lighting equipment

Abstract

To provide an illumination device capable of improving workability of assembling.SOLUTION: An illumination device 1 includes: a light source part 4 for outputting light 43; a light guide part 3 which has a first end face 30 on which the light 43 is incident, a second end face 31 facing the first end face 30, an emission surface 32 which is one of side faces in a longitudinal direction crossing the first end face 30 and the second end face 31 and emits the light 43, and at least one part 36 to be held which is provided on at least one of the side faces in the longitudinal direction different from the emission surface 32, guides the light 43 from the first end face 30 to the second end face 31, and has a slim shape; and a housing 2 having a mounting part 20 on which the light source part 4 is mounted, a storage part 22 having a storage recess 222 where an end 220 on the mounting part 20 side is opened and that stores the light guide body 3, and an exposure opening 223 where the emission surface 32 is exposed, and a holding part 24 for holding the light guide body 3 in the storage recess 222 by sandwiching at least the one part 36 to be held.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting device. [Background technology]

[0002] As a prior art, a line lighting device is known which includes a light-emitting unit having a light-emitting unit housing and a light-emitting body that emits light, a light guide having a rod-shaped light guide main body and a light guide flange provided at a first end, which is one end of the light guide main body in the longitudinal direction, and a case having a rod-shaped case main body that is partially open when viewed in the longitudinal direction and in which the light guide main body is housed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In this line lighting device, the light guide flange is sandwiched between a first end in the longitudinal direction of the case main body and the light emitting unit housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-64560 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In this conventional line lighting device, after the light guide is inserted into the case, there is a possibility that the light guide may move in the opposite direction to the insertion direction and fall out of the case before the light-emitting unit is assembled into the case, which makes assembly difficult.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device that can improve the ease of assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a lighting device including: a light source unit that outputs light; an elongated light guide having a first end face into which the light is incident, a second end face opposite the first end face, an exit surface that exits the light and is one of the longitudinal side surfaces intersecting the first end face and the second end face, and at least one held portion provided on at least one of the longitudinal side surfaces different from the exit surface, and guiding light from the first end face to the second end face; an attachment portion to which the light source unit is attached; an accommodating portion that is open at the end facing the attachment portion and has an accommodating recess that accommodates the light guide and an exposure opening that exposes the accommodating surface; and a housing having a holding portion that holds the light guide in the accommodating recess by clamping at least one held portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the workability of assembly can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a diagram of the interior of a vehicle for explaining an example of the arrangement of a lighting device according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing an example of an illumination area illuminated by the lighting device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(a) is a side view showing an example of the lighting device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2(b) and FIG. 2(c) are development views showing the example of the lighting device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of the housing of the lighting device according to the first embodiment as viewed from the mounting portion side, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which a light guide is mounted on the housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is an example of a cross-sectional view of the illumination device according to the first embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. 2(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow, and FIG. 4(b) is an example of an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 5] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are examples of diagrams for explaining the insertion of a light guide into the housing of the lighting device according to the first embodiment, and Figure 5(c) is an example of a diagram for explaining the attachment of a light source unit to the housing. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is a side view showing an example of the lighting device according to the second embodiment, and FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c) are development views showing the example of the lighting device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(a) is an example of a cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to the second embodiment taken along line DD in FIG. 6(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow, and FIG. 7(b) is an example of a cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to the second embodiment taken along line EE in FIG. 6(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is an example of a cross-sectional view of the illumination device according to the second embodiment taken along line FF in FIG. 6(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow, and FIG. 8(b) is an example of an enlarged view of part G in FIG. 6(a). [Figure 9] 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of assembly of the light guide of the lighting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of fitting between a held portion and a holding portion of the lighting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of attachment of a light source unit when assembling an illumination device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [First embodiment] (Overview of lighting device 1) FIG. 1(a) is a diagram of the interior of a vehicle to explain an example of the arrangement of a lighting device according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing an example of an illumination area illuminated by the lighting device. FIG. 2(a) is a side view showing an example of a lighting device according to the first embodiment, and FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c) are development views showing an example of the lighting device. FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of a housing of the lighting device according to the first embodiment as seen from the mounting portion side, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a light guide is attached to the housing. FIG. 4(a) is an example of a cross-sectional view of the lighting device according to the first embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. 2(a) as seen from the direction of the arrow, and FIG. 4(b) is an example of an enlarged view of portion B in FIG. 4(a). Note that in each of the drawings according to the embodiments described below, the ratios and shapes between figures may differ from the actual ratios and shapes.

