Small lighting fixtures

The miniature lighting device with a tip cover and main body configuration addresses miniaturization and installation challenges by allowing easy wire attachment and secure mounting, ensuring consistent light appearance and reduced manufacturing costs through vertical substrate positioning.

JP2026078997APending Publication Date: 2026-05-15SATO PARTS
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
SATO PARTS
Filing Date
2024-10-29
Publication Date
2026-05-15

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing small lighting devices face challenges in miniaturization and ease of installation due to the need for complex wire insertion and attachment processes, and the requirement for a larger head body relative to the bracket body, limiting their compactness and workability.

Method used

A miniature lighting device with a tip cover and main body configuration, where the main body is attached from the back side of the mounting plate by screwing together internal and external threaded parts, allowing for easy wire attachment and preventing rotation, enabling miniaturization and secure mounting.

Benefits of technology

The solution facilitates easy installation, prevents accidental removal, and allows for consistent light appearance across varying mounting plate thicknesses, reducing manufacturing costs and improving yield by enabling vertical substrate positioning and easy attachment.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a compact lighting device that is easy to install. [Solution] A small lighting device 10 is attached to a mounting hole 51 formed through a mounting plate 50, and comprises a tip cover 11 attached from the surface 52 side of the mounting plate 50 and a main body 20 attached from the back 53 side of the mounting plate 50, wherein the main body 20 comprises a substrate 30 on which a light-emitting part 31 is mounted and a case part 21 that houses the substrate 30, and the internal threaded part 22d formed in the case part 21 and the external threaded part 14 formed in the tip cover 11 are screwed together so that the mounting plate 50 is sandwiched and attached.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a small lighting device such as a pilot lamp attached to a mounting hole formed through a mounting plate.

Background Art

[0002] As a small lighting device, a type that is attached to a hole formed through a plate is known. For example, when attaching a pilot lamp for display to the surface of an electrical device, a hole for the pilot lamp is formed through the front plate constituting the housing of the electrical device, and the pilot lamp is attached using this hole.

[0003] In a general pilot lamp, a wire is attached to the rear end side, and an external thread is formed on the body portion. When attaching such a pilot lamp to a hole, the pilot lamp is inserted into the hole from the front side of the device. Specifically, first, the wire is passed through the hole and inserted until the head of the pilot lamp engages with the hole. Then, a nut is attached to the external thread of the body portion. Specifically, the nut is passed through from the rear end portion of the wire until it reaches the body portion of the nut. Then, by tightening the nut, the head of the pilot lamp and the nut sandwich the plate at the peripheral edge of the hole, and the pilot lamp is fixed. The pilot lamp fixed to the plate in this way has the wire attached to a member such as a connector and is electrically connected.

[0004] In the case of a general pilot lamp as described above, since the wire has to be inserted into the hole and the wire has to be passed through the nut, the attachment work is complicated. Also, since the wire cannot be attached to the connector in advance, the connection work with the connector has to be performed in a narrow space after assembly, and the workability is poor.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a pilot lamp in which a male threaded portion is engraved on the tip of the bracket body, and a female threaded portion that engages with the male threaded portion is engraved on the head body. In this pilot lamp, the bracket body is attached to the back of the plate, causing the male threaded portion to protrude outwards from the hole, and the head body is attached to this protruding male threaded portion. Attaching the bracket body from the back of the plate in this way makes it easier to route the wires. Furthermore, since the wires of the bracket body can be attached to the connector in advance before attaching it to the plate, the work efficiency is improved. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 53-70888 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, the pilot lamp described in Patent Document 1 above is not suitable for small lighting devices because the head body must be larger than the bracket body. In other words, there is a limit to how small the size of the bracket body that houses the electronic components can be, and the head body must be even larger than this bracket body, which presents a problem in that the pilot lamp cannot be miniaturized. Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a compact lighting device that is small and easy to install. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A miniature lighting device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a miniature lighting device that is attached to a mounting hole formed through a mounting plate, and comprises a tip cover attached from the front side of the mounting plate and a main body attached from the back side of the mounting plate, wherein the main body comprises a substrate on which a light-emitting part is mounted and a case part that houses the substrate, and the mounting plate can be attached by screwing together an internal threaded part formed in the case part and an external threaded part formed in the tip cover. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, the internal threaded portion formed on the case and the external threaded portion formed on the tip cover can be screwed together, allowing the mounting plate to be sandwiched and attached. Therefore, the main body can be attached from the back side of the mounting plate. Thus, there is no need to insert the wires into the mounting holes or insert nuts onto the wires. It is also possible to attach the wires to the connector or the like and then attach it to the mounting plate. Thus, the installation process is easy.

