JP3221958B2 - Deformed light guide - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a guide made of an inorganic dispersed light emitting device, and more particularly, to an inorganic dispersed light emitting device having excellent uniformity of luminance, visibility and productivity, and high design flexibility. The present invention relates to a modified light emission guide made of an element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the fields of automobile equipment and measuring equipment, a rod-shaped inorganic dispersed light emitting element has been used as a guide in order to enhance the visibility of a dial scale or a display character portion at night or the like. Have been.

[0003] That is, a light emitting pointer 10 composed of a conventional inorganic dispersion type light emitting element shown in FIG. 4 comprises a linear insulating metal layer 1, a white insulating reflection layer 2 made of white enamel glaze, and a phosphor enameled. Phosphor emitting layer 3, dispersed in IT
An electrode (not shown) provided on the transparent conductive film 4 and the linear metal core 1 are formed by sequentially laminating a transparent conductive film 4 such as an O film and a sealing resin layer 5. And an electrode (not shown) provided on the substrate is electrically connected by a lead wire or the like, and when a voltage is applied from a power supply, an electric field is generated in the phosphor light emitting layer 3 so that the phosphor emits light. I have.

[0004] The light emitting pointer 10 comprising the conventional inorganic dispersion type light emitting element shown in FIG. 4 uses a linear metal core material 1 having a constant diameter, and has a white insulating reflection layer 2 and a phosphor light emitting layer 3 on its surface. , The transparent conductive film 4 and the sealing resin layer 5 are each formed with a constant film thickness. The rod-shaped light emitting pointer 10 having the same diameter of the main body is most popular because it is easy to process. ing.

However, recently, from the viewpoint of improving the design and improving the visibility of the tip of the pointer, for example, as shown in FIG.
From the point a to the tip portion 11b, the irregularly shaped light emitting pointer 11 which is gradually tapered in a tapered shape is often required, and as the irregularly shaped light emitting pointer for responding to such a demand, a structure shown in FIG. Things are used.

That is, the conventional irregular light emitting pointer 12 shown in FIG. 6 is composed of a metal core material, a white insulating reflection layer, a phosphor light emitting layer, a transparent conductive film, and a metal core material on the surface of a linear metal core material 1 having a constant diameter. The EL light emitting layer 6 including the respective layers of the sealing resin layer is formed in a tapered shape such that the diameter gradually decreases toward the tip.

However, according to the conventional irregular light emitting pointer 12 shown in FIG. 6, it is extremely difficult to control the film thickness of each layer forming the EL light emitting layer 6, and it is also difficult to control the linear metal core material 1 in the EL light emitting layer 6. The thickness of the white insulating reflective layer 2 and the phosphor light-emitting layer 3 sandwiched between the transparent conductive film 4 and
Since there is a large difference between the base 12a and the tip 12b of the hands 12, the intensity of the electric field applied between the electrodes is different in each part of the hands 12, and the problem of uneven brightness is included.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been achieved as a result of investigations for solving the problems of the above-mentioned conventional light emitting guide composed of inorganic dispersed light emitting elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a modified light emitting guide made of an inorganic dispersed light emitting device having excellent uniformity of luminance, visibility and productivity, and a high degree of design freedom.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above object, a modified light emitting guideline of the present invention is provided on a surface of a metal core material.
A white insulating reflective layer, a phosphor light emitting layer in which a phosphor is dispersed in an enamel, a transparent conductive film, and a sealing resin layer are sequentially formed, and a rod-like member electrically connecting the metal core material and the transparent conductive film. A self-luminous type pointer made of an inorganic dispersion type light-emitting element, wherein at least the thickness of each of the white insulating reflective layer, the phosphor light-emitting layer and the transparent conductive film is constant along the longitudinal direction of the pointer, and the diameter is It is characterized in that it changes continuously along the longitudinal direction of the pointer.

Further, in order to secure the above-mentioned configuration, the deformed light emitting pointer of the present invention has a structure in which the diameter of the metal core material changes continuously along the longitudinal direction of the pointer, or the sealing resin layer has It is characterized in that the film thickness changes continuously along the longitudinal direction of the pointer.

Further, in the modified light emitting pointer of the present invention, it is most desirable that the diameter from the root to the tip gradually decreases in a tapered shape along the longitudinal direction of the pointer.

