JP2003302262A - Pointer meter for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a combination meter having an attractive and novel visibility by improving the formation of a dial 2 so as to have a stereoscopic effect. <P>SOLUTION: This pointer for a vehicle comprises a light guiding body 20 installed on the dial 2 and formed of a light transmitting material, a light emitting diode 22 for emitting incident light into the light guiding body 20, and a plurality of recessed parts 21 provided in the light guiding body 20 and forming a reflective part reflecting and displaying light emitted from the light emitting diode 22 so that a driver can view the light. The recessed parts 21 form a part of the scale of a speedometer. Thus, the scale of the speedometer is displayed by both the scale part 2a of the dial 2 and the recessed parts 21 positioned on the driver's side of the scale part 2a in place of a plane display only by the scale part 2a formed on the dial 2 as before to provide a stereoscopic effect to a scale display in the combination meter 1. As a result, an attractive and novel visibility can be provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle pointer instrument suitable for use in automobiles and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various methods have been adopted in a pointer instrument for a vehicle mounted on an automobile in order to secure an attractive and novel visibility. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-2001
In the indicating instrument disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 21389, a three-dimensional dial is formed by inclining the outer peripheral portion of the dial toward the surface side in an inclined manner.

[0003]

However, in this indicating instrument, the driver directly recognizes the surface of the dial, so that there is a problem that the three-dimensional effect is poor and it is difficult to obtain a novel appearance.

Therefore, in order to deal with such a situation, the present invention provides a pointer instrument for a vehicle, which is devised in the construction of the dial so as to give a three-dimensional effect, and which has an attractive and novel visibility. The purpose is to

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

A vehicle pointer instrument according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a light guide body which is provided on a dial and is made of a material that transmits light, and a light source which makes light enter the light guide body. The light guide body is configured to have a reflecting portion that reflects the light emitted from the light source and makes it visible to the driver. As a result, not only the display by the dial of the conventional pointer instrument for a vehicle but also the light emission display by the reflecting portion of the light guide disposed on the dial is performed, so that the display can have a stereoscopic effect. As a result, it is possible to provide a pointer instrument for a vehicle having an attractive and novel visibility.

In the vehicle pointer instrument according to the second aspect of the present invention, the reflecting portion forms a part of the scale of the instrument. Thereby, the scale of the instrument can be visually recognized in three dimensions.

A vehicle pointer instrument according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises a light guide body provided on a dial and made of a material for transmitting light, and a light source for making light incident on the light guide body. The light from the light source emitted from the light guide illuminates a part of the dial. As a result, the brightness of the dial can be partially changed so that the dial can be viewed three-dimensionally, so that it is possible to provide a vehicular pointer instrument having a visually appealing and novel visibility.

In the vehicle pointer instrument according to the fourth, fifth and seventh aspects of the present invention, the driver side surface of the light guide is formed in a concave shape, for example, a spherical shape or a cylindrical shape, Alternatively, the driver's side of the cross section of the light guide in the axial direction is formed in a concave shape. This allows the light guide to
It is possible to prevent a phenomenon that deteriorates the visibility of the driver such as the formation of a reflected virtual image of the driver or the background thereof, or the reflection of external light.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle pointer instrument in which the light guide body is formed in a substantially circular shape or an annular shape, and is arranged substantially coaxially with the pointer shaft. As a result, the mutual relationship between the pointer and the light guide can be emphasized so that they can be viewed in good balance.

In the vehicle pointer instrument according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the reflecting portion provided on the light guide body for reflecting the light emitted from the light source and making it visible to the driver is formed on the surface of the light guide body. The minute concave and convex portions are formed, and the concave and convex portions are not visible to the driver when the light source is not lit. As a result, in addition to the display on the dial of the conventional pointer indicator for vehicles, the minute irregularities, which are the reflecting parts of the light guides arranged on the dial, are also illuminated to display a three-dimensional effect on the display of the instrument. Can have Furthermore, when the light source is turned on, this minute uneven portion is reflected by the light from the light source and is visible to the driver, but when the light source is not turned on, it is not seen by the driver so that the light source is turned on and off. Since it is possible to change the visual recognition state of the instrument with, it is possible to provide a pointer instrument for a vehicle having an attractive and novel visibility.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle pointer measuring instrument in which the uneven portion forms at least one of a scale and a character of the measuring instrument. As a result, either one or both of the scale and characters of the instrument can be visually recognized.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle pointer instrument in which a dial is made of a light-transmitting material, and a light source for making light incident on the dial and a minute surface formed on the surface of the dial. The uneven portion has at least one of the scale and characters of the instrument, and is visible to the driver when the light source is on, and is not visible to the driver when the light source is off. . This makes it possible to prevent at least one of the scale and characters of the instrument from being viewed by the driver when the light source is on and not visible when the light source is off. In other words, it is possible to provide a vehicular pointer measuring instrument having an attractive and novel visibility by changing the visual recognition state of the measuring instrument depending on whether the light source is on or off.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pointer instrument for a vehicle, a dial, a rotary inner unit disposed on the back side of the dial and extending the pointer shaft through the dial, and a pointer shaft. In a pointer instrument for a vehicle equipped with a pointer that is supported by the tip of the dial and rotates along the surface of the dial, a light guide made of a material that transmits light provided on the dial and a light guide. A light source to which light is incident, a reflector provided on the back surface of the light guide opposite to the driver, and a driver for reflecting the light emitted from the light source so that the driver can visually recognize the light guide, and the front surface of the light guide on the driver side. And a convex portion provided at a position facing the reflecting portion in the driver's visual direction. As a result, not only the display by the dial in the conventional vehicle pointer instrument but also the light emission display by the reflecting portion of the light guide disposed on the dial is performed, and the reflecting portion displays the light in the convex portion. Due to the refraction effect, it is seen as if it floats above the dial surface. Therefore, since it is possible to give a three-dimensional effect to the display, it is possible to provide a pointer instrument for a vehicle, which has an attractive and novel visibility.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle pointer instrument in which the reflecting portion forms part of the scale of the instrument. Thereby, the scale of the instrument can be visually recognized in three dimensions.

