JPH11202164A - Light source module - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a required amount of light intensity according to a use by using an LED and to reduce the size of the entire device. SOLUTION: A donut-shaped printed circuit board 11 is arranged in multiple stages. Many LEDs 15 are mounted on the printed circuit board 11. A number of optical fibers 26 corresponding to the LEDs 15 are fixed by a fusion bonding method or a bonding method using a transparent adhesive. Thus, the LED 1 on the printed circuit board 11
The optical fiber 26 optically connected to the optical fiber 5 in a one-to-one relation is
It is inserted into the insertion portion 12 of the printed circuit board 11 at the next stage, and is bundled with the optical fiber 26 optically connected to the LED 15 at the next stage to be pulled out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a light source module applicable to various light irradiators, such as a dental light irradiator and a resist exposure light irradiator, and more particularly, to a light emitting diode (hereinafter simply referred to as an LED) as a light source. It relates to the light source module used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional light source modules include a dental light irradiator for polymerizing and curing a photopolymerizable resin (composite resin) used in dental treatment, and a resist exposure for exposing a resist during semiconductor device manufacturing. There is a light irradiator and the like. These light irradiators mainly use a halogen lamp as a light source, and in order to obtain light in a wavelength range according to the application,
A filter that transmits light in a desired wavelength range is used. For example, a dental light irradiator uses light from a halogen lamp as a light source in a wavelength range of 410 to 500 nm suitable for curing a composite resin through a filter.

[0003]

However, as described above, in the conventional light source module, in order to convert the white light emitted from the halogen lamp into light having a wavelength range corresponding to the intended use, the light source module has a band corresponding to the wavelength range. Requires a filter. Furthermore, since a halogen lamp becomes hot at the time of light emission, its cooling device is required. Therefore, there is a possibility that the entire light source module becomes complicated or large. Further, the halogen lamp has a large energy loss due to its heat generation, so that the luminous efficiency with respect to the electric power is low. Further, since the light is attenuated when passing through the filter, the luminous efficiency is further reduced. Therefore, power consumption for obtaining the required light intensity increases.
In addition, the halogen lamp has a short life due to its structure, and particularly when used as a light source of a cordless type light irradiator, there is a possibility that a sharp decrease in light intensity may occur after a certain period of use. That is, it is necessary to replace the halogen lamp newly according to the usage time, and the replacement operation is troublesome, and there is room for improvement in cost.

[0004] On the other hand, in recent years, LEDs have attracted attention as light sources that can be used in various devices. Since an LED has a unique emission spectrum, light in a desired wavelength band can be obtained without using a filter by using an LED having an emission spectrum corresponding to the application. Further, since the LED generates less heat due to light emission, a cooling device is not required.
Therefore, it is advantageous in miniaturizing the entire apparatus. Furthermore,
LEDs are advantageous in terms of power consumption due to low energy loss. In addition, since the life of the LED is long, frequent replacement is not required, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

However, since the light intensity of an LED alone is low, it is necessary to use a large number of LEDs in order to obtain a required amount of light intensity according to the application, which is a solution in terms of miniaturization of the entire device. There are issues to be addressed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a light source module which can obtain a required light intensity according to a use by using an LED and can reduce the size of the entire device. is there.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light source module comprising: a printed circuit board having an insertion portion; a plurality of LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board; A plurality of optical fibers connected in a one-to-one relationship, wherein the printed circuit boards are arranged in multiple stages, and the optical fibers optically connected to the LEDs of the preceding printed circuit board are connected to the next printed circuit board. And a bundle with an optical fiber optically connected to the LED of the printed circuit board at the next stage.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a printed circuit board of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the optical fiber positioning plate of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a positional relationship between the LED and the optical fiber of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a substrate circuit of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a light source module according to the present embodiment includes a printed board 11, a plurality of LEDs 15 mounted on the printed board 11, and a plurality of LEDs 15 at one end.
And a number of optical fibers 26 optically connected one-to-one. As shown in FIG. 2, the printed board 11 has a circular donut plate shape having a circular insertion portion 12 at the center. The printed circuit board 11 has a circular through hole 13 at a predetermined angular position (upper side in FIG. 2) on the outer peripheral side, and has a connector 14 at an angular position (lower side in FIG. 2) 180 degrees away from the through hole 13. ing. The connectors 14 are for connecting ordinary power connectors 31 and 32, and are provided on both side surfaces of the printed circuit board 11.

A large number (15 in FIG. 2) of the LEDs 15 are arranged on one side (the right side in FIG. 1) of the printed circuit board 11. That is, seven LEDs 15 are arranged at equal angular intervals at positions on the inner peripheral side of the printed circuit board 11 that do not interfere with the connector 14, and eight LEDs 15 are arranged at positions that do not interfere with the through holes 13 on the outer peripheral side. They are arranged at angular intervals. As shown in FIG. 5, each LED 15 is electrically connected to the connector 14 by wiring on the printed circuit board 11. Then, a predetermined power is supplied to each LED by electrically connecting a power supply (not shown) to the connector 14. The connector 14 has terminals 14A and 14B for a positive (+) pole and a negative (-) pole.
Is provided, and by jumper-connecting the connector 14 of one of the printed circuit boards 11 stacked in multiple stages,
Both terminals 14A and 14B can be connected to a power supply on the other printed circuit board 11 side.

