LIGHTING APPARATUS AND LIGHTING FIXTURE USING THE SAME

• Main Authors: NAKASHIRO AKIRA, KIDO HIROSHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.05.2012
• Subjects: BLASTING; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; HEATING; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21Sand F21V, RELATING TO THEFORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THELIGHT EMITTED; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLEEXTERIORS; WEAPONS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting apparatus which can surely notify a fault due to a long period of use before it actually occurs and which yet does not cause a significant change in lighting effects at the start of notification, and a lighting fixture using the lighting apparatus.SOLUTION: The lighting apparatus includes: two switches 40 which turn on and off power supply for four pieces at a time among 12 light-emitting diodes 10; and a control unit 5 which, while any of the light-emitting diodes 10 is lit, measures the cumulative amount of power dissipation which increases monotonously, compares a life threshold value and the cumulative amount of power dissipation for two pieces corresponding one for one to the switch 40, and turns off the switch 40 corresponding to a life threshold which is exceeded by the cumulative amount of power dissipation, thereby exerting gradual notification. Given that, while the lowest life threshold is sufficiently lower than a cumulative amount of power dissipation at which a fault due to a long period of use is likely to occur, only part of the light-emitting diodes 10 goes out at the start of notification, a change in lighting effects can be restricted.