JP2009180623A - Indicating instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a position pointed by a luminous pointer clear in an indicating instrument, in which the luminous pointer is arranged behind a dial on which a semi-transmissive layer is formed. <P>SOLUTION: The indicating instrument 1 includes the dial 2 on which the semi-transmissive layer 24 having light transmissivity and light reflectivity is formed on the front of a light transmissive substrate 20 or back of the light transmissive substrate 20, a pointer 3 which is arranged behind the dial 2 and rotates along the back of the dial 2, and a light source 51 which allows light to enter the pointer 3 and allows the pointer 3 to be luminous. The semi-transmissive layer 24 is formed on an area which includes at least the rotation area on which the pointer 3 rotates on the dial 2, and a first opening 241 of the semi-transmissive layer 24 is formed on a part of the rotation area. The luminous pointer 3 thereby makes a position pointed thereby on a part of the rotation area clear. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pointer instrument provided with a dial on which a transflective layer having light transmittance and light reflectivity is formed.

  Conventionally, a pointer instrument provided with a dial having a half mirror layer formed as a semi-transmissive layer has been disclosed (Patent Document 1).

  This consists of a dial on which a light-transmitting index layer and a half mirror layer representing indices such as characters and scales are formed, a pointer that rotates the front of the dial, and a light source that illuminates the dial from behind. Is provided. The indicator layer is formed on the back side of the half mirror layer, and when the light source is turned off, the half mirror layer is visually recognized as a metallic tone, and when the light source is turned on, light from the light source passes through the indicator layer and the half mirror layer. In the indicator layer, characters and scales are visible.

Thereby, the dial visually recognized in a metallic tone when the light source is turned off can be visually recognized as characters and scales on the indicator layer when the light source is turned on, which can give the viewer a novel feeling.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-287982

  The present inventor has taken a step forward with respect to the above-described prior art, and has examined to arrange a light emitting pointer that rotates along the back surface of the dial behind the dial on which the semi-transmissive layer is formed.

  However, when the luminous pointer is viewed through the semi-transparent layer, the luminous pointer placed behind the dial away from the dial is light reflected from the semi-transmissive layer compared to the letters and scales formed on the dial. It is visually perceived as blurred by sex. For this reason, there exists a difficulty that the position which the light emission pointer has pointed becomes unclear.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to clarify a position indicated by a light emitting pointer in a pointer instrument in which a light emitting pointer is arranged behind a dial on which a semi-transmissive layer is formed. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein a dial plate having a light-transmitting and light-reflective semi-transmissive layer formed on the front surface of the light-transmitting substrate or the back surface of the substrate, and disposed behind the dial A pointer that rotates along the back surface of the dial, and a light source that causes the pointer to emit light by causing light to enter the dial, and a semi-transparent layer in a region that includes at least a rotating region in which the pointer rotates in the dial And a part of the rotation region is used as the first opening of the semi-transmissive layer.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since a part of the rotating area of the pointer is the first opening of the semi-transmissive layer in the dial, the pointer that is emitting and displaying the semi-transmissive layer in a part of the rotating area. Is visually recognized without blur. Therefore, in a part of the rotation area, the position indicated by the pointer that is emitting and displaying can be clarified.

  The pointer instrument according to claim 2 is characterized in that the entire surface of the first opening in the substrate is penetrated to form the second opening of the substrate.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the second opening of the substrate is formed by penetrating the entire surface of the first opening in the substrate, the indicator that displays the light emission is reduced in visibility by the substrate in the first opening. Not visible. Therefore, in the first opening, it is possible to clarify the position indicated by the pointer that performs light emission display.

  The pointer instrument according to claim 3 is characterized in that the shape of the first opening is a rotation locus of a part of the pointer.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the shape of the first opening is a rotation locus of a part of the pointer, a part of the pointer that is emitting light is blurred by the semi-transmissive layer in the entire rotation range of the pointer. Not visible. Accordingly, it is possible to clarify the position indicated by the pointer that is emitting and displaying in the entire rotation range of the pointer.

