JP2008032399A - Measuning instrument for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle instrument capable of making a three-dimensional effects of a dial recognized fully, even at nighttime etc. when it is not easy to acquire visible effects by naked eyes. <P>SOLUTION: An attenuation factor for illumination light at transmission is lowered the most among first to third light-transmitting-part regions 33f, 33g, and 33h, by layering a coating printing layer 3d and two while-color diffusion layers 3c and 3e to a substrate 3a in a first light-transmitting part region 33f in which the quantity of incoming light of illumination light from a light source 7A, transmitted through a light-transmitting part 33e of a ring-like inclined connection surface 33b and illuminating the front-surface side of a ring-like inclined surface 33a is the largest. The attenuation factor for illumination light at transmission is lowered to be smaller than that in the first light-transmitting part region 33f, by layering the coating printing layer 3d and the while-color diffusion layer 3c to the substrate 3a in the second light-transmitting part region 33g, in which the quantity of incoming light of illumination light from the light source 7A is the second largest. The attenuation factor of illumination light at transmission is enhanced the most, by layering only the coating printing layer 3d to the substrate 3a in the third light-transmitting part region 33h in which the quantity of incoming light of illumination light from the light source 7A is the smallest. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular instrument that illuminates a scale display in a three-dimensional annular display area provided on the outer periphery of a display area of measured values from the front side.

  Conventionally, various measures have been implemented or proposed in order to eliminate the monotonous appearance of vehicular instruments that display measured values such as travel speed and engine speed, and as an example, three-dimensional dials are used. Can be mentioned.

  FIG. 5 is a front view of a conventional vehicular instrument in which such a dial is three-dimensionalized. In this vehicular instrument, a display area 31 of a measured value corresponding to the rotation range of the pointer 1 is on the dial 3. The dial portion on the outer periphery thereof has a plurality of design-excluded portions 33d constituting a transmitted illumination type scale for use as a guide for the indication value indicated by the pointer 1 at intervals in the circumferential direction. An annular display region 33 is provided, and a portion of the dial plate 3 outside the annular display region 33 is covered with a dial plate 35 from the front side of the dial plate 3.

  The annular display area 33 includes an annular inclined surface 33a that is inclined so as to recede toward the back side of the dial 3 as the distance from the display area 31 increases, as shown in FIG. Is arranged.

  This inclined surface 33a constitutes an annular display area 33 together with an upright contact surface 33b that connects the inclined surface 33a to the outer dial 3 portion, and an instruction indicated by the pointer 1 on the front side of the inclined surface 33a. A plurality of design-excluded portions 33d that constitute a transmission illumination type scale portion as a guide for the value are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

  Each design-excluded portion 33d includes a light shielding printing layer 3b that covers the front surface (front surface) of the base 3a of the dial plate 3 made of a transparent substrate in the display region 31 of the dial plate 3 and the inclined surface 33a portion of the annular display region 33. It is formed by printing that is arranged on the inclined surface 33a.

  And in this vehicle instrument, it is light-guided from the light source 7 by the light-guide plate 5 arrange | positioned at the back side of the dial 3, and is laminated | stacked on the back side and front side of the base material 3a from the back side of the inclined surface 33a, respectively. Illuminated light that has passed through each design-excluded portion 33d of the light-shielding print layer 3b through the white light diffusion layers 3e and 3c and the base material 3a coated with a clear or smoked coat print layer covering the front of the light-shield print layer 3b By passing through 3d further and being visually recognized from the front side of the dial 3, the design-excluded portion 33d is illuminated.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the portion of the dial plate 3 outside the annular display area 33 is covered with a dial plate 35 from the front side of the dial plate 3.

  According to such a conventional vehicle instrument, a three-dimensional instrument can be configured by providing the dial 3 with irregularities due to the presence of the inclined slope 33a.

