Lighting device

• US 6,632,004 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tenmyo, Yoshiharu, Sugawara, Saburo, Uchida, Takayuki, Kojima, Nobuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US10/017,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 362/16, 362/18, 362/224, 362/280, 362/281, 362/327, 362/300, 362/330, 362/331, 362/332, 362/336, 362/337, 362/339, 362/340
• US Class Current: 362/281
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/06 by movement of refractors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/635
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/00 Refractors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/504
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0578 Flashtube mounting
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0585 Movable reflectors, e.g. change of illumination angle or direction
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0592 installed in front of light emitter

Abstract

A lighting device is disclosed which comprises an illuminating light source for illuminating an object, a first optical unit disposed on the side of the object of the illuminating light source and having an optical action section for diverging light or an optical action section for converging light, and a second optical unit disposed on the side of the object of the optical action section of the first optical unit and having an optical action section for exhibiting a characteristic opposite to a characteristic of the optical action section, wherein the optical action section of the second optical unit overlies the optical action section of the first optical unit in varying areas to change light distribution characteristic on the side of the object.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

an illuminating light source for illuminating an object;

a first optical unit disposed on the side of said object of said illuminating light source and having;

one of an optical action section for diverging light and an optical action section for converging light; and

another section which is not formed in said optical action section; and

a second optical unit disposed on the side of said object of said first optical unit and having an optical action section for exhibiting a characteristic opposite to a characteristic of said optical action section of said first optical unit, an area of the second optical unit being smaller than the sum of the areas of the second optical action section and said another section,

wherein by moving said second optical unit from a position where it overlaps with said optical action section to a position where it overlaps with said another section, changing the light distribution characteristics.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein said illuminating light source is a discharge tube having a longitudinal direction.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein said second optical unit is moved in the longitudinal direction of said discharge tube to change said area where said optical action section of said second optical unit overlies said optical action section of said first optical unit when light distribution characteristic is changed.

4. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein said optical action section of said first optical unit has one of a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions arranged in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction and said optical action section of said second optical unit has one of a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions having an optical characteristic opposite to an optical characteristic of said plurality of one of convex portions and concave portions of said first optical unit.

5. The lighting device according to claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of convex portions and plurality of concave portions of said first optical unit are a plurality of cylindrical lenses and one of said plurality of concave portions and plurality of convex portions of said second optical unit are a plurality of cylindrical lenses.

6. The lighting device according to claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of convex portions and plurality of concave portions of said first optical unit are a plurality of toric lenses and one of said plurality of concave portions and plurality of convex portions of said second optical unit are a plurality of toric lenses.

7. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein a surface of said first optical unit on the side of said object has a region where said optical action section is formed and a region where said optical action section is not formed,

a surface of said second optical unit on the side of said first optical unit has a region where said optical action section is formed and a region where said optical action section is not formed, and

light distribution characteristic is changed by changing said area where said optical action section of said second optical unit overlies said optical action section of said first optical unit.

8. The lighting device according to claim 7, wherein a surface of said second optical unit on the side of said object has a plurality of one of convex portions and concave portions formed thereon in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said discharge tube.

9. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of one of convex portions and concave portions formed on the surface of said second optical unit on the side of said object are Fresnel lens surfaces.

10. The lighting device according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of one of convex portions and concave portions have different pitches.

11. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein said second optical unit has two second optical subunits arranged in the longitudinal direction of said discharge tube.

12. The lighting device according to claim 11, wherein said two second optical subunits are moved mutually in opposite directions to change light distribution characteristic.

13. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein combined refractivity of said optical action section of said first optical unit and said optical action section of said second optical unit is substantially zero.

14. A lighting device comprising:

a discharge tube for illuminating an object;

a first optical unit disposed on the side of said object of said discharge tube and having one of a plurality of optical action sections for diverging light and a plurality of optical action sections for converging light; and

another section which is not formed in said plurality of optical action sections, each of said plurality of optical action sections being extended in the longitudinal direction of said discharge tube, and being arranged together with a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and

a second optical unit disposed on the side of said object of said first optical unit and having a plurality of optical action sections for exhibiting a characteristic opposite to a characteristic of said first optical unit, each of said plurality of optical action sections being extended in the longitudinal direction of said discharge tube, and being arranged together with a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;

wherein said second optical unit in contrast to said first optical unit moves relative to the longitudinal direction on said discharge tube, changing the light distribution characteristics.

15. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein said second optical unit is moved in a longitudinal direction of said discharge tube to change said area where said action sections of said second optical unit overlie said action sections of said first optical unit when light distribution characteristic is changed.

16. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein said optical action sections of said first optical unit have one of a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions arranged in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction and said optical action sections of said second optical unit have one of a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions having an optical characteristic opposite to an optical characteristic of said plurality of one of convex portions and concave portions of said first optical unit.

17. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein one of said plurality of convex portions and plurality of concave portions of said first optical unit are a plurality of cylindrical lenses and one of said plurality of concave portions and plurality of convex portions of said second optical unit are a plurality of cylindrical lenses.

18. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein one of said plurality of convex portions and plurality of concave portions of said first optical unit are a plurality of toric lenses and one of said plurality of concave portions and plurality of convex portions of said second optical unit are a plurality of toric lenses.

19. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein a surface of said first optical unit on the side of said object has a region where said optical action sections are formed and a region where said optical action sections are not formed,

a surface of said second optical unit on the side of said first optical unit has a region where said optical action sections are formed and a region where said optical action sections are not formed, and

light distribution characteristic is changed by changing said area where said optical action sections of said second optical unit overlie said optical action sections of said first optical unit.

20. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein said second optical unit has two second optical subunits arranged in the longitudinal direction of said discharge tube.

21. The lighting device according to claim 20, wherein said two second optical subunits are moved mutually in opposite directions to change light distribution characteristic.

22. The lighting device according to claim 14, wherein combined refractivity of said optical action sections of said first optical unit and said optical action sections of said second optical unit is substantially zero.