JP2015022975A - Underwater lighting equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an underwater illumination device capable of efficiently irradiating light from a light source into water. An underwater illumination device 1 according to the present invention is a device for illuminating underwater, and an LED (light source) 6 and a plurality of reflecting surfaces 2c that totally reflect light incident from the LED 6 and emit the light into the water. And an optical lens 2 having a hollow portion 2A, and a weight 5 that covers the hollow portion 2A of the optical lens 2 and forms an air layer S inside the optical lens 2. Here, the optical lens 2 has a rotating body shape. The optical lens 2 refracts, refracts, or totally reflects light incident from the LED 6 on the primary side to make parallel light parallel to the rotation axis Z of the optical lens 2, and converts the parallel light to the secondary side. It is assumed that the light is totally reflected by the reflection surface 2c and emitted in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis Z. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an underwater illumination device for illuminating underwater.

  For example, when aquatic microorganisms such as algae that perform photosynthesis are grown in an aquarium, artificially irradiating light to the aquatic microorganisms with a lighting device is performed. In this case, it is necessary to irradiate the entire underwater microorganisms with light evenly.

  By the way, in recent years, a light emitting element such as an LED (light emitting diode) having high luminance, low power consumption, and long life has been used as a light source of such an illuminating device. An illumination device using such a light emitting element as a light source is proposed in Patent Document 1.

  The illuminating device proposed in Patent Document 1 is used for applications such as signal indicator lamps, and includes a display in which at least one lens component and an LED as a light source are arranged at the light source position of the lens component. It is configured with a unit. Here, the lens component includes a light incident part having an incident surface on which light from the LED is incident, and a light incident part arranged radially with a predetermined axis passing through an arrangement position of the LED or the vicinity thereof. Are formed to include a plurality of plate-shaped light guides that guide the light incident from the light in the radial direction intersecting the predetermined axis. The plate-shaped light guide unit has a radiation reflection surface at the end for reflecting the light incident from the incident surface of the light incident unit in the radial direction, and the pair of main surfaces has the predetermined axis. And a pair of light guide reflection surfaces for guiding the light incident from the incident surface in the radial direction while reflecting the light from the inner surface.

Japanese Patent No. 4089692

  However, in the illumination device proposed in Patent Document 1, the light distribution efficiency of the light emitted from the LED is not controlled, so that the light use efficiency is low, and since it does not have a sealed structure, it is used in water. There is a problem that it cannot be floated underwater using buoyancy.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an underwater illumination device that can efficiently irradiate light from a light source into water while standing on the bottom surface of a water tank or the like. It is in.

In order to achieve the above object, the underwater lighting device according to claim 1 is a device for illuminating underwater,
A light source;
An optical lens having a hollow portion formed with a plurality of reflecting surfaces for totally reflecting light incident from the light source and emitting the light into water;
A weight that covers the cavity of the optical lens and forms an air layer inside the optical lens;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the optical lens has a rotating body shape.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 2, wherein the optical lens refracts or refracts and totally reflects light incident from the light source on the primary side, and is parallel to the rotation axis of the optical lens. The parallel light is totally reflected by the secondary reflecting surface and emitted in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the light from the LED is distributed by the optical lens so as to irradiate it into the water, so that the light use efficiency is improved and the light from the light source is efficiently irradiated into the water. be able to. In addition, since the cavity of the optical lens is covered with a weight so that an air layer is formed inside the optical lens, the underwater illumination device is attached to the bottom surface of a water tank or the like by adjusting the volume of the air layer and the weight of the weight. Can be floated in a state of standing up in water or in a state of being appropriately submerged in water (a state in which the light exit surface of the optical lens is immersed in water), and light from the light source can be efficiently irradiated into water.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the optical lens has a rotating body shape, light from the light source is uniformly irradiated in all directions from the optical lens toward water.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, since the light from the light source is emitted in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the rotation axis by the optical lens, the entire underwater can be illuminated uniformly.

1 is a perspective view of an underwater lighting device according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the use condition in water of the underwater illumination apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example of arrangement | positioning to the water tank of the underwater illumination apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example which united the some of the underwater illuminating device which concerns on this invention as a unit. It is a perspective view which shows the example of arrangement | positioning to the water tank of the unit of the underwater illumination apparatus which concerns on this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an underwater lighting device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of use of the underwater lighting device in water, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an arrangement example of the underwater lighting device in a water tank. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the underwater lighting device 1 according to the present invention is an example of a device that is used in a state of floating in water to illuminate the water, and a part of the device is submerged in the water. In this hand illumination device 1, a rectangular plate-like substrate 3 is superimposed on a square flange 2a formed integrally with the upper end of a substantially cylindrical (rotating body) optical lens 2, and a rectangular plate-like lid member 4 is formed thereon. A bottomed cylindrical weight 5 is attached to the outer periphery of the lower end of the optical lens 2, and an LED 6 as a light source is disposed on a rotation axis (rotation axis of the optical lens 2) Z on the lower surface of the substrate 3. It is configured.

  The optical lens 3 is integrally formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a transparent resin having a high light transmittance such as PMMA, PC, etc., and as shown in FIG. On the primary side, a lens cut 2b is applied that refracts, refracts, and totally reflects light emitted from the LED 6 and converts it into parallel light parallel to the rotation axis Z of the optical lens 3 (vertically downward in FIG. 2). ing.

