Lighting apparatus

Abstract

To provide a luminaire capable of performing charge control of a storage battery and eliminating a state of shortage of a power storage amount after inspection in a short time.SOLUTION: The inspection device includes a light-emitting body that emits light by supplied power, a storage battery that supplies power to the light-emitting body when power is not supplied from the outside, and a control device that automatically performs an inspection as to whether or not power can be supplied from the storage battery for a specified time or longer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This technology relates to lighting fixtures, and in particular to the inspection of lighting fixtures that have storage batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] There are lighting fixtures that can emit light by supplying power from a built-in storage battery when the external power supply is cut off. In such lighting fixtures, the built-in storage battery is inspected. Some lighting fixtures have a function to periodically and automatically inspect whether the storage battery can light the lighting fixture for a specified period of time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-027706 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] After the lighting fixture has been inspected, the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery decreases due to power consumption. Therefore, a charging current is supplied to the storage battery to charge it. However, there is a possibility that the external power supply will be cut off while the storage battery is charging, and power must be supplied from the storage battery. Therefore, there is a demand for charging the storage battery more quickly so that the lighting can continue for a specified time or longer.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a lighting fixture that can control the charging of a storage battery and quickly resolve the state of insufficient stored power after inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The lighting fixture according to this disclosure comprises an illuminant that emits light using supplied power, a storage battery that supplies power to the illuminant when no external power is supplied, and a control device that automatically checks whether the storage battery can supply power for a specified period of time or longer, and the control device automatically starts an inspection when a predetermined inspection interval has elapsed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the lighting fixture disclosed herein, the control device can reduce the labor required for regular inspections by automatically starting inspections when a predetermined inspection interval has elapsed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a lighting fixture 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting fixture 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a light source unit 20 in the lighting device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a lighting fixture 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram illustrating modes that can be executed in lighting device 1 in accordance with Embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow of a post-inspection charge control function performed by the control device 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 3 is a diagram illustrating charging control of a storage battery 11 in a lighting fixture 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, lighting fixtures and the like according to the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or equivalent components, and these are common throughout the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the size relationships between components in the drawings may differ from the actual sizes. Furthermore, the configurations of the components shown throughout the specification are merely examples and are not limited to the configurations described in the specification. In particular, the combinations of the components are not limited to the combinations in each embodiment, and components described in other embodiments may be applied to other embodiments.

[0010] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of lighting fixture 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of lighting fixture 1 according to embodiment 1. Although not particularly limited, lighting fixture 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described as an emergency lighting fixture that is turned on in an emergency (power outage).

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, lighting fixture 1 in embodiment 1 has a main body 2, a frame 3, a lens 4, an inspection switch 5, an alarm unit 6, a light-receiving unit 7, and a ceiling mounting spring 8. Main body 2 houses the equipment of lighting fixture 1. The equipment housed in main body 2 will be described later. Frame 3 is a panel that covers the opening of main body 2 and is the part of lighting fixture 1 that is exposed to the room. Here, frame 3 has an opening that exposes lens 4, inspection switch 5, alarm unit 6, and light-receiving unit 7 housed in main body 2 to the room. Lens 4 is attached to light source unit 20 and focuses or diffuses light emitted by light-emitting body 13, which will be described later.

[0012] The inspection switch 5 is one or more switches that are operated by the user of the lighting fixture 1 when checking the remaining battery charge of the storage battery 11, which will be described later. The inspection switch 5 serves as an operating device for the lighting fixture 1. When the inspection switch 5 is operated, the lighting fixture 1 operates in one of various inspection modes, as will be described later. The notification unit 6 issues a notification based on a notification signal from the control device 10, which will be described later. The notification unit 6 in the first embodiment has an LED (light-emitting diode), and issues a notification by emitting light from the LED. However, this is not limited to this. In particular, the notification unit 6 in the first embodiment issues a notification of the result of the inspection operation based on the notification signal.

