Light source unit

Abstract

This prevents damage to the cover component when installing it. [Solution] The light source unit 3 comprises a substrate 312 on which a light source 311 is mounted, a frame 32 to which the light source substrate 312 is attached, and an elastic cover member 33 that covers the light source 311. The cover member 33 has a first locking portion 332 protruding toward the light source substrate 312 from one end of the main cover portion 331 in the width direction, and a second locking portion 333 protruding toward the light source substrate 312 from the other end of the main cover portion 331 in the width direction. When the cover member 33 is deformed in a direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333, the light source substrate 312 can be inserted between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333. When the deformation in the direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 is resolved, the first locking portion 332 is locked to one end of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction, and the second locking portion 333 is locked to the other end of the light source substrate in the width direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a light source unit having a cover member that covers a light source.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a lighting device configured by attaching a cover member covering a light source to an attachment member to which a light source substrate mounted with the light source is attached. In this lighting device, heat generated by the light emission operation of the light source is transmitted to the light source substrate on which the light source is mounted, the attachment member to which the light source substrate is attached, and the cover member attached to the attachment member, and each of them thermally expands. For example, when each component is made of different materials, such as an LED substrate made of epoxy resin, the attachment member made of metal, and the cover member made of translucent resin, components made of different materials have different expansion lengths due to the difference in linear thermal expansion coefficients. Therefore, when there is a temperature change, the positions of the attachment portions of each component are displaced. For this reason, if the attachment portion between the attachment member and the cover member is fixed by a strong fixing means such as a screw or adhesion, the displacement of the position of the attachment portion due to temperature change may damage the cover member, which has lower strength than the attachment member. In order to prevent damage to the cover member caused by the displacement of the attachment portion accompanying temperature change, it has been considered that instead of fixing the cover member to the attachment member by a strong fixing means, the cover member is attached to the attachment member by clamping both width-direction ends of the attachment member with both ends of the cover member having a concave cross-section, and locking claw portions provided at both ends of the cover member to both ends of the attachment member. As an example of such a lighting device, Patent Document 1 discloses a lighting device having a mounting member having a base plate to which an LED substrate is fixed and side plates extending perpendicularly to the base plate from the widthwise end of the base plate, and a cover member that covers the LED substrate and is locked to the mounting member. In this lighting device, both ends of the cover member in the widthwise direction are provided with claws that extend in a direction along the side plates of the mounting member and have curved ends. The cover member is attached to the mounting member by elastically deforming the claws at both ends in a direction that widens in the widthwise direction, fitting the side plates of the mounting member between the claws of the cover member, and then returning the elastic deformation of the claws to their original state, thereby pressing the claws of the cover member against the side plates of the mounting member and locking the curved ends of the claws into ring-shaped portions provided at the ends of the side plates of the mounting member. In this way, the mounting member and the cover member are locked together rather than firmly fixed, so that even if the length of expansion due to temperature changes differs between the cover member and the mounting member, damage to the cover member is suppressed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-029059 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The lighting device described in Patent Document 1 requires elastically deforming the claw portion of the cover member in a direction that widens it in the width direction in order to attach the cover member. In doing so, force is applied to rotate the tip of the claw portion around the base portion, which can cause stress to concentrate at the base portion of the claw portion, potentially leading to damage such as cracks or breaks in the claw portion.

