JP2001183183A - Pointer-type measuring instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pointer-type measuring instrument whose costs can be lowered. SOLUTION: A measuring instrument body 3 in which a driving shaft 2 is extened to the front is provided. A pointer 4 which is mounted on the driving shaft 2 and which receives the supply of light from the rotation center part R so as to emit light is provided. A first light source 61 which is arranged in a position corresponding to the rotation center part R at the rear of the pointer 4 and which illuminates the pointer 4 is provided. A light guide part 74 which is interposed between the first light source 61 and the rotation center part R and by which illumination light from the first light source 61 is guided to the rotation center part R is provided. The light guide part 74 is formed in a cylindrical shape which surrounds the first light source 61 and the driving shaft 2, and a reflection face 77 which faces the rotation center part R is installed at its inside.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pointer-type instrument mounted on, for example, a vehicle, and more particularly, to a lighting structure of a pointer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an instrument of this kind, a pointer-type instrument for displaying a traveling speed, for example, by rotating a pointer attached to the tip of a drive shaft of an instrument body on a front panel provided with a predetermined display portion. Such a pointer-type instrument usually incorporates a light source, which illuminates the pointer and the front panel.

[0003] More specifically, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-10564.
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9, the light guide is constituted by a light-emitting hand which emits light by receiving light supplied from the center of rotation, and a light guide having a shape bypassing the instrument body is arranged behind the front panel. In general, a pointer-type instrument of a type in which illumination light is guided to the center of rotation of the pointer by the light guide to illuminate the pointer is used. However, the illumination method using the light guide is costly due to the light guide. It is difficult to say that this is an efficient illumination method because it causes an increase in the size, complexity and weight of the device, and a large loss of light amount in the light guide path.

In this regard, as shown in, for example, JP-A-6-82274, there is a type in which a light source is disposed behind the center of rotation of a light-emitting pointer as described above, and the pointer is directly illuminated by this light source. Advantageously, according to such a structure,
The size and simplification of the device can be achieved, and the illumination efficiency can be increased by illuminating the pointer with direct light from the light source.

[0005]

However, such a pointer-type instrument that directly illuminates the pointer with the light as described above requires a concentric circle about the drive shaft in order to uniformly illuminate the pointer over the entire rotation range. A large number of light sources must be arranged on the top, which tends to increase the cost. In addition, light diffusion means may be required to obtain uniform illumination, which also leads to an increase in cost. The present invention has been made in view of these points, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a pointer-type instrument capable of reducing the number of light sources and reducing costs.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided an instrument body having a drive shaft extending forward, a pointer mounted on the drive shaft and receiving light from a rotation center to emit light. A light source arranged behind the pointer at a position corresponding to the rotation center to illuminate the pointer, and an illumination light interposed between the light source and the rotation center and emitted from the light source to the rotation center And a light guide unit for guiding the light guide unit to the light source and the drive shaft. The light guide unit is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the light source and the drive shaft, and a reflection surface facing the rotation center portion is provided therein. .

The present invention is further characterized in that the reflection surface is provided in a shape surrounding the drive shaft.

Further, the invention is characterized in that the drive shaft penetrates the reflection surface.

Further, the invention is characterized in that the light guide section is made of a white synthetic resin.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a front panel is arranged behind the pointer, and a penetrating portion corresponding to the light guide is provided on the front panel.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the light guide section is formed with a fitting section which fits into the penetrating section.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the light source is held on a circuit board arranged on the front side of the instrument main body.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the circuit board comprises a single board for supplying power to both the light source and the instrument main body.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the light source comprises a single light source.

Further, the invention is characterized in that the light source comprises a light emitting diode.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An embodiment of a pointer-type instrument according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pointer type instrument, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an assembled state of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the light guide section viewed from the front except for the hands.

