JP3747451B2 - Pointer-type instrument - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pointer-type instrument mounted on a vehicle, for example, and more particularly to a pointer illumination structure.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As this type of instrument device, for example, a pointer-type instrument that displays a traveling speed, for example, by rotating a pointer attached to the tip of the drive shaft of the instrument body on a front panel provided with a predetermined display unit, is well known, Such a pointer-type instrument usually includes a light source, and the pointer and the front panel are illuminated by this light source.
[0003]
Specifically, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-105649, the pointer is composed of a light emitting type pointer that emits light upon receiving light from the center of rotation, and the instrument body is located behind the front panel. It is common to use a pointer-type instrument that places a light guide that bypasses the guide and guides the illumination light by guiding the illumination light to the center of rotation of the pointer using this light guide. In addition to increasing the cost due to the light guide, increasing the size and complexity of the apparatus, and increasing the weight, the illumination method that has been used is not an efficient illumination method because the amount of light loss in the light guide path is large.
[0004]
In that respect, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-82274, a type in which a light source is disposed behind the rotation center of the light emitting pointer as described above and the pointer is directly illuminated by this light source is advantageous. According to such a structure, the apparatus can be reduced in size and simplified, and illumination efficiency can be increased by illuminating the pointer with direct light from the light source.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this type of pointer-type instrument that directly illuminates the pointer with direct light, in order to illuminate the pointer uniformly over the entire rotation range, a large number of light sources must be arranged on a concentric circle centered on the drive shaft. It is necessary to increase the cost. In addition, a light diffusing means may be required to obtain uniform illumination, which also leads to an increase in cost.
The present invention has been made in view of these points, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a pointer-type instrument capable of reducing the number of light sources to reduce costs.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a meter body with a drive shaft extending forward, a pointer that is attached to the drive shaft and emits light upon receiving light from the rotation center, and the rotation center behind the pointer. A light source that is disposed at a position corresponding to the light source and that illuminates the pointer, and a light guide unit that is interposed between the light source and the rotation center part and guides illumination light from the light source to the rotation center part. The light guide portion includes an opening portion that opens to the rotation center portion side, and is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the light source and the drive shaft in an annular shape, except for the front side of the light source. A reflection surface is formed so as to close the opening and is opposed to the rotation center along the drive shaft direction .
[0007]
In the invention it is preferable that the reflecting surface is provided in a shape surrounding the drive shaft.
[0008]
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the drive shaft penetrates the reflection surface.
[0009]
In the invention, it is preferable that the light guide portion is made of a white synthetic resin.
[0010]
Further, the present invention is characterized in that a front panel is disposed behind the pointer, and a penetrating portion corresponding to the light guide portion is provided on the front panel.
[0011]
Further, the invention is characterized in that the light guide portion is formed with a fitting portion that fits into the penetrating portion.
[0012]
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the light source is held on a circuit board disposed on the front side of the instrument body.
[0013]
In the invention, it is preferable that the circuit board comprises a single board for supplying power to both the light source and the instrument body.
[0014]
In the invention, it is preferable that the light source is a single light source.
[0015]
In the invention, it is preferable that the light source is a light emitting diode.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017]
Embodiments of a pointer-type meter according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0018]
1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pointer-type instrument, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the assembled state of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is taken along line AA in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a plan view when the light guide is viewed from the front side except for the pointer.
[0019]
In FIG. 1, a pointer-type instrument according to this embodiment includes a circuit board 1, an instrument body 3 that is conductively fixed to the circuit board 1 and has a drive shaft 2 extending forward, and a pointer 4 that is attached to the distal end side of the drive shaft 2. A front panel 5 disposed between the pointer 4 and the circuit board 1, a light source 6 disposed at a front side position of the circuit board 1, and a front panel disposed between the front panel 5 and the circuit board 1. It is comprised from the support member 7 which supports the panel 5 from back.
