Roof structure

Abstract

To provide a roof structure capable of improving design in the roof structure provided with an uneven part or a surface lattice in a lower part of a roof body and having an illumination part.SOLUTION: A roof structure 1 includes a support 2, a beam 3 connected to an upper part of the support 2, a roof body 4 arranged above the beam 3 and provided with an uneven part 40 or a surface lattice in a lower part, and an illumination part 5 for directly irradiating the uneven part 40 or the surface lattice provided in the lower part of the roof body 4 with light from below the roof body 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to roof structures. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, roof structures have been known that are equipped with lighting units that irradiate the underside of the roof body from below (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the roof structure described in Patent Document 1, multiple beams are provided on the top of the beams, and the roof body is supported by the multiple beams, resulting in a design that gives a floating feeling.

[0003] In the roof structure described in Patent Document 1, when light is irradiated from below the roof body by a lighting unit, in a structure in which the roof body is supported by multiple beams attached to the top of the beams, if the light is irradiated so as to be diffused from the lighting unit, by arranging the beams between the beams and the roof body, even if light is irradiated from below the underside of the roof body, the light irradiated by the lighting unit will be blocked midway by the beams. Therefore, there is room for improvement in design. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-173303 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, there are roof structures in which a concave-convex portion or a surface grille is provided on the lower part of the roof body. Among roof structures in which a concave-convex portion or a surface grille is provided on the lower part of the roof body, there are some that are configured to illuminate the area below the roof body with light from a lighting unit such as a downlight that emits light downward of the roof body. There is a demand for roof structures in which a concave-convex portion or a surface grille is provided on the lower part of the roof body and which are equipped with a lighting unit that emits light, and which can improve the design.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a roof structure that has an uneven portion or a surface grille on the lower part of the roof body and is equipped with a lighting section, and that can improve the design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a roof structure comprising: a support pillar; a beam connected to the upper part of the support pillar; a roof body arranged above the beam and having an uneven portion or a surface grille on the lower part; and an illumination unit that directly irradiates light from below the roof body onto the uneven portion or the surface grille on the lower part of the roof body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carport according to a first embodiment, viewed from diagonally above the front side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carport according to the first embodiment, seen from diagonally below the front side. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carport according to the first embodiment, seen from diagonally below the rear side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which some of the plurality of folded plate members have been removed from the roof body. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the folded plate member is attached to the beam. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the position where the line illumination device is disposed. [Figure 9] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1, showing a side frame of the roof body. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the second embodiment is disposed. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the third embodiment is disposed. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the carport according to the fourth embodiment, seen from diagonally below the rear side. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the fourth embodiment is disposed. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the fifth embodiment is disposed. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a line illumination device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the seventh embodiment is disposed. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the eighth embodiment is disposed. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the ninth embodiment is arranged. [Figure 19] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the tenth embodiment is disposed. [Figure 20] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the eleventh embodiment is disposed. [Figure 21] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the twelfth embodiment is disposed. [Figure 22] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the position where the line illumination device of the thirteenth embodiment is disposed. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a line illumination device according to a fourteenth embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement position of a line illumination device under the first evaluation condition of the evaluation test. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement position of the line illumination device under the second evaluation condition of the evaluation test. [Figure 26] 10 is a graph showing test results of an evaluation test. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of a roof structure according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an example in which the roof structure is applied to a carport 1 will be described. The carport 1 has parking spaces for one or more automobiles secured below a roof body 4. Note that, although this embodiment describes an example in which the roof structure is applied to a carport 1, the present invention is not limited to this. The roof structure may also be applied to structures other than carports, such as bicycle parking areas, shelters, rest areas, terraces, bus stops, and the like.

[0010] In the description of this embodiment, the direction in which the beams 3 of the carport 1 extend and in which the peaks 411 and valleys 412 of the folded plate members 41 are arranged continuously is referred to as the left-right direction X. In the left-right direction X in which the beams 3 extend, one side (the front left rear side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the X1 side, and the other side (the front right side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the X2 side. The direction in which the multiple beams 3 of the carport 1 are lined up is referred to as the front-back direction Y. In the front-back direction Y in FIG. 1, the front left side of the carport 1 is referred to as the front side Y1, and the back right side of the carport 1 is referred to as the rear side Y2.

[0011] First, the overall structure of the carport 1 of the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the carport 1 of this embodiment is a carport with a so-called double-supported structure, in which a roof body 4 is supported by a pair of columns 2 at each end on both sides in the left-right direction X. Furthermore, in the carport 1 of this embodiment, the roof body 4 is placed directly on the upper surfaces of beams 3 connected to the columns 2. Note that in this embodiment, a carport with a double-supported structure will be described as an example of the roof structure, but this is not limited to this, and a carport with a cantilevered structure may also be used.

[0012] The carport 1 of this embodiment is provided with two beams 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the two beams 3 are arranged spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction Y of the carport 1. The two beams 3 each connect the upper ends of a pair of supports 2 and extend in the left-to-right direction X of the roof body 4.

[0013] 1 to 4, the carport 1 of this embodiment comprises two pairs of support posts 2 erected on the ground and extending vertically, two beams 3 extending from the upper ends of the support posts 2 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the support posts 2, a roof body 4 disposed directly on and connected to the upper surfaces of the two beams 3, and two line lighting devices 5 (lighting units) (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The support posts 2 and beams 3 are formed, for example, from extruded shapes of aluminum material.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the two sets of support columns 2 are arranged side by side at both ends of the roof body 4 in the left-right direction X, with the pair of support columns 2 spaced apart in the front-to-back direction Y. As shown in Fig. 2, the pair of support columns 2 are arranged opposite each other across the roof body 4 at both end ends of the carport 1 on the X1 side and the X2 side in the left-right direction X, and are connected to both end ends of the beams 3 in the left-right direction X.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the support pillars 2 are formed in a hollow shape with a rectangular cylindrical cross section and extend in the vertical direction. Of the two pairs of support pillars 2, a pair of support pillars 2 is arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, and a vertical gutter 21 is attached to the side of the support pillar 2 on the X1 side in the left-right direction X. The upper end of the vertical gutter 21 is connected to the lower end of an inclined water guide section 22 that is connected to the end of the roof body 4 on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y. Rainwater that has flowed over the upper surface of the roof body 4 is circulated in the vertical gutter 21 via the inclined water guide section 22.

[0016] The two beams 3 are each connected to the upper part of the support column 2. The two beams 3 include a beam 3A disposed on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y and a beam 3B disposed on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. In the description of the present embodiment, the beams 3A and 3B will be referred to as "beam 3A" or "beam 3B" when it is necessary to distinguish between them, and will be simply referred to as "beam 3" when there is no particular need to distinguish between them. Each of the two beams 3 has a hollow portion with a rectangular cylindrical cross section (see FIG. 8 ), and is formed to extend horizontally in the left-right direction X as shown in FIG. 2. Both end portions of the two beams 3 in the left-right direction X (the end portion on the X1 side and the end portion on the X2 side) are connected to the upper end portions of the support column 2. The roof body 4 is connected to the upper part of the two beams 3 with the roof body 4 directly placed on the upper surface of the two beams 3.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the roof body 4 is placed above the two beams 3. In this embodiment, the roof body 4 is placed directly on the upper surfaces of the two beams 3 and fixed to the upper surfaces of the beams 3, as shown in FIG. 4. In conventional roof bodies, beams are placed on top of the beams and the roof body is placed on top of the beams. However, in this embodiment, no beams are placed on top of the beams 3, and the roof body 4 is placed directly on the upper surfaces of the beams 3. The roof body 4 is formed with a downward slope that descends from the rear side Y2 to the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y. Note that in this embodiment, the roof body 4 is placed directly on the upper surfaces of the beams 3, but this is not limited to this. The roof body 4 may not be placed directly on the upper surfaces of the beams 3, but may be placed on top of beams placed on top of the beams.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower part of the roof body 4 is provided with an uneven portion 40. The uneven portion 40 provided on the lower part of the roof body 4 is provided on the underside of the roof body 4 and is exposed downward from the roof body 4. A plurality of uneven portions 40 having recesses 4a and protrusions 4b are formed continuously in the left-right direction X on the underside of the roof body 4. As shown in Figures 2, 6 and 7, the plurality of uneven portions 40 having recesses 4a and protrusions 4b are formed by alternately arranging recesses 4a having a substantially trapezoidal cross section and protrusions 4b having a substantially trapezoidal cross section continuously side by side in the left-right direction X on the underside of the roof body 4.

[0019] 5, the roof body 4 has a plurality of folded plate members 41, two tight frames 42 (support frames), a front frame 43, a rear frame 44, a pair of side frames 45, and four corner members 46. The roof body 4 is configured by attaching a plurality of folded plate members 41 from above to the tight frames 42 fixed to the upper surfaces of the beams 3.

[0020] The plurality of folded plate members 41 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction X, with their ends in the left-right direction X connected to each other. Each folded plate member 41 has a width in the left-right direction X and is formed in an elongated shape extending in the front-rear direction Y.

[0021] The folded plate member 41 is formed by bending a plate material having a predetermined thickness. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the folded plate member 41 is formed by arranging multiple peaks 411, each having a substantially trapezoidal cross section, and multiple valleys 412, each having a substantially trapezoidal cross section, alternately and continuously in the left-right direction X. The lower surfaces of the peaks 411 of the folded plate member 41 form the recesses 4a of the uneven portion 40 of the roof body 4. The lower surfaces of the valleys 412 of the folded plate member 41 form the protrusions 4b of the uneven portion 40 of the roof body 4. The roof body 4 is a folded plate roof having folded plate members 41 formed by bending a plate material into an uneven shape in which the peaks 411 and valleys 412 are continuous.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the two tight frames 42 are fixed to the upper surfaces of the two beams 3, respectively, and support the plurality of folded plate members 41 from below.

