Patent Description:
Patent Document <NUM> discloses an illumination device which includes two light emitters used for different purposes, i.e., a first light emitter 13A and a second light emitter 13B, wherein the first light emitter 13A is used as illumination for a charging inlet and the second light emitter 13B is used as an indicator. The illumination device as disclosed in Patent Document <NUM> is configured such that the first light emitter 13A and the second light emitter 13B are provided on a front side and on a back side of a board <NUM>, respectively.

Patent Document <NUM>: <CIT>
Further prior art is known from document <CIT> which discloses an illumination device comprising a board having a first face and a second face opposite to the first face. It comprises a first light source disposed on the first face and a second light source disposed on the second face. Additionally a second wiring pattern is disposed on the second face and the second wiring pattern is disposed so as to cover a region on the second face and the region on the second face is opposite to a region on the first face with the first light source disposed therein. From document <CIT> it is known a solid state light sheet and method of fabricating the sheet. In one embodiment, bare LED chips have top and bottom electrodes, where the bottom electrode is a large reflective electrode. The bottom electrodes of an array of LEDs (e.g., <NUM> LEDs) are bonded to an array of electrodes formed on a flexible bottom substrate. Conductive traces are formed on the bottom substrate connected to the electrodes. In an embodiment LED dies are oppositely mounted in a light sheet. The dies are connected in series by alternating the orientation of the LED dies along the light sheet to connect the anode of one LED die to the cathode of an adjacent LED die using metal conductors.

Generally, a board is made of an insulator such as a resin and/or glass and transparent for light. In the case where light sources are arranged on two opposite faces of the board, as is in the illumination device according to Patent Document <NUM>, a light coming from a light source on the front side may e.g. pass through the board to reach the back side of the board. As a result, a user may misrecognize that a light source on the back side of the board were tumed on, despite the light source on the back side not being turned on. For example, in the case where the light source on the back side of the board is used as the indicator, as is in the illumination device according to Patent Document <NUM>, the above-described situation may cause a user to misrecognize that the indicator were turned on, despite the light source on the back side emitting no light.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an illumination device which includes two light sources to be used for different purposes.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, an embodiment of the present invention relates to an illumination device including the features of claim <NUM>.

The present invention enables an illumination device to be provided which includes two light sources to be used for different purposes.

<FIG> shows an illumination device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention. The illumination device <NUM> includes a board <NUM>, a first light source <NUM>, a second light source <NUM>, first wiring patterns <NUM>, and second wiring patterns <NUM>. For example, the illumination device <NUM> is configured for illuminating a charging inlet of a vehicle.

The board <NUM> is an element having a plate shape and has a first face <NUM> and a second face <NUM> opposite to the first face <NUM>. The board <NUM> is made of an insulator (for example a resin and/or a glass) and transparent for light. <FIG> shows a view of the board <NUM> from its first face <NUM> side, <FIG> shows a view of the board <NUM> from its second face <NUM> side, <FIG> shows a sectional view of the board <NUM> according to <FIG> and <FIG> along the line AA, and <FIG> shows a sectional view of the board <NUM> according to <FIG> and <FIG> along the line BB.

The first light source <NUM> and second light source <NUM> are light sources for emitting light, for example LEDs (light emitting diodes). As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first light source <NUM> is disposed on the first face <NUM> of the board <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the second light source <NUM> is disposed on the second face <NUM> of the board <NUM>.

For example, the first light source <NUM> and the second light source <NUM> are intended to be used for different purposes. The first light source <NUM> is intended to be used e.g. for illumination. The second light source <NUM> is intended to be used e.g. for an indicator. For example, when the illumination device <NUM> is configured for illuminating a charging inlet of a vehicle, the first light source <NUM> is configured for illuminating the charging inlet of the vehicle, wherein the second light source <NUM> is intended for an indicator, the indicator being configured to indicate a state of charge of the vehicle (for example a state of charge of a battery (for example a main battery) of the vehicle).

The first wiring patterns <NUM> are used for electrically connecting components arranged on the first face <NUM> of the board <NUM> (including the first light source <NUM>). As shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the first wiring patterns <NUM> are positioned on the first face <NUM> of the board <NUM> so that the first wiring patterns <NUM> are brought into contact with the first face <NUM>.

The second wiring patterns <NUM> are used for electrically connecting components arranged on the second face <NUM> of the board <NUM> (including the second light source <NUM>). As shown in <FIG>, the second wiring patterns <NUM> are positioned on the second face <NUM> of the board <NUM> so that the second wiring patterns <NUM> are brought into contact with the second face <NUM>.

The first wiring patterns <NUM> and second wiring patterns <NUM> are made of an electrical conductor, and for example patterns of metal foils (e.g. copper foils). The first wiring patterns <NUM> and second wiring patterns <NUM> may be made of a same material or made of different materials.

