JP4930341B2 - Switch with information display function and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch with an information display function in which information is displayed by light emission on an operator, and a manufacturing method thereof.

  A control panel for operating in-vehicle devices such as a vehicle interior air conditioner, a car audio system, and a navigation device is installed in the vehicle interior of the vehicle. The operation setting of the in-vehicle device is changed by operating a switch installed on the control panel. In addition, as a switch installed in such a control panel, a push button type switch that sequentially switches operation settings of the in-vehicle device for each operation may be provided. For example, the control panel of the vehicle interior air conditioner is provided with a switch for sequentially raising and lowering the set temperature, a switch for sequentially increasing and decreasing the air flow rate, a switch for sequentially switching the air blowing mode, and the like.

  In such a push button type switch, since the operation setting of the in-vehicle device set by the operation cannot be directly confirmed from the operation position of the switch, an information display unit for displaying information on the current operation setting (Indicator) must be provided separately. However, if such an indicator is provided separately from the switch, the surface area of the control panel will increase accordingly.

Therefore, when there is no room for installing the indicator due to the downsizing of the control panel, it is conceivable to provide an information display function integrally with the switch itself. Such information display may be performed by lighting a segment by light emission of a light emitting element such as an LED. Conventionally, for example, switches disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known as switches that integrally have a light emitting function of such a light emitting element. For example, in the switch described in Patent Document 1, a light-transmitting window is provided in a push button that is an operation element, and a light emitting element installed on the back side of the switch of the push button is caused to emit light so that the window is turned on. It has become. In the switch described in Patent Document 2, a plurality of panels made of a light-transmitting material are stacked on the outer surface of the push button, and light emitted from the light emitting element installed on the back side of the push button is incident from the side surface of each panel By doing so, the mark is displayed in three-dimensional light emission.
JP 2006-134715 A JP 2006-164573 A

  By the way, in the conventional switch as described above, the entire light emitting display unit is merely turned on / off in an integrated manner. However, when the operation setting information of the in-vehicle device that is switched by the operation of the switch is displayed on the operation element, it is necessary to individually turn on / off the plurality of segments according to the situation. For example, when a 3-digit numerical value is displayed by light emission, it is necessary to provide at least 7 segments and 21 convenient segments for each digit as shown in FIG. 12, and select a segment to be lit according to the numerical value displayed by light emission display. .

  In this way, when the plurality of segments are individually turned on / off, the following problem occurs. In other words, in such a case, light leaks from the lit segment to the unlit segment adjacent to the segment, and the unlit segment emits light lightly, and the visibility of the information displayed by light emission May get worse. In particular, when information is displayed on the switch operator, the area of the information display portion is limited, and the segments cannot be sufficiently separated from each other. Therefore, such light leakage is likely to occur. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the problem to be solved is a switch with an information display function capable of suitably preventing light leakage from a segment being turned on to a segment being turned off. It is in providing the manufacturing method.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a switch with an information display function for emitting and displaying information on an operator of the switch through switching of a segment to be lit, and is integrally fixed to the back side of the switch of the operator. A substrate, a plurality of light emitting elements that are mounted on the substrate and emit light to illuminate the segment, a base material of the operation element formed on a translucent resin material, and a switch back side of the base material And a coating layer made of a light-shielding coating material penetrating the segment portion, and depositing on the surface of the operation element to allow light to pass from the inside of the switch to the outside. And forming a half mirror that reflects light incident from the outside of the switch, and the half mirror includes a first vapor deposition layer provided on a switch surface side of the paint layer and a switch of the paint layer. And as its gist to become formed by the second deposition layer provided on the back side.

  In the above configuration, the substrate on which the plurality of light emitting elements are mounted is integrally fixed to the back side of the switch of the operation element, and the segment portion that is turned on by light emission of these light emitting elements is made of a light shielding paint. A paint layer is provided on the back side of the switch of the operation element. Therefore, the light emitting element and the segment that is turned on by the light emission of the light emitting element are brought into close contact with each other, and the light emission of the light emitting element leaks to other segments that are turned off. It becomes difficult.

Further, if the half mirror is formed by vapor deposition, the light incident from the outside is reflected while allowing the lighting of the segment by the light emission of the light emitting element inside the switch. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the segment that is turned off from the outside from being noticeable.

Furthermore, if a half mirror is formed by forming a vapor deposition layer on the switch front side and switch back side of the paint layer, the light incident from the outside is reflected while allowing the segment to be lit by the light emission of the light emitting element inside the switch. Will come to be. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the segment being turned off from being conspicuous from the outside. Further, since no vapor deposition is performed on the switch surface side of the operation element, fingerprints and dirt can be made inconspicuous.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the switch with an information display function according to the first aspect, the light transmittance of the segment portion of the operation element is 20% or more and 50% or less. This is the gist.

