Illumination device and display panel

Abstract

To provide a technique that can make an illuminating device emit light to display a clear sign.SOLUTION: A display panel 3 of an illuminating device 1 has a layered structure comprising a transparent base layer 30, a decoration layer 33 comprising a general decoration part 33g and a display decoration part 33d, and a shield layer 35 comprising a general shield part 35g and a display shield part 35d. Out of them, a shield outer edge part 35e that is at least a portion of an outer edge of the display shield part 35d is located outside a pair of decoration outer edge parts 33e in a radial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display panel for illuminating a sign, and to an illumination device including the display panel. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, lighting devices have been proposed that emit light to display various signs, such as the operating state of electrical appliances. In this type of lighting device, a display panel disposed on the front side of a light source is provided with a display area that transmits light emitted by the light source to display a sign on the front side of the light source (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-117681 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 introduces an illumination device in which the above-mentioned display area is provided on an end wall of a knob (a so-called button) of a push-down switch, and the vicinity of the knob is illuminated.

[0005] When an illumination device illuminates and displays a plurality of different signs, the illumination device is provided with a plurality of light sources, and a display panel arranged on the front side of each light source is provided with a plurality of display areas corresponding to each light source. That is, in this type of lighting device, the light emitted by each light source is transmitted through a different display area, thereby displaying a plurality of different signs.

[0006] This type of lighting device can be said to have a plurality of light-emitting units, each of which combines one light source with one display area corresponding to the light source.

[0007] Incidentally, in an illumination device having a plurality of light-emitting sections as described above, if the distance between adjacent light-emitting sections is short, light leakage may occur between the adjacent light-emitting sections.

[0008] In other words, in an illumination device having multiple light-emitting sections, light emitted by the light source in one light-emitting section may enter the optical path of an adjacent light-emitting section and be emitted to the outside through the display area of ​​the adjacent light-emitting section. In this case, the boundaries between adjacent light-emitting sections appear unclear, which may make it difficult for each light-emitting section to illuminate and display a clear sign. Furthermore, in this case, there is a risk that the design and functionality of the lighting device may be deteriorated.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a technique that enables a lighting device to emit light and display a clear sign. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The lighting device of the present invention that solves the above problems is: A plurality of light sources; A display panel on the front side of the light source; a light-shielding case portion that houses the light source in a state in which the light path of the light source facing the front side is open; the display panel has a laminated structure including a transparent substrate layer, a decorative layer disposed on an upper side than the transparent substrate layer, and a shielding layer disposed on an underside than the transparent substrate layer; The decorative layer has a general decorative portion and a plurality of display decorative portions arranged on the front side of each of the light sources and having a higher light transmittance than the general decorative portion, the shielding layer has a general shielding portion and a plurality of display shielding portions each facing a pair of the display decorative portions and having a higher light transmittance than the general shielding portion, This is an illumination device in which, when projected in the front-back direction, a shielding outer edge portion, which is at least a part of the outer edge of the display shielding portion, is located radially outward from a decorative outer edge portion, which is the outer edge of the paired display decorative portion. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The lighting device of the present invention can illuminate and display a clear sign. Also, the display panel of the present invention can cause the lighting device to illuminate and display a clear sign. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of a lighting device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of a lighting device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a part of a plurality of signs that are illuminated and displayed by the lighting device of the first embodiment; [Figure 4] 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic cross-section of the lighting device of Example 1 taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the dimensions of each part in the lighting device of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the dimensions of each part in the lighting device of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the dimensions of each part in the lighting device of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The lighting device of the present invention includes a plurality of light sources and a display panel on the front side of the light sources. The display panel has a transparent base layer and a decorative layer on the front side of the transparent base layer. The decorative layer has a display decorative portion that is a portion on the front side of the light sources and a general decorative portion that is a portion other than the display decorative portion, and the light transmittance of the display decorative portion is higher than the light transmittance of the general decorative portion.

[0014] Therefore, in the lighting device of the present invention, the light emitted by each light source and transmitted through the transparent base layer of the display panel also passes through the display decoration part in the decorative layer of the display panel and is emitted to the front side of the display panel. Therefore, a sign corresponding to the design of the display decoration part is illuminated and displayed on the front side of the lighting device of the present invention.

[0015] In addition to the decorative layer and the transparent substrate layer, the display panel in the lighting device of the present invention has a shielding layer on the back side of the transparent substrate layer. The shielding layer has a display shielding portion that is a portion on the front side of each light source and a general shielding portion that is a portion other than the display shielding portion, and the light transmittance of the display shielding portion is higher than that of the general shielding portion.

