JP2012129478A - El module and lighting device - Google Patents

Abstract

An EL module and an illumination device that can be miniaturized are provided.
An EL light emitting layer, a light emitting region that emits light emitted from the light emitting layer, and an EL light emitting unit that includes a non-light emitting region that does not emit light emitted from the light emitting layer are provided. In addition, a DC-DC circuit 4 is provided which is disposed on the non-light emitting region 3 side of the EL light emitting unit 2 and controls a voltage applied to the EL light emitting unit.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an EL (electroluminescence) module and a lighting device including a plurality of the EL modules.

  Conventionally, an EL module such as a white organic EL is known as a surface light source. For this reason, an illumination device in which a large white planar light source is formed by using a plurality of white EL modules of this type has been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, there is a problem in that the lighting device is increased in size by the installation space of the lighting circuit.

JP 2009-158188 A

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an EL module and a lighting device that can be miniaturized.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, an EL (electroluminescence) light emitting layer, an EL light emitting portion having a light emitting region that emits light emitted from the light emitting layer and a non-light emitting region that does not emit light emitted from the light emitting layer are provided. .

  Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the control circuit is provided on the non-light emitting region side of the EL light emitting unit and controls the voltage applied to the EL light emitting unit.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the control circuit is disposed in the non-light emitting region of the EL light emitting unit, it is possible to reduce the size of the EL module.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an EL module according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram which notches and shows a part of illuminating device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be described with the same reference numerals.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the white EL module 1 has a DC-DC circuit 4 as an example of a control circuit on the non-light emitting region 3 side of the white EL light emitting unit 2.

  The EL light-emitting unit 2 includes an EL (electroluminescence) layer 5 having an organic or inorganic light-emitting material or the like. It is formed in a heterostructure sandwiched between positive electrodes (anodes) 7 made of a transparent metal thin film such as Tin Oxide (indium tin oxide). An electrical insulator 8 is interposed between the negative electrode 6 and the positive electrode 7.

  An electron transport layer (not shown) that transports electrons supplied from the negative electrode 6 to the EL layer 5 is provided between the negative electrode 6 and the EL layer 5, and between the positive electrode 7 and the EL layer 5. A hole transport layer that transports holes supplied from the positive electrode 7 to the EL layer 5 may be provided.

  A transparent substrate 9 made of, for example, a glass plate or a flexible plastic sheet (or film) is fixed to the outer surface of the transparent positive electrode 7 (the outer surface on the lower bottom surface in FIG. 1). 9 side is formed in the light emission area | region 10 which radiate | emits the light light-emitted by the EL layer 5 outside.

  On the other hand, on the outer surface of the negative electrode 6 made of an opaque metal or the like (on the upper surface side outer surface in FIG. 1), for example, a sealing body 11 made of silicon nitride or the like is fixed and sealed. The light emission from the EL layer 5 is formed in the non-light emitting region 3 where the light is not emitted to the outside.

  A DC-DC circuit 4, which is an example of a control circuit, is disposed on the non-light emitting region 3 side of the EL light emitting unit 2 configured as described above. In the DC-DC circuit 4, for example, the direct current (DC) output terminals at both the left and right ends in FIG. The DC input terminal is connected to a pair of positive and negative DC input lines 13a and 13b. The DC-DC circuit 4 is a control circuit that controls the voltage applied to the EL layer 5 via the negative and positive electrodes 6 and 7, and for example, an AC-DC circuit via a pair of DC input lines 13a and 13b. The direct current voltage input from the (rectifier circuit) is controlled to a voltage necessary for driving the EL layer 5 to light. The DC-DC circuit 4 is composed of, for example, a general-purpose surface mounting circuit in which required electronic circuit components (discrete components) such as inductors and capacitors are mounted on a substrate on which a circuit pattern is formed. It adheres to the outer surface of the stop 11.

  Therefore, according to the EL module 1, since the DC-DC circuit 4 is disposed so as to overlap in the vertical direction on one surface of the EL light emitting unit 2 on the non-light emitting region 3 side, the EL light emitting unit 2 and the DC-DC circuit are arranged. 4 is shortened, and for example, when the DC-DC circuit 4 is juxtaposed to the side of the EL light-emitting unit 2, the enlargement of the planar shape of the EL module 1 due to the lateral spread is suppressed. It is possible to reduce the size.