[0010] Furthermore, since the case has an internal thread and the tip cover has an external thread, the tip cover can be made smaller than the case. Therefore, the compact lighting device can be miniaturized.

[0011] The main body may further include a light-transmitting member positioned on the front of the light-emitting part, and a biasing member that biases the light-transmitting member to protrude from the tip of the case part, and the tip cover may be configured to push the light-transmitting member into the interior of the case part as the internal screw part and external screw part are fastened.

[0012] With this configuration, when the miniature lighting device is mounted on a mounting plate, the tip cover and the tip of the light-transmitting member will be in contact regardless of the thickness of the mounting plate. In other words, the distance between the surface of the mounting plate and the tip of the light-transmitting member will remain constant regardless of the thickness of the mounting plate. Therefore, the appearance of the light will be nearly constant regardless of the thickness of the mounting plate it is mounted on. In other words, a miniature lighting device that can accommodate various thicknesses of mounting plates can be provided. Alternatively, a long, slender light guide may be housed inside the light-transmitting member. With this configuration, even if the light-transmitting member protrudes towards the tip, the light from the light-emitting part can be guided to the tip of the light-transmitting member. Furthermore, the external threaded portion may have an anti-rotation shape formed to prevent rotation when mounting it in the mounting hole.

[0013] With this configuration, even if someone tries to rotate the tip cover of the small lighting device mounted on the mounting plate from the front, it cannot be rotated due to the anti-rotation shape. As a result, the tip cover cannot be removed by rotating it from the front, preventing it from being removed as a prank and also preventing its loss. Furthermore, when attaching the small lighting device to the mounting plate, the anti-rotation shape secures the tip cover, allowing for easy attachment by rotating the case. Furthermore, the substrate may be arranged perpendicular to the light-emitting direction of the light-emitting section.

[0014] With this configuration, light-emitting elements such as LEDs can be mounted on the surface of the substrate. Since the light-emitting elements can be laid out on the substrate without difficulty, manufacturing costs can be reduced and yield can be improved. Conventionally, it was difficult to position the substrate vertically because the substrate (and the case that houses the substrate) had to be formed to a size that could be inserted into the mounting holes. Therefore, it was necessary to use ingenuity such as mounting LEDs on extremely small, elongated substrates, which led to problems such as increased manufacturing costs. In this respect, the present invention does not have the constraint that the substrate must be formed to a size that can be inserted into the mounting holes, so it is possible to position the substrate vertically. Additionally, corners that can be engaged with a wrench may be formed on the outer circumference of the case. With this configuration, when attaching the small lighting device to the mounting plate, a wrench can be engaged with the corner to rotate the case, making the installation process easier. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1]It is a (a) plan view, (b) front view, and (c) sectional view of a small lighting device. [Figure 2] It is a (a) front view and (b) sectional view in a state where the tip cover and the main body are separated. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of a small lighting device. [Figure 4] It is a (a) front view, (b) bottom view, (c) side view, and (d) sectional view of the tip cover. [Figure 5] It is a (a) plan view, (b) right side view, (c) front view, (d) left side view, (e) sectional view, and (f) bottom view of the case part. [Figure 6] It is a (a) perspective view and (b) sectional view showing how the small lighting device is attached to the mounting plate. [Figure 7] It is a (a) perspective view and (b) sectional view showing the state where the small lighting device is attached to the mounting plate. [Figure 8] It is a (a) front view of the tip cover according to Modification 1, (b) sectional view of the tip cover according to Modification 1, (c) front view of the tip cover according to Modification 2, and (d) sectional view of the tip cover according to Modification 2. [Figure 9] It is a view showing the mounting hole.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction in which the small lighting device 10 emits light (the light emission direction D shown in FIG. 1(c)) is taken as the tip side (tip direction), and the direction opposite to the tip side is taken as the rear end side (rear end direction) for explanation.

