JP5075406B2 - Instrument device and display method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an instrument device suitable for use in, for example, a vehicle fuel gauge, speedometer, engine tachometer, water temperature gauge, analog timepiece, and the like, and a display method using the instrument device.

  4 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating a conventional fuel gauge for a vehicle, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel gauge shown in FIG.

  Conventionally, in the vehicle fuel gauge 1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the dial 7 and the design portion 8 are illuminated by reflecting the light emitted from the first light source 2 in the illumination chamber 5. The pointer 9 is illuminated by guiding the light emitted from the second light source 3. However, the fuel gauge 1 has a drawback that the three-dimensional effect is poor because the dial 7 and the design portion 8 are flatly displayed.

In view of this, there has been proposed a technique for expressing a three-dimensional effect by adopting a display plate in which planar ground color plates are arranged in parallel behind a planar transparent plate (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-149122

  However, in this case, the transparent plate and the ground color plate are only a combination of flat surfaces, and there is a problem that a high-class feeling is lacking.

  The same applies to instrument devices other than the fuel gauge 1 (for example, speedometer, engine tachometer, water temperature gauge, analog clock, etc.).

  It is a first object of the present invention to provide an instrument device capable of solving such problems, and to provide a display method capable of saving space by using the instrument device. Second purpose.

First, in the invention of the instrument device according to claim 1, a translucent display plate, a design portion provided on the surface of the display plate, and a ring-shaped light guide member placed around the display plate And a plurality of light sources disposed below the light guide member, and on the back surface of the display plate, a concave portion whose thickness increases or decreases from the center portion to the peripheral portion of the display plate , The light guide member has an L-shaped cross-sectional ring shape in which an incident surface of light emitted from the light source faces downward and an exit surface of incident light faces a side surface of the display plate. The light incident on the display panel is emitted in the horizontal direction toward the center of the display panel .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the instrument apparatus which can acquire not only a three-dimensional effect but a high-class feeling can be provided.

  In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a display method capable of saving space.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vehicular fuel gauge which is an instrument device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel gauge shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the vehicle fuel gauge 1 has a flat substrate 10. It is installed in the form of protruding. A case 12 is installed on the upper side of the substrate 10, and a translucent display plate 15 formed in a disc shape is placed on the upper side of the case 12. Furthermore, an L-shaped cross-section light guide member 22 is placed around the display plate 15, and a plurality of light sources 14 are arranged below the light guide member 22 at equal angular intervals on the circumference. It is installed.

  In addition, a design portion 17 is provided on the surface of the display board 15 by sticking, printing, engraving, molding, etc., and this design portion 17 is “F” indicating that the fuel is full (full). It has a shape that connects the scale, the scale of “E” indicating that the fuel is empty, and three scales that divide the scale into four equal parts. Further, a pointer 19 is rotatably attached to the center of the display plate 15 so as to be inserted into the rotary shaft 11a of the inner unit 11, and the pointer 19 is a needle-shaped instruction that indicates the remaining amount of fuel. A portion 19a and a cylindrical rotation shaft portion 19b that connects the instruction portion 19a to the rotation shaft 11a of the internal unit 11 are provided.

  Further, a look-back 21 is provided around the display board 15 so as to be positioned above the case 12. A conical recess 16 is formed on the back surface of the display plate 15 so as to be gradually inclined so that the display plate 15 becomes thinner along the outer periphery of the display plate 15.

  Since the vehicular fuel gauge 1 has the above-described configuration, light is emitted from the light source 14 when illuminating the design portion 17 when traveling at night or the like. Then, as indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 2, this light enters the light guide member 22 upward, then bends at right angles within the light guide member 22, and travels from the light guide member 22 toward the center of the display plate 15. The light reaches the display plate 15 after being emitted in the horizontal direction. As a result, the entire surface of the display plate 15 emits light, and the design portion 17 is lifted with respect to the case 12 and visually recognized in a hollow state. Therefore, a three-dimensional effect can be obtained.