[0023] Each of the two tight frames 42 is formed in a strip shape with a width in the width direction of the beam 3 (the front-to-rear direction Y of the roof body 4) and extends in the left-to-right direction X. The width of the tight frames 42 in the width direction (the front-to-rear direction Y of the roof body 4) is formed to be smaller than the width of the beam 3 in the width direction (the front-to-rear direction Y of the roof body 4). The tight frames 42 are formed by continuously arranging peak-to-valley shapes with cross-sectional shapes that match the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple folded plate members 41 in the left-to-right direction X so as to support the multiple folded plate members 41 from below. The tight frames 42 are formed, for example, by bending a strip-shaped steel plate.

[0024] 6 and 7, the lower end of the tight frame 42 is fixed with screws to the upper surface of the beam 3. A fixing bolt 421, which moves from the lower side to the upper side, is disposed and passes through the top flat plate portion of each upper end of the tight frame 42. The fixing bolt 421 is disposed and passes through the upper flat plate portion of each upper end of the tight frame 42, with the head disposed at the lower end and the end of the shaft opposite the head disposed at the upper end.

[0025] When fixing the folding plate member 41 to the tight frame 42, as shown in FIG. 6, the shaft of a fixing bolt 421 attached to the tight frame 42 is passed through a through hole 413 formed in the folding plate member 41, thereby placing the folding plate member 41 on the tight frame 42, and then a bolt cap 422 is fastened to the tip of the shaft of the fixing bolt 421 to fix it.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the front frame 43 is attached to the ends of the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y of the plurality of folded plate members 41 with the plurality of folded plate members 41 fixed to the tight frame 42, and extends in the left-to-right direction X. The rear frame 44 is attached to the ends of the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y of the plurality of folded plate members 41 with the plurality of folded plate members 41 fixed to the tight frame 42, and extends in the left-to-right direction X. The pair of side frames 45 are attached to the sides of both ends of the plurality of folded plate members 41 in the left-to-right direction X with the plurality of folded plate members 41 fixed to the tight frame 42, and extend in the front-to-rear direction Y. The four corner members 46 are attached to the four corner portions of the roof body 4, respectively.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4 , the two line illumination devices 5 are provided below the roof body 4, spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction Y by the distance between the two support columns 2. The line illumination device 5A is provided on the side of the upper end of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A located on the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, and the line illumination device 5B is provided on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3B located on the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y. In describing the line illumination device 5A and the line illumination device 5B of this embodiment, when it is necessary to distinguish between them, they will be referred to as the “line illumination device 5A” or the “line illumination device 5B,” and when there is no particular need to distinguish between them, they will be simply referred to as the “line illumination device 5.” As shown in FIG. 3 , the line illumination device 5 is a line illumination formed in a line extending in the left-to-right direction X, in which the recesses 4a and the protrusions 4b of the unevenness portion 40 formed on the underside of the roof body 4 are continuously arranged.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 8 , a line illuminator 5A (one illuminator) is disposed on a side of the upper end of a beam 3A on a rear side Y2 (the other end in the predetermined direction) of the beam 3A disposed on a front side Y1 (one end in the predetermined direction) in the longitudinal direction Y of the carport 1, and a line illuminator 5B (another illuminator) is disposed on a side of the upper end of the beam 3B on a front side Y1 (the other end in the predetermined direction) of the beam 3B disposed on a rear side Y2 (the other end in the predetermined direction) in the longitudinal direction Y of the carport 1. In this embodiment, in the longitudinal direction Y of the carport 1, for example, the side facing a road (not shown) through which automobiles enter and exit is defined as the front side Y1, and the side not facing the road is defined as the rear side Y2. Therefore, the line illuminators 5A and 5B are disposed on the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3A and 3B at positions inside the two beams 3A and 3B. As a result, the line lighting device 5A and the line lighting device 5B can emit light toward the inside of the two beams 3A, 3B, and can therefore emit light from the side positions of the upper ends of the beams 3A, 3B toward the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 near the vehicle boarding and disembarking position at the center of the fore-and-aft direction Y of the carport 1, and the indirect lighting caused by the light being reflected by the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 can brightly illuminate the area near the vehicle boarding and disembarking position.

[0029] 7 and 8, the line lighting device 5 directly irradiates light from below the roof body 4 onto the uneven portion 40 provided on the lower part of the roof body 4. As a result, the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 is emitted from the side position of the upper end of the beam 3 toward the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, and directly irradiates the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4.

[0030] In this embodiment, the line illumination device 5 is configured, for example, by providing a plurality of LEDs therein and a diffuser plate (not shown) on the exit surface of light emitted from the plurality of LEDs. By configuring the line illumination device 5 as in this embodiment by providing a plurality of LEDs therein and a diffuser plate on the exit surface of light emitted from the plurality of LEDs, it is possible to diffuse the light over a relatively long distance. Note that, in addition to providing a diffuser plate on the light exit surface, other methods for making the light reach a relatively long distance in a line illumination device include, for example, orienting the LED substrate obliquely upward rather than orienting it directly upward, and emitting light from the LEDs obliquely upward.

[0031] 8, the light emitted from the line illumination device 5 is emitted in a spread manner in the front-to-rear direction Y, which is perpendicular to the direction in which the line illumination device 5 extends. Since the illuminance of the light illuminating the underside of the roof body 4 decreases with increasing distance from the line illumination device 5, a gradation of light is formed on the underside of the roof body 4 in the front-to-rear direction Y, in which the brightness of the underside of the roof body 4 gradually decreases with increasing distance from the line illumination device 5.

[0032] 7, the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 directly illuminates the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, thereby illuminating the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. The illuminance is high in the portions of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 that are close to the line lighting device 5, and the illuminance is low in the portions of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 that are far from the line lighting device 5.

[0033] In this embodiment, the line lighting device 5 is disposed on the side of the upper end of the beam 3. Therefore, since the line lighting device 5 is disposed close to the underside of the roof member 4, as shown in FIG. 7 , the ratio (L1 / L2) of the distance L1 from the line lighting device 5 to the recessed portions 4a on the underside of the roof member 4 to the distance L2 from the line lighting device 5 to the protruding portions 4b on the underside of the roof member 4 becomes large. As a result, when light emitted from the line lighting device 5 is irradiated onto the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of the roof member 4 becomes large, which tends to increase the difference in shading (contrast) of light at the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of the roof member 4. Therefore, the difference in shading (contrast) of light becomes large, and a dramatic effect can be achieved. For example, in this embodiment, the illuminance difference between the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of ... roof member 4 becomes large.

[0034] As described above, as shown in Figure 8, the line lighting device 5 directly emits light from a position on the side of the upper end of the beam 3 toward the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, thereby simultaneously achieving two types of effect: the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 is directly irradiated onto the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, creating a dramatic effect of creating a large difference in light shading (contrast) on the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4; and the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 passes through the recesses 4a of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 and spreads to the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, creating a gradation of light in which the brightness of the underside of the roof body 4 gradually decreases as it moves away from the line lighting device 5 in the front-to-rear direction Y.

[0035] Here, if the line lighting device 5 is positioned at a predetermined distance or more below the underside of the roof body 4, the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the underside of the roof body 4 will be long, and with regard to the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, the difference between the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the convex portion 4b on the underside of the roof body 4 and the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the concave portion 4a on the underside of the roof body 4 will become smaller relative to the total distance, and therefore the ratio of the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the concave portion 4a on the underside of the roof body 4 to the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the convex portion 4b on the underside of the roof body 4 will become smaller. Therefore, if the line lighting device 5 is positioned at a predetermined distance or more below the underside of the roof body 4, the small ratio of the distances from the concave portions 4a to the convex portions 4b of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 will tend to reduce the difference in shading (contrast) of light at the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. For example, if the distance from the roof member 4 to the line lighting device 5 is too great, or if a beam 3 is provided between the roof member 4 and the line lighting device 5 is provided on the beam 3, the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the underside of the roof member 4 will be long and the illuminance difference between the recesses 4a and the protrusions 4b of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof member 4 will likely become small, which will tend to reduce the difference in illuminance between the recesses 4a and the protrusions 4b and reduce the dramatic effect.

[0036] On the other hand, when the line lighting device 5 is positioned close to the underside of the roof body 4, the line lighting device 5 can irradiate light toward the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 at a close distance from the unevenness 40, thereby increasing the shading difference (contrast) of the light at the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. In this embodiment, the roof body 4 is disposed directly on the upper surface of the beam 3, and the line lighting device 5 is disposed on the side of the upper end of the beam 3, so that the line lighting device 5 irradiates light toward the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 from a close distance. As a result, when the line lighting device 5 is positioned close to the underside of the roof body 4, a great contrast of light can be obtained, resulting in a dramatic effect.

[0037] 7, for example, the distance L2 of the gap between the line lighting device 5 installed at the upper end position of the beam 3 and the convex portion 4b of the uneven portion 40 of the folded plate member 41 is 10 mm, and the roof body 4 and the line lighting device 5 are arranged in contact with each other with the folded plate member 41 arranged 10 mm above the upper end of the beam 3. When the distance L2 of the gap between the line lighting device 5 and the convex portion 4b of the uneven portion 40 of the folded plate member 41 is 10 mm, a large contrast of light can be obtained, resulting in a dramatic effect.