As described above, if the light transmittance in the segment portion of the operation element is set, the visibility of the light emitting display and the concealment property of the segment during extinguishing can be made suitable.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the switch with an information display function according to the first or second aspect , the light transmittance of the segment portion of the operation element is 25% or more and 40 % or less. That is the gist.

As described above, if the light transmittance in the segment portion of the operation element is set, the visibility of the light-emitting display and the concealment property of the segment during extinction can be further improved .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a substrate on which a plurality of light emitting elements are mounted is fixed to an operator of the switch, and a segment is turned on by light emission of the light emitting elements to display information on the operator. A method of manufacturing a switch with an information display function, the step of forming a first vapor deposition layer on the surface of the switch back side of the base of the operation element formed of a light-transmitting resin material; Forming a paint layer by applying a light-shielding paint on the vapor deposition layer; piercing the paint layer in the segment; and on the paint layer penetrated in the segment. And a step of forming a second vapor deposition layer by vapor-depositing metal, and allowing the light from the inside of the switch to the outside by the first vapor deposition layer and the second vapor deposition layer to be incident from the outside of the switch. Light Forming a half mirror that reflects and as its gist.

  According to the manufacturing method described above, an operation element in which the first vapor deposition layer, the paint layer, and the second vapor deposition layer are sequentially laminated is formed on the back side of the switch formed on the translucent resin material. . In the switch operator thus manufactured, the light emitting element and the segment that is lit by the light emission of the light emitting element are brought into close contact with each other, and the light emission of the light emitting element It becomes difficult to leak into other segments that are turned off. Moreover, a half mirror is formed by the 1st vapor deposition layer and the 2nd vapor deposition layer, and the segment during light extinction becomes inconspicuous from the outside. Further, since no vapor deposition is performed on the switch surface side of the operation element, fingerprints and dirt can be made inconspicuous.

  According to the switch with an information display function of the in-vehicle device of the present invention, it is possible to suitably prevent light leakage from the segment being turned on to the segment being turned off.

(First reference example )
Hereinafter, the first reference example embodying the car mounting information displaying function switches and a method of manufacturing apparatus will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a planar structure of a control panel in which a switch with an information display function of this reference example is installed. The control panel is for operating a vehicle interior air conditioner and a seat temperature adjusting device, which are in-vehicle devices, and various switches for performing such operations are installed.

In this reference example , as a switch installed on such a control panel, information on the operation setting of the vehicle interior air conditioner or the seat temperature adjustment device that is switched by the operation is displayed on the surface of the operator. The switch is provided. In this control panel, there are four switches, such as a switch 11 for switching the air blowing mode, a switch 12 for adjusting the set temperature, a switch 13 for adjusting the air flow rate, and a switch 14 for adjusting the seat temperature, as such switches with an information display function. Is provided. Each of these switches 11 to 14 is configured as a push button type switch, and the operation settings of the vehicle interior air conditioner and the seat temperature adjusting device are sequentially switched through a push operation of a push button which is an operator thereof. It is like that.

  A switch 11 for switching the air blowing mode shown in FIG. 2A is a switch that is operated to switch the air blowing mode of the vehicle interior air conditioner, that is, the air outlet that performs air blowing, and is an operator thereof. Each time the push button 11a is pushed, the air blowing mode is sequentially switched. Specifically, depending on the air blowing mode, a register that is a blowout port for blowing air toward the head of the passenger, a foot blowout port that is a blowout port for blowing air toward the feet of the passenger, and the windshield Of the defroster which is a blowout port for blowing air toward, it is set through which blowout port the air is blown. Here, as such a blowing mode, “FACE” mode for blowing air only from the register, “B / L” mode for blowing air from the register and the foot outlet, “FOOT” mode for blowing air only from the foot outlet, and foot outlet An “F / D” mode for blowing air from the mouth and the defroster and an “DEF” mode for blowing air only from the defroster are set. Every time the push button 11a of the switch 11 for switching the air blowing mode is pushed, “FACE” → “B / L” → “FOOT” → “F / D” → “DEF” → “FACE” The air blowing mode is sequentially switched in a circular manner. In the figure, a state in which a pattern (icon 11b) indicating that the “FACE” mode is selected as the blowing mode is displayed on the surface of the push button 11a is shown. In addition, on the surface of the push button 11a of the switch 11 for switching the air blowing mode, a unique icon for each air blowing mode, which indicates the air blowing mode currently selected, is displayed in a light-emitting manner.

