JP2009128674A - Electronic equipment emitting light in specific shape on case surface - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electronic equipment which can be easily, inexpensively, and simply mass-produced while having a case surface with a neat and beautiful design, and emitting clear and beautiful light on the case surface in a specific shape. <P>SOLUTION: This electronic equipment includes:a case 1 having a translucent part 3 at least a part of which is translucent; and a light emitting diode 2 arranged inside the translucent part 3 of the case 1, and irradiating the translucent part 3 of the case 1 with light to be transmitted to the outside. The light emitting diode 2 emits light in a specific shape on an outer surface of the translucent part 3 of the case 1, to show lighting of the light emitting diode 2. The case 1 is formed of a translucent plastic, and is projected inward of the translucent part 3 to form integrally a specific-shape cylindrical rib 4. The light emitting diode 2 is arranged in a light irradiation position in the cylindrical rib 4. In the electronic equipment, the light emitting diode 2 emits the light inward of the cylindrical rib 4, the outer surface of the case 1 is irradiated with the light emitted in the specific shape, thereby emitting the light in the specific shape on the case surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus that emits light to a specific shape of a case surface with a pilot lamp made of a light emitting diode.

The electronic device lights a pilot lamp and displays various states. For example, in the case of power on / off and a battery pack, the remaining capacity of the battery is displayed with the pilot lamps lit. For the light source of the pilot lamp, a light emitting diode having a long life and low power consumption is used. There has been developed an electronic device in which a light emitting diode is built in a case and the light of the light emitting diode is irradiated to the outside through a through hole of the case. (See Patent Document 1)
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-186717

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure in which the electronic device of Patent Document 1 irradiates light from a light-emitting diode to the outside. The electronic device of this figure is provided with a through hole 93 in the case 91 and a cylindrical rib 94 that is connected to the through hole 93 and protrudes into the case 91. The cylindrical rib 94 reflects light on the inner surface and irradiates the outside from the through hole 93. A translucent sheet 95 is provided on the surface of the case 91 so as to close the opening of the through hole 93. This electronic device irradiates the inside of the cylindrical rib 94 with the light of the light emitting diode 92, reflects this light on the inner surface of the cylindrical rib 94, passes through the translucent sheet 95 from the through-hole 93, and goes outside. Irradiate. Therefore, this electronic device can irradiate the shape of the through hole 93 with light. In this structure, since the through hole 93 is provided in the case 91, the portion to be irradiated with light is flush with the periphery thereof, the case surface is flattened, and a clean and beautiful display shape cannot be obtained. In the case where the light irradiation surface is the same surface as its surroundings, the light emitting portion and its surroundings are not distinguished in a state in which the light emitting diode is turned off, and a clean and beautiful display design can be achieved. In the case where the light emitting part and the periphery can be flush with each other, the light emitting diode can be turned on and a specific part of the case itself can emit light in a specific shape, so that the lighting of the light emitting diode can be clearly displayed and beautifully displayed. In addition, there is a boundary between the case 91 and the translucent sheet 95, and even in the translucent sheet 95, there is a boundary between the light emitting part and the part that does not emit light, and the display cannot be clearly and beautifully designed. In particular, even when the light emitting diode is turned off, there is a drawback that a step or boundary is formed between the translucent sheet and the case, so that the case surface cannot be refreshed and beautifully designed.

  Further, the case 91 of FIG. 1 has a drawback that the case is opened through the through-hole when the translucent sheet is peeled off because the opening of the through-hole 93 is closed with the translucent sheet 95. For example, in an electronic device having a waterproof structure, the case cannot be reliably waterproofed for a long period of time. Further, the case 91 of FIG. 1 has a disadvantage that it takes time for manufacturing and increases the manufacturing cost because the translucent sheet 95 is bonded so as to close the opening of the through hole 93 in the manufacturing process.

  The present invention has been developed for the purpose of solving such drawbacks. An important object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can be easily and easily mass-produced at low cost, has a clean and beautifully designed case surface, and can clearly and clearly emit light in a specific shape. There is to do.

In order to achieve the above-described object, an electronic device that emits light on a case surface according to the present invention has a specific configuration.
The electronic device includes an electronic component and a case 1 having a translucent part 3 having at least a part of translucency and an inner side of the translucent part 3 of the case 1. A light-emitting diode 2 that irradiates light to the light portion 3 and transmits the light to the outside, and the light-emitting diode 2 emits light in a specific shape on the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 3 of the case 1 and emits light with this specific shape of light emission The lighting of the diode 2 is displayed. The case 1 is formed of light-transmitting plastic, and protrudes from the inner surface of the light-transmitting portion 3 and is integrally formed with a cylindrical rib 4 having a specific shape. The light emitting diode 2 is disposed at a position where light is irradiated inside the cylindrical rib 4. In the electronic device, the light emitting diode 2 irradiates the inside of the cylindrical rib 4, and the irradiated light causes the outer surface of the case 1 to emit light in a specific shape, thereby causing the case surface to emit light in a specific shape.

