JP2012237610A - Pointer of display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pointer of a display device.SOLUTION: A pointer of a display device is made from an indicating body 1 having an indicating portion 1a of light guide material and a base portion 1b. The base portion 1b is provided with a light-receiving surface 11 into which light is emitted from an illuminating light source 4, and a first reflection surface 12 reflecting the light from the light-receiving surface 11 toward the indicating portion 1a. On a bottom portion of the indicating portion 1a, a second reflection surface 1d reflecting reflection light from the first reflection surface 12 toward an upper surface side is provided. An optical member 2 is provided separately from the indicating body 1. The optical member 2 has a light incident surface 21 disposed separately from the first reflection surface 12 by a predetermined distance, and taking transmission light of the first reflection surface 12 into the inside thereof; third reflection surface 23 reflecting the transmission light of the light incident surface into the optical member 2; a fourth reflection surface 24 reflecting reflection light at the surface 23 toward the indicating body; and a light exiting surface 22 disposed separately from the first reflection surface 12 by a predetermined distance, and allowing the reflection light from the first reflection surface to passes through to return into the indicating body 1.

Description

  The present invention relates to a pointer of a display device that is used in, for example, a vehicle speedometer and the pointer moves on a dial according to the vehicle speed.

As a conventional display device, a display device described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this display device, a pointer main body having an indicator at the front end and a base at the rear end and provided with a light-reflective coating film made of a light guide material and reflecting light toward the upper surface on the bottom surface is provided. I have. The base portion has a light guide portion, a light receiving surface, a reflecting surface, and a rib. Light for illuminating the pointer enters from the light receiving surface, is reflected by the reflecting surface, and is introduced into the pointing portion to make the pointer shine. The base is covered with a pointer cap, and a slit is provided in the pointer cap, and a rib formed on the upper surface of the light guide portion on the extension line of the indicating portion is fitted to this, so that the indicating portion and the upper surface of the rib are bright. Have been to. In addition, a light reflector is provided on the entire inner surface of the pointer cap so that the light incident directly on the inner surface of the pointer cap without being incident on the light receiving surface is reflected and returned to the indicating body to enhance the brightness of the indicating body. Has been.
On the other hand, fine irregularities are formed on the upper surface of the light guide part, and light incident on the upper surface is diffusely reflected here and hits the upper surface of the rib in the vicinity of the reflecting surface, thereby reducing the brightness of the pointer upper surface near the base part. I try to eliminate it.

JP-A-8-43145

However, there are problems as described below in the guidelines of the conventional display device.
That is, in a conventional display device, light emitted from an illumination light source such as a light emitting diode disposed below the base to the light receiving surface of the base is incident on the light receiving surface and then totally reflected by the reflecting surface. Although it is intended to shine the pointer body toward the bottom surface, in reality, part of the light emitted from the light source does not enter the light receiving surface and directly enters the inner surface of the pointer cap. The incident angle at the reflecting surface of the light receiving surface becomes less than the critical angle and passes through the reflecting surface and escapes into the air.

  Thus, the light incident on the reflecting surface at a critical angle or less is more in the lower part than the upper part of the reflecting surface. This is because there is a distance from the light receiving surface to the upper part of the reflecting surface, so light traveling at a shallow angle does not reach the upper part of the reflecting surface, and most of the light hits the lower part of the reflecting surface. Because.

The light leaked in this way is returned to the pointer body by the light reflector provided in the pointer cap, but the surface of the light reflector inside the pointer cap has to be three-dimensional. In many cases, the light reflected by the light returns at an angle at which it is totally reflected even if it hits the base of the pointer body. As a result, this light is repeatedly reflected between the base of the pointer main body and the light reflector, and since the reflectance at the mirror surface is generally 90% or less, it is eventually absorbed by the light reflector. The percentage of light that ends up increases.
Therefore, the conventional display device has a problem that the brightness of the pointer main body of the display device is lost accordingly.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problem, and the object of the present invention is to increase the brightness of the pointer body by returning more light that has not entered the light receiving surface of the pointer body to the pointer body. It is to provide a guide for a display device that can be used.