[0020]
The circuit board 1 is made of a hard circuit board in which a wiring pattern (not shown) is provided on a glass epoxy base material, for example, and driving means (not shown) for driving and controlling the instrument body 3 and lighting and controlling the light source 6. ) And various circuit components (not shown) such as resistors and capacitors are conductively connected to the wiring pattern.
[0021]
The instrument body 3 is composed of a movable magnet instrument or a stepping motor. The instrument body 3 is attached to the back of the circuit board 1 so that the drive shaft 2 penetrates the shaft hole 11 formed in the circuit board 1 and is appropriately conductive such as soldering. Means are electrically connected to the wiring pattern (the driving means).
[0022]
As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pointer 4 includes an instruction portion 41 made of translucent synthetic resin and a cover 42 that covers the outer periphery of the rotation center portion R of the instruction portion 41. The light receiving reflection that extends linearly along the front panel 5 and receives light emitted from the light source 6 disposed behind it at the rotation center R, and reflects and guides the illumination light toward the tip side. A portion 43 is formed.
[0023]
The front panel 5 includes, for example, a ground plate portion 51 made of light-shielding ink and a display portion 52 made of translucent colored ink on a thin plate-like base material (not shown) made of a light-transmitting synthetic resin. Only the portion 52 is formed so as to be light transmissive, and the display portion 52 constitutes a scale or a character arranged as an instruction target along the turning trajectory of the pointer 4, and further, at a position corresponding to the drive shaft 2. As shown also in FIG. 1, the penetration part 53 which exposes the rotation center part R of the pointer | guide 4 is formed.
[0024]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the light source 6 includes a single first light source 61 that is close to the shaft hole 11, and a concentric circle that is located outside the first light source 61 and has the shaft hole 11 as the center. The light sources 61 and 62 are each composed of a chip-type light-emitting diode, and the first light source 61 is located in a light guide unit to be described later and is a pointer. 4, and the second light source 62 is located outside the cylindrical portion and illuminates the display portion 52 of the front panel 5 through a second reflecting portion described later.
[0025]
The support member 7 is made of an injection-molded body formed in a case shape with a white synthetic resin, and corresponds to the array shape of the display section 52 of the front panel 5 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5. A peripheral wall portion 71 that is annularly provided to support the front panel 5, a first reflecting portion 72 that is formed of a curved inclined wall surface that extends along the front panel 5 from the front side toward the center side of the peripheral wall portion 71, and the peripheral wall An extension 73 extending partially from the inside of the portion 71 toward the center along the front panel 5, and supported between the extension 73 and interposed between the first light source 61 and the rotation center R of the pointer 4. And a light guide 74 extending along the drive shaft 2 and a second reflection having a substantially inverted conical shape extending obliquely toward the front panel 5 so as to surround the light guide 74 and facing the second light source 62. Part 75.
[0026]
The light guide portion 74 is open on both the circuit board 1 side and the rotation center portion R side of the pointer 4, and is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape surrounding the first light source 61 and the drive shaft 2. And in the hollow which accommodates the drive shaft 2, the inner wall part 76 extended in the direction which intersects with the expansion | extension direction of the drive shaft 2 at a predetermined angle is formed, and the front side of this inner wall part 76 of the pointer | guide 4 A reflection surface 77 formed of an inclined plane facing the rotation center portion R and the inner wall surface of the light guide portion 74 is formed.
[0027]
In the case of the present embodiment, the inner wall 76 extends so as to close the opening of the light guide 74 from a position close to the opening on the pointer 4 side to a position close to the first light source 61 beyond the drive shaft 2. In addition, a through hole 78 through which the drive shaft 2 passes is formed at a location corresponding to the drive shaft 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the surface shape when the reflecting surface 77 is viewed from the front side is a substantially semicircular shape, and the first light source 61 is exposed to the pointer 4 side from a region without the reflecting surface 77. It has become.
