JP2002071394A - Measuring meter for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a measuring meter for vehicle with a novel, good appearance by carefully devising lighting feature from the surface side of a dial plate. SOLUTION: A light-guide plate 50 is provided along the surface of the dial plate 40. Each light source 60 for the light-guide plate is provided along the outer-periphery end face of the dial plate 40. Each light source 100 for the dial plate is provided at the reverse side of the dial plate 40. In this case, each light source 100 is subjected to time difference emission control, so that it emits light after being delayed to each light source 60, when the ignition switch of a passenger car is turned on.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an instrument of this type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2590401. In this instrument, a light guide plate is provided along the scale plate on the back side thereof, light from a light source is introduced into the light guide plate from the end face, and the light thus introduced is incident on the scale plate from the light guide plate and the light guide plate. The scale is illuminated.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned instrument, since the light is simply incident on the dial from the light guide plate located on the back side of the dial, the illumination of the dial is simple. It will be a special lighting and there is no novelty.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle instrument with a novel appearance by devising a lighting mode from the surface side of the scale plate to cope with such a problem.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an instrument for a vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an arc-shaped physical quantity display section having a translucent section such as a scale, a character or a number on an outer peripheral section. Scale plate formed (40 to 40b)
And a pointer (130) supported along the scale plate so as to rotate on the front surface side, and a scale arranged on the back surface side of the scale plate and allowing light to enter the scale plate from the back surface side. A light guide plate (50, 5, 5) provided along the surface of the scale light source (100) and between the hands and the scale plate.
0a, 50b) and a light guide plate light source (60) disposed on the end surface (52) side of the light guide plate and receiving light into the light guide plate from the end surface side.

[0006] With this configuration, in addition to the light from the scale plate light source transmitting through the scale plate and the light guide plate,
Light from the light source for the light guide plate enters the light guide plate from its end face.
Therefore, in addition to the light of the light source for the scale plate, the light of the light source for the light guide plate is optically used through the light guide plate, and as a result, a novel and attractive visibility is realized in the illumination mode of the scale plate. A possible vehicle instrument can be provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the control means (230 to 250) for controlling the staggered light emission of the scale plate light source and the light guide plate light source with the start operation of the vehicle. ).

[0008] This makes it possible to realize a novel and attractive visibility in the illumination mode of the scale plate under the above-described staggered light emission control.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the control means controls the time difference emission control so as to emit the light from the scale plate light source with a delay from the lighting of the light source for the light guide plate. Is performed. According to this, substantially the same operation and effect as the invention described in claim 2 can be achieved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein a scale plate light source and a light guide plate light source are provided between a pointer and a scale plate. It has a configuration provided with a transparent plate-shaped light emitting element that is provided along the surface of the scale plate and emits light. Thus, the same function and effect as the first aspect can be achieved.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, the scale plate light source emits light with a delay from the light emission of the light guide plate light source when the vehicle is started. It is characterized by comprising control means (230 to 250) for controlling staggered light emission of the scale plate light source and the light guide plate light source. Thus, the same function and effect as the third aspect of the invention can be achieved.

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

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6 show an embodiment of a passenger car meter according to the present invention, which is mounted as a combination meter on an instrument panel (not shown) provided in a passenger compartment of the passenger car. .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the combination meter includes a casing 10, an annular dial plate 20, and a front panel 30. The dial plate 20 has an outer peripheral portion of a bottom wall 21. At the opening 11 of the casing 10. The front panel 30
It is mounted so that each circular upper opening 21 a to 21 c of the bottom wall 21 faces the front end opening 22 of the return plate 20. The front panel 30 has a function as a black face.

The combination meter includes disk-shaped scales 40, 40a, and 40b.
The scale plate 40 is, as shown in FIG.
In the opening 11, a rear surface of the dial plate 20 is mounted via a light guide plate 50, which will be described later, so as to face the opening 21a of the bottom wall 21 of the return plate 20. The scale plate 40a is
In the opening 11 of the casing 10, the casing 10 is mounted via a light guide plate 50 a, which will be described later, from the back surface thereof so as to face the opening 21 b of the bottom wall 21 of the dial plate 20. In the opening 11, it is mounted via a light guide plate 50b, which will be described later, from the back surface thereof so as to face the opening 21c of the bottom wall 21 of the dial plate 20 (see FIG. 1). In addition, the surface of the bottom wall 21 of the return plate 20 is printed with a black printing material.