In the vehicle pointer instrument according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the convex portion has a flat surface substantially parallel to the surface of the light guide body, and a divergent shape from the outer periphery of the flat surface toward the surface of the light guide body. It is configured to include a slope formed. This allows
Part of the light from the light source reflected by the reflecting portion is refracted by the slope of the convex portion and is emitted toward the driver. Therefore, the reflecting portion is visually recognized by both the light that directly passes through the flat surface of the convex portion and the light emitted from the slope of the convex portion. That is, since the periphery of the reflection portion is visually recognized as if it were shining, the reflection portion can be visually recognized while emphasizing the three-dimensional effect.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle pointer instrument in which the convex portion is formed in a convex lens shape. Thereby, the light from the light source reflected by the reflecting portion is refracted by the convex portion and is emitted toward the driver. Therefore, since the reflecting portion appears to be projected more than the dial, it is possible to provide a pointer instrument for a vehicle having a three-dimensional effect on the display and having a novel and attractive visibility.

According to the fifteenth, sixteenth or eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the driver-side surface of the light guide body is formed into a concave shape, for example, a spherical shape or a cylindrical shape. Alternatively, the driver's side of the cross section of the light guide in the axial direction is formed in a concave shape. As a result, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon that the visibility of the driver such as a reflected virtual image of the driver or the background thereof or reflection of external light is deteriorated by the light guide body.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle pointer instrument in which the light guide body is formed in a substantially circular shape or an annular shape and is arranged substantially coaxially with the pointer shaft. This allows
The mutual relationship between the pointer and the light guide can be emphasized so that they can be viewed in good balance.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a case where a pointer instrument for a vehicle according to the present invention is applied to a combination meter for an automobile will be described as an example with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a combination meter 1 which is a pointer instrument for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a sectional view taken along the line I--I of FIG.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the combination meter 1.

The combination meter 1 is arranged in a position visible to the driver in front of the driver's seat of the automobile, and forms a speedometer for displaying the traveling speed of the automobile. The combination meter 1 is provided with a dial 2 for displaying information and making it visible to the driver.

The dial 2 is provided with a sheet 3 made of a material that transmits light, for example, a transparent acrylic resin plate, and the sheet 3 is provided with a scale portion 2a, a numeral portion 2b, and a character / graphic portion 2c. ing. That is, on the driver-side surface of the seat 3 (on the left side of FIG. 1), only the scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character / graphic portion 2c are allowed to transmit light (for example, milky white) and another background. It is formed by printing or hot stamping the surface 3a of the sheet 3 so that the part becomes opaque (for example, matte black). Therefore, the scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character / graphic portion 2c are transmitted and illuminated by the light emitted from the light emitting diode 7 arranged on the back surface side (right side in FIG. 1) of the dial 2.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the surface of the dial 2, a light guide body 20 formed in a ring shape by a light transmitting material, for example, acrylic resin, is provided with a pointer shaft 9.
It is provided coaxially with a.

The light guide 20 is formed in a shape as shown in FIG. 3, and a light emitting diode 22 as a light source for making light incident on the light guide 20 is attached. Further, on the outer peripheral side of the back surface (side surface of the dial 20) of the light guide body 20, a plurality of concave portions 21 which are a part of the scale of the vehicle speed meter, which is a measuring instrument, have a length in the radial direction of the light guide body 20. Then, they are formed radially and at substantially equal angular intervals. That is, in the combination meter 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the scale of the vehicle speed indicator has the scale portion 2a of the dial 2 and the recess 21 of the light guide 20.
It consists of and. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the concave portion 21 has four slopes 21 a, which are reflection portions,
21b, 21c, 21d.

Here, the visually recognizable state as the scale of the recess 21 will be briefly described.