[0013] The light receiving unit 7 receives an operation signal wirelessly transmitted from a remote controller (not shown). The ceiling mounting spring 8 is a mounting member for mounting the lighting fixture 1 to a mounting portion such as a ceiling. The ceiling mounting spring 8 is formed, for example, from a curved metal plate.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2 , lighting fixture 1 in the first embodiment includes, within main body 2, power terminal block 9, control device 10, storage battery 11, heat sink 12, light emitter 13, and dummy load 14. Power terminal block 9 is, for example, a connector to which an external power line is connected and which supplies power from commercial power source 100 (described below) to each device in lighting fixture 1. Storage battery 11 stores power and, when power is not supplied from commercial power source 100, serves as a backup power source and supplies power to each device in lighting fixture 1. Here, storage battery 11 is assumed to be a Ni-MH storage battery, but is not limited to this. Storage battery 11 may also be, for example, a secondary battery such as a Ni-Cd storage battery or a Li-Ion battery.

[0015] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of light source unit 20 in lighting fixture 1 according to embodiment 1. Light source unit 20 in embodiment 1 has light emitter 13, dummy load 14, mounting board 15, and heat dissipation unit 12. Fig. 3 shows light emitter 13, dummy load 14, and mounting board 15 of light source unit 20. Lighting fixture 1 according to embodiment 1 is configured such that light emitter 13 and dummy load 14 are mounted on mounting board 15. Note that light emitter 13 and dummy load 14 may be mounted on separate mounting boards.

[0016] The light emitter 13 serves as a light source, emitting light to turn on the lighting fixture 1. As described above, the lighting fixture 1 in the first embodiment is an emergency lighting fixture, and therefore the light emitter 13 serves as an emergency light source that turns on in an emergency. Furthermore, the light emitter 13 will be described as including an LED, but is not limited to this. The light emitter 13 may also be, for example, an organic electroluminescent (EL) element, a laser diode, or the like.

[0017] Dummy load 14 serves as an inspection load that substitutes for light-emitting element 13 when consuming power without causing light-emitting element 13 to emit light, such as during inspection using various inspection modes. Here, dummy load 14 may be any load that consumes power without being mistaken for light emitted by light-emitting element 13, for example, one that does not emit visible light. In lighting fixture 1 of embodiment 1, dummy load 14 is a resistor. Therefore, dummy load 14 converts the consumed power into heat, causing the temperature of dummy load 14 and the area around dummy load 14 to rise.

[0018] The heat dissipation unit 12 is a heat sink that comes into contact with the mounting board 15 on which the light emitter 13 and the dummy load 14 are mounted, and dissipates heat generated by the light emitter 13 and the dummy load 14 consuming power. The heat dissipation unit 12 basically has a capacity related to its heat dissipation capability determined according to the amount of heat generated by the light emitter 13. However, this is not limited to this, and the capacity of the heat dissipation unit 12 may be determined, for example, according to the amount of heat generated by the dummy load 14 during inspection operation in inspection mode. The amount of heat generated by the dummy load 14 depends on the supplied power, the number of dummy loads 14 installed, and their layout, etc.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3 , the light source unit 20 in the first embodiment has the light emitter 13 disposed in the central portion of the mounting substrate 15. The light source unit 20 is then mounted with the light emitter 13 at the center, and multiple dummy loads 14 dispersedly disposed on the outer periphery of the mounting substrate 15 relative to the light emitter 13. This allows the heat-generating portion of the dummy load 14 to be dispersed over a wide area, even when the dummy load 14 is supplied with power equal to or greater than that of the light emitter 13. This makes it possible to suppress temperature increases due to heat generated by the dummy load 14. Furthermore, since the layout has the light emitter 13 disposed in the central portion, it is possible to easily control the light distribution using the lens 4 or the like. For example, the lens 4 can be made smaller by reducing the area of ​​the light-emitting surface of the light emitter 13.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the configuration of lighting fixture 1 according to embodiment 1. In FIG. 4, control device 10 is a device that controls operations such as lighting of lighting fixture 1. Control device 10 is configured, for example, as hardware, with a microcomputer having a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). To achieve the above-described functions, control device 10 includes lighting circuit unit 10A, charging circuit unit 10B, inspection processing unit 10C, and timing unit 10D, as shown in FIG. 4. Lighting circuit unit 10A performs lighting control related to turning on and off light emitters 13. Lighting circuit unit 10A mainly performs function (3), which will be described later. Charging circuit unit 10B performs charging control when charging storage battery 11 with power supplied from commercial power source 100. Charging circuit unit 10B mainly performs functions (1) and (9), which will be described later. Inspection processing unit 10C performs processing related to inspection control when executing various inspection functions, which will be described later. Inspection processing unit 10C mainly performs functions (4) to (8), which will be described later. The timing unit 10D has a timer and measures time. The time measured by the timing unit 10D is used when the inspection processing unit 10C and the like perform control. The timing unit 10D mainly performs function (2) described below.