[0013]

According to the irregular light emission guideline of the present invention, by adopting the above structure, the thicknesses of the white insulating reflective layer, the phosphor light emitting layer, and the transparent conductive film, which cause non-uniform brightness, are made uniform. And because the entire guideline can be deformed,
An applied electric field is constant, and excellent uniformity of luminance and visibility can be secured.

The modified light emitting pointer of the present invention can be easily obtained by changing the diameter of the metal core material or the film thickness of the sealing resin layer along the longitudinal direction of the pointer, so that the productivity is good. Therefore, it is possible to easily cope with a change in the design.

Therefore, the irregular light emission guide of the present invention is as follows.
With excellent brightness uniformity, visibility and productivity,
It has a high degree of freedom in design, and exhibits ideal performance when applied as a guideline for, for example, automotive instruments and measuring instruments.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the inorganic dispersed light emitting device of the present invention and a method of manufacturing the same will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d) are front explanatory views showing a first embodiment of a modified light emitting pointer according to the present invention, and FIGS.
3 (a) to 3 (d) are front explanatory views each showing a second embodiment of the modified light emitting pointer of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c) each show a third embodiment of the modified light emitting pointer of the present invention. It is a front explanatory view.

The EL light emitting layer 6 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is formed by uniformly forming the white insulating reflection layer 2, the phosphor light emitting layer 3, the transparent conductive film 4, and the sealing resin layer 5 described in FIG. The EL layer 6 shown in FIG.
Means a layer including the white insulating reflective layer 2, the phosphor light emitting layer 3, and the transparent conductive film 4 described with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a linear metal core whose diameter continuously changes along the longitudinal direction of the pointer is used as the metal core 1 constituting the odd-shaped light emitting pointer 20. Each layer film of a white insulating reflection layer 2, a phosphor light emitting layer 3, a transparent conductive film 4, and a sealing resin layer 5 (collectively referred to as an EL light emitting layer 6) formed on the surface of the linear metal core material 1. It is characterized by having a uniform thickness.

FIG. 1 (a) shows a metal core material 1 having a tapered shape whose diameter is continuously and linearly reduced in a longitudinal direction from a root portion to a tip portion, and FIG. As a material 1, a tapered material having a diameter gradually reduced continuously and curvedly in a longitudinal direction from a root portion to a tip portion, and FIG. FIG. 1 (d) shows the diameter of the metal core material 1 from the root to the longitudinal direction such that the large-diameter portion 1d is located substantially at the center in the longitudinal direction. The medium-thick bar with gradually changing
The example which used each is shown.

The metal core material 1 having these shapes is made of iron,
A columnar base material made of metal such as stainless steel, aluminum and copper can be easily obtained by means of cutting while rotating, means of rolling, means of pressing and means of polishing.

However, it is necessary that the diameter of the metal core 1 be continuously changed along the longitudinal direction of the pointer.
For example, in FIG. 1C, when the base 1c 'of the large-diameter portion 1c is not a curved surface but has a certain angle and the diameter changes discontinuously, the white insulation in the EL light-emitting layer 6 formed in this portion. The film thicknesses of the reflective layer 2 and the phosphor light emitting layer 3 tend to increase or decrease as compared with other portions, which leads to uneven brightness, which is not preferable.

In the first embodiment, the EL light emitting layer 6 can be formed on the metal core 2 as follows.

First, a white enamel glaze is applied on the metal core material 1, dried, provisionally fired and fired to form the white insulating reflection layer 2.

Next, an enamel glaze in which a phosphor is dispersed is applied on the white insulating reflection layer 2, dried, temporarily baked, and baked to form a phosphor luminescent layer 3.

As the phosphor light emitting layer 3, a material in which a phosphor such as zinc sulfide is dispersed in an enamel is used, and the thickness of the phosphor light emitting layer 3 is usually set to about 40 to 60 μm.

Further, an ITO film (indium oxide-added tin) or the like is deposited or sputtered on the phosphor light emitting layer 3 so that the transparent conductive film 4 is formed.
Are formed, and electrodes are formed at appropriate places on the transparent conductive film 4 and the metal core material 1.

A sealing resin layer 5 is formed on the transparent conductive film 4 for insulation from the outside and protection of the element. Since the sealing resin layer 5 is made of a polymer film,
It can be easily formed by a simplified process.