  In the electronic device for emitting light in a specific shape on the case surface according to claim 2 of the present invention, the light shielding tube 12 is coated on the outer surface of the cylindrical rib 4 or the light shielding paint 13 is applied on the surface.

  In the electronic device that emits light to the specific shape of the case surface according to the third aspect of the present invention, the specific shape is any one of a heart shape, a star shape, an ellipse shape, a polygon shape, a character, and a figure.

  The electronic device that emits light in the specific shape of the case surface according to claim 4 of the present invention is formed on the concave and convex surface 11 on the inner surface of the case 1 and inside the cylindrical rib 4.

  In the electronic device that emits light in the specific shape of the case surface according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the outer surface of the case 1 has the same area as the region emitting light in the specific shape.

  In the electronic device that emits light to the specific shape of the case surface according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the entire case including the translucent portion 3 is formed of the same plastic.

  The electronic device according to the present invention is characterized in that it can be mass-produced easily and easily at low cost, and the case surface can be clearly and beautifully lighted in a specific shape while the case surface is clearly and beautifully designed. In the electronic device of the present invention, a case is formed of a light-transmitting plastic to provide a light-transmitting portion, and a cylindrical rib having a specific shape is integrated with the case so as to protrude from the inner surface of the light-transmitting portion. The light emitting diode is arranged so as to irradiate light inside the cylindrical rib, the light emitting diode irradiates light inside the cylindrical rib, and the irradiated light is transmitted through the case. This is because the case surface is caused to emit light in a specific shape by being transmitted through the portion.

  Particularly, in the electronic device according to claim 2 of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the outer surface of the cylindrical rib is covered with a light shielding tube, or the surface is covered with a light shielding paint. The electronic device having this structure does not transmit the light of the light emitting diode irradiated on the inner surface of the cylindrical rib to the outside of the cylindrical rib. For this reason, the case outer surface can emit light clearly in a specific shape. This is because the light emitted from the light emitting diode to the inner surface of the cylindrical rib does not leak to the outside of the cylindrical rib and is transmitted only from the inside of the cylindrical rib to the outside of the case. For this reason, the electronic device with this structure can emit light clearly and clearly on the outside of the case when the light emitting diode is turned on while the light emitting area is not conspicuous when the light emitting diode is turned off. There are features.

  In addition to the configuration of claim 1, the electronic device according to claim 3 of the present invention has a specific shape of any one of a heart shape, a star shape, an ellipse shape, a polygon, a character and a figure. The shape clearly emits light, making it a beautiful decoration in the light emission state.

  Furthermore, the electronic device according to claim 4 of the present invention has an uneven surface on the inner surface of the case and on the inner side of the cylindrical rib in addition to the structure of claim 1. The electronic device having this structure is characterized in that the light emitting diode of the point light source is not conspicuous when viewed from the outside of the case, and the region having a specific shape can be uniformly emitted. This is because the light emitted from the light-emitting diode of the point light source is diffusely reflected on the inner surface of the case inside the cylindrical rib and uniformly irradiated to the outside.

  Further, in the electronic device according to claim 5 of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the outer surface of the case has the same surface as the region emitting light in a specific shape and the periphery thereof, so that the case has a simple structure. The mold can be molded with a mold and the case surface can be neatly beautifully designed. In particular, the electronic device according to claim 6 of the present invention is characterized in that it can be mass-produced at low cost because the entire case including the translucent part is formed of the same plastic.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the examples shown below exemplify electronic devices that emit light in a specific shape on the case surface for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify electronic devices as follows. .

  Further, in this specification, for easy understanding of the scope of claims, numbers corresponding to the members shown in the embodiments are indicated in the “claims” and “means for solving problems” sections. It is added to the members. However, the members shown in the claims are not limited to the members in the embodiments.

  The electronic device shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 is a squirrel furnace that heats the heater 6 with a battery 5. However, the present invention does not specify an electronic device as a hood. The present invention can be any electronic device that emits light to a specific shape on the case surface with a pilot lamp.