[0016] That is, in the display panel of the lighting device of the present invention, the display shielding portion and the display decoration portion paired with the display shielding portion are arranged in the thickness direction of the display panel with the transparent base layer sandwiched therebetween, and the display shielding portion and the display decoration portion of the display panel, as well as the portion of the transparent base layer sandwiched therebetween, can be said to correspond to a display area that transmits light emitted by a light source and displays a sign on the front side of the light source.

[0017] In the lighting device of the present invention, the light emitted from each light source and traveling to the front side of the light source passes through the display shielding portion of the shielding layer, enters the transparent base layer, and exits to the front side of the display panel through the display decoration portion of the decorative layer. On the other hand, the light emitted from each light source and traveling in a direction other than the front side of the light source is blocked by the general shielding portion of the shielding layer. In other words, the shielding layer shields the light emitted from each light source from traveling in a direction other than the front side.

[0018] As a result, the light emitted from each light source is unlikely to reach adjacent display areas, and the lighting device of the present invention can illuminate and display a clear sign.

[0019] Here, a part of the light emitted by the light source is blocked by the general shielding part, but if the amount of light blocked by the general shielding part is excessive, in other words, if the size of the display shielding part is too small compared to the display decoration part, it becomes difficult for a sufficient amount of light to reach the entire display decoration part. In this case, there is a risk that the design displayed by the display panel will be damaged, such as part of the decorative display part appearing missing.

[0020] In contrast, in the lighting device of the present invention, the shielding outer edge portion, which is at least a part of the outer edge of the display shielding portion in the display panel, is located radially outward of the decorative outer edge portion, which is the outer edge of the paired display decorative portion. Therefore, with the lighting device of the present invention, it is possible to allow a sufficient amount of light to reach the entire display decorative portion, and it is possible to suppress defects such as part of the decorative display portion appearing missing. This allows the lighting device of the present invention to illuminate and display a clearer sign. Similarly, the display panel of the present invention can illuminate and display a clear sign using the lighting device of the present invention.

[0021] Hereinafter, the illumination device and the display panel of the present invention will be described with respect to each of their components. Note that the display panel of the present invention is a display panel in the illumination device of the present invention.

[0022] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described. Unless otherwise specified, the numerical range "x to y" described in this specification includes the lower limit x and the upper limit y. These upper and lower limit values, as well as the numerical values ​​listed in the examples, can be arbitrarily combined to form a new numerical range. Furthermore, any numerical value selected from any of the above numerical ranges can be used as the upper and lower limit numerical values ​​of the new numerical range.

[0023] The lighting device of the present invention includes a display panel and displays various signs such as the operating state of an electrical appliance on the display panel by illuminating the display panel. The lighting device of the present invention may be separate from the corresponding electrical appliance or may be integrated into the electrical appliance.

[0024] For example, the lighting device of the present invention can be embodied as a lighting device for a vehicle. In this case, the lighting device of the present invention is preferably adapted to emit light to display signs indicating the operating states of various electric appliances for the vehicle.

[0025] More specifically, examples of such signs include on / off of the vehicle air conditioner, the set temperature, the air volume, on / off of the seat heater, on / off of the vehicle's automatic driving function, etc.

[0026] The lighting device of the present invention may illuminate the sign indicating the operating state of the electrical appliance and may be integrated with a switch for controlling the operation of the electrical appliance. In this case, the passenger can touch the sign to turn the switch on and off.

[0027] The lighting device of the present invention includes a plurality of light sources, a light-shielding case, and a display panel. The type of light source is not limited, and a general light source such as an LED lamp or a halogen lamp may be used. The number of light sources is also not particularly limited. The light emitted by the light source is preferably visible light having a wavelength of 360 to 830 nm.

[0028] The light-shielding case portion houses each of the light sources described above, and the lighting device of the present invention may have a plurality of light-shielding case portions that house each of the plurality of light sources individually, or may have a single light-shielding case portion that houses the plurality of light sources collectively.

[0029] In either case, the light-shielding case portion may house each light source with the light path of the light source facing the front side open. In other words, the light-shielding case portion may house each light source with the front side of the light source allowing the light emitted by the light source to pass through while shading the portions of the light source other than the front side. By shading the portions of the light source other than the front side with the light-shielding case portion, it is possible to prevent the light emitted by each light source from reaching other display areas adjacent to the corresponding display area.