According to the present invention, a predetermined number of the same printed circuit boards 11 are arranged in parallel in a multistage manner at predetermined intervals in the axial direction thereof. That is, the columnar spacer 1 having the same diameter as the through-hole 13 is inserted through the through-hole 13 of the printed circuit board 11 to integrally hold the printed-circuit boards 11 at the predetermined intervals. . Also, the printed circuit board 1
Opposite to one LED 15 side, an optical fiber positioning plate 21 having a circular donut plate shape having substantially the same outer shape as the printed circuit board 11 is arranged so as to form a pair.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, each optical fiber positioning plate 21 is
A circular through-hole 23 having the same diameter as the through-hole 13 is provided at a predetermined angular position (upper side in FIG. 3) on the outer peripheral side corresponding to. The spacer 1 is inserted into the through hole 23 of the optical fiber positioning plate 21 so as to penetrate the optical fiber positioning plate 21, and the optical fiber positioning plate 21 is integrally held so as to be close to the printed board 11 at a predetermined interval. Thus, the optical fiber positioning plate 21 is arranged in parallel with one side surface (the right side surface in FIG. 1) of the corresponding printed circuit board 11 so as to form a pair with the printed circuit board 11.

The optical fiber positioning plate 21 is located at a central position corresponding to the insertion portion 12 of the printed circuit board 11.
And a circular insertion portion 22 having substantially the same diameter as that of the insertion portion 22. Also,
The optical fiber positioning plate 21 is at an angular position (lower side in FIG. 3) 180 degrees away from the through hole 23, that is, the printed circuit board 11
A rectangular opening 24 is formed at a position corresponding to the connector 14 of FIG.

Each optical fiber support plate 21 has the same number (15 in FIG. 3) as the LEDs 15 arranged on each printed circuit board 11.
Optical fiber positioning portions 25 are provided. The optical fiber positioning unit 25 is an LED on the printed circuit board 11.
15 are disposed at positions corresponding to the respective positions. When the printed circuit board 11 and the optical fiber positioning plate 21 are fixed and held by the spacers, each optical fiber positioning portion 25 accurately faces or faces the corresponding LED 15. That is, the optical fiber positioning plate 2
Seven optical fiber positioning portions 25 are arranged at equal angular intervals at positions that do not interfere with the opening 24 on the inner peripheral side, and eight optical fiber positioning portions 25 are located at positions that do not interfere with the through holes 23 on the outer peripheral side. The fiber positioning parts 25 are arranged at equal angular intervals.

As shown in FIG. 4, the LED of the present embodiment
Reference numeral 15 denotes a lens-equipped chip LED, and includes an LED chip 16 that emits a predetermined color, a lens 17 disposed on the light-emitting side of the LED chip 16, and a resin mold 18 that seals the LED chip 16 and the lens 17. LED
The LED 15 electrically connects the LED chip 16 to the printed circuit board 11 and the lens 17 is disposed on the optical fiber positioning section 25 side. The LED chip 16 emits light of a desired color according to the application.

For example, when applied to a dental light irradiator,
A blue LED chip that emits blue light in a wavelength range around 470 nm suitable for curing the composite resin is used. When applied to a light irradiator for exposing a resist at the time of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a violet LED chip or a violet LED that emits violet light in a wavelength range around 405 nm, which is suitable for resist exposure.
UV-light that emits ultraviolet (UV) light in the wavelength range around 80 nm
Use LED chips. Any other LED, such as one that emits red light or one that emits infrared light, depending on the application
Can be used.

On the other hand, each of the optical fiber positioning portions 25 has a funnel-shaped through hole formed of a conical guide hole 25a whose diameter is reduced inward and a cylindrical holding hole 25b continuous with the inner end of the guide hole 25a. It is a hole. Then, the tip of the holding hole 25b is exposed on one side surface (the left side surface in FIGS. 1 and 4) of the optical fiber positioning plate 21, and is accurately aligned with the light emitting surface 17a of the lens 17 of the corresponding LED 15 on the printed circuit board 11. Facing or facing. Then, one end of the optical fiber 26 is inserted and fixed to the optical fiber positioning portion 25,
The light incident surface 26a at the tip is the optical fiber positioning plate 21.
The lens 1 of the LED 15 is flush with one side
The light-exiting surface 17a has a predetermined distance and is accurately opposed to or opposed to the light-exiting surface 17a. Thus, the LED 15 and the optical fiber 26 are optically connected in a one-to-one relationship.