[0017] The compact lighting device 10 according to this embodiment is mounted in a mounting hole 51 formed through the mounting plate 50, and as shown in Figures 1 to 3, it comprises a tip cover 11 and a main body 20. The tip cover 11 and the main body 20 are configured to be screw-connected to each other. The tip cover 11 is attached from the front surface 52 side of the mounting plate 50, and the main body 20 is attached from the back surface 53 side of the mounting plate 50. By screw-connecting the tip cover 11 and the main body 20 inside the mounting hole 51, the mounting plate 50 can be sandwiched between the tip cover 11 and the main body 20, thereby enabling the compact lighting device 10 to be mounted in the mounting hole 51.

[0018] The tip cover 11 is a cylindrical member as shown in Figure 4. The tip cover 11 according to this embodiment is made of a transparent material (for example, a translucent synthetic resin) and comprises a head portion 12 and a cylindrical portion 13.

[0019] The head portion 12 is a part that protrudes in the direction of the tip (the light emission direction D shown in Figure 1(c)). This head portion 12 is formed to close the tip side of the cylindrical portion 13 and protrudes radially beyond the cylindrical portion 13. The surface of the head portion 12 in this embodiment (the surface on the tip side) is formed as a curved surface.

[0020] Furthermore, the back surface of the head portion 12 (the surface opposite the tip) forms a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 13. This plane is the clamping surface 15 that contacts the surface 52 of the mounting plate 50. The clamping surface 15 is a flange-like surface formed at the boundary between the head portion 12 and the cylindrical portion 13.

[0021] The cylindrical portion 13 is a cylindrical part formed with a nearly constant outer diameter. The inside of this cylindrical portion 13 is hollow. This hollow portion is closed at the front end by the head 12 and is open at the rear end. This hollow portion forms the recess 16, which will be described later.

[0022] An external threaded portion 14 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 13. The external threaded portion 14 is a male thread that screws into the internal threaded portion 22d, which will be described later. This external threaded portion 14 has an anti-rotation shape 14a formed on it for non-rotatable mounting into the mounting hole 51 of the mounting plate 50.

[0023] The anti-rotation shape 14a in this embodiment is formed by cutting out a flat portion of the external thread portion 14. This anti-rotation shape 14a is formed as a plane parallel to the axis of the cylindrical portion 13. The anti-rotation shapes 14a are provided on both sides of the cylindrical portion 13 and are formed in pairs parallel to each other. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4(b), the shape of the external thread portion 14 projected in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 13 is a circular shape (a shape consisting of two circular arcs with the same center and two parallel lines of equal length) with the top and bottom cut out by parallel straight lines.

[0024] The cylindrical portion 13 is inserted into a mounting hole 51 formed in the mounting plate 50. It is desirable that the mounting hole 51 into which the cylindrical portion 13 is inserted has a shape that engages with the anti-rotation shape 14a. Specifically, it is desirable that the mounting hole 51 has two parallel portions that engage with a pair of anti-rotation shapes 14a. It is particularly desirable that the mounting hole 51 is similar in shape to the external thread portion 14 projected in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 13, as shown in Figure 9. When the cylindrical portion 13 is inserted into such a mounting hole 51, the two parallel portions and the anti-rotation shape 14a engage, preventing the cylindrical portion 13 from rotating inside the mounting hole 51.

[0025] A recess 16 is formed inside the cylindrical portion 13 described above. The recess 16 is a cylindrical space formed with substantially the same diameter in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 13, and slidably accommodates the light-transmitting member 35, which will be described later. The tip side of this recess 16 is closed by the provision of a head 12. The tip side surface of this recess 16 is a push-in portion 16a that abuts against the tip of the light-transmitting member 35. The push-in portion 16a in this embodiment is formed as a curved surface that bulges towards the tip in the center so as to fit the tip of the light-transmitting member 35.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the main body 20 comprises a case 21, a lid member 28, a substrate 30, a light-transmitting member 35, a light guide 36, and a biasing member 38. The main body 20 is constructed by pre-assembling these components.

[0027] The case portion 21 is a cylindrical member that houses the substrate 30, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 5, the case portion 21 is integrally formed with a front cylindrical portion 22 at the front end and a rear cylindrical portion 23 at the rear end.

[0028] The front cylindrical portion 22 has a flat tip surface. This tip surface is a receiving surface 22a that contacts the back surface 53 of the mounting plate 50. The receiving surface 22a is formed perpendicular to the axial direction of the case portion 21.

