EP1103943B1 - Information optical display device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a display device having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Such display devices are known in the art in a variety of ways. For example, to reproduce states or switch positions of switchgear, light bulbs or light emitting diodes are used as light sources for illuminating the pictograms reproducing the state or the switch position. To accommodate such a light source is regularly a housing or a lamp holder with non-negligible dimensions available. Disadvantage of such a known prior art is that such playback devices can only find use where a suitable space for the base element or the housing can be provided with the existing light source.

From the EP-A-0 545 558 is a playback devices with a display with a scale and numerals known, behind the display, a large-scale light field for the scale and the digits is arranged.

In such known display devices, the illumination of different, closely juxtaposed pictograms, especially at different times and in different colors due to the required installation space is problematic.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a re-input device for the optical reproduction of information, which claims almost no space and in particular allows the illumination of directly adjacent to each other or adjacent pictograms at different times.

This object is achieved with a display device, which identifies the features of claim 1.

The particular advantage of such a display device is that only the points of the luminescent pigment layer are brought to light due to the shape and size of the one electrode, which correspond to the pictogram to be illuminated. This has the advantage that the shape of the luminescent pigment layer, which can be made to shine, is determined directly by the shape and size of the at least one electrode and is not indirectly determined by a print or by corresponding recesses. It is conceivable in extreme cases that the display device can be executed as a dot matrix.

The display device according to the invention has the particular advantage that it can be made very flat due to the film and layer-like design and has a thickness of a few 1/10 mm. In addition, very small, separately controllable areas, which make up the total of the pictograms, at a small distance from each other feasible.

In one embodiment of the invention, the back electrode corresponds in size and shape to the at least one pictogram, wherein the first electrode is transparent. Due to the transparency of the first electrode, it is ensured that the pictogram predetermined by the size and shape of the back electrode can be clearly seen and recognized by the viewer.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a cover layer is present on the side facing the viewer of the display device. The cover layer serves primarily to protect the display device and can be arranged in particular on the first electrode.

In another embodiment of the invention it is provided that the cover layer is transparent. Alternatively, the cover layer may be opaque with be transparent recesses having at least the size of the at least one icon. By such a transparent or transparent recesses having cover layer ensures that the due to the size and shape of the at least one electrode can be brought to shine segments of the luminescent pigment layer are clearly visible to the viewer.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the first electrode is a substantially transparent conductor foil which is arranged between the covering layer and the luminescent layer. Such a transparent conductor foil has the advantage that the conductor foil can extend over the display device over a large area and is protected by the covering layer.

Another embodiment of the invention provides that the back electrode is a conductor layer having at least one segment, wherein the at least one segment corresponds at least to the shape and size of the at least one icon. The segment-like configuration of the return electrode achieves, according to the invention, that only a segment of the luminescent pigment layer corresponding to the segment is illuminated, in particular even in the presence of a large area first electrode.

In one embodiment of the invention, the return electrode is advantageously a graphite layer. Such a graphite layer can be applied in a simple manner to, for example, a film-like luminescent pigment layer.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one color layer is present between the covering layer and the luminescent pigment layer. This ensures that the illumination of the at least one icon according to the color layer used can be made in color.

In a development of the invention, it is provided that a plurality of pictograms are arranged side by side and a plurality of color layers next to one another or side by side and one above the other between the luminous pigment layer and the covering layer. Due to the presence of several color layers and a plurality of pictograms, the individual pictograms, or even the individual pictogram parts, can be illuminated in different colors. Depending on the embodiment of the invention can be provided that the color layers are applied, for example, side by side on a color foil. Alternatively, it is conceivable that several color layers on top of each other, in particular on superimposed color layer films, find use.

A variant of the invention provides that an insulating layer is arranged between the rear electrode and the luminescent layer. Such an insulating layer is u.U. necessary to increase the resistance between the two electrodes, between which the luminescent pigment layer is arranged.

A development of the invention is characterized in that on the side facing away from the insulating layer of the back electrode, a further insulating layer is provided with recesses for electrical contacts of the back electrode. Such a further insulating layer is therefore necessary, in particular to isolate the different segments of the return electrode against each other.

In a further development of the invention, supply lines to the electrical contacts are arranged on the further insulating layer. These leads are used in particular for controlling the individual segments of the return electrode, whereby the various icons can be illuminated.

Advantageously, it is provided that the leads are made of silver or graphite. These materials have very good conductor properties and a very low resistance. As a result, the playback device can be designed to save energy.

In another embodiment of the invention, it is conceivable that the individual layers are arranged on different films. The individual films can have very thin wall thicknesses, which leads to a display device with a very thin overall wall thickness.

