification 1 of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the lens units are provided approximately symmetrically, but of course this is not limited to this, and the light distribution method may be a pro-beam light distribution in which light is emitted in the traveling direction (positive direction of the X axis). Fig. 26 is (A) a perspective view, (A) a side view, and (B) a front view of light source module 21C in Modification 1 of the present invention, and Fig. 27 is an enlarged side view of a main part showing the light distribution characteristics along the X axis direction of emitted light that passes through lens unit 212a' in light source module 21C of Modification 1.

[0125] The light source module 21C includes an LED substrate 211 on which a plurality of light emitting elements 210 are mounted, and a lens portion 212a' that distributes the light emitted from each light emitting element 210.

[0126] Each lens portion 212a' includes an incident-side lens surface 212a'1 that houses light-emitting element 210, and an exit-side lens surface 212a'2 that enhances the light distribution intensity in an oblique direction inclined at a predetermined angle toward one direction (the positive direction of the X-axis) from the optical axis direction of light-emitting element 210 compared to the light distribution intensity in the optical axis direction. In this embodiment, incident-side lens surface 212a'1 has a concave shape with a substantially semicircular cross section, and exit-side lens surface 212a'2 has a convex shape provided on the one side of the optical axis direction. The shapes of incident-side lens surface 212a'1 and exit-side lens surface 212a'2 are not particularly limited and can be designed arbitrarily as long as they provide the above-described pro-beam light distribution characteristics.

[0127] 26 and 27, output-side lens surface 212a'2 has an asymmetrically protruding shape, and as shown in FIG. 27, it protrudes toward the traveling direction (positive direction of the X-axis). Furthermore, incident-side lens surface 212a'1 is provided so as to be asymmetric with respect to the position where light-emitting element 210 is disposed. In other words, as shown in FIG. 27, light-emitting element 210 is not disposed on the central axis of incident-side lens surface 212a'1 when viewed from the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, it is located on the positive side of the X-axis from the central axis of incident-side lens surface 212a'1 when viewed from the Y-axis direction.

[0128] 27, the central axes of light-emitting element 210 and incident-side lens surface 212a'1 are not aligned with the central axis of output-side lens surface 212a'2 when viewed from the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the central axes of light-emitting element 210 and incident-side lens surface 212a'1 are aligned on the negative side of the X-axis from the central axis of output-side lens surface 212a'2 when viewed from the Y-axis direction.

[0129] 27, a pro-beam light distribution system that distributes light in the traveling direction may be adopted with the above-described configuration, thereby making it possible to reduce glare when a passenger looks at the lighting device 400.

[0130] In this embodiment, the pro-beam light distribution is achieved by making the lens shape asymmetric, but of course this is not limited to this, and the pro-beam light distribution may also be achieved by arranging the light source module 21C facing the direction of travel.

[0131] <Other variations> Next, other modified examples of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the window member 120 is made of a light-transmitting material such as reinforced glass or reinforced plastic, but of course, this is not limited to this, and a portion of the window member 120 (the portion where the second light L' strikes the window member 120 and is reflected toward the reflecting member 22) may be mirror-finished. This makes it possible to emit more light along the traveling direction of the road R, and for example, to more brightly illuminate the wall surface inside a tunnel. Also, of course, the window member 120 is not limited to being mirror-finished, and a portion thereof may be made of a half mirror.

[0132] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light emitted from the light source module 21 is emitted through the window member 120, but of course, this is not limited to this, and the upper wall portion S1 may also be made of a light-transmitting material such as reinforced glass or reinforced plastic, like the window member 120. This allows light reflected (emitted) on the upper wall portion S1 side to also be emitted to the outside, thereby making the surroundings brighter.

[0133] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length of the reflective member 22 in the X-axis direction is approximately the same as the length of the LED substrate 211 in the X-axis direction, but of course this is not limited to this, and the length of the reflective member 22 in the X-axis direction may be longer. In other words, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, the reflective members 22 are provided to extend from both ends of the LED substrate 211 in the X-axis direction. As a result, even if light is emitted from both ends of the LED substrate 211 in the X-axis direction, the light is reflected by the window member 120 and reaches the reflective member 22, so that the light can be reflected again by the reflective member 22 and emitted in a direction along the traveling direction of the road R, thereby making it possible to more brightly illuminate, for example, the wall surfaces inside a tunnel.