  By the way, the above-described conventional vehicle instrument obtains the three-dimensional effect of the dial 3 by visually recognizing the unevenness around the inclined surface 33a, so that the periphery of the inclined surface 33a is visually recognized, for example, at night. In an environment in which it is difficult to recognize the stereoscopic effect around the inclined surface 33a, it is not easy to recognize the presence of the design-excluded portion 33d that is transmitted and illuminated.

  Therefore, as shown in a cutaway perspective view of the main part in FIG. 7, an annular light transmitting portion 33e from which the light-shielding print layer 3b is removed is formed on the standing communication surface 33b, and a white LED chip is also formed on the back side of the standing communication surface 33b. A light source 7A composed of, for example, is arranged, and the front side of the inclined surface 33a is illuminated by light transmitted from the light source 7A through the light transmitting portion 33e.

  In this case, since the amount of light reaching from the light source 7A is lower in the light transmitting portion 33e portion away from the light source 7A than in the light transmitting portion 33e portion closer to the light source 7A, the inclined surface 33a is changed according to the distance from the light source 7A. The amount of illumination light will be uneven.

  Therefore, for example, halftone dot printing 3r shown in an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part in FIG. 8 is formed on the white light diffusion layer 3e located on the back side of the standing contact surface 33b, and as shown in FIG. The distance between the halftone dots 3p in the direction is gradually widened toward the end portions of the white light diffusion layers 3c and 3e, whereby the end portions of the white light diffusion layers 3c and 3e are formed in the circumferential direction of the upright contact surface 33b. It is conceivable that the light transmittance of the light transmitting portion 33e is gradually increased as it goes to.

  However, the white light diffusion layer 3c, the light-shielding print layer 3b, and the semi-transparent print layer 3d are laminated on the front side of the substrate 3a, and the white light diffusion layer 3e is laminated on the back side of the substrate 3a. Later, when the inclined surface 33a and the standing communication surface 33b of the annular display area 33 are formed by a molding process such as high pressure molding (pressure forming), press molding, drawing or the like, high pressure molding (pressure forming) of the standing communication surface 33b, The halftone dots 3p of the halftone dot printing 3r described above are formed at both ends in the standing direction (direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction) of the standing contact surface 33b, which is close to the portion bent during press molding or the portion narrowed during drawing. The interval is widened as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 9B from the state of being equidistant from the center portion in the standing direction shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG.

  Therefore, the amount of illumination light from the light source 7A that passes through the portion where the halftone dot print 3r of the light transmitting portion 33e is formed changes in the standing direction of the standing contact surface 33b, and uneven illumination due to this changes in the front side of the inclined surface 33a. Will occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide visibility at night of an annular inclined surface provided around a display area for measurement values in order to give the dial a three-dimensional effect. In order to enhance the illumination light that is transmitted through the standing contact surface located outside and illuminated on the front side of the inclined surface, unevenness in the brightness of the illumination light due to the difference in the distance from the light source for illumination is reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular instrument that can be solved not only in the direction but also in the standing direction of the standing communication surface.

  In order to achieve the above object, the vehicular instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided with an annular display area located on an outer periphery of the display area of the measurement value on the dial of the instrument that displays the measurement value. An instrument for a vehicle in which a ring-shaped standing communication surface standing on the front side of the dial is formed in a display area, and illumination light irradiated from a light source on the back side of the standing communication surface is applied to the standing communication surface. A light transmissive portion is formed on the front side of the dial, and the light transmissive portion has at least one translucent light diffusion layer laminated on the translucent substrate of the dial. In the translucent light diffusing layer, a plurality of V-cut portions arranged in a row in the standing direction are formed in which the width in the standing direction of the standing connecting surface intersecting the circumferential direction of the standing connecting surface is tapered. It is characterized by.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicular instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the light transmission portion includes a plurality of light transmission portion regions in a circumferential direction of the standing communication surface. The translucent light diffusing layer is more laminated than the light transmissive portion region that is closer to the circumferential direction than the light transmissive portion region that is farther from the light source in the circumferential direction. A plurality of V-cut portions are formed at the end portions of the translucent light diffusion layer, which are configured in a small number and are located at the boundary between two light transmission region adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction; did.