[0029] A through-hole 22c is formed inside the front cylinder portion 22, extending axially. An internal threaded portion 22d is formed on the inner circumferential surface of this through-hole 22c. The internal threaded portion 22d is a female thread that engages with the external threaded portion 14.

[0030] The outer circumference of the front cylinder portion 22 has a corner portion 22b that can be engaged with a wrench. By forming this corner portion 22b, the outer circumference of the front cylinder portion 22 has a regular hexagonal cross-section. When attaching or detaching the small lighting device 10 to the mounting plate 50, the screw (internal thread portion 22d) can be tightened or loosened with little force by operating a wrench engaged with this corner portion 22b.

[0031] The rear cylinder portion 23 is formed with a larger diameter than the front cylinder portion 22. Furthermore, the interior of the rear cylinder portion 23 is a housing portion 24 that penetrates axially. The housing portion 24 is in communication with the through hole 22c, but the inner diameter of the housing portion 24 is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 22c. For this reason, a step 24b is formed at the boundary between the housing portion 24 and the through hole 22c (i.e., the boundary between the front cylinder portion 22 and the rear cylinder portion 23 inside). Furthermore, a projection 24a that protrudes inward is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the housing section 24. This projection 24a is provided to determine the housing position of the substrate 30.

[0032] A lid engagement portion 25 for attaching a lid member 28 is provided near the rear end of the rear cylinder portion 23. In this embodiment, lid engagement portions 25 are provided at three locations in the circumferential direction. However, at least one of these three lid engagement portions 25 is formed in a different shape.

[0033] The lid engagement portion 25 includes a receiving opening 25a for receiving the engagement projection 28a of the lid member 28, which will be described later, and an engagement groove 25b formed on the tip side of the receiving opening 25a. The receiving opening 25a and the engagement groove 25b form an L-shaped continuous guide groove. Specifically, the receiving opening 25a extends from the opening edge of the rear cylinder portion 23 in the axial direction of the case portion 21, and the engagement groove 25b extends from the tip of the receiving opening 25a in the circumferential direction of the case portion 21.

[0034] The lid member 28 is attached to the rear end of the case portion 21 and is a member for closing the housing portion 24. The outer circumference of the lid member 28 has radially projecting engaging protrusions 28a. These engaging protrusions 28a are provided at three locations in the circumferential direction, corresponding to the lid engaging portion 25 described above. However, at least one of these three engaging protrusions 28a is formed in a different shape, so that it can only engage with the lid engaging portion 25 of the corresponding shape.

[0035] When attaching the lid member 28 to the rear end of the case portion 21, the engaging projection 28a is inserted into the receiving opening 25a of the lid engaging portion 25. At this time, the engaging projection 28a, which has a different shape from the others, must be aligned with the lid engaging portion 25 in order to be inserted, thus determining the circumferential position of the lid member 28 relative to the case portion 21. Once the engaging projection 28a is inserted all the way into the receiving opening 25a, the lid member 28 is rotated circumferentially to engage the engaging projection 28a with the engaging groove 25b of the lid engaging portion 25. This fixes the lid member 28 to the case portion 21.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the case portion 21, which is sealed by the lid member 28, houses components such as a substrate 30, a light-transmitting member 35, a light guide 36, and a biasing member 38. Of these, the electric wire 39 extending from the substrate 30 needs to be pulled out to the outside. The lid member 28 has a wire hole 28b formed through it for pulling the electric wire 39 out to the outside. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the electric wire 39 can be pulled out to the outside by attaching the lid member 28 to the case portion 21 with the electric wire 39 passed through the wire hole 28b. The wire hole 28b is drilled to be approximately the same size as the electric wire 39. This is to maintain insulation by minimizing the gap between the wire hole 28b and the electric wire 39.

[0037] The substrate 30 is a board for mounting electronic components. At least one light-emitting unit 31 is mounted on this substrate 30. The light-emitting unit 31 is an electronic component that emits light when power is supplied, such as an LED. The substrate 30 is positioned inside the housing 24 perpendicular to the light-emitting direction D of the light-emitting unit 31. In other words, the light-emitting unit 31 is mounted on the surface of the substrate 30, and the light-emitting unit 31 can emit light in the direction that the surface of the substrate 30 faces. Also, an electric wire 39 extends from the back surface of the substrate 30.

