LIGHTING APPARATUS AND REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE

Abstract

 A lighting apparatus and a refrigeration appliance, the lighting apparatus including: a bracket, including a front wall provided with a light outlet; a circuit substrate, disposed in the bracket and including a light emitting device; and a light conductor, disposed in the bracket, the light conductor including a light entry portion configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device, and a light exit portion disposed toward the light outlet so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket; where the circuit substrate is parallel to the front wall, and the light emitting device includes a first side mounted on the circuit substrate, a second side opposite to the first side, and a third side between the first side and the second side, the third side being disposed toward the light entry portion, and light being irradiated from the third side into the light entry portion. Through the solutions of the present invention, a thickness of the lighting apparatus can be greatly reduced, and when the lighting apparatus is applied to a refrigeration appliance, a thickness of a foam layer at an installation location of the lighting apparatus can be significantly increased, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of lighting technology, and in particular, to a lighting apparatus and a refrigeration appliance including a lighting apparatus.

BACKGROUND

[0002] A refrigeration appliance is usually provided with a lighting apparatus to provide lighting for components. For example, a refrigeration appliance may be externally or internally provided with a logo sticker to indicate or accentuate a logo, and provided with a lighting apparatus to accentuate the logo sticker. In this way, a display effect of the logo is improved by an ambient light provided by the lighting apparatus, and the texture of the refrigeration appliance is improved.

[0003] At present, however, an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus of the refrigeration appliance on the market is large. In some scenarios, the lighting apparatus compresses a thickness of a foam layer, which increases the risk of condensation at an installation location of the lighting apparatus.

SUMMARY

[0004] An objective of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved lighting apparatus and refrigeration appliance.

[0005] This object is solved by a lighting apparatus according to claim 1 and 2 as well as an refrigeration appliance according to claim 15.

[0006] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention provides a lighting apparatus, including: a bracket, including a front wall provided with a light outlet; a circuit substrate, disposed in the bracket and including a light emitting device; and a light conductor, disposed in the bracket, the light conductor including a light entry portion configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device, and a light exit portion disposed toward the light outlet so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket; where the circuit substrate is parallel to the front wall, and the light emitting device includes a first side mounted on the circuit substrate, a second side opposite to the first side, and a third side between the first side and the second side, the third side being disposed toward the light entry portion, and light being irradiated from the third side into the light entry portion.

[0007] In this implementation, through the cooperation of a side-emitting mechanism and a light conductor structure, the circuit substrate can be disposed parallel to the front wall without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus.

[0008] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a lighting apparatus, including: a bracket, including a front wall provided with a light outlet; a circuit substrate, disposed in the bracket and provided with a light emitting device on a first surface; and a light conductor, disposed in the bracket, the light conductor including a light entry portion configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device, and a light exit portion disposed toward the light outlet so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket; where the light emitting device includes a first side mounted on the circuit substrate, a second side opposite to the first side, and a third side between the first side and the second side, the third side being disposed toward the light entry portion, and light being irradiated from the third side into the light entry portion; and the first surface faces the front wall or backs away from the front wall.

[0009] In this implementation, through the cooperation of a side-emitting mechanism and a light conductor structure, the circuit substrate can be disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the front wall without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus. The fact that the circuit substrate is substantially parallel to the front wall includes the following: the circuit substrate is parallel to the front wall; or there may further be a small angular range of angle between the circuit substrate and the front wall.

[0010] Further, the bracket may be substantially in the shape of a hollow elongated strip. End portions of the bracket are both provided with an opening communicating with a hollow portion. The hollow portion is adapted to form an accommodating cavity to accommodate other components of the lighting apparatus. Preferably, the light exit side of the lighting apparatus is referred to as "front", and a side opposite to the light exit side is referred to as "rear". The bracket may include a front wall and a rear wall opposite to each other, and a pair of side walls opposite to each other. The front wall, the rear wall, the pair of side walls, and a first end and a second end of the bracket together enclose the accommodating cavity.

[0011] In an embodiment, the light outlet may be formed by an opening provided in the front wall and communicate with the accommodating cavity. The light outlet may extend to the first end of the bracket and the second end of the bracket, so that the lighting apparatus can form a long strip of light, and a length of the light strip is substantially equal to a length of the lighting apparatus. The light outlet may communicate with at least one of the first end and the second end, so that other components of the lighting apparatus are inserted into the accommodating cavity from an end portion of the bracket. For example, the light outlet may communicate with the second end of the bracket. The light emitting device may be equivalent to a light source of the lighting apparatus. For example, the circuit substrate may include a printed circuit board, and the light emitting device may be pre-soldered or otherwise electrically connected in any other manner to the circuit substrate. The circuit substrate is adapted to control the brightness and darkness of the light emitting device. A quantity of the light emitting device may be multiple and arranged in an array on the circuit substrate, so as to form a spot light source, a line light source, or a surface light source. The light emitting device may include a light-emitting diode or other device capable of providing a light source.

[0012] Further, the circuit substrate may include a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, and the light emitting device may be disposed on the first surface. Further, the first surface may face the front wall. Preferably, the first surface may be parallel to the front wall. That is, the circuit substrate may be parallel to the front wall. Alternatively, there may be a small angular range of angle between the first surface and the front wall. For example, the small angular range may be from 1 to 10 degrees. The light conductor and the circuit substrate may be located in the accommodating cavity, and disposed in an overlapping manner to save a space. In this implementation, the light conductor located in the bracket is counted as a first light conductor.

[0013] Further, the first light conductor may include a light diffuser, to be specific, a light conductor having a high diffusivity to light. For example, the first light conductor may be made by adding a light diffusing agent in a substrate such as polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS). The light incident from a particular angle is scattered in various directions in the light diffuser, thereby allowing the light diffuser to emit light uniformly throughout. By shielding a region in which the light is not required to be emitted, a directional light exit is formed, and a light exit direction may be different from a light entry direction. In this way, the adjustment of a light travel path is implemented by the light diffuser.

[0014] Further, the light exit portion may be substantially elongated and enclose at least a part of the opening provided in the front wall, that is, the light exit portion and the light outlet substantially overlap, so that the light emitted by the light exit portion can reach the light outlet almost without light loss. Accordingly, the light exit portion and the front wall may be flush.

[0015] Optionally, the circuit substrate is parallel to the front wall. In this way, the factor of the circuit substrate affecting the overall thickness of the lighting apparatus is decreased from a width of the circuit substrate to a thickness of the circuit substrate, thereby greatly reducing the overall thickness of the lighting apparatus. Preferably, the light emitting device may be disposed immediately adjacent to the light entry portion to reduce the light loss.

[0016] Optionally, an optical axis of the light emitting device is parallel to the circuit substrate and parallel to the front wall. In this way, the light emitting device emits light at an exit angle parallel to the circuit substrate, an exit light parallel to the front wall is finally emitted from the light outlet at an angle perpendicular to the front wall under the action of the light conductor, thereby ensuring that the light exit path remains unchanged while the circuit substrate is disposed parallel to the front wall.

[0017] Optionally, a plane where the light entry portion is located is perpendicular to a plane where the light exit portion is located. In this way, orientations of the light entry portion and the light exit portion are designed to be perpendicular to each other, so that a light travel path is changed inside the light conductor, so as to ensure that an incident light parallel to the front wall can eventually be emitted at an angle perpendicular to the front wall.

[0018] Optionally, the light outlet is located in the front wall of the bracket, and thus the light transmitted from the bracket is substantially emitted in a direction perpendicular to a plane where the circuit substrate is located. In this specific implementation, the light entry portion receives an incident light parallel to the front wall, the first light conductor diffuses the incident light, and finally the light exit portion emits an exit light at an angle perpendicular to the front wall. In this way, through the cooperation of a side-emitting mechanism and a structure of the first light conductor, the circuit substrate can be disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the front wall without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus. The fact that the circuit substrate is substantially parallel to the front wall includes the following: the circuit substrate is parallel to the front wall; or there may further be a small angular range of angle between the circuit substrate and the front wall.

[0019] Optionally, a cross-sectional shape of the light conductor is substantially L-shaped. In this way, two end portions of the L-shaped structure are adapted to form the light entry portion and the light exit portion, respectively, to receive an incident light and emit an exit light from different directions.

[0020] Optionally, the light conductor includes an inclined surface extending from the light exit portion toward a direction of the circuit substrate and inclined toward the light entry portion. The inclined surface can assist in changing the light travel path.

[0021] Optionally, the light conductor includes a first surface and a second surface respectively parallel to the circuit substrate, the light entry portion is located between the first surface and the second surface, one of the first surface and the second surface is in surface contact with the circuit substrate, and the other of the first surface and the second surface is in surface contact with the bracket. In this way, the light entry portion can receive the incident light at an angle substantially perpendicular to the circuit substrate, so that the light entry portion can be disposed opposite to the third side to reduce light loss when the light emitted from the third side reaches the light entry portion. Further, the light entry portion may be directly connected to the second surface and the first surface, or there may be another structure located therebetween, such as a step portion. Through the cooperation of the first surface, the second surface, the first surface and the bracket, the light entry portion can be reliably disposed opposite to the third side. The first surface and the second surface are adapted to form a lateral section of the L-shaped structure.

[0022] Optionally, the light conductor includes a third surface and a fourth surface respectively perpendicular to the circuit substrate, the light exit portion is located between the third surface and the fourth surface, and the third surface and the fourth surface are respectively in surface contact with a side wall of the bracket and an end portion of the front wall. For example, the third surface is in surface contact with the side wall, and the fourth surface is in surface contact with the end portion of the front wall forming the opening. In this way, the light exit portion can be disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the front wall, so that the light exit portion can be disposed opposite to the light outlet to reduce light loss when the light emitted from the light exit portion reaches the light outlet.