[0011] 1(a), the lighting device 1 of this embodiment is primarily used to decorate the interior of a vehicle 9, but is not limited thereto and may also be used as lighting to decorate the exterior. As an example, the lighting device 1 is disposed around an instrument panel 90 or a floor console 94, but is not limited thereto and may also be disposed on the ceiling or the like. Furthermore, the illumination light 10 of the lighting device 1 may be used as direct lighting or indirect lighting.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the instrument panel 90 is an interior part disposed in front of a driver's seat 97 and a passenger's seat 98. The instrument panel 90 is configured to include an upper panel 90a constituting an upper portion and a lower panel 90b constituting a lower portion. The upper panel 90a is provided with an air conditioning vent 91, a meter panel 92, etc. The lower panel 90b is provided with a glove compartment 93, etc. The lighting device 1 may be used, for example, as lighting for decorating the air conditioning vent 91, the meter panel 92, the glove compartment 93, etc.

[0013] 1(a), a tray 95, a console box 96, and the like are arranged on the floor console 94. The lighting device 1 may be used, for example, as lighting for decorating the tray 95, the console box 96, and the like.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1(b) to 3(b), the lighting device 1 has a light source unit 4 that outputs light 43, a first end face 30 to which the light 43 is incident, a second end face 31 that faces the first end face 30, an exit face 32 that exits the light 43 and is one of the side faces in the longitudinal direction intersecting the first end face 30 and the second end face 31, and at least one held portion 36 that is provided on at least one of the side faces in the longitudinal direction that is different from the exit face 32. The light guide 3 is generally configured to include an elongated light guide 3 that guides light 43 from the end face 30 to the second end face 31, an attachment portion 20 to which the light source portion 4 is attached, an accommodating portion 22 that opens at an end 220 on the attachment portion 20 side and has an accommodating recess 222 that accommodates the light guide 3 and an exposed opening 223 that exposes the exit surface 32, and a housing 2 that has a holding portion 24 that holds the light guide 3 in the accommodating recess 222 by clamping at least one held portion 36.

[0015] 2(b) and 2(c), the held portion 36 in this embodiment is provided on the first end surface 30 side of the light guide 3. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the holding portion 24 in this embodiment is provided in the accommodating recess 222 on the mounting portion 20 side of the housing 2, and has a holding recess (described later) into which the held portion 36 is fitted, and a claw portion (described later) which is a wall of the holding recess (described later) on the mounting portion 20 side and which guides the insertion of the light guide 3 into the accommodating recess 222 and prevents the light guide 3 from slipping out of the accommodating recess 222.

[0016] 2(b) and 2(c), the held portion 36 of this embodiment has, as an example, a first held portion 36a protruding from the left side surface 34 as a first side surface adjacent to the emission surface 32, and a second held portion 36b protruding from the right side surface 35 as a second side surface opposing the left side surface 34. Note that the number of held portions 36 is not limited to this, and there may be one or more.

[0017] 4(a) and 4(b), the holding portion 24 of this embodiment has, as an example, a first holding portion 24a that holds the first held portion 36a and a second holding portion 24b that holds the second held portion 36b. Note that the number of holding portions 24 is not limited to this and may be determined according to the number of held portions 36.

[0018] (Configuration of chassis 2) The housing 2 has the attachment portion 20 and the accommodating portion 22 integrally formed by injection molding using a resin material. The resin material may be any resin material that can be used for injection molding.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2(b) to 3(b), the mounting part 20 has a mounting opening 200 on the back surface 20d, into which the light source unit 4 is inserted. The mounting part 20 has an open bottom surface 20e, and when the light source unit 4 is mounted in the mounting opening 200, a part of the light source unit 4 protrudes from the bottom surface 20e.

[0020] 3(a) and 3(b), the mounting opening 200 has two guide ribs 201 provided on each of the inner surface 200a, the inner surface 200b, and the upper inner surface 200c. The guide ribs 201 guide the insertion of the light source unit 4 and also suppress movement of the light source unit 4 in the left-right direction on the paper surface of FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

[0021] The mounting portion 20 also has a through-hole 202a that penetrates from the inner surface 200a to the side surface 20a, and a through-hole 202b that penetrates from the inner surface 200b to the side surface 20b. As shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c), the through-hole 202a has a shape that fits the light source unit-side claw 401a of the light source unit 4. The through-hole 202b has a shape that fits the light source unit-side claw 402a. The through-holes 202a and 202b do not have to be holes that penetrate all the way to the side surface 20a and the side surface 20b.