[0038] The substrate 30 is housed in the housing section 24 and is formed in a circular shape, which is approximately the same as the cross-sectional shape of the housing section 24. Notches 32 are formed on both sides of the substrate 30. These notches 32 are shaped to engage with the projections 24a inside the housing section 24. The substrate 30 cannot be housed in the housing section 24 unless the notches 32 are aligned with the projections 24a. For this reason, the circumferential position of the substrate 30 relative to the case section 21 is limited (the substrate 30 can only be mounted in one of two positions rotated 180 degrees relative to the case section 21).

[0039] In this embodiment, the relative position of the substrate 30 and the cover member 28 when assembled is limited by restricting the circumferential position of the substrate 30 and the circumferential position of the cover member 28. This prevents the electric wire 39 from twisting between the substrate 30 and the cover plate 28.

[0040] The light-transmitting member 35 is a light-transmitting member positioned on the front (tip) side of the light-emitting section 31. The light-transmitting member 35 according to this embodiment is a round-bottomed cylindrical member as shown in Figure 3. The tip of the light-transmitting member 35 is formed in a hemispherical shape. Inside the light-transmitting member 35, a cylindrical hollow section 35a is formed, as shown in Figure 2(b). The rear end 35b of the light-transmitting member 35 is in contact with the light-emitting section 31. Specifically, the light-emitting section 31 is press-fitted into the opening at the rear end of the hollow section 35a, thereby fixing the light-transmitting member 35 perpendicular to the substrate 30.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2(b), the light-transmitting member 35, which protrudes from the surface of the substrate 30, is movably positioned inside the through-hole 22c of the case portion 21. The tip of the light-transmitting member 35 can protrude from the case portion 21 (through-hole 22c) in the direction of the tip.

[0042] A flange portion 35c is provided on the outer circumferential surface near the rear end of the light-transmitting member 35. The flange portion 35c protrudes radially outward. As shown in Figure 2(b), this flange portion 35c can engage with the step 24b of the case portion 21. The engagement of the flange portion 35c with the step 24b prevents the light-transmitting member 35 from falling out towards the tip. Furthermore, the position where the flange portion 35c engages with the step 24b is the state in which the light-transmitting member 35 protrudes most towards the tip.

[0043] The light guide 36 is an elongated member housed in the hollow portion 35a of the light-transmitting member 35. This light guide 36 is intended to guide the light from the light-emitting portion 31 toward the tip. The light guide 36 is formed to be approximately the same length as the hollow portion 35a.

[0044] The biasing member 38 is a member that biases the light-transmitting member 35 so that it protrudes from the tip of the case portion 21. In this embodiment, the biasing member 38 is a compression spring positioned between the substrate 30 and the lid member 28. This biasing member 38 biases the light-transmitting member 35, which is fixed to the substrate 30, toward the tip by biasing the substrate 30 toward the tip. Therefore, when the tip cover 11 is removed, as shown in Figure 2(b), the flange portion 35c engages with the step 24b, and the light-transmitting member 35 protrudes most far toward the tip.

[0045] The substrate 30 and the light-transmitting member 35 can be pushed in the rearward direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 38. The stroke over which the substrate 30 and the light-transmitting member 35 can move is set assuming the minimum and maximum widths of the mounting plate 50. For example, the light-transmitting member 35 may be set to protrude a maximum of 3.5 mm from the tip of the case portion 21 (as shown in Figure 2(b)), and the light-transmitting member 35 may be configured to be pushed in until its tip is at the same level as the tip of the case portion 21.

[0046] When attaching this small lighting device 10 to the mounting plate 50, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the mounting plate 50 is attached by screwing together the internal threaded portion 22d formed on the case portion 21 and the external threaded portion 14 formed on the tip cover 11.

[0047] At this time, if the shape of the mounting hole 51 is formed to engage with the anti-rotation shape 14a of the tip cover 11, the miniature lighting device 10 can be easily attached. That is, first, the tip cover 11 is inserted into the mounting hole 51 from the surface 52 side of the mounting plate 50. The tip cover 11 is prevented from rotating inside the mounting hole 51. Then, the main body 20 is attached from the back surface 53 side of the mounting plate 50. The internal threaded portion 22d of the main body 20 is placed against the external threaded portion 14 protruding from the mounting hole 51, and the main body 20 is rotated. At this time, a wrench may be engaged with the corner portion 22d, and the main body 20 may be rotated with the wrench. By rotating the main body 20, the internal threaded portion 22d and the external threaded portion 14 are fastened. As a result, the mounting plate 50 is sandwiched between the clamping surface 15 of the tip cover 11 and the receiving surface 22a of the main body 20, and the attachment of the miniature lighting device 10 is completed.