In FIG. 1, the pointer-type instrument according to the present embodiment is mounted on a circuit board 1, an instrument body 3 which is conductively fixed to the circuit board 1 and has a drive shaft 2 extending forward, and a tip end of the drive shaft 2. Pointer 4, a front panel 5 disposed between the pointer 4 and the circuit board 1, a light source 6 disposed at a front position of the circuit board 1, and a front panel 5 and the circuit board 1 between the front panel 5 and the circuit board 1. A support member 7 disposed to support the front panel 5 from behind
It is composed of

The circuit board 1 is, for example, a hard circuit board in which a wiring pattern (not shown) is formed on a glass epoxy base material, and a driving means for driving and controlling the instrument body 3 and turning on and controlling the light source 6 ( Various circuit components (not shown) such as a resistor and a capacitor are electrically connected to the wiring pattern.

The instrument main body 3 comprises a movable magnet instrument or a stepping motor, is mounted behind the circuit board 1 so that the drive shaft 2 passes through the shaft hole 11 formed in the circuit board 1, and is soldered. Are electrically connected to the wiring pattern (the driving means) by appropriate conducting means.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pointer 4 comprises an indicator 41 made of a light-transmitting synthetic resin and a cover 42 for covering the outer periphery of the rotation center R of the indicator 41. The portion 41 extends linearly along the front panel 5 and receives light emitted from a light source 6 disposed behind the light at a rotation center portion R thereof, and reflects the illumination light to the front end side to guide the light to the front end side. The light receiving / reflecting portion 43 is formed.

The front panel 5 has a thin plate base (not shown) made of a light-transmitting synthetic resin and a ground color portion 51 made of, for example, light-shielding ink and a display portion 52 made of light-transmitting colored ink. Only the display unit 52 is formed so as to be light-transmissive, and the display unit 52 constitutes graduations and characters arranged along the rotation trajectory of the hands 4 so as to be indicated by the pointer, and further corresponds to the drive shaft 2. At the position, as shown in FIG. 1, a through portion 53 that exposes the rotation center portion R of the pointer 4 is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the light source 6 has a single first light source 61 close to the shaft hole 11 and a light source 6 located outside the first light source 61 and centered on the shaft hole 11. And three second light sources 62 arranged on a concentric circle. Each of the light sources 61 and 62 is formed of a chip-type light emitting diode, and the first light source 61 is located in a light guide section described later. The second light source 62 illuminates the indicator 52 on the display panel 52 of the front panel 5 through a second reflector, which will be described later, and is located outside the cylindrical portion.

The support member 7 is made of an injection molded article formed of a white synthetic resin in a case shape.
As shown in FIG. 5, a peripheral wall 71 is provided in an annular shape so as to correspond to the arrangement of the display portions 52 of the front panel 5 and supports the front panel 5, and the peripheral wall 71 extends from the front side toward the center side. A first reflecting portion 72 formed of a curved inclined wall surface extending along the front panel 5, and an extending portion 73 partially extending from the inside of the peripheral wall portion 71 to the center side along the front panel 5;
The first light source 61 and the pointer 4 supported by the extension 73
A light guide portion 74 interposed between the rotation center portion R and the second light source 62. The light guide portion 74 extends along the drive shaft 2 and extends toward the front panel 5 so as to surround the light guide portion 74. It comprises a second reflector 75 having a substantially inverted conical shape facing the second reflector 75.

The light guide section 74 is open on both the circuit board 1 side and the rotation center R side of the pointer 4 and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape surrounding the first light source 61 and the drive shaft 2 in a ring shape. An inner wall portion 76 extending in a direction intersecting at a predetermined angle with the extending direction of the drive shaft 2 is formed in the hollow accommodating the light source 61 and the drive shaft 2. A reflecting surface 77 is formed as an inclined plane facing the center R of rotation of the pointer 4 and the inner wall surface of the light guide 74.

In this embodiment, the inner wall 76 closes the opening of the light guide 74 from a position close to the opening on the pointer 4 side to a position close to the first light source 61 beyond the drive shaft 2. A through hole 78 is formed at a position corresponding to the drive shaft 2 so as to penetrate the drive shaft 2. The surface shape of the reflection surface 77 when viewed from the front side is substantially semicircular, as shown in FIG. 5, so that the first light source 61 is exposed to the pointer 4 side from a region where the reflection surface 77 is not provided. It has become.

