JP2005271762A - Lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting system preventing complication of a structure of the lighting system and preventing rise of a production cost. <P>SOLUTION: The lighting system 10 is provided with switch elements 13a1, 13a2 and 13a3 respectively provided on optical sources 12b1, 12b2 and 12b3 for illuminating with first luminance, diodes 14a respectively arranged between the switch elements 13a1, 13a2 and 13a3 and the optical sources 12b1, 12b2 and 12b3, and a transistor 15 connected to the diodes 14a and illuminating other optical sources with second luminance darker than the first luminance when any of the optical sources 12b1, 12b2 and 12b3 are illuminated with the first luminance by selection of the switch elements 13a1, 13a2 and 13a3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an illuminating device that includes a plurality of display units, and each of the display units includes a light source for illumination.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional lighting devices as vehicle display devices are known in which a light source such as a lamp or LED is disposed behind each illumination target display unit, and each illumination target display unit is transmitted and illuminated by each light source. For example, it is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
JP-A-7-128093

  As the illumination target display unit of the vehicle display device, for example, there is an AT indicator display unit that indicates an AT shift position. The AT indicator display unit includes parking (P), neutral (N), reverse (R), and drive. (D) etc. It has each display part which shows shift ranges, respectively.

  In such an AT indicator display unit, the user recognizes the position of the AT shift by turning on the light source disposed behind the display unit corresponding to the shift change in accordance with the shift change of the AT shift. Is possible. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to visually recognize the display unit other than that selected by the AT shift and inconvenience is felt at night or when the surroundings are dark. In order to solve this problem, in addition to each light source prepared for each display unit of the AT indicator display unit, a plurality of dedicated light sources for shining the frame of the AT shift indicator display unit are prepared. Each dedicated light source is brilliant in conjunction with an illumination switch, and the light emitted from each dedicated light source is guided to a light guide provided on the frame, thereby being arranged behind the AT shift indicator display unit. Each display unit that is not illuminated by a light source that is illuminated is illuminated.

  However, since the lighting device described above requires the light guide and the dedicated light source, the configuration as a lighting device is complicated, and not only the design and assembly work of the AT indicator display unit becomes complicated. There is a problem that the product cost of the vehicular display device including the illumination device is increased.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made paying attention to the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an illumination device that does not complicate the structure of the illumination device and does not increase the product cost.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention is provided for each of the light sources so as to shine at least two light sources and each of the light sources with a first luminance, as in the lighting device according to claim 1. A switch element, a current direction restricting means provided between each switch element and each light source, and each current direction restricting means connected to each of the light sources. And a first switch means for causing the other light source to shine at a second luminance that is darker than the first luminance.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lighting device according to the first aspect, wherein the first luminance can be changed at least between the light source and a power source for causing the light source to shine. Two switch means are provided.

  The lighting device according to a third aspect is the lighting device according to the first aspect, wherein the first switch means can change the second luminance.

  The present invention relates to an illuminating device that includes a plurality of display units, each of which includes a light source for illumination, and does not complicate the structure of the illuminating device and does not increase the product cost. A lighting device can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and a case where the illumination device of the present invention is applied to a vehicle display device will be described as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a view showing a display device A for a vehicle. The vehicular display device A displays a speedometer (SP) 1 for displaying the vehicle speed of the vehicle, a tachometer (TA) 2 for displaying the engine speed of the vehicle, and the temperature of cooling water for the engine of the vehicle. A water temperature gauge (Temp) 3, a fuel gauge (Fuel) 4 for displaying the remaining amount of fuel in the vehicle, a liquid crystal display panel for displaying various information such as travel information such as travel distance and instantaneous fuel consumption, radio, time signal, etc. A multi-display 5 made of an organic EL panel or the like and an AT indicator display 6 for displaying the AT shift position are provided.

  The AT indicator display unit 6 includes display units 6a such as parking “P”, reverse “R”, neutral “N”, and drive “D”. Behind each display section 6a of the AT indicator display section 6, there is provided a lighting device 10 that will be described in detail later.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the illumination device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The illumination device 10 mainly includes a pnp transistor (second switch means) 11, an illumination means 12, a switch means 13, a current direction regulating means 14, and an npn transistor (first switch means) 15. It is configured.

  The pnp transistor 11 has an emitter connected to a driving power supply (power supply) + Vb, and a collector connected to an illumination unit 12. A drive voltage based on a dimming PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal from a control means (not shown) comprising a microcomputer of the vehicle display device 1 is applied to the base of the pnp transistor 11, and based on this drive voltage. Thus, a drive current is supplied from the drive power supply + Vb to the illumination means 12.

  The illuminating means 12 includes, on each display unit 6a of the AT indicator display unit 6, each current suppression resistor 12a and a light source 12b composed of a light emitting element (LED) connected in series to one end of each current suppression resistor 12a. It is provided to correspond. The other end of each current suppressing resistor 12 a is connected to the collector of the pnp transistor 11. Each current suppression resistor 12a is set to a similar resistance value in order to make the luminance of each light source 12b substantially constant.

  The switch means 13 is selectively turned on / off according to the position of the AT shift, and includes a plurality of switch elements 13a for each display section 6a of the AT indicator display section 6 on the vehicle side. One end of the element 13a is connected to the light source 12b, and the other end is connected to the ground level.

