Indicator device and illumination device

• US 6,517,213 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IDEC Izumi Corporation
• Original Assignee: IDEC Izumi Corporation
• Inventors: Tanabe, Shinichi, Nishihara, Ikkan, Mamiya, Masaru, Fujita, Toshihiro, Okamoto, Akito
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US09/194,495
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 362/84, 362/29, 362/489, 362/231, 362/800, 362/34, 405/43, 405/75
• US Class Current: 362/84
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/20 with luminescent surfaces or parts luminescent compositions C09K11/00; light sources using luminescence F21K2/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/023 Light-emitting indicators for multi-layer switches H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/014 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/052 Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/185 Fluorescent or phosphorescent symbols or distinguishing marks H01H9/181 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An indicator device is intended to make an indication by illuminating a predetermined indicating surface, and comprises a light source (12) for emitting a light (L1) of the first wavelength and a fluorescent plate (22) disposed between the light source and the indicating surface for changing at least part of the light of the first wavelength projected from the light source into a light (L2) of the second wavelength longer than the first wavelength and projecting it towards the indicating surface.

Claims

1. An indicator device which makes an indication by illuminating a predetermined indicating surface, comprising:

a light source for emitting a light of a first wavelength (L1); and

a fluorescent plate provided between said light source and said indicating surface, for changing at least part of said light of said first wavelength projected thereto from said light source into a light of a second wavelength (L2) longer than said first wavelength and projecting said light of said second wavelength towards said indicating surface,

wherein said light source comprises a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements for emitting a light of any wavelength ranging from ultraviolet to blue as said light of said first wavelength (L1),

wherein said plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements are arranged in a matrix with a plurality of rows and columns to face the back surface of said fluorescent plate and uniformly project said light of first said wavelength towards said fluorescent plate.

2. An indicator device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a light diffusion member that diffuses or dispenses a light on an optical path from said light source towards said indicating surface.

3. The indicator device of claim 2, wherein said light diffusion member is a hologram diffusion plate.

4. The indicator device of claim 2, wherein said light diffusion member is a sheet member made of a light-transmissible material, including a plurality of prism surfaces arranged two-dimensionally on a light-outgoing surface side from which a light is projected, and is disposed with said light-outgoing surface said facing said indicating surface.

6. The indicator device of claim 1, wherein a light diffusion material is mixed inside of said fluorescent plate.

7. The indicator device of claim 1, wherein:

said semiconductor light-emitting element emits a light of blue wavelength as said light of said first wavelength,

said fluorescent plate has fluorescent characteristics to absorb part of said light of blue wavelength emitted from said semiconductor light-emitting element and emit a light of yellow wavelength as said light of said second wavelength, and

a substantially white light is obtained from said light of blue wavelength and said light of yellow wavelength as a light for illuminating said indicating surface.

19. The indicator device of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter provided between said fluorescent plate and said indicating surface, for removing said light of said first wavelength through said fluorescent plate among lights projected from light-outgoing surface to substantially transmit only said light of said second wavelength towards said indicating surface.

31. The indicator device of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor light-emitting element emits a light of blue wavelength as said light of said first wavelength.

5. An indicator device which makes an indication by illuminating a predetermined indicating surface, comprising:

a light source for emitting a light of a first wavelength;

a fluorescent plate provided between said light source and said indicating surface, for changing at least part of said light of said first wavelength projected thereto from said light source into a light of a second wavelength longer than said first wavelength and projecting said light of said second wavelength towards said indicating surface; and

a light diffusion member for diffusing or dispersing a light on an optical path from said light source towards said indicating surface,

wherein said light diffusion member is a sheet member made of a light-transmissible material, including a plurality of prism surfaces arranged two-dimensionally on a light-outgoing surface side from which a light is projected, and is disposed with said light-outgoing surface side facing said indicating surface, and

said plurality of prism surfaces of said sheet member are provided by disposing a plurality of prisms of polypyramid on said light-outgoing surface side of said sheet member so that bottom surfaces of adjacent prisms are in intimate contact with each other without any clearance.

8. An indicator device which makes an indication by illuminating a predetermined indicating surface, comprising:

a light source for emitting a light of a first wavelength;

a fluorescent plate provided between said light source and said indicating surface, for changing at least part of said light of said first wavelength projected thereto from said light source into a light of a second wavelength longer than said first wavelength and projecting said light of said second wavelength towards said indicating surface; and

a filter provided between said fluorescent plate and said indicating surface, for transmitting at least part of said light projected from said fluorescent plate towards said indicating surface,

wherein a color of a light through said filter to illuminate said indicating surface in an on state of said light source and an appearance color of said filter which substantially defines a color of said indicating surface in an off state of said light source are substantially identical or similar to each other.

9. The indicator device of claim 8, wherein said fluorescent plate and said filter are united as a wavelength changing member comprising a fluorescent layer having a function of said fluorescent plate and a filter layer having a function of said filter as a unity.

10. The indicator device of claim 9, wherein said filter layer is formed by printing or coating a one-side surface of said fluorescent member used for said fluorescent layer with a predetermined filter material used for said filter layer.

11. The indicator device of claim 9, wherein said filter layer is formed by thermally transferring a thermal-transfer film used for said filter layer onto a one-side surface of said fluorescent member used for said fluorescent layer.