[0021] The control device 10 of the first embodiment has the following functions (1) to (9), and performs functions such as turning on and off the lighting fixture 1, charging the storage battery 11, and inspecting the storage battery 11. (1) A normal charging function for receiving power from the commercial power source 100 and charging the storage battery 11 normally. Here, the normal charging is performed by trickle charging, which supplies a minute current to the storage battery 11 to charge it. (2) A timer function that measures the elapsed time that power is supplied from the commercial power source 100 (3) When the power supply from the commercial power source 100 is cut off, the power supply is switched to the power supply from the storage battery 11, causing the light emitter 13 to emit light, thereby lighting the lighting fixture 1. (4) An inspection function that checks whether the lighting fixture 1 can be lit for a specified time (20, 30, or 60 minutes) using the storage battery 11 and the deterioration status of the storage battery 11. Here, function (4) has two types of functions: one that realizes the inspection function by making the light-emitting body 13 emit light, and one that realizes the inspection function by making the dummy load 14 consume power. (5) An automatic inspection function that, when the inspection switch 5 is operated, causes the storage battery 11 to emit light from the light source 13 to perform the inspection of function (4). (6) A periodic automatic inspection function that automatically performs the inspection of function (4) by supplying power to the dummy load 14 from the storage battery 11 after a predetermined inspection interval has elapsed using the timer function of function (2) without operating the inspection switch 5. (7) A manual inspection function that checks whether the lighting fixture 1 can be turned on by illuminating the light source 13 using the storage battery 11 only while the inspection switch 5 is being operated. (8) A function of causing the notification unit 6 to notify the results of the inspections performed based on the functions (4) to (6). (9) A post-inspection charge control function that, after the periodic automatic inspection of function (6), controls charging by supplying a charging current at least twice the charging current of normal charging until the storage battery 11 is fully charged, and then switches to normal charging after the storage battery 11 is fully charged.

[0022] 5 is a diagram illustrating modes that can be executed by lighting device 1 according to embodiment 1. Lighting device 1 according to embodiment 1 can execute five modes, for example: (a) normal lighting mode, (b) emergency lighting mode, (c) manual inspection mode, (d) automatic inspection mode, and (e) regular automatic inspection mode.

[0023] The normal lighting mode (a) is a mode in a normal state. The lighting circuit unit 10A of the control device 10 causes the light-emitting element 13 to emit light, and the charging circuit unit 10B of the control device 10 executes function (1) to charge the storage battery 11. The emergency lighting mode (b) is a mode in an emergency. The lighting circuit unit 10A of the control device 10 executes function (3) to cause the light-emitting element 13 to emit light and turn on the lighting device 1. At this time, the light-emitting element 13 becomes a load, and the storage battery 11 discharges.

