Lighting apparatus

• US 20050047772A1
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Kaneko, Masaaki, Hayami, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,136,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/199
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0539 Ringflash

Abstract

The present invention aims at providing a lighting apparatus which is to be installed in a color camera, which is capable of providing the stable quantity of light from a light source such as an LED, and which is capable of stabilizing color tones of an image captured with the color camera. In order to attain this object, in the lighting apparatus according to the present invention, the temperature control for the camera is also simultaneously carried out using a thermal transfer member for enhancing heat transfer between a Peltier element used for the temperature control for an LED case with built-in LEDs, and the LED case.

Claims

1. A lighting unit fixed to an object to have the lighting unit installed therein for lighting up a vicinity of a predetermined focal point, the lighting unit comprising:

a light emitting diode case having an accommodation space vertically formed and adapted to accommodate the object to have the lighting unit installed therein, and a lower end surface to which a plurality of light emitting diodes able to apply light to the predetermined focal point are fixed;

a temperature control element having an accommodation space vertically formed and adapted to accommodate the object to have the lighting unit installed therein, and a lower end surface adapted to be brought into tight contact with an upper end surface of the light emitting diode case; and

a heat radiating member having an accommodation space vertically formed and adapted to accommodate the object to have the lighting unit installed therein, a lower end surface adapted to be brought into tight contact with an upper end surface of the temperature control element, and an upper end surface having a heat radiating construction formed therein, the light emitting diode case, the temperature control element, and the heat radiating member being independent of one another,

the lighting unit further comprising;

a fixing member for being urged to at least one of the light emitting diode case and the heat radiating member by an elastic portion, and for contacting the other of the light emitting diode case and the heat radiating member to urge the other in a direction of the one to bring the light emitting diode case, the temperature control element, and the heat radiating member into tight contact with one another when the light emitting diode case, the temperature control element, and the heat radiating member are assembled integrally with one another.

2. A lighting unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a thermal transfer member disposed in the accommodation space of at least the temperature control element to contact an end portion of the temperature control element on a side of the accommodation space, and a surface of the object to have the lighting unit installed therein.

3. A lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein one end portion of the fixing member is fixed to at least one of the light emitting diode case and the heat radiating member through a member having the elastic portion, the other end portion of the fixing member has a contact surface having a predetermined angle with respect to a vertical direction, and the contact surface contacts a recess portion provided in one of the other end portion and an outer periphery of the light emitting diode case to thereby apply a vertical urging force to the recess portion.

4. A lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode case has a protection circuit connected to the light emitting diode.

5. A lighting apparatus fixed to an object to have the lighting apparatus installed therein for lighting up a vicinity of a predetermined focal point, the lighting apparatus comprising:

a light emitting diode case having an accommodation space vertically formed and adapted to accommodate the object to have the lighting apparatus installed therein, and a lower end surface to which a plurality of light emitting diodes able to apply light to the predetermined focal point are fixed;

a temperature control element having an accommodation space vertically formed and adapted to accommodate the object to have the lighting apparatus installed therein, and a lower end surface adapted to be brought into tight contact with an upper end surface of the light emitting diode case; and

a thermal transfer member disposed in the accommodation space of at least the temperature control element to contact an end portion of the temperature control element on a side of the accommodation space, and a surface of the object to have the lighting apparatus installed therein.