Specifically, the tip of the optical fiber 26 is
Guide hole 25 of funnel-shaped optical fiber positioning portion 25
The LED 15 is fixed by press-fitting, bonding, or the like into the holding hole 25b, and is positioned at a position facing or exactly facing the light emitting surface 17a of the lens 17 of the LED 15. Each optical fiber positioning plate 21 has an optical fiber positioning portion 2.
5, a total of 15 optical fibers 26 are held and fixed. The distance between the light exit surface 17a of the lens 17 and the light entrance surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 is preferably as small as possible in order to prevent light loss, and may be bonded. The optical fiber 26 usually has a diameter of 1 mm.
An optical fiber made of an arbitrary material such as quartz glass, multi-component glass, plastic, and the like is used.

The printed circuit board 11 and the optical fiber positioning plate 21 forming a pair as described above are arranged in multiple stages at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the spacer 1. In the present embodiment, the printed circuit boards 15 are arranged in a six-stage configuration from the left side to the right side in FIG. 1, and the optical fiber positioning plates 21 forming a pair also have a six-stage configuration. Therefore, a total of six pairs of printed circuit boards 11 and optical fiber positioning plates 21 are arranged at regular intervals along the spacer 1. In addition, both ends of the spacer 1 are expanded in a flange shape so that the stoppers 1a,
1b, the left stop 1a abuts and locks the other side surface of the first-stage printed circuit board, and the right stop 1b
Abuts on the other side surface of the sixth-stage optical fiber positioning plate 21 so as to be locked, thereby preventing them from falling off from the spacer 1. The printed circuit board 11 and the optical fiber positioning plate 21 of each stage are also positioned and fixed at predetermined positions in the axial direction of the spacer 1 by positioning means (not shown). As such positioning means, for example, the printed board 11 and the optical fiber positioning plate 21
May be locked in an uneven relationship. Thereby, the optical fiber 26 is positioned in the axial direction of the spacer 1 with respect to the LED 15, and the light emitting surface 1 of the lens 17 of the LED 15 is positioned.
The distance between 7a and the light incident surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 can be determined to a desired value.

Then, the first stage optical fiber positioning plate 2
The first optical fiber 26 is connected to the second printed circuit board 1 from the other side (the right side in FIG. 1) of the optical fiber positioning plate 21.
1 is inserted in a state of being bundled with the insertion portion 12 and the insertion portion 22 of the optical fiber positioning plate 21, and the opposite side (third stage side)
Drawn to. Then, in a state of being bundled together with the optical fibers 26 of the second-stage optical fiber positioning plate 21,
It is inserted in a state of being bundled with the insertion portion 12 of the third-stage printed circuit board 11 and the insertion portion 22 of the optical fiber positioning plate 21,
It is bundled together with the optical fiber 26 of the third-stage optical fiber positioning plate 21. Similarly, the optical fiber 26 optically connected to the LED 15 of the printed circuit board 11
Is inserted into the insertion portion 12 of the next-stage printed circuit board 11 and the insertion portion 22 of the optical fiber positioning plate 21, and bundled together with the optical fiber 26 optically connected to the LED 15 of the next-stage printed circuit board 11. Pull out.

Thus, the optical fibers 26 of the first to fifth optical fiber positioning plates 21 are bundled together and the insertion portion 12 of the sixth-stage printed circuit board 11 and the insertion of the optical fiber positioning plates 21 are inserted. The optical fiber 26 is inserted into the portion 22 and bundled together with the optical fibers 26 of the sixth-stage optical fiber positioning plate 21. In the present embodiment, the light emitting surfaces are integrally formed in a state in which the other ends of a total of 90 (fifteen in each step) optical fibers 26 for these six steps are bundled together. I have.

The connector 14 on one side (the right side in FIG. 1) of the printed circuit board 11 and the connector 14 on the other side (the left side in FIG. 1) of the next stage printed circuit board 11 are connected by the corresponding connectors 31 and 32. It is electrically connected via a cord 33. In addition, a multi-stage (6 in this embodiment)
Step) Connector 14 of one superposed printed circuit board 11
Are connected by a jumper, and both terminals 14A and 14B are connected to a DC power supply on the other printed circuit board 11 side. Then, by supplying power from a power source, a direct current is simultaneously supplied to the LEDs 15 of each stage to energize them. The connector 32 and the cord 33 are drawn out to the corresponding next-stage printed circuit board 11 through the openings 25 of the first to fifth-stage optical fiber positioning plates 21, respectively. The power cord connected to the sixth-stage printed circuit board 11 is connected to the opening 25 of the sixth-stage optical fiber positioning plate 21.
Through the printed circuit board 11 of the sixth stage.

Next, the operation of the light source module according to the embodiment configured as described above will be described.

The light source module of this embodiment is provided with a light emitting surface of the other end of a total of 90 optical fibers 26 housed and housed in an appropriate housing, bundled together, and pulled out. Exposed from As the housing, a cylindrical housing corresponding to the shape of the light source module can be used. The housing may have any shape as long as it can be gripped by a user and does not impair workability.

