JP2002048605A - Instrument for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the light of a light source for lighting a specific region from leaking to other display part, related to an instrument comprising at least two light sources of different luminous color. SOLUTION: The instrument is provided which comprises a first light source 30 for lighting a display panel 10, and second light sources 31-36 which light only a specific region of the display panel 10 when turned on for displaying a vehicle information while emitting light different from the first light source 30 in wavelength region. A surface process layer 70 is provided outside a specific region where the transmissivity of the light in a wavelength region of the first light source 30 is high while the light in the wavelength region of the second light sources 31-36 is low. Thus, the light of the second light sources 31-36 advancing outside the specific region is blocked with the surface process layer 70. So the area outside the specific region is rarely affected by the second light sources 31-36, for less blurring in color, resulting in lighting in definite color with the first light source 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle instrument for displaying vehicle information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art JP-A-10-100725 discloses that
A vehicle instrument in which an A / T indicator for displaying a range selected by a shift lever of an automatic transmission is arranged adjacent to a water temperature gauge or a fuel gauge is shown. An A / T indicator is provided for each range display section such as P, R, N, D, etc.
/ T indicator light source is provided, and one of the light sources is turned on to illuminate one of the range display units.
The range selected by the shift lever is displayed. Further, the pattern display section of the water temperature gauge or the fuel gauge is illuminated by another light source.

[0003]

However, in the vehicle instrument described in the above publication, the light of the A / T indicator light source leaks to the pattern display section of the water temperature gauge or the fuel gauge. When light is incident from two light sources and the two light sources emit different colors, a problem occurs in that the color of illumination of the pattern display unit is blurred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and in an instrument including at least two light sources having different emission colors, light of a light source for illuminating only a specific area leaks to another display unit. The purpose of the present invention is to prevent problems caused by the above.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a first light source (30) for illuminating a display panel (10) and a display panel (10) specified at the time of lighting are specified. The vehicle instrument is provided with a second light source (31-36) that emits light of a different wavelength region from the first light source (30) while illuminating only the region of the vehicle and displaying vehicle information.
The light source (30) has a high light transmittance in the wavelength region, and
The surface treatment layer (70) having low light transmittance in the wavelength region of the light sources (31 to 36) is provided outside a specific region.

Accordingly, the light of the second light source traveling to the outside of the specific area is blocked by the surface treatment layer. Therefore, the outside of the specific area is hardly affected by the second light source, that is, there is no color blur. The first light source illuminates with a clear color.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the first and second light sources (30 to 36) are light emitting diodes.

Accordingly, since the light emitting diode has a narrow wavelength region where the light emitting efficiency is high, the light of the second light source can be easily and reliably blocked by the surface treatment layer.

[0010] The reference numerals in parentheses of the above means indicate the correspondence with specific means described in the embodiments described later.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view of an instrument for a vehicle as viewed from a driver's seat side. The instrument for a vehicle is provided as a combination meter on an instrument panel provided in a vehicle cabin of the vehicle.

The combination meter has a display panel 10
The display panel 10 has two scale portions 10a,
10b and an indicator unit 10c. Arc-shaped pattern display sections 11 and 12 are formed on both scale sections 10a and 10b, respectively.
Reference numeral 1 corresponds to a rotation speed scale pattern indicating the rotation speed of the engine of the vehicle, and the pattern display unit 12 corresponds to a vehicle speed scale pattern indicating the vehicle speed of the vehicle.

A portion of the surface of the display panel 10 other than both the scale portions 10a and 10b and the indicator portion 10c is black printed. Also, both scale portions 10a, 1
0b is the scale and characters of the pattern display area,
It has translucency.

An indicator section 10c located between the scale sections 10a and 10b is illuminated by turning on a second light source, which will be described later, and displays vehicle information. In this embodiment, the indicator section 10c is selected by a shift lever of an automatic transmission. Display the range
It has three range display sections 13a to 13f. Here, each of the range display sections 13a to 13f indicates a parking range P, a reverse range R, a neutral range N,
A drive range D, a second range 2 and a low range L are shown. Note that portions of each of the range display portions 13a to 13f other than characters have translucency.

On the front side (driver's seat side) of the display panel 10, pointers 21 pointing to both scales 10a and 10b, respectively,
A pointer 22 is arranged, and these hands 21 and 22 are configured to be rotated by a rotating inner unit (not shown) having a driving source such as a step motor.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the combination meter has a first light source 30 for overall illumination (only one first light source 30 is shown in FIG. 2) on the back side of both scales 10a and 10b. ), This first
The light source 30 is attached to the printed wiring board 40.
The first light source 30 is a light emitting diode having a spectral characteristic of the relationship between the luminous efficiency and the wavelength as shown by a symbol A in FIG. 3. Is red.

As shown in FIG. 2, an acrylic light guide plate 50 is disposed on the back surface of the display panel 10, and the light from the first light source 30 is guided toward the display panel 10 by the light guide plate 50, and both scale portions 10a are provided. , 10b and the indicator section 10c are illuminated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the combination meter includes six second light sources 31 constituting a main element of the indicator together with the indicator section 10c.
To 36 (in FIG. 2, the second light source 33 for the neutral range).
Only shown), and the second light sources 31 to 36 are attached to the printed wiring board 40.

The indicator has a cylindrical section 60 (only one cylindrical section is shown in FIG. 2) divided into six sections. The cylindrical section 60 has six range display sections 13a to 13a.
13f is provided on the back side of the display panel 10 so as to correspond to each of the second light sources 3f.
1 to 36 are provided. As a result, the range display units 13a to 13f display the parking range P, the reverse range R, the neutral range N, the drive range D, the second range 2, and the like by turning on one of the six second light sources 31 to 36. One of the low ranges L is illuminated to indicate the range selected by the shift lever.

Here, of the six second light sources 31 to 36, the second light source 32 for displaying the reverse range R is used.
Is a light emitting diode having a spectral characteristic of a relationship between the luminous efficiency and the wavelength as shown by a symbol B in FIG.
The luminous efficiency is maximized in the wavelength region where the wavelength is shorter than the wavelength, and the luminescent color is amber. The other second light sources 31, 33 to 36 except for the reverse second light source 32 for displaying the reverse range R have spectral characteristics of the relationship between the luminous efficiency and the wavelength as shown by the symbol C in FIG. In the light emitting diode having the above, the luminous efficiency is maximized in a wavelength region where the wavelength is shorter than that of the second light source 32 for reverse, and the luminescent color is green.

On the back surface of the display panel 10, an indicator section 1 is provided.
0c, ie, both scale portions 10a, 10b
The surface treatment layer 70 is formed by printing with a predetermined translucent printing material at a portion corresponding to.

The surface treatment layer 70 has a spectral characteristic of the relationship between the light transmittance and the wavelength as shown by the symbol D in FIG. 3, and has a wavelength range of the first light source 30 (that is, the red light emitting diode). Of the second light sources 31 to 36
(I.e., amber light emitting diodes and green light emitting diodes) have a low light transmittance in the wavelength region. Therefore, this surface treatment layer 70 functions as a filter.

In this embodiment, when the first light source 30 is turned on, the light is guided to the display panel 10 via the light guide plate 50, and the scales 10a, 10b are formed.
And the indicator unit 10c is illuminated.

Further, one of the six second light sources 31 to 36 is turned on corresponding to the position of the shift lever of the automatic transmission, whereby one of the range display sections 13a to 13f is illuminated. The range selected by the shift lever of the automatic transmission is displayed.

Here, the surface treatment layer 70 formed by printing on the rear surface of the display panel 10 at the portions corresponding to the both scale portions 10a and 10b has a high light transmittance in the wavelength region of the first light source 30, so that the first light source The light 30 has both scales 10a and 10b.
Good transmission to the side. On the other hand, since the surface treatment layer 70 has a low light transmittance in the wavelength region of the second light sources 31 to 36, the light of the second light sources 31 to 36 leaking to both the scales 10 a and 10 b via the light guide plate 50. Is blocked by the surface treatment layer 70.

Therefore, the scale portions 10a and 10b are almost unaffected by the second light sources 31 to 36, that is, have no color bleed, and are illuminated by the first light source 30 clearly in red.

(Other Embodiments) In the above embodiment, the surface treatment layer 70 is formed by printing a translucent printing material, but may be a surface treatment layer in which a metal thin film is formed by vapor deposition or sputtering. Even in such a surface treatment layer, the light transmittance of a predetermined wavelength region is high, and the light transmittance of another wavelength region is low, and a function as a filter can be obtained.
Therefore, effects similar to those of the above embodiment can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the first light source 30 and the second light sources 31 to 36 use light emitting diodes having different wavelength ranges in which the luminous efficiency is maximized. Any combination of light emitting elements other than light emitting diodes can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a vehicle instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view showing a configuration of a main part in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing spectral characteristics of first and second light sources and a surface treatment layer of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

10: display panel, 30: first light source, 31 to 36: second light source, 70: surface treatment layer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first light source (3) for illuminating a display panel (10).
0) and a second light source (3) that emits light having a wavelength range different from that of the first light source (30) while illuminating only a specific area of the display panel (10) at the time of lighting to display vehicle information.
1 to 36), wherein the first light source (30) has a high light transmittance in a wavelength region,
A vehicle instrument characterized in that a surface treatment layer (70) having a low light transmittance in the wavelength region of the second light source (31-36) is provided outside the specific region. 2. The first and second light sources (30-36).
The instrument for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein is a light emitting diode.