[0134] The lighting device may also be provided with a blocking section that blocks light (second light L') emitted from the light source module 21 and directed toward a passenger in the vehicle. That is, the blocking section is provided on the side block 132 so as to extend in the Y-axis direction, and blocks the light of the second light L' that is emitted toward the negative side of the X-axis. This makes it possible to reduce glare when a passenger looks at the lighting device.

[0135] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and that various modifications can be made.

[0136] For example, in the above embodiments, the lighting devices 100, 200, and 300 are configured as low-position lighting devices for roadways such as expressways, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied as lighting devices for advertisements, exhibits, etc. Furthermore, in the present embodiments, the light-emitting elements are described as being plural, but of course the present invention is not limited to this and may be singular, and may not be limited to LEDs but may be, for example, fluorescent lamps, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 10...Device body 20,220...Optical unit 21, 21A, 21B...Light source module 22, 22A, 22B...Reflective members 81,82...legs 100,200...Lighting equipment 110...Casing 120...Window material 210...light-emitting element 211...LED board 212...Lens array 215...Support plate part 221,221A,221B…Reflective surface 222…Fixing plate part S3...Back wall

Claims

1. a casing having a light transmitting portion; a light source module disposed inside the casing; a reflecting member disposed inside the casing, the reflecting member having a reflecting surface that reflects the first light emitted from the light source module toward a road surface via the transmitting portion and reflects the second light emitted from the light source module toward a direction along the traveling direction of the road via the transmitting portion; A lighting device comprising:

2. 10. The lighting device according to claim 1, The light source module includes one or more light-emitting elements that are arranged inside the casing and have an optical axis in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, and one or more lens portions that cover the light-emitting elements and include a lens surface that increases the light distribution intensity in oblique directions inclined at a predetermined angle from the optical axis direction to both sides of the traveling direction compared to the light distribution intensity in the optical axis direction. Lighting equipment.

3. 10. The lighting device according to claim 1, The first light is light that is emitted from the light source module, and is partly reflected by the reflecting member, and the part of the reflected light that is reflected by the transmitting portion illuminates the road surface. Lighting equipment.

4. 10. The lighting device according to claim 1, The second light is light that is emitted in a direction along the traveling direction of the road via the transmitting portion, where another part of the emitted light emitted from the light source module is reflected by the transmitting portion, where another part of the reflected emitted light is reflected again by the reflecting member, and where the other part of the emitted light reflected again by the reflecting member is irradiated in a direction along the traveling direction of the road via the transmitting portion. Lighting equipment.

5. 3. The lighting device according to claim 2, The light distribution of the lens portion is a pro-beam light distribution that is irradiated along the traveling direction. Lighting equipment.

6. 3. The lighting device according to claim 2, The light source module further includes a support plate portion that supports the light emitting element and the lens portion and is attached to the reflecting member. Lighting equipment.

7. 7. The lighting device according to claim 6, the casing has a rear wall portion facing the window member, The reflecting member further includes a fixing plate portion that is fixed to the rear wall portion together with the support plate portion. Lighting equipment.

8. 8. The lighting device according to claim 7, The reflecting surface has a uniformly curved cross section perpendicular to the traveling direction. Lighting equipment.

9. 8. The lighting device according to claim 7, The reflecting surface has a concave-convex portion locally provided in a partial area on the side of the fixing plate portion. Lighting equipment.

10. 10. The lighting device according to claim 1, The light-emitting element is a plurality of elements, The reflecting member is a first reflecting member that reflects light emitted from some of the plurality of light-emitting elements toward the transmitting portion with a first light distribution characteristic; a second reflecting member that reflects the light emitted from another part of the plurality of light-emitting elements toward the transmitting portion with a second light distribution characteristic different from the first light distribution characteristic; Lighting equipment.

11. 11. The lighting device according to claim 10, The first reflecting member is disposed adjacent to the second reflecting member in the traveling direction. Lighting equipment.

12. 11. The lighting device according to claim 10, The first reflecting member irradiates a region farther away than the light reflected by the second reflecting member. Lighting equipment.

13. 10. The lighting device according to claim 1, The light source module and the reflecting member may be rotated about the traveling direction by a rotation mechanism. Lighting equipment.

14. 14. The lighting device according to claim 13, The rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the light source module and the reflecting member integrally around the traveling direction. Lighting equipment.

Images