JP2008111918A - Display apparatus and vending machine to which this display apparatus is applied - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display apparatus which is excellent in design property and is reduced in a dimension of depth, and also to provide a vending machine to which this display apparatus is applied. <P>SOLUTION: The display apparatus 10 includes a light transmission plate 11 on which the display subject 13 is formed by applying paint 12 on one surface 11a thereof, and a light source 21 which makes the light incident to an end face 11c of the light transmission plate 11. The vending machine is provided with the display apparatus 10, and the display apparatus 10 is installed so that the one surface 11a of the light transmission plate 11 coated with the paint 12 is made to face the front panel surface of a main body cabinet. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device for displaying a logo mark or a picture and a vending machine to which the display device is applied.

  As an apparatus for displaying a beverage manufacturer's logo mark, advertisement, or the like on the front panel of a vending machine, for example, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. This display device includes a light guide plate formed by printing characters, designs, etc. on a transparent plate, or printing characters and designs on a sheet and pasting them on a transparent plate, and a fluorescent lamp that illuminates the light guide plate And a light-emitting diode (hereinafter abbreviated as “LED”), etc., and this light guide plate is installed in the opening provided in the front panel, and the back side of the light guide member A light source is disposed on the screen, and light and light from the light source are transmitted through the light guide member to display characters and designs.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-54871

  In the above display device, since a light source such as a fluorescent lamp or LED is disposed on the back side of the light guide plate, it is necessary to secure a light source installation space on the back side of the front panel of the vending machine. Therefore, there is a problem that the depth dimension of the display device is increased and the thickness of the front panel is increased.

  In view of the above-described points, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device that is excellent in design and capable of reducing the depth dimension.

  A display device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a light guide plate on which a display target is formed by applying a paint to one surface, and a light source that makes light incident on an end surface of the light guide plate. To do.

  A vending machine according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a display device including a light guide plate on which a display target is formed by applying paint on one surface, and a light source that causes light to enter the end face of the light guide plate. And the display device is installed in such a manner that the surface of the light guide plate coated with the coating is opposed to the surface of the front panel of the main body cabinet.

  According to the display device of the first aspect of the present invention, the depth of the display device can be reduced as compared with the case where the light source is installed on the back side of the light guide plate. In addition, in the display area, only the display object that is the portion to which the paint is applied can be displayed prominently, and an unprecedented visual effect can be expected.

  Further, according to the vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention, the light source installation space on the back side of the light guide plate can be omitted by installing the display device on the front panel of the main body cabinet. Space can be achieved.

  Exemplary embodiments of a display device according to the present invention and a vending machine to which the display device is applied will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine 30 to which a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vending machine 30 illustrated here is a product having various shapes and sizes such as cans, bottles, plastic bottles, beverages sealed in paper packs, dairy products and confectionery contained in containers such as cups, etc. 50 can be sold. The external configuration of the vending machine according to the present embodiment mainly includes a main body cabinet 31 and a door-type front panel 32 (front door) provided on the front surface of the main body cabinet 31 so as to be opened and closed. The vending machine according to the present embodiment is a transmissive type, and a transparent plate 33 is incorporated in the front panel 32 so that a customer can carry out the sales operation of the product 50 or the product 50 stored in the vending machine. It can be seen through from the outside. On the part other than the transparent plate of the front panel 32, the display device 10 for displaying a logo mark or a picture of a beverage maker, the operation panel 34 operated by a customer when selecting a product 50 to be purchased, receipt of bills and coins. A money receiving device 35 to perform, an amount indicator 36 for displaying the amount of money received, change, etc., a product outlet 37 for a customer to take out the product 50, a coin return port 38 for returning change, a locking device 39 Etc. are provided.

  In a product storage room inside the vending machine, product storage columns 41 for storing products 50 are arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of rows. When the user of the vending machine 30 inserts or inserts a bill or coin from the money receiving device 35 and inputs the product number (column number) of the corresponding product 50 using the operation panel 34, the entered product number The product 50 is conveyed from the product storage column 41 corresponding to 1 to the product outlet 37 by a transport mechanism (not shown), and change is paid out to the coin return port 38.

