Lighting system

Abstract

A lighting system (1) is provided with a light source (10) that emits light, a light guide (20) that guides light emitted from the light source (10), a duct rail (30) that fixes the light guide (20), a light-emitting unit (40) that extracts light from the light guide (20) and emits the same to the outside, and an attachment (50) that can be detachably attached to the duct rail (30). The light-emitting unit (40) is provided on the attachment (50). The attachment (50) supports the light-emitting unit (40) so as to bring the light-emitting unit (40) into close contact with the light guide (20).

Description

lighting system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to lighting systems.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an optical device that includes a light source and a viscoelastic light-guiding material, in which light emitted by the light source enters the viscoelastic light-guiding material and is transported inside the light-guiding material by total reflection, and the light transported inside the viscoelastic light-guiding material can be extracted from the viscoelastic light-guiding material.

[0003] Special Publication No. 2011-527818

[0004] However, while the technology of Patent Document 1 makes it possible to extract light guided into the viscoelastic light-guiding material from the viscoelastic light-guiding material, there is a problem in that the extraction section for extracting light from the viscoelastic light-guiding material cannot be attached or detached from the viscoelastic light-guiding material.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a lighting system in which a light-emitting unit can be freely attached and detached from a light guide.

[0006] An illumination system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a light source that emits light, a light guide that guides the light emitted from the light source, a duct rail that fixes the light guide, a light emitting unit that extracts light from the light guide and emits it to the outside, and a mounting fixture that can be attached to and detached from the duct rail, wherein the light emitting unit is provided in the mounting fixture, and the mounting fixture supports the light emitting unit so as to be in close contact with the light guide.

[0007] In the lighting system of the present disclosure, the light emitting unit can be freely attached to and detached from the light guide.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a light source, a light guide, a duct rail, and a light-emitting unit included in a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a duct rail, a light-emitting unit, and a fixture included in a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a duct rail, a light guide, a light-emitting unit, and a fixture before the light-emitting unit is pressed against the light guide. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the light-emitting unit and a fixture included in a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a duct rail, a light-emitting unit, and a fixture before the light-emitting unit is pressed against the light guide. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the light-emitting unit is pressed against the light guide. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a light-emitting unit and a fixture included in a lighting system according to a modified embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a duct rail, a light-emitting unit, and a fixture included in a lighting system according to a modified embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the light-emitting unit is pressed against the light guide.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection of the components, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0010] The drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Therefore, for example, the scales of the drawings do not necessarily match. In addition, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote substantially the same components, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.

[0011] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, expressions such as "approximately parallel" and "rectangular" are used. For example, "approximately parallel" and "rectangular" do not only mean completely parallel and rectangular, but also mean substantially parallel and rectangular, i.e., with an error of a few percent. Furthermore, "approximately parallel" and "rectangular" mean parallel and rectangular within the range in which the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved. The same applies to other expressions using "approximately" and "shape."

[0012] (Embodiment) <Configuration> First, a lighting system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a light source 10, a light guide 20, a duct rail 30, and a light-emitting unit 40 included in a lighting system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a duct rail 30, a light-emitting unit 40, and a fixture 50 included in the lighting system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the light guide 20, the duct rail 30, the light-emitting unit 40, and the fixture 50 before the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light guide 20. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the light-emitting unit 40 and the fixture 50 included in the lighting system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the duct rail 30, the light-emitting unit 40, and the fixture 50 before the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light guide 20. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the light-emitting unit 40 being pressed against the light guide 20.

[0014] 1 , in the lighting system 1, a duct rail 30 is installed on a construction material such as a ceiling surface or a wall surface, and one or more light-emitting units 40 are attached to the duct rail 30, so that the position of the light source 10, the light-emitting position of each of the one or more light-emitting units 40, light distribution, etc. can be changed as desired. In this way, the lighting system 1 can illuminate the surroundings by emitting light from the light-emitting units 40. Note that, although the present embodiment mainly illustrates the case where one light source 10 is used, the number of light sources 10 is not limited to one, and two or more may be used.

[0015] The configuration of the lighting system 1 will be specifically described below.