  The current direction regulating means 14 includes diodes 14a corresponding to the light sources 12b. Each diode 14a is connected to a wiring member that connects between each light source 12b and the switch element 13a, and the cathode electrode of each light source 12b is connected to the anode electrode of each diode 14a.

  In the npn transistor 15, the cathode electrode of each diode 14a of the current direction regulating means 14 is connected to the collector, and the emitter is connected to the ground level. A driving voltage based on a PWM signal, which will be described in detail later, is applied to the base of the npn transistor 15 from a control means (not shown) of the vehicle display device 1.

  Next, the effect | action of the illuminating device 10 in embodiment of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of FIG.

  In the figure, the first, second, and third light sources 12b1, 12b2, and 12b3 are shown from the left side, and the switch elements, current suppression resistors, and diodes connected in series to these light sources 12a1, 12a2, and 12a3 are first, The second and third switch elements 13a1, 13a2, and 13a3, the first, second, and third current suppressing resistors 12a1, 12a2, and 12a3, and the first, second, and third diodes 14a1, 14a2, and 14a3 are used. The first, second, and third light sources 12 b 1, 12 b 2, and 12 b 3 correspond to “P”, “R”, and “N” of each display unit 6 a of the AT indicator display unit 6.

  When the vehicle user puts the AT shift into the reverse range, the switch element 13a2 corresponding to the display unit 6a that becomes “R” is turned on, and the drive current based on the first PWM signal of the pnp transistor 11 is the second. By being supplied to the second light source 12b2 through the current suppression resistor 12a2, the first brightness is obtained. On the other hand, since the first and third switch elements 13a1 and 13a3 of the respective display portions 6a corresponding to “P” and “N” other than “R” are in the OFF state, the pnp transistor 11 is driven based on the PWM signal. Current flows into the npn-type transistor 15 via the first and third current suppression resistors 12a1 and 12a3, the first and third power supplies 12b1 and 12b3, and the first and third diodes 13a1 and 13a3. Since the second PWM signal from the control means of the device 1 is applied to the base of the npn transistor 15 and flows to the ground level, the first, third, and third signals are generated based on the second PWM signal. The power supplies 12b1 and 12b3 will shine. That is, the second PWM signal output from the control means is a signal component for the first and third light sources 12b1 and 12b3 to shine with a second luminance lower than that of the second light source 12b2.

  Further, the overall dimming control regardless of the switching elements 13a1, 13a2 and 13a3 of the light sources 12b1, 12b2 and 12b3 is determined by the drive current supply based on the PWM signal of the pnp transistor 11.

  Therefore, the user of the vehicle can visually recognize the display unit 6a of the AT indicator 6 corresponding to the range selected by the AT shift brightly with the first luminance, and each of the other display units 6a has the first display unit 6a. Illumination is performed at a second luminance that is darker than the luminance so that the user can visually recognize the second luminance.

  Such an illuminating device 10 is configured such that any one of the light sources is brightly brilliant at the first luminance by the selection of the switch means 13, and the other light sources are radiated at the second luminance that is darker than the first luminance. Therefore, since the user can illuminate the display unit selected by the AT shift and other display units only by the light sources 12b for illuminating the display units 6a, even at night or when the surroundings are dark It becomes possible to visually recognize well. Further, since a dedicated light source and light guide are not required as in the prior art, the structure of the lighting device 10 can be simplified, design work and assembly work of the AT indicator display unit 6 can be reduced, and the product cost can be reduced. It can be kept low.

  In addition, by providing the pnp transistor 11 that can change the luminance of the illumination unit 12 between the drive power source + Vb and the illumination unit 12, it is possible to perform dimming control according to the user's preference. As a product can be improved.

  Moreover, since the said 3rd switch means can change said 2nd brightness | luminance, the commercial property as the illuminating device 10 can further be improved.

  In the embodiment described above, the light emitting element made of the LED is used as the light source. However, for example, a similar effect can be obtained even with a lamp or the like.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lighting device of the AT indicator display unit 6 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and a lighting device having two or more light sources, for example, The present invention can also be applied to a display unit of a shift up indicator.

The figure which shows the display apparatus for vehicles of embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the illuminating device of embodiment same as the above. The figure explaining the effect | action of the illuminating device of embodiment same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

6 AT indicator display section 6a Display section 10 Illuminating device 11 Pnp type transistor (second switch means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Illumination means 12b Light source 12b1, 12b2, 12b3 1st, 2nd, 3rd light source 13 Switch means 13a Switch element 13a1, 13a2, 13a3 1st, 2nd, 3rd switch element 14 Current direction regulation means 14a Diode 14a1 , 14a2, 14a3 First, second and third diodes 15 npn-type transistor (first switch means)

Claims (3)

At least two light sources, a switch element provided for each of the light sources to make each of the light sources shine at a first luminance, and a current direction regulating means provided between each of the switch elements and each of the light sources, When any one of the light sources shines at the first luminance by the selection of the switch element, the second light source is darker than the first luminance. And a first switch means for shining with brightness. 2. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein at least a second switch unit capable of changing the first luminance is provided between the light source and a power source for causing the light source to shine. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first switch means can change the second luminance.

Images