Surface light source and electrically illuminated signboard

• US 7,517,105 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yoshihiro Sakai, ZYCC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Asagicreate Co., Ltd., Yoshihiro Sakai
• Inventors: Sakai, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US11/649,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 362/29, 362/30, 362/97, 362/231, 362/621, 405/46
• US Class Current: 362/97.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133611 including means for improving the brightness uniformity

Abstract

LEDs (7) are arranged on at least opposite two corners of a bottom surface of a box body (11) of a tray shape whose bottom surface is quadrilateral, whose upper side is open, on an inner surface of which a light reflection member (11b) is provided, and whose side walls (11c) are inclined outward, so as to irradiate inside of the box body, wherein a plurality of LEDs (71) are arranged so that a region irradiated by each of the LEDs (71) rotates sequentially in a specific direction (same direction). As a result, there can be obtained a surface light source having high brightness and uniformity in an arbitrary size whether the light source is small or large while using semiconductor light emitting devices (LEDs), and an electrically illuminated signboard using the surface light source, which is thin and capable of uniform display and which operates with low electricity consumption.

Claims

1. A surface light source unit comprising:

a box body of a tray shape, whose bottom surface is quadrilateral, whose upper side is open, on a bottom surface and side walls of which a light diffused-reflection member is provided, the side walls being inclined outward, and

semiconductor light emitting devices provided on at least two corners of edge parts of the bottom surface of the box body so as to irradiate light toward center parts of the side walls opposite to the corners,

wherein the semiconductor light emitting devices have a directionality of 45 to 60 degrees, and the light irradiated from each semiconductor light emitting device is mixed mutually in the box body by being reflected diffusedly on the bottom surface and the side walls of the box body, and is averaged in brightness, chromaticity and luminescent hue, and

wherein an inclined angle and a height of the side walls of the box body are set so as to make brightness on the opened upper surface above the side walls of the box body and above a center part of the box body substantially equal.

2. The surface light source unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the semiconductor light emitting devices is a chip type light emitting device and has at least one of structures in which:

a light emitting semiconductor chip is mounted on a flat surface of one of a pair of leads and coated with light transmitting resin so as to have a lens portion at a front side;

a light emitting semiconductor chip is mounted on a flat surface of one of a pair of leads and coated with light transmitting resin so as to have a flat surface at a front side;

a structure of a side-view type is formed in which, by exposing an end part of each of a pair of leads in a recess, by fixing the other end part with resin so as to be located on an outer wall, and by mounting a light emitting chip in the recess, light is irradiated in a direction perpendicular to a surface on which end parts of the pair of the leads are connected;

a light emitting chip is mounted on an insulating substrate, and a pair of terminal electrodes or leads are arranged on opposite end portions of the insulating substrate, and surrounding of the light emitting chip is coated with light transmitting resin; and

a structure of a reflection type is formed in which a reflection wall is formed around a light transmitting resin which coats a light emitting chip provided on an insulating substrate.

3. The surface light source unit according to claim 1, wherein two light emitting devices are arranged on each corner of at least the two corners, and wherein a set of the two light emitting devices are arranged so that each region mainly irradiated by the two light emitting devices is a different half space as to a diagonal line passing the corner where the two light emitting devices are provided.

4. An electrically illuminated signboard comprising:

a surface light source formed with a plurality of the surface light source units according to claim 1,

a light diffusion plate provided through a certain distance over the surface light source and

a display panel provided on the light diffusion plate.

5. A surface light source comprising:

a plurality of the surface light source units according to claim 1 provided side-by-side without gaps,

wherein each of the surface light source units is formed so that brightness above center portion part of each of the surface light source units and brightness above adjoining portion of the surface light source units are substantially equal in a surface at least 25 mm above from an upper surface of the surface light source units arranged.

6. The surface light source according to claim 5, wherein at least one of a light diffusion member, a condenser prism and a display panel is provided at a position 5 to 30 mm high from the upper surface of the surface light source unit.

7. The surface light source according to claim 5, wherein leads to be connected to electrodes of each of the light emitting devices are drawn out in a space portion formed outside of the box body at a bottom between adjacent box bodies, to be connected to a power source.

8. The surface light source according to claim 5, wherein the surface light source units are arranged so as to prevent adjacent two side walls of adjacent surface light source units from being exposed in the same height at a surface, by forming a side wall of one surface light source unit lower than the other at a portion of adjoining each other.