JP2008249426A - Pointer meter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pointer meter for reducing power consumption by modifying the color of a pointer without needing a light source. <P>SOLUTION: In the pointer meter for indicating a scale 10a by a pointer 20 movable on a dial 10, the pointer 20 includes a pointer-shaped electronic paper 22 capable of displaying a plurality of colors. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pointer instrument, and more particularly, to a vehicular pointer instrument that indicates a scale by rotating the pointer with respect to a scale board.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a pointer instrument for a vehicle that indicates a scale by rotating the pointer with respect to a dial, it has been provided with light emitting means for emitting light in a plurality of colors, and the pointer is based on a detection signal corresponding to the engine speed. There is known a vehicular pointer instrument that can notify that the engine speed has reached a predetermined value based on a color change of the pointer by emitting light in a plurality of colors (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-65806 A

  However, in the conventional pointer instrument for a vehicle having the above-described configuration, in order to change the color of the pointer, a light source that emits light in a plurality of colors is required.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pointer instrument that can change the color of the pointer without requiring a light source and reduce power consumption.

In order to achieve the object, the first invention is a pointer instrument that indicates a scale with a pointer that is movable on the scale board.
The pointer is characterized by comprising a pointer-shaped electronic paper capable of displaying a plurality of colors.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the pointer instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention, pointer position determination means for determining whether or not the position of the pointer is a predetermined position;
Display color changing means for changing the display color of the electronic paper,
The display color of the electronic paper is changed when the position of the pointer is determined to be a predetermined position by the pointer position determination means.

  A third invention is a pointer instrument according to the first or second invention, which is installed on the electronic paper and guides light from a light source to irradiate the electronic paper with light. It is characterized by providing.

  According to the first invention, by changing the display color of the pointer-shaped electronic paper, the color of the pointer can be changed without requiring a light source, and the power consumption can be reduced.

  According to the second invention, by changing the display color of the pointer-shaped electronic paper according to the position of the pointer, the physical quantity of the display target of the pointer instrument has reached a predetermined value based on the color change of the pointer Can be notified.

  According to the third aspect, by irradiating the pointer-shaped electronic paper with light, the user can visually recognize the color and position of the pointer even when the periphery of the pointer instrument is dark.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a top view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a pointer instrument for a vehicle according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the pointer instrument for a vehicle according to the present embodiment is installed in a direction perpendicular to the scale board 10 on which the scale 10 a and the numbers 10 b indicating the values of the scale 10 a are arranged, and the scale board 10. The rotary shaft 11 and the pointer 20 supported by the rotary shaft 11 so as to be rotatable on the scale plate 10 are configured. The rotating shaft 11 that supports the pointer 20 is biased counterclockwise (see FIG. 1), and the pointer 20 is normally in the first position (see FIG. 1), for example, according to the engine speed. It is rotated based on the electrical signal. The user can visually grasp the engine speed by reading the scale indicated by the pointer 20. In the following description of the present embodiment, “up” means the direction in which the pointer 20 is arranged with respect to the scale plate 10, and “down” means the direction in which the substrate 12 is arranged with respect to the scale plate 10. means.

  2 is a cross-sectional view of the pointer instrument for a vehicle as viewed from the direction of arrows AA in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the pointer instrument for a vehicle according to the present embodiment includes a scale plate 10, a substrate 12, and a hollow portion 13 composed of the scale plate 10 and the substrate 12. The hollow portion 13 surrounds the periphery of the rotating shaft 11 and introduces light from the pointer light source 14 into the light receiving portion 24 of the pointer 20, and surrounds the periphery of the dial light source 16 and the scale plate. A frame body portion 17 for introducing light from the light source 16 to the positions where the scales 10a and the numbers 10b are arranged is installed. When the pointer light source 14 and the dial light source 16 are turned on, the pointer 20, the scale 10a, and the numeral 10b are irradiated with light. As the pointer light source 14 and the dial light source 16, for example, a chip-type light emitting diode (LED) that emits white light is used. Details of the pointer 20 will be described later.

  FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of the pointer 20 of the present embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. As shown in FIG. 3, the pointer 20 of this embodiment includes a transparent pointer-shaped resin substrate 21, a pointer-shaped electronic paper 22 that can display a plurality of colors, and light from the pointer light source 14. It comprises a pointer-shaped light guide plate 23 that guides and irradiates light onto the electronic paper 22. An electronic paper 22 and a light guide plate 23 are sequentially installed on the upper surface of the resin substrate 21, and one end of the lower surface of the resin substrate 21 is press-fitted into the rotating shaft 11 (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the electronic paper 22, which is a characteristic configuration of the present embodiment, has the same pointer shape as the outer periphery of the resin substrate 21, and is formed on the upper surface of the resin substrate 21 so that the outer periphery coincides. Glued. The electronic paper 22 includes, for example, white particles and red particles (not shown) that are charged to opposite polarities, and two upper and lower plastic substrates (not shown) that seal these particles, It is comprised from the transparent electrode (not shown) formed in the inner surface of a plastic substrate. When a voltage is applied to the upper and lower transparent electrodes, an electric field acts on the white particles and red particles sealed between the upper and lower transparent electrodes, and the white particles charged to opposite polarities Red particles move up and down in opposite directions. The change of the display color of the electronic paper 22 can be realized by inverting the voltage applied to the upper and lower transparent electrodes, inverting the electric field acting on each particle, and inverting the moving direction of each particle. Here, when the application of the voltage to the transparent electrode is cancelled, each particle stops moving in the vertical direction and can be kept as it is. Therefore, the pointer instrument of the present embodiment can maintain the display color of the electronic paper 22 even if the application of the voltage to the transparent electrode is canceled. As described above, the vehicular pointer instrument according to the present embodiment is different from the vehicular pointer instrument having the above-described conventional configuration in that the color of the pointer 20 can be changed without requiring a light source, and the change can be made even if the voltage application is canceled. The color of the pointer 20 thus made can be maintained, and power consumption can be suppressed. In the electronic paper 22 of this embodiment, since the colors of all the pixels are uniformly controlled, it is not necessary to control the voltage of the transparent electrode for each pixel, and it is not necessary to make the particle diameters of the color particles uniform. Therefore, the cost of the pointer instrument for a vehicle can be suppressed by using cheap electronic paper as compared with normal electronic paper.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the light guide plate 23 has a pointer shape whose outer periphery is slightly smaller than the outer periphery of the electronic paper 22, and is coaxially bonded to the upper surface of the electronic paper 22. As the material of the light guide plate 23, for example, a transparent acrylic resin can be used. A diffusion sheet 70 is bonded to the upper surface 26 of the light guide plate 23. The diffusion sheet 70 includes a prism (not shown) having a cross section on the upper surface thereof, and refracts light to be emitted in a direction deviating from the viewing angle to improve the front luminance of the light. Further, a reflection sheet 80 that reflects light inside the light guide plate 23 inward is bonded to the upper portion 28 a of the side surface 28 of the light guide plate 23 and the lower surface 29 of the light guide plate 23. The reflection sheet 80 has fine foam holes (not shown) inside, reflects the light inside the light guide plate 23 inward by the foam holes, and guides the light to the tip of the light guide plate 23.

  The light emitted from the pointer light source 14 is reflected by the light receiving unit 24 installed at the end of the light guide plate 23 on the rotating shaft 11 side, and is guided in the substantially axial direction toward the tip of the light guide plate 23. (See FIG. 2). The light receiving unit 24 is covered with a cover 25 made of a light-shielding resin, and the cover 25 suppresses light from leaking outside the pointer 20. The light incident on the inside of the light guide plate 23 from the light receiving unit 24 travels in the direction of the tip of the light guide plate 23 while being reflected to the inside of the light guide plate 23 by the reflection sheet 80. Part of this light is emitted from the lower portion 28 b of the side surface 28 of the light guide plate 23 and irradiates the surrounding electronic paper 22. As described above, the vehicle pointer instrument of this embodiment irradiates the pointer-shaped electronic paper 22 with light, so that the user can visually recognize the display color and position of the electronic paper 22 even when the periphery of the vehicle pointer instrument is dark. it can. The remaining portion of the light is emitted from the upper surface 26 of the light guide plate 23 so that the user can visually recognize the position of the pointer 20 even when the periphery of the pointer instrument for the vehicle is dark. When the periphery of the vehicle pointer instrument is bright, the user can visually recognize the color and position of the pointer 20 by sunlight, so that it is not necessary to use light from the pointer light source 14.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the vehicular pointer instrument and peripheral devices.

