JP2010198755A - Led lens structure for button - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an LED lens structure for button which can illuminate uniformly the surrounding of a button with a compact structure by using one piece of LED emitter installed at the lower part of the central part of the button, even if it is the button with a large diameter, when the surrounding of the button is illuminated in ring shape. <P>SOLUTION: As for the LED lens structure for button which has a button, an LED emitter installed on a substrate at the lower part of the central part of the button, and a ring-shape light guide body arranged in ring shape at the surrounding of the button, the bottom face of the button 3 is made a convex curved face 31 projecting in a convex lens shape, and a ring-shape lens body 4 includes an opposite face 42 which extends from the lower end of the ring-shape light guide body 41 toward the LED emitter 2 and is opposed to the convex curved face 31, and thereby, emission of the LED emitter 2 is reflected from the convex curved face 31 toward the opposite face 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an LED lens structure for a button that illuminates the periphery of a button installed on a panel portion of an electronic device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a button device that illuminates the periphery of a button in a ring shape is used in a button operation unit of an electronic device. As a structure of this button device, a button made of an opaque resin provided in the central part and a ring-shaped light guide made of a translucent milky white resin provided around the button were provided, and provided below the central part of the button. The light emitted from the LED light emitter is guided to the ring-shaped light guide.

  Recently, a button having a large diameter is desired for ease of operation and visibility. In addition, there is a need for a button device that illuminates the periphery of the button even with a large diameter so that the button device can be easily viewed from an oblique direction.

  Therefore, when used as a push button for operation, the light emitting surface of the ring-shaped light guide provided around the push button is configured as a mortar-like light emission and emitted obliquely upward, and the periphery below the push button The light emitted from a plurality of light emitters provided in is guided to a mortar-shaped light guide provided around the push button to emit light, and the entire periphery of the push button is evenly distributed even with a relatively large diameter. An illumination structure of a push button switch for illuminating has already been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, one omnidirectional LED is provided below the center of the button, diffuses in a wide range toward the upper button direction through a light reflector provided on the substrate side, and illuminates evenly, and the surface of the button There has already been proposed a self-illuminating button which is a thick-walled button having an R shape with a lens effect (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-258063 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-34622

  When illuminating the periphery of the button in a ring shape, the configuration in which a plurality of LED light emitters are installed around the button cannot achieve downsizing and compactness of the device. Therefore, it is preferable that even a large-diameter button can illuminate the periphery of the button in a ring shape using a single LED light emitter provided below the center of the button.

  However, as the diameter of the button increases, in order to guide the light emitted from one light emitter provided below the center of the button to the ring-shaped light guide provided around the button, It is necessary to use an LED illuminant or to increase the distance from the illuminant to the button to diffuse the light from the illuminant. However, it is not preferable to use a large LED illuminator because of the high cost, and the method of diffusing the light from the small illuminant causes problems that the thickness of the apparatus increases and uniform illumination is difficult to obtain.

  In addition, by using an omnidirectional LED, the distance from the light emitter to the button can be shortened. However, in the configuration in which light is emitted by being guided to a ring-shaped light guide provided around the button, one light emitter Since only a part of the light emitted from the light is guided, there is a problem that the visibility is poor.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention uses a single LED emitter that is provided below the center of the button, even when the button has a large diameter, when the periphery of the button is illuminated in a ring shape. An object of the present invention is to provide an LED lens structure for a button that can uniformly illuminate the periphery of the button with the configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a button, an LED light emitter installed on a substrate below the center of the button, and a ring-shaped light guide disposed in a ring around the button. A ring-shaped lens body for guiding light emitted from the LED light-emitting body to illuminate the periphery of the button, and reflecting the light on the bottom surface of the button. The ring-shaped lens body is provided with a light receiving surface for receiving reflected light from the light reflecting surface.

  According to this configuration, the reflective surface provided on the bottom surface of the button reflects the light emitted from the LED light emitter toward the bottom surface of the button toward the light receiving surface of the ring-shaped lens body. Visibility can be improved by efficiently guiding light to the light guide. For this reason, even with a large-diameter button, it is possible to uniformly illuminate the periphery of the button using a single LED light emitter provided below the center of the button. In addition, since it is not necessary to increase the distance from the light emitter to the button, and a short length is sufficient, the apparatus can be made compact.