  The electronic device shown in FIG. 1 includes a case 1 having a circuit board 7 on which electronic components are mounted and at least a portion having a translucent part 3 having translucency, and a case 1 fixed to the circuit board 7. The light-emitting diode 2 is provided inside the one light-transmitting portion 3, and the light-emitting diode 2 emits light to the light-transmitting portion 3 of the case 1 to cause the outer surface of the case 1 to emit light in a specific shape. The electronic device which is a squirrel shown in the figure includes a heater 6 which is a heating element, a rechargeable battery 5 which is energized to the heater 6, and a control circuit which is mounted on a circuit board 7 and controls the power supplied to the heater 6 (see FIG. Implement (not shown).

  Case 1 has an overall planar shape as a heart shape and a cross-sectional shape as a thin elliptical shape. Case 1 is made of plastic. The case 1 includes a plastic first case 1A and a second case 1B in which a battery 5 is built. The first case 1A is formed of a light-transmitting plastic. The second case 1B is molded from plastic that does not transmit light. The first case 1 </ b> A emits the light of the built-in light emitting diode 2 to the outside in a specific shape, and the second case 1 </ b> B has a heat radiating plate 8 heated by the heater 6 fixed thereto.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the first case 1 </ b> A protrudes from the inner surface of the light-transmitting portion 3 that transmits the light of the light-emitting diode 2 to the outside and integrally forms the cylindrical rib 4 having a specific shape. Provided. The cylindrical rib 4 in the figure is a heart-shaped cylinder, and a specific shape for emitting light on the case surface is a heart shape. In the illustrated furnace, the entire outer shape is a heart shape, and the specific shape to be emitted by the light emitting diode 2 is also a heart shape. In this electronic device, both the outer shape and the specific shape that emits light have a heart shape, and both have a preferable design with a good balance. However, the electronic device of the present invention does not specify the specific shape for emitting light from the case surface as a heart shape. Although the specific shape to be emitted by the light emitting diode is not shown, it can emit light in various shapes such as a star shape, an ellipse shape, a polygonal shape, a character, a figure and the like. Since the cylindrical rib 4 causes the outer surface of the case 1 to emit light in a specific shape, the shape of the cylindrical rib 4 is formed into a cylindrical shape having a specific shape that causes the case surface to emit light.

  The cylindrical rib 4 has the light emitting diode 2 disposed inside. The light emitting diode 2 is fixed to the circuit board 7 and disposed at a position where light is irradiated to the inside of the cylindrical rib 4. The cylindrical rib 4 is formed in such a length that it contacts the surface of the circuit board 7 or approaches with a narrow gap of 1 mm or less. This is because the light from the light emitting diode 2 is efficiently irradiated to the inside of the cylindrical rib 4. The first case 1A, in which the cylindrical rib 4 is integrally formed of translucent plastic, has a colored paint 9 applied to the inner surface to color the appearance color of the case 1 beautifully. The first case 1A is colored pink, for example, with a colored paint 9. However, the colored paint can color the case in a color other than pink.

  The colored paint 9 is applied to the entire inner surface including the light emitting region 10 that emits light in a specific shape by the light emitting diode 2 inside the cylindrical rib 4 and beautifully colors the first case 1A. In the first case 1 </ b> A, the portion emitted by the light emitting diode 2 is also colored in the same color, so that the light emitting region 10 can have the same appearance color with the light emitting diode 2 turned off. However, it is also possible to emit light more brightly in the light emitting region without coloring the light emitting region 10 inside the cylindrical rib 4 with the colored paint 9 lighter than other portions, or without coloring the light emitting region with the colored paint. . When such a colored paint 9 is applied, if the openings of the cylindrical ribs 4 are sealed or masked and applied by a method such as spray coating, the paint is applied as the colored paint 9 on the inner surface of the first case 1A. In addition, a paint is applied as a light-shielding paint 13 on the outer surface of the cylindrical rib 4 to be described later. As described above, the cylindrical rib 4 also has a masking function so that the paint is not applied to the light emitting region 10 when painting. As described above, the first case 1A whose inner surface is colored with the colored paint 9 makes the emission color of the light emitting diode 2 a preferable emission color as compared with the case formed by mixing a pigment or a dye with plastic. Can be adjusted. In other words, by using a case with a more translucent or lighter color case, or by reducing the case pigment as much as possible, the light color of the light-emitting diode can be changed without affecting the light color of the light-emitting diode. It can be discharged outside the case. Specifically, when the case is pink, light from the red light-emitting diode passes, but yellow-green light is attenuated, and yellow, green, orange, etc. cannot be distinguished. Therefore, it is possible to display clearly by changing the color of the translucent or lighter case so that the light emission color of the light-emitting diode is less affected, and then performing the coloring process with the paint described above. To. However, in the present invention, the first case can be colored and molded in a state of being translucent by mixing a pigment or a dye with the plastic for molding the case.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first case 1 </ b> A can lighten the light emitting region 10 brightly by forming the light emitting region 10 of the case 1 inside the cylindrical rib 4 to be thinner than its surroundings. In the first case 1A, the surface of the light emitting region 10 is flush with the periphery thereof, the inner surface of the light emitting region 10 is formed into a recess, and the light emitting region 10 is formed thin. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the first case 1 </ b> A can emit light in a specific shape by setting the light emitting region 10 to the same thickness as the surroundings. In the first case 1A, both the front and back surfaces of the light emitting region 10 are formed on the same surface as the periphery thereof.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first case 1 </ b> A has the inner surface of the light emitting region 10 inside the cylindrical rib 4 formed in a concavo-convex shape (texture processing). The light emitting region 10 emits light uniformly when irradiated to the light emitting diode 2. This is because the light of the light emitting diode 2 is diffusely reflected by the uneven surface 11. For this reason, there is a feature that the light emission of the light emitting diode 2 cannot be seen as a point light source from the outside while the light emitting region 10 emits light in a specific shape brightly. However, the inner surface of the light emitting region of the first case can be formed into a smooth surface. The light emitting region of the smooth surface can be made an uneven surface with a colored paint on the inner surface.