[0028]
A hook-shaped fitting portion 79 that is fitted into the through portion 53 of the front panel 5 and fits around the through portion 53 is formed on the distal end side of the light guide portion 74 that faces the rotation center portion R of the pointer 4. The front panel 5 can be engaged and held between the fitting portion 79 and the second reflecting portion 75 by fitting the through portion 53 into the fitting portion 79. In the present embodiment, the fitting portion 79 is formed in a hook shape and the front panel 5 is held and held. However, if the front panel 5 can be held, the shape of the fitting portion 79 is arbitrary, for example, The front end side of the light guide part 74 may be formed into a shape that can be press-fitted into the through part 53 of the front panel 5, and the front panel 5 may be press-fitted and held.
[0029]
In such a configuration, when the first and second light sources 61 and 62 are turned on, the illumination light from the first light source 61 is guided to the rotation center R side of the pointer 4 through the light guide 74 and rotated. The illumination light that has reached the moving center portion R is reflected to the distal end side of the instruction unit 41 through the light receiving / reflecting unit 43 to shine the instruction unit 41, while the illumination light from the second light source 62 is second reflected. The illumination light reflected in the outer peripheral direction through the part 75 and reflected in the outer peripheral direction in this way is reflected to the front panel 5 side through the first reflecting part 72 and makes the display part 52 shine.
[0030]
In the illumination of the pointer 4, the reflecting surface 77 formed in the light guide portion 74 is a direct light from the first light source 61, an illumination light that is internally reflected in the light guide portion 74, or a rear side from the rotation center portion R. It has a function of reflecting the reflected light toward the side toward the rotation center R side of the pointer 4. That is, the light guide unit 74 including the reflecting surface 77 constitutes a kind of pointer illumination room for illuminating the pointer 4, and the illumination light is supplied to the pointer 4 through the pointer illumination chamber, so that the pointer 4 is moved over the entire rotation range. It is bright and illuminates almost uniformly. In the case of this embodiment, since the light guide 74 including the reflective surface 77 (inner wall 76) is formed in a white color tone, the illumination light is efficiently diffused through the inner wall surface of the light guide 74 and the reflective surface 77. By reflecting the light, the uniformity of the illumination light introduced into the pointer 4 and the light guide efficiency thereof are improved.
[0031]
As described above, in this embodiment, the instrument main body 3 with the drive shaft 2 extending forward, the pointer 4 that is attached to the drive shaft 2 and receives light from the rotation center R and emits light, and behind the pointer 4 A first light source 61 that is arranged at a position corresponding to the rotation center portion R and illuminates the pointer 4, and is interposed between the first light source 61 and the rotation center portion R, and illumination light from the first light source 61. And a light guide portion 74 that guides the first light source 61 and the drive shaft 2 to each other. The light guide portion 74 includes an opening that opens to the rotation center portion R side. A reflecting surface that is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the ring and that is formed so as to close the opening except for the front side of the light source 61 and faces the rotation center R along the direction of the drive shaft 2 by providing 77, the rotation range throughout the pointer 4 with a small light source 61 Upon illumination of the pointer 4 Over and substantially uniformly, moreover it is possible to illuminate efficiently, reduce the number of light sources 61, it is possible to achieve cost reduction.
[0032]
In the present embodiment, the reflective surface 77 is provided in a shape surrounding the drive shaft 2, whereby the area of the reflective surface 77 can be increased, and the number of the light sources 61 can be decreased accordingly.
[0033]
In this embodiment, the area of the reflecting surface 77 is also increased by forming the drive shaft 2 so as to penetrate the reflecting surface 77.
[0034]
In this embodiment, the reflecting surface 77 surrounds the drive shaft 2, moreover the driving shaft 2 is arranged to penetrate, the size of the reflecting surface 77 is arbitrary, the first light source 61 disposed It may be set in accordance with the number of keys and the required brightness of the pointer 4. In the present embodiment, the reflecting surface 77 is set to an inclined plane facing the rotation center portion R of the pointer 4 and the inner wall surface of the light guide portion 74, but the surface shape of the reflecting portion 77 is arbitrary, for example, a curved surface You may form in.