[0030] More specifically, the light-shielding case preferably has a side wall that covers the light source from the radial outside, and in order to suppress loss of light emitted by the light source, the inner peripheral surface of the side wall, i.e., the surface on the light source side, is more preferably a reflective surface that reflects visible light.

[0031] As described above, the display panel has a laminated structure including a transparent substrate layer, a decorative layer, and a shielding layer, and is disposed on the front side of the light source. Among these, the transparent substrate layer is literally transparent and is a layer thicker than the decorative layer and the shielding layer. The thickness of the decorative layer and the shielding layer is preferably 10% or less, more preferably 5% or less, of the transparent substrate layer.

[0032] In this specification, the term "transparent" means that the transmittance of visible light is 70% or more. The transparent substrate layer may or may not be colorless.

[0033] The material of the transparent substrate layer is not particularly limited, but resin materials such as polycarbonate and acrylic can be suitably used as the material.

[0034] The decorative layer is a layer disposed on the outer side of the transparent substrate layer. As described above, the decorative layer has a display decorative portion and a general decorative portion.

[0035] The display-decorative portion is a portion of the decorative layer located on the front side of each light source, and the general decorative portion is a portion of the decorative layer other than the display-decorative portion. The lighting device of the present invention has a plurality of light sources, and has a number of display-decorative portions corresponding to each of the light sources.

[0036] The light transmittance of the display-decorative portion is higher than that of the general decorative portion, in order to illuminate and display a design corresponding to the shape of the display-decorative portion on the surface of the display panel. Examples of combinations of the preferred range of light transmittance of the display decorative part and the general decorative part include a combination where the display decorative part is in the range of 30% to 1% and the general decorative part is in the range of less than 1%, a combination where the display decorative part is in the range of 25% to 2% and the general decorative part is in the range of less than 2%, or a combination where the display decorative part is in the range of 20% to 3% and the general decorative part is in the range of less than 3%. In this specification, the light transmittance refers to the transmittance in the wavelength range of the light emitted by the light source. For example, when the light source emits visible light, the light transmittance of each part may be the transmittance of visible light.

[0037] The display decoration portion is preferably made of a transparent material such as a transparent resin. The general decoration portion is preferably made of one or more of the following materials: paint, colored resin material, adhesive resin material, metal, etc. For reference, the adhesive resin material refers to a material in which the resin itself is colored by mixing a coloring material such as a pigment into the resin material, or by mixing a glittering material together with a coloring material into the resin material.

[0038] The method of forming the decorative layer on the front side of the transparent substrate layer is not particularly limited, and known methods such as printing, painting, vapor deposition, and adhesion can be adopted. In addition, when forming the decorative layer on the front side of the transparent substrate layer by adhesion, another layer such as an adhesive layer may be interposed between the transparent substrate layer and the decorative layer. In this case, it is preferable that the light transmittance of the other layer is approximately the same as the light transmittance of the transparent substrate layer or the light transmittance of the display decoration part in the decorative layer. It is particularly preferable that the refractive index of the adhesive layer is approximately the same as the refractive index of the transparent substrate layer. In this specification, approximately the same means that it is within a range of less than ±5% of the target value.

[0039] The shape of the display decoration part of the decorative layer is not particularly limited, and may be various shapes according to the sign to be displayed. The light transmittance of the display decoration part may be uniform. Alternatively, the light transmittance of the display decoration part may differ from part to part. When the light transmittance of the display-decorative portion differs from part to part, the light transmittance of the display-decorative portion means the light transmittance of the part of the display-decorative portion that has the highest light transmittance.

[0040] Similarly, the light transmittance of the general decorative portion may be uniform or may vary from portion to portion. When the light transmittance of the general decorative portion differs from part to part, the light transmittance of the general decorative portion means the light transmittance of the part of the general decorative portion that has the highest light transmittance.

[0041] Also, for example, a portion with low light transmittance may be provided inside a portion with high light transmittance in the display-decoration portion, and characters, symbols, etc. may be displayed using the portion with low light transmittance.

[0042] Here, when the light transmittance of the inner portion is equal to or lower than the light transmittance of the portion of the general decorative portion that has the highest light transmittance, the inner portion can be regarded as the general decorative portion. Furthermore, if the light transmittance of the inner part is greater than the light transmittance of the part of the general decorative part with the highest light transmittance, that is, if the light transmittance of the inner part is 5% or more greater than the light transmittance of the part of the general decorative part with the highest light transmittance, then the inner part can be regarded as the general decorative part.