When the light emitting diode 22 is turned on, the light incident from the light emitting diode 22 into the light guide 20 advances as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5, and the slopes 21a, 21b, 21.
Reflected at c and 21d, proceed toward the driver side (left side in FIG. 5). Due to this reflected light, the recess 21 is visually recognized by the driver as a part of the scale of the vehicle speedometer. Here, the recess 21
And the scale portion 2a of the dial 2 are different from each other in the axial position of the shaft 9a. That is, the concave portion 21 has the scale portion 2a.
It is located closer to the driver than the driver. Furthermore, the slopes 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d of the recess 21 are not parallel to the dial 2 but have a predetermined depth in the axial direction of the shaft 9a. As described above, the scale of the vehicle speed indicator is visually recognized by the driver with the three-dimensional effect being emphasized, so that it is possible to provide the combination meter 1 having an attractive and novel visibility. Furthermore, since the light guide body 20 is arranged on the dial 2 coaxially with the shaft 9a which is the pointer axis,
Each recess 21 can be arranged along the rotation trajectory of the tip of the pointer 9b.

Further, the light guide 20 is mounted on the driver side (see FIG. 1).
As shown in FIG. 1, the surface 20a (on the left side) is formed into a spherical surface that is concave toward the dial 2 side. That is, the light guide 2
The plate thickness of 0 becomes thinner from the outer peripheral side toward the inner peripheral side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the visibility due to the driver or the background thereof being reflected by the light guide body 20 to form a reflected virtual image or the external light being reflected on the light guide body 20. it can.

Further, from the light emitting diode 22 to the light guide 20
Incident on the inside, and the slopes 21a, 21b, 21c of the concave portion 21,
The surface of the dial 2 corresponding to the light guide 20 is illuminated by part of the light reflected by 21d. Also by this, the visibility of the combination meter 1 can be made attractive and innovative.

Further, a trim ring 21 is attached to the outer circumference of the light guide 20. The trim ring is formed of a resin material whose surface is plated with metal or a thin metal plate which is pressed. Since the trim ring 23 is visually recognized on the dial 2 in a metallic tone, the appearance of the combination meter 1 can be improved.

On the back surface of the dial 2, as shown in FIG.
The light emitted from the light emitting diode 7 is used for the scale portion 2 of the dial 2.
The light guide plate 4 for guiding to the a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character / graphic portion 21c is mounted. The shape of the light guide plate 4 and the number and positions of the light emitting diodes 7 are set so that the scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character / graphic portion 21c have uniform brightness when illuminated. A casing 10 is attached to the back surface of the dial 2. A printed circuit board 6 forming an electric circuit portion of the combination meter 1 is accommodated in the casing 10.

A light emitting diode 7 for transmitting and illuminating the dial 2 and a light emitting diode 8 for illuminating the pointer 9b are mounted on the printed circuit board 6. A light guide plate 5 for guiding the light emitted from the light emitting diode 8 to the pointer 9b is attached corresponding to the light emitting diode 8.
In addition, the light emitting diode 7, which corresponds to the operating state of the automobile,
A controller 30 for controlling the turning on / off of 8 and 22 is mounted. Further, a movement 9 which is a rotating internal unit for rotating a shaft 9a which is a pointer shaft by an angle corresponding to an electric signal from the outside (a vehicle speed signal in the first embodiment) is attached.

The shaft 9a of the movement 9 extends outward through the central hole 2d of the dial 2, and the pointer 9b is fixed to the tip thereof. The pointer 9b is a translucent material,
For example, light emission display is performed when light emitted from the light emitting diode 8 which is formed of acrylic resin or the like and guided by the light guide plate 5 enters.

On the other hand, a transparent cover 12 is attached to the surface of the dial 2 via a substantially frame-shaped dial plate 11. The transparent cover 12 is formed of a transparent resin thin plate, glass, or the like.

Next, the visual recognition state of the dial 2 in the combination meter 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention constructed as above will be described. FIG. 6 shows an electric circuit configuration diagram of the combination meter 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the controller 30 includes
Electric power is constantly supplied from the battery 50. In addition, the ignition switch 40 of the controller 30 is connected so that its operating state can be detected, and controls the lighting of each of the light emitting diodes 7, 8, 22 based on the detection result.

(1) Ignition switch 40 is ON
If done.

The ignition switch 40 is operated by the driver.
Is turned on, the voltage of the battery 50 is applied to the controller 30, and when the controller 30 detects that the ignition switch 40 is turned on, the controller 30
Starts controlling the energization of the light emitting diodes 7, 8, 22. First, the light emitting diode 22 and the light emitting diode 8
A predetermined voltage is applied to and these are turned on. Next, after a lapse of a predetermined time (for example, 1 second), a predetermined voltage is applied to the light emitting diode 7 to light it. When viewed from the driver side, first, the concave portion 21 and the pointer 9b, which are a part of the scale of the speedometer, are illuminated and displayed, and after a predetermined time has elapsed,
This time, the scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character / figure portion 21c are luminescently displayed. By the way, the concave portion 21 and the scale portion 2a of the dial 2 are different in the position of the shaft 9a in the axial direction, and further, the slopes 21a, 21b, 21 of the concave portion 21 are different.
c and 21d have a predetermined depth in the axial direction of the shaft 9a. For this reason, the scale of the vehicle speed indicator has a three-dimensional effect emphasized and is visually recognized by the driver, so that it is possible to provide the combination meter 1 having a visually distinctive and novel visibility.