  In the first case 1 </ b> A of FIGS. 4 to 6, the outer surface of the cylindrical rib 4 is covered with a light shielding tube 12. In this case 1, the light emitting region 10 can emit light clearly with a specific shape. In other words, the outer shape of the light emitting region 10 can be clarified, and the difference in light emission luminance between the light emitting region 10 and its surroundings can be increased. For this reason, a heart shape or the like can be displayed clearly and clearly. The light shielding tube 12 is a flexible tube colored in a dark color such as black, and is attached and fixed to the outside of the cylindrical rib 4. As such a light shielding tube 12, a heat shrinkable tube (material PV) can be used, and the light shielding tube 12 can be disposed on the cylindrical rib 4 by heating after inserting the tube material into the cylindrical rib 4. . As described above, such a light-shielding tube 12 is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical rib 4 when the colored paint 9 is applied by spray coating or the like, particularly on the bottom side (the upper side in FIGS. 6 and 7). ) Since the paint tends to be thin in the vicinity, by providing such a light-shielding tube 12, light is prevented from passing through the cylindrical rib 4 and the shape of the light emitting region 10 being blurred. As shown in FIG. 7, the cylindrical rib 4 can also apply a light-shielding paint 13 on the inner surface or the outer surface to cause the light emitting region 10 to emit light in a clear specific shape. The light shielding paint 13 is a dark paint such as black. Preferably, the cylindrical rib 4 is coated with a coating material 14 having a high light reflectance of the light-emitting diode 2 on the inner surface thereof, that is, white or a light-emitting diode light-emitting diode, and a light-shielding coating material 13 that does not transmit light on the outer surface. Apply. The cylindrical rib 4 reflects the light of the light emitting diode 2 on the inner surface to brighten the light emitting area 10 while preventing light from leaking to the outside of the cylindrical rib 4 so that the light emitting area 10 has a clear specific shape. Can emit light. The cylindrical rib 4 on which the light-shielding tube 12 is attached can also apply a coating 14 having a high reflectance on the inner surface to emit light brightly in the light emitting region 10.

