Illumination apparatus and illumination system

• US 9,395,482 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yokosawa, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Neils, Peggy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garlen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/246,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/04 intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures F21S8/02 takes precedence; details of ceiling bases F21V21/03
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/14 Bayonet-type fastening
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/023 Power supplies in a casing F21V23/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0045 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0081 Mechanical or electrical aspects of the light guide and light source in the lighting device peculiar to the adaptation to planar light guides, e.g. concerning packaging
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package

Abstract

An illumination apparatus includes a light-emitting unit and an apparatus-holding section. The light-emitting unit includes a light guide plate with a center portion being opened, a light source that inputs light from a side of an inner wall of the light guide plate, and a reflective film formed on a side of an upper surface of the light guide plate to reflect light propagated in the light guide plate. The light-emitting unit outputs light from a light output surface in opposite to the upper surface of the light guide plate. The apparatus-holding section detachably holds an electronic apparatus, is capable of removing the electronic apparatus from a side of an output direction of light from the light output surface, and includes a center of a surface parallel to the light output surface, which is positioned inside a light output area of the light output surface.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus, comprising:

a light-emitting unit including (a) a light guide plate having oppositely facing upper and lower planar surfaces, (b) an opening through a center of the light guide plate, (c) a light source positioned to input light into the light guide plate via inner wall of the light guide plate defining a periphery of the opening, and (d) a reflective film on the upper surface of the light guide plate and configured to reflect light propagated in the light guide plate, the light-emitting unit being configured to output light from the lower surface of the light guide plate; and

an apparatus-holding section extending through the opening and configured to detachably hold an electronic apparatus at the lower planar surface side of the guide plate and inside a light output area of the lower planar surface, the light output area being an area from which light is output,

wherein,

the light emitting unit is detachably attached to an outer periphery of the apparatus-holding section, and

the electronic apparatus is detachably attached to an inner periphery of the apparatus-holding section;

the light emitting unit and the apparatus holding section are attached together by means of a first mating pin and groove twist and lock arrangement in which the apparatus holding section has grooves and the light emitting unit has pins, and

the electronic apparatus and the apparatus holding section are attached together by means of a second mating pin and groove twist and lock arrangement in which the apparatus holding section has pins and the electronic apparatus has a housing with grooves.

2. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus-holding section and the electronic apparatus are attached by a mating pin and groove twist and lock arrangement.

3. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power-supply section including a power-supply circuit configured to generate an operational voltage based on a commercial alternating-current power supply,

wherein,

the power supply section includes the apparatus-holding section, and

the light-emitting unit is configured to be detachably attached to the power-supply section.

4. The illumination apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the light-emitting unit includes

a light-emitting main-body portion including the light guide plate,

an attachment bangle portion that is secured to the power-supply section, and

a plurality of bridge portions that connect between the light-emitting main-body portion and the attachment bangle portion.

5. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a power-supply circuit configured to generate an operational voltage based on a commercial alternating-current power supply;

a micro-computer configured to operate based on the operational voltage generated by the power-supply circuit;

an electrical power output terminal for supplying the operational voltage generated by the power-supply circuit to the electronic apparatus; and

a data communication terminal via which data communication with the electronic apparatus can be performed.

6. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of dots or a plurality of grooves for scattering light are formed in the upper surface of the light guide plate.

7. The illumination apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of dots or the plurality of grooves are formed at constant pitches from an inner peripheral side to an outer peripheral side of the light guide plate and gradually increased in size from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side of the light guide plate.

8. An illumination system, comprising:

(1) an illumination apparatus with a light-emitting unit including (a) a light guide plate having oppositely facing upper and lower planar surfaces, (b) an opening through a center of the light guide plate, (c) a light source positioned to input light into the light guide plate via inner wall of the light guide plate defining a periphery of the opening, and (d) a reflective film on the upper surface of the light guide plate and configured to reflect light propagated in the light guide plate, the light-emitting unit being configured to output light from the lower surface of the light guide plate;

(2) an apparatus-holding section extending through the opening and configured to detachably hold an electronic apparatus at the lower planar surface side of the guide plate and inside a light output area of the lower planar surface, the light output area being an area from which light is output; and

(3) the electronic apparatus,

wherein,

the light emitting unit is detachably attached to an outer periphery of the apparatus-holding section, and

the electronic apparatus is detachably attached to an inner periphery of the apparatus-holding section;

the light emitting unit and the apparatus holding section are attached together by means of a first mating pin and groove twist and lock arrangement in which the apparatus holding section has grooves and the light emitting unit has pins, and

the electronic apparatus and the apparatus holding section are attached together by means of a second mating pin and groove twist and lock arrangement in which the apparatus holding section has pins and the electronic apparatus has a housing with grooves.

9. The illumination system according to claim 8, wherein a lower edge of the apparatus holding section extends farther away from the lower surface of the light guide plate than a lowermost part of the electronic apparatus so that the electronic apparatus is positioned within the apparatus holding section.

10. The illumination system according to claim 9, wherein the electronic apparatus is a camera apparatus or a projector apparatus.