[0023] Optionally, the light conductor and the circuit substrate at least partially overlap with each other along a direction of the circuit substrate pointing to the light outlet. For example, a projection of the first light conductor on the circuit substrate falls entirely within the first surface. The width of the lighting apparatus may include a size of the lighting apparatus along a direction in which the light is emitted from the third side. In this way, a compact design of the lighting apparatus can be implemented, and a width of the lighting apparatus can be reduced. The width of the lighting apparatus may include a size of the lighting apparatus along a direction in which the light is emitted from the third side.

[0024] Optionally, the light emitting device is located within a projection area of the light conductor on the circuit substrate along a direction of the circuit substrate pointing to the light outlet. For example, the first light conductor may include the step portion protruding toward the light emitting device, and the step portion is located above the light emitting device. Considering that the light may diverge as it propagates, in this specific implementation, the step portion is disposed above the light emitting device to collect light that spills upward from the third side. In this way, the light emitted by the light emitting device can enter the light conductor to a maximum extent, thereby improving the utilization rate of light.

[0025] Optionally, the light conductor includes a step portion protruding toward the light emitting device, the step portion being located above the light emitting device along a direction of the circuit substrate pointing to the light outlet. Considering that the light may diverge as it propagates, the step portion is disposed above the light emitting device to collect light that spills upward from the third side. In this way, the light emitted from the third side can be collected into the light conductor to a maximum extent, so as to improve the utilization rate of light.

[0026] Optionally, the bracket includes: a first cavity configured to accommodate the circuit substrate, and a second cavity configured to accommodate the light conductor, the first cavity communicating with the second cavity and the second cavity communicating with the light outlet. In this way, two cavities are formed in the bracket to accommodate the circuit substrate and the light conductor, respectively, and the two cavities communicate with each other to make reasonable use of an interior space of the bracket to reduce a thickness of the lighting apparatus.

[0027] Optionally, the circuit substrate forms a part of a boundary of the second cavity. That is, the first surface, the pair of side walls, and the front wall together enclose the second cavity, and similarly, the first surface, the pair of side walls, and the rear wall together enclose the first cavity. In this way, the thickness of the lighting apparatus is reduced by removing a partition wall between the first cavity and the second cavity.

[0028] Optionally, the circuit substrate is adapted to be inserted into the first cavity from a first end of the bracket along a first slideway, and the light conductor is adapted to be inserted into the second cavity from a second end of the bracket along a second slideway. Similarly, the opening of the end portion of the bracket and the second cavity are adapted to form a second slideway, and the first light conductor is adapted to be inserted into the second cavity from the second end of the bracket along the second slideway. In this way, the circuit substrate and the light conductor can be mounted in place by side insertion from two ends of the bracket, respectively.

[0029] Optionally, the first slideway is provided with a first fixing portion, the circuit substrate includes a first adaptation portion, and the first fixing portion cooperates with the first adaptation portion to restrict movement of the circuit substrate along a direction in which the circuit substrate enters the first slideway. In this way, the circuit substrate can be reliably fixed in the first cavity. For example, a quantity of the first fixing portion may be multiple and disposed in the pair of side walls of the bracket in a dispersed manner. Accordingly, a quantity of the first adaptation portion may also be multiple and correspondingly disposed on two sides of the circuit substrate. For example, the first fixing portion may include a catch, and the first adaptation portion may include a recess that is recessed into the circuit substrate. The circuit substrate slides in the first slideway until the catch falls into the corresponding recess to form a limit. In addition, the first fixing portion may include a protrusion located at the second end of the bracket and extending toward the circuit substrate, and the first adaptation portion may include a notch located at the end portion of the circuit substrate. The circuit substrate slides in the first slideway until the notch is embedded in the protrusion to form a stop, so as to prevent the circuit substrate from falling out of the bracket from an opening provided at the second end of the bracket.

[0030] Optionally, the light conductor includes a second fixing portion, the bracket includes a second adaptation portion, and the second fixing portion cooperates with the second adaptation portion to restrict movement of the light conductor on a plane parallel to the circuit substrate. In this way, the light conductor can be reliably fixed in the second cavity. The second fixing portion may include a bump protruding outwardly from the fourth surface of the first light conductor, and the bump is wedge-shaped to facilitate insertion of the first light conductor into the second slideway from the second end of the bracket. The opening of the front wall may be closed at the first end of the bracket, and the first light conductor slides in the second slideway until the end abuts against this closure, thereby restricting the continued movement of the first light conductor toward the first end of the bracket. In addition, the bump abuts against the second adaptation portion formed on an end surface of the front wall, thereby restricting the first light conductor from falling out of the bracket from the second end of the bracket. Further, the third surface and the fourth surface may also serve as the second fixing portion, and correspondingly, end surfaces of the side wall and the front wall may also serve as the second adaptation portion. By clamping at least a part of the first light conductor between the side wall and the front wall, the movement of the first light conductor is restricted. In this way, the first light conductor can be reliably fixed in the second cavity. Further, when assembling the components, the circuit substrate is first pushed into the first slideway from the first end of the bracket until the first fixing portion and the corresponding first adaptation portion are fixed. Then, the first light conductor is pushed from the second end of the bracket into the second slideway formed jointly by the circuit substrate and the bracket, until the second fixing portion and the second adaptation portion are fixed, to obtain the componentized lighting apparatus.

[0031] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a refrigeration appliance, including the foregoing lighting apparatus.

[0032] The refrigeration appliance described in this implementation applies the lighting apparatus having a thinned thickness, so that an overall thickness of a region in which the lighting apparatus is mounted can be effectively reduced to satisfy the requirement of miniaturized design, or the thinned part can be released to other components of the refrigeration appliance to implement a compact design. When the lighting apparatus is applied to the refrigeration appliance, a thickness of a foam layer at an installation location of the lighting apparatus can be significantly increased, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus.

[0033] Optionally, the refrigeration appliance includes a panel including a light transmitting portion, the lighting apparatus is located on an inner side of the panel so that light transmitted from the light outlet is emitted from the light transmitting portion, and the front wall is attached to a rear surface of the panel and parallel to the panel. In this way, through the matching of a side-emitting light emitting device and a light conductor structure, the circuit substrate is disposed parallel to the panel without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus. In a scenario of the refrigeration appliance, the thinned lighting apparatus facilitates the release of more space in a housing to the foam layer, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus.

[0034] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a refrigeration appliance, including: a panel including a light transmitting portion and a lighting apparatus located on an inner side of the panel. The lighting apparatus includes: a bracket, including a light outlet directed toward the light transmitting portion; a circuit substrate, disposed in the bracket and including a light emitting device; and a light conductor, disposed in the bracket, the light conductor including a light entry portion configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device, and a light exit portion disposed toward the light outlet so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket; where the circuit substrate is parallel to the panel, and the light emitting device includes a first side mounted on the circuit substrate, a second side opposite to the first side, and a third side between the first side and the second side, the third side being disposed toward the light entry portion, and light being irradiated from the third side into the light entry portion.

[0035] In this way, through the cooperation of a side-emitting mechanism and a light conductor structure, the circuit substrate can be disposed parallel to the panel without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus. Further, the refrigeration appliance described in this implementation applies the lighting apparatus having a thinned thickness, so that an overall thickness of a region in which the lighting apparatus is mounted can be effectively reduced to satisfy the requirement of miniaturized design, or the thinned part can be released to other components of the refrigeration appliance to implement a compact design. When the lighting apparatus is applied to the refrigeration appliance, a thickness of a foam layer at an installation location of the lighting apparatus can be significantly increased, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus.

[0036] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a refrigeration appliance, including: a panel including a light transmitting portion and a lighting apparatus located on an inner side of the panel. The lighting apparatus includes: a bracket, including a light outlet directed toward the light transmitting portion; a circuit substrate, disposed in the bracket and provided with a light emitting device on a first surface; and a light conductor, disposed in the bracket, the light conductor including a light entry portion configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device, and a light exit portion disposed toward the light outlet so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket; where the light emitting device includes a first side mounted on the circuit substrate, a second side opposite to the first side, and a third side between the first side and the second side, the third side being disposed toward the light entry portion, and light being irradiated from the third side into the light entry portion; and the first surface faces the panel or backs away from the panel.

[0037] In this way, through the cooperation of a side-emitting mechanism and a light conductor structure, the circuit substrate can be disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the panel without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus. Further, the refrigeration appliance described in this implementation applies the lighting apparatus having a thinned thickness, so that an overall thickness of a region in which the lighting apparatus is mounted can be effectively reduced to satisfy the requirement of miniaturized design, or the thinned part can be released to other components of the refrigeration appliance to implement a compact design. When the lighting apparatus is applied to the refrigeration appliance, a thickness of a foam layer at an installation location of the lighting apparatus can be significantly increased, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus.