  In the LED lens structure for a button having the above-described configuration, the light reflecting surface is a convex curved surface that protrudes from the bottom surface of the button into a convex lens shape, and the light receiving surface extends from the lower end of the ring-shaped light guide. It is a facing surface that extends toward the LED light emitter and faces the convex curved surface. According to this configuration, since the bottom surface of the button is a convex curved surface, the light emitted from the LED light emitter is diffusely reflected toward the lower light receiving surface. Further, since the light receiving surface is a facing surface facing the convex curved surface, the diffusely reflected light is reliably received and guided to the ring-shaped lens body, and the periphery of the button can be illuminated uniformly. In addition, since the distance from the light emitter to the button can be shortened, the device can be made more compact.

  According to the present invention, in the LED lens structure for a button having the above-described configuration, a reflective film is formed on the light reflecting surface. According to this configuration, since the reflection efficiency of the light reflected from the bottom surface of the button is improved, the loss is reduced and the light emitted from the LED light emitter can be effectively used.

  According to the present invention, in the LED lens structure for a button having the above-described configuration, the facing surface is an inclined surface. According to this structure, since it becomes the inclined surface of a flat surface, formation is easy and a ring-shaped lens body can be manufactured easily.

  According to the present invention, in the LED lens structure for a button configured as described above, the facing surface is a concave curved surface having a concave lens shape opposite to the convex curved surface. According to this configuration, since the curved surface is opposed to the bottom surface of the curved button, the reflected light from the bottom surface of the button can be received efficiently.

  In the LED lens structure for a button configured as described above, the present invention is characterized in that the button is slidably supported with respect to the substrate direction and is a push button for turning on and off a switch disposed on the substrate. It is said. According to this configuration, even if the push button for operating the electronic device has a large diameter, the distance from the light emitter to the button can be shortened and the periphery of the button can be illuminated in a ring shape. It becomes the LED lens structure for buttons which improves.

  According to the present invention, the light reflecting surface is provided on the bottom surface of the button, and the light receiving surface for receiving the reflected light from the light reflecting surface is provided on the ring-shaped lens body. The periphery of the button can be illuminated uniformly with a compact configuration in which one LED light emitter is provided below the center of the button. Further, when the light reflecting surface is a convex curved surface and the light receiving surface is an opposing surface facing the convex curved surface provided at the lower part of the ring-shaped light guide, the light emitted from the LED light emitter is easily diffusely reflected toward the opposing surface. In addition, the diffusely reflected light can be reliably received and guided to the ring-shaped light guide, and the distance from the light emitter to the button can be shortened, so the button can be illuminated uniformly with a more compact configuration. An LED lens structure for a button can be obtained.

It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows an example of the LED lens structure for buttons which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the illumination range of a LED light-emitting body. It is sectional drawing which shows the Example of a ring-shaped lens body, Comprising: (a) shows a 1st Example and (b) shows a 2nd Example. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows an example of the LED lens structure for buttons when a button is not provided with a convex curved surface, but a ring-shaped lens body is not provided with the opposing surface.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Moreover, the same code | symbol is used about the same structural member, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  Even if the LED lens structure for a button of this embodiment is a large-diameter button, a single LED light emitter provided below the center of the button is used to uniformly illuminate the periphery of the button for high visibility. FIG. 1 shows an LED lens structure for a button that enables downsizing of the device, and as shown in FIG. 1, a ring that illuminates the substrate 1, the LED light emitter 2, the button 3, and the periphery of the button 3 in a ring shape. The lens body 4 is provided.

  The button 3 is a button made of a non-translucent resin used for an electronic device such as a VTR device or an audio device, and can be turned on / off even if it is a display button fixed to the case frame. It may be a push button for the operation to be performed.

  The LED light emitter 2 is installed on the substrate 1 below the center of the button 3 and emits light toward the button 3 above. The ring-shaped lens body 4 is a lens body that guides the light emitted from the LED light-emitting body 2 provided below the center portion of the button 3 to the ring-shaped light guide body 41 and illuminates the periphery of the button 3 in a ring shape. For example, it is made of a translucent milky white ABS resin.

  In order to uniformly illuminate the periphery of the button 3 using the LED light emitter 2 installed on the substrate 1 below the center of the button 3, the light emitted from the LED light emitter 2 is efficiently guided to the ring lens body 4. It is preferable to shine. Therefore, in this embodiment, a light reflecting surface is provided on the bottom surface of the button 3, the light from the LED light emitter 2 is reflected toward the ring-shaped lens body 4, and the reflected light from the illuminated light reflecting surface is reflected. A light receiving surface for receiving light is provided on the ring-shaped lens body 4 that illuminates the periphery of the button 3 in a ring shape.