[0005] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a light source unit with a configuration that can suppress damage to the cover member when attaching the cover member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The light source unit of this disclosure comprises a light source substrate on which a light-emitting light source is mounted, a frame to which the light source substrate is attached, and a cover member having elasticity and covering the light source, a first locking portion protruding toward the light source substrate from one end of the cover main portion in the width direction, and a second locking portion protruding toward the light source substrate from the other end of the cover main portion in the width direction, wherein when deformed in a direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion and the second locking portion, the light source substrate can be inserted between the first locking portion and the second locking portion, and when the deformation in the direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion and the second locking portion is resolved, the first locking portion is locked to one end of the light source substrate in the width direction and the second locking portion is locked to the other end of the light source substrate in the width direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The light source unit of this disclosure has an elastic main cover portion that covers the light source, a first locking portion that protrudes toward the light source substrate from one end of the main cover portion in the width direction, and a second locking portion that protrudes toward the light source substrate from the other end of the main cover portion in the width direction. When the main cover portion is deformed in a direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion and the second locking portion, the light source substrate can be inserted between the first locking portion and the second locking portion. When the deformation in the direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion and the second locking portion is resolved, the first locking portion is locked to one end of the light source substrate in the width direction, and the second locking portion is locked to the other end of the light source substrate in the width direction. As a result, the stress required to widen both ends of the cover portion in order to attach the cover portion is distributed over the width direction of the main cover portion without concentrating in one part, thereby suppressing damage to the cover portion and allowing the cover portion to be locked and attached to the mounting portion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the lighting fixture according to Embodiment 1, taken from a diagonal downward angle. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view showing a disassembled lighting fixture according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3]This is an exploded perspective view showing the light source unit according to Embodiment 1 in an disassembled state. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the procedure for attaching the cover member in the light source unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit according to Embodiment 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiment 1. The lighting fixture 1 of Embodiment 1 will now be described. The lighting fixture 1 according to Embodiment 1 is mounted from below to a mounting surface such as a ceiling, and Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lighting fixture 1 mounted on the ceiling, viewed from diagonally below. In the following explanation, terms indicating direction will be used as appropriate, but these are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the configuration of the lighting fixture. The terms used here refer to the X direction, which is parallel to the ceiling surface and is the longitudinal direction of the lighting fixture 1; the Y direction, which is parallel to the ceiling surface and perpendicular to the X direction; and the Z direction, which is perpendicular to both the X and Y directions. The Y direction is the width direction of the lighting fixture 1 when viewed from below, and the Z direction is the vertical direction when the lighting fixture 1 is mounted on the ceiling.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the lighting fixture 1 has a fixture body 2 and a light source unit 3 attached to the fixture body 2. The fixture body 2 is installed on the mounting surface by being fixed to fasteners such as bolts (not shown) provided on the ceiling, which is the mounting surface.

[0011] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the fixture body 2 and light source unit 3 of the lighting fixture 1 in Figure 1 in disassembled form. As shown in Figure 2, the fixture body 2 has a plate-shaped bottom portion 211, a pair of side portions 212 that protrude downward from both ends of the bottom portion 211 in the width direction, a pair of inclined portions 213 that protrude upward from the lower end of the side portion 212 while sloping outward in the width direction, an end plate 22 joined to the longitudinal end of the bottom portion 211 and the longitudinal ends of the side portion 212 and the inclined portion 213, a terminal block 23 attached to the bottom portion 211 and connected to electric wires (not shown) connected to the commercial power supply outside the fixture body 2, and a retaining spring 24 attached to the bottom portion 211 and holding the light source unit 3. The fixture body 2 has a concave mounting recess 214 in which the light source unit 3 is housed, formed by the bottom portion 211 and the side portion 212.

[0012] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the light source unit 3 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the light source unit 3 includes a light source 311 such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that is supplied with power and emits light, a plate-shaped light source substrate 312 on which the light source 311 is mounted, a frame 32 to which the light source substrate 312 is attached to the bottom surface, a cover member 33 that transmits and diffuses the light emitted by the light source 311, a power supply 34 attached to the top surface of the frame 32 that converts power supplied from the commercial power supply and supplies the converted power to the light-emitting part 31, a spring holder 35 held by the retaining spring 24 of the fixture body 2, and a cover end 36 located at the longitudinal end of the cover member 33.

[0013] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit 3 in Figure 1, obtained by cutting it with a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 4, the frame 32 is formed by bending a metal plate and has a main frame portion 321 on which the light source substrate 312 is mounted on its lower surface, and a pair of side frame portions 322 that protrude upward from both ends of the main frame portion 321 in the width direction. The main frame portion 321 includes a central frame portion 3211 located at the center in the width direction, on the lower surface of which a light source substrate 312 is mounted, a pair of main frame curved portions 3212 formed to protrude upward from both widthwise ends of the central frame portion 3211, and a pair of flat frame portions 3213 formed to protrude outward in the width direction respectively from the upper ends of the main frame curved portions 3212. The frame side portions 322 are formed as a pair, protruding upward from the respective widthwise ends of the paired flat frame portions 3213. A curled holding portion 3221 is formed at the upper end of each frame side portion 322. The holding portion 3221 holds a spring receiver 35 by hooking the same.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4, the cover member 33 includes a main cover portion 331 that covers the lower surface of the light source 311 and transmits light emitted from the light source 311, a first locking portion 332 formed to protrude from one widthwise end of the main cover portion 331 toward the light source substrate 312, and a second locking portion 333 formed to protrude from the other widthwise end of the main cover portion 331 toward the light source substrate 312. Since the cover member 33 is formed of a light-transmissive resin such as polycarbonate, acrylic or polypropylene, it has elasticity, and deforming the main cover portion 331 can deform the cover member such that the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 increases. The first locking portion 332 is inserted between one widthwise end of the light source substrate 312 and the flat frame portion 3213 of the frame 32, and is locked to the one widthwise end of the light source substrate 312. The second locking portion 333 is inserted between the other widthwise end of the light source substrate 312 and the flat frame portion 3213 of the frame 32, and is locked to the other widthwise end of the light source substrate 312.