[0048] At this time, as the internal thread portion 22d and the external thread portion 14 are fastened, the tip cover 11 pushes the light-transmitting member 35 into the case portion 21. That is, the push-in portion 16a of the tip cover 11 comes into contact with the tip of the light-transmitting member 35, and against the biasing force of the biasing member 38, the push-in portion 16a pushes the light-transmitting member 35 toward the rear end. For this reason, within the range of typical mounting plate thickness 50, the tip position of the light-transmitting member 35 remains constant regardless of the thickness of the mounting plate 50 (the relative distance between the surface 52 of the mounting plate 50 and the tip of the light-transmitting member 35 remains constant).

[0049] In the example shown in Figure 7, a recessed portion 16a is formed so that the tip of the light-transmitting member 35 protrudes slightly from the surface 52 of the mounting plate 50. This configuration is suitable when it is desired to make the light from the small lighting device 10 visible from the side of the mounting plate 50.

[0050] Furthermore, even if the same small lighting device 10 is mounted on a mounting plate 50 that is thicker than the one shown in Figure 7, the difference in thickness is absorbed by the biasing member 38. Therefore, the amount by which the tip of the light-transmitting member 35 protrudes from the surface 52 of the mounting plate 50 is the same as in Figure 7. In other words, the appearance of the light is the same.

[0051] The small lighting device 10 mounted in this manner cannot be removed from the surface 52 side of the mounting plate 50. This is because the anti-rotation shape 14a of the tip cover 11 engages with the mounting hole 51, preventing the tip cover 11 from rotating. Furthermore, the appearance of the compact lighting device 10 according to this embodiment can be easily changed simply by replacing the tip cover 11.

[0052] For example, a tip cover 11 like the one shown in Figures 8(a) and (b) can be used. This tip cover 11 has a shallow recess 16, and the tip of the push-in portion 16a is formed on the same plane as the clamping surface 15. Using such a tip cover 11 allows the tip of the light-transmitting member 35 to be positioned on the same plane as the surface 52 of the mounting plate 50 when it is attached to the mounting plate 50. Such a tip cover 11 is suitable when it is desired to minimize the protrusion from the mounting plate 50 and make the machine surface as flat as possible.

[0053] Alternatively, a tip cover 11 as shown in Figures 8(c) and (d) can be used. This tip cover 11 has a deeply formed recess 16, and the push-in portion 16a is positioned further towards the tip than the clamping surface 15. Using such a tip cover 11 allows the tip of the light-transmitting member 35 to protrude significantly from the surface 52 of the mounting plate 50 when attached to the mounting plate 50. Such a tip cover 11 is suitable when it is desired to increase the protrusion from the mounting plate 50 and improve the visibility of the small lighting device.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, the internal threaded portion 22d formed on the case portion 21 and the external threaded portion 14 formed on the tip cover 11 are screwed together, allowing the mounting plate 50 to be sandwiched and attached. Therefore, the main body portion 20 can be attached from the back side of the mounting plate 50. Thus, there is no need to insert the electric wire 39 into the mounting hole 51 or to insert a nut onto the electric wire 39. It is also possible to attach the electric wire 39 to the mounting plate 50 after attaching it to a connector or the like. Thus, the installation work is easy.

[0055] Furthermore, since an internal threaded portion 22d is formed in the case portion 21 and an external threaded portion 14 is formed in the tip cover 11, the tip cover 11 can be made smaller than the case portion 21. Thus, the compact lighting device can be miniaturized.

[0056] The main body 20 further includes a light-transmitting member 35 positioned on the front of the light-emitting part 31, and a biasing member 38 that biases the light-transmitting member 35 to protrude from the tip of the case part 21. The tip cover 11 is configured to push the light-transmitting member 35 into the interior of the case part 21 as the internal screw portion 22d and the external screw portion 14 are fastened.