  Furthermore, the vehicle meter of the present invention described in claim 3 is the vehicle meter of the present invention described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the annular display region includes the display region of the measured value, the standing communication surface, And an annular inclined surface that is inclined toward the back side of the dial with respect to the measurement value display region, and the inclined surface is a character outside the annular display region by the standing communication surface. It was set as the structure connected to the board part.

  According to the vehicle instrument of the present invention described in claim 1, on the base material, for example, by a molding process such as high-pressure molding (pressure molding), press molding, or draw molding for forming the annular display region of the dial. When the semi-transparent light diffusion layer laminated on the part of the standing contact surface in the standing direction expands and contracts in the same direction, multiple rows are provided in the standing contact surface standing direction, and the width in the standing direction is tapered. The degree of expansion / contraction of the V-cut portion is different only between the V-cut portions, and the abundance ratio between the V-cut portion and the surrounding portion at any position in the circumferential direction of the standing contact surface is The same applies to the V-cut portion.

  For this reason, it is possible to prevent illumination unevenness from occurring in the standing direction of the standing contact surface in the illumination light that passes through the light transmitting portion and illuminates the front side of the dial plate, and the standing side of the standing contact surface faces the front side of the dial plate. Can be illuminated with the same amount of light.

  Further, according to the vehicle instrument of the present invention described in claim 2, in the vehicle instrument of the present invention described in claim 1, the reaching light amount of the illumination light emitted from the light source is relatively high, In the light transmission part region where the distance from the light source in the circumferential direction of the surface is short, the number of laminated translucent light diffusing layers through which illumination light passes from the back side to the front side of the standing contact surface is relatively large, and the light transmission part region While the attenuation rate of illumination light during transmission is relatively high, the amount of light reaching the illumination light emitted from the light source is relatively low, and the distance from the light source in the circumferential direction of the standing contact surface is long In the partial area, the number of laminated semi-transparent light diffusion layers through which the illumination light is transmitted from the back side to the front side of the standing communication surface is relatively small, and the attenuation rate of the illumination light during transmission through the light transmission area is relatively small Lower.

  Moreover, the semitransparent light diffusion layer is located at the end of the semitransparent light diffusion layer located at the boundary with the adjacent light transmission region that is far from the light source in the circumferential direction of the standing communication surface than the self light transmission region. The closer to the adjacent light transmission region where the number of stacked layers is small and the attenuation rate of illumination light is relatively low, the more the illumination light passes through the light transmission region with a light transmittance close to that of the adjacent light transmission region.

  For this reason, the amount of illumination light transmitted through the light transmission region is suddenly changed at the boundary with the adjacent light transmission region, thereby preventing uneven illumination from occurring on the front side of the inclined surface. The front side of the dial can also be illuminated with the same amount of light in the circumferential direction of the upright contact surface at the boundary portion of the matching light transmission region.

  Note that, in the vehicular instrument of the present invention described in claim 1 or 2, the area illuminated by the illumination light transmitted through the light transmitting portion is a dial as in the vehicular instrument of the present invention described in claim 3. It can be set as the front side of the annular inclined surface inclined to the back side of the dial with respect to the display area of the measured value.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle instrument of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an example of a dial of a vehicle instrument to which the present invention is applied, in which the dial of FIG. 6 is provided with a light transmitting portion 33e having a different configuration from that of FIG. In FIG. 1, the same parts and members as those in FIGS. 6 and 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those shown in those drawings, and redundant description is omitted.

  In the dial plate 3 of the present embodiment, the light transmitting portion 33e of the upright contact surface 33b is arranged in the order of the distance from the light source 7A in the circumferential direction of the upright contact surface 33b in order from the first to third light transmitting portion regions 33f. , 33g, 33h.