  The light reflecting surface provided on the bottom surface of the button 3 only needs to have a function of reflecting the light emitted from the lower LED light emitter 2 toward the light receiving surface provided on the ring-shaped light guide 41, and has a planar diffusion. It may be a reflecting surface or a curved diffuse reflecting surface. However, if the light reflecting surface is the convex curved surface 31 and the light receiving surface is the opposing surface 42 facing the convex curved surface, the light emitted from the LED light emitter 2 is easily diffusely reflected toward the opposing surface 42 and diffusely reflected. The reflected light is surely received by the opposing surface 42 and is easily guided to the ring-shaped light guide 41. For this reason, the periphery of the button 3 is uniformly illuminated, and the distance from the LED light emitter 2 to the button 3 can be shortened, which is more preferable in achieving compactness.

  The facing surface 42 provided on the ring-shaped lens body 4 extends from the lower end portion of the ring-shaped light guide 41 toward the LED light emitter 2 and can be provided at a position facing the convex curved surface 31. Further, since the light reflecting surface is the convex curved surface 31, the light emitted from the LED light emitter 2 is easily diffusely reflected toward the lower periphery.

  As described above, the light diffusely reflected from the convex curved surface 31 is incident on the facing surface 42 extending from the lower end portion of the ring-shaped light guide 41, so that the LED light-emitting body 2 emits light from the ring-shaped lens body. 4 can be efficiently guided to the ring-shaped light guide 41, and the periphery of the button 3 can be illuminated uniformly to improve visibility. Therefore, even if the button 3 has a large diameter, it is possible to uniformly illuminate the periphery of the button 3 using one LED light emitter 2 provided below the center of the button. Moreover, since it is not necessary to lengthen the distance from the LED light-emitting body 2 to the button 3, and a short length is sufficient, the apparatus can be made compact.

  With the above configuration, the light emitted toward the button 3 strikes the convex curved surface 31, is diffusely reflected toward the facing surface 42, and enters the ring-shaped lens body 4. Therefore, even if it is a normal LED light emitter whose irradiation angle is defined in advance (having directivity) at the time of light emission, the light emitted toward the button 3 can be efficiently used with the above configuration. The light can be guided to the ring-shaped light guide 41 well. Therefore, even if the button 3 has a large diameter, it is possible to achieve high visibility by uniformly illuminating the periphery of the button 3 using one LED light emitter 2 provided below the center of the button. Moreover, since it diffuses and reflects from the bottom face part of the button 3, the LED light-emitting body 2 may be comparatively small.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the irradiation angle θ when the LED light emitter 2 emits light is about 30 to 40 °. Therefore, in the configuration in which the emitted light is diffused as it is to illuminate the periphery of the button 3 in a ring shape, it is necessary to increase the distance from the LED light emitter 2 to the button.

  A schematic explanatory diagram of this state is shown in FIG. As shown in the drawing, when light is emitted from the LED light emitter 2 installed on the substrate 1 at an irradiation angle θ, in order to guide the light to the ring lens body 4C that illuminates the periphery of the button 3A in a ring shape, A long distance from the light emitter 2 to the button 3A is required, and the length H2 from the substrate 1 to the button 3A surface becomes long. That is, the thickness of the device is increased.

  However, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the LED light emitter 2 emits light even if the convex curved surface 31 of the LED light emitter 2 is disposed at a position close to the upper surface of the LED light emitter 2. Light can be diffusely reflected toward the facing surface 42 of the ring-shaped lens body 4 (see reflected light R1 and R2 shown in the figure). Therefore, the distance between the LED light emitter 2 and the bottom surface of the button can be shortened, the length H1 from the substrate 1 to the surface of the button 3 is shortened, and the thickness of the device can be reduced. That is, the apparatus can be made compact.

  Further, since the button 3 is generally made of an opaque resin, a reflective surface that reflects light can be easily formed by forming the convex curved surface 31 that protrudes like a convex lens at the bottom surface.

  Furthermore, in order to improve the visibility by effectively using the light emission of the LED light emitter 2, it is preferable to improve the light reflectance of the convex curved surface 31, and a method of polishing the surface of the convex curved surface 31, A method of forming a reflective film on the convex curved surface 31 can be employed. At this time, if the reflective film is formed on the convex curved surface 31, the metal film exhibiting a predetermined reflectance is selected and formed, so that the light emitted from the LED luminous body 2 can be efficiently reflected and the ring can be formed. It is more preferable because the light can be guided to the light guide 41 and desired visibility can be exhibited.