[0038] Further, the panel may be located outside of the refrigeration appliance. In some embodiments, the panel may form part of an outer surface of a housing of the refrigeration appliance. In an embodiment, the refrigeration appliance may include a refrigerator body and a door located in front of the refrigerator body. The panel may be adapted to form at least a majority of the region of a front surface of the door. For example, the panel may include a front panel on the outermost side of the door. Alternatively, the panel may be located inside the refrigeration appliance. For example, the panel may be exposed to a storage compartment of the refrigeration appliance. In some embodiments, the panel may include a glass panel. It should be understood that the principles of the present invention may also be applicable when the panel is made of metal or plastic. The panel may include the light transmitting portion configured to cause the light to be irradiated from the inner side to the outer side of the panel. For example, in some embodiments, the light transmitting portion may include a through hole penetrating the panel to cause the light to be irradiated out of the panel through the through hole. In other embodiments, the light transmitting portion may be configured by an entity part of the panel, for example, the light transmitting portion may be constructed as transparent or translucent. That is, the panel allows the light to be emitted at the light transmitting portion because the material thereof is light-transmissive. For example, for the panel that includes a glass panel, the panel is hollowed out and printed or applied, and/or is attached to an adhesive layer that is more light-transmissive at the light transmitting portion.

[0039] Further, the light outlet and the light transmitting portion are aligned. The light emitted by a light source formed by the lighting apparatus is transmitted from the light transmitting portion toward the outer side of the panel. In this way, by applying the lighting apparatus having a thinned thickness, an overall thickness of a region in which the lighting apparatus is mounted can be effectively reduced to satisfy the requirement of miniaturized design, or the thinned part can be released to other components of the refrigeration appliance to implement a compact design. When the lighting apparatus is applied to the refrigeration appliance, a thickness of a foam layer at an installation location of the lighting apparatus can be significantly increased, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus. In a specific implementation, the panel may have a rear surface directed toward the inner side and an opposite front surface, and the front wall may be attached to the rear surface of the panel and parallel to the panel. Specifically, the front wall is parallel to the panel, while the circuit substrate faces or backs away from the front wall, and thus the circuit substrate is also substantially parallel to the panel.

[0040] Further, the surfaces of the first light conductor except the light entry portion and the light exit portion are shielded by the bracket, so that the light received from the light emitting device is eventually emitted from the light outlet to the light transmitting portion. Through the matching of the side-emitting light emitting device and a structure of the first light conductor, the circuit substrate is disposed parallel to the panel without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus. In a scenario of the refrigeration appliance, the thinned lighting apparatus facilitates the release of more space in the housing to the foam layer, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus.

[0041] Further, the componentized lighting apparatus may be integrally mounted in a light box, the light box includes a chamber open towards the panel to accommodate the lighting apparatus, and flanges are formed around the chamber to tightly and reliably fit the light box to the rear surface of the panel. In an application scenario of the refrigeration appliance, a side of the light box away from the panel may be combined with a heat insulation layer in the housing. Further, a side wall of the chamber may be provided with a third fixing portion, the side wall of the bracket may be correspondingly provided with a third adaptation portion, and the third fixing portion is coupled with the third adaptation portion to fix the bracket in the chamber. For example, the third fixing portion may include a recess, and the third adaptation portion may include a catch. Further, the third adaptation portion and the first fixing portion may be integrated into one piece, such as simultaneous release molding. For example, an inward facing surface of the side wall of the bracket forms the first fixing portion, and an outward facing surface in the same region forms the third adaptation portion. Further, an edge of the side wall of the bracket backing away from the panel may be provided at intervals with flexible hooks extending toward the light box to push up the lighting apparatus, thereby ensuring that the front wall is in close contact with the rear surface of the panel.

[0042] Optionally, the light conductor disposed in the bracket is denoted as a first light conductor, and the refrigeration appliance further includes a second light conductor located in front of the panel and a non-transmissive member located in front of the second light conductor, the second light conductor covering the light transmitting portion and including a visible portion visible from outside the non-transmissive member. In this way, the second light conductor covering the light transmitting portion controls the light emitted by the light transmitting portion to be emitted via the visible portion, and the visible portion ensures that the light emitted by the light transmitting portion can be emitted from a fixed position, thereby resolving the problem of unevenness between the light transmitting portion and the non-transmissive member caused by the deviation of production line placement. When the panel is located on a horizontal wall or left and right walls of a space or entity, the outer side of the panel is a side visible to the user, while the inner side of the panel is generally hidden from the user. Specifically, the second light conductor may cover the light transmitting portion. For example, the second light conductor may be located on the outer side of the panel and cover the light transmitting portion to receive the light transmitted by the light transmitting portion. In this way, the second light conductor and the non-transmissive member may form part of the lighting apparatus. The light transmitting portion may be located substantially in the middle of a projection area of the second light conductor on the panel to ensure that all light emitted by the light transmitting portion enters the second light conductor without overflow.

[0043] The visible portion may be adapted to form a user-visible lighting region. For example, the second light conductor may include a first part covered by the non-transmissive member, and a second part located outside the non-transmissive member. The second part forms the visible portion. The second part is adapted to cause the light received by the second light conductor from the light transmitting portion to be eventually transmitted outside of the non-transmissive member to be visible to the user. Since the visible portion is formed by a region of the second light conductor that is not covered by the non-transmissive member, it is possible to ensure that the visible portion always fits into an outer contour of the non-transmissive member. In this case, the light transmitted by the visible portion may serve as an ambient light of the non-transmissive member, acting similarly to back-lighting. In this way, the alignment precision requirement of the non-transmissive member and the light transmitting portion of the panel can be effectively reduced, which is advantageous to resolve the problem that the manufacturing precision of the refrigeration appliance is reduced due to the position deviation of the non-transmissive member relative to the light transmitting portion.

[0044] Optionally, the non-transmissive member is sheet-shaped and is affixed to an outer side of the second light conductor. In this way, through the assembly of the second light conductor and the non-transmissive member, a position in which the light is actually emitted, that is, the visible portion, and the non-transmissive member are fixed together, so as to achieve the effect that a light exit surface and the non-transmissive member are always kept in fixed positions, thereby basically eliminating the impact of assembly deviation on the light exit surface. In an embodiment, the entire non-transmissive member may be made of a non-transmissive material or include a non-transmissive layer that blocks light. Further, the non-transmissive member may include at least one through hole that penetrates the non-transmissive member. For example, at least one through hole that penetrates a main body portion may be formed in the main body portion of the non-transmissive member. In addition, for example, a side retaining wall of the non-transmissive member may also be provided with at least one hollow-out hole. The hollow-out hole is adapted to cause the light of the first light conductor to be emitted from the hollow-out hole. Alternatively, the non-transmissive member may be devoid of any visible through hole. The non-transmissive member may include includes a metal sheet or metal coating to achieve a non-transmissive effect. Further, an outer surface of the non-transmissive member away from the second light conductor may be printed with characters and/or patterns, or stamped with characters and/or patterns. For example, the character may be a trademark logo. The non-transmissive member may be equivalent to a logo sticker, and the second part may be equivalent to a lighting region.

[0045] Optionally, the second light conductor and the first light conductor are made of the same material. For example, both the first light conductor and the second light conductor are made of a light diffusion material. The light incident from a particular angle is scattered in various directions in the light conductor, thereby allowing the light conductor to emit light uniformly throughout. By shielding a region in which the light is not required to be emitted to form the light exit portion and the visible portion, the adjustment of a light travel path from the light entry portion to the light exit portion and from the light transmitting portion to the visible portion is implemented. For example, both may be made of a light diffusion material. The light incident from a particular angle is scattered in various directions in the light conductor, thereby allowing the light conductor to emit light uniformly throughout. By shielding a region in which the light is not required to be emitted to form the light exit portion and the visible portion, the adjustment of the light travel path from the light entry portion to the light exit portion and from the light transmitting portion to the visible portion is implemented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] 

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lighting apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lighting apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken along an A-A direction;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the coupling of the circuit substrate and the bracket in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a region B in FIG. 1 taken along a C-C direction;

FIG. 6 is a principle schematic diagram of a lighting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration appliance according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a region D in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an identification assembly in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the identification assembly in FIG. 8 taken along an E-E direction;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the identification assembly in FIG. 8 taken along an F-F direction;

FIG. 12 is a principle diagram of a first variation of the identification assembly in FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a principle diagram of a second variation of the identification assembly in FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 is a principle diagram of a third variation of the identification assembly in FIG. 8;

FIG. 15 is a principle diagram of a fourth variation of the identification assembly in FIG. 8;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the region D in FIG. 7 taken along a G-G direction; and

FIG. 17 is a front view of the identification assembly in FIG. 8.

[0047] In the accompanying drawings:
1-Lighting apparatus; 11-Bracket; 11a-Front wall; 11b-Side wall; 11c-First end of bracket; 11d-Second end of bracket; 11e-Rear wall; 111-Light outlet; 112-First cavity; 113-Second cavity; 114-First slideway; 115-Second slideway; 116-First fixing portion; 117-Second adaptation portion; 118-Protrusion portion; 119-Third adaptation portion; 12-Circuit substrate; 12a-First surface; 12b-Second surface; 121-Light emitting device; 121a-First side; 121b-Second side; 121c-Third side; 122-First adaptation portion; 13-Light conductor; 13a-Inclined surface; 13b-First surface; 13c-Second surface; 13d-Third surface; 13e-Fourth surface; 131-Light entry portion; 132-Light exit portion; 133-Step portion; 134-Second fixing portion; 135-First light conductor; 14-Reflective layer; 15-Light box; 151-Third fixing portion; 152-Flexible hook; 16-Identification assembly; 2-Refrigeration appliance; 21-Housing; 211-Door; 22-Panel; 22a-Rear surface; 22b-Front surface; 22c-Inner side; 22d-Outer side; 221-Light transmitting portion; 23-Second light conductor; 23a-lnner surface; 23b-Outer surface; 23c-Side surface; 231-Visible portion; 232-First part; 233-Second part; 234-Limiting portion; 235-First wall; 236-Second wall; 237-Tape; 24-Non-transmissive member; 241-Main body portion; 242-Side retaining wall; 242a-One end of side retaining wall; 242b-Opposite other end of side retaining wall; α-Angle between side surface and inner surface; p-Light travel path; x-Length direction of lighting apparatus; y-Width direction of lighting apparatus; z-Height direction of lighting apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] To make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and easier to understand, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lighting apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken along an A-A direction.