[0016] The lighting system 1 includes a light source 10, a light guide 20, a duct rail 30, a light emitting unit 40, a fixture 50, and an adjustment unit.

[0017] The light source 10 is a light-emitting device that emits light to cause the light to enter the light guide 20. That is, the light source 10 emits light to be incident on the incident surface 21 of the light guide 20.

[0018] The light source 10 is disposed opposite the incident surface 21 of the light guide 20. Specifically, the light emitting surface of the light source 10 and the incident surface 21 of the light guide 20 are disposed so as to face each other.

[0019] The light source 10 includes a substrate and a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted on the substrate. In this embodiment, the light source 10 is an LED module, and therefore, one or more light-emitting elements are mounted on a single substrate. The optical axis of the light source 10 is the emission direction of the main light emitted by the light-emitting elements.

[0020] The substrate is, for example, a wiring substrate on which wiring of a predetermined pattern is formed, and may be a resin substrate, a ceramic substrate, a metal substrate with an insulating coating, or the like.

[0021] The light-emitting element is an LED element configured by an LED. In this embodiment, the light-emitting element is an individually packaged surface-mount device (SMD) LED element, and includes a container (package) made of resin or the like, an LED chip (bare chip) disposed in the container, and a sealing member that seals the LED chip.

[0022] In this embodiment, light source 10 has a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light of different colors. For example, the plurality of light-emitting elements include a blue LED that emits blue light, a green LED that emits green light, and a red LED that emits red light. This allows light source 10 to emit white light. Alternatively, the light-emitting elements may be SMD-type white LED elements that emit white light. In this case, a blue LED chip that emits blue light when energized is used as the LED chip, and a silicone resin (phosphor-containing resin) containing a yellow phosphor such as YAG is used as the sealing member filled in the container.

[0023] The light source 10 emits light using power supplied from a power source. The power source is configured, for example, by a circuit board on which a plurality of circuit components are mounted, and receives commercial AC power, converts it into predetermined power (for example, DC power), and supplies the power to the light source 10. This causes one or more light-emitting elements of the light source 10 to emit light. The power source may be built into the light source 10 or may be separate from the light source 10. The light source 10 may be configured to be dimmed and / or toned.

[0024] The light guide 20 is a light-transmitting member having light-transmitting properties and is made of a light-transmitting material, such as a light-transmitting resin material such as an acrylic resin or a polycarbonate resin, or a light-transmitting material such as transparent glass.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the light guide 20 is disposed within a long duct rail 30 and has a long rectangular parallelepiped shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the duct rail 30. The light guide 20 has a rectangular cross section when cut along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The light guide 20 is covered by the duct rail 30 except for an incident surface 21 through which external light enters and a light extraction surface 22. The light guide 20 is configured to substantially totally reflect light emitted from the light source 10 when it enters the incident surface 21. Furthermore, because the light guide 20 is covered by the duct rail 30 except for the incident surface 21 and the light extraction surface 22, it can more effectively guide light. In other words, the light guide 20 can guide the light emitted from the light source 10.

[0026] The light guide 20 has an incident surface 21 facing the light source 10 , a light extraction surface 22 from which light can be extracted, and a light reflection surface 23 facing the inner surface of the duct rail 30 .

[0027] The incident surface 21 faces the light source 10 and is a surface onto which the light emitted from the light source 10 is incident. In this embodiment, the incident surface 21 is an end surface on one side of the light guide 20 in the longitudinal direction.

[0028] The light extraction surface 22 is disposed so as to face the first opening 31 of the duct rail 30, and by bringing the light emitting section 40 into close contact with the light extraction surface 22, a portion of the light guided by the light guide body 20 can be extracted.

[0029] The light reflecting surface 23 is in contact with the inner surface of the duct rail 30 and is a surface that reflects the light guided to the light guide body 20. The light reflecting surface 23 is covered by the duct rail 30 and is capable of substantially total reflection of the light guided to the light guide body 20.

[0030] The light guide 20 is disposed inside the duct rail 30, and can accommodate and fix the light guide 20. As one example, the duct rail 30 may fix the light guide 20 inside using double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive, or the like. In another example, the duct rail 30 may fix the light guide 20 by forming an engaging portion 52 on the light guide 20 and engaging it with a holding portion formed on the duct rail 30.

