Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to an indication lamp
using the light-emitting diode and more particularly to a
string-shaped indication lamp with a plurality of light-
emission bodies comprising light-emitting diodes, which
is advantageously used by embedding in a concrete
construction, etc.
A light-emission body using the light-emitting
diode, as known in the prior art, is widely used because
filament break or rupture less frequently occurs than
with an electric bulb.
For example, the use of such a light-emission body
as an indicating device for roads or construction sites
is disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 76304jl984 in
which light-emitting diode with a light-emitting surface
created on a transparent resin is embedded in the light-
emission body. Then this body is buried in a block and
this block is used as an elemental device for the
indicating device. Normally, a plurality of such light-
emission bodies are embedded in a block. However, khese
bodies are not connected in advance. Therefore, it is
required to connect each independently embedded body
using lead wires, needing tedious work. Where the block
does not comprise electric insulation, electric parts of
the light-emission
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body are to be embedded, not covered with the resin, and the
lead wires for connection must be electrically insulated,
hich used to restrict operation site as a matter of
disadvantage.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a
series of indication lamps, for use in buried state in a
road, a concrete structure or the like, having a plurality of
light-emission bodies connected at suitable intervals by
means of electrically insulated lead wires in a current-
conducting manner, each of said light-emission bodies
comprising a light-emitting diode embedded in a transparent
resin in such a manner that a light-transmissible upper face
of the resin becomes a light-emitting face, a lower face and
most of outer periphery of each of the light-emission bodies
being entirely covered enbloc with an insulation material
except for an upper par to ensure complete insulation of the
light emission body, and further said light emitting bodies
each having a step part formed on the outer periphery.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a
light emission body comprising a light-emitting diode
embedded in a transparent resin in such a manner that the
upper face of the resin becomes a light-emitting face.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention also
arranges a plurality of the light-emission bodies with
suitable intervals and connects the bodies using electrically
insulated lead wires in a current conducting manner.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention further
covers the lower surface and outer side of the light-emission
body with an insulation material, leaving an outer part of
the upper side uninsulated.
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The preferred embodiment of the present invention again
provide a string-shaped indication lamp by forming a step
part in the outer periphery of the light-emission body.
Said step part may be formed by the upper end face of said
insula-tion or a spring e~uipped in the outer periphery of the
liyht-emission body.
The present invention will be further illustrated by way oE
the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the string-
lo shaped indication lamp according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the
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light-emission body.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 shown an example of the
manufacturing process for the string-shaped indication
lamp according to the present invention.
Fig. 1 shows a string-shaped indication lamp
comprising a light-emission body 1, a lsad wire 2, and an
insulation material 3.
The light-emission body 1 comprises a main
cylindrical body la made of a light-transmissible resin
and necessary electrical materials equipped underneath
the main body la, in which said main body la is provided
with an embedded light-emitting diode lb with its upper
face working as a light-emitting face as known while said
electrical materials comprising for example a resistance
4 and a lead wire 5.
The shape of the main body may not always be a
cylinder but may be a square column or a flat irregular
shape. Each light-emission body 1 is connected together
by joining an insulated lead wire 2 with each outlet wire
5. Consequently, the indication lamp of the present
invention is formed generally in a string shape and
installed with intexvals in-regard to a construction in
which the lamp is embedded. In addition, various
advantages are realized with
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the indication lamp manufactured according to the present
invention, different from those lamps fixed on a base plate,
etc. as known in the prior art, such as higher flexibility
and that a plurality of light-emission bodies can be arranged
uniformly even on a curved or rugged surface.
The light-emission body 1 is covered with an
insulated material except for its upper face and a part of
the outer periphery. The upper face of the covering 3 forms
a step part 3a towards the outer periphery of the
light-emission body 1.
This step part may be formed by providing a spring
of square section in the outer periphery of the main body
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la i~ of -the light-emission body 1. At that time, the
covering 3 may be done only to a part butting to the spring.
With this step part 3a equipped, a plurality of the
light-emission bodies 1 can be embedded at one time by means
of this step part 3a equipped, while the upper parts of the
plural light-emission bodies being set in a mold form.
The range of the outer periphery of the light-
emission body 1, to be covered with the covering 3, may be
approximately one-half of the total heigh-t of the main body
la. Conducting parts of the string-shaped indication lamp
according to the present invention are totally covered with
an insulation material. Therefore, safety of operation is
assured even where the lamp is embedded in a composi-te agent
containing moisture such as a concrete construction. The
number of light-emission bodies in this string-shaped
indication lamp is not limited by any restrictions other than
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those applicable to this kind of indication lamp.
An example of manufacturing the foregoing
string-shaped indication lamps is shown in the following
paragraphs.
First, the light-emitting diode lb is embedded with i-ts upper
face to work as a ligh-t-emitting face, in a main body la in
which a necessary outlet wire 5 is arranged in its lower face
while connecting a resistance 4, etc. to the main body la
comprising light-transmissible resin. This light-emission
body 1 is set on an assembling base plate 7 with a circular
cutting line 8 for separation as shown in Fig. 3 so that the
light-emission body 1 is located at the center of the circular
cutting line 8. A lead wire 2 is connected to the outlet
wire e~uipped at the lower face of the light-emission body
1 by soldering. Next, each light-emission body 1 is separated
along the cutting line 8, together with a part 7a of the
assembling base plate within the cutting line. Individual
light-emission bodies 1 are set in a mold form 6 shown in
Fig. ~, inversely as shown in Fig. 5. An insulating resin
is poured from a gap between the mold form 6 and the
light-emission bodies 1. The resin is hardened while
integrating the covering 3. Thus, the assembly of the
string-shaped indication lamp is completed by pulling out
the assembly from the mold after the resin is completely
cured.
