JP2009058458A - Dial - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dial which is aimed at enhancement in feeling a metal tone, while being capable of carrying out a visual inspection of a predetermined design in a metal tone dial when a light source is turned on, it can be made not to carry out the visual inspection of the predetermined design when the light source is turned off. <P>SOLUTION: In the dial, the metal tone is achieved with a half mirror layer 62 formed with a black printing layer 63 from which a part corresponding to a warning design 21 at the back side is removed. When turning off a light of a warning display LED 17, an external light LL1 which is incident from a front side is reflected by the half mirror layer 62, therefore, the warning design 21 can not be visible. When the warning display LED 17 is turned on, the light LL2 from the warning display LED 17 is incident on the back side of the half mirror layer 62 through the part which is removed the black printing layer 63. Accordingly, the warning design 21 can be visible according to the light penetrates the half mirror layer 62 and goes to the front. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dial, and more particularly, to a dial that displays a predetermined design and has a light source disposed on the back side.

  As the dial described above, for example, the one shown in FIG. 5 is known (Patent Documents 1 to 4). As shown in the figure, a light source is disposed on the back side of the dial 6a. As shown in FIG. 5A, a scale / character 9a, a warning design 21 (= predetermined design), and the like are displayed on the dial 6a. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the dial 6 a is composed of a transparent substrate 61, a smoke print layer 66, a black print layer 63, and a hard coat layer 67.

  The smoke print layer 66 is a layer formed of dark-colored light transmissive ink, and is provided on the front side of the transparent substrate 61. The black print layer 63 is a layer formed of black light-shielding ink, and is provided on the front side of the smoke print layer 66. The black print layer 63 is provided by removing a portion corresponding to the above-described warning design 21. The hard coat layer 67 is provided on the front side of the smoke print layer 66 and the black print layer 63 and protects the smoke print layer 66 and the black print layer 63.

  As described above, the transmittance is lowered by the smoke printed layer 66, so that the display area of the warning design 21 is visually recognized in a dark color system when the light source is turned off. On the other hand, when the light source is turned on, the warning design 21 appears to protrude from the dark part.

  As described above, when the background of the dial is dark, the warning design 21 can be hidden when the light source is turned off. By the way, recently, a dial with a metallic background has been proposed in order to give a high-class feeling. As shown in FIG. 6, the metallic tone dial plate includes a transparent substrate 61, a mirror printing layer 68, and a hairline printing layer 65. The mirror print layer 68 is a layer formed of metallic ink. The hairline printed layer 65 is a layer in which a hairline pattern is formed by smoke ink.

  There has also been a demand for displaying the warning design 21 on the above-described metallic tone dial plate only when the light source is turned on. However, there is a problem that the warning design 21 cannot be displayed only when the smoke printed layer 66 and the black printed layer 63 are simply applied to the metallic dial. FIG. 6A shows a case where a smoke print layer 66 and a black print layer 63 are provided on the back side of the mirror print layer 68.

In such a configuration, since the light from the light source is blocked by the mirror printing layer 68, the warning design 21 cannot be visually recognized even when the light source is turned on. FIG. 6B excludes the portion corresponding to the warning design 21 of the mirror print layer 68. In such a configuration, the warning design 21 is visually recognized even when the light source is turned off.
JP-A-2005-345126 JP 2000-222102 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-287982 JP 2006-23272 A

  Therefore, the present invention pays attention to the above-mentioned problems and makes it possible to visually recognize the predetermined design when the light source is turned on in the metal-tone dial and to prevent the predetermined design from being visually recognized when the light source is turned off. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dial.

