JP3211516B2 - Lighting equipment for vehicle instruments - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lighting device for a vehicle instrument for illuminating the periphery of a dial of a vehicle instrument or the inside of the dial with good decorativeness.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional general lighting device for a vehicle instrument is provided with an illuminating lamp at an upper portion of a front face of a facing plate, and the illuminating lamp radiates light from above to a dial surface to illuminate the dial surface. It has a lighting structure, and has a problem in display function and decorativeness.

Therefore, in order to enhance the lighting effect of the dial, a dial having a light-shielding film printed on a transparent sheet except for characters and scales is used, and an acrylic resin is formed on the back of the dial. A lighting device has been manufactured in which a light guide such as a light guide is provided and light from the illumination lamp is guided to the scales and characters on the dial through the light guide, and the scale and the characters are illuminated and displayed satisfactorily.

[0004]

However, in this type of conventional illuminating device, since a dial plate portion around the dial is not illuminated, there is a demand for an illuminating device having low decorativeness and higher decorativeness. It had been.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a lighting device for a vehicle instrument which can provide highly decorative lighting on a dial plate around a dial. And

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a lighting device for a vehicle instrument according to the present invention is provided with a dial having a light shielding film printed on a front surface of a transparent sheet except for a scale and a character portion. In a lighting device for a vehicle instrument equipped with a light guide disposed on the back of the dial and an illumination lamp for illuminating the light guide with illumination light, a transparent standing wall portion is provided on the periphery of the dial. A semi-transparent film is attached to the outer surface of the standing wall, and a light emitting portion of a light guide is provided facing the inside of the standing wall.

[0007]

In the lighting device having such a structure, when the substantially central portion of the dial protrudes to the upper surface side and a wall is formed on the peripheral edge thereof, the lighting device disposed on the back surface of the dial is provided. The light emitted from the light emitting portion of the light body passes through the standing wall portion and the semi-transparent film, and is radiated from the peripheral portion of the dial to the surrounding return plate. For this reason, soft light that has passed through the semi-translucent film is emitted outward from the periphery of the dial, and illumination with high decorativeness can be performed.

On the other hand, when a substantially central portion of the dial is formed in a concave shape and a vertical wall is provided on the periphery thereof, light emitted from the light emitting portion of the light guide disposed on the back of the dial is provided. Is passed through the standing wall and the semi-transparent film, and is irradiated onto the dial inside from the periphery of the dial. For this reason, soft light that has passed through the semi-translucent film is emitted from the peripheral portion onto the dial, and illumination with high decorativeness can be performed.

Further, if the semi-translucent film is arbitrarily colored, light having a soft color tone can be favorably displayed around the dial and the decorativeness can be further enhanced.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle instrument, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof. 1 is an instrument case,
A return plate 2 is mounted on the instrument case 1 so as to cover the upper surface. The facing plate 2 is formed with two pairs of large and small circular openings, and large and small dials 3, 4 are attached to the openings from the back side.

The dial 3 is formed by printing a semi-transparent film 3b of a predetermined color on scales and characters on a front surface of a transparent sheet (for example, a transparent sheet of polycarbonate resin) 3a, and excluding the scale and characters. The transparent sheet 3a is formed by printing a light-shielding film 3c in black or the like, and furthermore, drawing the substantially central circular portion of the dial into a convex shape by pressing or the like. A raised wall 3d is formed on the peripheral edge of the dial by convex drawing of a substantially central circular portion, and a semi-transparent film 3e is printed on the outer surface of the raised wall 3d during printing.

The semi-transparent film 3e is colored white or an arbitrary color, and its translucency is low in a portion near the illumination lamp 6 described later and is high in a portion far from the illumination lamp 6. In this manner, the brightness of the light radiated from the standing wall portion 3d to the peripheral portion is made uniform throughout.

Similarly to the above-described dial 3, the small dial 4 is formed by drawing a substantially central circular portion into a convex shape, and is formed with a standing wall 4d at the peripheral edge thereof. A similar semi-transparent film is printed on the outer surface of 4d.

A light guide 5 formed of a transparent acrylic resin or the like is provided on the back side of the dial 3 along the back surface thereof.
A projection 5a for introducing illumination light is provided in a part. An illumination lamp 6 serving as a light source is disposed in the instrument case 1 so as to face the protrusion 5 a of the light guide 5, and emits illumination light into the light guide 5. Further, a light emitting portion 5b for emitting light from the light guide 5 is disposed to face the standing walls 3d, 4d of the dials 3, 4, and the light guided by the light guide 5 is converted into light. In this structure, the light is radiated outward from the emission portion 5b through the standing walls 3d and 4d.

A light emitting portion is provided at a portion of the light guide 5 opposite to the base of the characters, scales and hands of the dials 3 and 4, and a light emitting portion is provided to emit light from the light emitting portion. ,
Light up the scale and pointer. Instrument movements 7 and 8 are provided in the instrument case 1, and hands 9 and 10 are attached to tips of pointer shafts projecting upward from the movements 7 and 8, respectively.