In one variant of the invention, several, preferably all layers are applied to a film. Thus, the strength of the display device is even further reduced.

In one embodiment of the invention, the individual layers are printed on one or more sheets by screen printing. Such application of the various layers has proven to be very advantageous and favorable in practice, especially when using only one film.

When using multiple slides, one of the slides may be the base film. Which of the different slides as Basic film is used, is ultimately not crucial, since the base film has the task to give the playback device a certain stability.

In particular, symbols, characters, letters or other symbols can be used as the pictograms. The pictograms can be readily composed of different individual elements. It is also conceivable that a point matrix can be realized, wherein each individual point of the matrix can be controlled independently of the other points of the matrix by means of a separate segment of the return electrode.

The display device according to the invention can be used in particular on switches with a display device for the optical reproduction of switch positions. Because the display device according to the invention requires virtually no installation space, switches can be provided with the display device according to the invention, in which it was not possible in the prior art due to the claimed space of known playback devices to use playback devices.

Such switches may in particular be vehicle switches. When vehicle switches the vehicle driver should always Switch position clearly and clearly displayed. Such displaying or reproducing the switching position is possible almost without stress of space by the display device according to the invention.

In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the vehicle switch is a steering column switch with a shift lever and that at least one pictogram is arranged at the free end of the shift lever. Especially with steering column switches, which may have several switching positions, offers the use of a display device according to the invention.

It can be provided that the plurality of icons are arranged side by side and can be illuminated in different colors. The illumination of the pictograms corresponds to the switch positions of the switch. In this way, the individual functions of the steering column switch can be easily found. Due to the different illuminations of the different pictograms, a detailed information of the selected functions or switch positions of the steering column switch is possible. The function display is directly in the field of view of the observer. An accidentally selected switching position of the steering column switch, such as turning on the high beam or the parking light, can quickly detected and the switching process can be undone.

The display device can advantageously be arranged behind a transparent, possibly printed, the vehicle driver facing plastic part in the shift lever of the steering column switch.

Further advantageous embodiments and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description in which the invention with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings is described and explained in more detail. This forms the EP-A-0 545 558 the closest prior art.

Fig. 1:

den Aufbau einer ersten Wiedergabeeinrichtung;

Fig. 2:

den Aufbau einer erfindungsgemäßen Wiedergabeeinrichtung; und

Fig. 3:

den Aufbau eines erfindungsgemäßen Schalthebels eines Lenkstockschalters.

Show it:

Fig. 1:

the construction of a first display device;

Fig. 2:

the structure of a display device according to the invention; and

3:

the structure of a shift lever according to the invention of a steering column switch.

In the Fig. 1 a first display device 12 is shown for the optical reproduction of information to a human observer. The information to be reproduced here consists of a pictogram 13, which shows a light bulb 14 with a filament 15 and beams 16. In this case, the reproduction device 12 has different layers S1-S10 which are applied to different films, in particular by screen printing.

The display device 12 has an opaque cover layer S1 closest to the viewer. Transparent coverings in the form and size of the pictogram 13, namely the light bulb 14, the incandescent filament 15 and the light beams 16, are present in the covering layer S1.

As the light source of the reproducing device 12, a luminous pigment layer S6 is present. The luminescent pigment layer S6 is arranged between two electrodes, a first electrode in the form of a conductor foil S5 and a return electrode S8 present on a foil. Between the luminescent pigment layer S6 and the back electrode S8 is provided an insulating layer S7, which increases the resistance between the conductor foil S5 and the back electrode S8. By applying a voltage to the two electrodes S5 and S8, the luminescent pigment layer S6 can be made to glow. The tension can be be an AC voltage. The luminescent pigment layer S6 is an electroluminescent film.

The conductor foil S5, which is arranged on the side of the luminescent pigment layer S6 facing the viewer, is designed to be transparent so that the viewer can perceive the luminous effect of the luminescent pigment layer S6. In addition, it is possible to illuminate the recesses 14, 15 and 16 in the cover layer S1.

The return electrode S8, which serves as a conductor layer. e.g. is formed as a graphite layer, has three different segments 17, 18 and 19. The three segments 17, 18 and 19 correspond to the shape and size of the icon 13 and are configured over a larger area than the icon 13.

On the side of the return electrode S8 facing away from the insulating layer S7 there is a further insulating layer S9 with three recesses 21 for the electrical contacts of the return electrode S8. On the side facing away from the viewer of the insulating layer S9, a conductor foil S10 is arranged, on which the supply lines 22 are arranged for the electrical contacts of the return electrode S8. The leads 22 are strip conductors which contact the three segments 17, 18 and 19 of the return electrode S8 through the recesses 21 of the insulating layer S9.

The three back electrode segments 17, 18 and 19 can be acted upon separately by the supply lines 22 with an electrical voltage. Advantageously, the leads 22 are made of silver.

Between the conductor foil S5 and the covering layer S1, there are three color layers S2, S3 and S4. The color layer S4 shows the positive 24 of the light bulb 14, for example in green. The color layer S3, which is embodied, for example, blue, surrounds the area 25 around the light bulb 14, namely that of the light beams 16. On the color layer S2, there is an example yellow rectangle 26, which is arranged below the incandescent filament 15 of the pictogram.

By applying a voltage between the segment 18 and the conductor foil S5, a region of the luminous pigment layer S6 is illuminated, which corresponds to the segment 18. Due to the color layer S4 and the transparent recesses in the cover layer S1, which correspond to the light bulb 14, the light bulb 14 is illuminated green. By applying a voltage between the segment 17 of the return electrode S8 and the conductor foil S5, the filament 15 is illuminated yellow. If the light beams 16 of the icon 13 are illuminated blue be, so a voltage between the segment 19 of the back electrode S8 and the conductor foil S5 is applied.

By independently driving the various segments 17, 18 or 19 of the return electrode S8 is a different illumination of the icon 13, namely the bulb 14, the filament 15 and the light beams 16, possible.

Such a display device 12 is very flat and it can very small, separated from each other surfaces are controlled or illuminated at a small distance from each other. In order to obtain an exact contour of the illuminated surfaces, the transparent recesses are present in the covering layer S1, which correspond in shape and size of the pictogram 13 to be displayed.

In order to reduce the number of individual layers or foils S1-S10, it may be provided that a plurality of layers are arranged on a foil. It is conceivable, for example, that the three color layers S2, S3 and S4 are applied side by side on a single film. Advantageously, it may alternatively be provided that all layers S1-S10 are printed on a film by screen printing.

In the Fig. 2 a reproduction device 32 according to the invention is shown. The display device 32 is in a rear view, ie the viewer looks at the display device 32 from below, shown. The reproduction device 32 has different layers. On the viewer side facing the display device 32, a cover layer S1 is present. The cover layer S1 is advantageously formed as a transparent insulator film.

On the side of the covering layer S1 facing away from the observer, a first electrode, namely a transparent conductor foil S5, is arranged. The luminescent pigment layer S6 adjoins the conductor foil S5. The luminescent pigment layer S6, as well as the conductor foil S5 and the covering layer S1, extend over the entire base area of the display device 32. Three segments 33, 34 and 35 of a return electrode are present on the side of the luminescent pigment layer S6 facing away from the conductor foil S5. The segment 34 of the return electrode represents the letter □ P □. The two segments 34 and 35 are respectively designed arrow-shaped. The segments 33, 34 and 35 are preferably made of graphite. In order to enable a simple and uniform application of the segments 33, 34 and 35 to the luminescent pigment layer S6, is applied to the Luminous pigment layer S6 applied a graphite layer in the form of a back electrode layer S8. However, the segments 33, 34 and 35 are arranged by the segments 33, 34 and 35 surrounding recesses of the graphite layer S8 isolated on the luminescent pigment layer S6. The segments 33, 34 and 35 are thus not in electrical contact with the remaining graphite layer S8.

On the graphite layer S8, an insulating layer S9 is applied. On the insulating layer S9 extend electrical leads 36, which are connected to the segments 33, 34 and 35.

By applying an electrical voltage between the P-shaped segment 33 and the two arrow segments 34 and 35 and the conductor foil S5, the luminescent pigment layer S6 can be excited to glow. The segments 33, 34 and 35 correspond in size and shape to the illuminated pictograms, namely a P-shaped pictogram and two arrow-shaped pictograms.

Unlike the in Fig. 1 illustrated playback device 12 has the in Fig. 2 illustrated reproducing device 32 no recesses in the cover layer, which correspond in shape and size to the pictogram to be displayed. Rather, the pictograms to be displayed directly given by the shape and size of the segments 33, 343 and 35 of the return electrode.

In the Fig. 3 is a reproduction device 41 according to the invention in a particularly preferred application example, namely in a shift lever 42 of a steering column switch of a vehicle, shown. The observer facing top of the shift lever 42, which in the upper part of the Fig. 3 is shown, at the free end 43 on different pictograms. On the one hand there is a pictogram 44 for displaying the switch position "dipped beam" as well as a further pictogram 45 directly connected thereto or integrated therein for displaying the switch position "high beam". Furthermore, a pictogram 46 is shown, which shows the two turn signals "turn signal left" and "turn signal right". Another pictogram 47, which has three segments, shows the switch positions "parking light left" and "parking light right".

In the lower part of the Fig. 3 , which shows the back of the display device 41 according to the invention, it can be clearly seen that the individual segments of the pictograms 44, 45, 46 and 47 can each be acted upon independently via leads 48 with electricity and are illuminable.

By this type of displaying switch positions of the steering column switch, via which the individual segments can be excited independently to glow, the viewer is constantly informed about which switch position the steering column switch has. This ensures a safe and easy location of the various switch positions of the steering column switch. By using different layers of paint, the individual pictograms 44-47 can be illuminated in different colors.

The reproduction device 41 is advantageously arranged behind a transparent plastic part on the side facing the vehicle driver side of the shift lever 42, which is unproblematic due to the very flat feasibility.

All features described in the description, the following claims and in the drawing can be essential to the invention both individually and in any desired combination.

Claims (23)

1. Display device (32) for optical display of information to in particular a human observer, in particular for indicating states or switching positions, comprising a base element, comprising a light source arranged on the base element and comprising at least one pictogram which displays the information to be displayed and can be illuminated by the light source, characterized in that the base element is a base film, in that a luminescent pigment layer (S6) is present as the light source, in that a first electrode (S5) facing the observer and a back-electrode (S8) facing away from the observer are present, the luminescent pigment layer (S6) being arranged between the two electrodes (S5, S8), in that the luminescent pigment layer (S6) can be caused to luminesce at least in sections by application of a voltage to the electrodes (S5, S8) and in that at least one of the two electrodes (S5, 17, 18, 19) corresponds in shape and size to the at least one pictogram.
2. Display device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the back-electrode (17, 18, 19) corresponds in size and shape to the at least one pictogram and in that the first electrode (S5) is transparent.
3. Display device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a cover layer (S1) is present on that side of the display device (32) which faces the observer.
4. Display device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the cover layer (S1) is transparent or in that the cover layer (S1) is opaque with transparent cut-outs which have at least the size of the at least one pictogram.
5. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first electrode (S5) is a substantially transparent conductor film (S5) which is arranged between the cover layer (S1) and the luminescent pigment layer (S6).
6. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the back-electrode (S8) is a conductor layer having at least one segment (17, 18, 19, 33, 34, 35), the at least one segment (17, 18, 19, 33, 34, 35) corresponding at least to the shape and size of the at least one pictogram (13).
7. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the back-electrode (S8) is a graphite layer.
8. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one coloured layer (S2, S3, S4) is present between the cover layer (S1) and the luminescent pigment layer (S6).
9. Display device according to Claim 8, characterized in that a plurality of pictograms are arranged side by side and a plurality of coloured layers (S2, S3, S4) are arranged side by side or side by side and one on top of the other between the luminescent pigment layer (S6) and the cover layer (S1).
10. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that an insulating layer (S7) is arranged between the back-electrode (S8) and the luminescent pigment layer (S6).
11. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a further insulating layer (S9) having cut-outs (21) for electrical contacts of the back-electrode (S8) is present on that side of the back-electrode (S8) which faces away from the insulating layer (S7).
12. Display device according to Claim 11, characterized in that leads (22, 48) to the electrical contacts of the back-electrode (S8) are arranged on the further insulating layer (S9).
13. Display device according to Claim 12, characterized in that the leads (22, 48) comprise silver or graphite.
14. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual layers (S1 - S10) are arranged on different films.
15. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of layers (S1 - S10), preferably all layers (S1 - S10), are present on a film.
16. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual layers (S1 - S10) are printed on the film or films by the screen printing process.
17. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base film is one of the different films.
18. Display device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pictograms (13) are switching symbols, characters, letters or other signs.
19. Switch comprising a display device (41) for optical display of switching positions, characterized in that the display device (41) is a display device according to any of the preceding claims.
20. Switch according to Claim 19, characterized in that the switch is a vehicle switch.
21. Switch according to Claim 20, characterized in that the vehicle switch is a steering column switch having a shift lever (42) and in that at least one pictogram (44 - 47) is arranged at the free end (43) of the shift lever (42).
22. Switch according to any of Claims 19 to 21, characterized in that a plurality of pictograms (44 - 47) which can be illuminated in different colours are arranged side by side.
23. Switch according to any of Claims 19 to 22, characterized in that the illumination of the pictograms (44 - 47) corresponds to the switch positions of the switch.

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