[0043] The shielding layer is a layer disposed on the back side, i.e., on the light source side, of the transparent substrate layer. As described above, the shielding layer has a display shielding portion and a general shielding portion.

[0044] Each display shielding portion is a portion of the shielding layer that is provided on the rear side of the display decorative portion described above. Therefore, the display shielding portion can be said to be a portion of the shielding layer that faces the corresponding display decorative portion. As described above, since the lighting device of the present invention has a plurality of light sources and a plurality of display decoration parts, the display shielding parts are also provided in a number corresponding to the light sources and the display decoration parts.

[0045] The light transmittance of the display shielding portion is higher than that of the general shielding portion. The preferred range of the light transmittance of the display shielding portion is, for example, 50% or more, 70% or more, or 90% or more. The preferred range of the light transmittance of the general shielding portion is, for example, 30% or less, 10% or less, or 5% or less. It is particularly preferred that the light transmittance of the display shielding portion is 100%, and it is particularly preferred that the light transmittance of the general shielding portion is 0%. In addition, examples of combinations of the preferred range of light transmittance of the display shielding part and the preferred range of light transmittance of the general shielding part include combinations where the display shielding part is in the range of 50% or more and the general shielding part is in the range of 30% or less, the display shielding part is in the range of 70% or more and the general shielding part is in the range of 10% or less, or the display shielding part is in the range of 90% or more and the general shielding part is in the range of 5% or less.

[0046] The display shielding portion may simply have an opening, or may be made of a transparent material such as a transparent resin. The general shielding portion is preferably made of one or more of the following materials: paint, colored resin material, adhesive resin material, metal, etc.

[0047] The method for forming the shielding layer on the back side of the transparent substrate layer is not particularly limited, and any known method such as printing, painting, vapor deposition, or adhesion can be used. In addition, when the shielding layer is formed on the back side of the transparent substrate layer by adhesion, another layer such as an adhesive layer may be interposed between the transparent substrate layer and the shielding layer. In this case, it is preferable that the light transmittance of the other layer is higher (high transmittance) than the light transmittance of the transparent substrate layer or the light transmittance of the display shielding part in the shielding layer. It is particularly preferable that the refractive index of the adhesive layer is higher (high refractive index) than the refractive index of the transparent substrate layer.

[0048] The shape of the display shielding portion of the shielding layer may be any shape as long as it corresponds to the shape of the paired display decorative portion. The light transmittance of the display shielding portion may be uniform or may differ from one portion to another. When the light transmittance of the display shielding portion differs from part to part, the light transmittance of the display shielding portion means the light transmittance of the portion of the display shielding portion that has the highest light transmittance.

[0049] Similarly, the light transmittance of the general shielding portion may be uniform or may vary from portion to portion. When the light transmittance of the general shielding part differs from part to part, the light transmittance of the general shielding part means the light transmittance of the part having the highest light transmittance in the general shielding part.

[0050] As described above, the display panel in the lighting device of the present invention has a plurality of display decorative portions and display shielding portions that face each other and form pairs. The pair of display decorative portions and display shielding portions constitute part of the optical path of light emitted by the same light source.

[0051] In the illumination device of the present invention, in a projection view projected in the front-rear direction, a shielding outer edge portion, which is at least a part of the outer edge of a display shielding portion, is radially outward from a decorative outer edge portion, which is the outer edge of a paired display decorative portion. In other words, with the optical axis of the light source as the center, the shielding outer edge portion corresponding to the light source is radially outward from the decorative outer edge portion.

[0052] In other words, in the lighting device of the present invention, only a portion of the outer edge of the display shielding portion may be a shielding outer edge portion that is radially outer than the decorative outer edge portion, or the entire outer edge of the display shielding portion may be the shielding outer edge portion.

[0053] In either case, at least in a certain portion of the shielding outer edge, the effect of the shielding outer edge is produced, that is, the effect of allowing a sufficient amount of light to reach the display decoration portion and causing the decorative display portion to emit light and display a clear sign.

[0054] Here, when the lighting device of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle, there is a suitable relationship between the dimensions of each part of the display panel. More specifically, it is preferable that the relationship between the thickness t of the transparent substrate layer, the refraction angle θ2 of the transparent substrate layer, and the radial distance x between the shielding outer edge and the decorative outer edge satisfies x=t×tan θ2. As will be described in detail in the Examples section, when these dimensions satisfy the above relationship, the sign displayed by the lighting device of the present invention is visually recognized as clearer when viewed by a passenger seated in a seat.