  The switch 12 for adjusting the set temperature shown in FIG. 2B is a switch operated to change the set temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioner (target value of the vehicle interior temperature). In this switch 12, the set temperature is increased by “0.5 ° F.” every time the right end of the push button 12a, which is the operator, is pushed, and is set every time the left end of the push button 12a is pushed. The temperature is lowered by “0.5 ° F.”. In the figure, a state is shown in which a numerical value 12b indicating that the set temperature is set to “80.0 ° F.” is displayed on the surface of the push button 12a.

  The air flow rate adjustment switch 13 shown in FIG. 2C is a switch operated to change the air flow rate (the intensity of the air flow) from the outlet of the vehicle interior air conditioner. In this switch 13, the strength of the air flow is increased by one step each time the right end portion of the push button 13a which is the operator is pushed, and the strength of the air flow is increased every time the left end portion of the push button 13a is pushed. Is weakened one step at a time. The intensity of the air blow adjusted through such an operation is represented by the length of the bar 13b displayed on the surface of the push button 13a.

  The seat temperature adjusting switch 14 shown in FIG. 2D is a switch operated to change the set temperature of the seat temperature adjusting device. In such a switch 14, the set temperature of the seat temperature adjusting device is changed to the low temperature side by one step every time the right end of the push button 14a which is the operation element is operated, and every time the left end of the push button 14a is operated. It is changed to the high temperature side step by step. Note that the set temperature of the sheet temperature adjusting device that is adjusted through such an operation is represented by the length and direction of the bar 14b that is lit and displayed on the surface of the push button 14a.

  Next, the structure of such a switch with an information display function will be described in detail by taking the set temperature adjustment switch 12 as an example. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional structure of the switch 12 for adjusting the set temperature along the line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional structure of the switch 12 along the line IV-IV in FIG.

  As shown in these figures, a push button 12a, which is an operator of the set temperature adjustment switch 12, is mounted in a button hole 21 formed in the panel 20 of the control panel so as to be movable back and forth. And the board | substrate 22 is being integrally fixed to the switch back side of such a push button 12a. A plurality of light emitting elements 23 are mounted on the switch front side of the substrate 22. Here, a light emitting diode (LED) is used as the light emitting element 23. Then, by changing the combination of segments to be turned on by light emission of the light emitting element 23, the set temperature displayed as a numerical value on the surface of the push button 12a is changed.

  On the back side of the switch of the push button 12a, the main board 24 is installed in a state fixed to the vehicle side. The board 22 fixed to the push button 12 a and the main board 24 are electrically connected to each other by a flexible cable 25. In addition, two protrusions 26 are fixed to the right and left ends of the switch 22 on the back side of the board 22, and the tips of the protrusions 26 abut on the two tact switches 27 installed on the main board 24. Has been. These tact switches 27 detect the push operations at the left and right ends of the push button 12a.

  The main board 24 is provided with a control circuit 28 for performing light emission control of the light emitting element 23 in response to detection of a push operation by the tact switch 27. The control circuit 28 selects the light emitting element 23 that emits light in order to turn on the segment necessary for the numerical display of the current set temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioner. Further, the control circuit 28 transmits a command signal instructing that the selected light emitting element 23 emits light to the substrate 22 via the flexible cable 25. The circuit on the substrate 22 applies a voltage necessary for light emission to the light emitting element 23 instructed to emit light according to the received command signal.

  The other switches 11, 13, and 14 with the information display function are different in the symbols (icons 11 b, numerical values 12 b, bars 13 b and 14 b) that are lit and displayed by the lighting of the segments, and the basic structure thereof is set temperature This is almost the same as the adjustment switch 12. However, the blower mode switching switch 11 is different in configuration from the preset temperature adjusting switch 12 in that only one protrusion 26 and one tact switch 27 are provided.

  FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional structure of the push buttons 11a to 14a to which the substrate 22 on which the light emitting element 23 is mounted is fixed integrally. The push buttons 11a to 14a are based on a base material 60 made of a translucent (here, transparent smoke) resin material, and a semi-transparent vapor-deposited layer 61 and a first light-shielding first are provided on the back side of the switch of the base material 60. The paint layer 62 is formed in order, and the semi-permeable second paint layer 63 is formed on the switch front side of the base material 60.

  The vapor deposition layer 61 is formed by performing 3-7 layers of multi vapor deposition on the surface of the switch back side of the push buttons 11a-14a. This multi vapor deposition is formed by alternately vapor-depositing a material having a high refractive index such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) and a material having a low refractive index such as silicon dioxide (SiO2). Depending on the vapor deposition layer 61, a half mirror that allows light to pass from the inside of the switch to the outside and reflects the light incident from the outside of the switch is formed.

  The first paint layer 62 is formed by coating a light-shielding paint such as black on the vapor deposition layer 61. However, the first paint layer 62 is penetrated in the segment portion to be lit, and the light emission of each light emitting element 23 is emitted to the outside through the penetrated portion of the first paint layer 62. The segment is turned on.