[0031] The duct rail 30 is a rail in the shape of a long hollow pipe. At least one of the ends of the duct rail 30 is open, and the fixture 50 and the light guide 20 can be inserted from either of the ends of the duct rail 30. That is, the duct rail 30 has a second opening 32 that exposes an incident surface 21 through which light emitted from the light source 10 enters the light guide 20. The second opening 32 forms an opening at either of the ends of the duct rail 30. The light source 10 is disposed in the second opening 32 in a position such that light is incident on the incident surface 21 of the light guide 20. The other of the ends of the duct rail 30 may be sealed with a light-blocking member.

[0032] The duct rail 30 has a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section when cut along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the duct rail 30 has a U-shaped or C-shaped longitudinal section with one side open and three sides surrounded by side plates 30a, 30b, and 30c. The side plate 30a is long and forms the bottom of the duct rail 30. The side plate 30b rises from one edge of the side plate 30a and extends along the longitudinal direction of the side plate 30a. The side plate 30c rises from the other edge of the side plate 30a and extends along the longitudinal direction of the side plate 30a so as to face and be parallel to the side plate 30b. The side plates 30b and 30c form a first opening 31 of the duct rail 30.

[0033] That is, the duct rail 30 has a first opening 31 that is long along the longitudinal direction. The first opening 31 faces the light extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20. In other words, the first opening 31 exposes the light extraction surface 22 for close contact with the light emitting unit 40.

[0034] Support portions 30b1 and 30c1 are provided on the first opening 31 side of each of side plates 30b and 30c, extending inward and supporting a mounting fixture 50 for attaching the light-emitting unit 40. The support portion 30b1 of side plate 30b and the support portion 30c1 of side plate 30c form grooves arranged along the longitudinal direction of each of side plates 30b and 30c. The support portion 30b1 of side plate 30b and the support portion 30c1 of side plate 30c face each other.

[0035] 3 to 5 , the fixture 50 is detachable from the duct rail 30 and can support the light emitting unit 40 so that the light emitting unit 40 is in close contact with the light guide 20. Specifically, the fixture 50 has a main body 51 and an engaging portion 52.

[0036] The main body 51 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A pair of engaging portions 52 is disposed on both side surfaces of the main body 51. One of the pair of engaging portions 52 is engageable with the support portion 30b1 of the side plate 30b, and the other of the pair of engaging portions 52 is engageable with the support portion 30c1 of the side plate 30c. In this manner, by engaging the pair of engaging portions 52 with the support portion 30b1 of the side plate 30b and the support portion 30c1 of the side plate 30c, the mounting fixture 50 can be guided along the first opening 31 of the duct rail 30.

[0037] The main body 51 is also capable of supporting the light-emitting unit 40. Specifically, the main body 51 is provided with an adjustment unit that can adjust the contact area between the light guide 20 and the light-emitting unit 40. In the present embodiment, the adjustment unit is formed in a central portion of the main body 51. The female threaded hole 53 is for arranging the light-emitting unit 40, and the female threaded hole 53 is formed in the main body 51 so that the central axis of the female threaded hole 53, which is composed of the female threaded hole 53 formed in the central portion of the main body 51 and the thread 41 of the light-emitting unit 40 (described later), is perpendicular to the opening surface of the first opening 31 in the duct rail 30, i.e., perpendicular to the light extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20. The female threaded hole 53 has a thread groove formed on its inner circumferential surface that can connect the light-emitting unit 40.

[0038] The light-emitting unit 40 has a long, cylindrical shape and is attached to the fixture 50. A screw thread 41 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the light-emitting unit 40, and the light-emitting unit 40 functions as a male screw. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 40 can be inserted into an internally threaded hole 53 of the fixture 50, and the screw thread 41 of the light-emitting unit 40 engages with the thread groove of the internally threaded hole 53, thereby connecting the light-emitting unit 40 to the fixture 50. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the light-emitting unit 40 is inserted into the internally threaded hole 53 of the fixture 50 and rotated circumferentially around the axis of the internally threaded hole 53, the light-emitting unit 40 is pushed into the internally threaded hole 53, and the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light-extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20 arranged inside the duct rail 30.