[0055] For reference, the refraction angle θ2 of the transparent substrate layer can be derived from the refractive index nd of the transparent substrate layer and the incidence angle θ1 of the transparent substrate layer using the formula θ2=arcsin(sinθ1 / nd). The incidence angle θ1 of the transparent substrate layer is the angle between a straight line L1 connecting the center point of the two eyes of a seated occupant and a point on the surface of the outer edge of the display decoration that is located at the front end in the direction of travel of the occupant, and a straight line connecting the front side and back side directions.

[0056] The incidence angle θ1 varies depending on the height of the occupant sitting in the seat, the position of the seat, etc. In the lighting device of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the incidence angle θ1 for each occupant sitting in the seat, for example, by making the display panel movable, but it is also possible to assume a target occupant and determine a general-purpose value of the incidence angle θ1 based on the seat height of the occupant, etc.

[0057] Specifically, when the eye position of the occupant is low, that is, when the incident angle θ1 is small, problems such as the decorative display portion being partially missing are particularly likely to occur. Therefore, it is preferable to use a short occupant as the target occupant when determining the general-purpose value of the incidence angle θ1 described above.

[0058] As described later, in the examples of the present application, a Hybrid-III AF05 crash test dummy (known as the AF05 dummy) was used as the target occupant. The AF05 dummy is a crash test dummy that imitates a relatively short woman and complies with the National Highway Traffic Safety Association standard [49 CFR Part 572].

[0059] In addition, the vertical distance L2 between the front end of the display decoration portion located farthest from the eyes of the occupant and the eyes of the occupant can also be used as a base value for calculating the incident angle θ1. Naturally, L2 also differs depending on the height of the occupant sitting in the seat, the position of the seat, etc. For this reason, it is preferable to set a general-purpose value for L2 as well, and an example of the general-purpose value for L2 is 450 mm.

[0060] Furthermore, the value of the general-purpose incident angle θ1 can be specifically exemplified as 55° or 50°.

[0061] In the lighting device of the present invention, the display panel and the light-shielding case may be in close contact with each other in the front-back direction or may be separated from each other. Since the back surface of the display panel is composed of a shielding layer, it is preferable that the display panel and the light-shielding case are separated from each other in order to prevent damage to the shielding layer.

[0062] When the display panel and the light-shielding case are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, light emitted from the light source leaks out from between the display panel and the light-shielding case. If light leaking to the outside from between the display panel and the light-shielding case is reflected in an area of ​​the display panel other than the display area, the sign illuminated and displayed by the lighting device of the present invention may become unclear.

[0063] For this reason, it is preferable that the display panel in the lighting device of the present invention has a protrusion for covering the gap between the light-shielding case and the display panel.

[0064] The protrusion is preferably provided radially outward from the outer shielding edge of the display panel, and its rear surface is preferably configured as the general shielding portion of the shielding layer.

[0065] By providing such a protrusion in the lighting device of the present invention, leakage of light to the outside from between the display panel and the light-shielding case portion can be suppressed, making it possible for the lighting device of the present invention to illuminate and display a clearer sign.

[0066] The protrusion height of the protrusion is not particularly limited, but in order to more reliably suppress light leakage from the gap between the light-shielding case portion and the display panel, it is particularly preferable for the rear end of the protrusion to be located behind the front end of the light-shielding case portion.

[0067] The lighting device of the present invention will be described below by giving a specific example.

[0068] Example 1 The lighting device of the first embodiment constitutes a part of a center console box arranged in a vehicle compartment, and the display panel of the lighting device constitutes a part of an upper panel of the center console box. 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams for typically explaining the lighting device of Example 1. Of these, Fig. 1 is a diagram for typically explaining the positional relationship between the lighting device of Example 1 and an occupant seated in a seat, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram that shows a part of a plurality of signs that are illuminated and displayed by the lighting device of Example 1. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram that shows a cutaway view of the lighting device of Example 1 taken along the line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram that shows the dimensions of each part of the lighting device of Example 1. Hereinafter, up, down, left, right, front, and rear refer to the up, down, left, right, front, and rear directions shown in the drawings. Note that the up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction, the front-rear direction corresponds to the vehicle traveling direction, and the left-right direction corresponds to the vehicle width direction.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment constitutes a part of a center console box 90 for a vehicle, and is arranged together with other parts of the center console box 90 in a vehicle interior 99 of the vehicle (not shown).