[0038] In the present disclosure, a verification experiment was conducted regarding the distance at which the line lighting device 5 should be installed below the underside of the roof body 4. The verification results showed that when the line lighting device 5 is installed at a position where the distance L2 from the convex portion 4b of the uneven portion 40 of the folded plate member 41 to the line lighting device 5 is 0 mm to 50 mm (the distance from the top end of the beam 3 to the line lighting device 5 is 0 mm to 40 mm), a large contrast in light can be obtained, resulting in a dramatic effect.

[0039] In this embodiment, the roof body 4 is placed directly on the upper surface of the beam 3, and because the roof body 4 is made of folded plate members 41, the recesses 4a of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 penetrate in the front-to-rear direction Y at the top of the beam 3, and the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 passes through the recesses 4a of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 and spreads to the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y. As a result, the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 passes through the recesses 4a of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 and spreads to the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, creating a gradation of light in which the brightness of the underside of the roof body 4 gradually decreases as the distance from the line lighting device 5 increases in the front-to-rear direction Y.

[0040] For example, in the case of a roof body in which beams are provided on top of the beams and the roof body is placed on top of the beams, the beams are placed between the beams and the roof body, so even if light is irradiated onto the underside of the roof body, the light irradiated by the line lighting device 5 is blocked by the beams. In contrast, in this embodiment, no beams are placed above the beams 3, and the roof body 4 is placed directly on the upper surface of the beams 3. Therefore, because no beams are placed between the beams 3 and the roof body 4, the light irradiated by the line lighting device 5 is not blocked by the beams, and indirect lighting can be achieved in which the light spreads continuously in the front-to-rear direction Y.

[0041] In this embodiment, the roof member 4 is disposed directly on the upper surface of the beams 3, and therefore, as explained above, the difference in shadows of the light is likely to be greater than when the distance from the roof member 4 to the line lighting device 5 is too great or when beams are provided between the beams 3 and the roof member 4, thereby enabling a greater light dramatic effect and a greater indirect lighting effect in which the light spreads continuously in the front-to-back direction Y. However, this does not mean that these effects cannot be obtained even in a configuration in which beams are provided between the beams 3 and the roof member 4; as long as the light is directly irradiated toward the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof member 4, a difference in shadows of the light can be generated to provide a light dramatic effect, and it is possible to obtain the indirect lighting effect in which the light spreads continuously in the front-to-back direction Y.

[0042] In this embodiment, the line illumination device 5 is configured to have a plurality of LEDs provided therein and a diffuser plate on the surface from which light emitted from the plurality of LEDs exits, but this is not limiting. For example, the line illumination device may be configured such that the plurality of LEDs are exposed without a diffuser plate on the surface from which light emitted from the plurality of LEDs exits. For example, when the line illumination device is configured such that the plurality of LEDs are exposed without a diffuser plate on the surface from which light emitted from the plurality of LEDs exits, the light intensity is relatively high, but the range of light that spreads in the front-rear direction Y is relatively narrower than when a diffuser plate is provided.

[0043] 1 and 3, the wiring cables W1 and W2 of the two line illumination devices 5 are led out from the X2 side in the left-right direction X of each of the two line illumination devices 5 and are arranged and wired in a wiring arrangement portion 453 (described later) of the side frame 45 on the X2 side in the left-right direction X of the pair of side frames 45. Since the wiring cables W1 and W2 are connected to the two line illumination devices 5, they are led out to the side frame 45 on the X2 side in the left-right direction X at positions separated in the front-rear direction Y. The pair of side frames 45 on which the wiring cables W1 and W2 are arranged will be described.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pair of side frames 45 are respectively arranged on the sides of both ends of the roof body 4 on the support pillar 3 side in the left-right direction X, and extend in the front-to-back direction Y in which the two support pillars 2 are lined up. Each of the pair of side frames 45 has the same shape as if they were reversed left to right. As shown in Figure 7, the side frame 45 has an upper frame portion 451 and a lower frame portion 452 that is arranged and fitted into the lower end of the upper frame portion.

[0045] 9, the upper frame portion 451 has an upper end mounting portion 451a extending horizontally at the upper end side, an upper side downward extending portion 451b that slopes downward from the outer end of the upper end mounting portion 451a in the left-right direction X to the outside in the left-right direction X and then extends downward, and an upper side lower end fitting portion 451c that is arranged at the lower end of the upper side downward extending portion 451b. The upper end mounting portion 451a is fastened by fixing bolts 421 and bolt caps 422 to the top of the peak portion 411 of the folded plate member 41 arranged at the end of the roof body 4 in the left-right direction X and to the top flat plate of the outer upper end of the tight frame 42 in the left-right direction X.

[0046] The lower frame portion 452 has a lower upper end fitting portion 452a formed at the upper end and fitting into the upper lower end fitting portion 451c, a lower vertical extending portion 452b extending downward from the lower upper end fitting portion 452a, a protruding portion 452c protruding inward in the left-right direction X from the lower end side of the lower vertical extending portion 452b, and a wiring placement portion 453 connected to the inner end of the protruding portion 452c in the left-right direction X.

[0047] The wiring placement portion 453 is provided on the inside in the left-right direction X of the lower end of the lower frame portion 452 of the side frame 45. The wiring placement portion 453 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction Y, which is the longitudinal direction of the side frame 45, and its cross-sectional shape when cut in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the side frame 45 is formed into a U-shape that opens upward.

[0048] The wiring arrangement portion 453 is configured such that the upper end portion on the outer side of the U-shape in the left-right direction X is connected to the inner tip portion in the left-right direction X of a protruding portion 452c that protrudes inward in the left-right direction X from the lower end side of the lower vertical extending portion 452b. Because the wiring arrangement portion 453 is provided on the inner side in the left-right direction X at the lower end of the side frame 45, the wiring cables W1, W2 arranged in the wiring arrangement portion 453 are covered so as not to be visible from below the roof body 4 or from outside in the left-right direction X, and cannot be seen from below the roof body 4 or from outside in the left-right direction X.

[0049] Two wiring cables W1, W2 connected to two line illumination devices 5 can be arranged in the wiring arrangement section 453. The two wiring cables W1, W2 are connected to two line illumination devices 5, respectively, and are therefore led to the wiring arrangement section 453 of the side frame 45 on the X2 side in the left-right direction X at positions separated in the front-rear direction Y. The wiring arrangement section 453 can be arranged so that the two wiring cables W1, W2 are gathered at one of the two support columns 2 arranged on the X2 side in the left-right direction X.

[0050] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the wiring cable W1 extending from the line lighting device 5 disposed on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y is routed from the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y toward the rear side Y2 along the wiring arrangement portion 453 (see FIG. 9 ) of the side frame 45, and is routed to one of the two support pillars 2 disposed on the rear side Y2 of the two support pillars 2 disposed on the X2 side in the left-right direction X. The wiring cable W2 extending from the line lighting device 5 disposed on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y passes through the wiring arrangement portion 453 of the side frame 45 and is routed to one of the two support pillars 2 disposed on the rear side Y2 of the two support pillars 2 disposed on the X2 side in the left-right direction X. The two wiring cables W1 and W2 routed to one of the support pillars 2 are then passed from the upper side to the lower side through the interior of the one of the support pillars 2 or through a wiring cover (not shown) provided on the side of the support pillar 2, and are then drawn out to the outside of the carport 1 below the support pillar 2. The wiring cables W1 and W2 are then connected to a power source.

[0051] In this way, as shown in Figure 9, two wiring cables W1 and W2 connected to two line lighting devices 5 can be arranged so that they converge on one pillar 2 through the wiring arrangement section 453, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, passed through the interior of one pillar 2 from the top to the bottom, and pulled out to the outside of the carport 1 on the bottom side of the pillar 2, and connected to a power source.

[0052] In this embodiment, the wiring arrangement portion 453 is provided on each of the pair of side frames 45, but this is not limiting. The wiring arrangement portion 453 may be provided on only one of the pair of side frames 45, on the side where the wiring cables W1, W2 of the line illumination device 5 are arranged.

[0053] The carport 1 of this embodiment described above provides the following effects. The carport 1 of this embodiment includes support posts 2, beams 3 connected to the upper parts of the support posts 2, a roof body 4 disposed above the beams 3 and having an uneven portion 40 at its lower part, and a line lighting device 5 that directly irradiates the uneven portion 40 at the lower part of the roof body 4 with light from below the roof body 4. Therefore, by directly irradiating the uneven portion 40 at the lower part of the roof body 4 with light from below the roof body 4 using the line lighting device 5, the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 is directly irradiated onto the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, and the shading difference (contrast) of the light at the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 is increased, producing a dramatic effect. Furthermore, the light emitted from the line lighting device 5 passes through the recesses 4a of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 and spreads to the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, creating a gradation of light in which the brightness of the underside of the roof body 4 gradually decreases as it moves away from the line lighting device 5 in the front-to-rear direction Y. This makes it possible to simultaneously achieve two types of effect: an effect that creates a large difference in shading (contrast) of light, and an effect that creates a gradation of light, thereby improving the design of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 that is illuminated by light.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the roof body 4 is placed directly on the upper surface of the beam 3. As a result, no beams are placed between the beam 3 and the roof body 4, and so the light emitted by the line lighting device 5 is not blocked by the beams along the way, and the light emitted by the line lighting device 5 can be used as indirect lighting that spreads continuously in the front-to-rear direction Y. This further improves the design of the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 that are illuminated by light.

