JP2002267506A - Instrument lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance efficiency in gathering light from light emitting diodes for pointer lighting. SOLUTION: In this instrument lighting system, a pointer shaft 4 is surrounded with a tubular partition 24 put between a dial 1 and a circuit board 2, thereby forming a pointer lighting chamber 8 inside the partition 24 while forming a dial lighting chamber 9 outside the partition 24. Light emitting diodes 10 for pointer lighting are disposed in the lighting chamber 8 while light emitting diodes 11 for dial lighting are disposed in the lighting chamber 9. The partition 24 has a contracting shape with its tube diameter tapering off toward the dial 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an instrument illuminating device capable of increasing the convergence rate of a pointer illumination light source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle such as an automobile or a motorcycle is provided with an indicating instrument. As a lighting device of such an indicating instrument, for example, a lighting device described in, for example, JP-A-11-160111 is known.

[0003] Such a lighting device for an indicating instrument is basically as shown in FIG. 7.
A dial 1 having a display such as a scale and a circuit board 2 are arranged in parallel.

An instrument movement 3 of a cross-coil type or a stepping motor type is mounted on the back side of the circuit board 2, and the instrument movement 3 is electrically connected to the circuit board 2 via terminals and is drive-controlled. You. A pointer shaft 4 protruding from the instrument movement 3 penetrates the circuit board 2 and the dial 1, and a transparent pointer 5 is fixed to the end thereof. A reflecting surface 5a for guiding light to the distal end side is formed on the pointer base 5b.
The pointer base 5b having a is covered with the pointer cap 6.

On the front side of the circuit board 2, a dial 1
In addition, light sources (reference numerals 10 and 11) for illuminating the hands 5 are arranged. In recent years, the light source has been maintenance-free (long lamp life without lamp replacement due to disconnection, etc.), low power consumption,
From the viewpoint of measures against heat, space saving, and reduction in thickness, light emitting diodes are being switched from incandescent lamps and the like.

However, since the light-emitting diodes have a single wavelength, it is difficult to display the transmitted illumination color of the dial 1 and the luminescent color of the hands 5 in different colors using light-emitting diodes of the same color. When performing two-color display in which the transmitted light color such as a scale and the transmitted color of the hands 5 are different from each other, the light emitting diode color for transmitting and illuminating the dial 1 and the light emitting diode color for causing the hands 5 to emit light are displayed. It is necessary to use two different types of light emitting diodes. And, so that each light emitting diode of different emission color does not mix colors,
The cylindrical shaft 12 and the pointer 5 between the dial 1 and the circuit board 2 are covered with a casing 7 having an upright cylindrical partition 12 around a light-emitting diode for emitting light. The inner peripheral side is used as a pointer lighting room 8, a dial lighting room 9 is formed outside the partition wall 12 of the casing 7, and a pointer lighting light emitting diode 10 is disposed in the portion of the circuit board 2 for the pointer lighting room 8. At the same time, a light-emitting diode 11 for dial illumination is arranged in the dial illumination room 9 of the circuit board 2.

[0007]

However, in such a conventional instrument illuminating device, the light emitting diode 1 for pointer illumination provided around the pointer shaft 4 penetrating the circuit board 2 is used.
For the space required for 0, formed on the dial 1
The light-emitting diode 1 for passing the pointer while passing the pointer shaft 4
Pointer shaft hole 13 for irradiating 0 irradiation light to the pointer base
Despite the small diameter of the partition wall 1 of the casing 7
2 has a problem that the volume of the pointer illumination room 8 is large and the light use efficiency is impaired because it is erected in a vertical cylindrical shape simply by the diameter of the space required for disposing the light source. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an instrument illuminating device capable of increasing the light collection rate of a pointer illumination light source.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a cylindrical partition wall is formed around a pointer shaft between a dial and a circuit board. A dial lighting room is formed inside the partition wall, a dial lighting room is formed outside the partition wall, a dial light source is provided in the dial lighting room, and a dial plate is formed in the dial lighting room. In an instrument lighting device provided with a lighting light source, the tubular partition wall is tapered toward the dial.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the diameter of the cylindrical partition wall is tapered toward the dial, so that the pointer inside the cylindrical partition wall is formed. The light from the pointer illumination light source provided in the illumination room can be efficiently condensed by the contracted partition wall and guided to the pointer base, so that the pointer can be efficiently emitted.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by forming the cylindrical partition wall around the pointer shaft between the dial and the circuit board, the pointer illumination chamber is formed inside the partition wall. A dial illuminating room formed outside the partition wall, a pointer illuminating light source is disposed in the pointer illuminating room, and a dial illuminating light source is disposed in the dial illuminating room; It is characterized in that a light source having a directivity angle smaller than the directivity angle of the dial light source is used as the illumination light source.

According to the second aspect of the invention, a light source having a narrower directional angle than the directional angle of the light source used for the dial illuminating light source is used as the light source of the pointer illuminating light source. By using this, it is possible to emit light condensed from the light source, and it is possible to increase the light condensing efficiency with the pointer.

[0013]

First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. Note that the same or equivalent parts as those in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, the cylindrical partition wall 24 of the casing 21 has a contracted shape in which the cylindrical diameter is tapered toward the dial 1 side. In particular, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical partition wall 24 has a tapered contracted shape that reflects and guides light not directly radiated from the light emitting diode 10 as a light source for the pointer to the pointer base 5b to the pointer base 5b of the pointer 5. And

For example, the cylindrical partition wall 24 of the casing 21
Has a truncated conical cylindrical shape. At this time, the opening diameter of the truncated cone-shaped partition wall 24 on the circuit board 2 side (large diameter side) is determined by the light emitting diode 1 for pointer illumination mounted on the circuit board 2.
0 is formed with a diameter 22 that can be stored, and a cylindrical partition wall 24 is formed.
The diameter of the opening on the dial 1 side (small diameter side) is determined by the fact that the irradiation light emitted from the pointer-illuminating light-emitting diode 10 is guided to the pointer 5 via the reflecting surface 5a formed on the pointer base 5b. It is formed to have a minimum necessary diameter for illuminating the pointer 5. The opening diameter of the cylindrical partition wall 24 on the dial 1 side is formed slightly smaller than the pointer shaft hole formed in the dial 1 in order to prevent light leakage from the pointer shaft hole 13. .

The casing 21 can be made of a PP material, but is preferably made of a PC material (polycarbonate) such as white having high reflectivity, a PBT material (polybutylene terephthalate), or a polycarbonate having good reflection characteristics. It is preferable to use a PC / ABS material or the like obtained by combining a good ABS material.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

According to the invention having such a configuration, the cylindrical partition wall 24 of the casing 21 is formed in a contracted shape in which the cylindrical diameter is tapered toward the dial 1 side, whereby the partition wall 2 is formed.
The light from the light-emitting diode for pointer illumination 10 disposed in the pointer illumination room 8 inside 4 can be efficiently condensed on the inner surface of the contracted partition wall 24 and guided to the pointer.

Therefore, the light emission luminance of the pointer 5 can be increased, and if the luminance exceeds the target luminance of the pointer 5, the number of the light emitting diodes 10 for pointer illumination can be reduced.

Further, by making the cylindrical partition wall 24 of the casing 21 tapered, the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical partition wall 24 can be effectively used as a reflecting surface of light emitted from the light emitting diode 11 for dial illumination. Is also possible.

[0022]

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a modification of the first embodiment, in which the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical partition wall 24 of a casing 21 is tapered toward the dial 1 to form a tapered curvature surface 22. It has a cylindrical shape. The curvature surface 22 is the light emitting diode 10
It is formed on a curvature surface that efficiently reflects the irradiation light emitted from the pointer to the pointer base 5b. A minimum diameter 22 required for attaching the light emitting diode 10 for pointer illumination to the circuit board 2 is provided on the circuit board 2 side (large diameter side) of the casing 21.
May be provided.

The other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.
, And the same operation and effect can be obtained.

[0024]

Second Embodiment FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The same or equivalent parts as those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

First, the structure will be described. In the second embodiment, a light emitting diode 10 having a narrow directivity angle is attached to a light emitting diode 10 for pointer lighting arranged in a pointer lighting room 8.
5 is used. In addition, the dial lighting LED 11 arranged in the dial lighting room 9 outside the cylindrical partition wall 24 of the casing 21 has a more directional angle than the one used for the pointer lighting LED 10. Wide light emitting diode 26
Is used.

As the light emitting diode 25 having a narrow directivity angle, for example, an SMD-LED having a directivity angle of 60 ° by a lens 27 is used.

An SMD-LED having a directivity angle of 120 ° without a lens 27 is used for the dial-lighting light emitting diode 11.

The light emitting diode 25 for illuminating the pointer and the light emitting diode 26 for illuminating the dial have the same land shape, so that there is no problem in mounting on the circuit board 2.

The light emitting diode 25 having a narrow directivity angle is
The present invention can be applied to any of the casings 21 and 7 shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 7.

According to the second embodiment, it is possible to emit the light condensed by the lens 27 or the like by using the pointer illumination light emitting diode 25 having a narrow directivity angle. It is possible to increase the light collection efficiency of the light.

Therefore, the light emission luminance of the pointer 5 can be increased, and if the target luminance of the pointer 5 is exceeded, the number of the light emitting diodes 10 for pointer illumination can be reduced.

Further, by making the land shape of the pointer lighting LED 10 and the dial lighting LED 11 the same, the assemblability to the circuit board 2 can be improved.

The other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.
, And the same operation and effect can be obtained.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the design may be changed without departing from the scope of the present invention. Included in this invention. For example, combinations other than those described in the above embodiments are also possible.

[0035]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cylindrical partition wall of the casing is tapered toward the dial to form a cylindrical partition wall of the casing. Light from the pointer illumination light source provided in the pointer illumination room inside the wall can be efficiently condensed by the contracted partition wall and guided to the pointer.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by using a light source having a directional angle smaller than the directional angle of the light source used for the dial illuminating light source as the light source for the pointer illuminating light source,
It is possible to emit the light condensed from the light source, and it is possible to exhibit a practically useful effect that it is possible to increase the light condensing efficiency with the pointer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a cylindrical partition wall of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the cylindrical partition wall of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a light-emitting diode for pointer illumination according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a dial lighting LED according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dial 2 Circuit board 4 Pointer shaft 8 Pointer illumination room 9 Dial illumination room 10 Light emitting diode for pointer illumination 11 Light emitting diode for dial illumination 21 Casing 24 Partition wall 25 Light emitting diode with narrow directivity angle

Claims (2)

[Claims] A cylindrical partition wall is formed around a pointer shaft between a dial and a circuit board to form a pointer illumination room inside the partition wall and a character outside the partition wall. A panel lighting room is formed, and a pointer illumination light source is disposed in the pointer illumination room, and a dial illumination light source is disposed in the dial illumination room. An instrument lighting device characterized in that it has a tapered shape. 2. A cylindrical partition wall is formed around a pointer shaft between a dial and a circuit board to form a pointer illumination room inside the partition wall and a character outside the partition wall. An instrument illuminator in which a plate illumination room is formed, a pointer illumination light source is disposed in the pointer illumination room, and a dial illumination light source is disposed in the dial illumination room. An instrument lighting device using a light source having a directional angle narrower than the directional angle of a light source for use.