[0022] 3(a) and 3(b), the mounting section 20 has an opening 200e provided in the bottom surface 200d of the mounting opening 200. The upper portion of this opening 200e has a semicircular shape corresponding to the shape of the cylindrical section 400a of the light source section 4. An insertion opening 221 into which the light guide 3 is inserted is provided in an end surface 220a serving as the bottom surface of this opening 200e.

[0023] The accommodation section 22 has an elongated shape. The accommodation section 22 has an accommodation recess 222 on its lower surface 22a. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the accommodation recess 222 has a shape in the short direction that corresponds to the shapes of the left side surface 34, right side surface 35, and opposing surface 33 of the light guide 3. When viewed from the first end surface 30, which is the incident surface into which light 43 is incident, the left side surface 34 of the first end surface 30 and the right side surface 35 of the first end surface 30 are defined as the left side surface 34 and the right side surface, respectively.

[0024] 2(b), the accommodation recess 222 has an exposure opening 223 on the lower surface 22a side. The illumination light 10 is emitted from the exposure opening 223 and illuminates the illumination target 6.

[0025] 3(a) and 3(b), an end portion 220 of the housing portion 22 is provided with an insertion opening 221 that communicates with the mounting opening 200. This insertion opening 221 is an opening through which the light guide 3 is inserted, and is provided on an end surface 220a of the housing portion 22 on the mounting portion 20 side. The insertion opening 221 has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the light guide 3 in the short direction.

[0026] 2(a) to 2(c), the accommodation portion 22 has a plurality of attachment pieces 25. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the attachment pieces 25 are used when attaching the accommodation portion 22 to the attachment side member 7 via bolts or the like.

[0027] As described above, the holding portion 24 has the first holding portion 24a and the second holding portion 24b. As shown in Fig. 4(b), the first holding portion 24a has a holding recess 240, a claw portion 241, and a wall portion 242. The second holding portion 24b has a holding recess 244, a claw portion 245, and a wall portion 246.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the first held portion 36a of the light guide 3 fits into the holding recess 240 of the first holding portion 24a. This holding recess 240 is a space formed between the claw portion 241 and the wall portion 242, and is a hole that penetrates the end portion 220. The claw portion 241 has a slope 241a on the light source unit 4 side. This slope 241a comes into contact with the first held portion 36a when the light guide 3 is inserted. The claw portion 241 undergoes elastic deformation due to this contact during insertion, so the first held portion 36a fits into the holding recess 240 beyond the claw portion 241.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the second held portion 36b of the light guide 3 fits into the holding recess 244 of the second holding portion 24b. This holding recess 244 is a space formed between the claw portion 245 and the wall portion 246, and is a hole that penetrates the end portion 220. The claw portion 245 has a slope 245a on the light source unit 4 side. This slope 245a comes into contact with the second held portion 36b when the light guide 3 is inserted. The claw portion 245 undergoes elastic deformation due to this contact during insertion, so the second held portion 36b fits into the holding recess 244 beyond the claw portion 245.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the claw portion 241 of the first holding portion 24a is located lower than the claw portion 245 of the second holding portion 24b in accordance with the positions of the first held portion 36a and the second held portion 36b of the light guide 3.

[0031] The first holding portion 24a further has a lower claw portion 243. That is, the first holding portion 24a holds the first held portion 36a in the holding recess 240 with the claw portion 241 and the lower claw portion 243. The lower claw portion 243 has an inclined surface 243a, which comes into contact with the light guide 3 during insertion. As a modified example, the first holding portion 24a may be configured to include either the claw portion 241 or the lower claw portion 243, or may further include a claw portion.

[0032] The second holding portion 24b further has a lower claw portion 247. That is, the second holding portion 24b holds the second held portion 36b in the holding recess 244 with the claw portion 245 and the lower claw portion 247. The lower claw portion 247 has an inclined surface 247a, which comes into contact with the light guide 3 during insertion. As a modified example, the second holding portion 24b may be configured to include either one of the claw portion 245 and the lower claw portion 247, or may further include a claw portion.

[0033] 3(a) and 3(b), the claw portion 241 of the first holding portion 24a is provided so as to protrude from the inner surface 220b in a direction intersecting with the end face 220a. The lower claw portion 243 is provided on the end face 220a.