  The light emitting diode 2 is fixed to the circuit board 7 and disposed inside the cylindrical rib 4. By using the light emitting diode 2 that can change the emission color, the emission color emitted in a specific shape can be changed. Further, with a lighting circuit (not shown) mounted on the circuit board 7, the light emission color of the light emitting region 10 can be controlled by changing or flashing the light emission color of the light emitting diode 2 over time. . The light emitting diode 2 shown in the figure is of a chip type and irradiates light toward the inner surface of the cylindrical rib 4. The light irradiated inside the cylindrical rib 4 is reflected by the inner surface of the cylindrical rib 4 and irradiates the light emitting region 10 of the first case 1A. Since the cylindrical rib 4 is formed into a cylindrical shape having a specific shape, the light emitting region 10 has a specific shape that is the shape of the cylindrical rib 4 and causes the light emitting region 10 having the specific shape to emit light. For example, the light-emitting diode 2 is a chip type and includes two chips that emit red and green light, and emits orange light when red and green light are emitted simultaneously. In this electronic device, the light emitting diode 2 emits red light when the squirrel is heated strongly and emits light, and the light emitting diode emits orange light when heated weakly. Further, when the battery 5 is charged, the light is emitted in green.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the case 1 is formed in a size that incorporates a battery 5, a circuit board 7 on which the electronic components of the control circuit and the light emitting diode 2 are mounted. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the first case 1A is integrally formed with a connecting boss 16 for screwing a set screw 15 that penetrates the second case 1B and connects it to the first case 1A. . The connecting bosses 16 are provided so as to be positioned at the four corners of the case 1.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the second case 1 </ b> B is provided with an opening for guiding the PTC of the heater 6, and the heat radiating plate 8 is fixed to the surface. The heat radiating plate 8 is fixed to the surface of the second case 1B, closes the opening, and thermally couples the PTC of the heater 6 to the inner surface. The heater 6 made of planar PTC that is thermally coupled to the inner surface of the heat radiating plate 8 heats the heat radiating plate 8 directly to a predetermined temperature. When the heater 6 which is a PTC is energized and the temperature rises to a set temperature, the electrical resistance increases rapidly and the current is substantially cut off. Therefore, the planar PTC heater has a function of controlling the temperature below the set temperature by itself, and the maximum temperature can be made lower than the set temperature without using a control circuit for controlling the temperature. However, the planar PTC heater can also control the temperature by controlling the current to be applied. The planar PTC heater has silver-plated electrodes formed on both surfaces thereof, and power is supplied by contacting the surfaces of the planar PTC heater while the metal plates 17 and 18 are pressed. Although detailed explanation is omitted, the metal plates 17 and 18 are formed by extending bent pieces so as to penetrate the circuit board 7, and these bent pieces are electrically connected to the circuit board 7. The heat radiating plate 8 is made of a metal plate having excellent heat conductivity such as aluminum or copper.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure where the conventional electronic device irradiates the light of a light emitting diode outside. It is a perspective view of the electronic device concerning one Example of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the electronic device shown in FIG. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the electronic device shown in FIG. 3 from the lower side. It is sectional drawing of the electronic device shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the electronic device shown in FIG. 5. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the electronic device concerning the other Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... case 1A ... first case
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1B ... 2nd case 2 ... Light emitting diode 3 ... Translucent part 4 ... Cylindrical rib 5 ... Battery 6 ... Heater 7 ... Circuit board 8 ... Radiation plate 9 ... Colored paint 10 ... Light emission area 11 ... Irregular surface 12 ... Light-shielding tube 13 ... Shading paint 14 ... Paint 15 ... Set screw 16 ... Connection boss 17 ... Metal plate 18 ... Metal plate 91 ... Case 92 ... Light emitting diode 93 ... Through hole 94 ... Cylindrical rib 95 ... Translucent sheet

Claims (6)

A case (1) having a translucent part (3) having a built-in electronic component and at least a part being translucent, and disposed inside the translucent part (3) of this case (1), A light emitting diode (2) that irradiates light to the light transmitting portion (3) of the case (1) and transmits it to the outside, and
The light emitting diode (2) emits light on the outer surface of the translucent part (3) of the case (1) in a specific shape, and the light emission of the light emitting diode (2) is displayed by the light emission of the specific shape. Equipment,
The case (1) is formed of a light-transmitting plastic, protrudes from the inner surface of the light-transmitting portion (3), and is integrally formed with a cylindrical rib (4) having a specific shape. (2) is arranged at a position to irradiate light inside the cylindrical rib (4), the light emitting diode (2) irradiates the inside of the cylindrical rib (4), and the irradiated light is the case. (1) An electronic device that emits light in a specific shape on a case surface that is made to emit light in a specific shape on the outer surface.   The electronic device that emits light to a specific shape of the case surface according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the cylindrical rib (4) is covered with a light shielding tube (12), or the surface is coated with a light shielding paint (13). .   The electronic device that causes the case surface to emit light in a specific shape, wherein the specific shape is any one of a heart shape, a star shape, an oval shape, a polygonal shape, a character, and a figure.   The electronic device for emitting light in a specific shape on the case surface according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the case (1) and the inside of the cylindrical rib (4) is formed into an uneven surface (11).   2. The electronic device for causing a case surface to emit light in a specific shape, wherein the outer surface of the case (1) has a region that emits light in a specific shape and the periphery thereof.   The electronic device that causes the case surface to emit light in a specific shape, wherein the entire case (1) including the translucent portion (3) is formed of the same plastic.

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