Infinity Mirror

Abstract

To provide an infinity mirror capable of obtaining a visual effect in which light moves in the thickness direction of the infinity mirror. [Solution] An infinity mirror 100 having at least a frame body 3, a half mirror 1 provided in one opening of the frame body 3, a mirror 2 provided in the other opening of the frame body 3, and a light-emitting section 4 provided inside the frame body 3, wherein the light-emitting section 4 has a plurality of light-emitting bodies 41 arranged in the thickness direction of the frame body 3, the light-emitting bodies 41 switching their light-emitting modes in the thickness direction of the frame body 3, and the light-emitting bodies 41 include a first light-emitting body 411 whose light-emitting mode is visible only in a normal image, and a second light-emitting body 412 whose light-emitting mode is visible only in an inverted image.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an infinity mirror that has a light-emitting portion between a half mirror and a mirror and that allows a normal image and an inverted image of the light-emitting portion to be repeatedly viewed. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a so-called infinity mirror, as shown in the photograph of FIG. 1, in which a light-emitting portion is disposed between a half mirror and a mirror, and the light-emitting state is used to visually recognize a sense of depth by displaying a normal image and an inverted image.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention for an illuminated panel in which a row of LED tape installed within a picture frame is illuminated, and the emitted light is repeatedly reflected by a reflector and a one-way mirror plate, creating multiple frames of light that extend toward the back, giving the illusion of depth.

[0004] Patent document 2 discloses an invention for an infinity mirror tail lamp in which an annular frame carrying an LED is placed between a half mirror and a mirror, and the light from the LED is reflected infinitely, giving the light emission a sense of depth. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3212545 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3179116 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, while conventional infinity mirrors as described above can create the illusion of depth by having the light from the light-emitting element continue in multiple layers toward the back, they do not provide the visual effect of the light moving in the thickness direction of the infinity mirror, and the dramatic effect they offer is limited.

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an infinity mirror that can provide the visual effect of light moving in the thickness direction of the infinity mirror. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention related to (1) is an infinity mirror having at least a frame body, a half mirror provided in one opening of the frame body, a mirror provided in the other opening of the frame body, and a light-emitting section provided inside the frame body, wherein the light-emitting section has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in the thickness direction of the frame body, and the light-emitting elements switch their light-emitting behavior in the thickness direction of the frame body, and the light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element whose light-emitting behavior is visible only in a normal image, and a second light-emitting element whose light-emitting behavior is visible only in an inverted image.

[0009] The invention related to (2) is the infinity mirror described in (1) above, characterized in that the light-emitting section comprises a first light-emitting element whose light-emitting pattern is visible only in a normal image, a second light-emitting element whose light-emitting pattern is visible only in an inverted image, and a third light-emitting element whose light-emitting pattern is visible in both the normal image and the inverted image.

[0010] The invention related to (3) is the infinity mirror described in (1) or (2) above, characterized in that the light-emitting body has a plurality of the first light-emitting bodies and the second light-emitting bodies in the thickness direction of the frame body, and the first light-emitting bodies emit light by sequentially switching the light-emitting modes in the thickness direction of the frame body, and then the second light-emitting bodies emit light by sequentially switching the light-emitting modes in the direction opposite to the thickness direction of the frame body. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel infinity mirror that has never been seen before, which produces the visual effect of light moving in the thickness direction of the infinity mirror. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a photograph showing an example of a conventional infinity mirror. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining problems with a conventional infinity mirror. [Diagram 3] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the visual appearance when a plurality of light-emitting bodies are arranged in the thickness direction of a frame body and emit light sequentially in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an infinity mirror in an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a visual appearance (a visible appearance) in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a visible mode (invisible mode) in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a visual recognition mode for each light emission mode in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating the visual recognition modes for each light emission mode. [Figure 9] 1 is a photograph of an infinity mirror in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a light-emitting section in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a photograph of an infinity mirror in another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an infinity mirror of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Prior to describing the present invention, FIG. 2 shows (a) a cross-sectional view showing the basic structure of an infinity mirror 100 and (b) a view explaining a viewing mode.