  Next, the facing surface 42 provided on the ring-shaped lens body 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The facing surface 42 may be a light reflecting surface, for example, a surface that receives reflected light from the convex curved surface 31, and may be a flat surface or a curved surface. The first embodiment shown in FIG. 3A is a ring-shaped lens body 4A having an inclined surface 42A as an opposing surface, and the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3B is the convex curved surface 31 as an opposing surface. It is a ring-shaped lens body 4B provided with the concave curved surface 42B of the concave lens shape reverse to the above.

  Since the inclined surface 42A shown in FIG. 3A is a flat surface that can be easily formed, it is preferable because it is easy to manufacture both a molded product and a cut product. Further, the concave curved surface 42B shown in FIG. 3B is a curved surface facing the bottom surface of the curved button, and therefore, reflected light from the bottom surface of the button can be efficiently received, which is more preferable.

  If the button 3 is a push button for an on / off operation, a switch that supports the button 3 slidably with respect to the direction of the substrate 1 and a part of the sliding member is provided on the substrate 1 is provided. It may be configured to turn on and off. For example, the button 3 can be attached to the frame, and the frame can be slidably supported on the apparatus housing, and a part of the frame can turn on / off the switch on the substrate. Alternatively, the button and the ring-shaped lens body can be integrally slidable with respect to the apparatus housing, and a part of the ring-shaped lens body can be configured to turn on / off the switch on the substrate. .

  In any case, the bottom surface of the button 3 is a convex curved surface 31 protruding like a convex lens, and the LED light is emitted from the lower end of the ring-shaped light guide 41 to the ring-shaped lens body 4 that illuminates the periphery of the button 3 in a ring shape. By providing a facing surface 42 that extends toward the body 2 and faces the convex curved surface 31, the LED curved body 31 reflects the light emitted from the LED light emitting body 2 toward the facing surface 42. The light emitted from the light emitter 2 can be efficiently guided to the ring lens body 4. Therefore, when the periphery of the button 3 is illuminated in a ring shape, even if the distance between the LED emitter 2 and the button 3 is reduced using the relatively small LED emitter 2, the area around the button 3 is Since it becomes possible to illuminate, it is possible to obtain a button LED lens structure that is compact and has improved visibility.

  As described above, according to the LED lens structure for a button according to the present invention, the light reflecting surface for providing light emission from the light emitter on the bottom surface of the button using one LED light emitter provided below the center of the button. The diffused reflection of the button uniformly illuminates the button, so even a large-diameter button can be illuminated uniformly using a single LED emitter located below the center of the button. High visibility can be achieved.

  Furthermore, since the distance from the light emitter to the button can be shortened by making the light reflecting surface a convex curved surface, a compact configuration in which one relatively small LED light emitter is provided below the center portion of the button is large. The area around the diameter button can be illuminated uniformly.

  For this reason, the LED lens structure for a button according to the present invention can be suitably applied to a button device of an electronic device in which the device can be made compact and thinning is required.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board | substrate 2 LED light-emitting body 3 Button 31 Convex curved surface 4 Ring-shaped lens body 41 Ring-shaped light guide 42 Opposite surface 42A Inclined surface 42B Concave curved surface

Claims (6)

A button, an LED light emitter installed on a substrate below the central portion of the button, and a ring-shaped light guide disposed in a ring around the button, and the LED in the ring-shaped light guide In the LED lens structure for a button, comprising a ring-shaped lens body that guides light emitted from the light emitter and illuminates the periphery of the button,
An LED lens structure for a button, wherein a light reflecting surface is provided on a bottom surface of the button, and a light receiving surface for receiving reflected light from the light reflecting surface is provided on the ring-shaped lens body.   The light reflecting surface is a convex curved surface that protrudes from the bottom of the button into a convex lens shape, the light receiving surface extends from the lower end of the ring light guide toward the LED light emitter, and the convex curved surface The LED lens structure for a button according to claim 1, wherein the LED lens structure is a facing surface opposite to the button.   The button LED lens structure according to claim 1, wherein a reflection film is formed on the light reflection surface.   The button LED lens structure according to claim 1, wherein the facing surface is an inclined surface.   The LED lens structure for a button according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the facing surface is a concave curved surface having a concave lens shape opposite to the convex curved surface.   6. The button for a button according to claim 1, wherein the button is a push button that is slidably supported with respect to the substrate direction and that turns on and off a switch disposed on the substrate. LED lens structure.

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