When power is supplied from the power source to the first and sixth stages of the printed circuit boards 11, the printed circuit boards 11 of each stage are energized.
The LED chip 16 of the LED 15 is energized and emits light of a predetermined color. The emitted light is converged by the lens 17, exits from the light exit surface 17a, and faces the facing optical fiber 26.
To the light incident surface 26a. As a result, the fifteen optical fibers 26 correspond to the light emitted from the fifteen LEDs 15 in each stage.
, And finally, a total of 90 optical fibers 26 of six stages aggregate the light of the total of 90 LEDs 15 and emit the light from the light emission surface at the other end. Therefore, 9 of the single LED 15
Since light having a light intensity or light amount of 0 times is emitted from the other end of the optical fiber 26, it is possible to irradiate the irradiation target with light having a sufficient intensity or amount according to a desired use such as composite resin curing, resist exposure, or the like. it can.

As described above, the light source module according to the first embodiment has a printed board 11 having an insertion portion 12 at a predetermined position (center), a plurality of LEDs 15 mounted on the printed board 11, and one end connected to the plurality of LEDs. A plurality of optical fibers 26 optically connected in a one-to-one relationship with the LEDs 15, the printed circuit boards 11 are arranged in multiple stages, and the light optically connected to the LEDs 15 of the preceding printed circuit board 11 is provided. The fiber 26 is inserted into the insertion portion 12 of the next-stage printed circuit board 11 and the next-stage printed circuit board 11
And an optical fiber 26 optically connected to the LED 15.

Therefore, one LED 15 has one
Since the optical fibers 26 are optically connected, the light collection efficiency is good, and the light intensity can be increased in proportion to the increase in the number of LEDs 15. Further, since the printed circuit boards 11 on which a large number of LEDs 15 are mounted are juxtaposed in multiple stages, the light intensity can be increased in proportion to the increase in the number of printed circuit boards 11 or the number of steps. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the final light intensity can be easily changed and adjusted by changing the number of LEDs 15 arranged on one printed circuit board 11 or the number of steps of the printed circuit board 11. Light of the optimum intensity can be obtained.

Furthermore, since the LEDs 15 can be mounted on the printed circuit board 11 in which the LEDs 15 are arranged in a multi-stage manner with good space efficiency, the power supply module or the entire light irradiation device can be reduced in size. Furthermore, since it is sufficient to prepare the required number of printed circuit boards 11 having the same configuration, the number of types of components can be reduced, the manufacturing thereof can be facilitated, and the cost can be reduced. Then, the optical fiber 26 of the previous stage is inserted into the central insertion portion 12 of the printed circuit board 11, and the optical fiber
Since the power supply module 6 is pulled out in a bundle, a large number of optical fibers 26 can be mounted without increasing the outer shape of the power supply module itself. In addition, since the plate-shaped printed circuit boards 11 arranged side by side in a multi-stage form a fin structure as a whole, the heat dissipation is good, the heat of the LED 15 can be efficiently radiated, and the influence of the heat can be prevented. Product reliability can be improved. In particular, the printed board 11 can be a metal board such as an aluminum base, and in this case, the heat dissipation can be further improved. In addition, the power supply module according to the present embodiment has the above-described effects due to the use of the LED 15 as the light source. As a result, it is possible to obtain a required amount of light intensity according to the application by using the LED,
And the whole apparatus can be reduced in size. Accordingly, a light irradiator having a small shape that can be easily held by a user or an operator can be obtained. Further, the present invention can be applied to a light irradiator that needs to be further miniaturized, such as a dental light irradiator that needs to be inserted into a patient's mouth by reducing the area or size of the light irradiator.

The light source module of the above embodiment further includes a plate-shaped optical fiber positioning plate 21 having an insertion portion 22 at a position corresponding to the insertion portion 12 of the printed circuit board 11.
Are arranged so as to form a pair facing the LED 15 side of the printed board 11, and the LED 1 of the printed board 11 forming the pair in the optical fiber positioning plate 21.
5 and one end of the optical fiber 26 is positioned and held, and the optical fiber 26 of the optical fiber positioning plate 21 paired with the preceding printed circuit board 11 is inserted into the insertion portion 12 of the next printed circuit board 11 and This is inserted into the insertion portion 22 of the optical fiber positioning plate 21, and bundled with the optical fiber 26 of the next stage optical fiber positioning plate 21 and pulled out.

