JP2512315Y2 - Especially display devices such as vending machines - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a display device suitable for use in a currency exchange machine, a vending machine, or the like.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as a display device of an automatic vending machine or the like, a push button type product selection switch device is known. This one has its own light source such as a neon light bulb or a light emitting diode arranged behind the display board, and when a coin is inserted from the slot of the vending machine, these light sources are turned on. Characters such as sold out, stopped, on sale, and exchanged, or symbols or figures displayed on the display board or displayed on the display board are displayed on the surface of the movable push button.

As other display devices for vending machines and the like, those using a light reflection type liquid crystal display device are known.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The former display device described above requires a predetermined distance between the light source and the display plate at all times. In addition to the limitations, in order to prevent the internal structure from being seen through the push button from the outside, the push buttons are stacked with dark red thin plates.Therefore, the display color is limited to this dark red color. There was a problem that it would be done.

Since the latter type has various places where vending machines are installed, when it is installed in the dark, sufficient reflected light cannot be obtained, so the product is sold out or is being sold. There was a problem that the display was difficult to identify.

The purpose of this device is that it has no light source itself,
In addition to being extremely thin, the display color can be displayed in various colors, and even when the place where the vending machine is installed is not sufficiently bright, it can be easily displayed whether it is sold out or on sale. It is intended to provide a display device such as a vending machine, which is configured to be distinguishable.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is configured to prevent transmission and non-transmission of light by applying or not applying a voltage provided in the vicinity of a surface plate of a vending machine. A liquid crystal cell that exerts an optical shutter function, a display plate made of a light-transmissive material that displays characters and figures interposed at the front or rear of the liquid crystal cell, and the liquid crystal cell inside the vending machine. A light source which is a lighting means for a display product sample provided so as to face the light source, and guides light from the light source toward the front of the front plate through the liquid crystal cell and the display plate when a voltage is applied, The characters and figures displayed on the sign board are displayed by the transmitted light from the light.

In this case, the present invention may use a display plate on which characters and figures are displayed in a non-transmissive state, or a display plate on which characters and figures are displayed in a transmissive state. it can.

Further, the present invention can use a liquid crystal cell having a plurality of divided optical shutter functions.

(Operation) A light-transmissive liquid crystal cell having an optical shutter function does not transmit light from a lighting means for a display product sample, which is a light source, in an opaque state when no voltage is applied, but when a voltage is applied, It becomes transparent and allows the light from the illuminating means to pass therethrough, and the characters or figures on the display plate arranged at the front or rear of the liquid crystal cell are displayed by the light from the illuminating means.

When the display method of the characters and figures displayed on the display board is displayed in a non-transmissive type, the light-transmissive display board may display the characters and figures while allowing the light to pass through. When a character or a figure is displayed in a light transmissive type, the display can be performed by transmitting the light from the light source only in this part.

If the liquid crystal cell has an optical shutter function divided into a plurality of parts, it is possible to separately display a plurality of types of characters or figures having different purposes according to the purposes.

(Embodiment) The drawing shows an embodiment of the present invention, and in FIG.
Is a mounting metal plate, 2 is a surface plate partially provided with a transparent portion 2a, 3 is a light source, and this light source 3 is for example a display product sample displayed in a product sample display window installed inside a vending machine. It is composed of a fluorescent lamp which is an illuminating means. The entire surface plate 2 may be a transparent plate. A frame-shaped case body 5 having an open front portion and a rear portion is attached to the mounting plate 1 via a transparent mounting plate 4. A display plate 6 is installed inside the case body 5 so as to be located on the light source 3 side.
A liquid crystal cell 7 is installed close to. The display plate 6 may be installed in front of the liquid crystal cell 7.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, the display plate 6 is displayed without the character 6a, for example, "on sale", and only the portion of the character 6a transmits light.

Here, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a figure or a character is displayed on the display plate 6 in such a manner that light is not transmitted and the light is transmitted to other portions.

The structure of the liquid crystal cell 7 is particularly shown in FIG. 2, and transparent electrode substrates 10 and 11 are provided on the facing surfaces of a pair of glass substrates 8 and 9 facing each other.
Molecular orientation films 12 and 13 are further provided on the facing surfaces of 0 and 11. Then, the molecular alignment films 12 and 13 and the yoke materials 14 and 14
A nematic liquid crystal 15 is enclosed in a small gap surrounded by. 16 is a glass shatterproof film that doubles as a polarizer. The nematic liquid crystal 15 in the embodiment has a twist (TN) arrangement in which the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules are continuously twisted by 90 ° between the molecular alignment films 12 and 13, and when no voltage is applied between the parallel polarizers. As a result of blocking light, as shown in FIG. 3, black masking is not performed, but when voltage is applied, as shown in FIG. The character 6a can be displayed.

(Effects of the Invention) As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since the device body itself does not have a light source, this makes it possible to make the entire display device thin in combination with the thin liquid crystal cell. It is possible. Therefore, it is possible to increase the internal volume of the vending machine and the like by that amount, and by using a fluorescent lamp, which is a lighting means for the display product sample, as a light source, a special light source as a display device is not required. That is, it can be manufactured at a lower cost, and by using color liquid crystal color filters, various color displays can be performed.

Further, when the display plate is arranged between the light source and the liquid crystal cell, the liquid crystal cell is a front black mask in a normal state and does not allow light from the outside to pass through, so that the display plate can be colored in various colors. It is possible to perform color display with various colors.

Furthermore, even if the device itself does not have a light source, when a voltage is applied using a liquid crystal cell, the light from the light source in the vending machine can be transmitted and emitted forward, so when using a light reflection type Rather, it is possible to sufficiently identify the display such as sold-out or on-sale of the product of the vending machine installed in the dark.

Also, when characters and figures are displayed on the display board in a light-transmitting state, the light from the light source is displayed by being transmitted forward in the form of the characters and figures displayed on the display board. When the image is displayed on the display plate in the light non-transmissive state, the light from the light source is transmitted to the front while leaving characters and figures, and the latter is displayed, and the latter is brighter.

Furthermore, if the liquid crystal cell is divided into a plurality of parts and has an optical shutter function, a plurality of displays can be performed on one display plate.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view of a display device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view of a liquid crystal cell, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the display device when not operating. FIG. 4 is a front view of the display device in operation. 2 ... Front plate 3 ... Light source 5 ... Case body 6 ... Display plate 7 ... Liquid crystal cell

Claims (4)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. Transmission of light by application or non-application of voltage at a place provided near the surface plate 2 of a vending machine.
Liquid crystal cell 7 that exerts an optical shutter function to perform non-transmission
And a display plate 6 made of a light-transmissive material for displaying characters and figures, which is interposed in the front or rear of the liquid crystal cell 7, and is provided inside the vending machine so as to face the liquid crystal cell 7. A light source 3 which is an illuminating means for a display product sample, and guides the light from the light source 3 to the front of the surface plate 2 through the liquid crystal cell 7 and the display plate 6 when a voltage is applied. A display device such as a vending machine, which is characterized in that the characters and figures displayed on the sign board are displayed by the transmitted light from the light. 2. A display device such as a vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that characters and figures are displayed on the display plate 2 in a light transmitting state. 3. A display device such as a vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that characters and figures are displayed on the display plate 2 in a non-light-transmitting state. 4. A display device such as a vending machine, according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid crystal cell 7 has an optical shutter function divided into a plurality of parts.