  The second paint layer 63 is formed by coating the surface of the substrate 60 with a semi-permeable paint such as a smoke color. Here, the color of the paint and the thickness of the paint are set so that the light transmittance of the second paint layer 63 is “45%”.

  Such push buttons 11a to 14a are manufactured by the procedure shown in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (d). That is, in manufacturing the push buttons 11a to 14a, after forming the base material 60 made of a transparent smoke resin material, the vapor deposition layer 61 is formed on the back side of the switch of the base material 60 as shown in FIG. To do. The vapor deposition layer 61 is formed by multi-vapor deposition such that 3 to 7 layers of high refractive index layers made of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the like and low refractive index layers made of silicon dioxide (SiO2) or the like are alternately laminated. Formed with. Next, a light-shielding paint is applied on the vapor deposition layer 61 to form a first paint layer 62 as shown in FIG. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6C, the first paint layer 62 of the portion to be each segment of the lighting display is pierced by laser trimming. And finally, as shown in FIG.6 (d), push button 11a-14a comes to be manufactured by performing the smoke coating on the switch front side of the base material 60, and forming the 2nd coating material layer 63. As shown in FIG. Yes.

  In the push buttons 11a to 14a manufactured in this way, a light-shielding first paint layer 62 is formed on the back side of the switch. Have been closely. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting element 23 hardly leaks into segments other than those to be lit. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the unlit segment from faintly shining due to light leaked from the other segments that are lit.

  Further, the light transmittance in the segment portions of the push buttons 11a to 14a manufactured in this way may be set to “20%” to “50%” in view of the visibility of the light emitting display and the concealability of the segment during the light extinction. More preferably, “25%” to “40%” is desirable.

In this reference example , the first paint layer 62 corresponds to “a paint layer made of a light-shielding paint that is applied to the back side of the switch of the base material and penetrates the segment portion”. The second paint layer 63 corresponds to “an additional paint layer formed by applying a semi-permeable paint to the switch surface of the operation element”.

According to the switch with an information display function of the in-vehicle device of the reference example described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In this reference example , a substrate 22 on which a plurality of light emitting elements 23 are mounted is integrally fixed to the back side of the switches of the push buttons 11a to 14a that are operating elements, and a segment that is turned on by light emission of these light emitting elements 23 A first paint layer 62 made of a light-shielding paint is provided on the back side of the switches of the push buttons 11a to 14a. For this reason, the light emitting element 23 is brought into intimate contact with the portion of the first paint layer 62 that is turned on by the light emission of the light emitting element 23, and the light emission of the light emitting element 23 is being turned off. It becomes difficult to leak into other segments.

(2) In this reference example , a semi-permeable vapor-deposited layer 61 and a light-shielding first paint layer 62 are sequentially formed on the switch back side of the push buttons 11a to 14a, and a semi-permeable second paint is formed on the switch front side. The layer 63 is formed. The vapor deposition layer 61 allows the transmission of light from the inside to the outside of the switch and forms a half mirror that reflects the light incident from the outside of the switch. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the segment being turned off from being conspicuous from the outside. In addition, since the vapor deposition layer 61 is formed by the multi vapor deposition as described above, the push buttons 11a to 14a can have a metal feeling of a color different from the case where metal vapor deposition is performed. . That is, when the half mirror is formed by metal vapor deposition, the metal feeling is too strong and the surface is glazed like a mirror. However, according to the multi-vapor deposition, it is possible to obtain a metal feeling with reduced glare. Moreover, since metal deposition is not performed on the switch front side of the push buttons 11a to 14a, fingerprints and dirt can be made inconspicuous.

(3) In this reference example , the process of forming the vapor deposition layer 61 for forming a half mirror in the surface of the switch back side of the base material 60 of the push buttons 11a-14a formed of the translucent resin material; A step of forming a first paint layer 62 by applying a light-shielding paint on the vapor deposition layer 61, a step of penetrating the first paint layer 62 in the segment portion by laser trimming, The push buttons 11a to 14a to which the substrate 22 on which the plurality of light emitting elements 23 are mounted are integrally fixed are manufactured by applying the semi-permeable paint to the switch front side to form the second paint layer 63. I am doing so. According to such a manufacturing method, it is possible to easily and accurately manufacture a switch with an information display function in which light emission of the light-emitting element 23 hardly leaks to other segments that are turned off, and the segments that are turned off from the outside are not conspicuous. become able to.

(First Embodiment)
Next, a first embodiment that embodies a switch with an information display function for an in-vehicle device according to the present invention and a manufacturing method thereof will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment and each of the following embodiments and reference examples , the same reference numerals are given to configurations common to the above-described reference examples, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, the surface treatment structure of the push buttons 11a to 14a is different from that of the first reference example .

  FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional structure of the push buttons 11a to 14a to which the substrate 22 on which the light emitting element 23 is mounted is fixed integrally. The push buttons 11a to 14a are based on a base material 30 made of a translucent (here, transparent smoke) resin material, and on the back side of the switch of the base material 30, the first vapor deposition layer 31, the paint layer 32, and the second It is manufactured by forming the vapor deposition layer 33 in order.

  The 1st vapor deposition layer 31 is formed by performing the multi vapor deposition of 3-7 layers on the surface of the switch back side of pushbutton 11a-14a. This multi vapor deposition is formed by alternately vapor-depositing a material having a high refractive index such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) and a material having a low refractive index such as silicon dioxide (SiO2).

  The paint layer 32 is formed by coating a light-shielding paint such as black on the first vapor deposition layer 31. However, with respect to the segment portion to be lit, the paint layer 32 is penetrated, and the light emission of each light emitting element 23 is emitted to the outside through the penetrated portion of the paint layer 32, so that the segment is lit. It has become so.

  The second vapor-deposited layer 33 is formed by vapor-depositing a metal such as an aluminum alloy on the paint layer 32 in which the segment portion is penetrated. Here, the metal to be deposited and the thickness of the deposition are set so that the light transmittance in the second deposition layer 33 is “35%”. The second vapor deposition layer 33 and the first vapor deposition layer 31 form a half mirror that allows transmission of light from the inside of the switch to the outside and reflects light incident from the outside of the switch. ing.

  These push buttons 11a to 14a are manufactured by the procedure shown in FIGS. 8 (a) to (d). That is, in manufacturing the push buttons 11a to 14a, after forming the base material 30 made of a transparent smoke resin material, as shown in FIG. 8A, the first vapor deposition layer is formed on the back side of the switch of the base material 30. 31 is formed. The first vapor deposition layer 31 is formed by multiple vapor deposition so that 3 to 7 layers of high refractive index layers made of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the like and low refractive index layers made of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and the like are alternately laminated. It is formed by doing. Next, a light-shielding paint is applied on the first vapor deposition layer 31 to form a paint layer 32 as shown in FIG. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8C, the paint layer 32 of the portion that becomes each segment of the lighting display is pierced by laser trimming. Finally, as shown in FIG. 8 (d), a push button is formed by forming a second vapor deposition layer 33 by vapor-depositing a metal such as an aluminum alloy on the paint layer 32 penetrating the segment portion. 11a to 14a are manufactured.

  Also in the push buttons 11a to 14a manufactured in this way, the light transmittance in the segment portion is set to “20%” to “50%” in terms of the visibility of the light emitting display and the concealability of the segment during the light extinction. More preferably, it is desirable to set “25%” to “40%”.

  The effect described in (1) can also be achieved by the switch with an information display function of the in-vehicle device according to the present embodiment described above. Moreover, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be further obtained.

  (4) In the present embodiment, the first vapor deposition layer 31 formed by multi vapor deposition on the switch front side of the paint layer 32 and the second vapor deposition layer 33 formed by metal vapor deposition on the back side of the switch from the inside of the switch. A half mirror that allows the light to be transmitted to the outside and reflects the light incident from the outside of the switch is formed. If the half mirror is formed in this way, the light incident from the outside is reflected while allowing the lighting of the segment by the light emission of the light emitting element 23 inside the switch. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the segment being turned off from being conspicuous from the outside. Further, from the outside, the second vapor-deposited layer on which the metal is vapor-deposited can be seen only at the portion of the segment where the paint layer 32 is penetrated, and such second vapor-deposited layer can be seen only through the first vapor-deposited layer. become. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the glare on the surface of the operation element due to metallic luster. Moreover, since metal deposition is not performed on the switch front side of the push buttons 11a to 14a, fingerprints and dirt can be made inconspicuous.

  (5) In the present embodiment, the step of forming the first vapor deposition layer 31 formed by multi vapor deposition on the surface of the back side of the switch of the base material 30 formed of a translucent resin material, and the first A process of forming a paint layer 32 by applying a light-shielding paint on the vapor deposition layer 31, a process of penetrating the paint layer 32 in the segment part by laser trimming, and a paint penetrating the segment part By forming a second vapor deposition layer 33 by vapor-depositing metal on the layer 32, the push buttons 11a to 14a to which the substrate 22 on which the plurality of light emitting elements 23 are mounted are integrally fixed are manufactured. Yes. According to such a manufacturing method, it is possible to easily and accurately manufacture a switch with an information display function in which light emission of the light-emitting element 23 hardly leaks to other segments that are turned off, and the segments that are turned off from the outside are not conspicuous. become able to.

( Second reference example )
Next, a second reference example embodying the car mounting information displaying function switches and a method of manufacturing devices, is described in detail with reference to FIGS. This reference example is different from the first reference example and the first embodiment in the surface treatment structure of the push buttons 11a to 14a. Specifically, in the present reference example , by performing metal vapor deposition on the switch front side of the push buttons 11a to 14a to form a half mirror, the unlit segment is made invisible from the outside.

FIG. 9 shows a sectional structure of the push button of the switch with information display function of this reference example . As shown in the figure, a metal vapor deposition layer 41 formed by vapor-depositing a metal such as an aluminum alloy is provided on the surface on the switch front side of the base material 40 made of a transparent smoke resin material which is the basis of the push button. It has been. In the metal vapor deposition layer 41, the metal to be vapor deposited and the thickness of the vapor deposition are selected so that the light transmittance is about “40%”. A hard coating layer 42 made of a transparent paint for protecting the metal vapor deposition layer 41 is provided on the upper surface. On the other hand, on the back side of the switch of the base material 40, a paint layer 43 made of a light-shielding paint is formed, in which the segment to be lit is perforated.

  These push buttons 11a to 14a are manufactured by the procedure shown in FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d). That is, in manufacturing the push buttons 11a to 14a, after forming a base material 40 made of a transparent smoke resin material, metal deposition is performed on the switch front side of the base material 40, as shown in FIG. A metal vapor deposition layer 41 is formed. Next, a light-shielding paint is applied to the back side of the switch of the substrate 40 to form a paint layer 43 as shown in FIG. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10C, the portion of the paint layer 43 that becomes the segment of the lighting display is pierced by laser trimming. Finally, as shown in FIG. 10 (d), the push button is manufactured by coating the upper surface of the push button on which the metal deposition layer 41 is formed with a transparent paint to form the hard coating layer 42. It has come to be.

  In the push buttons 11 a to 14 a manufactured in this way, most of the light emitted from the outside is reflected by the metal vapor deposition layer 41. For this reason, the segment that is turned off is not visible from the outside, and when all the light emitting elements 23 are turned off, the entire surface of the push button can be seen as a uniform brightness surface. Further, in the push button manufactured in this way, the paint layer 43 is formed on the back side of the switch, and the light-emitting element 23 is in intimate contact with the portion of the paint layer 43 that is to be turned on. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting element 23 hardly leaks into segments other than those to be lit. For this reason, portions other than the segment that is lit are visible as a uniform brightness surface, and the segment that is not lit is hardly visible from the outside.

  Also in the push buttons 11a to 14a manufactured in this way, the light transmittance in the segment portion is set to “20%” to “50%” in terms of the visibility of the light emitting display and the concealability of the segment during the light extinction. More preferably, it is desirable to set “25%” to “40%”.

The effect described in the above (1) can also be achieved by the switch with information display function of the in-vehicle device of the reference example described above. Further, according to this reference example , the following effects can be further obtained.

(6) In this reference example , the metal vapor deposition layer 41 is formed on the switch front side of the push button. Since such a metal deposition layer 41 becomes a half mirror, it is possible to prevent the segment being extinguished from being seen from the outside, and the appearance of the switches 11 to 14 can be improved.

(7) In the present reference example , a coating layer 43 is formed by applying a light-shielding coating material to the surface of the back side of the switch 40 of the base material 40 formed of a translucent resin material, and the coating layer 43 The substrate 22 on which the plurality of light emitting elements 23 are mounted is formed by a step of punching through the segment portion by laser trimming and a step of forming a metal vapor deposition layer 41 by vapor-depositing metal on the surface of the base material 40 on the switch front side. Are manufactured integrally with the push buttons 11a to 14a. According to such a manufacturing method, it is possible to easily and accurately manufacture a switch with an information display function in which light emission of the light emitting element 23 hardly leaks to other segments that are turned off, and the segments that are turned off are hardly visible from the outside. Will be able to.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of an information display function switches and a method of manufacturing vehicle apparatus according to the present invention embodying, be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In the embodiment and the reference example , the tact switch 27 that detects the push operation of the push button and the control circuit 28 that controls the light emission of the light emitting element 23 according to the detection result of the tact switch 27 are fixed to the vehicle body side. The main board 24 is installed. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, such a tact switch and a control circuit are provided on a substrate integrally fixed to the push button, whereby the configuration related to the information display of the operation setting of the in-vehicle device that can be switched by the push operation of the push button. All of these are provided integrally with the push button.

  FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional structure of such a switch with an information display function of this embodiment. In the figure, the sectional structure of the switch 12 for adjusting the set temperature is shown, but the other switches 11, 13, and 14 basically have the same structure.

  Also in the present embodiment, the substrate 50 on which the light emitting element 23 is mounted is integrally fixed to the back side of the switch of the push button 12a which is the switch operator. However, in the present embodiment, on the back side of the switch of the substrate 22, a tact switch 51 that detects a push operation of the push button 12a and a control that performs light emission control of the light emitting element 23 according to the detection result of the tact switch 51. A circuit 52 is mounted. In this embodiment, the tact switch 51 is brought into contact with the tip of the projection 53 fixed to the vehicle body side. Note that in the switch 12 for adjusting the set temperature, the switch 13 for adjusting the air flow rate, and the switch 14 for adjusting the seat temperature, the tact switch 51 and the protrusion 53 are respectively provided at the left and right ends of the push button. ing. On the other hand, in the case of the switch 11 for switching the air blowing mode, only one tact switch 51 and one protrusion 53 are provided.

In the switch with information display function of this embodiment, the surface treatment structure of the push buttons 11a to 14a is the same as that of either the first reference example or the first embodiment. .

In the present embodiment described above, in addition to the effects of the above-described embodiments and reference examples , the following effects can be further achieved.
(8) In the present embodiment, in addition to the light emitting element 23, the tact switch 51 and the control circuit 52 are also provided on the substrate 50 integrally fixed to the push buttons 11a to 14a. Therefore, all the configurations related to the information display of the operation setting of the in-vehicle device that is switched by the push operation of the push button are integrally provided in the push buttons 11a to 14a, and the installation space can be further reduced. It becomes like this. In addition, since the switch with the information display function as described above is provided as an integrated assembly, it can be handled easily.

Note that the above-described embodiments and reference examples may be modified as follows.
In each of the above embodiments and reference examples , the segment portions of the first paint layer 62 and the paint layers 32 and 43 are pierced by laser trimming, but this processing is performed by other processing methods such as etching. May be performed.

In each of the above-described embodiments and reference examples , an aluminum alloy is used as the metal to be deposited on the second vapor deposition layer 33 or the metal vapor deposition layer 41. However, other metal such as chromium may be employed. good. Moreover, the light transmittance of the second vapor deposition layer 33 and the metal vapor deposition layer 41 adjusted by the thickness of the vapor deposition may be appropriately changed.

In each of the above embodiments and reference examples , the transparent smoke resin material is used for the base materials 30, 40, 60 of the push buttons 11a to 14a. You may do it.

In each of the above-described embodiments and reference examples , the first paint layer 62 and the paint layers 32 and 43 are formed of a black paint. However, if sufficient light-shielding properties are obtained, the first paint is used. A paint of a color other than black may be employed for the layer 62 and the paint layers 32 and 43.

  The material and thickness of the vapor deposition layer 61, the first vapor deposition layer 31, the second vapor deposition layer 33, and the metal vapor deposition layer 41, the base materials 30, 40, 60, the first paint layer 62, the second paint layer 63, and the paint The appearance (glossiness, reflectance, etc.) of the push buttons 11a to 14a can be changed by appropriately adjusting the colors and the like of the layers 32 and 43. That is, the properties of the respective vapor deposition layers (31, 33, 41, 61), the base material (30, 40, 60) and the paint layers (32, 43, 62, 63) depend on the installation environment (brightness and surroundings) of the switch. In consideration of the color tone, design, etc.), the appearance of the push buttons 11a to 14a, the visibility of the segments that are lit, the concealment of the segments that are not lit, and the like may be appropriately selected.

In the second reference example , the hard coating layer 42 for protecting the metal vapor deposition layer 41 is provided on the metal vapor deposition layer 41, but the metal vapor deposition layer 41 can be sufficiently firmly fixed to the substrate 40. If so, the hard coating layer 42 may be omitted.

· In the above embodiment and the reference example, a case has been described embodying information display switch with a push button type switch, it can be applied to push button other than the switch, such as a dial type .

· In the above embodiment and the reference example it has been described a case in which the switch and to ingredients embodied for operating the vehicle interior air conditioning device and a seat temperature adjusting device, is switchable information display function, for example, audio equipment, navigation The present invention can be similarly applied to a switch used for operation setting operation of other in-vehicle devices such as a device. For example, the present invention can be applied to a switch for switching the volume of an audio device, the reception frequency of a radio, and the like. In this case, the switch can be configured so that the volume of the audio device is displayed with light on the controller with a numerical value or the length of the bar, and the radio reception frequency is displayed with light on the controller with a numerical value. it can. Also, it is also possible to implement the switches used for operating the devices other than vehicle equipment.

The technical idea grasped from each of the above embodiments will be described below together with the effects thereof.
(B) said switch, information display function switch you characterized by comprising configured as a switch of the push-button type. Thus, the switch with an information display function of the present invention can be embodied as a push button type switch.