(2) The ignition switch 40 is OF
When F is given.

The ignition switch 40 is operated by the driver.
Is turned off and the controller 30 detects that the ignition switch 40 is turned off, the controller 30 starts controlling the energization of the light emitting diodes 7, 8, 22. First, the voltage applied to the light emitting diode 7 is set to 0 and the light is turned off. Next, a predetermined time (for example, 1 second)
After a lapse of time, the applied voltage to the light emitting diode 22 and the light emitting diode 8 is set to 0 to turn them off. When viewed from the driver side, first, the scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character / graphic portion 21c are turned off. Next, after a lapse of a predetermined time, the concave portion 21 and the pointer 9b which are a part of the scale of the speedometer.
Is turned off.

In the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the light guide 2 made of a material that transmits light on the dial 2.
0 was set. Further, the light guide body 20 includes a light emitting diode 22 that allows light to enter the light guide body 20, and a light emitting diode 22.
A plurality of concave portions 21 are provided, which are reflected portions that reflect the light emitted from the vehicle and are visually displayed by the driver, and each concave portion 21 forms a part of the scale of the vehicle speedometer. This allows
The scale of the vehicle speed indicator is not displayed only by the scale portion 2a formed on the dial 2 as in the conventional case, but the scale portion 2a of the dial 2 and the concave portion 21 located on the driver side of the scale portion 2a. Both of them can be displayed, and the scale display on the combination meter 1 can be given a stereoscopic effect, so that the combination meter 1 can be provided that has an attractive and novel visibility.

Further, from the light emitting diode 22 to the light guide 20
Incident on the inside, and the slopes 21a, 21b, 21c of the concave portion 21,
The surface of the dial 2 corresponding to the light guide 20 is illuminated by part of the light reflected by 21d. Also by this, the visibility of the combination meter 1 can be made attractive and innovative.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a combination meter 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the second embodiment, the shape of the light guide 20 is changed from that of the first embodiment. That is,
The light guide 20 has a disk shape, and the recess 21 provided in the light guide 20 and forming a part of the scale is omitted.

The structure and operation of the light guide 20 in the combination meter 1 according to the second embodiment will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 7, the light emitted from the light emitting diode 24 mounted on the printed circuit board 6 which is a light source for making the light incident on the light guide 20 is guided by the light guide plate 25 into the light guide 20. Incident. This light is reflected by the reflecting portion 2 formed in the central portion of the light guide 20 as shown by the arrow in FIG.
The light is reflected at 0b and travels inside the light guide 20 toward the outer periphery, and is emitted from the end face 20c. In addition, part of this light is the light guide 2.
The surface of the dial 2 corresponding to the light guide body 20 is illuminated by the light reflected by the surface 20a of 0, so that the visibility of the combination meter 1 can be made attractive. On the other hand, the surface of the dial 2 on the outer peripheral side of the light guide 20 is illuminated by the light emitted from the end surface 20c of the light guide 20. That is, the annular end surface 20c serves as a light source. Therefore, the brightness of the surface of the dial 2 becomes darker as the distance from the end surface 20c which is the light source increases. As a result, the dial 2 is visually recognized in three dimensions,
It is possible to provide the combination meter 1 that has an attractive and novel visibility.

Further, since the light emitted from the end face 20c is reflected by the trim ring 23, the trim ring 23 is visually recognized as being bright, which also makes the combination meter 1 highly visible. can do.

Further, the surface 20a of the light guide body 20 has the first
Similar to the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, it is formed into a spherical surface concave to the dial 2 side. That is, the light guide 2
The plate thickness of 0 becomes thinner from the outer peripheral side toward the inner peripheral side. As a result, also in the second embodiment, the visibility due to the driver or the background thereof being reflected by the light guide body 20 to form a reflected virtual image, or the extraneous light being reflected on the light guide body 20. Can be prevented from worsening.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a combination meter 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, which is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 9 is a front view of the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9.

In the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the dial 2 is made of a light transmitting material such as transparent polycarbonate resin. In addition, as a reflector that reflects the light emitted from the light source described later and incident on the dial 2 so that the driver can visually recognize it,
As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of recesses 21 are provided.
These recesses 21 are, as shown in FIG. 8, a scale portion 2a, a numeral portion 2b and a character portion 2 of the combination meter 1.
forming c. Moreover, the cross-sectional shape of the recess 21 is as shown in FIG.
And as shown in FIG. 10, it is formed in a substantially semicircular shape. In addition, the rear surface 2e of the dial 2 except for the concave portion 21,
The frosted glass is matte-treated or colored.

The light emitting diode 26, which is a light source for making light incident on the dial 2, is attached to the end face of the dial 2, as shown in FIG. 8, and the light emitted from the light emitting diode 26 is directed to the inside of the dial 2. Proceed in the direction indicated by the arrow in 8.

On the back surface of the dial 2, as shown in FIG.
A printed circuit board 6 forming an electric circuit portion of the combination meter 1 is installed. On this printed circuit board 6, a movement 9 for rotating a shaft 9a, which is a pointer shaft, by an angle corresponding to a vehicle speed signal from the outside is mounted.

The shaft 9a of the movement 9 extends outwardly through the central hole 2d of the dial 2, and the pointer 9b is fixed to the tip thereof. When the shaft 9a rotates, the pointer 9b moves to the dial 2. Rotate along to indicate the running speed of the car. The pointer 9b is made of a translucent material, such as acrylic resin, and is displayed by emitting light from the light emitting diode 8 mounted on the printed board 6 by being guided by the light guide plate 5 and entering the pointer 9b. . In addition,
The light guide 5 is also made of a translucent material such as acrylic resin.

FIG. 11 shows an electric circuit configuration diagram of the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. A controller 30 that controls turning on and off of the light emitting diodes 8 and 26 is mounted on the printed circuit board 6. Figure 11
As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 30 controls lighting / extinction of the light emitting diodes 8 and 26 or dimming control of the light emitting diodes 8 and 26 based on the output signal of the illuminance sensor 60 that detects the illuminance in the interior of the automobile. Is going.

The dial 2 and the printed circuit board 6 are housed and fixed in a casing 10.

On the other hand, a transparent cover 12 is attached to the surface of the dial 2 through a substantially frame-shaped dial plate 11. The transparent cover 12 is formed of a transparent resin thin plate, glass, or the like.

Next, the visual recognition state of the dial 2 in the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described.

(1) When the passenger compartment is bright, for example, during the daytime.

In this case, the controller 30 does not turn on the light emitting diodes 8 and 26 by detecting that the illuminance inside the vehicle is high from the output signal of the illuminance sensor 60. Therefore,
The scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, the character portion 2c, and the pointer 9b of the dial 2 are illuminated by external light, for example, sunlight, and reflected by the driver to be visually recognized by the driver.

(2) When the vehicle interior is dark, for example, at night.

In this case, the controller 30 detects from the output signal of the illuminance sensor 60 that the illuminance inside the vehicle is low, and turns on the light emitting diodes 8 and 26 so as to ensure the visibility of the dial 2 and the pointer 9b. . Therefore,
Scale part 2a, number part 2b and character part 2c of dial 2
Is reflected by the light emitted by the light emitting diode 26, and the pointer 9b is displayed by the light emitted by the light emitting diode 8 so as to be visually recognized by the driver.

That is, the scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, the character portion 2c and the pointer 9b of the dial 2 are different when the vehicle compartment is bright, for example during the daytime, and when the vehicle compartment is dark, for example at night. Since the driver can visually recognize the appearance, the combination meter 1 having a novel appearance can be realized.

In the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the controller 30 controls the lighting and extinction of both the light emitting diodes 8 and 26, but may perform the dimming control. That is, according to the brightness of the vehicle interior, that is, the output signal level of the illuminance sensor 60,
The brightness of both light emitting diodes 8 and 26 may be continuously changed.

Further, in the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a metal thin plate, a resin thin film or the like may be attached instead of performing the coloring treatment or the matting treatment on the back surface 2e of the dial 2. Good. Further, nothing may be applied to the back surface 2e of the dial 2. In this case, by showing the driver the components such as the printed circuit board 6 behind the dial 2, a so-called skeleton-like appearance can be obtained.

(Fourth Embodiment) In the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as compared with the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention,
Instead of the concave portion 21 provided on the dial 2, a minute uneven portion 27 is provided. The minute concavo-convex portion 27 is provided on the back surface 2e of the dial 2 similarly to the concave portion 21 in the third embodiment. In addition, the minute irregularities 27 are formed by molding at the same time as resin molding of the dial 2.

FIG. 12 shows an enlarged view of the numeral portion 2b (numeral 0) as an example of the uneven portion 27 in the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 shows a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. The scale portion 2a and the character portion 2c are also formed with the same specifications.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the numeral portion 2b is formed by providing a minute uneven portion 27 on the back surface 2e of the dial 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the minute uneven portions 27 are provided so as to form the shape of the numeral portion 2b (numeral 0). These irregularities are formed in parallel at an equal pitch, and the pitch P is 50 μm to 1 μm.
It is set to 50 μm. This pitch P is 50 μm
Since the unevenness of ~ 150 μm cannot be visually recognized by human eyes, when the light emitting diode 26 is turned off,
Nothing is visible on the dial 2. In other words, the dial 2 is visually recognized as a simple transparent plate. On the other hand, when the light emitting diode 26 is turned on, the concave-convex portion 27 reflects the light from the light emitting diode 26 to emit light and emits the numeral portion 2b.
Is visible to the driver.