[0050] A lighting apparatus 1 may have an x direction, a y direction, and a z direction, any two of which are perpendicular to each other. For ease of expression, in this implementation, the x direction is referred to as a length direction of the lighting apparatus 1, the y direction is referred to as a width direction of the lighting apparatus 1, and the z direction is referred to as a height direction of the lighting apparatus 1.

[0051] Specifically, with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the lighting apparatus 1 may include a bracket 11. The bracket 11 may be substantially in the shape of a hollow elongated strip. End portions of the bracket 11 in the x direction and the z direction are both provided with an opening communicating with a hollow portion. The hollow portion is adapted to form an accommodating cavity to accommodate other components of the lighting apparatus 1.

[0052] For ease of description, a light exit side of the lighting apparatus 1 is referred to as "front", and a side opposite to the light exit side is referred to as "rear".

[0053] The bracket 11 may include a front wall 11a and a rear wall 11e opposite to each other in the z direction, and a pair of side walls 11b opposite to each other in the y direction. The front wall 11a, the rear wall 11e, the pair of side walls 11b, and a first end 11c and a second end 11d of the bracket 11 along the x direction together enclose the accommodating cavity.

[0054] Further, the front wall 11a may be provided with a light outlet 111 for light to pass out of the bracket 11. For example, the light outlet 111 may be formed by an opening provided in the front wall 11a and communicate with the accommodating cavity.

[0055] The light outlet 111 may extend along the x direction to the first end 11c of the bracket 11 and the second end 11d of the bracket 11, so that the lighting apparatus 1 can form a long strip of light, and a length of the light strip is substantially equal to a length of the lighting apparatus 1 in the x direction.

[0056] The light outlet 111 may communicate with at least one of the first end 11c and the second end 11d so that other components of the lighting apparatus 1 (such as a light conductor 13) are inserted into the accommodating cavity from an end portion of the bracket 11 in the x direction. For example, the light outlet 111 may communicate with the second end 11d of the bracket 11.

[0057] Further, the lighting apparatus 1 may include a circuit substrate 12 disposed in the bracket 11 and provided with a light emitting device 121. The light emitting device 121 may be equivalent to a light source of the lighting apparatus 1. For example, the circuit substrate 12 may include a printed circuit board, and the light emitting device 121 may be pre-soldered or otherwise electrically connected in any other manner to the circuit substrate 12. The circuit substrate 12 is adapted to control the brightness and darkness of the light emitting device 121.

[0058] A quantity of the light emitting device 121 may be multiple and arranged in an array on the circuit substrate 12, so as to form a spot light source, a line light source, or a surface light source. For example, FIG. 2 is an exemplary display using a circuit substrate 12 in which a plurality of light emitting devices 121 are disposed in a row along the x direction at intervals as an example. In this case, a line light source may be formed correspondingly. In a practical application, the quantity of the light emitting device 121 and a specific disposition position and arrangement method of the light emitting device 121 on the circuit substrate 12 may be adjusted as needed.

[0059] The light emitting device 121 may include a light-emitting diode (LED) or other device capable of providing a light source.

[0060] Further, the circuit substrate 12 may include a first surface 12a and a second surface 12b opposite to each other in the z direction, and the light emitting device 121 may be disposed on the first surface 12a. Further, the first surface 12a may face the front wall 11a.

[0061] Preferably, the first surface 12a may be parallel to the front wall 11a. That is, the circuit substrate 12 may be parallel to the front wall 11a.

[0062] Alternatively, there may be a small angular range of angle between the first surface 12a and the front wall 11a. For example, the small angular range may be from 1 to 10 degrees.

[0063] Further, the lighting apparatus 1 may further include a light conductor 13 disposed in the bracket 11. For example, both the light conductor 13 and the circuit substrate 12 may be located in the accommodating cavity, and disposed in an overlapping manner in the z direction to save a space in the y direction. In this implementation, the light conductor 13 located in the bracket 11 is counted as a first light conductor 135.

[0064] The first light conductor 135 may include a light diffuser, to be specific, a light conductor having a high diffusivity to light. For example, the first light conductor 135 may be made by adding a light diffusing agent in a substrate such as polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS). The light incident from a particular angle is scattered in various directions in the light diffuser, thereby allowing the light diffuser to emit light uniformly throughout. By shielding a region in which the light is not required to be emitted, a directional light exit is formed, and a light exit direction may be different from a light entry direction. In this way, the adjustment of a light travel path is implemented by the light diffuser.

[0065] Further, the first light conductor 135 may include a light entry portion 131 configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device 121, and a light exit portion 132 disposed toward the light outlet 111 so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket 11.

[0066] For example, the light exit portion 132 may be substantially elongated and enclose at least a part of the opening provided in the front wall 11a, that is, the light exit portion 132 and the light outlet 111 substantially overlap, so that the light emitted by the light exit portion 132 can reach the light outlet 111 almost without light loss. Accordingly, the light exit portion 132 and the front wall 11a may be flush.

[0067] Further, the light emitting device 121 may include a first side 121a mounted on the circuit substrate 12, a second side 121b opposite to the first side 121a, and a third side 121c between the first side 121a and the second side 121b. Further, the third side 121c is disposed toward the light entry portion 131, and the light is irradiated from the third side 121c into the light entry portion 131.

[0068] Further, the light outlet 111 is located in the front wall 11a of the bracket 11, and thus the light transmitted from the bracket 11 is substantially emitted in a direction perpendicular to a plane where the circuit substrate 12 is located. In this specific implementation, the light entry portion 131 receives an incident light parallel to the front wall 11a, the first light conductor 135 diffuses the incident light, and finally the light exit portion 132 emits an exit light at an angle perpendicular to the front wall 11a. A light travel path p of light from the light emitting device 121 to the light outlet 111 may be as shown in FIG. 3.

[0069] In this way, in this implementation, through the cooperation of a side-emitting mechanism and a structure of the first light conductor 135, the circuit substrate 12 can be disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the front wall 11a without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus 1 (that is, a size along the z direction). The fact that the circuit substrate 12 is substantially parallel to the front wall 11a includes the following: the circuit substrate 12 is parallel to the front wall 11a; or there may further be a small angular range of angle between the circuit substrate 12 and the front wall 11a.

[0070] Further, when the circuit substrate 12 is parallel to the front wall 11a, the factor of the circuit substrate 12 affecting the overall thickness of the lighting apparatus 1 is decreased from a width of the circuit substrate 12 in the y direction to a thickness of the circuit substrate 12 in the z direction, thereby greatly reducing the overall thickness of the lighting apparatus 1.

[0071] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 3, the light emitting device 121 may be disposed immediately adjacent to the light entry portion 131 to reduce the light loss.

[0072] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 3, an optical axis of the light emitting device 121 may be parallel to the circuit substrate 12 and parallel to the front wall 11a. In this specific implementation, most of the light emitted from the third side 121c is incident on the light entry portion 131 in a direction parallel to the front wall 11a and the first surface 12a. In this way, the light emitting device 121 emits light at an exit angle parallel to the circuit substrate 12, an exit light parallel to the front wall 11a is finally emitted from the light outlet 111 at an angle perpendicular to the front wall 11a under the action of the first light conductor 135, thereby ensuring that the light exit path remains unchanged while the circuit substrate 12 is disposed parallel to the front wall 11a.

[0073] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 3, a plane where the light entry portion 131 is located may be perpendicular to a plane where the light exit portion 132 is located.

[0074] Specifically, the plane where the light entry portion 131 is located may be parallel to a plane formed by the z direction and the x direction, and the plane where the light exit portion 132 is located may be parallel to a plane formed by the x direction and the y direction. That is, the light entry portion 131 is disposed at an angle perpendicular to the first surface 12a and toward the third side 121c, and the light exit portion 132 is disposed at an angle parallel to the front wall 11a.

[0075] In this way, orientations of the light entry portion 131 and the light exit portion 132 are designed to be perpendicular to each other, so that the light travel path p is changed inside the first light conductor 135, so as to ensure that an incident light parallel to the front wall 11a can eventually be emitted at an angle perpendicular to the front wall 11a.

[0076] In a variation, there may be a small angular range of angle between the plane where the light entry portion 131 is located and the third side 121c, and similarly, there may be a small angular range of angle between the plane where the light exit portion 132 is located and the front wall 11a. In this variation, the plane where the light exit portion 132 is located and the plane where the light entry portion 131 is located may not be completely perpendicular to each other, so that the overall thickness of the lighting apparatus 1 in the z direction can be further reduced under the premise of the same light entry area and/or light exit area.

[0077] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 3, a cross-sectional shape of the first light conductor 135 is substantially L-shaped. The cross-section may include a surface obtained by sectioning the first light conductor 135 along a plane formed by the y direction and the z direction.

[0078] Specifically, the light entry portion 131 and the light exit portion 132 may be located at two end portions of the L-shape, respectively, to receive an incident light and emit an exit light from different directions.

[0079] Further, the first light conductor 135 may include an inclined surface 13a extending from the light exit portion 132 toward a direction of the circuit substrate 12 and inclined toward the light entry portion 131. The inclined surface 13a can assist in changing the light travel path p. That is, a part of a right angle of the L-shaped structure may be removed to form the inclined surface 13a.