  The invention according to claim 1, which has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, is a dial that displays a predetermined design and has a light source disposed on the back side, and reflects light incident from the front and light incident from the back. The dial has a transmitting half-mirror layer and a light-shielding layer provided on the back side of the half-mirror layer from which a portion corresponding to the predetermined design is removed.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a metal dial can be realized by the half mirror layer. Moreover, since the half mirror layer reflects external light incident from the front side when the light source is turned off, the predetermined design cannot be visually recognized, and when the light source is turned on, the light from the light source is removed from the portion where the light shielding layer is removed. Since the light is incident on the rear surface and then passes through the half mirror layer and travels toward the front, the predetermined design can be visually recognized. Therefore, it is possible to make the predetermined design visually visible when the light source is turned on in the metal-tone dial and to make the predetermined design invisible when the light source is turned off.

  Invention of Claim 2 has a transparent substrate provided in the front side of the said half mirror layer, and a translucent colored layer and / or hairline layer provided in the front side of this transparent substrate. It exists in the dial of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to invention of Claim 2, a transparent substrate is provided in the front side of a half mirror layer, and a translucent colored layer and / or a hairline layer are provided in the front side of a transparent substrate, Therefore It is possible to provide further coloring or a hairline on the metal dial that allows the predetermined design to be visually recognized when the light source is turned on and that prevents the predetermined design from being visually recognized when the light source is turned off.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, in the metal dial, the predetermined design can be visually recognized when the light source is turned on and the predetermined design cannot be visually recognized when the light source is turned off, thereby improving the metal feeling. Can be achieved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further color or provide a hairline on the metal dial that makes it possible to visually recognize the predetermined design when the light source is turned on and prevent the predetermined design from being visually recognized when the light source is turned off. Therefore, the metallic feeling can be further improved.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. A dial according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in a vehicle combination meter 1 as an instrument device shown in FIG.

  The vehicle combination meter 1 is a device that is mounted on a moving body such as an automobile and displays the state of the moving body to passengers of the moving body. As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle combination meter 1 includes a case 31 as an instrument case, a display instrument 4, a flip plate 10, a transparent cover 11, and a back cover 35.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the case 31 is provided with pointer openings 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d to which the base end portions of pointers 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, which will be described later, are inserted and attached. Openings 33 are respectively formed. The plurality of illumination openings 33 are dial illumination as light sources for illuminating each of scales / characters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d as display portions of each dial plate 6 to be described later and the warning design 21 (FIG. 2). LED and warning display LED 17 are arranged.

  The back cover 35 is formed in a case shape opened to the case 31 side. Then, the case 31 is assembled to the outer edge of the back cover 35.

  In the case 31, there are movements 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d as instrument units to be described later, dial illumination LEDs as light sources for scales / characters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, and light sources for warning design 21 A warning display LED 17 (see FIG. 3), a pointer illumination LED (not shown) as a light source for the pointers 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d are accommodated. The case 31 further accommodates a printed circuit board 13 that is electrically connected to the movements 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, the warning display LED 17, the dial plate illumination LED, the pointer illumination LED, and the like. The printed circuit board 13 is provided between the case 31 and the back cover 35, and is mounted with electronic components such as a microcomputer for controlling operations of the movements 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the display instrument 4 includes a tachometer 4a for displaying the engine speed, a speedometer 4b for displaying the speed of the vehicle, a temperature gauge 4c for displaying the temperature of the engine coolant, and a fuel. And a fuel gauge 4d for displaying the remaining amount.

  The tachometer 4a, the speedometer 4b, the temperature gauge 4c, and the fuel gauge 4d are respectively provided with movements 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d as indicator units, hands 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, and a dial 6 of the instrument device. The engine speed display scale / character 9a, the speedometer scale / character 9b, the coolant temperature display scale / character 6c, the fuel remaining amount display scale / character 6d, and the like.

  The movements 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d are connected to an unillustrated engine speed measurement means, vehicle speed measurement means, cooling water temperature measurement means, fuel remaining amount measurement means, and the like mounted on the vehicle. The movements 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d include output shafts 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d that rotate according to the measurement amounts measured by these measurement units.