Therefore, a large number of optical fibers 26 can be accurately positioned and mounted on the LED 15 by the optical fiber positioning plate 21, and the light collection efficiency can be further improved. Also, like the printed circuit board 11,
Since the required number of optical fiber positioning plates 21 need only be prepared in the same configuration, the number of types of components can be reduced, the manufacture thereof is easy, and the cost can be reduced.
Then, like the printed circuit board 11, the optical fiber 26 of the previous stage is inserted into the central insertion portion 22 of the optical fiber positioning plate 21, and the bundle is drawn out with the optical fiber 26 of the relevant stage.
Many optical fibers 26 can be mounted without increasing the outer shape of the power supply module itself. In addition, since the plate-shaped optical fiber positioning plate 21 arranged in parallel with the printed circuit board 11 forms a fin structure as a whole, the heat radiation is good, the heat of the LED 15 is efficiently radiated, and the influence of the heat is reduced. Can be prevented, and the reliability of the product can be improved.

In the first embodiment, the printed circuit board 11 and the optical fiber positioning plate 21 are formed in a corresponding donut shape, and the optical fibers 26 are inserted through the central insertion portions 12 and 22. The shapes of the printed circuit board and the optical fiber positioning plate in carrying out the invention are not limited to those described above, and may be implemented as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, for example. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a printed circuit board of the light source module according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an optical fiber positioning plate of the light source module according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, a printed circuit board 41 according to the second embodiment has an insertion portion 42 which is partially cut away. That is, the printed board 41 may be formed in a flat plate shape in which a predetermined angular position on the outer periphery is cut out in a predetermined shape. FIG.
5, the printed circuit board 41 has a disk shape having a substantially square notch-shaped insertion portion 42 opened to the right. The LEDs 15 are mounted and arranged at a large number of predetermined positions on the printed circuit board 41 in the same manner as in the above embodiment, so that light emission can be controlled. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, another example of the optical fiber positioning plate 51 of the second embodiment has a portion formed as a cutout shape as the insertion portion 52 corresponding to the shape of the printed circuit board 41. That is, the optical fiber positioning plate 51 can also be formed in a flat plate shape in which a predetermined angular position on the outer periphery is cut out in a predetermined shape. In FIG. 7, the optical fiber positioning plate 51 has a substantially square notch-shaped insertion portion 5 that opens rightward.
It has a disk shape having two. Then, as in the first embodiment, the optical fibers 2 are opposed to the LEDs 15 at a large number of predetermined positions of the optical fiber positioning plate 51.
6 is arranged at one end and optically connected to the LED 15. Further, the large number of optical fibers 26 at each stage are connected to the insertion portion 42 of the printed circuit board 41 and the optical fiber positioning plate 5.
It is inserted in a bundled state into one insertion portion 52 and pulled out to the opposite side. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, the same operation and effect as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

The shapes of the printed circuit boards 11 and 41 and the optical fiber positioning plates 21 and 51 are not limited to a donut plate shape and a disc shape, but may be a substantially square donut plate shape, a substantially square plate shape, or a substantially polygonal plate shape. And the like.
Also, the shape of the insertion portion can be any shape such as a substantially square shape, a polygonal shape, and the like, in addition to the circular shape and the square notch shape. Further, the insertion portions 12, 22, 42, 52 are connected to the printed circuit boards 11, 41 and the optical fiber positioning plates 21, 5, respectively.
The LED 15 and the optical fiber 26 can be arranged at any position other than the predetermined angular position at the center or the outer peripheral portion of the device 1.

In the first and second embodiments, the optical fiber positioning plate 21 and the optical fiber positioning plate 21 for positioning the optical fiber 26 are used.
Although 51 is used, other configurations can be adopted in the present invention as long as the optical fiber 26 can be positioned with respect to the LED 15. For example, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11 to FIG.
The light incident surface 2 at one end of the optical fiber 26 is omitted.
6a may be fixed by fusion bonding, an adhesive or the like while directly contacting the LED 15, and these may be optically connected.

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a light source module according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a printed circuit board of the light source module according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

The light source module according to the third embodiment is characterized in that the optical fiber positioning plate 21 of the light source module according to the first embodiment is omitted, and the optical fiber 26 is directly fixed to the LED 15. Same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same members and portions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, in the third embodiment, a predetermined number of the same printed circuit boards 11 are arranged in parallel in multiple stages at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. The columnar spacer 1 having the same diameter as the through-hole 13 is inserted through the through-hole 13 of the printed circuit board 11 to integrally hold the printed-circuit boards 11 at the predetermined intervals. In addition, since the optical fiber positioning plate 21 is omitted, the arrangement interval of the printed circuit boards 11 can be shortened accordingly, as compared with the first embodiment.

The LED 15 of the present embodiment can be composed of, for example, a chip LED with a lens as shown in FIG. 4, and an LED that emits light of a desired color according to the application is used. The optical fiber 26 has a light incident surface 26a at the tip thereof which is an LED.
The lens 17 is fixed to the light emitting surface 17 a of the fifteen lenses 17 in a contact state, and accurately faces or faces the LED chip 16. Thereby, the LED 15 and the optical fiber 26
Are optically connected in a one-to-one relationship. That is, on the printed circuit board 11 of each stage, a total of fifteen optical fibers 26 are fixed corresponding to a total of fifteen LEDs.

