JP2001165713A - Pointer instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pointer instrument which efficiently guides the light of a chip type light emission diode for a light emitting pointer, positioned opposite the rotary base part of a light emitting pointer from the reverse surface side of a dial through its through hole part, into the light emitting pointer through the rotary base part. SOLUTION: The pointer 20 has light guide parts 23 and 24, which extend from the reverse surface 21b of the rotary base part 21 toward a wiring plate 60 opposite each other across a cylindrical boss part 21a through the through hole part 134 of the dial 10a along the axis of the cylindrical boss part 21a. Light sources 50a and 50b formed of chip type light emitting diodes provided on the wiring part 60 face the light guide parts 32 and 24.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pointer instrument for vehicles such as automobiles and other various pointer instruments.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a pointer instrument of this type, for example, there is a pointer instrument for a vehicle as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-221878. This pointer instrument has a light-emitting pointer. The light-emitting pointer is supported at its pivot base by a tip end of a pointer shaft of a rotary inner machine that extends rotatably from the back side of the dial through its through hole. The pointer light source is disposed on the back side of the dial so as to face the turning base of the light emitting pointer through the through hole of the dial.
Thus, the light of the pointer light source passes through the through-hole of the dial and enters the rotation base of the light-emitting pointer.

[0003]

In recent years, a chip type light emitting diode mounted on the surface of a wiring board has been adopted as the light source for the pointer. But,
Since the height of the chip type light emitting diode from the wiring board is lower than that of a light emitting element such as a normal lamp, a light emitting element such as a lamp is provided between the chip type light emitting diode and a rotating base of the light emitting pointer. An interval larger than that between the light emitting pointer and the turning base of the light emitting pointer is formed. Therefore, there is a problem that the light of the chip type light emitting diode cannot be efficiently guided into the turning base of the light emitting pointer.

Accordingly, in order to cope with the above, the present invention provides a light emitting pointer chip type which is positioned from the back side of the dial plate so as to face the rotating base of the light emitting pointer via the through hole. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pointer instrument in which light from a light emitting diode is efficiently guided into a light emitting pointer through a rotation base.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a pointer instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises a scale plate (10a, 10b) and a scale plate arranged on the back side of the scale plate. A rotary inner machine (40) formed by extending a pointer shaft (42) so as to be rotatable through a through hole (13), and a rotation base (21) supported by a tip end of the pointer shaft. The light emitting pointer (2) extending the pointer (22) along
0, 30), a wiring board (60) disposed along the back surface of the dial, and a wiring board (60) disposed on the surface of the wiring board so as to face the rotating base through a through-hole and turn to the pointer. Chip-type light-emitting diodes (50a, 50b) for receiving light from a moving base
And

In the pointer instrument, the light emitting pointer extends from the turning base to the light emitting diode through the through hole and guides the light of the light emitting diode toward the turning base. (23, 24, 83 to 87).

Accordingly, the back surface of each light guide section is located sufficiently close to each light source, so that the distance between these light guide sections and the corresponding light emitting diodes becomes very small. Therefore, the light emitted from each light emitting diode can be efficiently guided into each corresponding light guide without attenuation.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the light guide section includes a plurality of light guide sections, and the same number of the chip type light emitting diodes as the light guide sections face the light guide section. Is provided on the surface.

As described above, by using a plurality of light guide portions and a plurality of chip-type light emitting diodes, the amount of light introduced into the rotating base can be increased. As a result, the operation and effect of the invention according to claim 1 can be obtained. Can be further improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the number of the light guides is two, and both of the light guides are located at the tip end of the light emitting pointer of the pointer shaft and the opposite side. Located on the side.

According to this, substantially the same effect as that of the second aspect can be achieved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, each light guide section is provided on the surface of the wiring board in an arc around the pointer shaft.

[0013] This makes it possible to achieve the function and effect of the first aspect of the present invention, while further uniformly introducing light from the light emitting diode to the rotating base by each light guide section.

The reference numerals in the parentheses of the above means indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example in which the present invention is applied to a combination meter as a pointer instrument for a vehicle, and the combination meter is mounted on an instrument panel provided in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. It is arranged.