[0034] The claw portion 245 of the second holding portion 24b is provided so as to protrude from the inner surface 220c in the direction intersecting with the end surface 220a. The inner surface 220c faces the inner surface 220b. The lower claw portion 247 is provided on the end surface 220a.

[0035] End face 220a is provided with guide ribs 248a and 248b, an inclined portion 248c, and a rib 248d. Guide rib 248a is provided above insertion opening 221 so as to guide the upper portion of first held portion 36a. Guide rib 248b is provided above insertion opening 221 so as to guide the upper portion of second held portion 36b. Inclined portion 248c is inclined relative to end face 220a in the insertion direction of light guide 3, and is provided below insertion opening 221 so as to guide insertion of light guide 3 on the emission surface 32 side.

[0036] The rib 248d is a long and narrow rib provided on the end surface 220a. The guide rib 248a, the guide rib 248b, and the rib 248d determine the distance between the light source unit 4 and the end surface 220a.

[0037] (Configuration of light guide 3) The light guide 3 is made of a transparent resin material. As an example, the light guide 3 is a columnar body having a first end face 30 and a second end face 31 that are congruent and parallel to each other at the bottom, but is not limited to this. The first end face 30, on which the light 43 is incident, may be inclined toward the exit face 32 so as to bend the light 43 toward the exit face 32.

[0038] The light guide 3 has a shape in which, in a cross section in the short direction, the side of the emission surface 32 is longer than the side of the opposing surface 33 opposing the emission surface 32. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3(b), when viewed from the first end face 30, the light guide 3 has a trapezoidal shape in which the upper base side surface is the opposing surface 33, the lower base side surface is the emission surface 32, and the leg side surfaces are the left side surface 34 and the right side surface 35.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 1(b), the light 43 emitted from the exit surface 32 illuminates the illumination target 6 as illumination light 10. In Fig. 1(b), an illumination range 100 in the short-side direction of the lighting device 1 is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in Fig. 1(b), the light guide 3 has, as an example, a trapezoidal shape in the short-side direction in order to increase the distance R of the illumination range 100 in the short-side direction on the illumination target 6.

[0040] 2(c), the light guide 3 has a plurality of grooves 33a formed on the opposing surface 33. The grooves 33a are formed along the short side direction of the light guide 3, that is, along a direction intersecting the left side surface 34 and the right side surface 35. The grooves 33a are, for example, V-shaped or U-shaped, formed at equal intervals, and become deeper with increasing distance from the first end surface 30. The grooves 33a are formed to reflect and scatter light 43 propagating inside the light guide 3 in the direction of the emission surface 32.

[0041] The first held portion 36a is provided to protrude from the left side surface 34. The second held portion 36b is provided to protrude from the right side surface 35. The first held portion 36a and the second held portion 36b protrude in the horizontal direction in the drawing of FIG. 3(b). The first held portion 36a and the second held portion 36b have a columnar shape, for example, but are not limited to this.

[0042] (Configuration of light source unit 4) The light source unit 4 includes a housing 40, a light-emitting element 41, and a lens 42. The housing 40 is formed in a box shape using a resin material, for example. As shown in FIG. 2(c), the housing 40 has a cylindrical portion 400a provided on a front surface 400 thereof. The lens 42 is disposed inside the cylindrical portion 400a.

[0043] Light source unit-side claws 401a are provided on the first side surface 401 of the housing 40. Light source unit-side claws 402a are provided on the second side surface 402. When the light source unit 4 is attached to the attachment opening 200 of the housing 2, the light source unit-side claws 401a fit into the through-holes 202a and the light source unit-side claws 402a fit into the through-holes 202b, thereby attaching the light source unit 4 to the housing 2. In other words, the light source unit 4 is positioned relative to the housing 2 by the engagement of the light source unit-side claws 401a with the through-holes 202a and the light source unit-side claws 402a with the through-holes 202b.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4(b), in the lighting device 1, the light source unit 4 is attached to the housing 2 that holds the light guide 3, so the distance L from the light emitting element 41 to the first end face 30 of the light guide 3 is determined with high accuracy compared to when the light guide is held by the housing and the light source unit.

[0045] A connector section 5 is connected to the lower surface 403 of the housing 40. Electric power is supplied to the light source section 4 via this connector section 5.