In the lighting device for a vehicle instrument configured as described above, when the lighting lamp 6 is turned on, the light radiated from the lighting lamp 6 is incident on the light guide 5 from the protrusion 5a, and the dial 3, Light is emitted from a light emitting portion of the dials 3, 4 facing the base of the dial, passing through the light guide 5 disposed on the back surface of the dial 4, and each character, the scale, and the pointer. Is displayed shining. Light is also emitted from the light emitting portion 5b facing the standing walls 3d, 4d provided on the peripheral edges of the dials 3, 4, and this light is transmitted through the standing walls 3d, 4d and the semi-transparent outside thereof. The light passes through the light film 3e and is irradiated onto the return plate 2 around the dials 3 and 4. Therefore, the soft light passing through the semi-translucent film 3e is transmitted from the peripheral portions of the dials 3 and 4 to the facing plate 2.
It is radiated upward, and highly decorative lighting is performed.

When the semi-translucent film 3e is colored, light of a soft color appears on the return plate 2, and the transmissivity of the semi-translucent film 3e increases with the distance from the illumination lamp. Since the brightness is adjusted accordingly, light of uniform luminance appears on the entire circumference of the dials 3 and 4, and good illumination can be realized.

FIGS. 5 to 8 show another embodiment. In this embodiment, the substantially central portions of the dials 13 and 14 are formed in a concave shape, that is, a convex shape on the lower side, and the wall portions are formed on the peripheral portions thereof. 13d, 14
d is formed. The same parts as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

That is, the dial 13 is formed by printing a semi-transparent film 13b of a predetermined color on the scales and characters on the front surface of the transparent sheet 13a, and excluding the scales and the characters, excluding the light-shielding film 13c of black or the like. Is printed, and the transparent sheet 13a is formed by pressing a substantially central circular portion of the dial into a concave shape by press working or the like. A standing wall portion 13d is formed on the peripheral portion of the dial by concave drawing of a substantially central circular portion of the dial, and the semitranslucent film 1 is formed on the outer surface of the standing wall portion 13d during printing.
3e is printed.

The semi-transparent film 13e is colored white or any color, and its translucency is low near the illumination lamp 6 and high near the illumination lamp 6. It is printed by changing the density of the paint,
The luminance of light emitted from d to the periphery is made uniform.

Similarly to the above-mentioned dial 13, the small dial 14 is formed by drawing a substantially central circular portion into a concave shape, and a standing wall 14d is formed on the peripheral edge thereof.
A semi-transparent film is printed on the outer surface of 4d.

On the back side of the dial 3, a light guide 5 is arranged along the back side, and a projection 15 for introducing illumination light is provided.
a is provided partially, and the illumination lamp 6 is
And emits illumination light into the light guide 15. Further, the light emitting unit 1 that emits light from the light guide 15
A structure 5b is provided to face the standing walls 13d, 14d of the dials 13, 14, and emits light guided by the light guide 15 from the light emitting portion 15b to the outside through the standing walls 13d, 14d. It is.

In the illumination device having such a configuration, when the illumination lamp 6 is turned on, the light radiated from the illumination lamp 6 becomes:
The light enters the light guide 15 from the protruding portion 15a, and is
The dial 1 passes through the light guide 15 disposed on the back of
Light is emitted from the light emitting portion facing the base of each of the characters 3, graduations, and hands of 3, 14, and each character, graduation, and hands are illuminated and displayed.

A light emitting portion 15b opposed to the standing walls 13d, 14d provided on the peripheral portions of the dials 13, 14 is provided.
Also emits light, and the light is emitted from the standing walls 13d, 14d.
d and the semitranslucent film 3e outside thereof, and the dial 13,
The light is radiated onto the return plate 2 around the periphery 14. Therefore,
The soft light passing through the semi-translucent film 13e is
4 is radiated from the peripheral portion onto the dial plate 2 to provide highly decorative illumination.

When the semi-translucent film 13e is colored, light of a soft color appears on the dials 13 and 14, and the transmissivity of the semi-translucent film 13e is The dials 13, 14 are adjusted according to the distance.
Light of uniform brightness appears on the entire circumference of the image, and good illumination can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle instrument to which a lighting device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dial 3;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view around a standing wall portion 3d.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle instrument according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the dial 13;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view around the standing wall portion 13d.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2-face plate, 3-character plate, 3a-transparent sheet, 3c-light-shielding film, 3d-standing wall, 3e-semi-transmissive film, 5-light guide, 5b-light emitting portion, 6-illumination lamp.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References Japanese Utility Model Showa 60-8827 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 58-8118 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 60-176125 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 51- 122641 (JP, U) JP-A 4-85118 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01D 11/28 G01D 13/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A dial having a light-shielding film printed on a front surface of a transparent sheet except for a scale and a character portion, a light guide disposed on the back of the dial, and illumination light provided on the light guide. A lighting device for a vehicle instrument provided with an illumination lamp for making the light incident thereon, wherein a transparent standing wall portion is formed on a peripheral portion of the dial, and a semi-translucent film is attached to an outer surface of the standing wall portion. A lighting device for a vehicle instrument, wherein a light emitting portion of the light guide is provided to face an inside of a standing wall portion.