The combination meter is provided with an instrument panel 10 which, as shown in FIG. 1, has both left and right dials 10a and 10b and an indicator section 10c.
It has. Each of the two scale plates 10a and 10b is formed with an arc-shaped pattern display portion 11 and 12, respectively. The pattern display portion 11 represents a vehicle speed scale pattern.
The pattern display section 12 shows an engine speed scale pattern. The indicator section 10c indicates a shift position pattern of the automatic transmission of the vehicle.

The combination meter is shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, left and right hands 20 and 30 are provided. The left hand 20 includes a hand main body 20a and a cap 20b.
It is composed of The pointer main body 20a is made of a light-guiding resin material. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the pointer main body 20a has a rotating base 21 and a longitudinal pointer 2.
2 is provided.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the pointer main body 20a is a left-hand rotating internal machine that extends through the through hole 13 of the scale plate 10a at the cylindrical boss 21a of the rotating base 21. It is coaxially supported by the distal end of the 40 pointer shafts 42.
The cylindrical boss 21a extends from the back surface 21b of the rotation base 21.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the pointer main body 20a has both light guides 23 and 24, and these two light guides 23 and 24 are located on the rear surface 21b of the rotating base 21. The boss portions 2 are opposed to each other via the cylindrical boss portion 21a.
Along the axial direction of 1a, it passes through the through-hole 13 of the scale plate 10a and extends to the back side thereof.

The light guide portion 23 is located on the tip side of the pointer portion 22 with respect to the cylindrical boss portion 21a, and the light guide portion 23 has an inclined reflecting surface 21c formed on the surface side of the rotating base 21. Are located opposite to each other. Thereby, the light guide 23 is
Light from a pointer light source 50a, which will be described later, is incident on the back surface 23a to guide the light, and is incident on the reflection surface 21c of the rotating base 21. Here, the reflecting surface 21c transmits the incident light to the pointer 2
The light is reflected toward the tip of the lens 2.

The light guide section 24 is located on the opposite side of the cylindrical boss 21a from the tip of the pointer 22. The light guide section 24 has an inclined shape formed on the surface side of the rotating base 21. It is located so as to face the reflection surface 21d. As a result, the light guide portion 24 is moved from the back surface 24a thereof to the pointer light source 5 described later.
0b is incident and guided, and the reflection surface 2 of the rotating base 21 is
1d. Here, the reflecting surface 21d reflects the incident light and enters the pointer portion 22 toward the tip through the reflecting surface 21c.

The cap 20b is mounted on the turning base 21 of the pointer main body 20a from the front side thereof, and
The surface and the outer peripheral surface are covered with light shielding. Note that the right light emitting pointer 30 is also formed to have the same configuration as the left light emitting pointer 20.

The combination meter is a left-rotating inner unit 4
0, and the left rotating inner unit 40 is disposed on the back surface side of the scale plate 10 a in the inner unit main body 41. The left rotating inner unit 40 has the pointer shaft 42 rotatably extended from the inner unit main body 41. It should be noted that the right-hand rotating inner machine also has a left-hand rotating inner machine 40 with respect to the scale 10b.
The right light emitting pointer 30 is rotatably supported by a pointer shaft.

The combination meter is provided with a wiring board 60, and the wiring board 60 is arranged on the inner body of each of the two rotating inner machines so as to be located along the instrument panel 10 and on the back side thereof in parallel. It is supported by.

Each of the pointer light sources 50a and 50b is composed of a chip type light emitting diode.
The light emitting portions 0a and 50b are disposed on the surface of the wiring board 60 so as to face the back surfaces 23a and 24a of the light guide portions 23 and 24, respectively, at the light emitting portions. The respective light sources 50a, 5
The light source 0b emits light when supplied with power from the wiring board 60, and the light source 50a emits light from its emission part and enters the light guide part 23 from its back surface 23a. In addition, the light source 50b emits light from its emission part and enters the light guide part 24 from its back surface 24a.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 70 denotes a cylindrical left light-shielding wall. The light-shielding wall 70 extends from the front surface of the wiring board 60 into the through hole 13 of the scale plate 10a. And both light sources 50a to the outer peripheral side thereof
50b is prevented from leaking each light. On the scale plate 10b side, a cylindrical right-side light shielding wall is provided similarly to the left-side light shielding wall 70.

In the first embodiment configured as described above,
Since each of the pointer light sources 50a, 50b is a chip-type light emitting diode as described above, the respective pointer light sources 50a, 50b,
The height 50b of the wiring board 60 from the surface is extremely lower than that of a normal light source. Therefore, the rotation base 21 of the light emitting pointer 20
The distance between the back surface 21b and the light emitting portions of the pointer light sources 50a and 50b becomes very large.

However, in the first embodiment, as described above, each light guide is directed from the back surface 21b of the rotating base 21 of the left light emitting pointer 20 to each of the pointer light sources 50a and 50b on the surface of the wiring board 60. Parts 23 and 24 are formed to extend. For this reason, since the back surfaces 23a and 24a of the light guide portions 23 and 24 are located sufficiently close to the emission portions of the light sources 50a and 50b, respectively, the light sources 50a corresponding to the back surfaces 23a and 24a respectively. , 50b are very small.

Therefore, the light emitted from each of the light sources 50a and 50b from the light outgoing portion is efficiently incident from the back surface 23a and 24a into the corresponding light guide portion 23 and 24 without attenuation. For this reason, the light that has entered the light guide portion 23 is guided by the light guide portion 23 and is reflected by the reflecting surface 21c.
The light is efficiently reflected toward the tip of the lens 2. The light incident on the light guide 24 is guided by the light guide 24, passes through the reflection surface 21c by the reflection surface 21d, and passes through the pointer 22.
The light is efficiently incident toward the tip. Thereby, the light emitting pointer 20 can emit light with good luminance at the pointer part 22. In addition, such an operation and effect can be obtained by the light emission guideline 3.
A value of 0 can be similarly secured.

In the first embodiment, the light emitting pointer 2
0, the two light guides 23, 24 are provided and the two light sources 50a, 50b are adopted. However, the light guide 23 and the light source 50a, or the light guide 24 and the light source 5 are used.
0b may be abolished. (Second Embodiment) FIGS. 7 to 10 show the main parts of a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the pointer main body 80 is employed in place of the pointer main body 20a of the light emitting pointer 20 described in the first embodiment. The pointer main body 80 is made of a light-guiding resin material. As shown in FIGS.
And a longitudinal pointer 82.

Here, the pointer main body 80 is used for the light emitting pointer 2
Instead of the zero pointer main body 20a, it is coaxially supported by the distal end of the pointer shaft 42 of the left rotation inner unit 40 by the cylindrical boss 81a of the rotation base 81. In addition, the cylindrical boss portion 81a is
It extends from the back surface 81b of the rotation base 81.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the pointer main body 80 includes a plurality of light guides 83, 84, 85, 86, 8.
7, the light guide portions 83 to 87 are formed from the rear surface 81b of the rotating base 81 around the cylindrical boss portion 81a in the axial direction of the boss portion 81a. Through to the back side.

Each of these light guides 83, 84, 85, 86,
87 is located so as to face each inclined reflecting surface 81c, 81d, 81e, 81f, 81g formed on the rotation base 81, respectively. The light guide 83 has a rear surface 83a.
The light from the first light source for the pointer is incident on the light source, guides the light, and enters the reflecting surface 81 c of the rotating base 81. Here, the reflection surface 2
1c reflects the incident light and enters the pointer 82 from the base toward the tip. The light guide 84 has a back surface 84.
The light of the second light source for the pointer is incident from a, is guided, and is incident on the reflection surface 81 d of the rotating base 81. Here, the reflecting surface 81d reflects the incident light and enters the pointer 82 from its base toward the tip.

The light guide 85 receives the light of the third light source for the pointer from its rear surface 85a, guides the light, and enters the reflection surface 81e of the rotating base 81. Here, the reflecting surface 81e reflects the incident light and enters the pointer 82 from the base to the tip. The light guide 86 receives the light of the fourth pointer light source from its rear surface 86a, guides the light, and enters the reflection surface 81f of the rotating base 81. Here, the reflecting surface 81f reflects the incident light and enters the pointer 82 from the base to the tip. The light guide portion 87 receives the light of the fifth pointer light source from its rear surface 87a, guides the light, and enters the reflection surface 81g of the rotation base 81. Here, the reflecting surface 81g reflects the incident light and enters the pointer 82 from the base to the tip. The cap 20b described in the first embodiment is attached to the pivot base 81 of the pointer main body 80, and the pivot base 2 of the pointer main body 20a described in the first embodiment.
It is mounted as in 1.