For this purpose, the indication of the display device according to the invention according to claim 1 is:
The pointer that can be brilliant by the light emitted from the illumination light source is displayed by moving on the dial,
This pointer consists of an indicator body made of a light guide material and an indicator body having a base at the rear end thereof.
The base is provided with a light receiving surface on which light emitted from the illumination light source is incident, and a first reflecting surface that reflects the light incident from the light receiving surface toward the pointing unit,
In the display device in which the second reflection surface that reflects the light reflected by the first reflection surface to the upper surface side is provided at the bottom of the instruction unit,
The pointer further includes an optical member separate from the indicating body,
The optical member is disposed at a predetermined distance from the first reflection surface, and a light incident surface that takes the light transmitted through the first reflection surface into the optical member, and the light that has been taken in through the light incident surface is A third reflecting surface that reflects into the optical member, a fourth reflecting surface that reflects light reflected by the third reflecting surface toward the pointing body, and a predetermined distance from the first reflecting surface, A light-exiting surface that allows light reflected by the fourth reflecting surface to pass back into the pointer body,
It is characterized by that.

Further, the pointer of the display device according to the present invention described in claim 2 is:
In the indicator of the display device according to claim 1,
The third reflecting surface is provided at a position below the fourth reflecting surface;
It is characterized by that.

Further, the guideline of the display device according to the present invention described in claim 3 is:
In the pointer of the display device according to claim 1 or 2,
The separation distance between the light incident surface and the light exit surface and the first reflection surface is constant, respectively.
It is characterized by that.

Further, the guideline of the display device according to the present invention described in claim 4 is:
In the pointer of the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A curved surface that is convex toward the inside of the optical member in a cross section perpendicular to the dial so that the fourth reflecting surface spreads and reflects the light reflected by the third reflecting surface in the longitudinal direction of the pointer main body. Is,
It is characterized by that.

Further, the guideline of the display device according to the present invention described in claim 5 is:
In the pointer of the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The fourth reflecting surface is a curved surface having a concave shape in a cross section parallel to the dial so that the light reflected by the third reflecting surface is collected on the center line in the width direction of the indicating body.
It is characterized by that.

Further, the guideline of the display device according to the present invention described in claim 6 is:
In the pointer of the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The optical member is fixed to the pointer main body with a cap covering them,
It is characterized by that.

  In the pointer of the display device according to the first aspect of the present invention, light that has not entered the light receiving surface of the pointer main body can be returned to the pointer main body by the optical member, and the degree of brightness of the pointer main body is increased. Can do.

  Further, in the pointer of the display device according to the second aspect of the present invention, light leaking from the first reflecting surface of the pointer main body without entering the light receiving surface is below the first reflecting surface. Since the portion is more than the upper portion, more light can be returned to the pointing body, and the brightness of the pointing member is increased.

  In the pointer of the display device according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to increase the efficiency of light exchange between the first reflecting surface of the pointer main body and the light incident surface and the light emitting surface of the optical member. it can. It is desirable to set the predetermined distance as small as possible.

  In the pointer of the display device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the light returned from the optical member into the pointer main body spreads in the longitudinal direction of the pointer main body, the entire pointer main body can be brightened. it can.

  Further, in the pointer of the display device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the light returned from the optical member into the pointer main body gathers in the pointer main body having a narrow width, and the brightness can be increased. .

  According to the pointer of the display device of the present invention described in claim 6, it is possible to increase the area where light can be transmitted and received between the pointer main body and the engineering main body.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the pointer main body and the optical member which comprise the pointer | guide of the display apparatus of Example 1 of this invention. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a display device of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part for explaining a light path in the display device of Example 1.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings.

First, the structure of the pointer of the display device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The pointer of the display device according to the first embodiment includes a pointer main body 1, an optical member 2, and a cap 3.
The pointer main body 1 has an indication portion 1a, a base portion 1b formed continuously at the rear end, and a rotation support shaft 1c provided on the bottom surface on the base portion 1b side and extending vertically therefrom. It is made of a light guide material.

  The indicator 1a extends from the rotation support shaft 1c in the longitudinal direction of the pointer main body 1, and a light-reflective colored coating film (corresponding to the second reflecting surface of the present invention) 1d is provided on the bottom surface of the indicator 1a. The light transmitted through 1a is irregularly reflected toward the upper surface side of the indicator 1a.

  The base portion 1b extends from the rotation support shaft 1c to the opposite side of the indicator portion 1a, and as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. ) The light receiving surface 11 is configured to transmit the illumination light emitted from 4 toward the rear end surface inside the base 1b. Further, the rear end surface of the base portion 1a is inclined toward the front side (indicator portion 1a side) to form the first reflecting surface 12, and the light transmitted through the light receiving surface 11 is the same as the reflecting surface of the prior art. When the incident angle at the first anti-slope 12 which is the majority of the above is larger than the critical angle, the transmitted light is set to be reflected toward the indicator 1a side.