  Further, since the DC-DC circuit 4 is disposed on the non-light emitting region 3 side of the EL light emitting unit 2, the light emitting region 11 is reduced as compared with the case where the DC-DC circuit 4 is disposed on the light emitting region 10 side. Prevention can be achieved. For this reason, the luminous efficiency of the EL module 1 can be improved.

(Second Embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 2, in the illumination device 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of EL modules 1, 1,... The plurality of EL modules 1, 1,... Each have a light emitting surface 9a (the lower bottom surface in FIG. 2) on the light emitting region 10 side of each transparent substrate 9 facing the lower illumination area 23 side in FIG. The light emitting surfaces 9a of these substrates 9 are arranged in a matrix or in a required row so as to substantially coincide with each other on a plane, and are supported and fixed to the illuminating device body 22 by a holder (not shown).

  Each EL module 1 connects a pair of DC input lines 13 a and 13 b of each DC-DC circuit 4 to a DC output terminal of an AC-DC circuit 24. The AC-DC circuit 24 is connected to an AC input terminal of an AC (alternating current) power line 25 such as a commercial power source. For example, the required voltage required to drive (light) each EL module 1 with an alternating current of 100 V. This is a circuit that converts (rectifies) into direct current (for example, 3 V) and supplies the direct-current power to the DC-DC circuit 4. The AC-DC circuit 24 may be provided in a screw-type or hook-type closet provided on a ceiling or the like (not shown) of the illumination area 23, or provided on the non-light emitting region 3 side of the illumination device main body 22. May be.

  In addition, since the luminance of each light emitting surface 9a of the plurality of EL modules 1, 1,... Has a required variation in the first place, each DC-DC circuit 4 has the light emitting surface 9a of these EL modules 1, 1,. The voltage applied to the EL light emitting unit 2 is controlled so that the luminance is substantially constant at the required luminance.

  As described above, the AC-DC circuit 24 that is difficult to reduce in thickness is configured separately, and the DC-DC circuit 4 that can be reduced in size is individually provided in the EL module 1. Therefore, the lighting device 21 is reduced in size. be able to.

  Furthermore, according to this illuminating device 21, the brightness | luminance thru | or brightness uniformity of each EL module 1,1, ... can be improved. Moreover, since the DC-DC circuit 4 of each EL module 1 is disposed on one surface of the EL light emitting unit 2 on the non-light emitting region 3 side, the increase in the area of the plane is prevented or suppressed. It is possible to reduce the planar shape of the device 21. Note that the lighting device 21 may be configured such that the plurality of EL modules 1, 1,... According to this, each EL module 1 can be appropriately replaced individually with a replacement product such as a new one according to the lifetime or the like. In addition, at the time of replacement, each DC-DC circuit 4 is set so that the applied voltage of the EL light emitting section 2 of the replacement EL module 1 substantially matches the luminance or brightness of the other EL modules 1, 1,. By controlling individually, the brightness or brightness uniformity of the whole of the plurality of EL modules 1, 1,... Can be improved. Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where the large planar light source of white light emission was comprised using the plurality of white light emission EL modules 1, 1, ..., this invention is not limited to this. Instead, for example, a large planar light source that emits white light may be configured by a plurality of EL modules that emit red (R), green (G), and blue (B) light.

  As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... EL (electroluminescence) module, 2 ... EL light emission part, 3 ... Non-light emission area | region, 4 ... DC-DC circuit, 5 ... EL layer, 10 ... Light emission area | region, 21 ... Illuminating device, 22 ... Illuminating device main body.

Claims (3)

An EL light-emitting portion having an EL (electroluminescence) light-emitting layer, a light-emitting region that emits light emitted from the EL light-emitting layer, and a non-light-emitting region that does not emit light emitted from the light-emitting layer;
A control circuit disposed on the non-light emitting region side of the EL light emitting unit and controlling a voltage applied to the EL light emitting unit;
An EL module comprising: A plurality of EL modules according to claim 1;
A lighting device main body for supporting these EL modules;
An illumination device comprising: The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of control circuits are configured to control an applied voltage of the EL module so that the luminance of the whole of the plurality of EL modules is constant.

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