The second wiring pattern <NUM> of the illumination device <NUM> according to the present embodiment is disposed so as to cover a region A12 on the second face <NUM>, the region A12 on the second face <NUM> opposed to a region A11 on the first face <NUM> with the first light source <NUM> disposed therein. In this manner, a light emitted from the first light source <NUM> toward the board <NUM> is blocked by the second wiring patterns <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. This means that according to the present embodiment, even when the light emitted from the first light source <NUM> toward the board <NUM> passes through the board, this light is blocked by the second wiring patterns <NUM>. According to the present embodiment, a light coming from the first light source <NUM> can be prevented from arriving at the second face <NUM> side of the board <NUM>, for example by providing an element for preventing the light coming from the first light source <NUM> from arriving at the second face <NUM> side of the board <NUM> by circumvention (for example a cover <NUM> as disclosed in Patent Document <NUM>).

In the above-described manner, the present embodiment enables the light coming from the first light source <NUM> to be prevented from arriving at the second face <NUM> side of the board <NUM>. As a result, when the second light source <NUM> emits no light, the present embodiment enables the second light source <NUM> side (the second face <NUM> side of the board <NUM>) to be prevented from being illuminated. Accordingly, only when the second light source <NUM> is turned on, the present embodiment may allow a user to recognize the fact that the second light source <NUM> is turned on, wherein when the second light source <NUM> is not turned on, the user may not recognize that the second light source <NUM> is turned on.

Therefore, for example when the first light source <NUM> is intended to be used for illumination and the second light source <NUM> is intended to be used for an indicator, the present embodiment allows the user to correctly recognize indication of the indicator (indication by the second light source <NUM>) even in the case of the light source for illumination (first light source <NUM>) being turned on. As a result, the present embodiment enables an illumination device to be provided which includes two light sources to be used for different purposes.

Furthermore, the first wiring patterns <NUM> in the illumination device <NUM> according to the present embodiment is disposed so as to cover a region A22 on the first face <NUM>, the region A22 on the first face <NUM> opposed to a region A21 on the second face <NUM> with the second light source <NUM> disposed therein. In this manner, a light emitted from the second light source <NUM> toward the board <NUM> is blocked by the first wiring patterns <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. This means that according to the present embodiment, even when the light emitted from the second light source <NUM> toward the board <NUM> passes through the board, this light is blocked by the first wiring patterns <NUM>. According to the present embodiment, a light coming from the second light source <NUM> can be prevented from arriving at the first face <NUM> side of the board <NUM>, for example by providing an element for preventing the light coming from the second light source <NUM> from arriving at the first face <NUM> side of the board <NUM> by circumvention (for example the cover <NUM> as disclosed in Patent Document <NUM>).

In the above-described manner, the present embodiment enables the light coming from the second light source <NUM> to be prevented from arriving at the first face <NUM> side of the board <NUM>. As a result, when the first light source <NUM> emits no light, the present embodiment enables the first light source <NUM> side (the first face <NUM> side of the board <NUM>) to be prevented from being illuminated. Accordingly, only when the first light source <NUM> is turned on, the present embodiment may allow the user to recognize the fact that the first light source <NUM> is turned on, wherein when the first light source <NUM> is not turned on, the user may not recognize that the first light source <NUM> is turned on.

The first light source <NUM> may be a light source for an indicator, the indicator being configured to indicate first information, wherein the second light source <NUM> may be a light source for an indicator, the indicator being configured to indicate second information that is different from the first information. Also in such a configuration, the present embodiment enables indications of both indicators for indicating the first information (indication via the first light source <NUM>) and for indicating the second information (indication via the second light source <NUM>) to be correctly recognized by the user.

<NUM> passes through the board, this light is blocked by the first wiring patterns <NUM>. According to the present embodiment, a light coming from the second light source <NUM> can be prevented from arriving at the first face <NUM> side of the board <NUM>, for example by providing an element for preventing the light coming from the second light source <NUM> from arriving at the first face <NUM> side of the board <NUM> by circumvention (for example the cover <NUM> as disclosed in Patent Document <NUM>).

Claim 1:
An illumination device (<NUM>) comprising:
a board (<NUM>) having a first face (<NUM>) and a second face (<NUM>) opposite to the first face (<NUM>); a first light source (<NUM>) disposed on the first face (<NUM>);
a second light source (<NUM>) disposed on the second face (<NUM>); and
a second wiring pattern (<NUM>) disposed on the second face (<NUM>),
wherein the second wiring pattern (<NUM>) is disposed so as to cover a region (A12) on the second face (<NUM>), the region (A12) on the second face (<NUM>) opposed to a region (A11) on the first face (<NUM>) with the first light source (<NUM>) disposed therein,
wherein the illumination device (<NUM>) further comprises a first wiring pattern (<NUM>) disposed on the first face (<NUM>),
wherein the first wiring pattern (<NUM>) is disposed so as to cover a region (A22) on the first face (<NUM>), the region (A22) on the first face (<NUM>) opposed to a region (A21) on the second face (<NUM>) with the second light source (<NUM>) disposed therein,
characterised in that
the illumination device (<NUM>) is an illumination device configured for illuminating a charging inlet of a vehicle,
wherein the first light source (<NUM>) is a light source configured for illuminating the charging inlet of the vehicle, and
wherein the second light source (<NUM>) is a light source for an indicator, the indicator being configured to indicate a state of charge of the vehicle.