  The pointer instrument according to claim 4 is characterized in that a part of the pointer is a tip portion of the pointer.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the tip portion of the pointer that is emitting and displaying is visually recognized without being blurred by the semi-transmissive layer. For this reason, the position indicated by the pointer that is emitting and displaying can be made clearer.

  The pointer instrument according to claim 5 is characterized in that the shape of the first opening is linear in the longitudinal direction of the pointer located at a predetermined rotation angle.

  According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the shape of the first opening is linear in the longitudinal direction of the pointer located at the predetermined rotation angle, the pointer that emits light at the predetermined rotation angle is: The translucent layer is visually recognized in a straight line without blurring. Therefore, it is possible to clarify the position indicated by the pointer that emits light at a predetermined rotation angle.

  The pointer instrument according to claim 6 is characterized in that a light shielding layer is formed on both sides of the first opening in the rotation direction of the pointer.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the light shielding layers are formed on both sides of the first opening, the light emitting indicator is not visually recognized by the light shielding layers on both sides. Therefore, when the pointer displaying the light emission passes through the first opening, it is visually recognized as if it has been expanded and contracted, and the expanded and contracted portion is not blurred by the semi-transmissive layer. Therefore, in the first opening, the position indicated by the pointer that is emitting and displaying can be made clearer.

  The pointer instrument according to claim 7 is characterized in that the first opening extends to the outer peripheral side from the tip of the pointer.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the first opening extends to the outer peripheral side from the tip of the pointer, the first opening extends to the outer peripheral side from the rotation region by the light from the pointer that emits light. The part is also lit. For this reason, at a predetermined rotation angle, the pointer displaying the light emission is visually recognized as if only the extending portion is extended and is not blurred by the semi-transmissive layer. Therefore, the position indicated by the pointer that emits light at a predetermined rotation angle can be made clearer.

  Even if it comprises as Claims 8-10, there can exist the same effect.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or equivalent parts in the drawings.

(First embodiment)
A speedometer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a meter that displays the traveling speed of the host vehicle, and is arranged in an instrument panel provided in front of a driver's seat in a vehicle interior. The speedometer 1 is disposed on a light-transmitting dial 2 on which a character 21 and a scale 22 are formed, and behind the dial 2 (on the right side in FIG. 2), and on the back surface of the dial 2 (on the right side in FIG. 2). ) And a pointer 3 that rotates along

  The pointer 3 emits light by emitting light emitted from the light emitting diode 51 (FIG. 2) disposed behind the dial, and the pointer 3 displaying the light emission is visually recognized through the light-transmitting dial 2. The The indicator 3 is rotated by a predetermined angle according to the traveling speed, and the speedometer 1 displays the traveling speed of the host vehicle by indicating the character 21 and the scale 22 according to the traveling speed.

  2 and 3, the dial 3 is formed from a substrate 20 made of a light-transmitting resin such as polycarbonate resin, an opening 201 is formed in the substrate 20, and the half mirror layer 24 having the opening 241 is formed as a substrate. 20 is formed on the back surface (the right surface in FIGS. 2 and 3). On the half mirror layer 24, for example, a black background layer 25 having a light shielding property is formed, and characters 21 and scales 22 are formed as openings in the background layer 25. In the dial 2, a hairline layer 23 is formed on the front side (left side in FIG. 3) of the half mirror layer 24, specifically, on the front side (left side in FIG. 3) of the substrate 20.

  The speedometer 1 corresponds to the pointer instrument described in the claims, the opening 241 corresponds to the first opening described in the claims, the opening 201 corresponds to the second opening described in the claims, and the hairline layer 23 corresponds to the light scattering layer described in the claims, and the light-emitting diode 51 corresponds to the light source described in the claims.