[0070] As shown in FIG. 2, the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment is disposed in front of an armrest 91 and behind a drink holder 92 in a center console box 90. As shown in FIG.

[0071] The lighting device 1 includes a plurality of light sources 2, a display panel 3, and a light-shielding case portion 4, of which the display panel 3 is exposed to a vehicle interior 99. As shown in Fig. 3, the display panel 3 in the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment displays a sign indicating whether the seat heater is on or off, and three indicator signs indicating the operating state of the heater.

[0072] As will be described later, various signs are illuminated and displayed when the light sources 2 are turned on. When the fourth light source (not shown) is turned on, a sign SH of a corresponding seat heater (not shown) is illuminated, thereby notifying the occupant 98 that the seat heater is on.

[0073] Moreover, when a first light source (not shown) is turned on, a first indicator sign I-1 corresponding to the first light source is illuminated. When the second light source (not shown) is turned on, the second indicator sign I-2 corresponding to the second light source is illuminated. When the unillustrated third light source is turned on, the third indicator sign I-3 corresponding to the third light source is illuminated.

[0074] When only the first indicator sign I-1 is illuminated, the occupant 98 recognizes that the seat heater is operating at a low temperature. When both the first indicator sign I-1 and the second indicator sign I-2 are illuminated, the occupant 98 recognizes that the seat heater is operating at a medium temperature. When all of the first indicator sign I-1, the second indicator sign I-2, and the third indicator sign I-3 are illuminated, the occupant 98 recognizes that the seat heater is operating at a high temperature.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 4, the light-shielding case 4 and the light source 2 of the illumination device 1 of the first embodiment are disposed on the rear side of the display panel 3. Each light source 2 is an LED lamp, is housed in a light-shielding case portion 4, and emits light toward the front side.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 4, the light-shielding case 4 has a main body 40, and a substrate 41 and a reflective layer 45 (see FIG. 5) that are integrated with the main body 40. The main body 40 of the light-shielding case 4 is box-shaped and opens on the front side, and is made of a resin material with almost no light transmittance. The main body 40 has a cylindrical side wall 42 that covers the light source 2 from the radial outside. The side wall 42 has an axial direction in the front-rear direction, and opens on both the front and rear sides. The substrate 41 is disposed inside the main body 40, and the light source 2 is attached to the substrate 41.

[0077] 5, a reflective layer 45 that reflects visible light toward the inside in the radial direction, that is, toward the light source 2, is formed on the inner circumferential surface of each side wall 42. The reflective layer 45 reflects visible light. The light emitted from each light source 2 also travels in directions other than the front side, but is reflected by the reflective layer 45 and most of the light is emitted to the front side of the light-shielding case portion 4.

[0078] The display panel 3 has a transparent substrate layer 30 , a decorative layer 33 and a shielding layer 35 .

[0079] The transparent substrate layer 30 is made of polycarbonate and is literally transparent. The decorative layer 33 has a general decorative portion 33g and a plurality of display decorative portions 33d.

[0080] The decorative layer 33 is made of a resin transparent base and a color pigment. More specifically, the display decorative portion 33d is made of only a transparent base, and the general decorative portion 33g is made of a colored paint that is a mixture of a transparent base and a color pigment. The decorative layer 33 is printed on the front side of the transparent base layer 30. In the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment, the light transmittance of each display decorative portion 33d is about 80%, and the light transmittance of the general decorative portion 33g is about 20%.

[0081] The display decoration portions 33d are provided in a number corresponding to the number of light sources 2, and each display decoration portion 33d is disposed on the front side of each light source 2. The center of each display decoration portion 33d roughly coincides with the center of the corresponding light source 2.

[0082] The shielding layer 35 has a general shielding portion 35g and a plurality of display shielding portions 35d. The shielding layer 35 is made of a colored paint made of a mixture of a transparent base and a color pigment, and is printed on the back side of the transparent substrate layer 30 except for the areas that will become the display shielding portions 35d. Therefore, the general shielding portion 35g is a portion of the shielding layer 35 that is made of paint, and each of the display shielding portions 35d can also be called an opening provided in the shielding layer 35.

[0083] In the illumination device 1 of the first embodiment, the light transmittance of each display shielding portion 35d is 100%, and the light transmittance of the general shielding portion 35g is approximately 0%.