[0055] In this embodiment, the roof body 4 is a folded-plate roof having folded-plate members 41 formed by folding a plate material into an uneven shape with continuous peaks 411 and valleys 412. This makes it possible to increase the contrast of light in the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 that constitutes the folded-plate roof, thereby achieving a dramatic effect. This improves the design of the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 that are illuminated by light.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the roof body 4 has tight frames 42 formed in a shape that follows the uneven shape of the folded plate members 41 and supports the folded plate members 41 from below. As a result, the tight frames 42 support the folded plate members 41 from below, thereby reinforcing the strength of the folded plate members 41.

[0057] In this embodiment, the line lighting device 5 is provided on the beam 3, on the side of the upper end of the beam 3. Therefore, by arranging the line lighting device 5 in a position close to the uneven portion 40 provided on the underside of the roof body 4, the shading difference (contrast) of the light can be increased, and the dramatic effect caused by the line lighting device 5 irradiating the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 with light can be enhanced.

[0058] In this embodiment, the line illumination device 5A is provided on the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A on the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, and the line illumination device 5B is provided on the front side Y1 of the beam 3B on the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y. As a result, the line illumination device 5A and the line illumination device 5B can emit light toward the inside of the two beams 3A, 3B, and can emit light from positions on the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3A, 3B toward the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 near the vehicle boarding and disembarking position at the center of the carport 1 in the front-to-rear direction Y. This allows the light to be reflected by the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 to provide indirect lighting, thereby brightly illuminating the area near the vehicle boarding and disembarking position.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the line lighting device 5 is a line lighting device formed in a line extending in the left-right direction X, where the recesses 4a and protrusions 4b of the unevenness 40 provided on the underside of the roof body 4 are continuously arranged. Therefore, the line lighting device 5 formed in a line extending in the left-right direction X can irradiate light from below the roof body 4 over a wide range in the left-right direction X of the underside of the roof body 4. This makes it possible to obtain a dramatic effect from the light irradiated from the line lighting device 5 over a wide range in the left-right direction X of the underside of the roof body 4, thereby further enhancing the dramatic effect achieved by the line lighting device 5 irradiating light onto the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the side frame 45 has a wiring arrangement section 453 that can arrange two wiring cables W1, W2 that extend in the longitudinal direction of the side frame 45 and are connected to the two line lighting devices 5, and that can arrange the two wiring cables W1, W2 so that they gather at one of the two support columns 2 that are arranged on the X2 side in the left-right direction X. As a result, in a carport 1 that has a folded-plate roof body 4 that has a plurality of support columns 2, the two wiring cables W1, W2 of the two line lighting devices 5 can be arranged so that they gather at one support column 2 by the wiring arrangement section 453 and wired efficiently, which can reduce the number of construction parts and the cost of wiring the wiring cables W1, W2 compared to arranging wiring cables on each of the plurality of support columns.

[0061] In the first embodiment, two beams 3 are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this and there may be three or more beams 3. When three or more beams are provided, it is preferable to arrange the line illumination devices 5 on the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3, at least inside the frontmost beam 3 Y1 and the rearmost beam 3 Y2 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0062] A second embodiment will now be described. While the first embodiment includes two pairs of columns 2, two beams 3, and two line lighting devices 5, the second embodiment is an embodiment in which three pairs of columns 2, three beams 3, and three line lighting devices 5 are provided. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0063] As shown in Figure 10, the carport 1 of the second embodiment comprises three pairs of pillars 2, three beams 3 extending from the upper ends of the pillars 2 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the pillars 2, a roof body 4 arranged directly on and connected to the upper surfaces of the three beams 3, and three line lighting devices 5 (lighting units).

[0064] In the carport 1 of the second embodiment, three sets of pillars 2 are arranged at a distance from each other in the front-to-rear direction Y of the carport 1. Three beams 3 connect the upper ends of each pair of pillars 2 and extend in the left-to-right direction X of the roof body 4. The three beams 3 are arranged at intervals in the front-to-rear direction Y from the front side Y1 to the rear side Y2 in the order of beam 3C, beam 3D, and beam 3E.

[0065] 10 , the three line illumination devices 5 are provided below the roof body 4 at intervals in the front-to-rear direction Y, where the three support pillars 2 are spaced apart, and are arranged at intervals in the front-to-rear direction Y from the front side Y1 to the rear side Y2 in the order of line illumination device 5C, line illumination device 5D, and line illumination device 5E. In the description of the present embodiment, the line illumination devices 5C, 5D, and 5E will be simply referred to as "line illumination device 5" unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them.

[0066] The three line lighting devices 5 include a line lighting device 5C provided on the side of the upper end of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3C arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-to-back direction Y, a line lighting device 5D provided on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3D arranged in the middle (center side) of the three beams 3, and a line lighting device 5E provided on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3E arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-to-back direction Y.

[0067] The line lighting device 5C is provided on the rear side Y2 of the beam 3C that is the foremost beam Y1 of the three beams 3 in the front-to-rear direction Y of the carport 1. The line lighting device 5D is provided on the front side Y1 of the middle beam 3D of the three beams 3 in the front-to-rear direction Y of the carport 1. The line lighting device 5E is provided on the front side Y1 of the rearmost beam 3E of the three beams 3 in the front-to-rear direction Y of the carport 1.

[0068] The line lighting device 5C and the line lighting device 5E are arranged on the front side Y1 and rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y of the carport 1, and are arranged on the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3C, 3E, inside the frontmost beam 3C on the front side Y1 and the rearmost beam 3E on the rearmost Y2 of the three beams 3. This allows the line lighting device 5C and the line lighting device 5E to emit light toward the inside of the frontmost beam 3C on the front side Y1 and the rearmost beam 3E on the rearmost Y2, and therefore can illuminate the inside of the frontmost beam 3C on the front side Y1 and the rearmost beam 3E on the rearmost Y2 in the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4.

[0069] The line lighting device 5C and the line lighting device 5D are disposed on the front side Y1 and the center side in the longitudinal direction Y of the carport 1, and are disposed on the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3C, D at positions inside the foremost beam 3C (Y1) and the middle beam 3D among the three beams 3. As a result, the line lighting device 5C and the line lighting device 5D can emit light toward the inside of the foremost beam 3C (Y1) and the middle beam 3D, and can therefore emit light from the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3C, D near the front door of the automobile on the front side Y1 of the carport 1 toward the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, and can brightly illuminate the area near the front door of the automobile at the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4.

[0070] A third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the positions at which line illumination devices 5F and 5G are arranged are different from the positions at which line illumination devices 5A and 5B are arranged in the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0071] As shown in Figure 11, the carport of the third embodiment, like the first embodiment, comprises two pairs of pillars 2, two beams 3 extending from the upper ends of the pillars 2 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the pillars 2, a roof body 4 placed directly on and connected to the upper surfaces of the two beams 3, and two line lighting devices 5 (lighting units).

[0072] In the third embodiment, the two line illumination devices 5 are provided below the roof body 4, spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction Y by the distance between the two support pillars 2, and include a line illumination device 5F provided on a side portion of the upper end portion of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, and a line illumination device 5G provided on a side portion of the upper end portion of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y. In the description of the line illumination device 5F and the line illumination device 5G of this embodiment, when there is no particular need to distinguish between them, they will be simply referred to as "line illumination device 5."

[0073] When the carport 1 is viewed from the front side Y1, the line lighting device 5F is provided on the rear side Y2, which is the rear side of the beam 3A on the front side Y1. When the carport 1 is viewed from the front side Y1, the line lighting device 5G is provided on the rear side Y2, which is the rear side of the beam 3B on the rear side Y2. In this embodiment, in the front-to-rear direction Y, the side of the carport 1 facing, for example, a road (not shown) through which automobiles are loaded and unloaded is referred to as the front side Y1, and the side not facing the road is referred to as the rear side Y2. In this case, when the carport 1 is viewed from the front side Y1, both of the line lighting devices 5F and 5G are disposed on the rear side Y2, which is the rear side of the beams 3A and 3B, and are disposed in positions that are not visible to people standing on the front side Y1 of the carport 1, thereby improving the design.

[0074] The fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment differs from the roof body 4 of the first embodiment mainly in that the roof body 6 of the carport 1A is provided with a surface lattice formed in a plane by a plurality of lattice members 61. In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 12, the carport 1A of the fourth embodiment comprises two pairs of support posts 2 erected on the ground and extending vertically, two beams 3 extending from the upper ends of the support posts 2 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the support posts 2, a roof body 6 provided with a surface grille that is directly disposed on and connected to the upper surfaces of the two beams 3, and two line lighting devices 5 (lighting units). In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, a configuration in which the roof body 6 is provided with a surface grille will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a transparent panel board or the like is disposed above the surface grille may also be used.

[0076] The roof body 6 has multiple lattice members 61, a front frame 63, a rear frame 64, a pair of side frames 65, and four corner members 66. The roof body 6 is provided with a surface lattice formed by the multiple lattice members 61 in a planar shape. The multiple lattice members 61 have a rectangular cylindrical cross section and are formed in an elongated shape extending in the front-to-rear direction Y, and are arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction X. The multiple lattice members 61 are formed in a lattice shape such that the longitudinal cross section of the multiple lattice members 61, when cut along the left-to-right direction X, has a thickness in the left-to-right direction X and a width in the up-down direction.