[0080] Further, the inclined surface 13a may be coated with a reflective layer (not shown) to improve the utilization rate of light.

[0081] Further, the first light conductor 135 may include a first surface 13b and a second surface 13c respectively parallel to the circuit substrate 12, the light entry portion 131 may be located between the first surface 13b and the second surface 13c, one of the first surface 13b and the second surface 13c is in surface contact with the circuit substrate 12, and the other of the first surface 13b and the second surface 13c is in surface contact with the bracket 11.

[0082] For example, FIG. 3 is an exemplary display using the following as an example, that is, the first surface 13b is in surface contact with the circuit substrate 12, and the second surface 13c is in surface contact with a side of the front wall 11a facing the accommodating cavity. In this way, the light entry portion 131 can receive the incident light at an angle substantially perpendicular to the circuit substrate 12, so that the light entry portion 131 can be disposed opposite to the third side 121c to reduce light loss when the light emitted from the third side 121c reaches the light entry portion 131.

[0083] The light entry portion 131 may be directly connected to the second surface 13c and the first surface 13b, or there may be another structure located therebetween, such as a step portion 133, which may be disposed as described below. A related structure of the step portion 133 is described in detail below.

[0084] Through the cooperation of the first surface 13b, the second surface 13c, the first surface 12a and the bracket 11, the light entry portion 131 can be reliably disposed opposite to the third side 121c.

[0085] The first surface 13b and the second surface 13c are adapted to form a lateral section of the L-shaped structure.

[0086] Further, the first light conductor 135 may include a third surface 13d and a fourth surface 13e respectively perpendicular to the circuit substrate 12, the light exit portion 132 may be located between the third surface 13d and the fourth surface 13e, and the third surface 13d and the fourth surface 13e are respectively in surface contact with a side wall 11b of the bracket 11 and an end portion of the front wall 11a.

[0087] For example, FIG. 3 is an exemplary display using the following as an example, that is, the third surface 13d is in surface contact with the side wall 11b, and the fourth surface 13e is in surface contact with the end portion of the front wall 11a forming the opening. In this way, the light exit portion 132 can be disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the front wall 11a, so that the light exit portion 132 can be disposed opposite to the light outlet 111 to reduce light loss when the light emitted from the light exit portion 132 reaches the light outlet 111.

[0088] The light exit portion 132 may be directly connected to the third surface 13d and the fourth surface 13e.

[0089] Through the cooperation of the third surface 13d, the fourth surface 13e and the bracket 11, the light exit portion 132 can be reliably disposed opposite to the light outlet 111.

[0090] The third surface 13d and the fourth surface 13e are adapted to form a vertical section of the L-shaped structure.

[0091] In a variation, the design of the inclined surface 13a may be eliminated, and the third surface 13d and the first surface 13b are directly connected to form a right angle of the L-shaped structure.

[0092] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the first light conductor 135 may at least partially overlap with the circuit substrate 12 along a direction of the circuit substrate 12 pointing to the light outlet 111 (that is, the shown z direction).

[0093] For example, a projection of the first light conductor 135 on the circuit substrate 12 falls entirely within the first surface 12a.

[0094] In this way, a compact design of the lighting apparatus 1 can be implemented, and a width of the lighting apparatus 1 in the y direction can be reduced.

[0095] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 3, the light emitting device 121 may be located within a projection area of the first light conductor 135 on the circuit substrate 12 along a direction of the circuit substrate 12 pointing to the light outlet 111 (that is, the shown z direction).

[0096] For example, the first light conductor 135 may include the step portion 133 protruding toward the light emitting device 121, and the step portion 133 is located above the light emitting device 121 in the z direction.

[0097] Considering that the light may diverge as it propagates, in this specific implementation, the step portion 133 is disposed above the light emitting device 121 to collect light that spills upward from the third side 121c.

[0098] In this way, the light emitted by the light emitting device 121 can enter the first light conductor 135 to a maximum extent, thereby improving the utilization rate of light.

[0099] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the accommodating cavity formed by the hollow portion may include a first cavity 112 and a second cavity 113. Accordingly, the bracket 11 may include: the first cavity 112 configured to accommodate the circuit substrate 12 and the second cavity 113 configured to accommodate the first light conductor 135. The first cavity 112 and the second cavity 113 are in communication, and the second cavity 113 and the light outlet 111 are in communication.

[0100] For example, the pair of side walls 11b and the rear wall 11e of the bracket 11 are adapted to enclose the first cavity 112 that is open upward in the z direction, the pair of side walls 11b and the front wall 11a of the bracket 11 are adapted to enclose the second cavity 113 that is open downward in the z direction, and the two open parts are through.

[0101] In this way, two cavities are formed in the bracket 11 to accommodate the circuit substrate 12 and the first light conductor 135, respectively, and the two cavities communicate with each other to make reasonable use of an interior space of the bracket 11 to reduce a thickness of the lighting apparatus 1 in the z direction.

[0102] Further, the circuit substrate 12 may form a part of a boundary of the second cavity 113. That is, the first surface 12a, the pair of side walls 11b, and the front wall 11a together enclose the second cavity 113, and similarly, the first surface 13b, the pair of side walls 11b, and the rear wall 11e together enclose the first cavity 112. In this way, the thickness of the lighting apparatus 1 is reduced by removing a partition wall between the first cavity 112 and the second cavity 113.

[0103] Further, a protrusion portion 118 protruding toward the first cavity 112 may be disposed in the second cavity 113. A projection of the protrusion portion 118 in the z direction at least partially overlaps with the first surface 12a to restrict free sway of the circuit substrate 12 in the first cavity 112 and the second cavity 113.

[0104] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the opening of the end portion of the bracket 11 in the x direction and the first cavity 112 are adapted to form a first slideway 114, and the circuit substrate 12 is adapted to be inserted into the first cavity 112 from the first end 11c of the bracket 11 along the first slideway 114.

[0105] Similarly, the opening of the end portion of the bracket 11 in the x direction and the second cavity 113 are adapted to form a second slideway 115, and the first light conductor 135 is adapted to be inserted into the second cavity 113 from the second end 11d of the bracket 11 along the second slideway 135.

[0106] In this way, the circuit substrate 12 and the first light conductor 135 can be mounted in place by side insertion from two ends of the bracket 11, respectively.

[0107] Further, with reference to FIG. 4, the first slideway 114 may be provided with a first fixing portion 116, and the circuit substrate 12 may include a first adaptation portion 122. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the coupling of the circuit substrate and the bracket in FIG. 1.

[0108] The first fixing portion 116 cooperates with the first adaptation portion 122 to restrict movement of the circuit substrate 12 along a direction in which the circuit substrate 12 enters the first slideway 114 (that is, the shown x direction). In this way, the circuit substrate 12 can be reliably fixed in the first cavity 112.

[0109] For example, a quantity of the first fixing portion 116 may be multiple and disposed in the pair of side walls 11b of the bracket 11 in a dispersed manner. Accordingly, a quantity of the first adaptation portion 122 may also be multiple and correspondingly disposed on two sides of the circuit substrate 12 in the y direction.

[0110] For example, the first fixing portion 116 may include a catch, and the first adaptation portion 122 may include a recess that is recessed into the circuit substrate 12. The circuit substrate 12 slides in the first slideway 114 along the x direction until the catch falls into the corresponding recess to form a limit in the x direction.

[0111] In addition, for example, with reference to FIG. 5, the first fixing portion 116 may include a protrusion located at the second end 11d of the bracket 11 and extending in the y direction toward the circuit substrate 12, and the first adaptation portion 122 may include a notch located at the end portion of the circuit substrate 12 in the x direction. The circuit substrate 12 slides in the first slideway 114 along the x direction until the notch is embedded in the protrusion to form a stop, so as to prevent the circuit substrate 12 from falling out of the bracket 11 from an opening provided at the second end 11d of the bracket 11. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a region B in FIG. 1 taken along a C-C direction.

[0112] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the first light conductor 135 may include a second fixing portion 134, the bracket 11 may include a second adaptation portion 117, and the second fixing portion 134 cooperates with the second adaptation portion 117 to restrict movement of the first light conductor 135 on a plane parallel to the circuit substrate 12.

[0113] Specifically, the second fixing portion 134 may include a bump protruding outwardly from the fourth surface 13e of the first light conductor 135, and the bump is wedge-shaped to facilitate insertion of the first light conductor 135 into the second slideway 115 from the second end 11d of the bracket 11.

[0114] The opening of the front wall 11a may be closed at the first end 11c of the bracket 11, and the first light conductor 135 slides in the second slideway 115 along the x direction until the end abuts against this closure, thereby restricting the continued movement of the first light conductor 135 toward the first end 11c of the bracket 11. In addition, the bump abuts against the second adaptation portion 117 formed on an end surface of the front wall 11a in the x direction, thereby restricting the first light conductor 135 from falling out of the bracket 11 from the second end 11d of the bracket 11.

[0115] Further, the third surface 13d and the fourth surface 13e may also serve as the second fixing portion 134, and correspondingly, end surfaces of the side wall 11b and the front wall 11a in the y direction may also serve as the second adaptation portion 117. By clamping at least a part of the first light conductor 135 between the side wall 11b and the front wall 11a, the movement of the first light conductor 135 in the y direction is restricted.

[0116] In this way, the first light conductor 135 can be reliably fixed in the second cavity 113.