That is, the sealing resin layer 5 is made of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic resin, cyanoethyl cellulose, cyanoethyl pullulan, cyanoethyl poval, cyanoethylsaccharose, cyanoethylsorbitol and cyanoethyl. The polymer can be easily formed by forming a polymer such as sucrose into an organic solvent solution or sol, applying this on the transparent conductive film 4, and then evaporating the organic solvent by drying.

Examples of the organic solvent used here include dioxane, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, cyclohexanone, methyl acetoacetate, dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, nitromethane,
Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, γ-butyl lactone, propylene carbonate, methylene chloride and the like;
It is appropriately selected and used depending on the type of the above polymer.

The concentration of the polymer in the solution or sol comprising the polymer and the organic solvent is also appropriately selected depending on the combination of the polymer and the organic solvent and the desired film thickness, but is usually in the range of 5 to 30% by weight. Is preferred.

Means for applying the polymer organic solvent solution or sol on the transparent conductive film 4 include brush coating and dipping, and the drying conditions vary depending on the type of the organic solvent used. The conditions of several minutes to several hours are selected depending on the temperature before and after.

Then, by applying a voltage from a power source to the electrodes via a lead wire (not shown), an electric field is generated in the phosphor light emitting layer 3 and the phosphor emits light.

The modified light emitting pointer 20 of the first embodiment thus obtained is provided with a white insulating reflective layer, a phosphor light emitting layer, a sealing resin layer, and a transparent conductive layer on the outer periphery of the metal core material 1 having a continuously changing diameter. An EL light emitting layer 6 made of a film is formed to have a constant thickness along the longitudinal direction of the pointer, and the white insulating reflective layer 2 and the phosphor light emitting layer 3 which cause non-uniform brightness in particular. The thickness of the metal core 1 is made uniform and the entire pointer is deformed, so that the applied electric field is constant and excellent uniformity of brightness and visibility can be ensured. Since it can be easily obtained by changing along the longitudinal direction, productivity is good, and it is possible to easily cope with a change in design.

The second embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (d) is different from the first embodiment described above in that it has a rotational symmetry that the deformed light guide pointer looks the same in any direction. So that only the part that the observer sees from the front shines,
A metal plate on a flat plate is punched out as the metal core material 1 to prepare a plate-shaped metal core material 1 whose front view is the same as that of FIGS. 1A to 1D, and only the front view portion is the same as above. A modified light emitting indicator 21 having the EL light emitting layer 6 is shown. In this case, substantially the same effect as in the first embodiment can be expected.

Next, in the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, a linear metal core having the same diameter as the metal core 1 is used, and the thickness of the sealing resin layer 5 is set. Is continuously changed along the longitudinal direction of the pointer, whereby the irregularly shaped light emitting pointer 22
Is different from the above-described first and second embodiments.

That is, in the third embodiment, the metal core material 1 used has a uniform diameter in the longitudinal direction similarly to the above-described conventional example (FIG. 4), that is, as in the first and second embodiments. The thickness of each layer of the EL light emitting layer 6 which is a linear material which has not been subjected to a cutting process or the like and includes a white insulating reflective layer, a phosphor light emitting layer, and a transparent conductive film is the same as that of the above-described conventional example (FIG. 4). In addition, the thickness of each layer is formed so as to be uniform along the longitudinal direction of the pointer.

In the third embodiment, however, the deformation can be achieved by continuously changing the thickness of the sealing resin layer 5 formed on the EL light emitting layer 6 along the longitudinal direction of the pointer. Have been.

That is, FIG. 3A shows an example in which the sealing resin layer 5 is formed so as to have a tapered shape whose diameter is gradually and continuously reduced linearly in the longitudinal direction from the root to the tip. FIG. 1B shows an example in which the sealing resin layer 5 is formed so as to have a tapered shape whose diameter is gradually reduced continuously and curvedly in the longitudinal direction from the root portion to the tip portion.
Shows an example in which the sealing resin layer 5 is formed by gradually changing the diameter from the root portion to the longitudinal direction so that the large-diameter portion 5a is located substantially at the center in the longitudinal direction.

In the third embodiment, the sealing resin layer 5
Can be easily formed as follows.

First, the process up to the formation of the EL light emitting layer 6 on the metal core 1 is the same as in the first embodiment described above. In this case, since the metal cores 1 have the same diameter in the longitudinal direction, FIG.
The thickness of the white insulating reflective layer 2, the phosphor light emitting layer 3, and the transparent conductive film 4 can be made uniform along the longitudinal direction of the pointer as in the conventional example shown in FIG.