[0077] The two line lighting devices 5 are arranged below the roof body 6, spaced apart in the front-to-back direction Y where the two pillars 2 are spaced apart, and include a line lighting device 5G (see Figures 12 and 13) arranged on the side of the upper end of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-to-back direction Y, and a line lighting device (not shown) arranged on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-to-back direction Y.

[0078] The line illumination device 5G provided on the side of the upper end of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, and a line illumination device (not shown) provided on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y, are arranged at positions similar to those at which the line illumination devices 5A and 5B of the first embodiment are arranged. The line illumination device 5G provided on the side of the upper end of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y and the line illumination device provided on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y have the same configuration except that the positions at which the line illumination device 5G is arranged on the beams 3A and 3B are mirror-imaged, and therefore only the line illumination device 5G will be described.

[0079] 13, the line illumination device 5G is provided on a side portion of an upper end portion of a rear side Y2 of the beam 3A disposed on a front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illumination device 5G is disposed so that its light emission surface faces the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y, and the light emission direction is diagonally upward in the lateral direction of the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. In detail, the light emission direction is lateral to the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y, and the light is emitted diagonally upward so as to move upward from the front side Y1 toward the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction.

[0080] The line lighting device 5G emits light from below the roof body 6 diagonally upwards toward the rear side Y2 in the fore-and-aft direction Y toward the roof body 6, so that in a dark environment such as at night, the roof body 6 provided with a surface grille is illuminated with light at the lattice members 61 in the areas where the lattice members 61 are located, making the area brighter, and the areas where the lattice members 61 are not present making the area darker, thereby creating a contrast of light.

[0081] When illuminating a surface lattice roof structure 6 having a plurality of lattice members 61 with light, if the line illuminators 5 are installed on the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3 and emit light directly upward from the line illuminators 5 as in the first embodiment, the lattice members 61 are not bright enough in the fourth embodiment because the lattice members 61 are close to the line illuminators 5, making it difficult to create a contrast in light. For this reason, in this embodiment, the emission direction of the line illuminators 5 is diagonally upward and laterally oriented toward the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y. This makes it easier to create a contrast in light between the areas where the lattice members 61 are located and the areas where the lattice members 61 are not present. Note that although the emission direction of the line illuminators 5 is diagonally upward and laterally oriented toward the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y, it may also be horizontally oriented directly to the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y.

[0082] In this way, when light is directly irradiated from the line lighting device 5G (illumination unit) onto the surface grating provided on the roof body 6, the surface grating has parts where multiple grating members 61 are arranged and parts where multiple grating members 61 are not arranged, so a shadow (contrast) is formed between the parts where light hits and the parts where light does not hit. As a result, just as when light is irradiated onto the uneven part 40 provided on the lower part of the roof body 4 in the first embodiment, irradiating the surface grating provided on the roof body 6 forms a shadow on the surface grating, improving the design.

[0083] A fifth embodiment will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the position at which the line illumination device 5 (illumination unit) is provided is different from that of the line illumination device 5G of the fourth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the fourth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] As shown in Fig. 14, in the fifth embodiment, similarly to the fourth embodiment, a surface lattice formed of a plurality of lattice members 61 is provided on the roof body 6. The line illuminator 5 has a line illuminator 5H. The line illuminator 5H is provided on the side of the lower end of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illuminator 5H is arranged so that the light emission surface faces upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0085] Here, the line illuminator 5H is disposed on the side of the lower end of the beam 3A, and is disposed at a position below and away from the roof structure 6. Therefore, since the line illuminator 5H is disposed at a position below and away from the roof structure 6, light is emitted from the line illuminator 5H upward toward the roof structure 6 from below the roof structure 6 on which the surface lattice is provided. As a result, the light emitted from the line illuminator 5H spreads before reaching the roof structure 6, and the light is irradiated onto the lattice members 61 in the portions of the roof structure 6 where the lattice members 61 are disposed, making the portions brighter, and the portions without the lattice members 61 becoming darker, thereby creating a light contrast. Note that in this embodiment, the line illuminator 5H is disposed on the side of the lower end of the beam 3A, but this is not limiting. The line illuminator may also be disposed below the center of the beam 3 in the vertical direction (below the center of the beam 3 in the vertical direction and down to the lower end of the beam 3). In this case, a light contrast can also be created in the lattice members 61 of the roof structure 6.

[0086] A sixth embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the arrangement of the line illumination device 5I (illumination unit) is different from that of the line illumination device 5A of the first embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 15, the roof body 4 of the sixth embodiment is configured by a folded-plate roof having folded-plate members 41, similar to the first embodiment. The line illumination device 5I of the sixth embodiment has an illumination unit main body 51 and a reflection concealing portion 52 (protruding portion). The illumination unit main body 51 and the reflection concealing portion 52 are provided integrally. The illumination unit main body 51 has a frame body 51a that opens upward. Electronic components (not shown), such as an LED board, are housed inside the frame body 51a.

[0088] The frame 51a constitutes a case member of the line illumination device 5I, and has an opening on its upper surface that extends in the left-right direction X and opens upward. The reflection concealing portion 52 is formed in a plate shape and is provided integrally with the frame 51a. The reflection concealing portion 52 is provided on the upper portion (upper end) of the line illumination device 5I, and extends in the front-rear direction Y from the upper end of the end of the frame 51a on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y, protruding laterally on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. In this embodiment, the reflection concealing portion 52 is formed to protrude by, for example, about 25 mm from the upper end of the end of the frame 51a on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0089] The reason for providing the reflection concealing portion 52 in the line illuminator 5I will be explained. A gap S may occur between the line illuminator 5I and the roof body 4. The reason for this gap S is that, because the folded plate members 41 are bent members, the positions of the lower ends of the multiple folded plate members 41 may not be perfectly aligned due to individual differences between the folded plate members 41. Furthermore, even when the line illuminator 5 and the roof body 4 are fixed with a tight frame 42 (see FIG. 8 , etc.), the gap between the line illuminator 5 and the roof body 4 may not be stable, for example, at around 10 mm. Although the first to fourth embodiments do not mention the gap S between the line illuminator 5 and the roof body 4, as in the sixth embodiment, the configurations of the first to fourth embodiments may also have a gap S between the line illuminator 5 and the roof body 4 due to individual differences between the folded plate members 41. In such a case, when light is emitted from the line illuminator 5 with this gap S occurring, the reflection of light that strikes the lower end of the roof body 4 from the line illuminator 5 may be perceived as dazzling when viewed from below the roof body 4. In order to conceal this glare, the line lighting device 5 is provided with a reflection concealing portion 52 that extends laterally from the upper portion (top end) of the line lighting device 5.

[0090] As described above, by providing the reflection concealing portion 52 at the upper portion (upper end) of the line lighting device 5I, when a gap S is created between the line lighting device 5A and the lower end of the roof body 4 and light is irradiated from the line lighting device 5, even if the light is reflected from the line lighting device 5 onto the lower end of the roof body 4, the reflection concealing portion 52 can hide the reflection of the light and reduce the glare of the light.

[0091] In the sixth embodiment, the reflection concealing portion 52 (projecting portion) is configured to be integral with the line illumination device 5I, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the reflection concealing portion 52 (projecting portion) may be configured as a separate member from the line illumination device 5I, and the reflection concealing portion 52 (projecting portion) may be attached to the line illumination device 5I or the beam 3. In the sixth embodiment, the roof body 4 is configured as a folded-plate roof, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the roof body may be configured to have a surface grille.

[0092] Seventh to thirteenth embodiments will be described. In the seventh to thirteenth embodiments, the positions at which line illumination devices 5J1, 5J2 to 5P1, 5P2 are arranged are different from the positions at which line illumination devices 5A, 5B (see FIG. 8) are arranged in the first embodiment. In the seventh to thirteenth embodiments, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0093] 16 to 22, the carports of the seventh to thirteenth embodiments, like the first embodiment, comprise two pairs of support pillars 2, two beams 3 extending from the upper ends of the support pillars 2 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the support pillars 2, and a roof body 4 disposed directly on and connected to the upper surfaces of the two beams 3, and are provided with a plurality of line illumination devices 5J1, 5J2 to 5P1, 5P2 (illumination units) instead of the line illumination devices 5A and 5B (see FIG. 8) of the first embodiment. In the carport 1, in the longitudinal direction Y, the side facing a road (not shown) through which automobiles are loaded and unloaded is referred to as the front side Y1, and the side not facing the road is referred to as the rear side Y2.

[0094] The seventh embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 16, the seventh embodiment has two line illumination devices 5J1 and 5J2: a line illumination device 5J1 provided on a side portion of a lower end portion of a rear side Y2 of a beam 3A arranged on a front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, and a line illumination device 5J2 provided on a side portion of a lower end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illumination devices 5J1 and 5J2 are arranged so that light emission surfaces face upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0095] In this case, when the carport 1 is viewed from below the roof body 4 between the front and rear beams 3A, 3B, the line lighting devices 5J1, 5J2 are positioned between the beam 3A located on the front side Y1 and the beam 3B located on the rear side Y2, both on the side of the lower end of the opposing surfaces of the beams 3A, 3B.As the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the underside of the roof body 4 becomes longer, the illuminance difference between the concave portions 4a and convex portions 4b of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 tends to become smaller, and the difference in shading of light tends to become smaller; however, since the entire space can be brightly illuminated, the space between the front and rear beams 3A, 3B is illuminated brightly and with a strong presence, making it easier to get in and out of a car.