[0015] The light source unit 3 configured as described above is housed in the mounting recess 214 of the fixture main body 2, and is attached to the fixture main body 2 by the spring receiver 35 being held by the holding spring 24 of the fixture main body 2.

[0016] The light source unit 3 is configured such that a light source substrate 312 is attached to a frame main portion 321 of a frame 32, and a cover member 33 is further attached to these components. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a procedure for attaching the cover member 33, where (a) shows an assembly start state (state a) in which the cover member 33 is arranged below the frame 32, (b) shows a state (state b) in which the cover member 33 is deformed in a direction that increases the distance between a first locking portion 332 and a second locking portion 333 of the cover main portion 331, (c) shows a state (state c) in which the cover member 33 is moved such that the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 of the cover member 33 are located outside both end portions of the light source substrate 312, and (d) shows a state (state d) in which the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 are respectively locked to both end portions of the light source substrate 312.

[0017] When attaching the cover member 33 to the frame 32 to which the light source substrate 312 is attached, first, the cover member 33 is arranged below the frame 32 as in state a. In this state a, the widthwise distance L2 between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 of the cover main portion 331 is shorter than the widthwise distance L1 of the light source substrate 312. Next, the cover member 33 is deformed in a direction that increases the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 of the cover main portion 331 in the state a, and the widthwise distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 is increased from the distance L2 to a distance L3 as in state b. In this state b, the widthwise distance L3 between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 of the cover main portion 331 is longer than the widthwise distance L1 of the light source substrate 312. In this manner, the cover member 33 in the state b, where the light source substrate 312 can be inserted between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 in the state deformed in the direction that increases the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333, is moved upward, and arranged such that the height-direction positions of the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 are above the light source substrate 312 as in state c. Next, the deformation in the direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 of the main cover portion 331 in state c is eliminated, and the distance in the width direction between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 is narrowed from distance L3 to distance L2. As the deformation of the main cover portion 331 is gradually resolved, the first locking portion 332 is inserted between one end of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction and the frame plane portion 3213 of the frame 32, and the second locking portion 333 is inserted between the other end of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction and the frame plane portion 3213 of the frame 32. In state d, where the deformation of the main cover portion 331 is completely resolved, the distance L2 in the width direction between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 becomes shorter than the distance L1 in the width direction of the light source substrate 312. As a result, the first locking portion 332 of the cover member 33 is locked to one end of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction, and the second locking portion 333 is locked to the other end of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction. In this way, the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 are held in place between the main frame portion 321 of the frame 32 and the light source substrate 312 in a state where they do not fall out, thereby attaching the cover member 33 and completing the light source unit 3.

[0018] As described above, the light source unit 3 comprises a light source substrate 312 on which a light source 311 that emits light is mounted, a frame 32 to which the light source substrate 312 is attached, and a cover member 33. The cover member 33 is elastic and comprises a main cover portion 331 that covers the light source 311, a first locking portion 332 that protrudes toward the light source substrate 312 from one end of the main cover portion 331 in the width direction, and a second locking portion that protrudes toward the light source substrate 312 from the other end of the main cover portion 331 in the width direction. The cover member 333 has a stopper portion 333, and when the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 is deformed in a direction that widens it, the light source substrate 312 can be inserted between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333. When the deformation that widens the distance between the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 is resolved, the first locking portion 332 is locked to one end of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction, and the second locking portion 333 is locked to the other end of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction. Therefore, the stress that widens both ends of the cover member 33 in order to attach the cover member 33 to the frame 32 is distributed over the width direction of the main cover portion 331 without concentrating in one part, thus preventing damage to the cover member 33.