Here, as a means for fixing the optical fiber 26 to the LED 15, there is a fusion bonding method or a bonding method using a transparent adhesive. The fusion bonding method uses a portion for fixing the optical fiber 26 of the LED 15 and a tip surface 26 of the optical fiber 26.
is heated and melted, and the tip end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 is LE
D15 at a predetermined position on the light emission side (light emission surface 1 of lens 17)
7a), and then cooled and cured for bonding. Further, in the bonding method, a transparent adhesive such as an epoxy-based adhesive is applied to a portion of the LED 15 to which the optical fiber 26 is fixed and the tip end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26, and the tip end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 is attached to the light exit surface In a predetermined position, and the adhesive is cured and adhered. Such a transparent adhesive has a refractive index smaller than the refractive index of the core material of the optical fiber 26 so that light emitted from the LED 15 is surely incident on the core of the optical fiber 26 at an angle equal to or less than the total reflection angle via the adhesive. Preferably, one is used.

As described above, as the optical fiber 26,
Any optical fiber such as a resin fiber or a quartz fiber can be used.
The transmittance is affected by the end surface finishing condition a. In this case, when the fusion bonding method is used, a transmittance of about 50% is obtained. Furthermore, when using quartz fiber,
A transmission of 80-90% was obtained.

As described above, the printed circuit boards 11 are arranged in multiple stages at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the spacer 1. In the present embodiment, the printed circuit boards 15 are arranged in a six-stage configuration from left to right in FIG. However, since there is no need to interpose and arrange the optical fiber positioning plate 21 as in the first embodiment,
By increasing the number of printed circuit boards 11,
The final light intensity or light intensity of the light source module can be easily increased.

The optical fiber 26 of the first-stage printed circuit board 11 is inserted from the other side (the right side in FIG. 8) of the printed circuit board 11 into the insertion portion 1 of the second-stage printed circuit board 11.
2 and is pulled out to the opposite side (third stage side). Then, in a state of being bundled together with the optical fiber 26 of the second-stage printed circuit board 11, it is further inserted in a state of being bundled with the insertion portion 12 of the third-stage printed circuit board 11,
It is bundled together with the optical fiber 26 of the third-stage printed circuit board 11. Similarly, the optical fiber 26 optically connected to the LED 15 of the preceding printed circuit board 11 is inserted into the insertion portion 12 of the next printed circuit board 11 and the optical fiber 26 is optically connected to the LED 15 of the next printed circuit board 11. And bundle it together with the optical fiber 26 connected thereto.

Thus, the optical fibers 26 of the first to fifth optical fiber positioning plates 21 are inserted into the insertion portion 12 of the sixth printed circuit board 11 in a bundled state, and It is bundled together with the optical fiber 26 of the printed circuit board 11. In the present embodiment, the light emitting surfaces are integrally formed in a state in which the other ends of a total of 90 (fifteen in each step) optical fibers 26 for these six steps are bundled together. I have.

The electrical configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.
4. Connector 1 on the opposite side of adjacent printed circuit board 11 using connectors 31 and 32 and cord 33
4 is electrically connected via a cord 33 by a corresponding connector 31 and connector 32. Further, the connectors 14 of one printed circuit board 11 stacked in multiple stages (six stages in this embodiment) are connected by jumper connection, and both terminals 14A and 14B are connected to the other printed circuit board 11 by DC.
Connect to power. Then, by supplying power from a power source, a direct current is simultaneously supplied to the LEDs 15 of each stage to energize them.

Next, the operation of the light source module according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described.

The light source module of the present embodiment has a light exit surface at the other end of a total of 90 optical fibers 26 which are housed and housed in an appropriate housing, bundled together, and pulled out, similarly to the first embodiment. , Exposed from the light emitting portion of the housing. Then, when power is supplied from the power supply to the printed circuit boards 11 of each stage, the LED chips 16 of the LEDs 15 of the printed circuit boards 11 of each stage are energized, and emit light of a predetermined color. The emitted light is converged by the lens 17, exits from the light exit surface 17 a, and enters the light entrance surface 26 a of the optical fiber 26 which directly contacts and faces the light exit surface 17. Thereby, each stage 1
The light emitted from the five LEDs 15 is directly incident on the corresponding fifteen optical fibers 26, and finally a total of 90 optical fibers 26 for six stages aggregate the light of the total 90 LEDs 15 and Out of the light exit surface. Therefore, a single LED
Since light having a light intensity or light amount 90 times as large as 15 is emitted from the other end of the optical fiber 26, the irradiation target is irradiated with light having a sufficient intensity or amount according to a desired use such as composite resin curing or resist exposure. be able to.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a first fixing example of the LED and the optical fiber of the light source module according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a second fixing example of the LED and the optical fiber of the light source module according to the third embodiment.