[0039] The light emitting portion 40 includes a translucent elastic light-guiding material, which is, for example, a translucent member such as a silicone resin.

[0040] Furthermore, when the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light guide 20 by the mounting fixture 50, it assumes a shape corresponding to the light extraction surface 22, which is the contact surface of the light guide 20. Specifically, before the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light guide 20, both longitudinal ends of the light-emitting unit 40, i.e., one end 42a and the other end 42b, are convex with inclined surfaces, such as hemispherical, truncated conical, or conical. When the light-emitting unit 40 is rotated around the axis of the female screw hole 53 and gradually pressed against the light extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20, the one end 42a of the light-emitting unit 40 gradually deforms, pushing out air between the light-emitting unit 40 and the light extraction surface 22, and the one end 42a of the light-emitting unit 40 comes into close contact with the light extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20. Therefore, an air layer is unlikely to form at the boundary between the one end 42a of the light-emitting unit 40 and the light extraction surface 22.

[0041] Furthermore, as one end 42 a of the light-emitting section 40 is gradually pressed against the light-extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20, the contact area between the light guide 20 and the light-emitting section 40 gradually increases, and the other end 42 b of the light-emitting section 40 approaches the light-extraction surface 22. Therefore, the dimming of the light emitted from the other end 42 b of the light-emitting section 40 can be controlled according to the amount of pressure from the light-emitting section 40 against the light-extraction surface 22, i.e., the distance between the light-extraction surface 22 and the center of the light-extraction surface 22.

[0042] Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 40 has a shape with an inclined surface when it is not pressed against the light guide 20 by the fixture 50. In this embodiment, since the light extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20 is flat, one end 42 a of the light-emitting unit 40 is flat.

[0043] When the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light-extraction surface 22, stress is applied to the fixture 50 in the opposite direction, and the engaging portion 52 of the fixture 50 is pressed against the support portion 30b1 of the side plate 30b and the support portion 30c1 of the side plate 30c. Therefore, when the light-emitting unit 40 is rotated circumferentially around the axis of the female screw hole 53 to press the light-emitting unit 40 against the light-extraction surface 22, the fixture 50 is fixed in that position on the duct rail 30.

[0044] Furthermore, when the light-emitting unit 40 is brought into close contact with the light extraction surface 22 and is rotated in the circumferential direction of the axis of the female screw hole 53, the contact surface of the light-emitting unit 40 when the fixture 50 brings the light-emitting unit 40 into close contact with the light guide 20 experiences a large stress at the center of the contact surface and the stress gradually decreases with increasing distance from the center of the contact surface. For this reason, the closer to the center of the contact surface, the less likely it is that an air layer will form at the boundary between the one end 42 a of the light-emitting unit 40 and the light extraction surface 22.

[0045] Next, the refractive indexes of the light guide 20, the light emitting section 40, etc. in the lighting system 1 will be described.

[0046] The refractive index of the medium outside the illumination system 1, such as air, water, etc., is n ０ , the refractive index of the light guide 20 is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting section 40 is n ２ Then, n ０ <n １ ≦n ２ Meet the following.

[0047] Furthermore, the refractive index of the light guide 20 is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting section 40 is n ２ , the refractive index of the fixture 50 at the boundary between the fixture 50 and the light emitting unit 40 is n ３ , the refractive index of the duct rail 30 at the boundary between the duct rail 30 and the light guide 20 is n ４ Then, n ３ <n ２ , n ４ <n１ Meet the following.

[0048] In other words, when the light-emitting unit 40 is brought into close contact with the light extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20, the light guided by the light guide 20 enters the light-emitting unit 40. In this case, according to Snell's law, the angle of refraction of light that enters the light-emitting unit 40 and passes through it is smaller than the angle of refraction of light that enters the light-emitting unit 40. Therefore, the light that passes through the light-emitting unit 40 is more likely to be guided along the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting unit 40, and the light is more likely to be emitted from the other end 42b of the light-emitting unit 40. In this way, the light-emitting unit 40 has the function of extracting light from the light guide 20 and emitting it outside the lighting system 1.