[0024] The manual inspection mode (c) is a mode in which an inspection is performed when the user operates the inspection switch 5. The manual inspection mode executes the automatic inspection function of function (5) or the manual inspection function of function (7), and issues a notification of function (8).

[0025] The automatic inspection mode (d) and the periodic automatic inspection mode (e) are modes in which inspection is performed automatically when the inspection interval time has elapsed, as will be described later. Next, the automatic inspection mode and the periodic automatic inspection mode will be described.

[0026] For example, there are lighting devices that have a built-in storage battery 11 that is charged, and in the event of a power outage when power from the commercial power source 100 is cut off, the light source is turned on using power supplied from the charged storage battery 11. Examples of such lighting devices include emergency lights regulated by the Fire Service Act and emergency lighting devices regulated by the Building Standards Act.

[0027] Furthermore, some emergency guide lights and emergency lighting fixtures can be switched between constant lighting using commercial power supply 100 and emergency lighting using storage battery 11. Generally, the constant lighting state has a higher output and is brighter, while the emergency lighting state has a lower output and is dimmer.

[0028] Among the guide lights and emergency lighting fixtures, some emergency lighting fixtures only charge the storage battery 11 during normal times when power is supplied from the commercial power source 100, and only during a power outage do they have the function of supplying power from the storage battery 11 to illuminate the light-emitting body 13 (light source).

[0029] Here, for both emergency lights and emergency lighting equipment, the lighting duration time from the storage battery 11 is specified, and in the event of a power outage, the lighting must be able to continue for at least the specified lighting duration time. Here, the specified lighting duration time is 20 or 60 minutes for emergency lights, and 30 or 60 minutes for emergency lighting equipment.

[0030] The duration of lighting of lighting fixture 1 depends on the charge level of storage battery 11 and the deterioration state of storage battery 11. Emergency exit lights and emergency lighting fixtures mainly use trickle charging as a charging method, and under normal circumstances, the power of storage battery 11 is controlled so that it is always fully charged. However, as storage battery 11 of lighting fixture 1 deteriorates, the duration of lighting tends to become shorter over time, even if it is fully charged.

[0031] For this reason, it is necessary to check the deterioration state of the storage battery 11 by periodically checking whether the lighting fixture 1 can be turned on for the specified time, and if deterioration of the storage battery 11 is found, to replace the storage battery 11 so that the lighting fixture 1 can be maintained in a state where it can be turned on for the specified time.

[0032] In general, maintenance is performed by inspecting the lighting fixtures 1 through the operations of an administrator, who then checks the inspection results. However, when such checking is performed, the management of the lighting fixtures 1 depends on the inspection frequency by the administrator. Therefore, if the inspection frequency (interval) is long, there is a concern that the storage battery 11 may not be replaced at the appropriate replacement time.

[0033] In lighting fixture 1 of embodiment 1, control device 10 has the periodic automatic inspection functions of functions (4) and (6) described above. Therefore, in the automatic inspection mode and the periodic automatic inspection mode, control device 10 uses the timer function of function (2) to automatically perform an inspection after the inspection interval has elapsed since receiving power from commercial power source 100, even if inspection switch 5 has not been operated.

[0034] Here, the inspection interval time is not particularly specified, but may be, for example, six months, one year, etc. The inspection interval time may be any other time.

[0035] When the control device 10 performs an inspection using the periodic automatic inspection function, a typical inspection method is to execute the periodic automatic inspection function (6) in periodic automatic inspection mode for emergency lighting fixtures that normally only charge the storage battery 11 and do not light the light-emitting element 13. At this time, the lighting fixture 1 is switched to an emergency lighting state and turned on. Therefore, the light-emitting element 13 lights up during the inspection.

[0036] On the other hand, in lighting fixture 1 of embodiment 1, when control device 10 executes the periodic automatic inspection function of function (6) in automatic inspection mode, dummy load 14 is used instead of light-emitting element 13 to inspect the deterioration state of storage battery 11. In this way, light-emitting element 13 does not emit light during inspection, so there is no risk of it being mistaken for a power outage or some other abnormality.