  In FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, a region surrounded by the rotation locus 3 </ b> T at the tip of the pointer 3 is a rotation region in which the pointer 3 rotates, and the opening 201 of the substrate 20 is a portion of the rotation locus of the pointer 3. The arc portion 202 has a shape, and the linear portion 203 linear in the longitudinal direction of the pointer 3 located at a predetermined rotation angle. The arc portion 202 is a part of the rotation region, but the nine straight portions 203 extend from the tip of the pointer 3 to the outer peripheral side (outer peripheral side from the rotation locus 3T).

  The half mirror layer 24 is formed by, for example, plating or vapor deposition as an aluminum thin film with a film thickness adjusted so as to have light transmission and light reflection, and at least a rotation region surrounded by a rotation locus 3T on the dial 2 is formed. It is formed in the area to include. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it is formed over the entire back surface except for the opening 201 of the substrate 20. That is, it can be said that the opening 241 of the half mirror layer 24 is formed at the same position and in the same shape as the opening 201 of the substrate 20. Further, it can be said that the entire surface of the opening 241 of the half mirror layer 24 in the substrate 20 is penetrated in the left-right direction in FIG.

  When the half mirror layer 24 is illuminated from behind, the back side of the half mirror layer 24 is visually recognized in order to exhibit light transmittance and transmit illumination light. On the other hand, when not illuminated from behind, the half mirror layer 24 exhibits light reflectivity and reflects extraneous light from the front surface side. Visible.

  In FIG. 5, the background layer 25 is formed over the entire area of the back surface excluding the area surrounded by the arc on the inner peripheral side of the arc portion 202 and the arc 3 </ b> R, the character 21, the scale 22, and the opening 201 of the substrate 20. The Therefore, the background layer 25 is also formed on both sides of the linear portion 203 of the opening 201 in the rotation direction of the pointer 3.

  The hairline layer 23 is formed on the front surface of the substrate 20 as a concentric concave / convex pattern with respect to the center of rotation of the pointer 3 by printing, cutting, mold transfer, or the like. Since the hairline layer 23 scatters and reflects external light from the front side and scatters and transmits illumination light from the back side, the hairline layer 23 is visually recognized as a metallic tone.

  FIG. 4 is a front view of the substrate 20 as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the dial 2 as viewed from the front side.

  In FIG. 2, the pointer 3, the movement 4, the light emitting diodes 51 and 52, the case 7, and the printed circuit board 6 are arranged behind the dial 2, and the movement 4 and the light emitting diodes 51 and 52 are connected to the printed circuit board 6. To be implemented. The light emitting diode 51 causes light to enter the pointer 3 according to the optical paths P1 and P2 to emit and display the pointer 3 and the light emitting diode 52 illuminates and transmits the character 21 and the scale 22 of the dial 2 according to the optical path P3. The light shielding cap 31 is formed of a light shielding resin, and prevents light from the light emitting diode 51 from being directly guided to the dial 2.

  The movement 4 is composed of an electric actuator such as a stepping motor or a cross coil type rotating machine, and rotates the rotating shaft 41 at an angle corresponding to an external electric signal (a speed signal representing the speed of the host vehicle in the present embodiment). . The pointer 3 is fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft 41. The pointer 3 is formed of a translucent material such as an acrylic resin, and is formed so that light emitted from the light emitting diode 51 is incident and light is displayed. The case 7 is molded from a resin material, and has a function of guiding light from the light emitting diodes 51 and 52 to the pointer 3 and a function of guiding light from the light emitting diode 52 to the character 21 and the scale 22 of the dial 2.

  The movement 4 to which the pointer 3 is fixed, the printed circuit board 6 on which the light emitting diodes 51 and 52 are mounted, and the dial 2 are housed and fixed in an instrument housing including the cases 7 and 8 and the transparent cover 9.

  The operation of the speedometer 1 according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  When an ignition switch (not shown) is turned on, the light emitting diodes 51 and 52 are turned on in FIG. 2, and when the host vehicle starts traveling, the movement 4 rotates the pointer 3 by a predetermined angle according to the traveling speed.