[0057] Therefore, when the compact lighting device 10 is attached to the mounting plate 50, the tip cover 11 and the tip of the light-transmitting member 35 are in contact regardless of the thickness of the mounting plate 50. In other words, the distance between the surface 52 of the mounting plate 50 and the tip of the light-transmitting member 35 remains constant regardless of the thickness of the mounting plate 50. Thus, the appearance of the light remains almost constant regardless of the thickness of the mounting plate 50 to which it is attached. In other words, a compact lighting device 10 that can accommodate various thicknesses of the mounting plate 50 can be provided. Furthermore, a long, slender light guide 36 is housed inside the light-transmitting member 35. Therefore, even when the light-transmitting member 35 protrudes towards the tip, the light from the light-emitting part 31 can be guided to the tip of the light-transmitting member 35. Furthermore, the external threaded portion 14 has an anti-rotation shape 14a formed therein to prevent rotation when attaching it to the mounting hole 51.

[0058] Therefore, even if one attempts to rotate the tip cover 11 from the front side of the small lighting device 10 attached to the mounting plate 50, it cannot be rotated due to the anti-rotation shape. As a result, the tip cover 11 cannot be removed by rotating it from the front side, thus preventing it from being removed as a prank and preventing it from being lost. Furthermore, when attaching the small lighting device 10 to the mounting plate 50, the tip cover 11 is fixed by the anti-rotation shape 14a, allowing the case portion 21 to be rotated for easy attachment. Furthermore, the substrate 30 is positioned perpendicular to the light emission direction D of the light-emitting section 31.

[0059] Therefore, light-emitting parts 31 such as LEDs can be mounted on the surface of the substrate 30. Since the light-emitting parts 31 can be laid out on the substrate 30 without difficulty, manufacturing costs can be reduced and yield can be improved. Conventionally, it was necessary to form the substrate (and the case that houses the substrate) to a size that could be inserted into the mounting hole 51, making it difficult to position the substrate vertically. Therefore, it was necessary to use ingenuity such as mounting LEDs on an extremely small, elongated substrate, which led to problems such as increased manufacturing costs. In this respect, the present invention does not have the constraint that the substrate 30 must be formed to a size that can be inserted into the mounting hole 51, so it is possible to position the substrate 30 vertically. Furthermore, a corner portion 22b into which a wrench can be engaged is formed on the outer circumference of the case portion 21.

[0060] Therefore, when attaching the small lighting device 10 to the mounting plate 50, a wrench can be engaged with the corner portion 22b to rotate the case portion 21, making the installation work easier. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10 Small lighting equipment 11. Tip cover 12 Head 13 Cylinder part 14 External thread section 14a Anti-rotation shape 15 Clamping surface 16 recesses 16a Push-in part 20 Main body 21 Case section 22 Front cylinder part 22a Receiving surface 22b Corner 22c through hole 22d Internal thread section 23 Rear cylinder part 24 Storage Unit 24a protrusion 24b Step 25 Lid engaging part 25a Inlet 25b Engagement groove 28 Lid member 28a Engaging protrusion 28b Wire hole 30 circuit boards 31 Light-emitting part 32 Notches 35 Light-transmitting member 35a Hollow part 35b Rear end 35c flange section 36 Light guide 38. Biasing member 39 Electric wire 50 Mounting plate 51 mounting holes 52 Surface 53 Back side D: Direction of light emission

Claims

1. A small lighting device that is attached to a mounting hole formed through a mounting plate, A tip cover that is attached from the surface side of the mounting plate, The main body is attached from the back side of the mounting plate, Equipped with, The main body comprises a substrate on which a light-emitting unit is mounted, and a case that houses the substrate. The internal threaded portion formed on the case and the external threaded portion formed on the tip cover are screwed together, allowing the mounting plate to be attached by sandwiching it between them. Small lighting device.

2. The main body further comprises a light-transmitting member positioned on the front of the light-emitting part, and a biasing member that biases the light-transmitting member so that it protrudes from the tip of the case part. As the internal thread portion and the external thread portion are fastened together, the tip cover is configured to push the light-transmitting member into the interior of the case portion. The miniature lighting device according to claim 1.

3. A long, slender light guide is housed inside the light-transmitting member. The miniature lighting device according to claim 2.

4. The external threaded portion has a shape that prevents rotation for mounting into the mounting hole. The miniature lighting device according to claim 1.

5. The substrate is arranged perpendicular to the light emission direction of the light-emitting section. The miniature lighting device according to claim 1.

6. The outer circumference of the case portion is formed with corners that can be engaged with a wrench. The miniature lighting device according to claim 1.