[0049] <Operational Effects> Next, operational effects of the lighting system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0050] As described above, the lighting system 1 according to this embodiment includes the light source 10 that emits light, the light guide 20 that guides the light emitted from the light source 10, the duct rail 30 that fixes the light guide 20, the light emitting unit 40 that extracts light from the light guide 20 and emits it to the outside, and the fixture 50 that is detachable from the duct rail 30. The light emitting unit 40 is provided in the fixture 50. The fixture 50 presses the light emitting unit 40 against the light guide 20 so as to bring the light emitting unit 40 into close contact with the light guide 20.

[0051] This allows the light emitting unit 40 to be attached to the light guide 20 at a desired position on the duct rail 30 using the fixture 50, or the light emitting unit 40 attached to the light guide 20 can be removed and attached to another position on the light guide 20 using the fixture 50. In this way, the light emitting unit 40 can be easily attached and detached to the light guide 20 and the attachment position can be easily changed.

[0052] Therefore, according to the lighting system 1 , the light-emitting unit 40 can be freely attached to and detached from the light guide 20 .

[0053] In particular, since the fixture 50 can be placed at a desired position on the duct rail 30, the light guided by the light guide body 20 can be extracted by the light emitting unit 40 from a desired position and the extracted light can be emitted to the outside. Therefore, the light emitting position in the lighting system 1 can be freely set.

[0054] In the lighting system 1 of the present embodiment, the light-emitting section 40 includes an elastic light-guiding material having translucency.

[0055] According to this, when the light emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light guide 20, the light emitting unit 40 is brought into close contact with the light guide 20 while increasing the contact area between the light emitting unit 40 and the light guide 20. Therefore, an air layer is less likely to be formed between the light emitting unit 40 and the light guide 20.

[0056] Furthermore, when the light emitting section 40 is removed from the light guide 20, the light emitting section 40 returns to its original shape. Therefore, the light emitting section 40 can be attached to another location on the light guide 20 in close contact therewith.

[0057] Furthermore, in the lighting system 1 of this embodiment, when the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light guide 20 by the mounting fixture 50, it takes on a shape that corresponds to the contact surface (light extraction surface 22) of the light guide 20, and when it is not pressed against the light guide 20 by the mounting fixture 50, it takes on a hemispherical, truncated conical or conical shape.

[0058] According to this, when the light-emitting unit 40 is pressed against the light guide 20, the light-emitting unit 40 changes shape according to the contact surface of the light guide 20, making it difficult for an air layer to exist between the light-emitting unit 40 and the light guide 20. This allows light guided by the light guide 20 to enter the light-emitting unit 40. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 40 can emit light with reduced brightness and color unevenness.

[0059] Furthermore, the lighting system 1 of this embodiment further includes an adjustment unit that can adjust the contact area between the light guide 20 and the light emitting unit 40 .

[0060] According to this, the amount of light extracted from the light guide 20 by the light emitting section 40 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of pressing of the light emitting section 40 against the light guide 20, that is, the contact area between the light guide 20 and the light emitting section 40. In other words, the amount of light emitted by the light emitting section 40 can be adjusted so that an increase in the contact area increases the amount of light extracted from the light guide 20 to the light emitting section 40, and a decrease in the contact area decreases the amount of light extracted from the light guide 20 to the light emitting section 40.

[0061] Furthermore, in the lighting system 1 of this embodiment, when the fixture 50 brings the light emitting unit 40 into close contact with the light guide 20, the stress on the contact surface of the light emitting unit 40 decreases with increasing distance from the center of the contact surface.

[0062] According to this, the stress between the light-emitting unit 40 and the light guide 20 is greatest at the center of their contact surfaces. In other words, when the light-emitting unit 40 and the light guide 20 are connected, air is pushed out in the radial direction at the center of their contact surfaces, making it difficult for an air layer to exist between the light-emitting unit 40 and the light guide 20. This allows light guided by the light guide 20 to enter the light-emitting unit 40. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 40 can emit light with reduced brightness and color unevenness.

[0063] In addition, in the lighting system 1 of this embodiment, the duct rail 30 has a first opening 31 that exposes the light extraction surface 22 for contact with the light emitting section 40 .