The first to fifth light sources described above are replaced with the two light sources 50a and 50b described in the first embodiment.
The light-emitting portions of the first to fifth light sources are disposed on the surface of the wiring board 60, and face the rear surfaces 83a to 87a of the corresponding light guide portions 83 to 87, respectively. Each of the first to fifth light sources emits light by being supplied with power from the wiring board 60, and the first light source emits light from its emission part to form a back surface 83a in the light guide part 83. Incident from The second light source emits light from its emission part and enters the light guide 84 from its back surface 84a. Further, the third light source emits light from its emission part and enters the light guide part 85 from its back surface 85a, and the fourth light source emits light from its emission part to generate light inside the light guide part 85. The fifth light source emits light from its emission part and enters the light guide 86 from its rear surface 86a. Book second
In the embodiment, the first to fifth light sources are each constituted by a chip type light emitting diode. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment configured as described above, since the first to fifth pointer light sources are chip-type light emitting diodes as described above, the wiring board 60 of each pointer light source is used. The height from the surface is much lower than that of a normal light source as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the back surface 81b of the pivot base 81 of the pointer main body 80 and the first to fifth surfaces
The distance between the light source for each pointer and the light emitting portion becomes very large.

However, in the second embodiment, as described above, the first to fifth pointer light sources on the surface of the wiring board 60 are directed from the back surface 81b of the pivot base 81 of the pointer body 80. Each of the light guides 83 to 87 is formed to extend. For this reason, the back surfaces 83a to 87a of the respective light guides 83 to 87 are
Each of the rear surfaces 83a to 83d is located sufficiently close to the emission part of each of the first to fifth light sources.
The distance between the light-emitting portion 7a and the corresponding light-emitting portions of the first to fifth light sources becomes very small.

Accordingly, the light emitted from the light emitting portions of the first to fifth light sources efficiently enters the corresponding light guiding portions 83 to 87 from the rear surfaces 83a to 87a without attenuation. For this reason, the light that has entered the respective light guides 83 to 87 is guided by the corresponding light guides 83 to 87 and the pointers 82 by the corresponding reflection surfaces 81c to 81g.
The light is efficiently reflected from the base toward the tip. Thus, the pointer main body 80 can emit light with good luminance at the pointer portion 82.

In this case, in the second embodiment, since each of the light guide portions 83 to 87 is located in an arc around the pointer shaft 42 together with the first to fifth pointer light sources, light emission is performed. The light guides 83 to 87 from the first to fifth pointer light sources to the pivot bases of the hands can be more evenly guided.

In practicing the present invention, the numbers of the first to fifth pointer light sources and the light guides 83 to 87 may be appropriately changed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken front view showing a combination meter to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a left light emitting pointer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the left light emitting pointer.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the left light emitting pointer.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a left light-emitting indicator showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the light emitting pointer of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the light emitting pointer of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10a, 10b: Scale plate, 13: Through hole, 20, 3
0: light emitting pointer, 21: rotating inner unit, 23, 24, 83 to 87: light guide unit, 40: rotating inner unit, 42: pointer shaft, 50
a, 50b ... light sources.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A scale plate (10a, 10b) and a pointer shaft (42) disposed on the back side of the scale plate and extending rotatably through a through hole (13) of the scale plate. A rotating inner machine (40), and a light emitting pointer (20, 30) formed by extending a pointer (22) along a scale plate from a rotating base (21) supported by a tip of the pointer shaft. A wiring board (60) arranged along the back surface of the scale plate;
A chip-type light-emitting diode (50a, 50a, which is disposed on the surface of the wiring board so as to face the pivot base through the through-hole and receives light from the pivot base toward the pointer.
50b), the luminescent hands are:
A light guide section (23, 24, 83 to 87) extending from the pivot base to the light emitting diode through the through hole to guide light of the light emitting diode toward the pivot base; A pointer instrument comprising: 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light guides are provided, and the chip type light emitting diodes are provided on the surface of the wiring board by the same number as the light guides, facing the light guides. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein 3. The light guide according to claim 2, wherein the number of the light guides is two, and both of the light guides are disposed on the tip end side of the light emitting pointer on the pointer shaft and on the opposite side thereof. The pointer instrument according to 2. 4. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein each of the light guides is provided on the surface of the wiring board in an arc around the pointer axis.