  The white light diffusion layer 3c (corresponding to the translucent light diffusion layer in the claims) on the front side of the substrate 3a is laminated on the light-shielding print layer 3b in the first and second light transmission region 33f, 33g. The coated print layer 3d (corresponding to the translucent light diffusing layer in the claims) has white light on the back side of the base material 3a on the whole of the first to third light transmission region 33f, 33g, 33h. The diffusion layer 3e (corresponding to the translucent light diffusion layer in the claims) is laminated and formed only in the first light transmission region 33f.

  Then, as shown in a cutaway perspective view of the main part in FIG. 2, the back surface of the upright contact surface 33b located at the boundary between the first and second light transmission region 33f and 33g adjacent in the circumferential direction of the upright contact surface 33b. The end portion of the white light diffusing layer 3e on the side and the end portion of the white light diffusing layer 3c on the front side of the upright connecting surface 33b, located at the boundary between the second and third light transmitting portion regions 33g and 33h, .. Are provided with a plurality of V cut portions 3m, 3m,..., 3n, 3n,..., Whose widths in the standing direction are tapered in the standing direction.

  In the vehicle meter of the present embodiment configured as described above, the illumination light emitted from the light source 7A disposed on the back side of the standing communication surface 33b is transmitted through the light diffusion portion 33e of the standing communication surface 33b. The front side of the inclined surface 33a facing the front side of the standing communication surface 33b is irradiated to illuminate it.

  At this time, the amount of light reaching the illumination light from the light source 7A is highest in the first light transmission region 33f closest to the light source 7A in the circumferential direction of the upright contact surface 33b, and then in the circumferential direction of the upright contact surface 33b. The third light transmission portion 33g having the longest distance from the light source 7A in the circumferential direction of the standing contact surface 33b is higher in the second light transmission portion region 33g that is next to the first light transmission portion region 33f. The area 33h has the lowest amount of light reaching the illumination light from the light source 7A.

  On the other hand, the attenuation rate of the illumination light due to the transmission of the light diffusion portion 33e is the highest in the first light transmission portion region 33f in which the coat print layer 3d and the two white light diffusion layers 3c and 3e are laminated on the base material 3a. Next, the attenuation rate of illumination light is high in the second light transmission region 33g in which the coat print layer 3d and the white light diffusion layer 3c are laminated on the substrate 3a, and only the coat print layer 3d is the substrate. The attenuation rate of the illumination light in the third light transmission region 33h laminated on 3a is the lowest.

  For this reason, the amount of light reaching the illumination light from the light source 7A is the highest, and the amount of light reaching the illumination light from the light source 7A is the highest. The third light transmission part region 33h, which is low and has a low attenuation rate of illumination light due to transmission through the light diffusion part 33e, the amount of light reaching the illumination light from the light source 7A, and the attenuation rate of illumination light due to transmission through the light diffusion part 33e. In the second light transmission part region 33g, which is also the middle, the amount of illumination light that is transmitted through each light transmission part region 33f, 33g, 33h and is irradiated to the front side of the inclined surface 33a is made uniform.

  Therefore, even in an environment where it is difficult to visually recognize the periphery of the inclined surface 33a with the naked eye, for example, at night, illumination light that has been made uniform through the respective light transmission region 33f, 33g, 33h can be applied to the inclined surface 33a. The front side portion can be irradiated.

  And in the vehicle meter of this embodiment, as shown in the enlarged perspective view of FIG. 3 which expanded the transition area | region 3j provided in the termination | terminus part of the white light diffusion layer 3e of the back side of the standing communication surface 33b, for example, it stands. The ratio of the white light diffusion layer 3e to the first light transmission region 33f decreases toward the tip of each V-cut portion 3m, 3m,... In the circumferential direction of the communication surface 33b (the end of the white light diffusion layer 3e). As the light transmittance of the first light transmission region 33f that is lower than the second light transmission region 33g approaches the boundary with the second light transmission region 33g in the transient region 3j, the second light It approaches the light transmittance of the transmission part region 33g.

  Although not shown in FIG. 3, the same applies to the transition region 3k provided at the end of the white light diffusion layer 3c on the front side of the upright contact surface 33b, and each V in the circumferential direction of the upright contact surface 33b. The ratio of the white light diffusing layer 3c to the second light transmissive region 33g decreases toward the tip of the cut portions 3n, 3n,... (The end of the white light diffusing layer 3c), and the third light transmissive region. The light transmittance of the second light transmission region 33g lower than 33h becomes the light transmittance of the third light transmission region 33h as it approaches the boundary with the third light transmission region 33h in the transition region 3k. Get closer.

  Therefore, the amount of illumination light transmitted through the light transmitting portion 33e is drastically changed at the boundary between the first and second light transmitting portion regions 33f and 33g and the boundary between the second and third light transmitting portion regions 33g and 33h. It is prevented that the uneven illumination due to the change occurs on the front side of the inclined surface 33a, and the boundary between the first and second light transmission region 33f, 33g and the second and third light transmission region 33g. , 33h can also illuminate the front side of the inclined surface 33a, on which the design-excluding portion 33d constituting the scale portion is formed, with the same amount of light in the circumferential direction of the standing communication surface 33b.

  Then, if the transition regions 3j, 3k are constituted by the V cut portions 3m, 3m,..., 3n, 3n,. 3b and a translucent printing layer 3d are laminated and a white light diffusion layer 3e is laminated on the back side of the substrate 3a, and then the inclined surface 33a and the standing contact surface 33b of the annular display area 33 are formed by high pressure molding. V-cut portions 3m at both ends in the standing direction of the standing contact surface 33b, which are close to a portion bent during high-pressure molding or press molding, or a portion squeezed during draw molding , 3n from the state where the width is equal to the central portion in the standing direction shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 4A, the V-cut portion 3m is merely widened as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 4B. , 3n and surrounding white light diffusion layers 3c, 3e are removed Existence ratio of the portion is the same as the V-cut portion 3m, 3n.

  For this reason, illumination light that passes through the transient region 3k of the white light diffusion layer 3c on the front side of the standing communication surface 33b and illumination light that passes through the transient region 3j of the white light diffusion layer 3e on the back side of the standing communication surface 33b. The amount of light is prevented from changing in the standing direction of the standing contact surface 33b, so that uneven illumination does not occur on the front side of the inclined surface 33a, so that the first and second light transmitting portion regions 33f and 33g At the boundary and the boundary between the second and third light transmission region 33g and 33h, the front side of the inclined surface 33a where the design-excluded portion 33d constituting the scale portion is formed is the same in the standing direction of the standing communication surface 33b. Illumination with a sufficient amount of light.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the display area 31 of the measured value of the dial 3 is secured according to the rotation range of the pointer 1 is described by taking an example of a vehicle instrument that indicates the indicated value by the pointer 1. However, the present invention can also be applied to a vehicle instrument that indicates (displays) an instruction value in an analog or digital display using a liquid crystal display or the like without using the pointer 1, and in such a case, the liquid crystal display The present invention can be applied using an instruction (display) area for an instruction value for analog or digital display by a measurement value display area.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the design-excluded portion 33d constitutes a transmitted illumination type scale for indicating the indication value indicated by the pointer 1 has been described, but the design-excluded portion is a letter or number. The present invention can also be applied to the case of a transmission illumination part such as a symbol.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the white light diffusion layer 3e is laminated on the back side of the standing communication surface 33b and the white light diffusion layer 3c is laminated on the front side of the standing communication surface 33b, but the white light diffusion layers 3c and 3e are formed. The standing communication surface 33b may be laminated on either the front side or the back side.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the coat print layer 3d formed by laminating all over the first to third light transmitting portion regions 33f, 33g, and 33h is used for the surface finish of the dial 3 of clear or smoke color. Since the material is a material, the coat printing layer 3d is inevitably laminated on the uppermost layer on the front side of the upright contact surface 33b. Separately, for example, a white light diffusion layer is formed by the first to third three layers. In the case of laminating over the entire light transmission region 33f, 33g, 33h, it is of course possible to laminate this in any number of layers on the front or back side of the upright connecting surface 33b. That is.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the light transmission part 33e is arranged such that the white light diffusion layer 3c on the front side of the base material 3a and the white light diffusion layer on the back side in order of increasing distance from the light source 7 in the circumferential direction of the standing communication surface 33b. 3e is divided into three first to third light transmission part regions 33f, 33g, 33h having different numbers of layers, and the first and second light transmission part regions 33f, 33g adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the standing communication surface 33b. And a plurality of V-cut portions at the end portions of the white light diffusing layers 3e and 3c on the back side and the front side of the standing communication surface 33b, which are located at the boundary between the second and third light transmitting portion regions 33g and 33h. The configuration in which the transition regions 3j and 3k including 3m, 3m,..., 3n, 3n,.

  However, the same number of stacked layers of the white light diffusion layer 3c on the front side and the white light diffusion layer 3e on the back side of the base material 3a is formed over the entire light transmission part 33e so as not to be divided into a plurality of light transmission part regions. And a transition region including a plurality of V-cut portions is provided on at least one of the white light diffusion layer 3c on the front side and the white light diffusion layer 3e on the back side of the base material 3a over the entire light transmission portion 33e. It is good.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the annular display region 33 is configured by the inclined surface 33a and the upright contact surface 33b has been described, but the inclined surface 33a is omitted and the upright contact surface 33b is formed from the outer periphery of the display region 31. The present invention is also applicable to a dial plate that is erected.

It is a principal part cutting perspective view which shows an example of the dial plate of the instrument for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a principal part cutting perspective view of the dial which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a part of the dial of FIG. 2 in detail. (A) is an explanatory view showing the state of the transitional region of FIG. 5 before the forming process of the annular display region of FIG. 1, and (b) is the state of the transition region of FIG. 5 after the forming process. It is a front view of the conventional vehicle meter. It is a principal part cutting perspective view of the dial of FIG. It is a principal part cutting perspective view of the dial which added the illumination function of the inclined surface of FIG. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the dial of FIG. FIG. 9A is an explanatory diagram showing a halftone dot printing portion before molding processing of the annular display region of FIG. 8 and FIG.

Explanation of symbols

3 Dial 3a Base material 3c, 3e White light diffusion layer (translucent light diffusion layer)
3d coat printing layer (translucent light diffusion layer)
3j, 3k Transition region 3m, 3n V cut portion 31 Measurement value display region 33 Annular display region 33a Inclined surface 33b Standing contact surface 33e Light transmission portion 33f First light transmission portion region 33g Second light transmission portion region 33h First 3 light transmission region 7A Light source

Claims (3)

The dial plate of the instrument for displaying the measurement value is provided with an annular display region located on the outer periphery of the display region of the measurement value, and an annular upright contact surface standing on the front side of the dial plate is formed in the annular display region Vehicle instrument,
The standing contact surface is formed with a light transmitting portion through which illumination light emitted from a light source on the back side of the standing contact surface can be transmitted to the front side of the dial,
The light transmission part has at least one translucent light diffusion layer laminated on the light-transmitting substrate of the dial,
In the translucent light diffusion layer, a plurality of V-cut portions arranged in the standing direction are formed such that the width in the standing direction of the standing communication surface intersecting the circumferential direction of the standing communication surface is tapered.
A vehicle instrument characterized by that.   The light transmission part is divided into a plurality of light transmission part regions in the circumferential direction of the standing communication surface, and the light transmission part region farther from the light source in the circumferential direction is the light source in the circumferential direction. The semi-transparent light is configured so that the number of the semi-transparent light diffusion layers is less than that of the light-transmitting region close to the light-transmitting region, and is located at the boundary between the two light-transmitting regions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. The vehicle instrument according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of V-cut portions are respectively formed at a terminal portion of the diffusion layer.   The annular display area has an annular inclined surface that is provided between the measurement value display area and the upright contact surface and is inclined toward the back side of the dial with respect to the measurement value display area. The vehicle instrument according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface is connected to the dial portion outside the annular display area by the standing communication surface.

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