[0015] As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 2(a), the infinity mirror 100 equipped with an light-emitting body has at least a frame body 3, a half mirror 1 provided in one opening of the frame body 3, a mirror 2 provided in the other opening of the frame body 3, and a light-emitting section 4 provided inside the frame body 3.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2(b), when an observer looks from the half mirror 1 side, the internal light-emitting part 4 is repeatedly reflected between the half mirror 1 and the mirror 2, causing the normal image and the inverted image to be seen alternately, creating the illusion of infinite depth.

[0017] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the light-emitting section 4 provided inside the frame body 3 is composed of a plurality of light-emitting bodies 41 arranged in the thickness direction of the frame body 3, and the light-emitting mode is switched in the thickness direction of the frame body 3 (in the example shown in the figure, the light-emitting body 41 is switched on and off in sequence, starting from the first light-emitting body 41 through the third light-emitting body 41, as shown in FIG. 3(d).), allowing the observer to visually perceive a dynamic light-emitting mode not previously seen.

[0018] 3, the light-emitting section 4 is disposed within the frame body 3, and the light-emitting section 4 has three light-emitting bodies 41, numbered 1 to 3, disposed in the thickness direction of the frame body 3. As shown in the transition diagrams of FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), by switching the light-emitting state in the thickness direction of the frame body 3 in order, starting from the first light-emitting body 41, the light-emitting bodies appear to move in the thickness direction indicated by the arrow in the viewed normal image.

[0019] On the other hand, in the viewed inverted image, the light emitter appears to move from the back to the front as shown by the arrow in Figure 3. In other words, while a moving light emission pattern can be viewed, the direction of the light flow is perceived to be alternately different, so the observer cannot view a light emission pattern that flows in a fixed direction.

[0020] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in the cross-sectional view of the infinity mirror 100 in Figure 4, the light-emitting section 41 is composed of a first light-emitting body 411 whose light-emitting behavior is visible only in a normal image, and a second light-emitting body 412 whose light-emitting behavior is visible only in an inverted image.

[0021] 5, six light emitters numbered 1 to 6 are arranged in the light-emitting section 4 in the thickness direction of the frame body 3. The even-numbered first light emitters 411 are arranged so that the light emission pattern is visible to the observer only in a normal image, while the odd-numbered second light emitters 412 are arranged so that the light emission pattern is visible to the observer only in an inverted image.

[0022] 6, due to the structure of the light-emitting section 4 as shown, the odd-numbered second light-emitting bodies 412 cannot be seen in a normal image, and conversely, the even-numbered first light-emitting bodies 411 cannot be seen in an inverted image. In the example shown, the light-emitting section 4 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the frame 3 has an uneven shape in the thickness direction of the frame 3, and an opaque member is disposed on the protruding parts, so that the first light-emitting body 411 on the back side thereof cannot be directly seen from the viewing angle of the observer.

[0023] As described above, one of the adjacent light emitters is configured to be reflected on the half mirror 1 side, and the other light emitter is configured to be reflected on the mirror 2 side, so that the light emitters visible in the normal image and the inverted image are different.

[0024] In the light-emitting unit 4 having the first light-emitting body 411 and the second light-emitting body 412 as described above, as shown in FIG. 8(h), light is emitted in the order of 2, 4, 6, 5, 3, and 1, and then the lighting state is transitioned again in the order of 2, 4, .... As shown in FIGS. 7(a) to (g), it is possible for the observer to visually recognize that the light flows in a fixed direction without reversing in the flow of light as shown in FIG. 3.

[0025] In other words, in this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 4 has a plurality of first light-emitting bodies 411 and second light-emitting bodies 412 arranged in the thickness direction of the frame body 3, and the first light-emitting bodies 411 emit light by sequentially switching the light-emitting mode in the thickness direction of the frame body 3 (in the order of numbers 2, 4, and 6), and then the second light-emitting bodies 412 emit light by sequentially switching the light-emitting mode in the direction opposite to the thickness direction of the frame body 3 (numbers 5, 3, and 1), allowing the observer to visually recognize how the light-emitting mode changes in a certain direction between the normal image and the inverted image.

[0026] It should be noted that the above-mentioned "thickness direction" is not limited to the direction from the half mirror 1 to the mirror 2, but also includes the direction from the mirror 2 to the half mirror 1.

[0027] An infinity mirror 100 in which the light emitters are turned on according to the configuration of the light emitter 4 and the light emission sequence as described above is shown in Fig. 9. In other words, it shows that the light source whose light emission is observed in the normal image is not visible in the inverted image. With this structure, it is possible for the viewer to visually recognize the light emitters as moving in a fixed direction as indicated by the arrow in the figure.