[0019] Embodiment 2. Next, the lighting fixture 4 of Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figure 6. However, the description of the configuration that overlaps with the lighting fixture 1 of Embodiment 1 will be omitted, and the configuration that differs from the lighting fixture 1 of Embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit 5 of Embodiment 2, cut by a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 6, the light source unit 5 has a light source 511 that emits light, a light source substrate 512 on which the light source 511 is mounted, a frame 52 to which the light source substrate 512 is attached to the lower surface, and a cover member 53 that transmits and diffuses the light emitted by the light source 511.

[0020] The light source substrate 512 has a first substrate groove 513 formed in a concave shape that recesses inward in the width direction from the end face of one end in the width direction, and a second substrate groove 514 formed in a concave shape that recesses inward in the width direction from the end face of the other end in the width direction. The frame 52 is formed by bending a metal plate and has a main frame portion 521 on which the light source substrate 512 is mounted on its lower surface, and a pair of side frame portions 522 that protrude upward from both ends of the main frame portion 521 in the width direction. The cover member 53 has a main cover portion 531 that covers the lower surface of the light source 511 and transmits the light emitted by the light source 511, a first locking portion 532 formed projecting from one end of the main cover portion 531 in the width direction toward the light source substrate 512, and a second locking portion 533 formed projecting from the other end of the main cover portion 531 in the width direction toward the light source substrate 512. The first locking portion 532 is formed by a first locking portion flat portion 5321 made of a flat plate along the main frame portion 521, a first locking portion curved portion 5322 formed projecting downward from the widthwise end of the first locking portion flat portion 5321, and a first locking portion tip portion 5323 formed projecting toward the light source substrate 512 from the lower end of the first locking portion curved portion 5322. The second locking portion 533 has a second locking portion flat portion 5331 made of a flat plate along the main frame portion 521, a second locking portion curved portion 5332 formed projecting downward from the widthwise end of the second locking portion flat portion 5331, and a second locking portion tip portion 5333 formed projecting toward the light source substrate 512 from the lower end of the second locking portion curved portion 5332.

[0021] In the first embodiment, the light source unit 3 formed a space between both ends of the light source substrate 312 in the width direction and the frame planar portion 3213 into which the first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 of the cover member 33 were inserted. The first locking portion 332 and the second locking portion 333 were then inserted into this space, thereby locking them to both ends of the light source substrate 312. In contrast, the light source unit 5 of the second embodiment has a first substrate groove 513 formed at one end of the light source substrate 512 in the width direction, recessed inward in the width direction of the light source substrate 512, and a second substrate groove 514 formed at the other end of the light source substrate 512 in the width direction, recessed inward in the width direction of the light source substrate 512, and the first locking tip 5323 of the first locking portion 532 of the cover member 53 and the second locking tip 5333 of the second locking portion 533 of the cover member 53 are inserted into the first substrate groove 513 and the second substrate groove 514, respectively. In this embodiment 2 of the light source unit 5, since there is no need to form a space between the light source substrate 512 and the main frame portion 521, the light source substrate 512 and the main frame portion 521 can be brought into close contact over the entire surface of the light source substrate 512. Compared to a state in which a space is formed between the light source substrate 312 and the frame planar portion 3213, the transfer of heat generated from the light source 311 from the light source substrate 512 to the main frame portion 521 can be improved.

[0022] Embodiment 3. Next, the lighting fixture 6 of Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figure 7. However, the description of the configuration that overlaps with the lighting fixture 4 of Embodiment 2 will be omitted, and the configuration that differs from the lighting fixture 4 of Embodiment 2 will be described. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit 7 of Embodiment 3, cut by a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 7, the light source unit 7 includes a light source 711 that emits light, a light source substrate 712 on which the light source 711 is mounted, a frame 72 to which the light source substrate 712 is attached to the lower surface, and a cover member 73 that transmits and diffuses the light emitted by the light source 711. The frame 72 is formed by bending a metal plate and has a main frame portion 721 on which the light source substrate 712 is mounted on its lower surface, and a pair of side frame portions 722 that protrude upward from both ends in the width direction of the main frame portion 721.