[0035]
In the present embodiment, the illumination light can be efficiently diffused and reflected by providing the light guide portion 74 from a white synthetic resin. The material for forming the light guide portion 74 is not limited to a white synthetic resin as in the present embodiment, and any material having light reflectivity, preferably diffuse reflectivity, may be used. You can also In this embodiment, the light guide 74 is provided continuously from the support member 7. However, the light guide 74 may be provided from a single component and disposed on the circuit board 1.
[0036]
Further, in this embodiment, the front panel 5 is disposed behind the pointer 4, and the front panel 5 is provided with a through portion 53 corresponding to the light guide portion 74, and the light guide portion 74 corresponding to 53 is provided in this through portion. By forming the fitting portion 79 that fits into the penetration portion 53, the position of the light guide portion 74 with respect to the rotation center portion R of the pointer 4 can be reliably determined, and the illumination quality can be improved.
[0037]
Further, in this embodiment, the light source 6 is held by the circuit board 1 disposed on the front side of the instrument body 2, and the circuit board 1 is composed of a single board that supplies power to both the light source 6 and the instrument body 3. Accordingly, a dedicated circuit board for supplying power to the light source 6 is not required, and cost reduction can be achieved. At this time, the instrument body 3 is arranged behind the circuit board 1 so that the drive shaft 2 extends through the shaft hole 11 of the circuit board 1, so that the peripheral region of the drive shaft 2 on the front side of the circuit board 1 is provided. Since the light guide part 74 and the light source 6 can be arranged in this empty space, space efficiency can be improved, and the simplification, thinning, weight reduction, etc. of the configuration can be achieved.
[0038]
The number of the first light sources 61 arranged in the light guide unit 74 is arbitrary depending on the required luminance and the size of the reflecting surface 77. It is effective for cost reduction. The type of the light source 6 is arbitrary, but a small and low heat-emitting light emitting diode, particularly a chip-type light emitting diode is suitable.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, the present invention includes an instrument body with a drive shaft extending forward, a pointer that is mounted on the drive shaft and emits light upon receiving light from a rotation center, and the rotation behind the pointer. A light source that illuminates the pointer disposed at a position corresponding to the center, and a light guide that is interposed between the light source and the rotation center and guides illumination light from the light source to the rotation center. Provided, the light guide part is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the light source and the drive shaft, and a reflecting surface facing the rotation center part is provided therein, thereby reducing the cost. An instrument can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pointer-type meter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the assembled state of FIG. 1;
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a plan view when the light guide unit is viewed from the front side excluding the pointer.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Circuit board 2 Drive shaft 3 Instrument main body 4 Pointer 5 Front panel 61 1st light source 62 2nd light source 7 Support member 74 Light guide part 76 Inner wall part 77 Reflecting surface 79 Fitting part 52 Display part 53 Penetrating part R Rotation Central part

Claims (10)

An instrument body with a drive shaft extending forward, a pointer that is mounted on the drive shaft and receives light from the rotation center portion, and emits light, and behind the pointer is disposed at a position corresponding to the rotation center portion. A light source that illuminates the light source, and a light guide portion that is interposed between the light source and the rotation center portion and guides illumination light from the light source to the rotation center portion,
The light guide portion includes an opening portion that opens to the rotation center portion side, and is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the light source and the drive shaft in an annular shape. A pointer-type instrument comprising a reflective surface that is formed so as to close the portion and faces the rotation center along the drive axis direction .   The pointer-type meter according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface is provided in a shape surrounding the drive shaft.   The pointer-type meter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive shaft passes through the reflecting surface.   The pointer-type meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light guide portion is made of a white synthetic resin.   The pointer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a front panel is disposed behind the pointer, and a penetrating portion corresponding to the light guide portion is provided in the front panel. Type instrument.   6. The pointer-type meter according to claim 5, wherein a fitting portion that fits into the penetrating portion is formed in the light guide portion.   The pointer-type meter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the light source is held on a circuit board disposed on the front side of the meter body.   The pointer-type instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the circuit board comprises a single board that supplies power to both the light source and the instrument body.   The pointer-type meter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the light source is a single light source.   The pointer-type meter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode.

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