  Light from the light-emitting diode 52 that is turned on passes through the half mirror layer 24, the substrate 20, and the hairline layer 23 along the optical path P3 shown in FIGS. Is transmitted and illuminated. Since the light of the optical path P3 is scattered and transmitted by the hairline layer 23, the character 21 and the scale 22 are visually recognized in a metallic style.

  On the other hand, the light from the light-emitting diode 51 that is turned on passes through the half mirror layer 24, the substrate 20, and the hairline layer 23 according to the optical path P2 shown in FIGS. The pointer 3 is visually recognized. Since the light in the optical path P2 is scattered and transmitted by both the light reflectivity of the half mirror layer 24 and the light scattering property of the hairline layer 23, the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is visually recognized in the light of the optical path P2. The The light in the optical path P3 is also scattered and transmitted by both the light reflection property of the half mirror layer 24 and the light scattering property of the hairline layer 23, whereas the character 21 and the scale 22 are formed on the dial 2. Since the pointer 3 is arranged behind the dial 2 away from the dial 2, the pointer 3 that is luminescently displayed is more blurred compared to the character 21 and the scale 22.

  On the other hand, the light from the light-emitting diode 51 that is turned on is directly recognized as the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying through the opening 201 according to the optical path P1 shown in FIGS. Since the light in the optical path P1 is not scattered by both the light reflectivity of the half mirror layer 24 and the light scattering property of the hairline layer 23, the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is in the light of the optical path P1, that is, in the opening 201. Visible without blur. Therefore, in the opening 201, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying can be made clear.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the opening 201 includes an arc portion 202 having a shape of a rotation locus of a part of the pointer 3 and a linear portion linear in the longitudinal direction of the pointer 3 located at a predetermined rotation angle. 203. Due to the arc portion 202, a part of the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is visually recognized without blur by the half mirror layer 24 and the hairline layer 23 in the entire rotation range of the pointer 3. Therefore, in the entire rotation range of the pointer 3, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying can be made clear.

  Further, the nine linear portions 203 are not blurred by the half mirror layer 24 and the hairline layer 23 at the predetermined rotation angle, that is, at the rotation angle at which the characters 21 are arranged, so that the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is not blurred. Visible in a straight line. Therefore, at the rotation angle at which the character 21 is arranged, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying can be made clearer.

  In addition, since the background layer 25 is formed on both sides of the straight line portion 203, the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is not visually recognized by the background layer 25 on both sides of the straight line portion 203. Therefore, the pointer 3 that displays light emission is visually recognized as it expands and contracts when passing through the straight line portion 203, and the expanded and contracted portions are not blurred by the half mirror layer 24 and the hairline layer 23. Therefore, at the rotation angle at which the character 21 is arranged, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying can be made clearer.

  Further, since the straight line portion 203 extends from the tip of the pointer 3 to the outer peripheral side (outer peripheral side from the rotation locus 3T), the light from the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying the outer periphery of the rotation locus 3T in the straight line portion 203. The side part also displays light. For this reason, the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is visually recognized by the half mirror layer 24 and the hairline layer 23 as if only the portion on the outer peripheral side of the rotation locus 3T is extended in the linear portion 203. Therefore, at the rotation angle at which the character 21 is arranged, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying can be made clearer.

  When the light-emitting diodes 51 and 52 are extinguished, the hairline layer 23 and the half mirror layer 24 reflect the extraneous light incident from the front side of the dial 2, and the dial 2 is visually recognized in a metallic style. The character 21, the scale 22 and the pointer 3 are not visually recognized.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, in the dial 2 </ b> A of the speedometer 1 </ b> A illustrated in FIG. 6, the opening 201 </ b> A of the substrate 20 includes an arc portion 202 </ b> A having a shape of a rotation locus of the tip portion of the pointer 3 and a linear portion 203. The speedometer 1A corresponds to a pointer instrument described in the claims, and the opening 201A corresponds to a second opening described in the claims.

  Thus, the tip portion of the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is visually recognized without blur by the half mirror layer 24 and the hairline layer 23, and thus the arc portion 202 having the shape of a part of the rotation locus that is not the tip portion of the pointer 3. In this case, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that displays the light emission can be made clearer.