[0084] The display shielding portions 35d are also provided in a number corresponding to the number of light sources 2, and each display decoration portion 33d is disposed on the back side of each light source 2. It can be said that the display decoration portion 33d disposed on the front side of one light source 2 and the display shielding portion 35d disposed on the back side form a pair.

[0085] A single light-emitting region is formed by the pair of the display decorative portion 33d and the display shielding portion 35d and a portion of the transparent base layer 30 interposed therebetween. A single light-emitting portion is formed by the light-emitting region and the corresponding light source 2. The lighting device 1 of Example 1 has a plurality of light-emitting portions, and the display panel 3 in the lighting device 1 of Example 1 has a plurality of display regions.

[0086] The center of each display shielding portion 35 d is slightly offset from the center of the corresponding light source 2 . Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the shielding outer edge portion 35e, which is the portion of the outer edge of each display shielding portion 35d that is located in front of the line of sight of the occupant 98, is located radially outward, i.e., forward, of the decorative outer edge portion 33e, which is the outer edge of the paired display decorative portion 33d.

[0087] In the lighting device 1 of Example 1, the refractive index nd of the transparent base layer 30 is 1.58, and the incident angle θ1 of the transparent base layer 30 is 50°. Therefore, the refraction angle θ2 of the transparent base layer 30 is θ2=arcsin(sinθ1 / nd)=29°.

[0088] For reference, the value of θ1 was calculated as follows. First, the center point of the eyes of the AF05 dummy as an occupant seated in the seat was calculated. Then, a straight line L1 connecting the center point and a point on the surface of the decorative outer edge portion 33e located at the front end in the traveling direction of the AF05 dummy was obtained, and the angle between L1 and the perpendicular line was set to θ1.

[0089] Here, the thickness t of the transparent base layer 30 is 3 mm. As a result, the radial distance x between the shielding outer edge portion 35e and the decorative outer edge portion 33e is x=t×tan θ2≈1.7 (mm).

[0090] In the lighting device 1 of Example 1, light emitted from each light source 2 and traveling to the front side of the light source 2 passes through the display shielding portion 35d of the shielding layer 35, enters the transparent base layer 30, and is emitted to the front side of the display panel 3 through the display decoration portion 33d of the decorative layer 33. On the other hand, light emitted from each light source 2 and traveling in a direction other than the front side of the light source 2 is reflected by the reflective layer 45 of the light-shielding case portion 4 to change its optical path to the front side of the light source 2, or is blocked by the general shielding portion 35g of the shielding layer 35. As a result, the light emitted from each light source 2 is unlikely to reach adjacent display areas, and the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment can emit and display a clear sign.

[0091] In the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment, the shielding outer edge portion 35e of the display panel 3 is located radially outward of the decorative outer edge portion 33e of the paired display decorative portion 33d. As a result, in the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment, a sufficient amount of light can reach a portion of the display decorative portion 33d that is located particularly in front of the line of sight of the occupant 98, and the entire display decorative portion 33d can be brightly illuminated. This makes it possible to prevent defects such as a portion of the decorative display portion being missing, and makes it possible to illuminate and display a clear sign.

[0092] Example 2 The illumination device of the second embodiment is generally the same as the illumination device of the first embodiment, except for the shape of the display panel. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the dimensions of each part in the lighting device of the first embodiment.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 6, in the display panel 3 of the illumination device 1 of the second embodiment, a portion radially outward from a shielding outer edge portion 35e forms a protrusion portion 35p that protrudes toward the rear side.

[0094] The rear end of the protrusion 35p is located radially outward from the side wall 42 of the light-shielding case part 4 and rearward from the front end of the side wall 42. In addition, a general shielding part 35g of the shielding layer 35 is provided on the rear side of the protrusion 35p.

[0095] The lighting device 1 of the second embodiment is substantially the same as the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment, except for the protruding portion 35p and a general shielding portion 35g located on the rear side of the protruding portion 35p.

[0096] In the lighting device 1 of Example 2, the side wall 42 of the light-shielding case part 4 is covered from the front side and the radially outer side by the protrusion part 35p and the general shielding part 35g on the back side of the protrusion part 35p. This allows the light leaking to the front side and the radially outer side of the light-shielding case part 4 to be efficiently shielded by the general shielding part 35g on the back side of the protrusion part 35p. This allows the lighting device 1 of Example 2 to illuminate and display a clearer sign.