In the fixing example shown in FIG. 10, a bare chip LED 61 is used as an LED. This bare chip LED6
1 is composed of only a chip LED without including a lens 17 and a resin mold 18 in addition to the LED chip 16 like the LED 15 of the first embodiment.
The bare chip LED 61 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 11, and has a light emitting surface (a flat surface on the right end in FIG. 10) opposed to the adjacent printed circuit board 11 in parallel. The bare LED chip 61 emits light of a desired color according to the application. And bare chip LED61
The tip end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 is fixed to the light emitting surface of the optical fiber 26 by the above-mentioned fusion bonding method or bonding method. Thereby, the light from the bare chip LED 61 is directly transmitted to the optical fiber 2.
6 and has the above-described predetermined functions and effects.

In the fixing example of FIG. 11, a chip LED 71 substantially similar to that of the first embodiment is used as an LED. The chip LED 71 includes an LED chip 72 that emits a predetermined color, a lens 73 disposed on the light emitting side of the LED chip 72 and a LE 73, like the LED 15 of the first embodiment.
Resin mold 7 for sealing D chip 72 and lens 73
4 is provided. In the chip LED 71, the LED chip 72 is electrically connected to the printed board 11, and the lens 73 is arranged to face the adjacent printed board 11. The LED
The chip 72 emits light of a desired color depending on the application. Further, a space or a concave portion corresponding to the substantially hemispherical lens 73 is formed around the lens 73 of the chip LED 71. The tip end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 is fixed to the light emitting side (right side in FIG. 11) of the lens 73 of the chip LED 71 by the bonding method. Specifically, first, the transparent adhesive is filled in the space or the concave portion around the lens 73 of the chip LED 71, and the front end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 is connected to the light emitting surface of the LED chip 72 (the flat surface at the right end in FIG. 11). ) Is brought into contact with the top of the lens 73 so as to be parallel. Note that the transparent adhesive may be simultaneously applied to the distal end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26. Then, the transparent adhesive is cured to bond them. Thereby, the chip L
Light from the ED 71 is directly incident on the optical fiber 26, and has the above-described predetermined functions and effects.

As described above, the light source module according to the third embodiment has a printed board 11 having an insertion portion 12 at a predetermined position (center), a plurality of LEDs 15 mounted on the printed board 11, LEDs 15, 61,
A plurality of optical fibers 26 fixedly connected to each other by a fusion bonding method or a bonding method and optically connected in a one-to-one relationship. The optical fiber 26 optically connected to the LED 15 is inserted into the insertion portion 12 of the next printed circuit board 11 and the printed circuit board 11
And an optical fiber 26 optically connected to the LED 15.

Therefore, one LED 15, 61, 7
Since one optical fiber 26 is directly optically connected to one, the light collection efficiency is good, and the light intensity can be increased in proportion to the increase in the number of LEDs 15, 61, 71. In addition, since the printed circuit boards 11 on which a large number of the LEDs 15, 61, 71 are mounted are arranged in multiple stages, the light intensity can be increased in proportion to the number of printed circuit boards 11 or the number of steps. That is, in the above embodiment, the final light intensity can be easily changed and adjusted by changing the number of the LEDs 15, 61, 71 arranged on one printed circuit board 11 or the number of steps of the printed circuit board 11. Thus, it is possible to obtain light having an optimum intensity according to the application.

Furthermore, since the LEDs 15, 61 and 71 can be mounted on the printed circuit board 11 in which the LEDs are arranged in a multi-stage manner with good space efficiency, the power supply module or the entire light irradiation device can be reduced in size. Furthermore, as the printed circuit board 11,
Since it is sufficient to prepare the required number of components having the same configuration, the number of types of components can be reduced, the manufacturing thereof can be facilitated, and the cost can be reduced. Then, the optical fiber 26 of the previous stage is inserted into the insertion portion 12 at the center of the printed circuit board 11 and bundled with the optical fiber 26 of the relevant stage to be drawn out.
Can be implemented. In addition, since the plate-shaped printed circuit boards 11 arranged side by side in a multi-stage form a fin structure as a whole, the heat radiation is good, and the heat generated by the LEDs 15, 61, 71 is efficiently radiated, and the influence of the heat generation is prevented. Can improve the reliability of the product. In particular, the printed board 11 can be a metal board such as an aluminum base, and in this case, the heat dissipation can be further improved. In addition, the power supply module according to the present embodiment has the above-described effects due to the use of the LEDs 15, 61, and 71 as light sources. As a result, it is possible to obtain a required amount of light intensity according to the application by using the LED, and to reduce the size of the entire device. Accordingly, a light irradiator having a small shape that can be easily held by a user or an operator can be obtained. Further, the present invention can be applied to a light irradiator that needs to be further miniaturized, such as a dental light irradiator that needs to be inserted into a patient's mouth by reducing the area or size of the light irradiator.

Further, since the distal end surface 26a of the optical fiber 26 is directly fixed to the LEDs 15, 61, 71 and optically connected, the light emitted from the LEDs 15, 61, 71 can enter the optical fiber 26 without leaking. The light intensity per one optical fiber 26 can be increased, and the light intensity of the final light source module can be greatly improved.