(B) said switch, information display function switch ing is configured as a switch for operating the vehicle equipment. Thus, the switch with an information display function of the present invention can be embodied as a switch for operating with a vehicle-mounted device such as a vehicle interior air conditioner, a vehicle-mounted audio device, and a navigation device.

  (C) A method of manufacturing a switch with an information display function in which the coating layer is penetrated in the segment portion by laser trimming. In each of the above manufacturing methods, the penetration of the paint layer in the segment portion can be suitably performed by using laser trimming.

The top view which shows the planar structure of the control panel in which the switch with the information display function was provided about the 1st reference example of this invention. About the reference example , (a) is an air mode switching switch, (b) is a set temperature adjustment switch, (c) is an air flow rate adjustment switch, (d) is an information display mode of a seat temperature adjustment switch. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-section of the switch for preset temperature adjustment along the III-III line | wire of the FIG.2 (b) about the reference example . Sectional drawing which shows the cross-section of the switch for preset temperature adjustment along the IV-IV line | wire of the FIG.2 (b) about the reference example . Sectional drawing which shows typically the cross-section of the push button which is an operator of the switch with an information display function about the reference example . (A)-(d) Sectional drawing which each shows the cross-sectional structure in each step of the manufacturing process of the pushbutton about the manufacturing method of the switch with an information display function of the reference example . Sectional drawing which shows typically the cross-section of the operation element of the switch with an information display function about 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) cross-sectional view showing the sectional structure, respectively, in each stage of ~ (d) producing how have been manufacturing process of the push-button information display function switch of the embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the cross-section of the operation element of the switch with an information display function about the 2nd reference example of this invention. (A)-(d) Sectional drawing which each shows the cross-sectional structure in each step of the manufacturing process of the pushbutton about the manufacturing method of the switch with an information display function of the reference example . Sectional drawing which shows the cross-sectional structure about 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows the structural example of the segment for light-emitting and displaying the numerical value of 3 digits.

Explanation of symbols

  11 ... Switch for air blowing mode (11a ... push button, 11b ... icon), 12 ... Switch for adjusting set temperature (12a ... push button, 12b ... numerical value), 13 ... Switch for air flow adjustment (13a ... push Button, 13b ... bar), 14 ... switch for adjusting the sheet temperature (14a ... push button, 14b ... bar), 20 ... panel, 21 ... button hole, 22 ... substrate, 23 ... light emitting element, 24 ... main substrate, 25 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS Flexible cable, 26 ... Protruding part, 27 ... Tact switch, 28 ... Control circuit, 30 ... Base material made of translucent resin material, 31 ... First vapor deposition layer, 32 ... Paint layer, 33 ... Second vapor deposition layer 40 ... Base material made of translucent resin material, 41 ... Metal vapor deposition layer, 42 ... Hard coating layer, 43 ... Paint layer, 50 ... Substrate, 51 ... Tact switch, 52 ... Control circuit, 53 ... Projection part, 60 ... Base material 61 ... vapor deposition layer, 62 ... first coating layer (coating layer), 63 ... second coating layer (further paint layer).

Claims (4)

In a switch with an information display function for emitting and displaying information on the switch operator through switching of the segment to be lit,
A substrate integrally fixed to the back side of the switch of the operation element;
A plurality of light emitting elements mounted on the substrate and emitting light to light the segment;
A base material of the operation element formed on a translucent resin material;
A coating layer made of a light-shielding coating material applied to the back side of the switch of the base material and penetrating the segment portion;
Equipped with a,
Vapor deposition is performed on the surface of the operation element, allowing transmission of light from the inside of the switch to the outside thereof, and forming a half mirror that reflects light incident from the outside of the switch,
The switch with an information display function , wherein the half mirror is formed of a first vapor deposition layer provided on the switch front side of the paint layer and a second vapor deposition layer provided on the switch back side of the paint layer . 2. The switch with an information display function according to claim 1, wherein light transmittance of the segment portion of the operation element is 20% or more and 50% or less. 3. The switch with an information display function according to claim 1, wherein a light transmittance of the segment portion of the operation element is 25% or more and 40 % or less. A substrate with a plurality of light emitting elements mounted thereon is integrally fixed to the switch operator, and a switch with an information display function for lighting a segment by light emission of the light emitting elements and displaying information on the operator is manufactured. A method,
Forming a first vapor deposition layer on the surface of the switch back side of the base of the operation element formed of a translucent resin material;
Applying a light-shielding paint on the first vapor deposition layer to form a paint layer;
Piercing the paint layer in the segment portion;
Forming a second vapor deposition layer by depositing a metal on the paint layer penetrating the segment portion;
With
With the information display function, the first vapor deposition layer and the second vapor deposition layer allow the transmission of light from the inside to the outside of the switch and reflect the light incident from the outside of the switch. A method for manufacturing a switch.

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