Next, when the sealing resin layer 5 is formed, the polymer organic solvent solution described in the first embodiment is added to the preform in which the EL light emitting layer 6 is formed on the metal core 1. Alternatively, when the sol is applied, it can be easily dealt with by controlling the thickness of the sealing resin layer 5.

More specifically, a preform in which a white insulating reflective layer, a phosphor light emitting layer and an EL light emitting layer 6 made of a transparent conductive film are formed on a rod-shaped metal core material 1 made of stainless steel having a diameter of 1 mm. Is dipped in an ultraviolet-curable resin “TB3042D” (viscosity 15000 cps) manufactured by Three Bond Co., Ltd., so that the pulling speed of the preform is 0.7 mm / sec immediately after the start and 0.02 mm / sec immediately before the end of the pulling. FIG. 3A shows that the thickness of the sealing resin layer 5 in the longitudinal direction from the root portion to the tip portion changes continuously and linearly by gradually changing the thickness of the sealing resin layer 5 from the root portion to the tip portion by raising it from the dipping liquid and then curing it with ultraviolet light. The modified light emitting pointer 22 having the outer diameter shape of (2) can be easily obtained.

Further, by controlling the pulling speed of the preform from the dipping liquid more strictly in this case, the modified light emitting pointer 22 having the outer diameter shape shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C is obtained. It is possible.

The organic solvent solution or sol of the above-mentioned polymer used in the third embodiment was prepared by comparing the thickness of the sealing resin layer 5 and improving the acceleration / deceleration operability during pulling. Those having high specific viscosity and having thixotropic properties are desirably used.

The irregularly shaped light emitting pointer 22 of the third embodiment thus constructed is provided on the outer periphery of the metal core 1 having a uniform diameter in the longitudinal direction.
The EL light emitting layer 6 composed of a white insulating reflective layer, a phosphor light emitting layer, and a transparent conductive film is formed such that the thickness of each layer along the pointer longitudinal direction is constant and changes the longitudinal thickness of the sealing resin layer 5. As a result, the entire pointer is deformed, so that the applied electric field is constant and excellent uniformity of luminance and visibility can be ensured. Therefore, productivity can be improved, and design changes can be easily dealt with.

[0047]

As described above, the irregular light emission guideline of the present invention has excellent uniformity of luminance, visibility and productivity, and has a high degree of freedom in design. Demonstrates ideal performance when applied as a guideline.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A to 1D are front explanatory views each showing a first embodiment of a modified light emitting pointer according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (d) are front explanatory views showing a second embodiment of the modified light emitting pointer according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c) are front explanatory views showing a third embodiment of the modified light emitting pointer of the present invention.

FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are a perspective view and an enlarged sectional explanatory view showing an example of a conventional light emitting pointer.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory perspective view showing an example of a conventional irregular light emitting pointer.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory front view of the conventional modified light emitting pointer shown in FIG. 5;

[Description of Signs] 1 Metal core material 2 White insulating reflective layer 3 Phosphor light emitting layer 4 Transparent conductive film 5 Sealing resin layer 6 EL light emitting layer 20, 21, 22 Irregular light emission guide

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G12B 11/04 G01D 13/28 H05B 33/00 G04B 19/04 G04B 19/30

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A white insulating reflection layer, a phosphor light emitting layer in which a phosphor is dispersed in an enamel, a transparent conductive film, and a sealing resin layer are sequentially formed on the surface of a metal core material, and the metal core material and A self-luminous type indicator comprising a rod-shaped inorganic dispersion type light emitting element electrically connected to the transparent conductive film, wherein at least the thickness of each layer of the white insulating reflective layer, the phosphor light emitting layer and the transparent conductive film is the guideline. An irregularly shaped light emitting pointer, characterized in that the pointer is constant along the longitudinal direction and the diameter continuously changes along the longitudinal direction of the pointer. 2. The deformed light emitting pointer according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the metal core material changes continuously along the longitudinal direction of the pointer. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the sealing resin layer changes continuously along the longitudinal direction of the pointer.
The light emission guideline of the variant. 4. The deformed light emitting pointer according to claim 1, wherein the diameter from the root to the tip gradually decreases in a tapered shape along the longitudinal direction of the pointer.