  The rotation support shaft 1c is connected to a drive unit (not shown) disposed inside the dial 5 indicated by a one-dot chain line so as to be driven. The drive unit has the same configuration as that of the conventional drive unit, but may have another configuration. For example, if the display device is a speedometer, numbers and scales of the vehicle speed are printed on the surface of the dial 5. These numbers and scales are translucent and illuminated from behind at night or the like by a backlight arranged behind the dial 5.

On the other hand, the optical member 2 is fixed to the pointer main body 1 with a cap 3 that is formed of a light guide material and covers the base 1b side of the pointer main body 1.
The optical main body 2 has a light incident surface 21 and a light output surface 22 which are opposed to the first reflecting surface 12 provided on the base 1b of the pointer main body 1 and are inclined in parallel with the first reflecting surface 12. The light incident surface 21 and the light emitting surface 22 are provided on the same plane, but the former is disposed below the latter, that is, closer to the dial 5 and the light emitting diode 4.
The light incident surface 21 and the light emitting surface 22 are arranged at a predetermined distance from the first reflecting surface 12 of the base 1b of the pointer main body 1. It is desirable that this predetermined distance be constant and set small. Therefore, air exists between the light incident surface 21 and the light exit surface 22 and the first reflecting surface 12. Due to the presence of the air, the light path between the light incident surface 21 and the light exit surface 22 and the first reflecting surface 12 is different from the case where they are attached to each other.

  A third reflecting surface 23 is provided on the rear end surface of the optical member 2, and light transmitted through the light incident surface 21 from the light receiving surface 11 and the first reflecting surface 12 is reflected to the inside of the optical member 2. Further, it is directed toward the fourth reflecting surface 24 formed thereabove.

The fourth reflecting surface 24 of the optical member 2 is formed in a curved surface, and the light reflected from the third reflecting surface 23 is provided on the base 1b of the pointer main body 1 via the light exit surface 22. Turn to face 12.
That is, the curved surface of the fourth reflecting surface 24 is a cross section perpendicular to the dial 5 so that the light reflected by the third reflecting surface 23 is spread and reflected in the longitudinal direction of the pointer main body 1. Is concave in a cross section parallel to the dial 5 so as to collect the light reflected by the third reflecting surface 23 on the center line in the width direction of the indicating body 1. It is formed in the curved surface used as a shape.

  In the pointer of the display device according to the first embodiment configured as described above, the rotation support shaft 1c is rotated to the display position by the drive unit. At this time, the indicating portion 1a and the base portion 1b integrated with the rotation support shaft 1c are also rotated, and the tip of the indicating portion 1a points to the corresponding position on the dial 5.

Further, when used in a dark environment, illumination light is emitted from the light emitting diode 4 toward the light receiving surface 11 provided on the bottom surface of the base 1b of the pointer main body 1.
The light that has passed through the light receiving portion 11 and entered the base portion 1b strikes the first reflecting surface 12 provided on the rear end surface of the base portion 1b. In this case, most of the light strikes the first reflecting surface 12 at an incident angle larger than the critical angle with respect to the first reflecting surface 12, so that the light is reflected here and travels toward the bottom surface of the indicator 1a.

    The light directed toward the bottom surface of the indicating unit 1a is diffusely reflected toward the upper surface side of the indicating unit 1a by the light reflective colored coating film 1d provided on the bottom surface. As a result, the pointer main body 1 generally emits light upward (on the user side), and the user can easily recognize where the pointer is pointing even in the dark.

On the other hand, the remaining leaked light (indicated by a thin line in FIGS. 2 and 3) of the light that has passed through the light receiving portion 11 and entered the base portion 1b and impinged on the first reflecting surface 12 is the first reflecting surface. The incident angle with respect to 12 becomes equal to or smaller than the critical angle, and as a result, the light is transmitted through the incident surface 21 of the optical member 2 without being reflected by the first reflecting surface 12.
This light travels through the optical member 2 and strikes the third reflecting surface 23. Since this surface forms a large angle (approximately 45 degrees) with respect to the light incident surface 21, the incident angle with respect to the third reflecting surface 23 is small. It becomes larger than the critical angle here and is totally reflected, and proceeds in the optical member 2 to the fourth reflecting surface 24 above.