12. The indicator device of claim 9, wherein said filter layer is formed by impregnating a one-side surface of said fluorescent member used for said fluorescent layer with a predetermined colorant to color a one-side surface layer of said fluorescent member.

13. The indicator device of claim 9, wherein said wavelength changing member is formed by uniting a fluorescent member used for said fluorescent layer and a filter member used for said filter layer through adhesive-bonding or ultrasonic-welding.

14. The indicator device of claim 9, wherein said wavelength changing member is made of resin, having a two-layer molding of said fluorescent layer and said filter layer.

15. An indicator device which makes an indication by illuminating a predetermined indicating surface, comprising:

a light source for emitting a light of a first wavelength; and

a fluorescent plate provided between said light source and said indicating surface, for changing at least part of said light of said first wavelength projected thereto from said light source into a light of a second wavelength longer than said first wavelength and projecting said light of said second wavelength towards said indicating surface,

wherein said light source has a fist emitter for emitting said light of said first wavelength and a second emitter for emitting a light of another wavelength different from said first wavelength, and

a color of a light projected from said fluorescent plate is changeable by projecting said lights emitted from said first and second emitters to said fluorescent plate and changing the emitting condition of said first and second emitters.

16. The indicator device of claim 15, wherein said fluorescent plate substantially transmits said light of said another wavelength.

17. The indicator device of claim 16, wherein:

a first chromatic color light is projected from said fluorescent plate when only said first emitter among said light source is turned on,

a second chromatic color light is projected from said fluorescent plate when only said second emitter among said light source is turned on, and

a third chromatic color light obtained by additive color mixing of said first and second chromatic color lights is projected from said fluorescent plate when both said first and second emitters are turned on.

18. The indicator device of claim 17, further comprising:

a luminance changing unit for changing luminances of said first and second emitters depending on whether either said first or second emitter is turned on or both said first and second emitters are turned on.

20. An indicator device which makes an optical indication on a predetermined indicating surface by projecting a predetermined light from said indicating surface, comprising:

a light source for emitting a light of a first wavelength; and

a wavelength changing member provided between said light source and said indicating surface and formed as one unit including a fluorescent material receiving said light of said first wavelength for emitting a light of a second wavelength longer than said first wavelength and a filter material for attenuating said light of said first wavelength, for projecting said light of said second wavelength emitted by said fluorescent material which receives said light of said first wavelength projected thereto towards said indicating surface and attenuating the rest of said light of said first wavelength which is projected thereto and not changed by said fluorescent material with said filter material not to be substantially transmitted.

21. The indicator device of claim 20, wherein said wavelength changing member includes:

a filter member including said filter material; and

said fluorescent material mixed in said filter member.

22. The indicator device of claim 20, wherein said wavelength changing member includes:

a filter member including said filter material; and

said fluorescent material coating a surface of said filter member on a side of said light source.

23. An indicator device which makes an optical indication on a predetermined indicating surface by projecting a predetermined light from said indicating surface, comprising:

a light source for emitting a light of a first wavelength; and

a wavelength changing member constituted of a plurality of fluorescent plates which are layered for projecting part of an incident light and emitting lights of different wavelengths longer than said first wavelength from the rest of said incident light, having a light-incident surface receiving said light from said light source and a light-outgoing surface for projecting said light of said first wavelength and said lights emitted by said plurality of flourescent plates towards said indicating surface.

24. The indicator device of claim 23, wherein:

said light source has a first emitter for emitting said light of said first wavelength and a second emitter for emitting a light of another wavelength different from said first wavelength, and

a color of a light projected from said light-outgoing surface is changeable by projecting said lights emitted from said first and second emitters to said light-incident surface of said wavelength changing member and changing the emitting condition of said first and second emitters.

25. The indicator device of claim 24, wherein said wavelength changing member substantially transmits said light of said another wavelength.

26. An illuminating device guiding a light from a light source to a predetermined light-projected surface to make an illumination entirely on said light-projected surface, comprising:

a sheet member made of a light-transmissible material, including a plurality of prism surfaces arranged two-dimensionally on a light-outgoing surface side from which a light is projected, said sheet member being provided between said light source and said light-projected surface with said light-outgoing surface side facing said light-projected surface,

wherein said plurality of prism surfaces of said sheet member are provided by disposing a plurality of prisms of polypyramid on said light-outgoing surface side of said sheet member so that bottom surfaces of adjacent prisms are in intimate contact with each other without any clearance.

32. The illuminating device of claim 26, wherein:

said light source emits a light of a first wavelength,

said illuminating device further comprising;

a flourescent plate provided between said sheet member and said light-projected surface for changing at least part of said light of said first wavelength projected thereto from said light source into a light of a second wavelength longer than said first wavelength and projecting said light of said second wavelength toward said light-projected surface.

27. An indicator device using a light emitting diode element, comprising:

an emitter body including said light emitting diode element mounted two-dimensionally; and

a first dome-shaped cap member including a predetermined fluorescent material and attached around said light emitting diode element in said emitter body.

28. The indicator device of claim 27, wherein a diffusion material is further mixed in said first dome-shaped cap member.

29. The indicator device of claim 27 wherein a second dome-shaped cap member including a diffusion material is attached around the perimeter of said first dome-shaped cap member.

30. The indicator device of claim 27, wherein a third dome-shaped cap member including a dye is attached around the perimeter of said first dome-shaped cap member.