The printed board 41 according to the second embodiment can be used as the printed board according to the third embodiment. Further, the shape of the printed board 41 is not limited to a donut plate or a disk, but may be a substantially square donut plate. Shape, a substantially square plate shape, a substantially polygonal plate shape, and the like. In addition, the shape of the insertion portion is not only a circular shape, a square notch shape, but also a substantially square shape,
Any shape such as a polygonal shape can be used. Further, the insertion portions 12, 22, 42, 52 are connected to the printed circuit boards 11, 4,
1 at any position.
The EDs 15, 61, 71 and the optical fiber 26 can be arranged.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the printed circuit boards 11 and 41 are arranged in six stages. However, in the present invention, a required number of LEDs 15 and 6 are provided to obtain light of a required intensity.
As long as 1,71 can be arranged, the number of stages may be five or less. Conversely, the light intensity can be increased as the number of steps increases, so that the number of steps can be increased to seven or more unless the overall size is unnecessarily increased. In particular, in the third embodiment, the printed circuit boards 11 are provided in more stages, so that the light amount can be dramatically increased.

In the first embodiment, a chip LED with a lens is used as the LED 15, and in the third embodiment, a bare chip LED 61 or a chip LED 71 is used. (Dome type) LED lamps, bare chips, etc., other L
ED can be appropriately selected and used. And L
As the ED, one that emits light in a desired wavelength range according to the application may be used, and an LED of any color in the range from the ultraviolet region to the infrared region can be used.

In addition, the power supply module of the present invention can be used not only for a dental light irradiator and a resist exposure light irradiator, but also for a local irradiation irradiator and a microscope light irradiator used for medical treatment. It can be applied to any device such as a vessel.

[0058]

As described above, the light source module according to the first aspect of the present invention has a printed board having an insertion portion at the center, a number of LEDs mounted on the printed board, and one end fixed to the LED. A plurality of optical fibers connected in a one-to-one relationship to each other, the printed circuit boards are arranged in multiple stages, and the optical fibers optically connected to the LEDs of the previous printed circuit board are connected to the next-stage printed circuit board. It is inserted into the insertion portion of the board, and is bundled with an optical fiber optically connected to the LED of the next-stage printed circuit board and pulled out.

Therefore, since one optical fiber is directly optically connected to one LED, the light collection efficiency is good, and the light intensity can be increased in proportion to the increase in the number of LEDs. In addition, since the printed circuit boards on which a large number of LEDs are mounted are arranged in multiple stages, the light intensity can be increased in proportion to the increase in the number of printed circuit boards or the number of steps. That is, by changing the number of LEDs arranged on one printed circuit board or the number of printed circuit boards, the final light intensity can be easily changed and adjusted, and light having the optimum intensity according to the application can be obtained. be able to. Further, since the LEDs can be mounted on a multi-stage printed board with good space efficiency, the entire power supply module can be reduced in size. Furthermore,
If a required number of printed circuit boards having the same configuration are used, the number of types of components can be reduced, the manufacturing thereof can be facilitated, and the cost can be reduced. Then, the optical fiber of the previous stage is inserted into the insertion portion at the center of the printed circuit board, and the optical fiber of the previous stage is bundled and pulled out, so that a large number of optical fibers can be mounted without increasing the outer shape of the power supply module itself. . In addition, the multi-stage plate-shaped printed circuit board forms a fin structure as a whole, so it has good heat dissipation, efficiently radiates the heat of the LED, and can prevent the influence of the heat. Reliability can be improved. As a result, it is possible to obtain a required amount of light intensity according to the application by using the LED, and to reduce the size of the entire device. Further, since the optical fiber is directly fixed to the LED and optically connected to the LED, the light emitted from the LED can be incident on the optical fiber without leaking.
The light intensity per book can be increased, and the light intensity of the final light source module can be greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a light source module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a printed circuit board of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an optical fiber positioning plate of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a positional relationship between an LED and an optical fiber of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a substrate circuit of the light source module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a printed circuit board of the light source module according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an optical fiber positioning plate of the light source module according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a light source module according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a printed circuit board of the light source module according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a first fixing example of the LED and the optical fiber of the light source module according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a principal part showing a second example of fixing the LED and the optical fiber of the light source module according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 41 Printed circuit board 12, 42 Insertion part 15, 61, 71 LED 26 Optical fiber

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printed circuit board having an insertion portion, a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the printed circuit board, and a plurality of light emitting diodes fixed at one end to the plurality of light emitting diodes and optically connected in a one-to-one relationship. With an optical fiber, while arranging the printed circuit board in a multi-stage, while inserting the optical fiber optically connected to the light emitting diode of the previous printed circuit board, through the insertion portion of the next printed circuit board,
A light source module, wherein the light source module is bundled with an optical fiber optically connected to a light emitting diode of the next printed circuit board and pulled out.