  The light coming from the third reflecting surface 23 is also totally reflected by the fourth reflecting surface 24 and directed to the light emitting surface 22 because the fourth reflecting surface 24 forms a large angle with respect to the third reflecting surface. At this time, since the fourth reflecting surface 24 has the three-dimensional curved surface as described above, the light reflected here is spread in the longitudinal direction of the pointer body 1 and simultaneously converges on the center line in the width direction of the pointer body 1. To be reflected.

  The light reflected by the fourth reflecting surface 24 as described above is transmitted through the light emitting surface 22 that forms a large angle with respect to the fourth reflecting surface 24, and the first reflecting surface 12 of the pointer body 1 is opposed to the light emitting surface 22. Since it is separated by a predetermined distance in parallel, it enters the pointer main body as it is and heads for the instruction section 1a. Thereafter, as described above, these lights are diffusely reflected toward the upper surface side of the indicator 1a by the light-reflecting colored coating film 1d on the bottom of the indicator 1a, and illuminate the pointer body 1 brightly. Note that the light that has leaked from the light receiving surface 11 and is directed into the cap 3 can illuminate the pointer body 1 brightly as described above if a light reflector is provided on the inner surface of the cap 3.

    As described above, in the pointer of the display device of the embodiment, light leaking from the first reflecting surface 12 of the base 1a of the pointer main body 1 is also transmitted through the first reflecting surface 12 by the optical member 2. It can be returned to the base 1b and used to illuminate the pointer body 1. As a result, the brightness of the pointer increases, making it easier for the user to see where the pointer points. If the brightness is the same, the illumination of the light emitting diode can be lowered.

  The present invention has been described based on the above embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and is included in the present invention even when there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. .

For example, the illumination light source is not limited to a light emitting diode.
In addition, the distances between the light incident surface 21 and the light exit surface 22 and the first reflecting surface 12 can be made different.
Further, the light-reflective colored coating film 1d provided on the bottom surface of the base portion 1b may also have another irregular reflection shape or a shape.
The display device of the present invention is not limited to a speedometer, and is not limited to a vehicle such as an automobile.

1 Pointer body
1a Indicator
1b Base
1c Rotating support shaft
1d Light-reflective colored coating film (second reflective surface)
2 Optical members
3 cap
4 Light emitting diode
5 Dial
11 Photosensitive surface
12 First reflective surface
21 Incident surface
22 Light emitting surface
23 3rd reflective surface
24 4th reflective surface

Claims (6)

The pointer that can be brilliant by the light emitted from the illumination light source is displayed by moving on the dial,
The pointer is composed of an indicator body made of a light guide material and an indicator body having a base at the rear end thereof.
The base is provided with a light receiving surface on which light emitted from the illumination light source is incident, and a first reflecting surface that reflects the light incident from the light receiving surface toward the pointing unit,
In the display device in which the second reflection surface that reflects the light reflected by the first reflection surface to the upper surface side is provided at the bottom of the instruction unit,
The pointer further includes an optical member separate from the pointing body,
The optical member is disposed at a predetermined distance from the first reflective surface, and a light incident surface that takes the light transmitted through the first reflective surface into the optical member, and the light taken through the light incident surface. A third reflecting surface that reflects light into the optical member, a fourth reflecting surface that reflects light reflected by the third reflecting surface toward the pointing body, and a predetermined distance from the first reflecting surface. A light exit surface that passes through the light reflected by the fourth reflective surface and returns the light into the pointer body.
A guide for a display device characterized by that. In the indicator of the display device according to claim 1,
The pointer of the display device, wherein the third reflecting surface is provided at a position below the fourth reflecting surface. In the pointer of the display device according to claim 1 or 2,
The distances between the light incident surface and the light exit surface and the first reflecting surface are constant, respectively.
A guide for a display device characterized by that. In the pointer of the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The fourth reflecting surface is directed toward the inside of the optical member in a cross section perpendicular to the dial so that the light reflected by the third reflecting surface is spread and reflected in the longitudinal direction of the pointer main body. It is a curved surface that becomes convex,
A guide for a display device characterized by that. In the indicator of the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The fourth reflecting surface is a curved surface having a concave shape in a cross section parallel to the dial so that the light reflected by the third reflecting surface is collected on the center line in the width direction of the indicating body.
A guide for a display device characterized by that. In the indicator of the display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The optical member is fixed to the pointer main body with a cap covering them,
A guide for a display device characterized by that.

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