JP2006317154A - Lightguide member and instrument using it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lightguide member capable of minimizing an increase in the number of parts and excellent in decorative effects and provide an instrument using it. <P>SOLUTION: A design 111 is formed in a dial 11, and the lightguide member 12 for receiving light from a light source 14 arranged on the back side of the dial 11 and guiding it to the surface side of the dial 11. Light (r) from the light source 14 is received at a light reception part 121 of the lightguide member 12 and travels through the lightguide member 12. At this time, light (r1) is reflected at a while layer WT formed in the top surface part of the lightguide member 12 and made emergent from the direction of a side surface of the lightguide member 12. As a result, the dial 11 is indirectly illuminated in a ring shape in such a way that the indirect illumination may travels around the design 111 along both side surfaces of the lightguide member 12 as shown in R. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a light guide member and an instrument using the same, and more particularly to a decorative light guide member and an instrument using the same.

  In instruments such as a speedometer and an engine tachometer, a decorative ring member is often attached along a design indicating the speed and engine speed formed on the dial. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a conventional instrument of this type. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

  As shown in the front view of FIG. 6, this type of instrument 9 includes a disk-shaped dial 91, a pointer 93 that indicates a design 911 indicating a speed, an engine speed, and the like formed on the dial 91. The light-transmitting member 92 having a predetermined color and having a shape along the shape is included.

  More specifically, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7, a light guide member 96 that guides light from a light source for a light transmitting member (not shown) to the light transmitting member 92 is disposed on the back surface of the light transmitting member 92. A light shielding member 95 is attached to the upper surface of the member 92 so as to cover a part of the translucent member 92. The substrate 97 is mounted with a movement 98 for rotating the pointer 93 according to a predetermined measurement value, a light source 94 for emitting light for shining the pointer 93, various electronic components (not shown), and the like. In addition, an inclined portion 99 is formed in a part of the case in order to efficiently provide light from the light source 94 to the back surface of the dial 91.

  In such a configuration, light from the light source 94 is used for illumination of the design formed on the pointer 93 and the dial 91. Further, light from a light source for a light transmissive member (not shown) is guided to the light guide member 96 and given to the light transmissive member 92. And the ring-shaped site | part 9R along the design 911 shown in FIG. 6 is illuminated based on the color of the translucent member 92. FIG. Thereby, the measuring instrument 9 having the illumination decorated in a ring shape of a predetermined color is provided.

The above-described instrument is described in detail in Patent Document 1 below.
JP 2003-344119 A

  Since the above-described conventional instrument 9 is provided with a ring-shaped decorative illumination of a predetermined color in addition to the design illumination, the appearance is improved. However, the conventional instrument 9 has an increased number of parts and a complicated structure in order to obtain a ring-shaped decoration effect. That is, the light guide member 96 that guides the light from the light source for the light transmissive member to the light transmissive member 92 is disposed on the back surface of the light transmissive member 92, and the waste from the light transmissive member 92 is disposed on the upper surface of the light transmissive member 92. A light shielding member 95 is attached in order to suppress excessive light emission. Therefore, according to the conventional instrument 9, a considerable increase in man-hours and costs are incurred in order to increase the decoration effect. Moreover, since the ring illumination in the conventional meter 9 has a decorative effect, further improvement of the decorative effect is required.

  Therefore, in view of the present situation described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a light guide member that minimizes an increase in the number of parts and has an excellent decorative effect, and a meter using the same.

  The instrument according to claim 1, which has been made to solve the above problems, is attached to the surface of a dial on which a design is formed, and receives light from a light source arranged on the back side of the dial. A light guide member that guides light to the surface side of the dial plate, a light receiving portion that receives light from the light source, a mounting surface that contacts the surface of the dial plate during mounting, and a top surface portion that faces the mounting surface And a reflective layer formed on the top surface portion.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the light guide member is attached to the surface of the dial on which the design is formed, receives light from the light source disposed on the back side of the dial, and applies the light to the surface of the dial. Guide to the side. A reflective layer is formed on the top surface of the light guide member, and illumination based on the color of the reflective layer is given to the surface of the dial.

  The instrument according to claim 2, which is made to solve the above-described problem, is a plastic light guide member having a ring shape along the design in the light guide member according to claim 1. A light guide member, characterized in that the light guide member includes an extending projection that is inserted into a mounting hole provided in the dial.

  According to invention of Claim 2, it is the light guide member made from the plastic which carried out the ring shape along the design, Comprising: The attachment convex part is extended by the attachment surface.

  The meter according to claim 3, which has been made to solve the above-described problem, is the light guide member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a non-transparent layer which is an outermost layer is further formed outside the reflective layer. It is characterized by that.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the opaque layer, which is the outermost layer, is formed on the outer side of the reflective layer, unnecessary light output from the light guide member can be achieved without the need for a light shielding member as in the prior art. Can be suppressed.

  The instrument according to claim 4 made to solve the above-mentioned problem is an instrument using the light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and is in accordance with a color tone of the reflective layer. The design is formed on the dial.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the design corresponding to the color tone of the reflective layer is formed on the dial, an instrument such as a tachometer having a high decorative effect is provided while minimizing an increase in the number of parts. Is done.