[0064] With this, since the light extraction surface 22 is exposed from the first opening 31, the user can easily recognize the position where to place the light emitting unit 40. Therefore, the user can extract light from the light guide 20 by placing the light emitting unit 40 at a desired position.

[0065] In the lighting system 1 of this embodiment, the duct rail 30 has a second opening 32 that exposes the incident surface 21 for allowing the light emitted from the light source 10 to enter the light guide 20 .

[0066] With this, the incident surface 21 of the light guide 20 can be exposed from the second opening 32 , and therefore the light source 10 can emit light into the light guide 20 .

[0067] In the lighting system 1 of this embodiment, the refractive index of the medium outside the lighting system 1 is n ０ , the refractive index of the light guide 20 is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting section 40 is n ２ Then, n ０ <n １ ≦n ２ Meet the following.

[0068] According to this, when the light emitting unit 40 is brought into close contact with the light extraction surface 22 of the light guide 20, the light guided by the light guide 20 is incident on the light emitting unit 40. In this case, according to Snell's law, the refraction angle of light that is incident on and transmitted through the light emitting unit 40 is smaller than the refraction angle of light that is incident on the light emitting unit 40. Therefore, the light that is transmitted through the light emitting unit 40 is more likely to be guided along the longitudinal direction of the light emitting unit 40, and the light is more likely to be emitted from the other end 42 b of the light emitting unit 40.

[0069] In the lighting system 1 of this embodiment, the refractive index of the light guide 20 is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting section 40 is n ２ , the refractive index of the fixture 50 at the boundary between the fixture 50 and the light emitting unit 40 is n ３ , the refractive index of the duct rail 30 at the boundary between the duct rail 30 and the light guide 20 is n ４ Then, n ３ <n ２ , n ４ <n １ Meet the following.

[0070] According to this, light is reflected within the light guide 20 at the boundary surface between the light guide 20 and the duct rail 30, i.e., light can be guided within the light guide 20. Furthermore, light is reflected within the light emitting section 40 at the boundary surface between the fixture 50 and the light emitting section 40, i.e., light can be guided within the light emitting section 40. Therefore, the light emitting section 40 can extract light from the light guide 20 and emit it to the outside.

[0071] (Modification of the embodiment) This modification differs from the lighting system of the embodiment in that the configuration of the adjustment unit is different. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations of this modification are the same as those of the lighting system of the embodiment, and the same components are assigned the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions of the configurations will be omitted.

[0072] First, the configuration of a lighting system 1a according to this modification will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0073] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a light-emitting unit 140 and a fixture 150 included in a lighting system 1a according to a modified example of the embodiment. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a duct rail 30, a light-emitting unit 140, and a fixture 150 included in a lighting system 1a according to a modified example of the embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the light-emitting unit 140 is pressed against the light guide 20.

[0074] In this modification, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lighting system 1 a further includes an adjusting unit capable of adjusting the air pressure between the light-emitting unit 140 and the light guide body 20 .

[0075] Specifically, the light emitting unit 140 is inserted into an insertion hole of the fixture 150 and fixed to the fixture 150. The light emitting unit 140 has a long cylindrical shape. One end 142a of the light emitting unit 140 is formed with a recess 142 that is hemispherical, truncated conical, or conical. The other end 142b of the light emitting unit 140 is formed with a protrusion that is hemispherical, truncated conical, or conical.

[0076] Furthermore, a through hole 143 is formed inside the light-emitting unit 140, extending from the recess 142 to the outer peripheral surface of the light-emitting unit 140. The through hole 143 is composed of a first hole 143a with a bottom that extends from the recess 142 along the axial direction of the light-emitting unit 140, and a second hole 143b that extends in the radial direction of the light-emitting unit 140 from the outer peripheral surface of the light-emitting unit 140 to communicate with the first hole 143a.