  The pointers 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d are formed of a light guide material having translucency such as acrylic resin. The pointers 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d have the same configuration, so that the pointer 2a for the tachometer 4a will be described below as a representative. The pointer 2a includes a base end portion serving as a central axis, and an instruction portion for indicating the scale / character 9a extending from the base end portion toward the outer peripheral direction. The base end portion is formed in a disc shape and includes a light receiving portion into which light from the pointer illumination LED is incident.

  The pointer 2a has a base end attached to the output shaft 8a of the movement 7a, and is attached in a state where the base end is located at the center of the engine speed display scale / character 9a. The pointer 2a rotates integrally with the output shaft 8a of the movement 7a. The pointer 2a is rotated by the movement 7a in accordance with the measurement amount measured by each measuring means, and displays the measurement amount in cooperation with the engine speed display scale / character 9a.

  The dial 6 of the instrument device is attached to the occupant side of the moving body of the attachment surface M of the case 31 described above. The detailed configuration of these dials 6 will be described later.

  With the above-described configuration, the tachometer 4a, the speedometer 4b, the temperature gauge 4c, and the fuel gauge 4d as the display instrument 4 are output shafts 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d, respectively, according to the measurement amounts measured by the measurement means described above. And the hands 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d are rotated. Then, the pointers 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d respectively indicate the scales / characters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d of the dials 6 to display the status of the moving body to the occupants of the moving body. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the facing plate 10 is disposed on the passenger side of the moving body of the dial 6, that is, on the front side, and is attached to the case 31. The facing plate 10 is formed with a tachometer exposure window 10a as an exposure window to be exposed to a passenger of a moving body of the dial 6, a speedometer exposure window 10b, and a fuel gauge / temperature gauge exposure window 10c. In addition, other than the display parts such as the tachometer 4a, the speedometer 4b, the temperature gauge 4c, and the fuel gauge 4d as the display instrument 4 are shielded against the occupant of the moving body.

  The transparent cover 11 is formed of a resin or the like that is formed in a plate shape and has transparency. The transparent cover 11 is disposed on the occupant side, that is, the front surface side of the moving body of the facing plate 10. The transparent cover 11 is provided with locking claws (not shown) protruding from the outer edge toward the case 31. The locking claw is received and locked in the locking receiving groove of the case 31.

  As described above, the transparent cover 11 covers the occupant side of the moving body of the case 31, that is, the front side when the locking claw is locked in the locking receiving groove of the case 31. The transparent cover 11 covers the dial 6 and the dial plate 10 and prevents dust and the like from entering the vehicle combination meter 1.

  FIG. 1 is a partial front view of the vicinity of the warning design 21 of the dial 6 when the warning display LED 17 is turned off. FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the vicinity of the warning design 21 of the dial 6 when the warning display LED 17 is turned on. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dial 6 shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the dial 6 is formed with engine speed display scales / characters 9a for displaying the vehicle speed as a display portion along an arc. The dial 6 is provided with an opening for the base end of the pointer 2a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the dial 6 includes a transparent substrate 61, a half mirror layer 62 provided on the back side of the transparent substrate 61 away from the occupant of the moving body, that is, the back surface of the half mirror layer 62. And a black print layer 63 (= light-shielding layer) provided on the side.

  The half mirror layer 62 reflects the external light LL1 incident from the front and transmits the light LL2 from the warning display LED 17 incident from the back. The half mirror layer 62 is formed by providing a very thin metal film by vapor deposition or the like. By forming the metal film thin, the metal film is made light transmissive, and when a certain amount of intense light enters from the back, the light passes through the front. The half mirror layer 62 is provided by removing the portion corresponding to the scale / character 9a described above.

  The black print layer 63 is a layer formed by printing black ink, and is provided by removing portions corresponding to the scale / character 9 a and the warning design 21.