[0096] An eighth embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 17, the eighth embodiment has two line illumination devices 5K1 and 5K2: a line illumination device 5K1 provided on a side portion of a lower end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3A arranged on a front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, and a line illumination device 5K2 provided on a side portion of a lower end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3B arranged on a rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illumination devices 5K1 and 5K2 are arranged so that light emission surfaces face upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0097] In this case, the line lighting devices 5K1 and 5K2 are both located on the sides of the lower ends of the front side Y1, which is the front side of the beams 3A and 3B. The distance from the line lighting device 5 to the underside of the roof member 4 is long, which tends to reduce the illuminance difference between the recessed and protruding portions 4a and 4b of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof member 4, resulting in a small difference in light and shadow. However, the entire space can be brightly illuminated, giving the entire carport 1 a strong presence and ensuring ease of entry and exit of a vehicle. In particular, by placing the line lighting device 5K1 on the front side Y1 of the beam 3A, the front or rear of the vehicle can be brightly illuminated. For example, if a vehicle is parked with its front side facing the front side Y1, which is the road side, the line lighting device 5K1 can illuminate the front of the vehicle at night, lifting the spirits of the occupants who see it. Furthermore, the vehicle also appears beautiful to passersby.

[0098] A ninth embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 18, the ninth embodiment has two line illumination devices 5L1, 5L2: a line illumination device 5L1 provided on a side portion of an upper end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3A arranged on a front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, and a line illumination device 5L2 provided on a side portion of an upper end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3B arranged on a rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illumination devices 5L1, 5L2 are arranged so that light emission surfaces face upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0099] In this case, the line lighting devices 5L1 and 5L2 are both disposed on the sides of the upper ends of the front side Y1, which is the near side of the beams 3A and 3B. By irradiating light directly from the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3A and 3B toward the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, the light emitted from the line lighting devices 5L1 and 5L2 is directly irradiated onto the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, resulting in a large contrast in the light at the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. Therefore, in the ninth embodiment, whether the underside of the roof body 4 is viewed from the front side Y1, which is the side facing the road where automobiles enter and exit, or from a position between the front and rear beams 3A and 3B, the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 are presented with a large contrast in the light, emphasizing the contrast and providing a dramatic lighting effect. In particular, by disposing the line lighting device 5L1 on the front side Y1 of the beam 3A, the front or rear of the automobile can be brightly illuminated. For example, if a car is parked facing the front side Y1, which faces the road, the linear lighting device 5L1 can illuminate the front of the car at night, which can lift the spirits of residents who see it. It also makes the car look beautiful to passersby.

[0100] A tenth embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 19, the tenth embodiment has two line illumination devices 5M1 and 5M2: a line illumination device 5M1 provided on a side portion of a lower end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3A arranged on a front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, and a line illumination device 5M2 provided on a side portion of an upper end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3B arranged on a rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illumination devices 5M1 and 5M2 are arranged so that light emission surfaces face upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0101] In this case, when the carport 1 is viewed from the front side Y1, the line lighting device 5M1 is disposed on the side of the lower end of the front side Y1, which is in front of the beam 3A, and the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the underside of the roof body 4 is long, which tends to reduce the illuminance difference between the concave and convex parts 4a and 4b of the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, and therefore reduces the shading difference of light. However, the line lighting device 5M2 can brightly illuminate the space on the front side Y1, which is the side of the road where cars enter and exit from the beam 3A, and therefore the beam 3A on the front side Y1 is illuminated brightly and with a strong presence. In addition, the line lighting device 5M2 is disposed on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1, which is in front of the beam 3B, and irradiates light directly from the side of the upper end of the beam 3B toward the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. The light emitted from the line lighting device 5M2 directly irradiates the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, resulting in a large shading difference (contrast) of light at the unevenness 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. Therefore, in the tenth embodiment, the entire carport 1 is illuminated to give it a strong presence, and the beams 3B on the rear side Y2 create a large contrast in the light at the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, emphasizing the contrast and providing a dramatic effect through light. In particular, by placing the line lighting device 5M1 on the front side Y1 of the beams 3A, the front or rear of the vehicle can be brightly illuminated. For example, if a vehicle is parked with its front side facing the front side Y1, which faces the road, the line lighting device 5M1 can illuminate the front of the vehicle at night, lifting the spirits of the occupants who see it. Furthermore, the vehicle can also be made to look beautiful to passersby and others.

[0102] An eleventh embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 20, the eleventh embodiment has two line illumination devices 5N1, 5N2: a line illumination device 5N1 provided on a side portion of an upper end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3A arranged on a front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, and a line illumination device 5N2 provided on a side portion of a lower end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3B arranged on a rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illumination devices 5N1, 5N2 are arranged so that light emission surfaces face upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0103] In this case, the line lighting device 5N1 is disposed on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1, which is in front of the beam 3A, and irradiates light directly from the side of the upper end of the beam 3A toward the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. When the carport 1 is viewed from the front side Y1, which is the road side where cars are driven in and out, the light emitted from the line lighting device 5N1 directly irradiates the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, resulting in a large difference in light shading (contrast) on the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. Furthermore, the line lighting device 5N2 is disposed on the side of the lower end of the front side Y1, which is in front of the beam 3B, and the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the underside of the roof body 4 is long, which tends to reduce the illuminance difference between the recessed portions 4a and the protruding portions 4b of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 and therefore reduces the difference in light shading. However, because the line lighting device 5N2 can brightly illuminate the entire space, the entire carport 1 is illuminated with a strong presence and provides excellent ease of getting in and out of cars. Therefore, in the eleventh embodiment, the beams 3A on the front side Y1 create a large contrast in the light at the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, emphasizing the contrast and creating a dramatic effect through light. Furthermore, the entire carport 1 is illuminated to enhance its presence, making it easier to get in and out of the car. In particular, by placing the line lighting device 5N1 on the front side Y1 of the beams 3A, the front or rear of the car can be brightly illuminated. For example, if a car is parked with its front side facing the front side Y1, which faces the road, the line lighting device 5N1 can illuminate the front of the car at night, lifting the spirits of the occupants who see it. Furthermore, the car can be made to look beautiful to passersby and others.

[0104] 20, a configuration may be adopted in which the line lighting device 5N1 is not provided on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, but the line lighting device 5N2 is provided on the side of the lower end of the front side Y1 of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y. In this case, as in the 11th embodiment, the line lighting device 5N2 is provided on the side of the lower end of the front side Y1, which is on the near side of the beam 3B, and the distance from the line lighting device 5N2 to the underside of the roof body 4 is long, which tends to reduce the illuminance difference between the recessed parts 4a and the protruding parts 4b of the uneven part 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, and therefore the difference in shading of light tends to be small. However, since the entire space can be brightly illuminated, the entire carport 1 is illuminated so as to have a noticeable presence, and this makes it easy to get in and out of a car.

[0105] A twelfth embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 21 , the twelfth embodiment includes four line illuminators 5O1, 5O2, 5O3, and 5O4: a line illuminator 5O1 provided on a side of an upper end portion of a front side Y1 of a beam 3A arranged on a front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y; a line illuminator 5O2 provided on a side of a lower end portion of a rear side Y2 of a beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y; a line illuminator 5O3 provided on a side of a lower end portion of the front side Y1 of a beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y; and a line illuminator 5O4 provided on a side of an upper end portion of the rear side Y2 of a beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y. The line illuminators 5O1, 5O2, 5O3, and 5O4 are arranged so that light emission surfaces face upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0106] In this case, when the carport 1 is viewed from below the roof body 4 between the front and rear beams 3A, 3B, the line lighting devices 5O2, 5O3 are positioned between the beam 3A located on the front side Y1 and the beam 3B located on the rear side Y2, both on the side of the lower end of the opposing surfaces of the beams 3A, 3B.This makes the distance from the line lighting device 5 to the underside of the roof body 4 longer, and the illuminance difference between the concave and convex portions 4a and 4b of the uneven portion 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 tends to be small, so the difference in shading of light tends to be small; however, since the entire space can be brightly illuminated, the space between the front and rear beams 3A, 3B is illuminated brightly and with a strong presence, making it easier to get in and out of a car. Furthermore, the light emitted from the line lighting devices 5O1, 5O4 is irradiated directly onto the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 at the front side Y1, which is the road side where cars are driven in and out, and at the rear side Y2, which is the residential side and does not face the road, resulting in a large contrast of light at the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4. Therefore, in the twelfth embodiment, the space between the front and rear beams 3A, 3B is illuminated brightly and with a strong presence, making it easy to get in and out of cars. In addition, whether the underside of the roof body 4 is viewed from the front side Y1, which is the road side where cars are driven in and out, or from the front side Y1, which is the residential side and does not face the road, the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 are presented with a large contrast of light, emphasizing the contrast of light and providing a dramatic lighting effect. In particular, by placing the line lighting device 5O1 on the front side Y1 of the beam 3A, the front or rear of the vehicle can be brightly illuminated. For example, if a vehicle is parked with its front side facing the front side Y1, which faces the road, the line lighting device 5O1 can illuminate the front of the vehicle at night, which can lift the spirits of residents who see it. In addition, the vehicle can also be made to look beautiful to passersby.