[0023] The light source substrate 712 has a first substrate notch 713 formed by cutting out a portion from the top surface downward at one end in the width direction, and a second substrate notch 714 formed by cutting out a portion from the top surface downward at the other end in the width direction. In Embodiment 3, the first substrate notch 713 and the second substrate notch 714 are formed by cutting out an L-shape, but the shape is not limited to this, and they may be formed at an angle downward from the top surface at the end of the light source substrate 712, or any shape that forms a space with the main frame portion 721 at both ends of the light source substrate 712. The cover member 73 has a main cover portion 731 that covers the lower surface of the light source 311 and transmits the light emitted by the light source 711, a first locking portion 732 formed projecting from one end of the main cover portion 731 in the width direction toward the light source substrate 712, and a second locking portion 733 formed projecting from the other end of the main cover portion 731 in the width direction toward the light source substrate 712. The tip of the first locking portion 732 is inserted between the first substrate notch 713 of the light source substrate 712 and the main frame portion 721, and is locked to one end of the light source substrate 712 in the width direction, i.e., the first substrate notch 713. The tip of the second locking portion 733 is inserted between the second substrate notch 714 of the light source substrate 712 and the main frame portion 721, and is locked to the other end of the light source substrate 712 in the width direction, i.e., the second substrate notch 714.

[0024] In the light source unit 5 of Embodiment 2, a concave first substrate groove 513 and a second substrate groove 514 were provided at one end and the other end in the width direction of the light source substrate 512, respectively, in order to provide space for inserting the first locking tip 5323 and the second locking tip 5333 of the cover member 53. In contrast, in the light source unit 7 of Embodiment 3, a first substrate notch 713 and a second substrate notch 714 were provided at one end and the other end in the width direction of the light source substrate 712, respectively, in order to provide space for inserting the first locking tip 732 and the second locking tip 733 of the cover member 73, and a space for inserting the first locking tip 732 was formed between the first substrate notch 713 and the main frame portion 721 of the frame 72. As a result, in the light source unit 7 of Embodiment 3, with the cover member 73 attached to the frame 72, the first locking portion 732 abuts against the main frame portion 721 and is locked to one end of the light source substrate 712, and the second locking portion 733 abuts against the main frame portion 521 and is locked to the other end of the light source substrate 712. In this light source unit 7 of Embodiment 3, the first locking portion 732 of the cover member 73 has a straight shape with the same thickness all the way to the tip, so there is no need to deform the shape of the tips of the first locking portion 532 and the second locking portion 533 as in the cover member 53 of the light source unit 5 of Embodiment 2, and it is possible to suppress the generation of shadows inside the cover member 53 by the light emitted from the light source 711 irradiating the deformed portion such as the curved portion 5322 of the first locking portion or the curved portion 5332 of the second locking portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1 Lighting fixture, 3 Light source unit, 5 Light source unit, 7 Light source unit, 32 Frame, 33 Cover member, 52 Frame, 53 Cover member, 72 Frame, 73 Cover member, 311 Light source, 312 Light source substrate, 331 Main cover part, 332 First locking part, 333 Second locking part, 512 Light source substrate, 531 Main cover part, 532 First locking part, 533 Second locking part, 711 Light source, 712 Light source substrate, 731 Main cover part, 732 First locking part, 733 Second locking part.

Claims

1. A light source substrate on which a light source that emits light is mounted, The frame on which the light source substrate is attached, A cover member having elasticity, having a main cover portion that covers the light source, a first locking portion protruding toward the light source substrate from one end of the main cover portion in the width direction, and a second locking portion protruding toward the light source substrate from the other end of the main cover portion in the width direction, wherein when deformed in a direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion and the second locking portion, the light source substrate can be inserted between the first locking portion and the second locking portion, and when the deformation in the direction that widens the distance between the first locking portion and the second locking portion is resolved, the first locking portion is locked to one end of the light source substrate in the width direction and the second locking portion is locked to the other end of the light source substrate in the width direction, A light source unit equipped with this unit.

2. The light source substrate has a first substrate groove recessed inward in the width direction at one end in the width direction, and a second substrate groove recessed inward in the width direction at the other end in the width direction. The first locking portion is inserted into the first substrate groove, The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the second locking portion is inserted into the second substrate groove.

3. The light source substrate has a first substrate notch formed by cutting out from the top surface downwards at one end in the width direction, and a second substrate notch formed by cutting out from the top surface downwards at the other end in the width direction. The first locking portion is inserted into the space formed by the first substrate cutout and the frame. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the second locking portion is inserted into the space formed by the second substrate notch and the frame.

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