  The pointer instrument for a vehicle has a resistance value proportional to the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 11, the electric motor 30 that rotates the rotation shaft 11 via a gear mechanism (not shown), and the rotation shaft 11. It has a rotation angle sensor 31 made of a semiconductor element that changes and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the rotation angle, an electronic paper 22, and a pointer instrument ECU 40. The details of the pointer instrument ECU 40 will be described later.

  As a characteristic configuration, the pointer instrument ECU 40 has a pointer position determination unit 41 that determines whether or not the position of the pointer 20 with respect to the scale plate 10 is a predetermined value position, and a display color change unit 42 that changes the display color of the electronic paper 22. And the display color changing unit 42 changes the display color of the electronic paper 22 when the pointer position determining unit 41 determines that the position of the pointer 20 is a predetermined position. For the pointer instrument ECU 40, for example, a microcomputer is used.

  Based on the electrical signal from the rotation angle sensor 31, the pointer position determination means 41 is based on the position of the first scale shown in FIG. The rotation angle α (see FIG. 1) is calculated. The pointer position determination means 41 determines that the position of the pointer 20 is a predetermined position when the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 rises to a predetermined value αa or more, and when the rotation angle of the pointer 20 decreases below a predetermined value. In addition, it is determined that the position of the pointer 20 is not a predetermined position.

  The display color changing unit 42 changes the display color of the electronic paper 22 by controlling the voltage applied to the upper and lower transparent electrodes of the electronic paper 22.

  The pointer instrument ECU 40 determines that the position of the pointer 20 is a predetermined position when the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 rises to a predetermined value αa or more, and applies a voltage to the upper and lower transparent electrodes of the electronic paper 22. Change the display color from white to red. After the display color of the electronic paper 22 is changed from white to red, the pointer meter ECU 40 releases the voltage applied to the transparent electrode until the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 decreases below a predetermined value αa. Also, the pointer instrument ECU 40 determines that the position of the pointer 20 is not the predetermined position when the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 falls below the predetermined value αa, and applies the voltage to the upper and lower transparent electrodes of the electronic paper 22. Apply reverse voltage and change display color from red to white. After changing the display color of the electronic paper 22 from red to white, the pointer instrument ECU 40 releases the voltage applied to the transparent electrode until the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 rises again to a predetermined value αa or more. The predetermined value αa can be stored in advance in the pointer meter ECU 40 and read and used as necessary.

  In addition, as a peripheral device, the vehicle indicator instrument receives a headlight switch 50 that controls on / off of the headlight 51 of the vehicle, and receives an amount of light around the vehicle and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of light. A light sensor 60 composed of a photoelectric conversion element is connected. The headlight switch 50 and the light sensor 60 are used when the headlight switch 50 is turned on or when the light sensor 60 detects a decrease in the amount of light around the vehicle (hereinafter, the light sensor 60 is turned on). In this case, the pointer light source 14 and the dial light source 16 are connected to a pointer instrument ECU 40 that is turned on by wire or wirelessly.

  Here, an example of processing executed by the pointer instrument ECU 40 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The pointer instrument ECU 40 checks whether or not the headlamp switch 50 is turned off in S11 of FIG. If the headlamp switch 50 is off in S11, the process proceeds to S13 to check whether the light sensor 60 is off. When the light sensor 60 is off, the ambient brightness is sufficient due to sunlight, so the process proceeds to S14.

