ILLUMINATION DEVICE

• US 20150241032A1
• Filed: 01/22/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KAWACHI, HIDEHARU
• Application Number:
  US14/602,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20150241032A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0045 by tongue and groove connections, e.g. dovetail interlocking means fixed by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/05 plane
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/20 Electroluminescent [EL] light sources

Abstract

An illumination device includes a plate-shaped light-transmitting member having a light-transmitting region, a fixture having a box shape with one open surface, the fixture attached to the light-transmitting member such that the open surface faces the light-transmitting member, and a light emitting module inserted into the fixture. The fixture includes an insertion opening formed on a surface perpendicular to the open surface, the light emitting module slidingly inserted into the insertion opening along the light-transmitting member. The light emitting module includes a planar light emitter having a light emission surface and a holder configured to hold the planar light emitter and configured to engage with the fixture such that the light emission surface overlaps with the light-transmitting region. The holder protrudes in an insertion direction of the light emitting module beyond a contour of the planar light emitter.

Claims

1. An illumination device, comprising:

a plate-shaped light-transmitting member having a light-transmitting region;

a fixture having a box shape with one open surface, the fixture being attached to the light-transmitting member such that the open surface faces the light-transmitting member; and

a light emitting module inserted into the fixture,

wherein the fixture includes an insertion opening formed on a surface perpendicular to the open surface, the light emitting module slidingly being inserted into the insertion opening along the light-transmitting member,

wherein the light emitting module further includes a planar light emitter having a light emission surface and a holder configured to hold the planar light emitter and configured to engage with the fixture such that the light emission surface overlaps with the light-transmitting region, and

wherein the holder protrudes in an insertion direction of the light emitting module beyond a contour of the planar light emitter.

2. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the holder is provided on the opposite surface of the planar light emitter from the light emission surface and is larger in area than the contour of the planar light emitter.

3. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the fixture includes a flat plate portion which forms the opposite surface of the fixture from the open surface and an elastically-deformable salient portion protruding from the flat plate portion toward the open surface.

4. The illumination device of claim 3, wherein the holder includes a hole configured to engage with the salient portion.

5. The illumination device of claim 3, wherein the flat plate portion includes a cutout formed in a portion of a periphery of the salient portion, the salient portion having a shape obtained by bending a portion of the flat plate portion.

6. The illumination device of claim 3, wherein the salient portion includes a slant surface slanted with respect to the insertion direction of the light emitting module.

7. The illumination device of claim 6, wherein the salient portion further includes a vertical surface perpendicular to the insertion direction of the light emitting module.

8. The illumination device of claim 3, wherein the fixture includes a plate-shaped contact portion configured to forming a surface opposite to the insertion opening and configured to make contact with an end surface of the light emitting module, the insertion opening being larger in width than the contact portion.

9. The illumination device of claim 3, wherein the fixture includes a plate-shaped contact portion configured to form a surface opposite to the insertion opening and configured to make contact with an end surface of the light emitting module, the contact portion including a first opening.

10. The illumination device of claim 9, wherein the flat plate portion includes a second opening joined to the first opening.

11. The illumination device of claim 3, wherein the light-transmitting member further includes a mirror region provided around the light-transmitting region and configured to reflect external light.

12. The illumination device of claim 11, wherein the planar light emitter includes a reflection electrode which reflects light, the light-transmitting region configured to transmit external light when the light emitting module is turned off and to transmit the external light reflected by the reflection electrode.

13. The illumination device of claim 11, wherein the flat plate portion has a major surface facing the light-transmitting member, the major surface being a mirror surface.

14. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the fixture is attached to the light-transmitting member at a position closer to an edge of the light-transmitting member than a center of the light-transmitting member and the insertion opening of the fixture is provided at a position closer to the center of the light-transmitting member than the edge of the light-transmitting member.