[0097] Example 3 The illumination device of the third embodiment is generally the same as the illumination device of the first embodiment, except for the shape of the display panel. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the dimensions of each part in the lighting device of the third embodiment.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 7, in the display panel 3 of the illumination device 1 of the third embodiment, a portion radially outward from a shielding outer edge portion 35e forms a protrusion portion 35p that protrudes toward the rear side.

[0099] A rear end of the protrusion 35p is located radially inward from the side wall 42 of the light-shielding case part 4 and rearward from a front end of the side wall 42. In addition, a general shielding part 35g of the shielding layer 35 is provided on the rear side of the protrusion 35p.

[0100] The lighting device 1 of the third embodiment is also substantially the same as the lighting device 1 of the first embodiment, except for the protruding portion 35p and a general shielding portion 35g located on the rear side of the protruding portion 35p.

[0101] In the lighting device 1 of Example 3 as well, the side wall 42 of the light-shielding case part 4 is covered from the front side and the radially outer side by the protrusion 35p and the general shielding part 35g on the back side of the protrusion 35p. Therefore, in the lighting device 1 of Example 3 as well, similar to the lighting device 1 of Example 2, the light leaking to the front side and the radially outer side of the light-shielding case part 4 can be efficiently shielded by the general shielding part 35g on the back side of the protrusion 35p. As a result, the lighting device 1 of Example 3 can also emit and display a clearer sign.

[0102] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and can be modified and implemented as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, each component shown in this specification, including the embodiment, can be arbitrarily extracted and combined for implementation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1: Lighting device 2: Light source 4: Light-shielding case 3: Display panel 30: Transparent base layer 33: Decoration layer 33g: General decoration section 33d: Display decoration section 33e: Decorative outer edge 35: Shielding layer 35g: General shielding section 35d: Display shielding section 35e: Shielding outer edge 35p: Protrusion t: thickness of transparent substrate layer θ2: refraction angle of transparent substrate layer x: radial distance between the outer edge of the shield and the outer edge of the decoration

Claims

1. A plurality of light sources; A display panel on the front side of the light source; a light-shielding case portion that houses the light source in a state in which the light path of the light source facing the front side is open; the display panel has a laminated structure including a transparent substrate layer, a decorative layer disposed on an upper side than the transparent substrate layer, and a shielding layer disposed on an underside than the transparent substrate layer; The decorative layer has a general decorative portion and a plurality of display decorative portions arranged on the front side of each of the light sources and having a higher light transmittance than the general decorative portion, the shielding layer has a general shielding portion and a plurality of display shielding portions each facing a pair of the display decorative portions and having a higher light transmittance than the general shielding portion, When projected in the front-rear direction, a shielding outer edge portion, which is at least a part of the outer edge of the display shielding portion, is located radially outward of a decorative outer edge portion, which is the outer edge of the paired display decorative portion; the display panel has a protrusion protruding toward a rear side radially outward from the outer shielding edge portion, a rear end of the protrusion is located behind a front end of the light-shielding case portion, A lighting device, wherein a rear surface of the protrusion portion is formed of the general shielding portion of the shielding layer.

2. 2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a relationship among a thickness t of the transparent base layer, a refraction angle θ2 of the transparent base layer, and a radial distance x between the shielding outer edge portion and the decorative outer edge portion satisfies x=t×tan θ2.

3. A display panel arranged on the front side of a plurality of light sources housed in a light-shielding case with an optical path toward the front side open, the display panel has a laminated structure including a transparent substrate layer, a decorative layer disposed on an upper side than the transparent substrate layer, and a shielding layer disposed on an underside than the transparent substrate layer; The transparent substrate layer is formed of only one layer, The decorative layer has a general decorative portion and a plurality of display decorative portions arranged on the front side of each of the light sources and having a higher light transmittance than the general decorative portion, the shielding layer has a general shielding portion and a plurality of display shielding portions each facing a pair of the display decorative portions and having a higher light transmittance than the general shielding portion, When projected in the front-rear direction, a shielding outer edge portion, which is at least a part of the outer edge of the display shielding portion, is located radially outward of a decorative outer edge portion, which is the outer edge of the paired display decorative portion; the display panel has a protrusion protruding toward a rear side radially outward from the outer shielding edge portion, a rear end of the protrusion is located behind a front end of the light-shielding case portion, A display panel, wherein a rear surface of the protrusion portion is formed of the general shielding portion of the shielding layer.

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