JP2003146053A - Vehicular air conditioning switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an easier-to-understand arrangement of operation elements and superior distinguishability in a blind operation. SOLUTION: The vehicular air conditioning switch has a plurality of push type operation elements 27-33 per mode with different contents and the operation elements 27-33 are provided in a row. Of the operation elements 27-33, each operation element 30, 31 and 33 of modes with contents conforming to each mode of adjacent two operation elements 27 and 28, 28 and 29, and 29 and 32 is arranged in each intermediate position of the two operation elements 27 and 28, 28 and 29, and 29 and 32 with positions of push operating parts deviated to the two operation elements 27 and 28, 28 and 29, and 29 and 32.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle air-conditioning switch having push-type operating elements for each mode having different contents and arranging these operating elements in a row.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air conditioning switch is provided in a vehicle, especially in an automobile. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show the conventional air-conditioning switch, and in these cases, in particular, push type operators 1 to 5 are provided for each mode having different contents in the blowing direction of the blower.

That is, an operator 1 for blowing the wind of the blower toward the user's face, an operator 2 for blowing the air toward the user's feet, and an operator for blowing the wind toward the front window of the automobile. 3, an operator 4 for blowing out in both directions of the user's feet and the front window of the automobile, and an operator 5 for blowing out in both directions of the user's face and feet, which are shown in FIG. By what
One row is provided horizontally, while the one shown in FIG. 7 is provided two rows horizontally and three rows vertically separated from each other.

The reason why the wind of the blower is blown toward the front windshield of the automobile is to remove the fog on the front windshield, and in short, to obtain the function of the front defogger. Further, FIG. 7 also shows an operator 6 for removing the cloudiness of the rear window of the automobile.

[0005]

Basically, there are three types of blowing directions of air from a blower in an automobile: the face direction of the user, the foot direction of the user, and the windshield direction of the automobile. Both the person's feet and the car's front wind direction are a combination of the user's foot direction and the car's windshield direction, and the user's face and both feet directions are the user's face direction and the foot direction. .
The arrangement of the operators 1 to 5 of the above-mentioned conventional apparatus is appropriately determined, for example, for structural reasons, and is not in an order that is easy for the user to understand.

Further, in the conventional air-conditioning switch in which the operators 1 to 5 are arranged in a line or in several lines in this way, the user operates, for example, only by the feel of the hand without seeing it while driving. It was inferior in distinguishability when performing blind operation.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and therefore an object thereof is to provide a vehicle air conditioner in which the arrangement of the operating elements is easy for a user to understand, and which is excellent in distinguishability when performing a blind operation. It is in providing a switch.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle air-conditioning switch of the present invention has, firstly, a plurality of push-type operating elements for each mode having different contents. In the case of arranging in rows, an operator having a mode in which the modes of two adjacent operators are combined is located at an intermediate position between the two operators, and the position of the push operation portion is located with respect to the two operators. It is characterized in that they are arranged in a staggered manner (the invention of claim 1).

According to this, the operator having the mode having the content in which the modes of the two adjacent operators are combined is
Since it is located at the intermediate position between the two controls, the user can understand that the contents of the modes of the two controls are combined, and the user can easily understand. In addition, when an operator having a mode in which the modes of two adjacent operators are combined is disposed with the position of the push operation portion displaced with respect to the two operators, a blind operation is performed. It can be easily distinguished and has excellent distinguishability.

In this case, it is more preferable that the operator having a mode in which the modes of the two adjacent operators are combined is provided with a higher or lower step with respect to the two operators (claim 2). invention). In this configuration, when a blind operation is performed, an operator having a mode in which the modes of two adjacent operators are combined is provided even if there is a height difference between the two operators. Can be more easily distinguished, and the distinctiveness can be further improved.

Secondly, the vehicle air conditioning switch of the present invention comprises:
In a case where a plurality of push-type operating elements are provided for each mode having different contents and these operating elements are arranged in a row, an operating element having a mode in which the modes of two adjacent operating elements are combined is used. It is characterized in that the two operating elements are arranged at a middle position of the child with a step difference in height.

[0012] With this configuration as well, since the operator having the mode in which the modes of the two adjacent operators are combined is located at the intermediate position between the two operators, the content in which the modes of the two operators are combined is present. It becomes easier for the user to understand that it is. In addition, since the operator having a mode in which the modes of the two adjacent operators are combined is provided with a height difference between the two operators, it is possible to distinguish the blind operation. It will be easy to put on and will be excellent in distinguishability.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
Description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. First of all, FIG. 1 shows an air conditioning switch portion 11 of an instrument panel of a vehicle, particularly an automobile. In this portion 11, a temperature setting operator 12 and a temperature setting display 13 of the air conditioning switch are provided in a central portion. In addition, the air volume switching operator 14 and the air volume switching display 15
And are provided.

Of these, the temperature setting operator 12 is of a dial type, and is adapted to set the temperature inside the vehicle by selecting the numeral display (temperature) of the temperature setting display 13 by rotating operation. Further, the air volume switching operator 14 is also of a dial type, and is used to switch the volume of the air blown into the vehicle from a blower (not shown) by selecting the numerical display (step) of the air volume switching display 15 by the rotating operation. It has become.

On the other hand, on the right side of the air conditioning switch portion 11 of the instrument panel, the inside air circulation / outside air introduction switching operator 16, the air conditioner operator 17, the automatic setting operator 18, and the off operator 19 of the air conditioning switch. And are lined up in one row.

All of these operating elements 16 to 19 are of the push type, and by operating by pushing, the internal air circulation /
The outside air introduction switching operator 16 serves to switch between the inside air circulation for circulating the air inside the vehicle and the outside air introduction for introducing the outside air into the vehicle, and the air conditioner operator 17 turns on and off the compressor that is the drive source of the air conditioner. The automatic setting operator 18 serves to turn on the automatic air conditioning, and the off operator 19 serves to stop the air conditioning.

Further, these operating elements 16 to 19 are provided with indications 20 to 23 by pictures or characters showing their respective functions, and the operating elements 16 to 1 are provided at the respective outer (right side in the drawing) end portions.
Reference numeral 8 indicates, for example, two small circular recesses 24 and two LEDs 25 that also emit green light, respectively.
The LEDs 25 are arranged so as to be sandwiched vertically, and the operator 19 is provided with, for example, only four small circular protrusions 26.

On the other hand, on the left side of the air conditioning switch portion 11 of the instrument panel,
The blower direction selection operators 27 to 31, the rear defogger operator 32, and both defrosting operators 33 are provided.

These operating elements 27 to 33 are provided for each mode having different contents, and are all push type, and the operating element 27 pushes the wind of the blower to the user's face. The operator 28 serves to blow the wind toward the user's feet, the operator 29 serves to blow the wind toward the front window of the automobile, and the operator 30 The wind is blown to both the face and the feet of the user, and the operator 31 is blown to both the foot of the user and the front window of the automobile.

As described above, the reason why the wind of the blower is blown out in the direction of the front window of the vehicle is to remove the fog on the front window and to obtain the function of the front defogger. Further, the rear defogger operator 32 serves to operate the heat ray (rear defogger) of the rear windshield of the automobile to remove the cloud of the rear windshield, in short, to obtain the function of the rear defogger, Both clouding operator 33
Is used to obtain the functions of both the front defogger and the rear defogger.

Here, the manipulators 27, 28, 29, 32 are arranged in a line in the upper and lower rows. Therefore, the manipulators 27 and 28 are adjacent to each other, and the manipulators 28 and 29 and the manipulators 29 and 32 are respectively arranged. Next to each other. On the other hand, the operator 30 for blowing the wind of the blower in both directions of the user's face and feet is a mode of the operator 27, in which the wind is blown in the direction of the user's face, and of the operator 28. This is a mode operator having a mode in which a mode in which the wind is blown out in the direction of the foot of the user is combined, and the operator is arranged at an intermediate position between the operators 27 and 28.

The operator 31 for blowing the wind of the blower in both directions of the user's foot and the front window of the automobile is a mode in which the wind of the operator 28 is blown in the direction of the user's foot. 29 is a manipulator of a mode having a content that is combined with a mode of blowing the wind toward the front wind direction of the automobile.
It is arranged in the middle position of.

Further, the both defrosting operators 33 have a mode in which the wind is blown out in the direction of the front window of the vehicle (obtaining the function of the front defogger) of the operator 29, and the rear windscreen of the rear defogger operator 32. Is an operator of a mode having a combination of a mode for operating to remove the cloud of the rear window (to obtain the function of the rear defogger), and this is arranged at an intermediate position between the operators 29 and 32. There is.

In this case, as represented by the operators 28 and 31 in FIG. 2, the operators 27, 28, 29, 32 are represented.
The operating elements 30, 31, and 33 are pivoted at their inner (right side in the drawing) bases by a shaft 34 common to the air conditioning switch portion 11 of the instrument panel. The length up to the middle left) is for control 2
From the length L1 of 7, 28, 29, 32, the operators 30, 3
The length L2 of 1, 33 is shortened.

Further, in this case, the operators 27, 28, 2
9 and 32, the tip side portions, and the operation members 30 and 31,
Each tip side portion of 33 is a push operation portion of each of the operators 30, 31, 3 and 3 according to the above-described length L1 from the base of the operators 27, 28, 29, 32 to the tip.
By shortening the length L2 from the base portion to the tip portion of 3, the push operation portions of the operation elements 30, 31, 33 are placed inside (right side in the drawing) of the push operation portions of the operation elements 27, 28, 29, 32. They are staggering.

Also, operators 27, 28, 29, 32
The operating elements 30, 31, and 33 have the bases pivotally attached by the shaft 34 at substantially the same height, while the operating elements 27, 28, 29, and 32 are located at the tip end side of the base. By increasing the height of the operators 30, 31, 33,
These manipulators 27, 28, 29, 32 and manipulators 30, 3
1, 33, and in particular, those push operation portions are provided with high and low steps S (see also FIG. 3).

In FIG. 2, reference numerals 35 and 36 are projections which are the actuating portions of the operators 27, 28, 29 and 32 and the operators 30, 31, and 33, and 37 and 38 are the projections 35 and 36.
The pushers, 39 pressed by the pushers 37, 3
Pusher guides 40 and 41 for guiding the switches 8 are switches operated by the pushed pushers 37 and 38, in particular, tact switches in this case, and 42 is a circuit board on which the tact switches 40 and 41 are mounted.

Further, as shown in FIG.
3 is a display with a picture or characters showing each function 4
3 to 49, and the operator 27 to the outer end
Reference numeral 29 designates, for example, two small circular recesses 50, and two recesses 5 for emitting green light, for example.
The LED 51 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between 0 and 0. Further, in order to make it easier to distinguish them,
31 is provided with, for example, two small circular recesses 52 and a different number of, for example, one LED 53 that emits green light, and the LEDs 53 are vertically sandwiched between the recesses 52.
The operator 32 is provided with, for example, two small circular recesses 54 and two LEDs 55 which also emit two different colors, for example, orange, in such a manner that the recesses 54 sandwich the LED 55 vertically, and the operator 33 is provided with, for example, 3 Only the small circular protrusions 56 are provided.

The LEDs 51, 53, 55 and the LED 25 described above emit light when the operating elements 27 to 32, 16 to 18 are operated to indicate that their respective functions are in operation. Yes, especially operator 2
The LED 51 of 9 and the LED 55 of the operator 32 are the same as those of the operator 3
When 3 is operated, they both emit light. However, these LEDs 25, 51, 53, 55
Are omitted in FIG.

As described above, in the present configuration, among the operators 27 to 33 in the air conditioning switch, the operators 27 and 28 are
In addition, the operating elements 28, 29, and the operating elements 29, 32, and the operating elements 30, 31, 33 having a mode having a mode in which the modes of two adjacent operating elements are respectively combined are set at intermediate positions of the two operating elements. It is installed in. As a result, the user can understand that the modes of the operators 30, 31, and 33 are the contents of the modes of the two operators, respectively, and can be easily understood by the user.

Further, the operating elements 30, 31 and 33 having a mode in which the modes of the two operating elements are combined are arranged such that the positions of the push operation portions are shifted with respect to the two operating elements, respectively. This makes it easier to distinguish when performing a blind operation, and makes it possible to improve the distinguishability.

In addition, in the case of the present configuration, the manipulator 30, which has a mode in which the modes of the two manipulators are combined,
Each of 31 and 33 is provided with a height difference between each of the two operators, which makes it easier to distinguish when performing a blind operation and further improves the distinguishability. it can.

In contrast to the above, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show different embodiments of the present invention, and only the parts different from the above-mentioned embodiment will be described as the operating elements 30, 31, 33.
Is provided in a line (without shifting) with only the steps and the operating elements 27, 28, 29, 32 provided. Even in this way, the operator 3 for the operators 27, 28, 29, 32
Due to the arrangement of 0, 31, and 33 and the step, it is possible to make it easy for the user to understand the arrangement of the operating elements and to improve the distinguishability when performing a blind operation.

The modes of the operators 27 to 33 are not limited to the selection of the blowing direction and the defogger, and for example, the circulation of the air inside the vehicle (circulation of the inside air) and the introduction of the air outside the vehicle (the introduction of the outside air) and both of them. , Other modes may be used. Further, the operating elements 30, 31, 33 may be lower than the operating elements 27, 28, 29, 32 by one step rather than one step.

Furthermore, the arrangement of the operators 27, 28, 29, 32 and the operators 30, 31, 33 is not in the vertical direction,
You may change to another arrangement, such as a horizontal direction and a circumferential shape. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and may be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0036]

As described above, according to the vehicular air-conditioning switch of the present invention, the arrangement of the operating elements can be easily understood by the user, and moreover, the distinguishability when performing the blind operation can be improved. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an air conditioning switch portion of an instrument panel of an automobile showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partial equivalent view of FIG. 1 showing a different embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a different conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

27-33 show operators.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yoshiyuki Matsuoka             260-chome, Toyota, Oguchi-cho, Niwa-gun, Aichi             Tokai Rika Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshiyuki Nakahara             260-chome, Toyota, Oguchi-cho, Niwa-gun, Aichi             Tokai Rika Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An operator having a plurality of push-type operators for each mode having different contents and arranging these operators in a row, wherein an operator having a mode having a content in which modes of two adjacent operators are combined. A vehicle air-conditioning switch, characterized in that the push operation portion is arranged at an intermediate position between the two operating elements with the position of the push operating portion being displaced relative to the two operating elements. 2. An operator having a mode in which the modes of two adjacent operators are combined with each other, and a step having a height difference is arranged with respect to the two operators. Vehicle air conditioning switch. 3. An operator having a plurality of push type operators for each mode having different contents and arranging these operators in a row, wherein an operator having a mode in which the modes of two adjacent operators are combined is provided. A vehicle air-conditioning switch, characterized in that the two operators are arranged at an intermediate position with a height difference between the two operators.