[0077] The second hole 143b is a female-threaded hole having a thread formed therein. The second hole 143b is in communication with a through-hole 151 having a thread formed in the mounting fixture 150. A pin-shaped threaded body 144 having a male thread is inserted into the second hole 143b and the through-hole 151. By rotating the threaded body 144 in the circumferential direction of the axial direction of the second hole 143b, the threaded body 144 enters the interior of the second hole 143b and the through-hole 151, or moves in a direction to be pulled out from the second hole 143b and the through-hole 151. As described above, since the light-emitting unit 140 is an elastic light-guiding material, it is possible to allow the threaded body 144 to rotate, but it is also possible to seal the gap between the threaded body 144 and the light-emitting unit 140. The adjustment unit in this embodiment is composed of the threaded body 144 inserted into the second hole 143b, the second hole 143b, and the through-hole 151.

[0078] In this embodiment, the second hole 143b and the through hole 151 are threaded, but the threaded groove may be formed only in the through hole 151. In this case, the adjustment portion is composed of the threaded body 144 and the through hole 151.

[0079] 8 and 9 , when light is extracted from a desired position on the light extraction surface 22, the outer periphery of the one end 142a of the light-emitting unit 140 is brought into contact with the light extraction surface 22, and thus the outer periphery of the one end 142a of the light-emitting unit 140 is brought into close contact with the light extraction surface 22. Then, by turning the screw body 144 through the second hole 143b and moving the screw body 144 in the direction of pulling it out, the air pressure in the recess 142 and the through-hole 143 of the light-emitting unit 140 decreases. As a result, the one end 142a of the light-emitting unit 140 is pressed against the light extraction surface 22, increasing the contact area between the one end 142a of the light-emitting unit 140 and the light extraction surface 22, and thus the one end 142a of the light-emitting unit 140 is brought into close contact with the light extraction surface 22. Furthermore, by turning the screw body 144 so that the screw body 144 moves in a pushing direction, which is the opposite direction to the pulling direction, from the second hole 143b, the air pressure in the recess 142 and the through-hole 143 of the light-emitting unit 140 increases. This reduces the contact area between the one end 142a of the light-emitting unit 140 and the light extraction surface 22, making it easier to remove the one end 142a of the light-emitting unit 140 from the light extraction surface 22.

[0080] Next, the effects of the lighting system 1a in this modified example will be described.

[0081] As described above, the lighting system 1 a according to this modification further includes an adjusting unit that can adjust the air pressure between the light-emitting unit 140 and the light guide body 20 .

[0082] According to this, the amount of light extracted from the light guide 20 by the light emitting section 140 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of pressing of the light emitting section 140 against the light guide 20, that is, the contact area between the light guide 20 and the light emitting section 140. Therefore, the amount of light emitted by the light emitting section 140 can be adjusted so that an increase in the contact area increases the amount of light extracted from the light guide 20 to the light emitting section 140, and a decrease in the contact area decreases the amount of light extracted from the light guide 20 to the light emitting section 140.

[0083] (Other Modifications) While the lighting system according to the present disclosure has been described above based on the above-described embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. As long as the modifications do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that would occur to those skilled in the art may also be included in the scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] For example, in the lighting system according to the above embodiment, the position of the light source can be freely arranged on the duct rail. Therefore, in this embodiment, the incident surface is on the same plane as the light reflecting surface, and the surface into which light emitted from the light source is incident becomes the incident surface. Therefore, the incident surface can be freely changed depending on the arrangement position of the light source. Furthermore, the incident surface does not have to be on the same plane as the light reflecting surface.

[0085] Furthermore, in the lighting system according to the above embodiment, the support portions are exemplified as being groove-shaped (concave), but this is not limiting. For example, the support portions may be ridge-shaped (convex).

[0086] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by making various modifications to the above-mentioned embodiments that a person skilled in the art would think of, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of this disclosure.

[0087] (Additional Notes) The following describes the features of the lighting system described based on the above embodiments.

[0088] <Technology 1> An illumination system comprising: a light source that emits light; a light guide that guides the light emitted from the light source; a duct rail that fixes the light guide; a light emitting unit that extracts light from the light guide and emits it to the outside; and a fixture that is detachable from the duct rail, wherein the light emitting unit is provided in the fixture, and the fixture presses the light emitting unit against the light guide so as to bring the light emitting unit into close contact with the light guide.

