Illuminated emblem

Abstract

This product provides an luminous emblem that reduces power costs while suppressing the concentration of light directly above the light source, thereby achieving uniform illumination. [Solution] The present invention provides an luminescent emblem comprising an outer lens 10 that constitutes the design of the emblem, a housing 11, a light-emitting element 13 housed in a space 10a sealed by the housing 11 and the outer lens 10 and emitting light toward the outer lens 10, and a light-adjusting layer 100 provided between the light-emitting element 13 and the outer lens 10, wherein the light-adjusting layer 100 has a light-transmitting part 101 that transmits light from the light-emitting element 13 and a light-adjusting part 102 for adjusting the brightness or color of the light.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light-emitting emblem, particularly a light-emitting emblem installed on a vehicle such as an automobile.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a light-emitting emblem that emits light from the design of the emblem has been known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a light-emitting emblem with uniform light emission is disclosed by individually controlling the light emission states of a plurality of LEDs used as light sources.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, the thinning of light-emitting emblems has progressed, and due to design constraints of the emblems, there may be no place to hide the light source. In such a case, when the light-emitting emblem is thinned, the distance from the light source to the outer lens having the design of the emblem becomes very short. As a result, even when an inner lens, which is a light guide, is provided between the light source and the outer lens, there has been a problem that light concentrates directly above the light source. As a result, light and darkness occur depending on the location, or unevenness in the emission color occurs, so improvement is desired. Further, when individually controlling the light emission states of LEDs as in Patent Document 1, there has been a problem that the power cost increases.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a light-emitting emblem that suppresses the concentration of light directly above the light source while suppressing the power cost and achieves uniform light emission.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides the following luminescent emblem to achieve the above objective.

[0007] [1] A light-emitting emblem comprising an outer lens constituting the design of an emblem, a housing, a light-emitting element housed in a space sealed by the housing and the outer lens and emitting light toward the outer lens, and a light-adjusting layer provided between the light-emitting element and the outer lens, wherein the light-adjusting layer has a light-transmitting portion that transmits light from the light-emitting element and a light-adjusting portion for adjusting the brightness or color of the light. [2] The light-emitting emblem according to [1], wherein the light-adjusting layer is a light-adjusting film formed by printing a pattern for adjusting the brightness or color of the light on a film body that transmits light from the light-emitting element. [3] The light-emitting emblem according to [2], wherein the light-adjusting film has an exposed portion in which the film body is exposed and which is not printed, and a printed portion which is the printed portion, the exposed portion which constitutes the light-transmitting portion and the printed portion which constitutes the light-adjusting portion, and the printing is performed on the exposed portion or the printed portion which constitutes a predetermined repeating pattern. [4] The luminescent emblem according to [3], wherein the repeating pattern is a dot pattern. [5] The light-emitting emblem according to [3], wherein the light-adjusting film is configured such that the proportion of the exposed area increases and the proportion of the printed area decreases as the distance from the light-emitting element increases. [6] The light-emitting emblem according to [3], wherein the printed portion is configured to block light from the light-emitting element. [7] The light-emitting emblem according to [2], wherein the film body is configured to diffuse light from the light-emitting element. [8] The luminescent emblem according to [1], wherein the outer lens has the space inside, and the housing is provided to close the opening of the outer lens and seal the space. [9] The light-emitting emblem according to [1], comprising an inner lens provided between the light-emitting element and the outer lens, which guides light from the light-emitting element in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the light-emitting element, and the photochromic layer provided between the inner lens and the outer lens.

[10] The light-emitting emblem according to [1], wherein the photochromic layer has a decorative layer formed on the inner wall of the outer lens with a pattern for adjusting the brightness or color of the light, the portion of the decorative layer without the pattern constitutes the light-transmitting portion, and the portion with the pattern constitutes the photochromic portion.

[11] The light-emitting emblem according to

[10] , wherein the light-adjusting layer is provided so as to cover the decorative layer and has a protective layer that protects the decorative layer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a light-emitting emblem that suppresses the concentration of light directly above the light source while reducing power costs, thereby achieving uniform light emission. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a plan view of an luminescent emblem according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a vertical cross-section of a light-emitting emblem cut along the cutting line AA shown in Figure 1. Figures 2(b) and (c) are plan views showing an example of a dimmable film. [Figure 3] Figures 3(a) to 3(c) are plan views showing a modified example of a light-adjusting film. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a vertical cross-section of a light-emitting emblem according to one modified example of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a vertical cross-section of a light-emitting emblem according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) and 6(b) are cross-sectional views showing a vertical cross-section of a light-emitting emblem according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is an exploded view of a light-emitting emblem according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Composition of the luminous emblem] Figure 1 is a plan view of a light-emitting emblem 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2(a) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a vertical cross-section of the light-emitting emblem 1 cut along the cutting line AA shown in Figure 1.

[0011] The luminous emblem 1 comprises an outer lens 10 that constitutes the design of the emblem, a housing 11, a light-emitting element 13 as a light source, an inner lens 12, and a light-adjusting film 14. In the luminous emblem 1, the design of the emblem glows when light emitted from the light-emitting element 13 is extracted from the surface of the outer lens 10.

[0012] The outer lens 10 is made of a resin such as PMMA (methyl methacrylate) or PC that transmits light emitted from the light-emitting element 13. The outer lens 10 may contain a diffusing material such as TiO2 particles to improve the uniformity of the light extracted from its surface. The outer lens 10 may be transparent or milky white. In the illustrated example, the emblem design is shown as a mark consisting of an oval frame and an I-shape. Note that the emblem design is not limited to that shown and can be changed as appropriate.

[0013] The outer lens 10 has a concave space 10a inside, and is configured to house the light-emitting element 13, the inner lens 12, and the light-adjusting film 14 in this space 10a. The space 10a is formed to open on the mounting surface side of the light-emitting emblem 1 (the lower side in Figure 2(a)).

[0014] The housing 11 is formed in a plate shape, closes the opening of the space 10a of the outer lens 10, and is provided to seal the space 10a. The housing 11 is made of, for example, ASA (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic ester), ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) + PC (polycarbonate), or AES (acrylonitrile-ethylene-propylene-diene-styrene).

[0015] The light-emitting element 13 is housed in the space 10a sealed by the housing 11 and the outer lens 10. Typically, an LED is used as the light-emitting element 13. The light-emitting element 13 is mounted on the printed circuit board 15, and the printed circuit board 15 is fixed to the surface of the housing 11 (the surface in contact with the space 10a) such that the surface on which the light-emitting element 13 is mounted faces the outer lens 10 side. The optical axis of the light-emitting element 13 is in the normal direction of the surface of the housing 11 (or the grounding surface of the light-emitting emblem 1), and the light-emitting element 13 emits light toward the outer lens 10.

[0016] The inner lens 12 is provided between the light-emitting element 13 and the outer lens 10, and guides the light from the light-emitting element 13 in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the light-emitting element 13 (here, mainly the direction perpendicular to the optical axis). The inner lens 12 is made of a resin such as PMMA or PC that transmits the light emitted from the light-emitting element 13. By providing the inner lens 12, the light from the light-emitting element 13 can be guided to the outer lens 10 at a position away from the light-emitting element 13, and the light emission of the light-emitting emblem 1 can be made uniform. However, not all of the light from the light-emitting element 13 is guided by the inner lens 12, and a part of the light from the light-emitting element 13 passes through the inner lens 12 and enters the outer lens 10 directly above the light-emitting element 13. In particular, in the light-emitting emblem 1 where the distance between the light-emitting element 13 and the outer lens 10 is short due to thinning, there is a risk that the brightness directly above the light-emitting element 13 becomes too strong, resulting in so-called point light or unevenness in the emission color.

[0017] Therefore, in this embodiment, a photochromic layer 100 for adjusting brightness and light color is provided between the inner lens 12 and the outer lens 10. The photochromic layer 100 is provided so as to cover at least directly above the light-emitting element 13 (at a position intersecting the optical axis of the light-emitting element 13). In this embodiment, the photochromic layer 100 consists of a photochromic film 14 attached to the back surface of the outer lens 10 (the inner circumferential surface of the space 10a). For attaching the photochromic film 14, for example, an adhesive or double-sided tape can be used. Note that the inner lens 12 is not essential and can be omitted. In that case, the light guide may be configured to be performed by a different material than the inner lens 12.

[0018] Figure 2(b) is a plan view showing an example of a dimming film 14 that constitutes the dimming layer 100. The dimming layer 100 has a light-transmitting portion 101 that transmits light from the light-emitting element 13 and a dimming portion 102 for adjusting the brightness or color of the light. In this embodiment, the dimming film 14 used as the dimming layer 100 is constructed by printing a pattern (hereinafter referred to as a printed pattern) for adjusting the brightness or color of the light on a film body that transmits light from the light-emitting element 13. Hereinafter, the portion of the film body that is not printed and is exposed will be referred to as the exposed portion 14a, and the portion that is printed will be referred to as the printed portion 14b. When the dimming film 14 is used as the dimming layer 100, the exposed portion 14a constitutes the light-transmitting portion 101, and the printed portion 14b constitutes the dimming portion 102.

[0019] By appropriately adjusting the printing pattern of the dimming film 14 placed directly above the light-emitting element 13, the brightness and color of the light transmitted through the dimming film 14 can be appropriately adjusted. Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress the concentration of light directly above the light-emitting element 13, which is the light source, and to achieve uniformity of light emission and uniformity of light emission color.

[0020] In this configuration, the exposed portion 14a (i.e., the film body) is made transparent to light from the light-emitting element 13 (i.e., visible light). However, this is not the only option; for example, the exposed portion 14a (i.e., the film body) may be made of a milky white material containing a diffusing agent to diffuse the light from the light-emitting element 13.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printed portion 14b is black to block the light from the light-emitting element 13. By blocking a portion of the light from the light-emitting element 13, the printed portion 14b suppresses the brightness of areas where light is concentrated, thereby making the emission of light from the light-emitting emblem 1 more uniform. However, this is not limited to this, and the printed portion 14b may transmit some of the light from the light-emitting element 13, and may be colored with a predetermined color to adjust the emission color. This can suppress unevenness in the emission color and make the emission of light from the light-emitting emblem 1 more uniform. In order to adjust the brightness (i.e., to make the emission uniform), the transmittance of light from the light-emitting element 13 in the printed portion 14b should be lower than that of the exposed portion 14a.

[0022] In the dimming film 14, it is preferable that either the exposed portion 14a or the printed portion 14b is printed to form a predetermined repeating pattern. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2(b), the dimming film 14 is formed such that the printed portion 14b forms a repeating dot pattern. In the illustrated example, the circular printed portions 14b that make up the dot pattern are arranged in a staggered pattern, but for example, the circular printed portions 14b may be arranged at equal intervals vertically and horizontally instead of in a staggered pattern. By adjusting the ratio of the area of ​​the exposed portion 14a and the printed portion 14b in the dimming film 14, the brightness and emission color can be adjusted as appropriate. It is desirable to make the size of the printed portion 14b (dot size) as small as possible in order to suppress unevenness in brightness and color development. The distance between the printed portions 14b (i.e., the distance between dots) should be adjusted as appropriate to achieve appropriate brightness and emission color, taking into consideration the size of the printed portion 14b and the brightness of the light incident from the light-emitting element 13.

[0023] Here, the light from the light-emitting element 13 is strongest directly above the element and weakens as the distance from the element increases. Therefore, in order to make the light emission of the light-emitting emblem 1 uniform, it is preferable that the dimming film 14 has a printing pattern such that the proportion of the exposed area 14a increases and the proportion of the printed area 14b decreases as the distance from the light-emitting element 13 increases. In the example in Figure 2(b), the arrangement of the dots, which are the printed area 14b, is kept constant, and the ratio of the exposed area 14a to the printed area 14b is changed by changing the size of the printed area 14b. However, this is not the only option; for example, the size of the printed area 14b may be kept constant, and the ratio of the exposed area 14a to the printed area 14b may be changed by changing the number (i.e., density) of the printed areas 14b. The change in the ratio of the exposed area 14a to the printed area 14b may change gradually or in steps depending on the distance from the light-emitting element 13.

[0024] Figure 2(b) illustrates the case where the dimming film 14 is configured such that the printed portion 14b forms a dot pattern. However, as shown in Figure 2(c), it is also possible to configure the dimming film 14 by reversing the exposed portion 14a and the printed portion 14b, so that the exposed portion 14a forms a dot pattern.

[0025] (modified version) In this embodiment, the case in which the printing pattern of the dimming film 14 is a dot pattern has been described, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 3(a), the shape of the printed area 14b may be rectangular. Although not shown, the shape of the printed area 14b may also be triangular, elliptical, rhombus, polygonal, etc. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(b), for example, the printed area 14b may be grid-like. It is also possible to reverse the exposed area 14a and the printed area 14b in Figures 3(a) and (b).

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(c), the pattern of the dimming film 14 may be formed such that, as you move away from the light-emitting element 13, the ratio of the exposed portion 14a to the printed portion 14b gradually increases in a concentric pattern (i.e., the ratio of the light-transmitting portion 101 to the dimming portion 102 gradually increases). In Figure 3(c), the region is divided into concentric circles with the position opposite the light-emitting element 13 as the center, and the pattern is formed such that the dots constituting the exposed portion 14a become larger in the region further away from the light-emitting element 13.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the side surface of the light-emitting emblem 1 is composed of the outer lens 10, it is conceivable that light from the light-emitting element 13 may be concentrated on the side. In such cases, as shown in Figure 4, by providing a light-adjusting film 14 on the inner wall of the side surface of the outer lens 10, it is possible to make the light emission more uniform and suppress point light and other effects caused by side emission from the light-emitting element 13. In this case, it is preferable to pre-shape the light-adjusting film 14 to match the shape of the inner surface of the outer lens 10 and attach the pre-shaped light-adjusting film 14 to the inner surface of the outer lens 10.

[0028] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, even when the outer lens 10 and the light-emitting element 13 are close together due to the thinning design, it is possible to suppress the concentration of light directly above the light-emitting element 13 and to make the light emission uniform. Furthermore, since the light-emitting emblem 1 does not require individual control of the light-emitting element 13, power costs can be reduced.

[0029] (Other embodiments) Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a vertical cross-section of a light-emitting emblem 1a according to another embodiment of the present invention. The light-emitting emblem 1a shown in Figure 5 has basically the same configuration as the light-emitting emblem 1 shown in Figure 2(a), with only the configuration of the dimming layer 100 being different.

[0030] In the luminescent emblem 1a, the photochromic layer 100 has a decorative layer 21 formed on the inner wall of the outer lens 10 with a pattern for adjusting the brightness or color of light. The portion of the decorative layer 21 without a pattern constitutes the light-transmitting portion 101, and the portion with a pattern constitutes the photochromic portion 102.

[0031] The decorative layer 21 is a layer corresponding to the printed portion 14b of the light-adjusting film 14. The decorative layer 21 is formed, for example, by painting or sputtering a film on the inner wall of the outer lens 10, and then removing a part of the film with a laser to form a pattern. However, the method of forming the decorative layer 21 is not limited to this, and it may also be formed by inkjet, for example. Here, the decorative layer 21 is formed with a black pattern to block light from the light-emitting element 13, but the decorative layer 21 may partially transmit light from the light-emitting element 13, and may be colored with a predetermined color to adjust the emitted color. The pattern of the decorative layer 21 can be the same as the pattern of the printed portion 14b of the light-adjusting film 14.

[0032] Furthermore, the dimming layer 100 has a protective layer 22 that covers the decorative layer 21 and protects the decorative layer 21. The protective layer 22 is the layer corresponding to the exposed portion 14a of the dimming film 14. The protective layer 22 is transparent to light from the light-emitting element 13 (i.e., visible light), but the color of the emitted light may be adjusted by making it milky white, or coloring it a predetermined color. The protective layer 22 also fills in the areas where the film has been removed in the decorative layer 21, and plays a role in filling in the irregularities of the decorative layer 21. In other words, the decorative layer 21 is embedded in the protective layer 22.

[0033] By constructing the photochromic layer 100 with a decorative layer 21 and a protective layer 22, problems such as misalignment of the photochromic layer 100 relative to the outer lens 10 become less likely. Although Figure 5 shows a case where the photochromic layer 100 is formed only on the upper inner wall of the outer lens 10, the photochromic layer 100 may also be formed on the inner wall of the side of the outer lens 10.

[0034] The light-emitting emblems 1b and 1c shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b) have basically the same configuration as the light-emitting emblem 1 shown in Figure 2(a), with only the configuration of the inner lens 12 being different. In the light-emitting emblem 1b, the inner lens 12 is provided to cover the sides of the light-emitting element 13. This makes it possible to guide the light emitted from the sides of the light-emitting element 13 through the inner lens 12, thereby suppressing point light and other effects caused by side emission. In the light-emitting emblem 1c, the inner lens 12 is provided to cover the top and sides of the light-emitting element 13. This makes it possible to suppress point light from both the sides and the top. The inner lens 12 in the portion directly above the light-emitting element 13 may be configured as a TIR (Total Internal Reflection) lens 12a that reflects upward-directed light to the sides or obliquely. This makes it possible to concentrate the light emitted directly above from the light-emitting element 13 with the TIR lens 12a and scatter the light to the sides or obliquely, thereby further suppressing point light.

[0035] Furthermore, it is desirable that the inner lens 12 be composed of a single component, as shown in the luminous emblem 1d in Figure 7. This makes the assembly of the luminous emblem 1d easier.

[0036] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, the above embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. It should also be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential for solving the problem of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1. Illuminated Emblem 10 Outer Lenses 10a space 11 Housing 12 Inner Lenses 13 Light-emitting element 14 Dimming film 14a Exposed part 14b Printing Department 100 dimming layer 101 Light transmission part 102 Dimming section

Claims

1. The outer lens that makes up the design of the emblem, Housing and A light-emitting element is housed in a sealed space formed by the housing and the outer lens, and emits light toward the outer lens. A light-emitting element and a light-adjusting layer are provided between the light-emitting element and the outer lens, The dimming layer has a light-transmitting portion that transmits light from the light-emitting element and a dimming portion for adjusting the brightness or color of the light. Illuminated emblem.

2. The light-adjusting layer consists of a light-adjusting film formed by printing a pattern for adjusting the brightness or color of the light onto a film body that transmits light from the light-emitting element. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned dimming film is It has an exposed portion where the film body is exposed and the aforementioned printing has not been done, and a printed portion which is the portion where the printing has been done. The exposed portion constitutes the light-transmitting portion, and the printed portion constitutes the light-controlling portion. The exposed portion or the printed portion is printed in such a way that it forms a predetermined repeating pattern. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 2.

4. The repeating pattern is a dot pattern. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 3.

5. The dimming film is configured such that the proportion of the exposed area increases and the proportion of the printed area decreases as the distance from the light-emitting element increases. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 3.

6. The printing section is configured to block light from the light-emitting element. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 3.

7. The film body is configured to diffuse light from the light-emitting element. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 2.

8. The outer lens has the space inside, The housing is provided to close the opening of the outer lens and seal the space. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 1.

9. An inner lens is provided between the light-emitting element and the outer lens, and guides the light from the light-emitting element in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the light-emitting element. The photochromic layer is provided between the inner lens and the outer lens. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 1.

10. The light-adjusting layer has a decorative layer formed on the inner wall of the outer lens with a pattern for adjusting the brightness or color of the light. The portion of the decorative layer without the pattern constitutes the light-transmitting portion, and the portion with the pattern constitutes the light-adjusting portion. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 1.

11. The light-adjusting layer is provided so as to cover the decorative layer and has a protective layer that protects the decorative layer. The light-emitting emblem according to claim 10.

Images