  Further, a conical cavity 2A having an opening at the bottom is formed at the center of the optical lens 2, and a plurality of reflections cut at 45 ° are formed on the inner peripheral surface (secondary side) of the cavity 2A. The surface 2c is formed in a step shape. These reflecting surfaces 2c totally reflect parallel light guided vertically downward in the optical lens 2 and change its traveling direction into a horizontal direction orthogonal to the rotation axis Z. Thus, the horizontal light exits from the light exit surface 2d on the outer periphery of the optical lens 2 into the water and is used for underwater illumination. In this case, on the primary side of the optical lens 2, light incident on the optical lens 2 from the LED 6 is refracted or refracted and totally reflected by the lens cut 2b and parallel to the rotation axis Z of the optical lens 2 (vertical in FIG. 2). (Downward) parallel light, and this parallel light is totally reflected by the reflecting surface 2c on the secondary side to be converted into horizontal light orthogonal to the rotation axis Z of the optical lens 2, so that the reflecting surface on the secondary side The light that is not totally reflected by the light 2c (light emitted from the LED 6 at a certain angle or more when emitted from the LED 6) can be reduced as much as possible, and most of the light emitted from the LED 6 is efficiently reflected by the reflecting surface 2c on the secondary side of the optical lens Since it can be totally reflected, the light utilization efficiency is enhanced 2.

  The cavity 2A formed in the optical lens 2 is hermetically sealed by the weight 5 attached to the outer periphery of the lower end of the optical lens 2, and an air layer S is formed therein. Here, the weight 5 also serves as a lid member, and the material thereof may be metal, resin, or any other material, and may be opaque or transparent.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the underwater illumination device 1 configured as described above has an appropriate depth (specifically, a light exit surface 2 d on the outer periphery of the optical lens 2) in the water accommodated in the water tank 10. It is used in a state of standing vertically in water in a state where it has been submerged at a depth that is immersed in water. Here, the depth of sinking in the hand of the underwater lighting device 1 is set by adjusting the volume (buoyancy) of the air layer S formed inside the cavity 2A of the optical lens 2 and the weight of the weight 5. Can be set to a value.

  Here, although the actual usage pattern of the underwater lighting device 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 3, for example, when aquatic microorganisms such as algae are grown in the aquarium 10, a plurality of (in the illustrated example, 3 × 4 = 12) The underwater lighting device 1 is installed in a state where it is floated in water in order and at appropriate intervals. In this case, since each horizontal illumination device 1 emits horizontal light toward the water and irradiates the underwater microorganisms as described above, photosynthesis of the underwater microorganisms is normally performed.

  As described above, according to the underwater illumination device 1 according to the present invention, the light from the LED 6 is light-distributed by the optical lens 2 and is emitted horizontally into the water. Can be efficiently irradiated into water. Further, since the cavity 2A of the optical lens 2 is covered with the weight 5 to form the air layer S inside the optical lens 2, the volume of the air layer S and the weight of the weight 5 are adjusted to adjust the underwater. The lighting device 1 can be floated in a state where it is appropriately submerged in water (a state where the light exit surface 2d of the optical lens 2 is immersed in water), and light from the LED 6 can be efficiently irradiated into the water.

  In the present embodiment, since the optical lens 2 has a cylindrical shape that is a rotating body, the light from the LED 6 is uniformly irradiated in all directions from the optical lens 2 toward the water. And since the light from LED6 was emitted in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the rotation axis Z with the optical lens 2, the whole underwater can be illuminated uniformly.

  By the way, in the above embodiment, the underwater illumination device 1 was configured as a single unit. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the unit U is configured by arranging and integrating the four underwater illumination devices 1. As shown in FIG. 5, underwater may be illuminated by arranging, for example, two parallel rows of four units U arranged in a straight line in the water in the water tank 10. In the above embodiment, the example in which the underwater lighting device 1 is used in a floating state has been described. However, the weight 5 is provided on the bottom surface of the water tank 10 depending on the depth of the water tank 10 and the size of the underwater lighting device 1. The underwater lighting device 1 may be used in a state of being in contact with and standing up in water.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Underwater illumination device 2 Optical lens 2A Optical lens cavity 2a Optical lens angular flange 2b Optical lens lens cut 2c Optical lens reflective surface 2d Optical lens light exit surface 3 Substrate 4 Lid member 5 Weight 6 LED (light source)
10 Water tank S Air layer U Unit Z Optical lens rotation axis

Claims (3)

A device for lighting underwater,
A light source;
An optical lens having a hollow portion formed with a plurality of reflecting surfaces for totally reflecting light incident from the light source and emitting the light into water;
A weight that covers the cavity of the optical lens and forms an air layer inside the optical lens;
An underwater lighting device comprising:   The underwater illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the optical lens has a rotating body shape. The optical lens refracts or refracts and totally reflects light incident from the light source on the primary side to make parallel light parallel to the rotation axis of the optical lens, and this parallel light is totally reflected on the secondary-side reflection surface. The underwater illumination device according to claim 2, wherein the underwater illumination device is reflected and emitted in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

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