[0028] (Another embodiment) While one embodiment of the infinity mirror of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications as described below are possible.

[0029] For example, in the above embodiment, six light emitters 41 are arranged in the light emitter 4 in the thickness direction of the frame 3, but the number of light emitters 41 is not limited to this and may be more than one, i.e., two or more. Furthermore, the multiple light emitters may be composed of a first light emitter 411 and a second light emitter 412.

[0030] In addition, the above-mentioned "light emission mode" is not necessarily limited to the on and off states of the light emitter, and for example, it is possible to use a light emitter capable of emitting light in a plurality of colors, and have the observer visually recognize a specific light emission color moving. In addition, the light amount of the light emitter may be adjusted or changed, and it is also possible to have the observer visually recognize a light emitter with a specific light amount moving.

[0031] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of light emitters may be arranged along the inside of the frame 3 (the inner periphery in the illustrated example).

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, by controlling the light emission of adjacent light-emitting elements in the circumferential direction so that the light-emitting elements that are to be made to emit light are shifted circumferentially one by one and move in the thickness direction of the frame body 3, it is possible to visually recognize an emission pattern in which a spiral band (line) of light as shown moves while rotating in the thickness direction of the frame body 3.

[0033] In addition, the arrangement of the first light emitter 411 and the second light emitter 412 is not necessarily limited to that shown in Fig. 4 etc. In other words, since the present invention is characterized in that there are elements that are visually visible only in a normal image and elements that are visually visible only in an inverted image, it is not necessarily required that the first light emitter 411 and the second light emitter 412 are arranged alternately as shown in Fig. 4. For example, the first light emitter 411 and the second light emitter 412 can also be arranged as shown in Fig. 10(a).

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10(b), it is also possible to dispose a third light emitter 413 whose light emission pattern is visible in both the normal image and the inverted image, thereby making it possible to increase the variety of light emission patterns.

[0035] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the light-emitting body itself is configured to be visible to the observer, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(c), it is also possible to use a known light-guiding member and allow the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting section to be visible through the light-guiding member.

[0036] In addition, in this embodiment, a circular frame body 3 as shown in Figure 9 is used, but it is of course not limited to this shape of frame body 3, and frame bodies 3 having various shapes can be used.

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the light-emitting section 4 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the frame body 3 is formed in an uneven shape in the thickness direction of the frame body 3, and an opaque member is arranged on the protruding portion, so that the first light-emitting body 411 on the back side of the light-emitting section 4 cannot be directly seen from the viewing angle of the observer. However, the configuration of the light-emitting section 4 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, it is possible to divide the light-emitting body 41 into light-emitting body 41 that can be seen by the observer and light-emitting body 41 that cannot be seen by the observer in terms of the angle of view, for example, by using a polarization means. In other words, the structure of the light-emitting section 4 can be changed in various ways.

[0038] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the above examples, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In addition, the specific materials, dimensions, shapes, etc. described in the above embodiments can be modified within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 100 Infinity Mirror 1 Half mirror 2 mirror 3 Frame 4 Light emitting part 41 Luminous object 411 First Luminous Body 412 Second Luminous Body 413 The Third Luminous Body

Claims

1. An infinity mirror having at least a frame, a half mirror provided in one opening of the frame, a mirror provided in the other opening of the frame, and a light emitting unit provided inside the frame, The light emitting unit is A plurality of light emitters are arranged in the thickness direction of the frame body, and the light emitters have light emission modes that change in the thickness direction of the frame body, The light emitter is The device includes a first light emitter whose light emission mode is visible only in a normal image and a second light emitter whose light emission mode is visible only in a reversed image. The infinity mirror is characterized by

2. The light emitter is a third light emitter whose light emission mode is visible in the normal image and the inverted image; 2. The infinity mirror according to claim 1 .

3. The light emitter is The first light emitter and the second light emitter are each provided in a plurality in the thickness direction of the frame body, and after the first light emitters emit light by sequentially switching the light emission mode in the thickness direction of the frame body, the second light emitters emit light by sequentially switching the light emission mode in the direction opposite to the thickness direction of the frame body.

3. The infinity mirror according to claim 1 or 2.

Images