[0107] A thirteenth embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 22, the thirteenth embodiment has two line illumination devices 5P1 and 5P2: a line illumination device 5P1 embedded in a portion of the upper surface of the upper end portion of a beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, closer to the rear side Y2, and a line illumination device 5P2 embedded in a portion of the upper surface of the upper end portion of a beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y, closer to the front side Y1. The line illumination devices 5P1 and 5P2 are arranged so that their light emission surfaces face upward, and the light emission direction is upward.

[0108] In this case, the line lighting devices 5P1 and 5P2 are disposed at positions closer to the inside of the upper ends of the two beams 3A and 3B. As a result, similar to the line lighting devices 5A and 5B of the first embodiment (see FIG. 8), the line lighting devices 5P1 and 5P2 directly irradiate light toward the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 from positions closer to the inside of the upper ends of the two beams 3A and 3B, thereby simultaneously achieving two types of effect: (1) the light emitted from the line lighting devices 5P1 and 5P2 is directly irradiated onto the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4, creating a dramatic effect of creating a large difference in light shading (contrast) on the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4; and (2) the light emitted from the line lighting devices 5P1 and 5P2 passes through the recesses 4a of the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 and spreads in the front-to-rear direction Y, creating a gradation of light in which the brightness of the underside of the roof body 4 gradually decreases in the front-to-rear direction Y as the light moves away from the line lighting devices 5. Furthermore, the line lighting devices 5A and 5B can emit light toward the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 from positions closer to the inside of the upper ends of the beams 3A and 3B near the vehicle boarding and disembarking position at the center of the carport 1 in the front-to-rear direction Y, and the indirect lighting of light reflected by the uneven portions 40 on the underside of the roof body 4 can brightly illuminate the area near the vehicle boarding and disembarking position. Furthermore, because the line lighting devices 5P1 and 5P2 are embedded in the upper surfaces of the upper ends of the beams 3A and 3B, the line lighting devices 5P1 and 5P2 cannot be seen from below the roof body 4, and therefore the design can be improved compared to when the line lighting devices 5A and 5B of the first embodiment (see FIG. 8) are provided on the sides of the upper ends of the beams 3A and 3B.

[0109] In the thirteenth embodiment, the line illumination device 5P1 is configured to be embedded in a portion closer to the rear side Y2 of the upper surface of the upper end portion of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured to be embedded in a portion closer to the front side Y1 of the upper surface of the upper end portion of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y. Furthermore, the line illumination device 5P2 is configured to be embedded in a portion closer to the front side Y1 of the upper surface of the upper end portion of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured to be embedded in a portion closer to the rear side Y2 of the upper surface of the upper end portion of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0110] When the line illumination device 5P1 is configured to be embedded in the upper surface of the upper end portion of the beam 3A at a position closer to the rear side Y2 or at the position on the front side Y1 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y, the expression of light is the same as when the line illumination device 5P1 is provided on the side of the upper end portion of the rear side Y2 or the front side Y1 of the beam 3A arranged on the front side Y1 in the front-rear direction Y. Also, when the line illumination device 5P2 is configured to be embedded in the upper surface of the upper end portion of the beam 3B at a position closer to the front side Y1 or at the position on the rear side Y2 of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y, the expression of light is the same as when the line illumination device 5P2 is provided on the side of the upper end portion of the front side Y1 or the rear side Y2 of the beam 3B arranged on the rear side Y2 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0111] Therefore, in the line lighting device 5 shown in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments (see Figures 8, 10, and 11) and ninth to twelfth embodiments (Figures 18 to 21), instead of being configured to be provided on the side of the upper end of the front side Y1 or rear side Y2 of the beam 3, the line lighting device 5 can be configured to be embedded in the upper surface of the upper end of the beam 3, which can achieve the same light expression.Furthermore, by configuring the line lighting device 5 to be embedded in the upper surface of the upper end of the beam 3, the line lighting device 5 cannot be seen from below the roof body 4, and therefore the design can be improved compared to when the line lighting device 5 is provided on the side of the upper end of the beam 3.

[0112] A fourteenth embodiment will be described below. A line illumination device 5Q (illumination section) of the fourteenth embodiment shown in Fig. 23 is a modification of the line illumination device 5I of the sixth embodiment shown in Fig. 15 .

[0113] 23, the roof body 4 of the fourteenth embodiment is configured by a folded-plate roof having folded-plate members 41, similar to the first embodiment. The line illumination device 5Q of the fourteenth embodiment has an illumination unit main body 55, a reflection-concealing portion 56 (projection portion), and a cushion portion 57.

[0114] The illumination unit main body 55 has a box-shaped frame body 551 that extends in the left-right direction X in which the beam 3 extends and that opens upward, an illumination base 552, a light source unit 553, and a reflector 554 (reflector). The illumination base 552, the light source unit 553, and the reflector 554 are arranged inside the frame body 551.

[0115] The frame 551 constitutes a case member of the line illumination device 5Q, and has an opening on the top surface that extends in the left-right direction X and opens upward. The frame 551 is formed of, for example, an aluminum plate material.

[0116] The lighting pedestal 552 is disposed inside the frame body 551, at one end of the upper surface of the bottom of the frame body 551 in the front-to-rear direction Y. The lighting pedestal 552 supports the light source unit 553. The lighting pedestal 552 is a pedestal that tilts the light source unit 553 so that the light source unit 553 is hidden from view and the irradiation direction of the light source is tilted with respect to the underside of the roof body 4 so that the light emitted from the light source unit 553 can reach far distances efficiently. In this embodiment, the surface of the lighting pedestal 552 that supports the light source unit 553 is tilted at an angle of, for example, α = 45° with respect to the upper surface of the bottom of the frame body 551. As a result, the light source unit 553 is tilted at an angle of, for example, β = 45° with respect to the optical axis of the light source when the light source faces directly upward. Note that the tilt angle of the light source of the light source unit 553 is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

[0117] Light source unit 553 is supported by lighting base 552, and is disposed at an angle of, for example, β=45° with respect to the optical axis of the light source of light source unit 553 when the light source faces directly upward, compared to when the light source of light source unit 553 faces directly upward. Light source unit 553 irradiates light in three directions B1, B2, and B3, for example, from the inclined top surface and a pair of inclined side surfaces of light source unit 553.

[0118] The reflector 554 has an arc-shaped reflecting surface. The reflector 554 is disposed inside the frame 551, at the other end in the front-to-rear direction Y of the upper surface of the bottom of the frame 551. The reflector 554 is disposed to the side of the light source unit 553 and reflects light emitted from the light source unit 553 toward the underside of the roof body 4. This allows the reflector 554 to stably and efficiently reflect light emitted from the light source unit 553 in three directions B1, B2, and B3 toward the underside of the roof body 4, and to stably and efficiently guide the light emitted from the light source unit 553 in three directions B1, B2, and B3 to the underside of the roof body 4.

[0119] The reflection concealing portion 56 is formed in a plate shape and is provided separately from or integrally with the frame body 551. The reflection concealing portion 56 is provided on the upper portion (upper end) of the line illumination device 5I and extends in the front-to-rear direction Y from the upper end of the end portion on the rear side Y2 of the frame body 551 in the front-to-rear direction Y, protruding laterally on the rear side Y2 in the front-to-rear direction Y. In the present embodiment, the reflection concealing portion 56 is formed to protrude by, for example, about 25 mm from the upper end of the end portion on the rear side Y2 of the frame body 551 in the front-to-rear direction Y, similar to the sixth embodiment shown in FIG.

[0120] As a result, in the fourteenth embodiment, as in the sixth embodiment (see FIG. 15), the folded plate members 41 of the roof body 4 are folded members, and therefore the positions of the lower ends of the multiple folded plate members 41 may not be perfectly aligned due to individual differences between the multiple folded plate members 41. However, by providing the reflection concealing portion 56 at the top (upper end) of the line lighting device 5Q, when a gap S is created between the line lighting device 5Q and the lower end of the roof body 4 and light is irradiated from the line lighting device 5Q, even if light is reflected from the line lighting device 5Q and hits the lower end of the roof body 4, the reflection of the light can be hidden by the reflection concealing portion 56, thereby reducing the glare of the light.

[0121] Cushion portion 57 is a shielding member that is disposed between the underside of roof body 4 and reflection concealing portion 56 and blocks light that may leak through gap S between the underside of roof body 4 and reflection concealing portion 56. Cushion portion 57 is formed in a plate shape and is made of, for example, a black shielding member, and is formed from an elastically deformable cushioning material.

[0122] Because the cushion portion 57 is made of an elastically deformable cushioning material, it is adhered to the upper surface of the reflection concealing portion 56 and elastically deforms and collapses when placed in the gap between the reflection concealing portion 56 and the underside of the roof body 4, and can effectively close the gap S between the reflection concealing portion 56 and the underside of the roof body 4 even in places where the size of the gap is unstable, with some places having a wide gap and some having a narrow gap, between the underside of the roof body 4 and the reflection concealing portion 56. Therefore, the cushion portion 57 can completely block light leaking through the gap S between the underside of the roof body 4 and the reflection concealing portion 56.

[0123] In the fourteenth embodiment, the roof body 4 is configured as a folded plate roof, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the roof body may be configured to have a surface grille.

[0124] Next, an evaluation test of subjective sensory evaluation of the line illumination devices was conducted, and the evaluation conditions and results of the evaluation test will be described. The first evaluation condition was an evaluation test of subjective sensory evaluation in which the line illumination devices 5R1 and 5R2 were provided at upper side portions of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A on the front side Y1 and at upper side portions of the front side Y1 of the beam 3B on the rear side Y2, as shown in Fig. 24. The second evaluation condition was an evaluation test of subjective sensory evaluation in which the line illumination devices 5S1 and 5S2 were provided at lower side portions of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A on the front side Y1 and at lower side portions of the front side Y1 of the beam 3B on the rear side Y2, as shown in Fig. 25.