[0037] It is also possible to supply more power to the dummy load 14 than is consumed in an emergency lighting state. By having the dummy load 14 consume the power of the storage battery 11, the inspection time can be shortened. In this case, the amount of heat generated from the dummy load 14 increases, but the heat can be efficiently dissipated from the heat dissipation section 12.

[0038] The control device 10 does not particularly specify a method for determining whether the storage battery 11 can be turned on for a specified time. For example, the control device 10 may make a determination based on a specified time for the storage battery 11. The control device 10 may also make a determination based on the voltage of the storage battery 11 after a set time. Here, the set time may be, for example, 15 minutes, which is half the specified time, if the specified time is 30 minutes and twice the power supplied during emergency lighting is to be supplied to the dummy load 14. Another threshold value that correlates with the life of the storage battery 11 may also be set, and the control device 10 may make a determination based on the set threshold value.

[0039] The control device 10, using the function (8) described above, sends a notification signal based on the inspection result determined by the judgment to the notification unit 6. The notification unit 6 displays the notification signal and notifies the user.

[0040] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the flow of processing of the post-inspection charge control function performed by the control device 10 according to the first embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 6 is executed by the charging circuit unit 10B of the control device 10. The charging circuit unit 10B determines whether the automatic inspection performed by the inspection processing unit 10C has ended (step S1). When the charging circuit unit 10B determines that the automatic inspection has ended, it supplies a predetermined post-inspection current to the storage battery 11 (step S2).

[0041] The charging circuit unit 10B determines whether the storage battery 11 has reached a fully charged state (step S3). If the charging circuit unit 10B determines that the storage battery 11 has reached a fully charged state, it transitions to normal charging (step S4) and terminates the post-inspection charging control function.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating charging control of storage battery 11 in lighting fixture 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the flow of time in the processing of control device 10 performed in FIG. 6 and the charging current supplied to storage battery 11. When control device 10 is executing, for example, the normal lighting mode, normal charging is performed as shown in FIG. 7(a). When control device 10 executes the periodic automatic inspection function of function (6) in the automatic inspection mode or periodic automatic inspection mode, no charging current is supplied to storage battery 11, and conversely, storage battery 11 discharges, as shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0043] After the control device 10 executes the periodic automatic inspection function (function (6)), the amount of charge stored in the storage battery 11 is low or is below the capacity required to light the light-emitting element 13. Therefore, in the lighting fixture 1 of the first embodiment, the control device 10 executes the post-inspection charge control function (function (9)), and charges the storage battery 11 by supplying a post-inspection current that is higher than the charging current in normal charging, as shown in FIG. 7(c), until the storage battery 11 is fully charged. Here, the post-inspection current is supplied until the storage battery 11 is fully charged, but full charging is not necessarily required; it may be supplied until the storage battery 11 is close to full charge. Here, when the control device 10 executes the post-inspection charge control function after executing the periodic automatic inspection function, the charging current supplied to the storage battery 11 is at least twice that during normal charging. Then, after the storage battery 11 is fully charged, the control device 10 executes the normal lighting mode, as shown in FIG. 7(d), and performs normal charging based on function (1).

[0044] For example, the charging current of the storage battery 11 during normal charging is generally set to 0.05 ItA (cm mA) or less in the case of trickle charging. This is also intended to compensate for the decrease in charge capacity due to natural discharge. On the other hand, for the storage battery 11, it takes, for example, 24 to 48 hours to fully charge from a state where the amount of stored power is low, under the same charging conditions as trickle charging. Therefore, the control device 10 of the first embodiment executes a post-inspection charge control function shown in function (9) to supply a post-inspection current to the storage battery 11 that is higher than that during normal charging. The lighting fixture 1 of the first embodiment shortens the charging time by supplying a charging current that is at least twice that during normal charging. Here, when charging using the post-inspection charge control function shown in function (9), the recommended post-inspection charging current is 0.1 ItA (cm mA) or more, which is the charging current used for standard charging (standard charging). However, a larger charging current may be supplied. For example, when rapid charging is performed with a maximum charging current of 1 ItA, charging is expected to be completed in one to several hours. Since the storage battery 11 generates heat when it is charged, the charging current to be supplied to the post-inspection charge control function should be determined taking into account the temperature conditions of the device, etc.

