Light source device

• US 6,953,265 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Hisao, Yasukawa, Takemasa, Omoya, Hideki, Nakano, Hideyuki, Kato, Hideaki, Suehiro, Yoshinobu, Takahashi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAYNE, SHARON E
• Application Number:
  US10/422,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20030202349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 362/241, 362/235, 362/240, 362/247, 362/248, 362/341, 362/347, 362/800, 362/303, 362/343, 313/500
• US Class Current: 362/241
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/02 for roads, paths or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/008 for simulation of a starry sky or firmament
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49107 on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A light source device has a light shielding member having an aperture, a light source arranged on one side of the light shielding member, and a converging member arranged relatively with respect to the light source and the light source to thereby converge light emitted from the light source in the aperture or in a vicinity of the aperture. Another type of light source device has a single light source, and a converging member for converging light from the light source to thereby distribute the light to at least two points. Still another type of light source device has a light source, and a reflecting mirror arranged to enclose a side of a light emission direction of the light source, the reflecting mirror reflecting light emitted from the light source in a direction except the light source so that the light is radiated outside.

Claims

1. A light source device, comprising:

a light shielding member having at least one annular-shaped aperture;

a light source adjacent to said light shielding member; and

a reflecting member having at least one reflecting surface, said light source being disposed between said light shielding member and said reflecting member,

wherein said reflecting member comprises a shape for reflecting light emitted from said light source such that said light is converged on an annular converging area which is substantially formed in said annular-shaped aperture, and

wherein said light shielding member comprises a light-shielding plate having inner and outer portions which are separated by said at least one annular-shaped aperture, said light source being mounted at a center of said inner portion.

2. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein a light-emitting face of said light source is located at about a mid-point between said light shielding plate and said reflecting member.

3. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflecting surface comprises concave reflecting surfaces having a solid angle of about 2π

steradians with respect to said light source.

4. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein a light-emitting face of said light source is disposed within a concave portion of said reflecting member.

5. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said light source comprise a light-emitting diode (LED) having a light-emitting element and half-sphere shaped resin body covering said light-emitting element.

6. The light source device according to claim 5, wherein rays of said light emitted from said light-emitting element are incident on a surface of said half-sphere shaped resin body at substantially right angles.

7. The light source device according to claim 5, wherein said at least one reflecting surface defines a concave portion of said reflecting member, said half-sphere shaped resin body being disposed within said concave portion.

8. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said annular-shaped aperture has a predetermined width and is formed along an arc having a radius which is equal to a radius of said annular converging area.

9. The light source device according to claim 8, wherein a cross-sectional area of said at least one annular-shaped aperture is larger than a cross-sectional area of said annular converging area such that light converged on said annular converging area is projected outside while converging without any interruption by an inner wall of said at least one annular-shaped aperture.

10. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said light shielding plate further comprises a coupling part which couples said inner portion and said outer portion.

11. A signal light device comprising:

a support plate; and

a plurality of light source devices according to claim 1, formed on said support plate.

12. The signal light device according to claim 11, further

a cup-shaped base, said support plate being vertically disposed on a front portion of said base;

and

a transparent cover lens, said support plate being disposed between said cup-shaped base and said transparent cover lens.

13. The signal light device according to claim 11, wherein said light shielding plate comprises a black surface such that, in an off state, said signal light device appears black.

14. The signal light device according to claim 11, wherein in an on state, said signal light device appears as a circle of light having a color which is a same color of light emitted from said light source devices, an intensity of said light circle being uniform over its area.

15. A signaling device comprising a plurality of signal light devices according to claim 11.

16. The signal light device according to claim 11, wherein said device maximizes an external radiation efficiency.

17. The signal light device according to claim 11, wherein when said signal light device is viewed from about 10 meters, said plurality of light source devices do not appear as separate light spots.

18. The signal light device according to claim 11, wherein a mounting density of said plurality of light source devices is sufficiently small to prevent an accumulation of heat in said signal light device.

19. The signal light device according to claim 11, wherein said light shielding plate prevents damage to said at least one reflecting surface.

20. The signal light device according to claim 11, wherein said light source comprise a light-emitting diode (LED) having a light-emitting element and a resin body covering said light-emitting element, and wherein said light shielding plate shields said resin body from sunlight.

21. The signal light device according to claim 12, wherein external light passing through said cover lens and incident on said at least one reflecting surface, is reflected toward said light source and scatter-reflected thereon.

22. The signal light device according to claim 12, wherein said cup-shaped base and said plurality of light sources are integrally formed.

23. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said light source comprise a light-emitting diode (LED) having a light-emitting element and an ellipsoidal shaped resin body covering said light-emitting element, said resin body converging light from said light-emitting element in a vertically downward direction.

24. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said light source comprise a light-emitting diode (LED) having a light-emitting element and an elliptical shaped resin body covering said light-emitting element, said resin body converging light from said light-emitting element in a peripheral direction.

25. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflecting surface has a solid angle of about 1 π

it steradians to 2.5 π

it steradians as a whole with respect to said light source.

26. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflecting surface has a solid angle of about 1.5 π

it steradians to 2.5 π

it steradians as a whole with respect to said light source.

27. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflecting surface defines a elliptical-shaped concave portion of said reflecting member.

28. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflecting surface defines a half-sphere shaped concave portion of said reflecting member.

29. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one annular-shaped aperture is filled with a transparent material comprising one of transparent glass and transparent resin.

30. The light source device according to claim 29, wherein said transparent material comprises a plurality of grooves formed in a predetermined direction on a side of said transparent material opposed to said reflecting member.

31. The light source device according to claim 30, wherein said plurality of grooves serves as a plurality of prisms for distributing said light reflected from said at least one reflecting surface.

32. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said light shielding plate further comprises a plurality of coupling parts which couple said inner portion and said outer portion.

33. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said annular converging area substantially overlaps said at least one annular-shaped aperture.

34. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said an annular converging area is formed in said annular-shaped aperture.

35. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflecting surface comprises a plurality of reflecting surfaces.

36. The light source device according to claim 10, wherein said at least one annular-shaped aperture is continuous from one side of said coupling part to another side of said coupling part.

37. The light source device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a base, said reflecting member being formed in said base; and

at least one support pole for connecting said light-shielding plate to said base,

wherein a distance between said light-shielding plate and said base is selected such that said annular converging area is substantially formed in said annular-shaped aperture.

38. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one annular-shaped aperture is formed in said light-shielding plate about an axis which intersects said center of said inner portion of said light-shielding plate, and

wherein said light source comprises a light-emitting diode which is mounted to a support bar which extends in a direction of said axis.

39. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein said inner portion comprises a light-shielding portion formed between said center of said inner portion and said at least one annular-shaped aperture.

40. A light source device, comprising:

a light shielding member having at least one annular-shaped aperture;

a light source adjacent to said light shielding member; and

a reflecting member having at least one reflecting surface, said light source being disposed between said light shielding member and said reflecting member,

wherein said reflecting member reflects light emitted from said light source such that said light has an annular converging area which substantially overlaps said annular-shaped aperture, and

wherein said at least one annular-shaped aperture comprises an inner annular-shaped aperture and an outer annular-shaped aperture.

41. The light source device according to claim 40, wherein light emitted from said light source has an inner converging area corresponding to said inner annular-shaped aperture, and an outer converging area corresponding to said outer annular-shaped aperture.

42. A signal light device comprising:

a support plate; and

a plurality of light source devices formed on said support plate, said light source devices comprising;

a light shielding member having at least one annular-shaped aperture;

a light source adjacent to said light shielding member; and

a reflecting member having at least one reflecting surface, said light source being disposed between said light shielding member and said reflecting member,

wherein said reflecting member comprises a shape for reflecting light emitted from said light source such that said light is converged on an annular converging area which is substantially formed in said annular-shaped aperture, and

wherein said light shielding member comprises a light-shielding plate having inner and outer portions which are separated by said at least one annular-shaped aperture, said light source being mounted at a center of said inner portion.