  The meter according to claim 5 made to solve the above-mentioned problem is a meter using the light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and is formed on the top surface portion. The color of the reflective layer is different from the base color of the dial.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a reflective layer having a color different from the base color of the dial plate is formed on the top surface portion of the light guide member, and illumination based on the color of the reflective layer is performed on the dial plate. Given to the surface.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the light guide member is attached to the surface of the dial on which the design is formed, receives light from the light source disposed on the back side of the dial, and applies the light to the surface of the dial. Guide to the side. A reflective layer is formed on the top surface of the light guide member, and illumination based on the color of the reflective layer is given to the surface of the dial. Therefore, the decoration effect on the surface of the dial can be improved while minimizing the increase in the number of parts. Moreover, it becomes possible to make the ring fixing part including the mounting surface and the like concealed or inconspicuous by the reflective layer, and the appearance is improved.

  According to invention of Claim 2, it is the light guide member made from the plastic which carried out the ring shape along the design, Comprising: The attachment convex part is extended by the attachment surface. Accordingly, the decorative effect can be further improved, and the mounting convex portion can be welded, so that the mounting and fixing to the dial plate is easy.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the opaque layer, which is the outermost layer, is formed on the outer side of the reflective layer, unnecessary light output from the light guide member can be achieved without the need for a light shielding member as in the prior art. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the decoration effect on the surface of the dial can be improved while minimizing the increase in the number of parts.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the design corresponding to the color tone of the reflective layer is formed on the dial, an instrument such as a tachometer having a high decorative effect is provided while minimizing an increase in the number of parts. Is done.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a reflective layer having a color different from the base color of the dial plate is formed on the top surface portion of the light guide member, and illumination based on the color of the reflective layer is performed on the dial plate. Given to the surface. Therefore, an instrument having a higher decorative effect while minimizing the increase in the number of parts is provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a light guide member and a meter using the same according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment is described as being applied to, for example, an analog automobile speedometer. As shown in FIG. 1, the meter 1 includes a dial 11, a light guide member 12 attached to the surface of the dial 11, and a pointer 13 that indicates a design 111 indicating a speed, an engine speed, and the like formed on the dial 11. , And a light source 14 that provides the light guide member 12 with illumination light. In addition, this type of instrument usually includes, for example, a resin-made main body case, a turnover, a front glass, etc., but they are omitted here because they are unnecessary for understanding the gist of the present invention. ing.

  The dial plate 11 is, for example, a sheet of transparent fabric made of polycarbonate, and is colored with a black base color with a design 111 indicating speed or the like removed as shown in FIG. The design 111 may be printed with, for example, light blue or red. The dial 11 is also provided with a fixing hole 112 for fixing the light guide member 12 and a pointer shaft hole (not shown) through which the rotation shaft portion of the pointer 13 is inserted.

  On the back surface of the dial plate 11, a light source 14 for shining the pointer 13 on a substrate (not shown), a movement for rotating the pointer according to a predetermined measurement value, various electronic circuits (not shown), and the like are arranged. For example, a light emitting diode that emits white light is used as the light source 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the light guide member 12 is attached to the surface of the dial plate 11 on which the design 111 is formed, and receives light from the light source 14 disposed on the back side of the dial plate 11. This is guided to the surface side of the dial 11. The light guide member 12 is made of a transparent plastic and has a ring shape that follows the design 111. The cross-sectional shape is substantially trapezoidal as shown in FIG.

  The light guide member 12 also includes a light receiving portion 121 that receives light from the light source 14, a mounting surface that contacts the surface of the dial plate 11 when mounted, a top surface portion that faces the mounting surface, and a dial plate formed on the top surface portion. 11 has a reflective layer of a color different from black which is the base color. On the attachment surface, an attachment convex portion 122 is inserted so as to be inserted through a fixing hole 112 provided in the dial plate 11 and welded. At the time of attachment, the light guide member 12 can be easily fixed to the dial plate 11 simply by inserting the attachment convex portion 122 into the fixing hole 112 of the dial plate 11 and then welding the tip end portion of the attachment convex portion 122. In addition, the color of the reflective layer may be the same color as the base color of the dial 11 depending on circumstances.

  A white layer WT as a reflective layer is formed on the top surface portion of the light guide member 12. The white layer WT is a layer for emitting light traveling in the light guide member 12 in the side surface direction. Therefore, the light emitted in the lateral direction basically becomes white light depending on the color tone of the white layer WT. For example, as described later, if the light emitted in the side surface direction is to be red, a red layer as a reflective layer may be formed.

  On the outer side (outermost layer) of the white layer WT as such a reflective layer, a silver layer SL as an impermeable layer is formed. The silver layer SL is a layer for preventing light traveling through the light guide member 12 from passing in the top surface direction. Therefore, if it is an opaque color, it is not always necessary to be silver. By such an impermeable layer, unnecessary light emission from the light guide member can be suppressed without requiring a light shielding member as in the prior art. In addition, it is possible to conceal ring fixing portions such as the mounting convex portion 122 and the fixing hole 112 by the white layer WT and the silver layer SL.