[0089] <Technology 2> The lighting system according to Technology 1, wherein the light-emitting section includes an elastic light-guiding material having translucency.

[0090] <Technology 3> The lighting system according to Technology 2, wherein the light-emitting unit takes a shape corresponding to a contact surface of the light-guiding body when pressed against the light-guiding body by the fixture, and takes a hemispherical, truncated conical, or conical shape when not pressed against the light-guiding body by the fixture.

[0091] <Technology 4> The lighting system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 3, further comprising an adjustment unit that can adjust a contact area between the light guide and the light emitting unit.

[0092] <Technology 5> The lighting system according to any one of Techniques 1 to 4, wherein when the fixture brings the light emitting unit into close contact with the light guide, stress on the contact surface of the light emitting unit decreases with increasing distance from the center of the contact surface.

[0093] <Technology 6> The lighting system according to any one of Techniques 1 to 3, further comprising an adjusting unit capable of adjusting air pressure between the light emitting unit and the light guide.

[0094] <Technology 7> The lighting system according to any one of Techniques 1 to 6, wherein the duct rail has a first opening that exposes a light extraction surface for contacting the light emitting section.

[0095] <Technology 8> The lighting system according to any one of Techniques 1 to 7, wherein the duct rail has a second opening that exposes an incident surface for allowing light emitted from the light source to enter the light guide.

[0096] <Technology 9> The refractive index of the medium outside the lighting system is n ０ , the refractive index of the light guide is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting portion is n ２ Then, n ０ <n １ ≦n ２ The lighting system according to any one of the techniques 1 to 8, which satisfies the above.

[0097] <Technology 10> The refractive index of the light guide is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting portion is n ２ , the refractive index of the fixture at the boundary between the fixture and the light-emitting unit is n ３ , the refractive index of the duct rail at the boundary between the duct rail and the light guide is n ４ Then, n ３ <n ２ , n ４ <n １ The lighting system according to any one of the techniques 1 to 9, which satisfies the above.

[0098] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1a Illumination system 10 Light source 20 Light guide 21 Incident surface 30 Duct rail 31 First opening 32 Second opening 40, 140 Light emitting portion 41 Thread (adjustment portion) 50, 150 Mounting fixture 53 Female thread hole (adjustment portion) 143b Second hole (adjustment portion) 144 Threaded body (adjustment portion) 151 Through hole (adjustment portion)

Claims

1. An illumination system comprising: a light source that emits light; a light guide that guides the light emitted from the light source; a duct rail to which the light guide is fixed; a light emitting unit that extracts light from the light guide and emits it to the outside; and a mounting fixture that can be attached to and detached from the duct rail, wherein the light emitting unit is provided in the mounting fixture, and the mounting fixture supports the light emitting unit so as to be in close contact with the light guide.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting section includes an elastic light-guiding material having translucency.

3. The lighting system according to claim 2, wherein the light-emitting portion assumes a shape corresponding to the contact surface of the light-guiding body when pressed against the light-guiding body by the mounting fixture, and assumes a hemispherical, truncated cone or cone shape when not pressed against the light-guiding body by the mounting fixture.

4. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an adjustment section capable of adjusting the contact area between the light guide and the light emitting section.

5. A lighting system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which when the mounting fixture brings the light-emitting unit into close contact with the light guide, the contact surface of the light-emitting unit is subjected to smaller stress as it moves away from the centre of the contact surface.

6. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an adjustment unit capable of adjusting the air pressure between the light emitting unit and the light guide.

7. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the duct rail has a first opening that exposes a light extraction surface for close contact with the light emitting section.

8. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the duct rail has a second opening that exposes an incident surface for allowing light emitted from the light source to enter the light guide.

9. Let n be the refractive index of the medium outside the lighting system. ０ , the refractive index of the light guide is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting portion is n ２ Then, n ０ <n １ ≦n ２ The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which satisfies the following:

10. The refractive index of the light guide is n １ , the refractive index of the light emitting portion is n ２ The refractive index of the fixture at the boundary between the fixture and the light emitting unit is n ３ The refractive index of the duct rail at the boundary between the duct rail and the light guide is n ４ Then, n ３ <n ２ , n ４ <n １ The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which satisfies the following: