Light emitting device

• US 7,249,869 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshiharu, Takahashi, Toshinori, Misawa, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember; Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shallenberger; Julie A.
• Application Number:
  US11/191,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20060023468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 362/300, 362/307, 362/311, 362/612, 362617-619
• US Class Current: 362/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/005 Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/00 Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes on or in vehicles G09F21/00

Abstract

A light emitting device includes a mark body, a substrate arranged in back of the mark body, an LED mounted on an opposite surface of the substrate to the mark body, and a light guide arranged on a closer side of the substrate to the LED and having an upper surface serving as a light introducing surface for introducing LED-based light, a side surface serving as a light emitting surface and a backside subjected to a light diffuse reflection process to cause diffuse reflection by the backside. Incidentally, there can be provided a light emitting device that includes a light guide arranged on a closer side of the substrate to the LED and having an upper surface serving as a light introducing surface for introducing LED-based light, a side surface serving as a light emitting surface and a backside having a plurality of protrusions in a rib form.

Claims

1. A light emitting device comprising:

a mark body;

a substrate, a first surface of which the mark body is arranged;

a light emitting diode (LED) mounted on a second surface of the substrate; and

a light guide arranged on the second surface of the substrate, including a first surface for introducing a light emitted from the LED, a second surface for emitting the light and a third surface opposing the first surface on which a light is reflected in a diffused manner,

wherein the third surface of the light guide comprises a plurality of protrusions in a rib form and the plurality of protrusions are formed such that the protrusions are arranged substantially at an equal interval in a direction along the outer edge of the light guide.

2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the third surface of the light guide comprises a light diffuse reflection surface.

3. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide has a plan form analogous to a plan form of the mark body.

4. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide has a plan form substantially the same as a plan form of the mark body.

5. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a light diffuse reflection layer is formed on the third surface of the light guide.

6. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the third surface of the light guide is embossed.

7. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide includes a recess to receive the LED.

8. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide has a second protrusion continuing along an outer edge thereof, the second protrusion being formed integral with the plurality of protrusions.

9. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein, in the third surface of the light guide, a region where the plurality of protrusions are formed has a total area smaller than a total area of a region where the plurality of protrusions are not formed.

10. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed throughout the third surface of the light guide.

11. The light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein blast process is subjected to the region where the plurality of protrusions are not formed.

12. A light emitting device comprising:

a mark body;

a substrate arranged in back of the mark body;

a light emitting diode (LED) mounted on an opposite surface of the substrate to the mark body;

a light guide arranged on a closer side of the substrate to the LED and having an upper surface serving as a light introducing surface for introducing LED-based light, a side surface serving as a light emitting surface and a backside having a plurality of protrusions in a rib form, wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed such that the protrusions are arranged substantially at an equal interval in a direction along the outer edge of the light guide.

13. The light emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the light guide has a second protrusion continuing along an outer edge thereof, the second protrusion being formed integral with the plurality of protrusions.

14. The light emitting device according to claim 12, wherein, in the backside of the light guide, a region where the plurality of protrusions are formed has a total area smaller than a total area of a region where the plurality of protrusions are not formed.

15. The light emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed throughout the backside of the light guide.