  As is well known, the pointer 13 is made of a transparent resin indicator, a cylindrical cap made of black resin covering the base end of the indicator, a hot stamp layer printed on the bottom of the indicator, and stable rotation of the pointer. And a pointer rod including a rotating shaft portion for fixing the indicating portion to the cap. The hot stamp layer is formed of, for example, a red color. The light source 14 is, for example, a light emitting diode that emits white light.

  The effect | action which concerns on the light guide member and meter of such a structure is demonstrated using FIG.3 and FIG.4. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the light guide member according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the instrument using the same. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the light guide member according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the instrument using the same. 3 and 4, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those in FIGS. 1 and 2, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the light r from the light source 14 is received by the light receiving unit 121 of the light guide member 12 and travels as light r <b> 1 in the light guide member 12. At this time, as described above, the light r1 is reflected by the white layer WT formed on the top surface portion of the light guide member 12, and as white light r2, the side surface of the light guide member 12 is shown in FIG. It is emitted from the direction. As shown in R of FIGS. 1 and 4, the white light r <b> 2 circulates the dial 11 in a ring shape so as to go around the design 111 along the both side surfaces of the light guide member 12 on the dial 11. Illuminate. However, the portion directly above the light guide member 12 is shielded from light by the silver layer SL. Therefore, a unique decorative effect can be brought about by the ring-shaped white indirect illumination.

  In addition, the attachment convex part 122 welded to the dial 11 is not visible at all from the instrument front side, that is, the driver's viewpoint side. Thus, according to the first embodiment, the decoration effect on the surface of the dial can be improved while minimizing the increase in the number of parts. Further, it is very easy to attach the light guide member 12 to the dial plate 11.

  Moreover, FIG. 5 is a perspective view which shows the principal part of the light guide member which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and an instrument using the same. In FIG. 5, parts common to those in FIGS. 1 to 4 are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the instrument 1 ′ of this embodiment is applied to an analog automobile engine tachometer, that is, a tachometer. For this purpose, the dial 11 is formed with a design 111 ′ composed of numbers and scales indicating the engine speed. Accordingly, the portion R2 along the design 111 'indicating the engine speed corresponding to the red zone has a ring-shaped illumination as described in the first embodiment in red. The part R1 along the design 111 ′ indicating the engine speed corresponding to other than the red zone is a white or blue ring illumination as described in the first embodiment.

  For this reason, on the top surface of the light guide member 12 ′, a white or blue reflective layer is formed in a portion corresponding to a region other than the red zone, and a red reflective layer is formed in a portion corresponding to the red zone. . Note that the external configuration of the dial plate, the light guide member, and the like in the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the action related to the progression and reflection of the light r emitted from the light source 14 is also the first embodiment. Therefore, a duplicate description is omitted here. As described above, according to the second embodiment, the design corresponding to the color tone of the plurality of types of reflective layers is formed on the dial, so that a tachometer with a high decorative effect can be obtained while minimizing the increase in the number of parts. Can be provided. Of course, the same configuration as in the second embodiment can be applied to other than the tachometer. For example, in order to further enhance the decorative effect, a light guide member having a plurality of types of reflective layers may be applied to the speedometer.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the decoration effect on the surface of the dial can be improved while minimizing the increase in the number of parts.

  The present invention can be applied not only to a speedometer and a tachometer, but also to a water temperature gauge, a fuel gauge, and the like. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to analog type instruments but also to digital type instruments. Furthermore, the light guide member of the present invention may be semicircular or 1/3 circular, or may not be ring-shaped depending on circumstances.

It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of the light guide member which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a meter using this. It is AA sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the effect | action of the light guide member which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a meter using the same. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the effect | action of the light guide member which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a meter using the same. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of the light guide member which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and a meter using the same. It is a front view which shows this kind of conventional instrument. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 instrument 11 dial 12 light guide member 13 pointer 14 light source WT white layer (reflection layer)
SL Silver layer (impermeable layer)

Claims (5)

A light guide member that is attached to the surface of the dial plate on which the design is formed, receives light from a light source disposed on the back side of the dial plate, and guides the light to the surface side of the dial plate,
A light receiving unit for receiving light from the light source;
A mounting surface that contacts the surface of the dial during mounting;
A top surface facing the mounting surface;
A reflective layer formed on the top surface,
A light guide member characterized by comprising: The light guide member according to claim 1,
A plastic light guide member having a ring shape along the design,
A mounting convex portion that extends through the mounting surface and is inserted into a mounting hole provided in the dial.
A light guide member characterized by comprising: In the light guide member according to claim 1 or 2,
An opaque layer that is the outermost layer is further formed outside the reflective layer,
A light guide member. An instrument using the light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A design corresponding to the color tone of the reflective layer is formed on the dial,
Instrument characterized by that. An instrument using the light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The color of the reflective layer formed on the top surface portion is different from the base color of the dial,
Instrument characterized by that.

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