The scale plate 40 is formed by printing an arc-shaped vehicle speed display portion 41 indicating the vehicle speed of the passenger car on the surface of a disk-shaped transparent substrate, and the arc-shaped vehicle speed display portion 41 is provided on the transparent substrate. It is printed and formed along the outer periphery of the surface. Here, the surface of the scale plate 40 includes an opaque gray portion including a portion of the arc-shaped vehicle speed display portion 41 excluding an inner portion (hereinafter, referred to as a light transmitting portion) of each contour such as the scale 41a and the numeral 41b. Printed with ink.

The scale plate 40a is formed by printing an arc-shaped rotation speed display portion 42 indicating the rotation speed of the engine of the passenger car on the surface of another disk-shaped transparent substrate. Reference numeral 42 is printed and formed along the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the transparent substrate. Here, the surface of the scale plate 40a is opaque, including portions of the arc-shaped rotation number display portion 42 other than the inner portions (hereinafter referred to as light transmitting portions) of the respective contours such as the scale 42a and the numeral 42b. Printed with gray ink.

The scale plate 40b has an arc-shaped water temperature display portion 43 on the surface of the other disk-shaped transparent substrate, which indicates the cooling water temperature of the engine cooling system of the passenger car, and the remaining fuel in the fuel tank of the passenger car. The arc-shaped fuel display portion 44 is formed by printing, and the arc-shaped water temperature display portion 43 and the arc-shaped fuel display portion 44 are located at positions facing each other along the outer peripheral edge of the surface of the transparent substrate. Print formed.
Here, the surface of the scale plate 40b is displayed on the arc-shaped water temperature display section 4.
3, among the contours of the scale 43a, the character 43b, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a light-transmitting portion) and the arc-shaped fuel display portion 44, the inside of each contour of the scale 44a, the character 44b, etc. (hereinafter, a light-transmitting portion). The print processing is performed using the opaque gray ink.

The combination meter includes the light guide plates 50 to 50b and a plurality of light sources 60 for the light guide plates. Each of the light guide plates 50 to 50b is a disc-shaped one, and these light guide plates 50, 50a, and 50b are respectively formed in the bottom wall 21 of the return plate 20 by the openings 21a, 21a.
b, 21c. The light guide plates 50, 50a, 50b are adhered on the back surface 51 (see FIG. 2) of the respective scale plates 40, 40a, 40b by an adhesive so as to overlap with the respective surfaces. Each light guide plate 5
Light diffusion processing is performed on the back surfaces 51 of 0, 50a, and 50b to such an extent that incident light from the back surface side can be transmitted to the front surface side.

Thus, each light guide plate 50, 50a, 50b
Converts the light incident from each outer peripheral end face 52 into each rear face 51
While diffusing the light, the light is made to travel toward the center side, and the incident light from each back surface 51 side is transmitted to each front surface 53 side. In the present embodiment, each of the light guide plates 50, 50a, 50b is formed of a light guide material made of a colorless transparent resin.

Each light guide plate light source 60 is provided with a respective light guide plate 50, 5
0a, 50b so as to be located along the outer peripheral end surface 52,
It is supported on the back surface of the bottom wall 21 of the return plate 20 at intervals. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of light sources 60 are supported at substantially equal angular intervals along the outer peripheral end face of the light guide plate 50, and at substantially equal angular intervals along the outer peripheral end face of the light guide plate 50 a. Are supported along the outer peripheral end surface of the light guide plate 50b at substantially equal angular intervals. Each light source 60 is formed of a light emitting diode that emits blue light. As a result, each light source 60 emits blue light into each of the light guide plates 50, 50a, and 50b from the respective outer peripheral end surfaces 52 toward the center due to the light emission.

The combination meter includes a diffusion plate 70, a plate-like reflector 80, a wiring board 90, and a plurality of light sources 100 for a scale. The diffusion plate 70
As shown in FIG. 2, the dial 21 is provided on the bottom wall 21 of the dial plate 20 along the back surface thereof via the respective scale plates 40 to 40 b and the corresponding light guide plates 50 to 50 b. As described later, light incident from the reflector 80 side is diffused and is incident on each of the graduation plates 40 to 40b from the back surface side.