[0046] The light emitting element 41 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the light emitting element 41 outputs light 43 toward the light guide 3 via a lens 42. An optical axis 44 of the light 43 passes through the center of the light guide 3.

[0047] (Assembling the lighting device 1) Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are examples of diagrams for explaining the insertion of a light guide into the housing of the lighting device according to the first embodiment, and Figure 5(c) is an example of a diagram for explaining the attachment of a light source unit to the housing.

[0048] 5(a), the light guide 3 is inserted into the housing 2 from the direction of arrow C, and is guided by the inclined portion 248c to enter the insertion opening 221 from the second end surface 31. The light guide 3 has a trapezoidal shape, which facilitates insertion with the emission surface 32 facing the exposure opening 223.

[0049] 5(b), the light guide 3 is further inserted so that the first held portion 36a fits into and is held by the first holding portion 24a, and the second held portion 36b fits into and is held by the second holding portion 24b. This insertion makes the light guide 3 integral with the housing 2 and positions it relative to the housing 2.

[0050] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the light source unit 4 is inserted into the mounting portion 20 of the housing 2 from the direction of arrow C, which is the same direction as the light guide 3, and is mounted on the housing 2, completing the assembly of the lighting device 1.

[0051] By this insertion, the light source unit 4 becomes one with the housing 2, and is positioned relative to the housing 2 by the plurality of guide ribs 201, guide rib 248a, guide rib 248b, and rib 248d. As a result, the light source unit 4 is also positioned relative to the light guide 3.

[0052] (Effects of the first embodiment) The lighting device 1 according to the present embodiment can improve the workability of assembly. Specifically, since the lighting device 1 holds the light guide 3 by the housing 2, the light guide 3 does not come off the housing 2 as easily as compared to when the light guide 3 is not held, which makes the work easier and improves the workability of assembly.

[0053] In an illumination device in which the light guide is held by a housing and a light source unit, a member for suppressing longitudinal movement of the light guide is required in the light source unit, which reduces the degree of freedom in design. However, in illumination device 1, the light guide 3 is held by the housing 2, so the degree of freedom in design of the light source unit 4 is high.

[0054] The lighting device 1 has a held portion 36 held by the holding portion 24 on the side of the light guide 3 other than the exit surface 32, so that the emission of the illumination light 10 from the exit surface 32 is not hindered, and more efficient lighting can be achieved, compared to when the exit surface is held and attached to the housing.

[0055] The lighting device 1 is held in the housing 2 at a position close to the first end face 30, which is the incident surface of the light guide 3, and therefore the accuracy of the distance L between the light source unit 4 and the first end face 30 is improved compared to when they are far apart.

[0056] In the lighting device 1, the light guide 3 has a trapezoidal shape, so compared to when this configuration is not adopted, it is easier to insert the light guide 3 with the exit surface 32 facing the exposed opening 223, thereby improving the ease of assembly.

[0057] In the lighting device 1, the light guide 3 and the light source unit 4 are attached to the housing 2 in the same direction, which improves the workability of assembly compared to when they are attached in different directions.

[0058] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the held portion and the holding portion are located on the side of the receiving recess of the receiving portion.

[0059] FIG. 6(a) is a side view showing an example of an illumination device according to a second embodiment, and FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c) are development views showing an example of the illumination device. FIG. 7(a) is an example of a cross-sectional view of an illumination device according to the second embodiment taken along line DD in FIG. 6(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow, and FIG. 7(b) is an example of a cross-sectional view of an illumination device according to the second embodiment taken along line EE in FIG. 6(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow. FIG. 8(a) is an example of a cross-sectional view of an illumination device according to the second embodiment taken along line FF in FIG. 6(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow, and FIG. 8(b) is an example of an enlarged view of portion G in FIG. 6(a). FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of assembly of a light guide of an illumination device according to the second embodiment. FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of fitting of a held portion and a holding portion of an illumination device according to the second embodiment. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of attachment of a light source unit when assembling an illumination device according to the second embodiment. In the embodiments described below, parts having the same functions and configurations as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0060] (Overview of lighting device 1) The held portion 36 is configured as a lower portion of a recess provided in at least one of the left side surface 34 serving as a first side surface adjacent to the emission surface 32 and the right side surface 35 serving as a second side surface.

[0061] The holding portion 24 is a convex portion that protrudes toward the inside of the accommodating recess 222 from at least one of the first wall portion 222a and the second wall portion 222b that form the accommodating recess 222 in accordance with the held portion 36, and holds the light guide 3 in the accommodating recess 222 by sandwiching the held portion 36, which is the lower part of the recess, between the bottom portion 222c of the accommodating recess 222 and the lower surface of the convex portion.

[0062] As an example, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 7(a), the held portion 36 of this embodiment has a first held portion 36c that is the lower part of a first recess 340a that is a recess provided in the left side surface 34, and a second held portion 36d that is the lower part of a second recess 350a that is a recess provided in the right side surface 35, facing each other.

[0063] As an example, the held portion 36 of this embodiment has, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 7(b), a third held portion 36e that is the lower part of a third recess 340b that is a recess provided in the left side surface 34, and a fourth held portion 36f that is the lower part of a fourth recess 350b that is a recess provided in the right side surface 35, facing each other.

[0064] That is, the held portion 36 has a first held portion 36c to a fourth held portion 36f. Note that the number of held portions 36 is not limited to this.

[0065] As an example, the holding portion 24 of this embodiment has a first holding portion 249a provided in accordance with the first held portion 36c and a second holding portion 249b provided in accordance with the second held portion 36d, which are opposed to each other, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 7(a).

[0066] Furthermore, as an example, the holding portion 24 of this embodiment has a third holding portion 249c provided in accordance with the third held portion 36e and a fourth holding portion 249d provided in accordance with the fourth held portion 36f, which are opposed to each other, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 7(b).

[0067] That is, the holding portion 24 has a first holding portion 249a and a third holding portion 249c on the left side surface 34, and a second holding portion 249b and a fourth holding portion 249d on the right side surface 35. The lower surfaces of the convex portions are the lower surface 24c of the first holding portion 249a, the lower surface 24d of the second holding portion 249b, the lower surface 24e of the third holding portion 249c, and the lower surface 24f of the fourth holding portion 249d. The number of holding portions 24 is not limited to this, and may be provided on at least one of the left side surface 34 and the right side surface 35 depending on the number of held portions.

[0068] The accommodating recess 222 has a through hole that is a hole formed at least one between the first wall portion 222a and the bottom surface portion 222c and between the second wall portion 222b and the bottom surface portion 222c depending on the position of the held portion 36.

[0069] As an example, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the accommodating recess 222 of this embodiment has a first through hole 224a and a third through hole 224c provided between the first wall portion 222a and the bottom surface portion 222c in accordance with the first held portion 36c and the third held portion 36e, and a second through hole 224b and a fourth through hole 224d provided between the second wall portion 222b and the bottom surface portion 222c in accordance with the second held portion 36d and the fourth held portion 36f.

[0070] The first through hole 224a to the fourth through hole 224d are provided, for example, for inserting a jig or the like when removing the light guide 3 from the accommodating recess 222. As a modified example, the first to fourth held portions 36c to 36f may be configured to protrude into the first to fourth through holes 224a to 224d.

[0071] The accommodating recess 222 has at least one notched recess 26 formed by partially cutting out at least one of the first wall 222a and the second wall 222b. The light guide 3 has at least one protrusion 37 formed in accordance with the notched recess 26. As shown in Fig. 8(b) , the protrusion 37 is inserted into the notched recess 26 and comes into contact with a notched surface 260 of the notched recess 26 on the accommodating section 22 side, thereby being positioned relative to the accommodating recess 222.

[0072] In this embodiment, as an example, one notched recess 26 and one protruding portion 37 are provided as shown in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c), but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0073] (Configuration of chassis 2) As shown in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c), the light guide 3 is gently curved, and therefore the accommodation portion 22 of the housing 2 has a shape that corresponds to the curve of the light guide 3.

[0074] The accommodation section 22 also has a cylindrical protrusion 225 on the attachment section 20 side, which has a cylindrical shape and protrudes from the front surface 20c. As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the cylindrical protrusion 225 has an insertion hole 225a into which the first end face 30 of the light guide 3 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the insertion hole 225a is narrow on the accommodation recess 222 side and wide on the light source section 4 side. When the light guide 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 225a, the first end face 30 faces the light emitting element 41 of the light source section 4.

[0075] 6(b), for example, the accommodating recess 222 has a plurality of ribs 222d on the bottom surface 222c that contact the opposing surface 33 that faces the emission surface 32. In this embodiment, two ribs 222d are provided to sandwich the first through hole 224a and the second through hole 224b, and two ribs 222d are provided to sandwich the third through hole 224c and the fourth through hole 224d. The ribs 222d may be provided on the opposing surface 33 of the light guide 3. The lighting device 1 may not include the ribs 222d, and the light guide 3 may be in contact with the bottom surface 222c.

[0076] (Configuration of light guide 3) As shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(c), the light guide 3 has, by way of example only, a cylindrical shape that is gently curved midway. The light guide 3 has a first recess 340a and a third recess 340b on the left side surface 34, and a second recess 350a and a fourth recess 350b on the right side surface 35. The light guide 3 also has a protrusion 37 on the left side surface 34 that faces the housing section 22.

[0077] (Assembling the lighting device 1) First, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the light guide 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 225a of the housing 2 from the first end face 30.

[0078] 9(b), the light guide 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 225a until the protruding portion 37 moves to the position of the notched recess 26, and then the protruding portion 37 is fitted into the notched recess 26. At this time, the protruding portion 37 comes into contact with the slope 261 of the notched recess 26, so the light guide 3 is moved in the direction of the insertion hole 225a, that is, in the direction away from the terminal end 27 of the housing 2, and is fitted until the contact surface 370 on the mounting portion 20 side comes into contact with the notched surface 260. The contact between the contact surface 370 of the protruding portion 37 and the notched surface 260 of the notched recess 26 positions the light guide 3 in the housing 2.

[0079] Next, as shown in Figure 10(a), the light guide 3 is pushed toward the bottom surface 222c of the accommodating recess 222 so that the first held portion 36c closest to the mounting portion 20 is sandwiched between the lower surface 24c and bottom surface 222c of the first holding portion 249a, and the second held portion 36d is sandwiched between the lower surface 24d and bottom surface 222c of the second holding portion 249b.

[0080] Next, as shown in Figure 10(b), the light guide 3 is pushed toward the bottom surface 222c of the accommodating recess 222 so that the third held portion 36e, which is farthest from the mounting portion 20, is sandwiched between the lower surface 24e and bottom surface 222c of the third holding portion 249c, and the fourth held portion 36f is sandwiched between the lower surface 24d and bottom surface 222c of the fourth holding portion 249d.

[0081] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the light source unit 4 is attached to the attachment opening 200 of the attachment portion 20 of the housing 2, and the assembly of the lighting device 1 is completed.

[0082] (Effects of the second embodiment) In the lighting device 1 of this embodiment, the light source unit 4 can be attached with the light guide 3 attached to the housing 2, so compared to when the light guide is sandwiched between the housing and the light source unit, the light guide 3 will not come off the housing 2, making the work easier and improving the efficiency of assembly.

[0083] The lighting device 1 has the notched recess 26 and protrusion 37 for positioning the housing 2 and the light guide 3 at a position close to the mounting portion 20, and therefore, compared to a case where this configuration is not adopted, it is easier to determine how far the light guide 3 should be inserted, improving workability and increasing the accuracy of the distance between the first end face 30 and the light emitting element 41. Furthermore, because it is easy to determine how far the light guide 3 should be inserted in the lighting device 1, there is no need to provide a member on the housing 2 that stops the movement of the first end face 30.

[0084] Since the lighting device 1 makes it easy to see how far the light guide 3 should be inserted, contact between the light guide 3 and the light source unit 4 can be suppressed, and it is therefore possible to attach the light guide 3 to the housing 2 after attaching the light source unit 4 to the housing 2.

[0085] Since the lighting device 1 can be simply positioned by the notched recess 26 and the protruding portion 37, the workability of fitting the holding portion 24 and the held portion 36 is improved compared to when this configuration is not adopted.

[0086] Although several embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed. These novel embodiments and modifications may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in these embodiments and modifications are necessarily essential to solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, these embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1...lighting device, 2...housing, 3...light guide, 4...light source section, 5...connector section, 6...illumination target, 7...mounting side member, 9...vehicle, 10...illumination light, 20...mounting section, 20a...side, 20b...side, 20c...front, 20d...rear, 20e...bottom, 22...accommodating section, 22a...bottom, 24...holding section, 24a...first holding section, 24b...second holding section, 24c to 24f...bottom, 25...mounting piece, 26...notched recess, 27...terminating section, 30...first end face, 31...second end face, 32...emission surface, 33...pair Facing surface, 33a...groove, 34...left side surface, 35...right side surface, 36...held portion, 36a...first held portion, 36b...second held portion, 36c to 36f...first held portion to fourth held portion, 37...protruding portion, 40...housing, 41...light emitting element, 42...lens, 43...light, 44...optical axis, 100...illumination range, 200...mounting opening, 200a, 200b...inner surface, 200c...upper inner surface, 200d...bottom surface, 200e...opening, 201...guide rib, 202a, 202b...through hole, 220...end portion, 22 0a...end surface, 220b, 220c...inner surface, 221...insertion opening, 222...accommodating recess, 222a...first wall portion, 222b...second wall portion, 222c...bottom surface portion, 222d...rib, 223...exposure opening, 224a to 224d...first through hole to fourth through hole, 225...cylindrical protrusion portion, 225a...insertion hole, 240...holding recess, 241...claw portion, 241a...inclined surface, 242...wall portion, 243...lower claw portion, 243a...inclined surface, 244...holding recess, 245...claw portion, 245a...inclined surface, 246...wall portion, 247...lower claw portion, 247a...inclined surface, 248a, 248b...guide ribs, 248c...inclined portion, 248d...rib, 249a to 249d...first to fourth holding portions, 260...notched surface, 261...inclined surface, 340a...first recess, 340b...third recess, 350a...second recess, 350b...fourth recess, 370...contact surface, 400...front surface, 400a...cylindrical portion, 401...first side surface, 401a...light source unit side claw portion, 402...second side surface, 402a...light source unit side claw portion, 403...lower surface

Claims

1. a light source unit that outputs light; an elongated light guide having a first end face into which the light is incident, a second end face opposite to the first end face, an exit face from which the light is emitted, which is one of the side faces in the longitudinal direction intersecting the first end face and the second end face, and at least one held portion provided on at least one of the side faces in the longitudinal direction different from the exit face, and which guides the light from the first end face to the second end face; a housing including an attachment part to which the light source part is attached, an accommodating part having an end part on the attachment part side that is open and that has an accommodating recess for accommodating the light guide body and an exposure opening through which the light exit surface is exposed, and a holding part that holds the light guide body in the accommodating recess by sandwiching the at least one held part; Equipped with the held portion is provided on the first end surface side of the light guide body, The holding portion is provided in the accommodating recess on the mounting portion side of the housing, and has a holding recess into which the held portion is fitted, and a claw portion which is a wall of the holding recess on the mounting portion side that guides the insertion of the light guide into the accommodating recess and further prevents it from falling out of the accommodating recess.

2. the held portion includes a first held portion protruding from a first side surface adjacent to the light exit surface and a second held portion protruding from a second side surface opposite to the first side surface, The holding portion has a first holding portion that holds the first held portion and a second holding portion that holds the second held portion. The lighting device according to claim 1 .

3. the light guide has a length in a short direction of the light exit surface that is longer than a length of an opposing surface that faces the light exit surface; 3. The lighting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the held portion is a lower portion of a recessed portion that is a recess provided in at least one of a first side surface and a second side surface adjacent to the light exit surface, the holding portion is a convex portion that protrudes toward the inside of the accommodating recess from at least one of a first wall portion and a second wall portion that form the accommodating recess in accordance with the held portion, and holds the light guide in the accommodating recess by sandwiching the held portion, which is the lower part of the recess, between a bottom surface of the accommodating recess and a lower surface of the convex portion. The lighting device according to claim 1 .

5. The held portion has a first held portion that is a lower portion of a first recess that is a recess provided on the first side surface, and a second held portion that is a lower portion of a second recess that is a recess provided on the second side surface, the second held portion being opposed to the first held portion, The holding portion has a first holding portion provided in accordance with the first held portion and a second holding portion provided in accordance with the second held portion, the first holding portion and the second holding portion being opposed to each other.

5. The lighting device according to claim 4.

6. The accommodating recess has a through hole that is a hole formed in at least one of between the first wall portion and the bottom surface portion and between the second wall portion and the bottom surface portion according to the position of the held portion.

6. The lighting device according to claim 5.

7. the accommodating recess has at least one notched recess having a shape obtained by partially cutting out at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, the light guide has at least one protrusion provided in accordance with the notched recess; The protrusion is inserted into the notched recess and comes into contact with a notched surface of the notched recess on the side of the accommodating portion, thereby being positioned relative to the accommodating recess.

7. The lighting device according to claim 6.

8. the accommodating recess has a plurality of ribs on the bottom surface thereof in contact with an opposing surface opposite the light exit surface; 8. The lighting device according to claim 4.

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