[0045] As described above, according to lighting fixture 1 of the first embodiment, control device 10 executes function (6), the periodic automatic inspection function, in automatic inspection mode or periodic automatic inspection mode, and then executes function (9), the post-inspection charge control function. Control device 10 then supplies a charging current greater than that of normal charging to storage battery 11 until storage battery 11 is fully charged, thereby rapidly charging storage battery 11. This allows storage battery 11 to recover its charge state more quickly than during normal charging. Therefore, even if the power supply from commercial power source 100 is interrupted after inspection due to a power outage or other reason, the possibility of the lighting fixture 1 having a shorter emergency lighting time or not lighting at all can be reduced. While the automatic inspection mode or periodic automatic inspection mode has been described above, this can also be applied to manual inspection mode operated by operating inspection switch 5.

[0046] During inspection by an administrator, it is possible to prevent a shortage of power storage in all lighting fixtures within the lighting fixture installation area by selecting the lighting fixtures based on their layout, but in regular automatic inspection mode, inspection is started automatically at the lighting fixtures, so selective inspection is not possible. Therefore, lighting fixture 1 in embodiment 1 can shorten the period of time during which emergency lighting is on for a short period of time, and can keep the lighting on for a specified period of time even if a power outage occurs after regular automatic inspection.

[0047] Embodiment 2 Although lighting fixture 1 in the first embodiment described above includes inspection switch 5 and executes an inspection function when inspection switch 5 is operated, this is not limiting. Lighting fixture 1 may also execute the inspection function using an operation signal sent wirelessly from a remote controller (not shown) as an inspection start condition. At this time, light-receiving unit 7 receives the operation signal from the remote controller.

[0048] In the lighting fixture 1 of the first embodiment described above, the notification unit 6 has an LED that notifies the inspection result by emitting light in a certain color or flashing, but this is not limited to this. The display on the notification unit 6 may be, for example, a segment display. Furthermore, the notification unit 6 may have a liquid crystal monitor or the like and display characters, pictures, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 lighting fixture, 2 main body, 3 frame, 4 lens, 5 inspection switch, 6 alarm unit, 7 light receiving unit, 8 ceiling mounting spring, 9 power supply terminal block, 10 control device, 10A lighting circuit unit, 10B charging circuit unit, 10C inspection processing unit, 10D timing unit, 11 storage battery, 12 heat dissipation unit, 13 light emitter, 14 dummy load, 15 mounting board, 20 light source unit, 22 power supply circuit unit, 23 inspection processing unit, 24 timing unit, 100 commercial power supply.

Claims

1. a light emitter that emits light by the supplied power; a storage battery that supplies power to the light emitter when no external power is supplied; a control device that automatically checks whether the power supply from the storage battery is possible for a specified time or longer; Equipped with The control device A lighting fixture that automatically starts the inspection when a predetermined inspection interval time has elapsed, as the start condition for the inspection.

2. The control device The lighting fixture according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection is performed when an operation that satisfies the start condition for the inspection is performed outside the control device.

3. The control device 3. The lighting fixture according to claim 1, wherein the start condition for the inspection is selectable from either the lapse of the inspection interval time or an operation.

4. a test load separate from the light emitter is provided to perform the test; The control device The lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inspection is performed by supplying power from the storage battery to the inspection load.

5. a notification unit that issues a notification based on the notification signal; The lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control device sends the notification signal based on the result of the inspection to the notification unit.

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