[0117] In a typical application scenario, when assembling the components shown in FIG. 2, the circuit substrate 12 is first pushed into the first slideway 114 from the first end 11c of the bracket 11 until the first fixing portion 116 and the corresponding first adaptation portion 122 are fixed. Then, the first light conductor 135 is pushed from the second end 11d of the bracket 11 into the second slideway 115 formed jointly by the circuit substrate 12 and the bracket 11, until the second fixing portion 134 and the second adaptation portion 117 are fixed, to obtain the componentized lighting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0118] FIG. 6 is a principle schematic diagram of a lighting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Here, only the differences between this embodiment and the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 above are mainly described.

[0119] Specifically, differences from the lighting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 above include: in this embodiment, the first surface 12a of the circuit substrate 12 may back away from the front wall 11a. That is, the second surface 12b on which the light emitting device 121 is not disposed faces the front wall 11a, and the first surface 12a on which the light emitting device 121 is disposed faces a bottom wall 11e of the bracket 11.

[0120] Further, the circuit substrate 12 is located between the front wall 11a and the first light conductor 135, and the light emitting device 121 is located between the circuit substrate 12 and the bottom wall 11e. The light emitted from the third side 121c enters the light entry portion 131 in the y direction, diffuses into the light exit portion 132 in the first light conductor 135, and eventually exits out of the bracket 11 from the light outlet 111.

[0121] In this way, the circuit substrate 12 can also be disposed at an angle substantially parallel to the front wall 11a without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus 1.

[0122] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration appliance according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a region D in FIG. 7.

[0123] A refrigeration appliance 2 may be a refrigerator, a freezer, or the like.

[0124] Specifically, the refrigeration appliance 2 may include a panel 22 having a light transmitting portion 221 and the lighting apparatus 1 located on an inner side 22c of the panel 22. The light emitted from the light outlet 111 is adapted to be irradiated to an outer side 22d of the panel 22 through the light transmitting portion 221.

[0125] Further, the panel 22 may be located outside of the refrigeration appliance 2. In some embodiments, the panel 22 may form part of an outer surface of a housing 21 of the refrigeration appliance 2. In some embodiments, the refrigeration appliance 2 may include a refrigerator body and a door 211 located in front of the refrigerator body. The panel 22 may be adapted to form at least a majority of the region of a front surface of the door 211. For example, the panel 22 may include a front panel on the outermost side of the door 211.

[0126] Alternatively, the panel 22 may be located inside the refrigeration appliance 2. For example, the panel 22 may be exposed to a storage compartment of the refrigeration appliance 2.

[0127] In some embodiments, the panel 22 may include a glass panel. It should be understood that the principles of the present invention may also be applicable when the panel 22 is made of metal or plastic.

[0128] The panel 22 includes the light transmitting portion 221 configured to cause the light to be irradiated from the inner side 22c to the outer side 22d of the panel 22. How to form the light transmitting portion 221 on the panel 22 may refer to any prior art. For example, in some embodiments, the light transmitting portion 221 may include a through hole penetrating the panel 22 to cause the light to be irradiated out of the panel 22 through the through hole. In other embodiments, the light transmitting portion 221 may be configured by an entity part of the panel 22, for example, the light transmitting portion 221 may be constructed as transparent or translucent. That is, the panel 22 allows the light to be emitted at the light transmitting portion 221 because the material thereof is light-transmissive. For example, for the panel 22 that includes a glass panel, the panel 22 is hollowed out and printed or applied, and/or is attached to an adhesive layer that is more light-transmissive at the light transmitting portion 221.

[0129] For ease of description, length, width, and height directions of the refrigeration appliance 2 are described using the x, y, and z directions of the lighting apparatus 1. According to a setting angle of the lighting apparatus 1 in the refrigeration appliance 2, the length direction of the refrigeration appliance 2 and the length direction of the lighting apparatus 1 are referred to as the x direction, the depth direction of the refrigeration appliance 2 and the height direction of the lighting apparatus 1 are referred to as the z direction, and the height direction of the refrigeration appliance 2 and the width direction of the lighting apparatus 1 are referred to as the y direction.

[0130] Further, the light outlet 111 and the light transmitting portion 221 are aligned. The light emitted by a light source formed by the lighting apparatus 1 is transmitted from the light transmitting portion 221 toward the outer side 22d of the panel 22 in the z direction.

[0131] In this way, by applying the lighting apparatus 1 having a thinned thickness, an overall thickness (for example, a thickness in the z direction) of a region in which the lighting apparatus 1 is mounted can be effectively reduced to satisfy the requirement of miniaturized design, or the thinned part can be released to other components of the refrigeration appliance 2 to implement a compact design. When the lighting apparatus 1 is applied to the refrigeration appliance, a thickness of a foam layer at an installation location of the lighting apparatus 1 can be significantly increased, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus 1.

[0132] In a specific implementation, referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 16, the panel 22 may have a rear surface 22a directed toward the inner side 22c and an opposite front surface 22b, and the front wall 11a may be attached to the rear surface 22a of the panel 22 and parallel to the panel 22. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the region D in FIG. 7 taken along a G-G direction.

[0133] Specifically, the front wall 11a is parallel to the panel 22, while the circuit substrate 12 faces or backs away from the front wall 11a, and thus the circuit substrate 12 is also substantially parallel to the panel 22.

[0134] A light travel path p of light from the third side 121c to the panel 22 may be as shown in FIG. 16. The surfaces of the first light conductor 135 except the light entry portion 131 and the light exit portion 132 are shielded by the bracket 11, so that the light received from the light emitting device 121 is eventually emitted from the light outlet 111 to the light transmitting portion 221. Through the matching of the side-emitting light emitting device 121 and a structure of the first light conductor 135, the circuit substrate 12 is disposed parallel to the panel 22 without changing a light exit path, thereby reducing an overall thickness of the lighting apparatus 1 in the z direction. In a scenario of the refrigeration appliance 2, the thinned lighting apparatus 1 facilitates the release of more space in the housing 21 to the foam layer, thereby reducing the risk of condensation at a position of the lighting apparatus 1.

[0135] Further, the componentized lighting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be integrally mounted in a light box 15, the light box 15 includes a chamber open towards the panel 22 to accommodate the lighting apparatus 1, and flanges are formed around the chamber to tightly and reliably fit the light box 15 to the rear surface 22a of the panel 22.

[0136] In an application scenario of the refrigeration appliance 2, a side of the light box 15 away from the panel 22 may be combined with a heat insulation layer in the housing 21.

[0137] Further, a side wall of the chamber may be provided with a third fixing portion 151, the side wall 11b of the bracket 11 may be correspondingly provided with a third adaptation portion 119, and the third fixing portion 151 is coupled with the third adaptation portion 119 to fix the bracket 11 in the chamber. For example, the third fixing portion 151 may include a recess, and the third adaptation portion 119 may include a catch.

[0138] Further, the third adaptation portion 119 and the first fixing portion 116 may be integrated into one piece, such as simultaneous release molding. For example, an inward facing surface of the side wall 11b of the bracket 11 forms the first fixing portion 116, and an outward facing surface in the same region forms the third adaptation portion 119.

[0139] Further, an edge of the side wall 11b of the bracket 11 backing away from the panel 22 may be provided at intervals with flexible hooks 152 extending toward the light box 15 to push up the lighting apparatus 1, thereby ensuring that the front wall 11a is in close contact with the rear surface 22a of the panel 22.

[0140] In a specific implementation, referring to FIG. 8, the refrigeration appliance 2 may also include a second light conductor 23 located in front of the panel 22 and a non-transmissive member 24 located in front of the second light conductor 23.

[0141] In some embodiments, the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 may together form an identification assembly 16. FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an identification assembly 16 in FIG. 8.

[0142] In embodiments in which the panel 22 is located on the front side of the refrigeration appliance 2 or at other positions facing a user (for example, a rear wall of the storage compartment of the refrigeration appliance 2), the light emitting device 121 is located on the rear side of the panel 22 (that is, the inner side 22c of the panel 22), and the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 are located on the front side of the panel 22 (that is, the outer side 22d of the panel 22). When the panel 22 is located on a horizontal wall or left and right walls of a space or entity, the outer side 22d of the panel 22 is a side visible to the user, while the inner side 22c of the panel 22 is generally hidden from the user.

[0143] Specifically, the second light conductor 23 may cover the light transmitting portion 221. For example, the second light conductor 23 may be located on the outer side 22d of the panel 22 and cover the light transmitting portion 221 to receive the light transmitted by the light transmitting portion 221. In this way, the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 may form part of the lighting apparatus 1.

[0144] The light transmitting portion 221 may be located substantially in the middle of a projection area of the second light conductor 23 on the panel 22 to ensure that all light emitted by the light transmitting portion 221 enters the second light conductor 23 without overflow.

[0145] Further, the second light conductor 23 may include a visible portion 231 that is visible from the outside of the non-transmissive member 24. The visible portion 231 is adapted to form a user-visible lighting region. For example, the second light conductor 23 may include a first part 232 covered by the non-transmissive member 24, and a second part 233 located outside the non-transmissive member 24. The second part 233 forms the visible portion 231. The second part 233 is adapted to cause the light received by the second light conductor 23 from the light transmitting portion 221 to be eventually transmitted outside of the non-transmissive member 24 to be visible to the user.

[0146] A light travel path p of light from the light transmitting portion 221 to the visible portion 231 may be as shown in FIG. 16. Since the visible portion 231 is formed by a region of the second light conductor 23 that is not covered by the non-transmissive member 24, it is possible to ensure that the visible portion 231 always fits into an outer contour of the non-transmissive member 24. In this case, the light transmitted by the visible portion 231 may serve as an ambient light of the non-transmissive member 24, acting similarly to back-lighting.

[0147] In this way, the alignment precision requirement of the non-transmissive member 24 and the light transmitting portion 221 of the panel 22 can be effectively reduced, which is advantageous to resolve the problem that the manufacturing precision of the refrigeration appliance 2 is reduced due to the position deviation of the non-transmissive member 24 relative to the light transmitting portion 221. The manufacturing precision of the refrigeration appliance 2 may be expected to be improved.

[0148] The position deviation of the non-transmissive member 24 relative to the light transmitting portion 221 may include: in a plane formed by the x direction and the y direction, an edge of the non-transmissive member 24 and the light transmitting portion 221 are not parallel, and there is a large gap between the edge of the non-transmissive member 24 and the light transmitting portion 221.

[0149] For example, by controlling the positions of the non-transmissive member 24 and the second part 233 of the second light conductor 23, the position precision between the non-transmissive member 24 and the user-visible lighting region may be improved. The precision control of the relative position between the non-transmissive member 24 and the second light conductor 23 located outside the panel 22 may be significantly easier than the precision control of the relative position of the non-transmissive member 24 and the light transmitting portion 221 of the panel 22.

[0150] Further, the second light conductor 23 and the first light conductor 135 may be made of the same material. For example, both may be made of a light diffusion material. The light incident from a particular angle is scattered in various directions in the light conductor, thereby allowing the light conductor to emit light uniformly throughout. By shielding a region in which the light is not required to be emitted to form the light exit portion 132 and the visible portion 231, the adjustment of the light travel path p from the light entry portion 131 to the light exit portion 132 and from the light transmitting portion 221 to the visible portion 231 is implemented.

[0151] In a specific implementation, the entire non-transmissive member 24 may be made of a non-transmissive material or include a non-transmissive layer that blocks light.

[0152] Further, the non-transmissive member 24 may include at least one through hole (also referred to as a hollow-out hole) that penetrates the non-transmissive member 24. For example, at least one through hole that penetrates a main body portion 241 in the z direction may be formed in the main body portion 241 of the non-transmissive member 24. In addition, for example, a side retaining wall 242 of the non-transmissive member 24 may also be provided with at least one hollow-out hole. The hollow-out hole is adapted to cause the light of the first light conductor 135 to be emitted from the hollow-out hole.

[0153] Alternatively, the non-transmissive member 24 may be devoid of any visible through hole.

[0154] Further, the non-transmissive member 24 includes a metal sheet or metal coating to achieve a non-transmissive effect. Further, an outer surface of the non-transmissive member 24 away from the second light conductor 23 in the z direction may be printed with characters and/or patterns, or stamped with characters and/or patterns. For example, the character may be a trademark logo. The non-transmissive member 24 may be equivalent to a logo sticker, and the second part 233 may be equivalent to a lighting region. In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the non-transmissive member 24 is sheet-shaped and is affixed to an outer side of the second light conductor 23. The outer side of the second light conductor 23 may be a side of the second light conductor 23 that is away from the panel 22 in the z direction.

[0155] Specifically, with reference to FIG. 10, the non-transmissive member 24 may be affixed to an outer surface 23b of the second light conductor 23 by a tape 237. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the identification assembly 16 in FIG. 8 taken along an E-E direction.

[0156] Further, the second light conductor 23 may also be affixed to the outer side 22d of the panel 22 by the tape 237 and cover the light transmitting portion 221.

[0157] In this way, through the assembly of the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24, a position in which the light is actually emitted, that is, the visible portion 231, and the non-transmissive member 24 are fixed together, so as to achieve the effect that the lighting region and the non-transmissive member 24 are always kept in fixed positions, which subtly transforms a positioning problem between the light transmitting portion 221 and the non-transmissive member 24 into a positioning problem between the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24.

[0158] In a specific implementation, with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 17, the second part 233 may be disposed along at least a part of the outer contour of the non-transmissive member 24. FIG. 17 is a front view of the identification assembly 16 in FIG. 8, that is, an effect view of viewing a region where the non-transmissive member 24 is located on the door 211 from the front of the refrigeration appliance 2 in the z direction.

[0159] Specifically, the second part 233 may extend along the non-transmissive member 24 in the x direction, and be disposed along the lower outer contour of the non-transmissive member 24 in the y direction. In this case, shielding structures (such as a side retaining wall 242 described below) disposed at the other three outer contours (that is, upper, left, and right contours in the view of FIG. 17) of the non-transmissive member 24 shield the light. Only on a side without a shielding structure, the light may be freely emitted and observed by human eyes, so that a single edge of the non-transmissive member 24 (that is, the lower contour in the view of FIG. 17) is lightened.

[0160] In this way, the light may be displayed along the edge of the non-transmissive member 24, which facilitates highlighting the non-transmissive member 24, and this advantage is more evident when the non-transmissive member 24 has a text or pattern used for indication.

[0161] Further, there is almost no gap between the second part 233 and the outer contour of the non-transmissive member 24. By reasonably disposing the structure of the second light conductor 23, it is contemplated that the positions of both the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 are more easily controlled.

[0162] In a specific implementation, with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the second light conductor 23 may include: an inner surface 23a facing the panel 22, an outer surface 23b backing away from the panel 22, and a side surface 23c connecting the inner surface 23a and the outer surface 23b. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the identification assembly 16 in FIG. 8 taken along an F-F direction.

[0163] Specifically, the inner surface 23a is bonded with the front surface 22b of the panel 22 by the tape 237, and the outer surface 23b is bonded with the non-transmissive member 24 by the tape 237.

[0164] Further, the non-transmissive member 24 may cover at least the outer surface 23b. In this way, when viewed from the front side of the refrigeration appliance 2, the second light conductor 23 is hidden under the non-transmissive member 24, while a lighting effect of providing an ambient light from the edge of the non-transmissive member 24 is implemented by the second part 233 located on the side surface 23c.

[0165] Further, the second part 233 may include at least a part of the side surface 23c. For example, the second light conductor 23, which is substantially trapezoidal, may further include four side surfaces 23c in a circle, in addition to the outer surface 23b serving as an upper base and the inner surface 23a serving as a lower base. At least one of the four side surfaces 23c may form the second part 233, for example, a single side surface 23c forms the second part 233 in FIG. 9, alternatively, side surfaces 23c on two sides both form the second part 233 in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15. FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 are principle diagrams of several variations of the identification assembly 16 in FIG. 8. For the sake of simplicity, the tape 237 is not shown, nor is the panel 22 shown.

[0166] In this way, the second light conductor 23 emits light along the outer contour of the non-transmissive member 24 and/or along an edge of the hollow-out hole, for example, an ambient light may be formed according to the shape of the non-transmissive member 24. Further, such an arrangement facilitates the emission of light from a surface perpendicular or near perpendicular to the outer surface of the non-transmissive member 24, and a softer lighting effect may be contemplated.

[0167] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 10, FIG. 11, FIG. 13, and FIG. 14, at least a part of the second part 233 may be located outside a projection of the non-transmissive member 24 on the panel 22. For example, in FIG. 10, FIG. 13, and FIG. 14, the entire second part 233 is located outside the projection of the non-transmissive member 24 on the panel 22.

[0168] Specifically, the second part 233 may include an inclined side surface 23c, and a projection of the inclined side surface 23c on the panel 22 is located outside the projection of the non-transmissive member 24 on the panel 22. In this way, a better lighting effect is obtained by disposing the inclined surface.

[0169] Further, the inclined side surface 23c may be continuously inclined toward the outer surface 23b from the inner surface 23a, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 13. Alternatively, with reference to FIG. 14, the side surface 23c may be partially inclined, partially parallel to the z direction.

[0170] In a variation, with reference to FIG. 15, the projections of the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 on the panel 22 may completely overlap. A projection of the second part 233 on the panel 22 may be located on the side of the projection of the non-transmissive member 24 on the panel 22. In this way, when viewed from the front side of the refrigeration appliance 2, the second light conductor 23 is hidden under the non-transmissive member 24, while a lighting effect of providing an ambient light from the edge of the non-transmissive member 24 is implemented by the second part 233 located on the side.

[0171] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, there may be an angle α of less than ninety degrees between the side surface 23c and the inner surface 23a. In this way, a better light exit effect is obtained by disposing the inclined surface. Specifically, the angle α of less than ninety degrees causes a projection of the side surface 23c on the panel 22 to be located outside a projection of the outer surface 23b on the panel 22, so that the formed second part 233 can be seen visually from the front of the refrigeration appliance 2, with a better lighting effect on the non-transmissive member 24.

[0172] Specifically, the side surface 23c may be a complete inclined surface, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0173] Alternatively, the side surface 23c may be formed by splicing a plurality of inclined surfaces with different slopes along the z direction. For example, the side surface 23c may include a first wall 235 having a first slope and a second wall 236 having a second slope. The first wall 235 is connected to the inner surface 23a, the second wall 236 is connected to the outer surface 23b, and the first slope may be less than the second slope. In this way, an inclined surface formed by the second wall 236 can achieve a better light exit effect, and the first wall 235 can facilitate the drafting of a mold during molding.

[0174] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the second light conductor 23 may include a limiting portion 234 protruding in a direction away from the panel 22, and the edge of the non-transmissive member 24 may be disposed along the limiting portion 234.

[0175] For example, the limiting portion 234 may extend upward in the z direction from the edge where the outer surface 23b is connected to the side surface 23c forming the second part 233. In the y direction, the limiting portion 234 and the non-transmissive member 24 at least partially overlap.

[0176] When the non-transmissive member 24 is pasted onto the outer surface 23b, the lower edge of the non-transmissive member 24 in the y direction touches the limiting portion 234, so as to implement the matching and limiting of the non-transmissive member 24 and the second light conductor 23.

[0177] Further, the second part 233 is at least partially located at the limiting portion 234. Through the matching and limiting of the limiting portion 234 and the edge of the non-transmissive member 24, a position between the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 may be precisely positioned, so that the position precision between the lighting region (such as the visible portion 231) and the non-transmissive member 24 may be improved.

[0178] In a specific implementation, with continued reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the non-transmissive member 24 may include: the main body portion 241 covering the outer surface 23b, and the side retaining wall 242 covering at least one side surface 23c. One end 242a of the side retaining wall 242 is connected to the main body portion 241.

[0179] Specifically, the main body portion 241 may be sheet-shaped and entirely cover the outer surface 23b.

[0180] Further, the side retaining wall 242 is connected to at least one side of the main body portion 241 to cover the side surface 23c on the corresponding side.

[0181] In this way, the light emitted by the light transmitting portion 221 and perpendicular to the panel 22 is shielded by the main body portion 241, and the side of the non-transmissive member 240 that does not need to be lightened is shielded by the side retaining wall 242, thereby implementing a lighting effect of providing an ambient light on a particular side of the non-transmissive member 24. Further, the side retaining wall 242 may further act as a limitation on the second light conductor 23, ensuring that the second part 233 remains flush with the non-transmissive member 24.

[0182] Further, the side retaining wall 242 may be parallel to the covered side surface 23c. In this way, the positioning between the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 can be better implemented.

[0183] Further, the opposite other end 242b of the side retaining wall 242 may be in contact with the front surface 22b of the panel 22. In this way, the light transmitted from the side surface 23c covered by the side retaining wall 242 is effectively shielded, which avoids the leaking out of the light from between the side retaining wall 242 and the panel 22.

[0184] Preferably, the opposite other end 242b of the side retaining wall 242 may abut against the panel 22 for a better shielding effect.

[0185] In a typical application scenario, the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 may form a pre-assembly as shown in FIG. 8 and then be connected to the panel 22.

[0186] For example, the second light conductor 23 and the non-transmissive member 24 are bonded together to form a pre-assembly by the tape 237 located between the non-transmissive member 24 and the second light conductor 23 shown in FIG. 9. Then, the tape 237 located on the inner surface 23a is a placement back glue, which bonds the pre-assembly to an object to be adhered (that is, the front surface 22b of the panel 22).

[0187] The pre-assembly is equivalent to the existing non-transmissive member 24 with a built-in second light conductor 23. The pre-assembly can be attached to the panel 22 by using the existing process, with little change to the manufacturing process of the refrigeration appliance 2, facilitating implementation.

[0188] FIG. 12 is a principle diagram of a first variation of the identification assembly 16 in FIG. 8.

[0189] Specifically, with reference to FIG. 12, the identification assembly 16 may further include: a reflective layer 14 disposed between the non-transmissive member 24 and the second light conductor 23. In this way, the utilization rate of light can be improved.

[0190] For example, the reflective layer 14 may be a reflective coating applied on the outer surface 23b and/or a surface opposite to the main body portion 241. Similarly, the reflective layer 14 may also be applied on at least one side of the side retaining wall 242 and the side surface 23c.

[0191] In addition, for example, the reflective layer 14 may be an additional component sandwiched between the outer surface 23b and the main body portion 241.

[0192] In a typical application scenario, the lighting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the identification assembly 16 shown in FIG. 9 may be applied to the same refrigeration appliance 2 to obtain an assembly structure and a light exit effect as shown in FIG. 16. In this application scenario, the thickness of the lighting apparatus 1 in the z direction is reduced, and the edge positions of the visible portion 231 and the non-transmissive member 24 are always fixed, thereby effectively resolving the problem of uneven edges of the light exit surface and the non-transmissive member 24.

[0193] In another typical application scenario, the lighting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the identification assembly 16 shown in FIG. 9 may be applied to different refrigeration appliances 2, respectively.

[0194] For example, the lighting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be employed by the refrigeration appliance 2 on the inner side 22c of the panel 22, while only the non-transmissive member 24 is disposed on the outer side 22d of the panel 22. By employing a lighting apparatus 1 with a smaller thickness, an interior space of the housing 21 is saved and a thickness of the housing 21 is reduced.

[0195] In addition, for example, while the identification assembly 16 shown in FIG. 9 is disposed on the outer side 22d of the panel 22, the lighting apparatus 1 located on the inner side 22c of the panel 22 to provide light may not be limited to the structure shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 above. Other light components capable of providing a point light source and a line light source may be disposed on the inner side 22c of the panel 22 to provide a light source. The light emitted by the light source exits outside the outer side 22d of the panel 22 through the light transmitting portion 221, then enters the second light conductor 23, and eventually is transmitted outwardly via the second part 233. In this case, it is possible to resolve the problem of unevenness between the light transmitting portion 221 and the non-transmissive member 24 caused by the deviation of production line placement.

[0196] Although specific implementations have been described above, these implementations are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even if only one implementation is described with respect to specific features. The feature example provided in the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, unless otherwise stated. In specific implementations, the technical features of one or more dependent claims may be combined with the technical features of the independent claims, and the technical features from the corresponding independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner, rather than only in the specific combinations listed in the claims.

[0197] Although the present invention is disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. A person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus (1), characterized by comprising:

a bracket (11), comprising a front wall (11a) provided with a light outlet (111);

a circuit substrate (12), disposed in the bracket (11) and comprising a light emitting device (121); and

a light conductor (13), disposed in the bracket (11), the light conductor (13) comprising a light entry portion (131) configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device (121), and a light exit portion (132) disposed toward the light outlet (111) so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket (11);

wherein the circuit substrate (12) is parallel to the front wall (11a), and the light emitting device (121) comprises a first side (121a) mounted on the circuit substrate (12), a second side (121b) opposite to the first side (121a), and a third side (121c) between the first side (121a) and the second side (121b), the third side (121c) being disposed toward the light entry portion (131), and light being irradiated from the third side (121c) into the light entry portion (131).

2. A lighting apparatus (1), characterized by comprising:

a bracket (11), comprising a front wall (11a) provided with a light outlet (111);

a circuit substrate (12), disposed in the bracket (11) and provided with a light emitting device (121) on a first surface (12a); and

a light conductor (13), disposed in the bracket (11), the light conductor (13) comprising a light entry portion (131) configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device (121), and a light exit portion (132) disposed toward the light outlet (111) so that the received light is emitted outside the bracket (11);

wherein the light emitting device (121) comprises a first side (121a) mounted on the circuit substrate (12), a second side (121b) opposite to the first side (121a), and a third side (121c) between the first side (121a) and the second side (121b), the third side (121c) being disposed toward the light entry portion (131) and light being irradiated from the third side (121c) into the light entry portion (131); and

the first surface (12a) faces the front wall (11a) or backs away from the front wall (11a).

3. The lighting apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an optical axis of the light emitting device (121) is parallel to the circuit substrate (12) and parallel to the front wall (11a).

4. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plane where the light entry portion (131) is located is perpendicular to a plane where the light exit portion (132) is located.

5. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a cross-sectional shape of the light conductor (13) is substantially L-shaped.

6. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light conductor (13) comprises an inclined surface (13a) extending from the light exit portion (132) toward a direction of the circuit substrate (12) and inclined toward the light entry portion (131).

7. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light conductor (13) comprises a first surface (13b) and a second surface (13c) respectively parallel to the circuit substrate (12), the light entry portion (131) is located between the first surface (13b) and the second surface (13c), one of the first surface (13b) and the second surface (13c) is in surface contact with the circuit substrate (12), and the other of the first surface (13b) and the second surface (13c) is in surface contact with the bracket (11).

8. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light conductor (13) comprises a third surface (13d) and a fourth surface (13e) respectively perpendicular to the circuit substrate (12), the light exit portion (132) is located between the third surface (13d) and the fourth surface (13e), and the third surface (13d) and the fourth surface (13e) are respectively in surface contact with a side wall (11b) of the bracket (11) and an end portion of the front wall (11a).

9. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light conductor (13) and the circuit substrate (12) at least partially overlap with each other along a direction of the circuit substrate (12) pointing to the light outlet (111).

10. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light emitting device (121) is located within a projection area of the light conductor (13) on the circuit substrate (12) along a direction of the circuit substrate (12) pointing to the light outlet (111).

11. The lighting apparatus (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the light conductor (13) comprises a step portion (133) protruding toward the light emitting device (121), the step portion (133) being located above the light emitting device (121) along a direction of the circuit substrate (12) pointing to the light outlet (111).

12. The lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bracket (11) comprises: a first cavity (112) configured to accommodate the circuit substrate (12), and a second cavity (113) configured to accommodate the light conductor (13), the first cavity (112) communicating with the second cavity (113) and the second cavity (113) communicating with the light outlet (111).

13. The lighting apparatus (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the circuit substrate (12) is adapted to be inserted into the first cavity (112) from a first end (11c) of the bracket (11) along a first slideway (114), and the light conductor (13) is adapted to be inserted into the second cavity (113) from a second end (11d) of the bracket (11) along a second slideway (115).

14. The lighting apparatus (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the first slideway (114) is provided with a first fixing portion (116), the circuit substrate (12) comprises a first adaptation portion (122), and the first fixing portion (116) cooperates with the first adaptation portion (122) to restrict movement of the circuit substrate (12) along a direction in which the circuit substrate (12) enters the first slideway (114).

15. A refrigeration appliance (2), characterized by comprising the lighting apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Drawing