(Third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, the dial 2B of the speedometer 1B shown in FIG. 7 does not form an opening in the substrate 20B, and has the same shape and the same position as the opening 201 shown in FIG. Form. Further, the hairline layer 23 is not formed on the front side (left side in FIG. 7) of the opening 241 on the front surface (left side surface in FIG. 7) of the substrate 20B.

  Thereby, the light from the light-emitting diode 51 that is turned on is visually recognized as the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying through the substrate 20B according to the optical path P4 shown in FIG. Since the light in the optical path P4 is not scattered by both the light reflectivity of the half mirror layer 24 and the light scattering property of the hairline layer 23, the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying is in the light of the optical path P4, that is, in the opening 241. Visible without blur. Therefore, in the opening 241, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that displays the light emission can be clarified.

  Instead of the half mirror layer 24, it is also possible to use, for example, a blue semi-transmissive layer adjusted to have light transmission and light reflection. In this case, when the pointer 3 is turned on by displaying the light-emitting diode 51, the pointer 3 displaying the light emission through the blue semi-transmissive layer is visually recognized, and a part of the rotation area of the pointer 3 is opened in the semi-transmissive layer. If so, the position indicated by the pointer 3 that is emitting and displaying can be made clear in the opening.

  In this case, when the light emitting diode 51 is turned off, the extraneous light incident from the front side of the dial is reflected by the semi-transmissive layer, the semi-transmissive layer is visually recognized in blue, and the pointer 3 behind the dial is It becomes difficult to see. In this way, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  Further, instead of the hairline layer 23, it is also possible to form a texture layer made of fine unevenness or a leather-like uneven pattern on the substrates 20 and 20B.

It is a front view of the speedometer by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the II-II line | wire in FIG. It is an enlarged view of the III section in FIG. It is a front view of a board | substrate. It is a front view of a dial. It is a front view of the speedometer by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a cross-sectional enlarged view of a speedometer according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1A, 1B Speedometer (pointer meter), 2, 2A, 2B Dial 20, 20B Substrate, 201, 201A Opening (second opening)
202, 202A Arc portion, 203 straight portion, 21 characters, 22 scales 23 hairline (uneven layer, light scattering layer), 24 half mirror layer (semi-transmissive layer)
241 opening (first opening), 25 background layer (light shielding layer), 3 pointer, 31 light shielding cap, 4 movement, 41 rotating shaft, 51 light emitting diode (light source)
52 Light Emitting Diode, 6 Printed Circuit Board, 7, 8 Case, 9 Transparent Cover 3T Rotation Trajectory, 3R Arc, P1-P4 Optical Path

Claims (10)

A dial having a light-transmissive and light-reflective semi-transmissive layer formed on the front surface of the light-transmissive substrate or the back surface of the substrate;
A pointer disposed behind the dial and rotating along the back of the dial;
A light source for causing the pointer to emit light and causing the pointer to emit light,
In the dial, the semi-transmissive layer is formed in an area including at least a rotation area where the pointer rotates, and a part of the rotation area serves as a first opening of the semi-transmissive layer. .   2. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein an entire surface of the first opening is penetrated through the substrate to form a second opening of the substrate.   The pointer instrument according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shape of the first opening is a rotation locus of a part of the pointer.   The pointer instrument according to claim 3, wherein the portion of the pointer is a tip portion of the pointer.   5. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the first opening is linear in a longitudinal direction of the pointer located at a predetermined rotation angle.   The pointer instrument according to claim 5, wherein a light shielding layer is formed on both sides of the first opening in the rotation direction of the pointer.   The pointer instrument according to claim 6, wherein the first opening extends outward from the tip of the pointer.   The pointer instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a light scattering layer that scatters light is formed on a front side of the semi-transmissive layer in the dial.   The pointer instrument according to claim 8, wherein the light scattering layer is an uneven layer formed as an uneven pattern.   The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein the semi-transmissive layer is a half mirror layer.

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