Light guide 7 facing rotation center R of pointer 4
A hook-shaped fitting portion 79 that fits into the through portion 53 of the front panel 5 and fits around the through portion 53 is formed on the distal end side of the front panel 4, and the through portion 53 is fitted into this fitting portion 79. Thereby, the front panel 5 can be engaged and held between the fitting portion 79 and the second reflecting portion 75. In this embodiment, the case where the fitting portion 79 is formed in a hook shape and the front panel 5 is engaged and held is shown. However, as long as the front panel 5 can be held, the shape of the fitting portion 79 is arbitrary. The front end side of the light guide 74 may be formed into a shape that can be pressed into the through portion 53 of the front panel 5, and the front panel 5 may be pressed and held.

In this configuration, the first and second light sources 6
When the lights 1 and 62 are turned on, the illumination light from the first light source 61 is guided to the rotation center R side of the pointer 4 through the light guide 74, and the illumination light reaching the rotation center R is The light is reflected by the light receiving / reflecting portion 43 toward the distal end of the pointing portion 41 to shine the pointing portion 41, while the illumination light from the second light source 62 is reflected in the outer peripheral direction through the second reflecting portion 75, and The illumination light reflected in the outer peripheral direction through the first reflecting portion 72 is reflected toward the front panel 5 to make the display portion 52 shine.

In the illumination of the pointer 4, the reflecting surface 77 formed in the light guide portion 74 may be a direct light from the first light source 61, an illumination light internally reflected in the light guide portion 74, or a rotation center portion. It has a function of reflecting the reflected light from R to the back side to the rotation center R side of the pointer 4. That is, the light guide 74 including the reflecting surface 77 constitutes a kind of pointer lighting room for illuminating the pointer 4, and by supplying illumination light to the pointer 4 through the pointer lighting chamber, the pointer 4 is moved over its entire rotation range. It is bright over the whole area and is illuminated almost uniformly. In the case of this embodiment, since the light guide 74 including the reflection surface 77 (the inner wall 76) is formed in a white color tone, the illumination light is efficiently diffused through the inner wall of the light guide 74 and the reflection surface 77. The light is reflected, thereby improving the uniformity of the illumination light introduced to the pointer 4 and the light guiding efficiency thereof.

As described above, in this embodiment, the instrument main body 3 in which the drive shaft 2 extends forward, the pointer 4 mounted on the drive shaft 2 and receiving light from the rotation center R to emit light, and the pointer 4
Is positioned at the position corresponding to the rotation center R behind
And a light guide 74 interposed between the first light source 61 and the rotation center R to guide illumination light from the first light source 61 to the rotation center R. The light guide 74 is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the first light source 61 and the drive shaft 2, and the reflecting surface 77 facing the rotation center portion R is provided therein, so that the illumination of the pointer 4 is small. Since the light source 61 can illuminate the pointer 4 substantially uniformly and efficiently over the entire rotation range, the number of the light sources 61 can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the reflecting surface 77 is connected to the drive shaft 2.
Is provided, the area of the reflection surface 77 can be increased, and the number of the light sources 61 can be reduced accordingly.

Further, in this embodiment, the drive shaft 2 is
Is formed so as to penetrate through the reflecting surface 77.
The area has been increased.

In this embodiment, the reflecting surface 77 is formed so as to surround the driving shaft 2 and the driving shaft 2 penetrates. However, the size and the like of the reflecting surface 77 are arbitrary and the first May be set according to the number of light sources 61 and the required brightness of the pointer 4. Further, in the present embodiment, the reflecting surface 77 is set to be an inclined plane facing the rotation center portion R of the pointer 4 and the inner wall surface of the light guide portion 74. However, the surface shape of the reflecting portion 77 is arbitrary, for example, a curved surface. May be formed.

In this embodiment, since the light guide 74 is made of a white synthetic resin, the illumination light can be diffused and reflected efficiently. The material for forming the light guide 74 is not limited to the white synthetic resin as in the present embodiment.
Any material can be used as long as it has light reflectivity, preferably diffuse reflectivity. For example, it can be formed from a metal material. Further, in this embodiment, the case where the light guide 74 is provided continuously from the support member 7 is shown. However, the light guide 74 may be provided as a single component and arranged on the circuit board 1.

In this embodiment, the front panel 5 is disposed behind the hands 4, and the front panel 5 is provided with a through portion 53 corresponding to the light guide 74, and the light guide portion corresponding to 53 is provided in the through portion. By forming the fitting portion 79 that fits into the through portion 53 at 74 places, the position of the light guide portion 74 with respect to the rotation center portion R of the pointer 4 can be reliably determined, and the illumination quality can be improved. it can.

In this embodiment, the light source 6 is held by the circuit board 1 disposed in front of the instrument body 2, and the circuit board 1 is a single board that supplies power to both the light source 6 and the instrument body 3. With this configuration, a dedicated circuit board for supplying power to the light source 6 is not required, and cost reduction can be achieved.
At this time, the instrument main body 3 is arranged behind the circuit board 1 so that the drive shaft 2 extends through the shaft hole 11 of the circuit board 1, so that the peripheral area of the drive shaft 2 on the front side of the circuit board 1 is provided. Since the light guide 74 and the light source 6 can be arranged in the empty space, the space efficiency can be improved, and the configuration can be simplified, thinned, lightened, and the like.

The first light source 6 arranged in the light guide 74
Although the number of 1 is arbitrary according to the required brightness and the size of the reflection surface 77, if the first light source 61 is set to a single value,
Most effective for cost reduction. Although the type of the light source 6 is arbitrary, a light emitting diode having a small size and low heat generation, particularly a chip type light emitting diode, is suitable.

[0039]

As described above in detail, the present invention relates to an instrument main body having a drive shaft extending forward, a pointer mounted on the drive shaft and receiving light supplied from a center of rotation, and emitting light. A light source which is arranged at a position corresponding to the pivot center behind and illuminates the pointer, and which is interposed between the light source and the pivot center and guides illumination light from the light source to the pivot center A light guide portion, the light guide portion is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the light source and the drive shaft, and a reflection surface facing the rotation center portion is provided therein, thereby reducing costs. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pointer-type instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an assembled state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view when the light guide is viewed from the front side, excluding the hands.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Circuit board 2 Drive shaft 3 Instrument main body 4 Pointer 5 Front panel 61 First light source 62 Second light source 7 Support member 74 Light guide part 76 Inner wall part 77 Reflection surface 79 Fitting part 52 Display part 53 Penetration part R Rotation Central part

Claims (10)

[Claims] An instrument main body having a drive shaft extending forward, a pointer mounted on the drive shaft and receiving light from a rotation center to emit light, and a position behind the pointer corresponding to the rotation center. And a light guide disposed between the light source and the rotation center, and disposed between the light source and the rotation center to guide illumination light from the light source to the rotation center. Is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the light source and the drive shaft, and a reflection surface facing the rotation center portion is provided therein. 2. The pointer-type instrument according to claim 1, wherein the reflection surface is provided in a shape surrounding the drive shaft. 3. The pointer-type instrument according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft passes through the reflection surface. 4. The pointer-type instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light guide section is made of a white synthetic resin. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a front panel is disposed behind the pointer, and a penetrating portion corresponding to the light guide is provided on the front panel. The pointer-type meter described in (1). 6. The pointer-type instrument according to claim 5, wherein a fitting portion that fits with the through portion is formed in the light guide portion. 7. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light source is held on a circuit board disposed on a front side of the instrument main body.
The pointer-type instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. The pointer type according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is a single board that supplies power to both the light source and the instrument body. Instrument. 9. The pointer-type instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a single light source. 10. The pointer-type instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode.