JP4141735B2 - In-vehicle display device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted display device having a monitor, such as a vehicle-mounted navigation device and a television receiver.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of in-vehicle display device is often installed on a dashboard or console in a vehicle, but from the viewpoint of installation space and prevention of theft, the monitor is usually housed in a housing and used. In many cases, the monitor is pulled out to the front, and the front of the monitor is raised so that the display screen faces forward. The monitor is driven by an electric motor by operating the operation buttons. FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a conventional in-vehicle display device. A monitor 3 is attached via a slide / tilt mechanism 2 to a housing 1 attached to a mounting recess provided in a dashboard or console in the vehicle. The monitor 3 has a structure in which the liquid crystal device 4 is covered with a front panel 5. The slide / tilt mechanism 2 stores the liquid crystal device 4 in the housing 1, and the monitor 3 is pulled up and then rises upward. It is positioned at the use position. The front panel 5 has a plurality of operation buttons 6 on the upper end portion (front end portion in the storage position) in the use position, and another operation buttons 7 on the front surface (lower surface in the storage position) in the use position. Each of them is provided slightly protruding from the front panel 5. At the monitor 3 storage position, the operation button 6 at the front end is directed to the front, so that the monitor 3 can be raised to the use position by operating the open / close button 6a. At the use position of the monitor 3, the operation button 6 at the front end is now positioned on the upper surface, and the angle of the monitor 3 can be temporarily tilted forward by pressing the tilt button 6b therein. This makes it possible to operate a vehicle-side switch or the like located on the back side of the monitor 3. Further, when the mode button 6c is pressed, the navigation mode and the television mode can be switched. Since each operation button 6 and 7 has a character formed on its surface and its portion is translucent, the character appears to be raised by light from an internal LED (light emitting diode) at night. ing.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional in-vehicle display device, when the monitor 3 is raised to the use position, the operation button 6 at the front end is directed upward, so that the characters displayed on the operation surface of the operation button 6 are not seen from the front. It becomes difficult to see. This type of in-vehicle display device often maintains its state after getting into the vehicle and using the monitor 3 at the use position until it gets off the vehicle. Vehicle air conditioner adjustment knobs are often hidden. For this reason, when adjusting the air conditioner, it is necessary to tilt the monitor 3 forward by pressing the tilt button 6b. However, as described above, since the operation button 6 is directed upward at the use position of the monitor 3, the operation button 6 is operated. There is a problem that it is difficult to distinguish characters displayed on the screen from the front, and operability is poor. In particular, there is a problem that the position of the operation button 6 is difficult to understand because the surroundings are dark at night.
[0004]
The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and in a vehicle display device in which an operation button faces upward when in use, the visibility of the operation button can be improved and the operability can be improved. An object is to provide a display device.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the in-vehicle display device of the present invention is positioned at a storage position stored in the housing and a use position where the front end of the display device stands up upward after being pulled out from the housing. In-vehicle display device having a monitor to be
The front end portion protrudes operation button multiple is continuously provided, translucent window on the side surface in one operation button of a slope which is continuously provided on the operation surface of the operation button among the plurality of operation buttons There is formed, characterized in that it have the uneven surface of the operation button the transparent window is formed. With this configuration, when the monitor is raised to the use position, each operation button faces upward, so the characters displayed on the operation surface of each operation button are difficult to see from the front. The light from the transparent window improves visibility especially at night, can be recognized tactilely by the unevenness of the operation surface, and can be easily identified against other operation buttons that do not have a slope. And operability can be improved.
[0008]
In the in-vehicle display device according to the present invention, the unevenness includes the slope and convex portions formed on both sides thereof. With this configuration, irregularities can be formed without interfering with characters on the operation surface and the transparent window on the slope.
[0009]
In addition, the in-vehicle display device of the present invention is characterized in that when three operation buttons are continuous, the operation button provided with the light-transmitting window is arranged in an intermediate portion. With this configuration, by recognizing the position of the intermediate operation button provided with the translucent window, the positions of the operation buttons on both sides can be easily recognized.
[0010]
In the in-vehicle display device according to the present invention, the operation button having the light transmission window is an operation button for temporarily changing an inclination angle at the use position of the monitor. With this configuration, it is possible to easily operate a vehicle air conditioning adjustment knob or the like that is generally hidden by the monitor at the monitor use position by operating the operation button and temporarily tilting the monitor forward. .
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the main part of an in-vehicle display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The overall configuration of the in-vehicle display device is the same as that of the conventional example shown in FIG. 3, and the storage position stored in the housing and the use position where the front end of the display device stands up upward after being pulled out from the housing. Having a monitor positioned on the surface. In FIG. 1, a monitor 11 has a structure in which a liquid crystal display device 12 is covered by a front panel 13, and is retracted forward and to a storage position stored in a housing by a slide / tilt mechanism driven by an electric motor. Then, it is positioned at the use position shown in the figure rising upward. The front panel 13 has a plurality of operation buttons 14 at the upper end portion in the use position (front end portion in the storage position), and is provided so as to slightly protrude from the front panel 13. The plurality of operation buttons 14 include an open / close button 15 for positioning the monitor 11 at a use position and a storage position, a mode button 16 for switching an image projected on the monitor 11 for VTR and television, and an open / close button 15. A tilt button 17 is disposed between the mode button 16 and adjusts the tilt angle at the use position of the monitor 11.
[0012]
The tilt button 17 has a character 19 of “TILT” formed on the operation surface 18 facing upward, a side surface portion facing forward of the tilt button 17 as a slope 20, a translucent window 21 formed therein, Both sides of the inclined surface 20 are convex portions 22 and 23, and form an uneven shape together with the inclined surface 20. Accordingly, the character 19 formed on the operation surface 18 of the tilt button 17 facing upward at the use position is difficult to see from the front, but from the front, the inclined surface 20 of the tilt button 17 and the translucent window 21 provided therein and Since the unique shapes of the convex portions 22 and 23 on both sides are visible, the tilt button 17 can be easily distinguished from the other operation buttons 15 and 16 even in the daytime.
[0013]
The tilt button 17 is integrally formed of a semi-transparent synthetic resin material so as to be continuous with the other operation buttons 15 and 16 by a runner. As shown in FIG. 2, the tilt button 17 is inserted into the mounting hole 13a of the front panel 13 from the back side. The runner 17 a is inserted between the support hole 13 b and the liquid crystal display device 12. The tilt button 17 is painted on the surface of the translucent portion visible from the outside, and the character 19 and the translucent window 21 are formed by removing the coating of the character 19 and the translucent window 21 by laser cutting. The An LED 24 is disposed below the tilt button 17, and upward light from the LED 24 directly irradiates the tilt button 17. Therefore, at night, the characters 19 and the translucent window 21 appear to shine by the light from the LED 24. In addition, you may make it irradiate the light from LED24 to the tilt button 17 through a light-guide plate.
[0014]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the monitor 11 is raised to the use position, the slope 20 formed on the side surface portion of the tilt button 17 and the shapes of the translucent window 21 and the convex portions 22 and 23 are used in the daytime. Can be easily distinguished from the other operation buttons 15 and 16, and since the transparent window 21 is illuminated by the light of the LED 24 at night, visibility at night can be improved and operability can be improved. . Further, when the convex portions 22 and 23 of the tilt button 17 are touched with a finger, the convex and concave shapes can be tactilely identified. Further, since the transparent window 21 is formed on the inclined surface 20, when the character 19 of the operation surface 18 is formed by laser cutting, the transparent window 21 can also be laser-cut from the same direction, thereby reducing the number of processing steps. can do. Further, since the tilt button 17 provided with the translucent window 21 is arranged between the open / close button 15 and the mode button 16, the position of the operation button on both sides thereof is also identified by identifying the position of the tilt button 17. can do. Further, since the transparent window 21 is provided on the tilt button 17, a vehicle air conditioning adjustment knob or the like that is often hidden by the monitor 11 at a position where the monitor 11 is used by tilting the monitor 11 forward by the tilt button 17. Can be easily operated even at night.
[0015]
In the above embodiment, the transparent window 21 is provided only on the tilt button 17, but the same applies to the other open / close buttons 15 and the mode buttons 16 and other operation buttons provided with LEDs inside. Visibility can be improved by providing a translucent window. In that case, it is preferable to change the color, tone, or brightness of light in each operation button provided with a light-transmitting window. Further, the shape and position of the unevenness provided on the operation surface can be arbitrarily determined. In addition, when four or more operation buttons are continuous, every other operation button provided with a translucent window may be arranged.
[0016]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the in-vehicle display device according to the present invention is positioned at the storage position stored in the housing and the use position where the front end portion of the display device stands up upward after being pulled out from the housing. In the in-vehicle display device having a light transmitting window, a side surface of at least one operation button among the plurality of operation buttons provided to protrude from the front end portion is provided. Since each operation button faces upward when it is started up, the characters displayed on the operation surface of each operation button are difficult to see from the front, but by the light from the translucent window provided on the side surface causes particular improved visibility at night, can be easily identified to the operating surface irregularities tactile other operation buttons without the slopes can be recognized by the, improved operability It is possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a vehicle-mounted display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the vehicle-mounted display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Perspective view at the usage position of the in-vehicle display device in the example
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Monitor 12 Liquid crystal display device 13 Front panel 14 Operation button 15 Open / close button 16 Mode button 17 Tilt button 18 Operation surface 19 Character 20 Slope 21 Translucent windows 22, 23 Convex part 24 LED

Claims (4)

In a vehicle-mounted display device having a monitor positioned at a storage position stored in a housing and a use position where the front end of the storage device stands up upward after being pulled out from the housing,
The front end portion protrudes operation button multiple is continuously provided, translucent window on the side surface in one operation button of a slope which is continuously provided on the operation surface of the operation button among the plurality of operation buttons There is formed, in-vehicle display device, characterized by chromatic irregularities on the surface of the operation button the transparent window is formed. The in-vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein the unevenness includes the slope and convex portions formed on both sides thereof . Wherein when the operation button is three consecutive, vehicle display device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the operation buttons provided with the transparent window is arranged in an intermediate portion. An operation button having a transparent window is vehicle according to any claims 1, characterized according to claim 3 that is an operation button for temporarily change the tilt angle in the use position of the monitor Display device.

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