  The dial 6 is provided on the front side of the dial display color layer 64 and the dial display color layer 64 (= colored layer) provided on the passenger side of the moving body of the transparent substrate 61, that is, the front side. And a hairline printing layer 65 (= hairline layer).

  The dial display color layer 64 is formed of a transmissive ink, and the light emitted from the dial illumination LED transmits therethrough and is visually recognized by a passenger of the moving body with a predetermined color. The hairline printed layer 65 is a layer in which a hairline pattern is formed with smoke ink in order to enhance a metallic feeling.

  The light path in the warning design portion 21 of the dial 6 having the above-described configuration will be described below. When the warning display LED 17 is turned off, the external light LL1 incident from the front side is reflected by the half mirror layer 62 (see FIG. 3). For this reason, the external light LL1 does not reach the warning design 21 provided on the back surface of the half mirror layer 62, and the warning design 21 is not visually recognized (see FIG. 1). Further, since the portion corresponding to the scale / character 9a is removed from the half mirror layer 62, the external light LL1 reaches the scale / character 9a and the scale / character 9a is visually recognized from the front (see FIG. 1).

  On the other hand, when the warning display LED 17 is turned on, the light LL2 from the warning display LED 17 is incident on the back surface of the half mirror layer 62 from the portion where the black print layer 63 is removed (the portion corresponding to the warning design 21), and thereafter The light passes through the half mirror layer 62 and reaches the eyes of the front passenger. For this reason, the warning design 21 is shining and visually recognized.

  According to the dial 6 described above, a metal-tone dial can be realized by the half mirror layer 62. Further, the metallic design can be used to make the warning design 21 visible when the warning display LED 17 is turned on and to prevent the warning design 21 from being visually recognized when the warning display LED 17 is turned off, thereby improving the metal feeling. .

  Further, according to the dial 6 described above, the transparent substrate 61 is provided on the front side of the half mirror layer 62, and the translucent dial display color layer 64 and the hairline print layer 65 are provided on the front side of the transparent substrate 61. Is provided on the metal dial so that the warning design 21 can be visually recognized when the warning display LED 17 is turned on and the warning design LED 17 cannot be visually recognized when the warning display LED 17 is turned off. In addition, the metallic feeling can be improved.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the black print layer 63 for printing black ink is provided as the light shielding layer, but the present invention is not limited to this. As a light shielding layer, as long as light can be blocked, the material and the forming method are not limited to those of this embodiment.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the dial display color layer 64 for printing translucent ink is provided as the colored layer, but the present invention is not limited to this. The colored layer is not limited to the present embodiment with respect to the material and the forming method as long as it is transparent and colored.

  Further, according to the embodiment described above, both the dial display color layer 64 and the hairline print layer 65 are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, either one of the dial display color layer 64 and the hairline print layer 65 may be provided, or both may not be provided.

  Further, the above-described embodiments are merely representative forms of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is a front view of the partial dial board near the warning design at the time of light extinction of LED for warning display. It is a front view of the partial dial board near the warning design at the time of lighting of LED for warning display. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dial shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the vehicle combination meter in which the dial concerning one Embodiment of this invention was integrated. (A) is a front view which shows an example of the conventional dial. (B) is the sectional view on the AA line of the dial plate shown to (A). It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional dial.

Explanation of symbols

6 Dial 17 LED for warning display (light source)
61 Transparent substrate 62 Half mirror layer 63 Black print layer (light shielding layer)
64 Dial display color layer (colored layer)
65 Hairline printing layer (hairline layer)

Claims (2)

In the dial displaying a predetermined design, the light source is arranged on the back side,
A half mirror layer that reflects light incident from the front and transmits light incident from the back;
A dial having a light shielding layer provided on a back side of the half mirror layer, from which a portion corresponding to the predetermined design is removed. A transparent substrate provided on the front side of the half mirror layer;
The dial according to claim 1, further comprising: a translucent colored layer and / or a hairline layer provided on the front side of the transparent substrate.

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