  2 is a perspective view of the display device 10, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the display device 10. In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, a part of a cover member 23 described later is shown broken away. As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 10 includes a light guide plate 11 and a plurality of light sources 21. The light guide plate 11 is a plate-like member having a thickness of about 5 mm made of a transparent or translucent translucent material such as an acrylic plate or a glass plate. The light guide plate 11 has a surface 11a, a surface 11b opposite to the surface 11a, and end surfaces 11c, 11d, 11e, and 11f, and the surface 11a faces the surface of the front panel 32 as shown in the figure. In this manner, the mounting bracket 14 is fixed above the front panel 32.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a display object 13 such as a logo mark is formed on the surface 11 a of the light guide plate facing the surface of the front panel 32 by applying paint 12. This paint 12 has a high reflectance and fills the boundary surface of the surface 11a after application to facilitate the introduction of light. In this embodiment, an opaque white paint is applied.

  The light source 21 includes a plurality of white LED lamps 21. The LED lamp 21 is disposed on the substrate 22 so as to obtain power from the substrate 22. In the present embodiment, two sets of substrates 22 having five LED lamps 21 are arranged. The LED lamp 21 is covered with a cover member 23 so as not to be exposed to the outside, and the substrate 22 is supported on the inner wall of the cover member 23 so as to be disposed at a position facing the end surface 11 c of the light guide plate 11. is there.

  Next, the operation of the display device 10 will be described. When a power supply switch (not shown) is turned on, the LED lamp 21 is lit. Light from the LED lamp 21 enters the light guide plate 11 from the end surface 11 c of the light guide plate 11. Of the light incident on the light guide plate 11, the light (arrow A in FIG. 3) that has reached a portion other than the boundary surface 12 a between the paint 12 and the light guide plate 11 is totally reflected by the surface 11 a and the surface 11 b while being totally reflected. It progresses in the middle, reaches the end faces 11d, 11e, and 11f without going out of the light guide plate 11 on the way, and exits from each end face.

  On the other hand, the light (arrow B in FIG. 3) incident on the boundary surface 12a between the paint 12 and the light guide plate 11 easily reaches the interior of the paint 12 as described above, and causes the paint itself to emit light. Scatter in any direction. The scattered light reaches the surface 11b opposite to the surface 11a, and is emitted to the outside as refracted light without being totally reflected by the surface 11b. As a result, only the display object 13 that is a portion to which the paint is applied in the display area shines, and a logo mark can be displayed.

  According to the display device 10 of the present embodiment, the light guide plate 11 on which the display target 13 is formed by applying paint to one surface 11a and the end surface 11c of the light guide plate 11 are disposed so as to face each other. Since the LED lamp 21 is made incident, the depth dimension can be reduced as compared with the case where the light source is installed on the back side of the light guide plate 11.

  In addition, light incident on a portion other than the boundary surface 12a between the paint 12 and the light guide plate 11 is totally reflected by the surfaces 11a and 11b and travels through the light guide plate without going out of the light guide plate 11, while the paint 12 The light incident on the boundary surface 12a with the light guide plate 11 enters the paint and the paint itself emits light, and the light exits from the surface 11b. As a result, portions other than the display target 13 in the display area do not shine, and only the display target 13 can be made to stand out and shine, and an unprecedented visual effect can be expected.

  Furthermore, according to the vending machine 30 of the present embodiment, since the display device 10 is installed on the surface of the front panel 32, the light source installation space on the back side of the light guide plate can be omitted. Space can be achieved.

  Further, when installing the display device 10 in the vending machine 30, there is no need to provide an opening for installing the light guide plate 11 in the front panel 32, and there is a space for installing the light source 21 on the back surface of the front panel 32. Since it is not necessary to ensure, the installation location of the display device 10 can be easily changed. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the installation location of the display device 10 is set above the front panel 32. However, the installation location can be easily changed to the lower side or the central portion of the front panel 32.

  In the embodiment described above, light is incident only from one end surface 11c of the light guide plate 11. However, when the display area is wide, light is incident from both end surfaces of the end surface 11c and the end surface 11e facing the end surface 11c. You may let them. In the above embodiment, the white paint is used as the paint and the white LED lamp is used as the light source. However, paints of other colors such as red and blue and LED lamps can be applied.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the vending machine to which the display apparatus of embodiment of this invention is applied. 1 is a perspective view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which expanded and showed the upper part of the display apparatus of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Display apparatus 11 Light-guide plate 11a, 11b surface 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f End surface 12 Paint 13 Display object 21 Light source 30 Vending machine 31 Main body cabinet 32 Front panel

Claims (2)

A light guide plate on which a display object is formed by applying paint on one surface;
A display device comprising: a light source that makes light incident on an end face of the light guide plate. A display device comprising a light guide plate on which a display object is formed by applying paint on one surface; and a light source that causes light to enter the end face of the light guide plate;
A vending machine, wherein the display device is installed in such a manner that the surface of the light guide plate coated with the coating is opposed to the surface of the front panel of the main body cabinet.

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