  Further, when the headlight switch 50 is turned on in S11 or when the light sensor 60 is turned on in S13, the ambient light is not sufficient, so that the pointer light source 14 and the dial light source 16 are turned on in S12. Then, the process proceeds to S14. When the pointer light source 14 is turned on in S12, the light from the pointer light source 14 is introduced into the light guide plate 23, and the light emitted from the light guide plate 23 is irradiated on the upper surface of the electronic paper 22. Even when the brightness is not sufficient, the user can visually recognize the color and position of the pointer 20. In addition, when the scale plate light source 16 is turned on in S12, the light from the scale plate light source 16 is applied to the scale 10a and the numerical value 10b. The number 10b can be visually recognized.

  Subsequently, in S14, it is checked whether or not the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 has increased to a predetermined value αa or more. When the rotation angle α is less than the predetermined value αa in S14, the process returns to S11, and the processes after S11 are repeated.

  When the rotation angle α is increased to a predetermined value αa or more in S14, the process proceeds to S15, and the display color of the electronic paper 22 is changed from white to red. As a result, the user can recognize that the physical quantity (for example, the engine speed) indicated by the vehicular pointer instrument has increased to a predetermined value αa or higher without reading the scale 10 a indicated by the pointer 20.

  Subsequently, in S16, it is checked whether or not the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 has returned below a predetermined value αa. If the rotation angle α does not return to less than the predetermined value αa in S16, the process returns to S15 and the display color of the electronic paper 22 is kept red.

  If the rotation angle α returns to less than the predetermined value αa in S16, the process proceeds to S17. In S17, the display color of the electronic paper 22 is changed from red to white, and the current process is terminated. As a result, the user can recognize that the physical quantity (for example, the engine speed) indicated by the vehicle pointer instrument has returned to less than the predetermined value αa without reading the scale 10 a indicated by the pointer 20.

  Thus, the vehicle pointer instrument of the present embodiment changes the display color of the electronic paper 22 in accordance with the rotation angle α of the pointer 20, and thus differs from the vehicle pointer instrument of the above-described conventional configuration. The color of the pointer 20 can be changed without necessity, and power consumption can be reduced.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  For example, the vehicular pointer instrument of the present embodiment changes the display color of the electronic paper 22 in accordance with the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 11. For example, the light sensor 51 detects a decrease in the amount of light around the vehicle. Sometimes, the display color of the electronic paper 22 may be changed according to a physical quantity that is not interlocked with the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 11, such as changing the display color of the electronic paper 22. With this configuration, the user can obtain two types of information from one pointer meter. Alternatively, the setting may be such that the user can select the display color target of the pointer 20.

  Further, although the pointer position determination means 41 of the present embodiment is set to store the predetermined value αa as a reference for position determination in the pointer instrument ECU 40 in advance, it may be set so that the user can input and change the predetermined value αa.

  Moreover, although the electronic paper 22 of the present embodiment is displayed in two colors, white and red, the display color of the electronic paper 22 may be sequentially changed according to the rotation angle α of the pointer 20 with full color display.

It is the top view which showed the structure of one Example of the pointer instrument for vehicles which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing of the pointer instrument for vehicles seen from arrow AA of FIG. It is the block diagram which showed an example of the structure of the pointer | guide 20 of a present Example. It is the block diagram which showed typically an example of the structure of the pointer instrument for vehicles, and a peripheral device. It is the flowchart shown about an example of the process which pointer instrument ECU40 performs.

Explanation of symbols

10 Scale board 20 Pointer 22 Electronic paper 23 Light guide plate 40 Pointer meter ECU
41 Pointer position determining means 42 Display color changing means

Claims (3)

In the pointer instrument that indicates the scale with the pointer that can move on the scale board,
The pointer instrument comprises a pointer-shaped electronic paper capable of displaying a plurality of colors. Pointer position determination means for determining whether or not the position of the pointer is a predetermined position;
Display color changing means for changing the display color of the electronic paper,
2. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein when the position of the pointer is determined to be a predetermined position by the pointer position determination unit, the display color of the electronic paper is changed.   The pointer instrument according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pointer-shaped light guide plate that is installed on the electronic paper and guides light from a light source to irradiate the electronic paper.

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