Lighting device

• US 8,403,551 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kino, Norihito, Inagaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Diane
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCMANMON, MARY ELIZABETH
• Application Number:
  US12/588,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 362/488, 362/490, 362/509, 362/511, 362/514, 362/608, 362/609, 362/612, 362/615, 200313-317
• US Class Current: 362/609
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like

Abstract

A lighting device includes: a light guide plate having a light incident part in an end face and a light radiation part in a flat plate surface; a light source part opposed to the light incident part; a light shield member with which an area near the light incident part on the flat plate surface of the light guide plate is covered; and a switch part including a switch main body, a switch knob and a pressing member connected to the switch knob to press the switch main body by pressing down the switch knob. An end part of the switch knob opposed to a center of the flat plate surface of the light guide plate is located on the light shield member, and the end face of the light guide plate is located between a first virtual line passing the end part of the switch knob and perpendicular to the flat plate surface of the light guide plate and a second virtual line passing the center of the switch main body and perpendicular to the flat plate surface of the light guide plate.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a light guide plate comprising a light incident part in an end face and a light radiation part perpendicular to the light incident part in a flat plate surface;

a light source part opposed to the light incident part;

a light shield member covering an area near the light incident part on the flat plate surface of the light guide plate and preventing the passage of light from the light source part; and

a switch part including a switch main body, a switch knob and a pressing member connected to the switch knob to press the switch main body by pressing down the switch knob,

wherein an end part of the switch knob opposed to a center of the flat plate surface of the light guide plate is located on the light shield member,

wherein the radiation part extends away from the end wall of the switch main body, such that light is emitted through an area adjacent to an end wall of the switch part,

and wherein the entire end face of the light guide plate is located between a first virtual line passing the end part of the switch knob and perpendicular to the flat plate surface of the light guide plate and a second virtual line passing a center of the switch main body and perpendicular to the flat plate surface of the light guide plate.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is connected to the center of the switch knob and provided in parallel with a pressing down direction of the switch.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the switch part further includes a switch holder comprising a guide rail that holds the switch knob so as to slide in a pressing down direction.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source part includes a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps arranged to be opposed to the light incident part and a light source base plate on which the plurality of LED lamps are arranged, and the light source base plate is located between the end face of the light guide plate and the second virtual line.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the flat plate surface extends from the end face of the light incident part.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source base plate extending in a direction of the first and second virtual lines, the light source part being arranged on the light source base plate.

7. The lighting device according to claim 6, wherein an entirety of the light source base plate is located between the end face of the light guide plate and the second virtual line.

8. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the end face of the light incident part is located in a side of the light guide plate that is closer to the switch part than another end face of the light incident part that opposes the end face of the light incident part.

9. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is located between the end face of the light incident part and the switch part.

10. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an outer lens to emit light from the light guide plate,

wherein the flat plate surface opposes a surface of the outer lens.

11. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reflection surface disposed opposite to the light radiation part, the reflection surface extending from the end face of the light incident part.

12. The lighting device according to claim 11, wherein the reflection surface comprises a tapered surface that approaches the flat plate surface as the reflection surface extends away from the end face of the light incident part.

13. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a part of the flat plate surface is devoid of being covered by the light shield member.

14. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light shield member ends in a lower portion of the flat plate surface.

15. A lighting device, comprising:

light guide plate comprising a light incident part in an end surface and a light radiation part, comprising a flat plate surface that extends from the end surface of the light incident part, wherein the light radiation part is perpendicular to the light incident part;

a light source part opposed to the light incident part;

a light shield member covering an area of the flat plate surface that is located near the end surface of the light incident part and preventing light the passage of light from the light source part; and

a switch part including a switch main body, a switch knob, and a pressing member connected to the switch knob to press the switch main body by pressing the switch knob, wherein an end part of the switch knob, opposed to a center of the flat plate surface of the light guide plate, is located on the light shield member;

wherein the radiation part extends away from the end wall of the switch part, such that light is emitted through an area adjacent to the end wall of the switch part,

wherein the entire end surface of the light guide plate is located between a first virtual line passing the end part of the switch knob and perpendicular to the flat plate surface of the light guide plate and a second virtual line passing a center of the switch main body and perpendicular to the flat plate surface of the light guide plate.

16. The lighting device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a light source base plate extending in a direction of the first and second virtual lines, the light source part being arranged on the light source base plate,

wherein an entirety of the light source base plate is located between the end surface of the light guide plate and the second virtual line.

17. The lighting device according to claim 15, wherein the light shield member ends in a lower portion of the flat plate surface.

18. The lighting device according to claim 15, wherein the light source is located between the end surface of the light incident part and the switch part.

19. The lighting device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a reflection surface disposed opposite to the light radiation part, the reflection surface extending from the end surface of the light incident part,

wherein the reflection surface comprises a tapered surface that approaches the flat plate surface as the reflection surface extends away from the end surface of the light incident part.