The wiring board 90 is located in the casing 10 in parallel with the bottom wall 21 of the dial plate 20 via the diffusion plate 70, the respective scale plates 40 to 40b, and the corresponding light guide plates 50 to 50b. As described above, each rotating inner unit 110 (located corresponding to each of the scale plates 40 to 40b) is supported along the inner unit main body 111.

The reflector 80 includes a wiring board 90 and a diffusion plate 7.
0, and this reflector 80 includes:
At positions corresponding to the respective scale plates 40 to 40b, the respective reflection surfaces 81 having an inverted-eight-shaped cross section (only the reflection surface 81 on the scale plate 40 side is shown in FIG. 2) are respectively positioned from the surface side of the reflector 80. Are formed in an annular shape around each pointer shaft 112.

As shown in FIG. 2, each light source 100 for the scale plate is formed on the surface of the wiring board 90 in a ring shape around each pointer shaft 112 so as to be located in the lower opening 81a of the reflection surface 81. Each of the light sources 100 is supplied with power from the wiring board 90 to emit light, and is emitted from the upper opening 81b to the diffusion plate 70 through each reflection surface 81 of the reflector 80. Upon this emission, the light from each light source 100 is reflected by each reflection surface 81 toward the diffusion plate 70. In the present embodiment, six light sources 100 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the reflecting surface 81 corresponding to the scale plate 40 (see FIG. 1), and four light sources 100 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the reflecting surface 81 corresponding to the scale plate 40a. Reflecting surface 81 arranged and corresponding to scale plate 40b
Are arranged along the circumferential direction. In addition, each light source 10
0 is a white light emitting diode.

In the case of the rotating inner machine 110 shown in FIG. 2, the pointer shaft 112 is coaxially rotated from the inner machine main body 111 into the through hole of the wiring board 90 and into the light shielding cylinder 120. It extends as far as possible. The light-shielding cylinder 120 is provided with the light guide plate 5.
0, the scale plate 40, the diffusion plate 70, and the reflector 80 are coaxially fitted in the respective through holes.
Is seated around the through hole of the wiring board 90 at its base end.

The combination meter includes a light emitting pointer 130 and a pointer light source 140. Taking the light emitting pointer 130 shown in FIG.
Numeral 0 is coaxially supported at the tip of the pointer shaft 112 at its pivot base. The pointer light source 1 shown in FIG.
Taking the light source 140 as an example, the light source 140
Inside, the light source 140 is provided on the surface of the wiring board 90, and the light emitted from the light source 140 enters the light emitting pointer 130 through the light-shielding cylinder 120 from the rotation base thereof. Each light source 140 is configured by a white light emitting diode. Further, the inner machine main body 111 of each rotating inner machine 110 is mounted on the bottom wall in the casing 10.

Next, each light source 60 for the light guide plate, each light source 100 for the scale board, each light source 140 for the pointer, and each rotary inner unit 110
3 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. A sensor group 150 detects a vehicle speed of the passenger car, an engine speed, a cooling water temperature of an engine cooling system, and a remaining amount of fuel in a fuel tank. Microcomputer 16
Output to 0.

The microcomputer 160 is operated by being directly supplied with power from the battery B mounted on the passenger car, and executes the computer program according to the flowchart shown in FIG. During this execution, the microcomputer 160 supplies power from the battery B via the ignition switch IG of the passenger car and the sensor group 1.
Based on each detection output from 50, each light source 60, 100,
A delay lighting process of 140 and a driving process of each rotating inner machine 110 are performed. The computer program is stored in the ROM of the microcomputer 160 in advance.

In this embodiment configured as described above, the microcomputer 160 receives power directly from the battery B, executes a computer program according to the flowchart of FIG. 4, and repeats the determination of NO in step 200.

In such a state, the passenger car is assumed to be in a running state with the ignition switch IG being turned on. When the ignition switch IG is turned on, the microcomputer 160 determines YES in step 200. Then, in step 210, the light emission processing of each pointer light source 140 is performed. Thus, each light source 140 emits white light.

Taking the configuration of FIG. 2 as an example, the white light of the light source 140 travels inside the light shielding cylinder 120 along the axis direction of the pointer shaft 112 and enters the rotation base of the light emitting pointer 130.
Then, the light emitting pointer 130 emits white light by introducing the white light. The remaining light emitting hands 130 also emit white light. Thus, when the combination meter is viewed from the front panel 30, the light emitting hands 130 are positioned on the light guide plates 50 to 50b.
Through the lens (see FIG. 5).

After the processing of step 210, step 220
At 1 after the ignition switch IG is turned on.
It is determined whether the second has elapsed. If one second has elapsed, the determination at step 220 is YES. Accordingly, in step 230, light emission processing of each light source 60 for the light guide plate is performed. Therefore, each light source 60
Emit blue light. This means that each light source 60 is staggered so as to emit light with a delay of one second with respect to each light source 140.

When each light source 60 emits light as described above, the blue light of each light source 60 is transmitted to the light guide plates 50, 50a, 50a.
b from the respective outer peripheral end surfaces 52. Along with this,
The blue light incident on the light guide plates 50, 50a, 50b travels toward the center in the light guide plates 50, 50a, 50b while being diffused by the back surfaces 51 subjected to the diffusion processing as described above. For this reason, when each light guide plate 50, 50a, 50b is viewed through the front panel 30, each light guide plate 5 is in a state where each light emitting pointer 130 emits white light.
The whole of 0, 50a, 50b looks blue (see FIG. 5).

After the processing of step 230, step 240
At 2 seconds after the ignition switch IG is turned on.
It is determined whether the second has elapsed. At this stage, if 2 seconds have elapsed, the determination in step 240 becomes YES. Accordingly, in step 250, light emission processing of each light source 100 for the scale board is performed. For this reason, each light source 100 emits white light by the light emission. This means that each light source 100 is staggered so that each light source 60 emits light with a delay of 2 seconds.

When each light source 100 emits light in this way, the white light of each light source 100 is directly incident on the diffusion plate 70 and is reflected by the reflection surface 81 of the reflector 80 in the example of FIG. The light is reflected and enters the diffusion plate 70. For this reason, the diffusion plate 70 diffuses the incident white light from each light source 100 and the reflection surface 81 of the reflector 80, and passes through the light transmission portion and the light guide plate 50 of the vehicle speed display portion 41 of each scale 40 to the front panel 30 side. Outgoing to The remaining respective scale plates 40a, 40b and the respective light guide plates 50a, 50
The same applies to the white light of each light source 100 passing through b.

For this reason, under the white light emission state of each light emitting pointer 130, the blue state of each light guide plate 50 to 50b,
The entire light-transmitting portion of each of the scale plates 40 to 40b is in a bluish white state. Therefore, when the light guide plates 50 to 50 b are viewed through the front panel 30, under the white light emission state of the light emitting hands 130, the respective light transmitting portions of the respective scale plates 40 to 40 b correspond to the respective light guide plates 50 to 50 b. Through, the portions of each of the graduation plates 40 to 40b except for the above-mentioned light-transmitting portions appear to be in the same blue state as each of the light guide plates 50 to 50b (see FIG. 6).

When the process in step 250 is completed, in step 260, each rotating inner machine 110 is driven based on the detected vehicle speed, detected rotation speed, detected water temperature, and detected remaining fuel amount of the sensor group 150. For this reason, each light emitting pointer 130 gives an instruction display on each of the scale plates 40a to 40c via each of the light guide plates 50 to 50b. Such an instruction display process is repeated until it is determined in step 270 that the ignition switch IG is turned off and the determination is YES.

As described above, each light guide plate 50 to 50b is provided along the surface of each scale plate 40 to 40b, and each light source 60 for the light guide plate is provided along the outer peripheral end surface 52 of each light guide plate 50 to 50b. Since the configuration is adopted, in addition to the light of each light source 100 for the scale plate disposed on the back side of each of the scale plates 40 to 40b, in addition to transmitting through the respective scale plates 40 to 40b and the corresponding light guide plates 50 to 50b, The light from each light source 60 enters the respective light guide plates 50 to 50b from the outer peripheral end surface 52. Therefore, in addition to the light of each of the light sources 100 for the scale plate, the light of each of the light sources 60 for the light guide plate is optically used through the corresponding light guide plate, and as a result, a novel and attractive visibility is obtained. Can be realized in the illumination mode of each dial.

As described above, each of the pointer light sources 140 emits light when the ignition switch IG is turned on.
The staggered light emission control is performed so that each light source 60 for the light guide plate emits light after 1 second and each light source 100 for the scale plate emits light after 2 seconds, so that each light emitting pointer 130 emits white light with the turning on of the ignition switch IG. After that, each of the light guide plates 50 to 5
0b becomes a blue state in a state where each of the scale plates 40 to 40b is not visible, and thereafter, the translucent portion of each of the scale plates 40 to 40b appears in a white state through each of the light guide plates 50 to 50b. The portion 40b other than the translucent portion looks blue-white through the light guide plates 50 to 50b.

Thus, the visibility seen through the front panel 30 of the combination meter is given to the occupant of the passenger car as having a novel appearance. In addition, since the time difference light emission processing by the delay processing in steps 220 and 240 is performed with an appropriate time length after the ignition switch IG is turned on, each dial of the combination meter after the ignition switch IG is turned on is novel. It is visually recognized as having a good appearance.

In the practice of the present invention, the light emission guideline 1
A normal pointer may be used instead of 30, and the pointer light source 140 may be omitted.

In implementing the present invention, step 2
Each time of 1 second in 20 and 2 seconds in step 240 may be appropriately changed within a range where the occupant can visually recognize the indication of the instrument with good timing after turning on the ignition switch IG.

In implementing the present invention, unlike the above embodiment, even if the time difference light emission control is performed so that the light source for the light guide plate emits light after the light source for the scale board emits light, substantially the same as in the above embodiment. The effect of the invention can be achieved.

In practicing the present invention, the present invention may be generally applied to a vehicle instrument without being limited to a passenger car instrument. The instrument is not limited to a combination meter, but may be a single instrument such as a speedometer.

In implementing the present invention, each light source 6
0, 100, and 140 are not limited to the emission colors described in the above embodiment, and may be the same emission color or different emission colors. The light sources 60, 100, and 140 are not limited to light emitting diodes, but may be, for example, lamps.

In practicing the present invention, when the passenger car is an electric vehicle, a determination of YES is made in step 200 when the ignition key switch is turned on instead of turning on the ignition switch IG. May be performed.

In implementing the present invention, each light guide plate 5
Instead of 0 to 50a, transparent EL panels (electroluminescence panels) may be adopted, and these EL panels may be controlled in the same manner as the light emission control of each light source 60. In this case, each light source 60 is unnecessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

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

FIG. 3 is an electric circuit configuration diagram in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the microcomputer of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of an illumination mode in accordance with light emission of each pointer light source and subsequent light emission of each light guide plate light source in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of an illumination mode accompanying light emission of each scale plate light source in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

40 to 40b: scale plate, 50 to 50b: light guide plate,
60 light source for light guide plate, 100 light source for scale plate, 130
... Light-emitting pointer, 160... Microcomputer.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2F074 AA01 BB01 BB06 BB07 CC02 DD02 DD03 EE02 EE03 FF01 GG07 3D044 BA19 BC07 BD02 BD13 5C096 AA00 BA04 BC01 CA13 CB01 CC06 CC07 CD01 FA11

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A scale plate (40 to 40b) having an arc-shaped physical quantity display portion having a scale, a character or a number of light-transmitting portions formed on an outer peripheral portion thereof, and a rotating surface on the surface side along the scale plate. A pointer (130) supported so as to move; and a scale light source (100) disposed on the back side of the scale board and receiving light from the back side of the scale board.
A light guide plate (50, 50a, 50b) provided along the surface of the scale plate between the pointer and the scale plate; and a light guide plate disposed on the end face (52) side of the light guide plate. A light meter for a vehicle, comprising: a light source (60) for a light guide plate that receives light from the end face side into the light plate. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising control means (230 to 250) for controlling a time difference light emission of the scale plate light source and the light guide plate light source in accordance with a start operation of the vehicle. Instrument. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs the time difference light emission control so as to emit light from the scale plate light source with a delay from lighting of the light guide plate light source. Instrument. 4. A scale plate (40 to 40b) having an arc-shaped physical quantity display portion having a scale, a light-transmitting portion such as a character and a number formed on an outer peripheral portion, and a rotating surface on the surface side along the scale plate. A pointer (130) supported so as to move; and a scale light source (100) disposed on the back side of the scale board and receiving light from the back side of the scale board.
A vehicle instrument comprising: a transparent plate-shaped light emitting element which is provided between the hands and the scale plate along the surface of the scale plate and emits light. 5. A staggered light emission control between the scale plate light source and the light guide plate light source so that the scale plate light source emits light with a delay from the light emission of the light guide plate light source when the vehicle is started. The vehicle instrument according to claim 4, further comprising a control unit (230 to 250) for performing the operation.