Further, in the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 14, the decorative board 13 is installed between the dial 2 and the printed board 6 to drive the printed board 6. It is blocked from the eyes of the person. The decorative plate 13 is formed of a resin plate, a metal plate, or the like, and the surface 13a on the dial 2 side is decorated as needed to improve the appearance of the combination meter 1. This decoration is formed by printing or performing various processes on the surface 13a of the decorative plate 13, or by pasting a thin film sheet. In the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the decorative plate 13 is made of an aluminum plate, and the surface 13a is subjected to a hairline treatment.

Next, the visual recognition state of the dial 2 in the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described.

Here, the electric circuit configuration in the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
The electric circuit configuration is the same as that of the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, but the specification of lighting / extinguishing control of both the light emitting diodes 8 and 26 by the controller 30 is different as described below. .

(1) The ignition switch 40 is O
In case of FF.

In this case, the controller 30 detects that the ignition switch 40 is OFF and turns off both the light emitting diodes 8 and 26. As a result, nothing is visible on the dial 2 except the pointer 9b. That is, in the combination meter 1, only the surface 13a of the makeup plate 13 is visually recognized by the driver through the pointer 9b and the transparent scale plate 2. That is, it looks as if there are no instruments on the combination meter 1.

(2) The ignition switch 40 is O
If N.

The ignition switch 40 is operated by the driver.
Is turned on, the voltage of the battery 50 is applied to the controller 30, and when the controller 30 detects the ignition switch 40 ON, the controller 30 turns on both the light emitting diodes 8 and 26. This allows the dial 2
The scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character portion 2c of 2 reflect the light emitted from the light emitting diode 26, and the pointer 9b is
Since light is emitted and displayed by the light emitted from the light emitting diode 8, the driver uses the surface 13a of the makeup plate 13 as a background.
The scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, the character portion 2c and the pointer 9b are visually recognized. Further, the controller 30 adjusts the light emission brightness of both the light emitting diodes 8 and 26 in accordance with the illuminance in the vehicle interior detected by the illuminance sensor 60 so that the visibility of the dial 2 and the pointer 9b can always be sufficiently ensured. There is. For example, when the vehicle interior is bright, both light emitting diodes 8, 26
When the vehicle interior is dark, the emission brightness of both light emitting diodes 8 and 26 is decreased.

In the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention described above, the ignition switch 40 is used depending on the operating state of the vehicle.
Since different appearances can be obtained depending on the ON / OFF state, the combination meter 1 having a novel appearance can be realized.

In addition to the uneven portion 27 of the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 15, an uneven portion 28 that intersects with the uneven portion 27 may be provided.

Further, the uneven portions 27 in the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention are formed as radial unevenness as shown in FIG. 16 instead of parallel unevenness at an equal pitch as shown in FIG. May be. In this case, the pitch of the unevenness changes continuously, but by setting the change range of the pitch to 50 μm to 150 μm,
When the light emitting diode 26 is turned off, the uneven portion 27 can be made invisible, that is, the scale portion 2a, the numeral portion 2b, and the character portion 2c can be made invisible.

The decorative plate 13 of the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may be omitted. In this case, by showing the driver the components such as the printed circuit board 6 behind the dial 2, a so-called skeleton-like appearance can be obtained.

In the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention described above, the light emitting diode 7 is used as the light source, but other light sources such as a light bulb may be used.

Further, in the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the pointer 9b is formed of a transparent acrylic resin or the like and is made to emit light by the light from the light emitting diode 8, but the pointer 9b itself. May be formed of a light-emitting body such as a cold cathode tube.

Further, in the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the surface 20a of the light guide 20 is spherical, but it may be any other shape as long as it is concave. For example, it may be cylindrical.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIG. 17 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
The fragmentary sectional view of the combination meter 1 by embodiment is shown. FIG. 17 shows XVII-XVII in FIG.
It corresponds to a line sectional view. FIG. 18 shows XV in FIG.
A III arrow line view is shown.

In the combination meter 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the light guide 20 is changed from that of the combination meter 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. That is, as shown in FIG.
A convex portion 29 is provided on the surface 20a of the vehicle at a position corresponding to the concave portion 21 which is the reflecting portion in the driver's visual direction. The convex portion 29 is a flat surface 29 that is substantially parallel to the surface 20 a of the light guide body 20.
a and an inclined surface 29b which is formed so as to spread toward the surface 20a from the outer periphery of the flat surface 29a. In addition, the convex portion 29 is provided in the driver's visual direction, that is, in FIG.
8 is formed to be larger than the concave portion 21 when viewed from the XVIII arrow direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 18, the contour line 29 c of the flat surface 22 a of the convex portion 29 is not
Is formed so as to be outside the contour line 21e.

Here, the visual state of the combination meter 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention described above, particularly the convex portion 29, is shown.
The visually recognizable state of the concave portion 21 as a scale will be briefly described.

The light guide 20 mounted on the printed circuit board 6.
When the light emitting diode 22 for illumination is turned on, the light that has entered the light guide 20 from the light emitting diode 22 proceeds as shown by the arrow in FIG. 17, and is reflected by the slope 21 a of the recess 21 to operate. Proceed toward the person side (upper side in FIG. 17). This light has a convex portion 29 provided on the surface 20a of the light guide body 20 at a position corresponding to the concave portion 21 in the driver's viewing direction.
The light is emitted from both the flat surface 29a and the inclined surface 29b and is visually recognized by the driver. The slope 21b of the recess 21 is also shown in FIG.
In FIG. 7, light from a light emitting diode (not shown) is reflected to be visually recognized by the driver. That is, from the driver
Both slopes 21a and 21b of the concave portion 21 and the slope 29b of the convex portion 29 can be seen at the same time. By the way, the slope 29b is located closer to the driver than the slopes 21a and 21b by the thickness of the light guide 20. As a result, the three-dimensional effect of the concave portion 21, that is, the scale and the display of the dial 2 is emphasized, and the concave portion 21, that is, the scale of the combination meter 1 is more visually emphasized by the driver because the three-dimensional effect is further emphasized. It is possible to realize the combination meter 1 that has an attractive and novel visibility.

Even when the light emitting diode 22 is turned off, when external light, for example, sunlight is incident on the combination meter 1, the incident light is incident on both slopes 21a and 21b of the recess 21 and the slope of the protrusion 29. It is reflected by 29b and is visually recognized by the driver. In this case as well, similarly to when the light emitting diode 22 is turned on, the concave portion 21, that is, the scale of the combination meter 1 is visually recognized by the driver with the stereoscopic effect being further emphasized.

FIG. 19 shows a partial sectional view of a modification of the combination meter 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 20 shows a view on arrow XX in FIG.

In this modification, the shape of the convex portion 29 provided on the light guide 20 is changed. That is, as shown in FIG. 20, the convex portion 29 is formed so that the outermost contour line of the convex portion 29, that is, the contour line 29 d of the slope 29 b is inside the contour line 21 e of the concave portion 21. Also in this case, since the slope 29b and the slopes 21a and 21b are arranged with a difference in distance in the driver's visual direction, the concave portion 21, that is, the scale of the combination meter 1 is visually recognized by the driver with the stereoscopic effect being further emphasized. In addition, an appearance different from that of the above-described fifth embodiment can be obtained.

(Sixth Embodiment) FIG. 21 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
The fragmentary sectional view of the combination meter 1 by embodiment is shown. 22 is a view on arrow XXII in FIG.

In the sixth embodiment, the shape of the convex portion 29 provided on the surface 20a of the light guide 20 is changed from that of the fifth embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 21, the convex portion 29 is formed in a convex lens shape. The convex portion 29 is shown in FIG.
2, the contour line 29e of the convex portion 29 is
It is formed on the outside of the contour line 21e and has a cylindrical surface shape extending substantially parallel to the axial direction of the recess 29 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 21).

Now, the visual confirmation state of the combination meter 1 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, particularly the visual confirmation state of the convex portion 29 and the concave portion 21 as a scale will be briefly described.

The light guide 20 mounted on the printed circuit board 6.
When the light emitting diode 22 for illumination is turned on, the light entering the light guide 20 from the light emitting diode 22 proceeds as shown by the arrow in FIG. 21, is reflected by the slope 21 a of the concave portion 21, and is convex. At 29, the light is refracted toward the driver side (upper side in FIG. 21) and emitted. That is, the concave portion 21 is enlarged by the convex lens action of the convex portion 29 and looks as if it were on the surface 20 a of the light guide 20. Thereby, the recess 21
That is, the stereoscopic effect of the scale and the display of the dial 2 is emphasized.
Further, since the gap between the scale and the pointer 9b in the driver's viewing direction, that is, the so-called parallax shift is visually recognized small, the reading error of the pointing position of the pointer due to this parallax shift can be almost eliminated. Therefore, it is possible to realize the combination meter 1 having an attractive and novel visibility.

Even when the light emitting diode 22 is turned off, when external light, for example, sunlight is incident on the combination meter 1, the incident light is reflected by both slopes 21a and 21b of the concave portion 21 and the convex portion 29. It is magnified by the convex lens action and is visually recognized by the driver as if it were on the surface 20a of the light guide 20. Therefore, also in this case, as in the case where the light emitting diode 7 is turned on, the stereoscopic effect of the concave portion 21, that is, the scale and the display of the dial 2 is emphasized, and the distance between the scale and the pointer 9b in the driver's visual direction, that is, so-called parallax shift. Is visible small.

FIG. 23 shows a modification of the combination meter 1 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this modification, as shown in FIG. 23, the shape of the convex portion 29 is changed to a spherical surface, and the contour line 29e of the convex portion 29 has a concave portion 2 as shown in FIG.
It is arranged to be outside the contour line 21e of 1. Also in this modification, the same effect as in the case of the above-described sixth embodiment can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a cross-sectional view of a combination meter 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the combination meter 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the light guide body 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the light guide body 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an electric circuit configuration diagram of the combination meter 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the combination meter 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a cross-sectional view of the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the combination meter 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

FIG. 11 is an electric circuit configuration diagram of a combination meter 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of a numeral portion 2b of the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged view of a dial 2 in a modified example of the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a partially enlarged view of a dial 2 in another modification of the combination meter 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of the combination meter 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a view on arrow XVIII in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modification of the combination meter 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

20 is a view on arrow XX in FIG.

FIG. 21 is a partial cross-sectional view of the combination meter 1 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

22 is a view on arrow XXII in FIG. 21. FIG.

FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged view of a modification of the combination meter 1 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 Combination meter (Vehicle pointer instrument) 2 dials 9 movements 9a shaft 9b pointer 13 Veneer 20 light guide 20a surface 20b reflector 20c end face 21 Recessed part (reflection part) 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d Slope (reflection part) 21e contour line 22, 24, 26 Light emitting diode (light source) 23 Trim ring 25 Light guide plate 27, 28 Concavo-convex part (reflection part) 29 convex 29a plane 29b slope 29c, 29d, 29e Contour line 30 controller 40 ignition switch 60 Illuminance sensor

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 2F074 AA02 AA04 BB06 CC02 DD02                       DD03 EE02 EE03 FF02 GG06                       GG09                 3D044 BA21 BA27 BA28 BD01

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A dial, a rotary inner unit which is disposed on the back side of the dial and extends a pointer shaft through the dial, and the rotary inner unit which rotates along a surface of the dial. A pointer instrument for a vehicle, comprising: a pointer supported at a tip end portion of a pointer shaft; a light guide body made of a material that transmits light and is provided on the dial; and a light source that makes light enter the light guide body. The pointer instrument for a vehicle, wherein the light guide body has a reflection portion that reflects the light emitted from the light source so that a driver can visually recognize the light. 2. The pointer instrument for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting portion forms a part of a scale of the instrument. 3. A dial, a rotary inner unit disposed on the back side of the dial and extending a pointer shaft through the dial, and the rotary inner unit for rotating along a surface of the dial. A pointer instrument for a vehicle, comprising: a pointer supported at a tip end portion of a pointer shaft; a light guide body made of a material that transmits light and is provided on the dial; and a light source that makes light enter the light guide body. The pointer instrument for a vehicle, comprising: a light from the light source emitted from the light guide illuminates a part of the dial. 4. The vehicle pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein the driver-side surface of the light guide is formed in a concave shape. 5. The vehicle pointer instrument according to claim 4, wherein the concave surface is a spherical surface or a cylindrical surface. 6. The light guide body according to claim 1, wherein the light guide body is formed in a substantially circular shape or an annular shape, and is arranged substantially coaxially with the pointer shaft. Vehicle pointer instrument. 7. The vehicle pointer instrument according to claim 6, wherein a driver side of an axial cross section of the light guide is formed in a concave shape. 8. The reflective portion is a minute uneven portion formed on the surface of the light guide, and the uneven portion is not visible to a driver when the light source is not turned on. The vehicle pointer instrument described in 1. 9. The vehicle pointer instrument according to claim 8, wherein the uneven portion forms at least one of a scale and a character of the instrument. 10. A dial, a rotary inner unit which is disposed on the back side of the dial and extends a pointer shaft through the dial, and the rotary inner unit which rotates along a surface of the dial. In a pointer instrument for a vehicle having a pointer supported on a tip end portion of a pointer shaft, the dial is formed of a light-transmitting material, a light source that makes light incident on the dial, and a surface of the dial. With a minute uneven portion formed, the uneven portion forms at least one of the scale and the characters of the instrument, and is visually recognized by the driver when the light source is turned on, and is operated when the light source is turned off. A pointer instrument for a vehicle, which is invisible to the operator. 11. A dial, a rotating inner unit which is disposed on the back side of the dial and extends a pointer shaft through the dial, and the dial which is supported by a tip end portion of the pointer shaft. In a vehicle pointer instrument having a pointer that rotates along the surface of, a light guide body made of a light-transmitting material provided on the dial, a light source that makes light incident on the light guide body, A reflecting portion for reflecting light emitted from the light source, which is provided on a back surface of the light guide opposite to the driver, and a driver on the driver side surface of the light guide. And a convex portion provided at a position facing the reflecting portion in the viewing direction of the vehicle pointer instrument. 12. The pointer instrument for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the reflecting portion forms a part of a scale of the instrument. 13. The convex portion is composed of a flat surface substantially parallel to the surface of the light guide body, and an inclined surface formed in a divergent shape from the outer periphery of the flat surface toward the surface. The vehicle pointer instrument according to claim 11 or claim 12. 14. The pointer instrument for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the convex portion is formed in a convex lens shape. 15. The pointer instrument for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a driver-side surface of the light guide is formed in a concave shape. 16. The pointer instrument for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the concave surface is a spherical surface or a cylindrical surface. 17. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the light guide is formed in a substantially circular shape or an annular shape and is arranged substantially coaxially with the pointer shaft. Pointer instrument. 18. The vehicle pointer instrument according to claim 17, wherein a driver side of an axial cross section of the light guide is formed in a concave shape.