  In addition, a conical recess 16 is formed on the back surface of the display board 15, and the brightness changes as the thickness decreases from the center to the periphery of the display board 15. This makes it possible to obtain a high-class feeling.

  In addition, by changing the emission color of the fuel gauge 1 during normal times such as when there is sufficient fuel and during warnings when the amount of remaining fuel is low, a dedicated warning light is omitted, thereby saving space. You can also.

  That is, for example, two types of light sources 14 that emit light of a cold color (blue, achromatic color, etc.) and warm color (red, orange, yellow, etc.) are arranged, and the fuel gauge 1 is caused to emit light in a cold color in a normal state. Sometimes, the fuel gauge 1 may emit light in a warm color. Thus, if the emission color of the fuel meter 1 is changed from a cold color to a warm color, the discoloration becomes more conspicuous and the warning effect can be enhanced. Conversely, it is also possible to cause the fuel gauge 1 to emit light in a warm color during normal times, and to cause the fuel gauge 1 to emit light in a cold color during warning. In these cases, since the fuel gauge 1 also functions as a warning light, a dedicated warning light can be omitted in the meter layout, and space can be saved.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of a vehicular fuel gauge which is an instrument device according to the present invention.

  In the first embodiment described above, when the conical recess 16 is formed on the back surface of the display plate 15 so that the display plate 15 becomes thinner toward the outside along the outer periphery of the display plate 15. However, the direction of the inclination of the recess 16 may be reversed. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, an inverted conical recess 16 that is gradually inclined so that the display plate 15 becomes thinner from the periphery to the center of the display plate 15 may be formed on the back surface of the display plate 15. . In this case, an inverted conical recess 16 is formed on the back surface of the display plate 15, and the luminance increases from the central portion to the peripheral portion of the display plate 15 to change the brightness. It is possible to get a high-class feeling by its attractive appearance.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to apply a crease 18 to the recess 16 by a crease process. In this case, the display plate 15 itself has a three-dimensional effect due to the texture 18.

<Other embodiments>
In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the thickness of the display board 15 monotonously decreases or increases has been described. However, the thickness of the display board 15 may be repeatedly increased and decreased.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the fuel gauge 1 has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to an instrument device other than the fuel gauge 1 (for example, a speedometer, an engine tachometer, a water temperature gauge, an analog clock, etc.). At this time, by changing the emission color according to the type of the instrument device for a plurality of types of instrument devices, each instrument device may be easily identified by color.

  The present invention can be widely applied to various industrial fields such as automobiles, airplanes, trains, manufacturing plants, electrical appliances, and OA equipment.

It is a section perspective view showing a 1st embodiment of a fuel meter for vehicles which is a measuring instrument device concerning the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the fuel meter shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows 2nd Embodiment of the fuel meter for vehicles which is a measuring device which concerns on this invention. It is a cross-sectional perspective view which illustrates the conventional fuel gauge for vehicles. It is sectional drawing of the fuel meter shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Fuel gauge (instrument device)
10 …… Substrate 11 …… Inner unit 11a …… Rotating shaft 12 …… Case 14 …… Light source 15 …… Display plate 16 …… Recessed portion 17 …… Design part 18 …… Wrinkle
19 …… Pointer 19a …… Indicator 19b …… Rotating shaft 21 …… Look back 22 …… Light guide member

Claims (1)

A translucent display board;
A design portion provided on the surface of the display board;
A ring-shaped light guide member placed around the display plate;
A plurality of light sources disposed below the light guide member,
On the back surface of the display plate, a concave portion whose thickness increases or decreases from the center portion to the peripheral portion of the display plate ,
The light guide member has an L-shaped cross-sectional ring shape in which an incident surface of light emitted from the light source faces downward and an exit surface of incident light faces a side surface of the display plate. An instrument device that emits light incident from a horizontal direction toward the center of the display plate .

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