[0125] Evaluation tests were conducted under the following conditions (1) to (6) regarding the brightness and position of the line lighting device. Under the following conditions (1) to (4), the brightness of the line lighting device is expressed as brightness levels 3 and 5. Brightness level 3 refers to the "medium" level of the three brightness levels: "dark," "medium," and "bright." Brightness level 5 refers to the "bright" level of the three brightness levels: "dark," "medium," and "bright." In the evaluation tests, two LED light sources were used as the line lighting device for the entire carport 1. For brightness level 3 ("medium"), a total luminous flux per LED light source (per LED light source) of 702 lumens (lm) was used. For brightness level 5 ("bright"), a total luminous flux per LED light source (per LED light source) of 1170 lumens (lm) was used. Under the following conditions (1) to (4), evaluation tests were conducted under these brightness levels 3 and 5. The specific conditions (1) to (6) are as follows:

[0126] (1) When the brightness of the line lighting device is set to the assumed 100% brightness of the existing line lighting device (brightness level 3: medium), and the line lighting devices 5R1 and 5R2 are installed on the upper part of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A on the front side Y1 (there is a shadow on the underside of the roof body) as shown in Figure 24, (2) When the brightness of the line lighting device is set to the assumed 100% brightness of the existing line lighting device (brightness level 3: medium), and the line lighting devices 5S1 and 5S2 are installed on the lower part of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A on the front side Y1 (there is no shadow on the underside of the roof body) as shown in Figure 25, (3) When the brightness of the line lighting device is set to the assumed 100% brightness of the new line lighting device (brightness level Evaluation tests were conducted by subjects in the following cases: (4) the brightness of the line lighting devices was set to 100% of the assumed brightness of the new line lighting device (brightness level 5: bright) and the line lighting devices 5R1 and 5R2 were installed on the upper part of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A on the front side Y1 (there is a shadow on the underside of the roof body) as shown in Figure 24; (5) the brightness of the line lighting devices was set to 100% of the assumed brightness of the new line lighting device (brightness level 5: bright) and the line lighting devices 5S1 and 5S2 were installed on the lower part of the rear side Y2 of the beam 3A on the front side Y1 (there is no shadow on the underside of the roof body) as shown in Figure 25; (6) downlights were installed on the underside of the two beams 3A and 3B and light was emitted from the downlights; and (7) there was no lighting.

[0127] The evaluation method involved subjects standing 3 m away from the front side Y1 of the carport, looking at the area illuminated by the line lighting devices 5R1, 5R2, 5S1, and 5S2 from any position below the roof body 4.

[0128] FIG. 26 shows a graph of the evaluation results. In the graph of the evaluation results in FIG. 26, all of the conditions (1) to (5) resulted in higher overall ratings compared to the rating for "(6) No lighting." In particular, the ratings for (1) to (4) where the line lighting device was placed on the beam were higher than the rating for "(5) Downlight." Furthermore, for the line lighting devices under conditions (1) to (4), the ratings for the stronger light emitted from the line lighting device were higher than those for the weaker light, for the same position of the line lighting device. For the same brightness level, the rating for the "ability to express individuality" category was higher for the configuration where the line lighting device was placed above the beam (conditions (1) and (3) above) than for the configuration where the line lighting device was placed below the beam (conditions (2) and (4) above). For the items "sparkling" and "has presence" at the same brightness level, the configuration in which the line lighting device was placed below the beam (conditions (2) and (4) above) was rated higher than the configuration in which the line lighting device was placed above the beam (conditions (1) and (3) above).

[0129] A preferred embodiment of the carport 1 (roof structure) of the present disclosure has been described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the recesses 4a and protrusions 4b of the uneven portion 40 provided on the underside of the roof body 4 are formed to be approximately trapezoidal, but this is not limited to this. For example, the cross-sectional shapes of the recesses and protrusions of the uneven portion provided on the underside of the roof body 4 may be formed to be wave-shaped, triangular, square, or rectangular.

[0131] In the above embodiment, the line lighting device 5 (lighting unit) is provided on the beam 3, but this is not limited thereto. The line lighting device 5 (lighting unit) may be any device that irradiates light from below the roof body, and the position and angle at which the line lighting device 5 (lighting unit) is disposed are not limited. The line lighting device 5 (lighting unit) may be disposed on the support 2, for example.

[0132] In the above embodiment, the lighting unit (line lighting device 5) is provided on each of all beams 3. However, this is not limiting. The lighting unit (line lighting device 5) may be provided on at least one or more beams 3, rather than on all beams 3. For example, in a configuration including two beams, the lighting unit may be provided on only one of the two beams. In a configuration including three beams, the lighting unit may be provided on one or two of the three beams. Furthermore, when the lighting unit is provided on one of multiple beams, it is preferable to provide the lighting unit on the beam located at the forefront (road side) facing the road where automobiles enter and exit. By providing the lighting unit at the forefront (road side), light from the lighting unit is irradiated onto the underside of the roof body on the road side, thereby improving the design of the underside of the roof body illuminated by light from the lighting unit when viewed from the road.

[0133] In the first to twelfth embodiments, the illumination unit (line illumination device) is provided on the side surface of the beam, but this is not limiting. The illumination unit may be disposed inside the beam. For example, as in the thirteenth embodiment shown in FIG. 22, a recess recessed downward from the upper surface of the beam may be formed on the upper surface of the beam, and the illumination unit may be disposed in the recess formed on the upper surface of the beam, thereby disposing the illumination unit inside the beam.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the illumination unit is configured by the line illumination device 5, but is not limited to this. For example, the illumination unit may be configured by arranging a plurality of point light source lights, each of which is made up of a single point light source, instead of a line illumination.

[0135] In addition to the configuration of the above embodiment, lights (lighting units that illuminate downward) that project light downward onto the roof structure 4 may be provided. This allows light to be projected onto the ground or automobiles placed below the roof structure 4. When lights are provided, for example, lights can be provided on the underside of the beams 3, and the lights provided on the underside of the beams 3 can project light downward onto the roof structure 4, thereby providing direct lighting that illuminates the area below the roof structure 4. This allows a roof structure that combines both indirect lighting, in which the line lighting devices 5 (lighting units) illuminate the uneven portions 40 provided on the underside of the roof structure 4 to create a dramatic effect by expressing shadows, and direct lighting, in which the lights (lighting units that illuminate downward) directly illuminate the area below the roof structure 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1 carport (roof structure), 2 support, 3 beam, 4 roof body, 5 line lighting device (lighting section), 40 uneven section, 41 folded plate member, 42 tight frame (support frame), 45 side frame, 52 reflection concealing section (projecting section), 411 peak section, 412 valley section, 453 wiring arrangement section, W1, W2 wiring cable

Claims

1. The pillars and a beam connected to an upper portion of the support; A roof body disposed above the beam and having an uneven portion or a surface lattice provided at the bottom; A roof structure comprising: a lighting unit that directly irradiates light from below the roof body onto the uneven portion or the surface grille provided on the lower part of the roof body.

2. The roof structure according to claim 1 , wherein the roof body is disposed directly on the upper surface of the beam.

3. The roof structure according to claim 1 , wherein the uneven portion is provided on the underside of the roof body.

4. 4. The roof structure according to claim 3, wherein the roof body is a folded-plate roof having folded-plate members formed by folding a plate material into an uneven shape with continuous peaks and valleys.

5. 5. The roof structure according to claim 4, wherein the roof body has a support frame formed in a shape that follows the uneven shape of the folded plate members and that supports the folded plate members from below.

6. The roof structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting unit is provided on the beam.

7. The roof structure according to claim 6 , wherein the lighting unit is provided on a side of the upper end of the beam.

8. The roof structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting section has a protruding section provided on an upper portion of the lighting section and protruding laterally.

9. the illumination unit is provided on the beam, At least two of the beams are arranged apart in a predetermined direction, At least two of the lighting units are provided, one of the at least two illumination units is provided on the other end side in the predetermined direction of the beam that is arranged at one end in the predetermined direction of the at least two beams, 3. The roof structure according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least two lighting sections, which is different from the one lighting section, is provided on one end side of the beam that is arranged at the other end in the predetermined direction of the at least two beams.

10. The roof structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting section is a line lighting section formed in a line shape extending in a direction in which the concave and convex portions of the uneven section are continuously arranged.

11. The support columns are arranged in a row at intervals in a predetermined direction at one end of the roof body, the illumination units are provided in a plurality of positions spaced apart in a direction in which the plurality of support columns are spaced apart, the roof body has a side frame that is disposed on a side portion of the support columns and extends in a direction in which the support columns are arranged, 3. The roof structure according to claim 1, wherein the side frame has a wiring arrangement section in which a plurality of wiring cables extending in the longitudinal direction of the side frame and connected to a plurality of the lighting units can be arranged, and in which the plurality of wiring cables can be arranged so as to gather at one of the plurality of pillars.

12. The roof structure according to claim 8 , wherein the lighting section has a shielding member disposed between the lower surface of the roof body and the overhanging portion.

13. The roof structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting unit has a reflecting unit that reflects light emitted from a light source of the lighting unit toward the underside of the roof body.

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