JP4260605B2 - Vehicle meter - Google Patents

Description

  According to the present invention, a bar display portion in which translucent segments for displaying a variable related to a vehicle state are arranged in a bar shape is provided on a dial plate, and a light emitting portion is provided on the back surface thereof, so that the variable amount can be increased or decreased. The present invention relates to a vehicle meter that increases or decreases the number of segments that emit light.

According to Patent Document 1 and the like, a meter that emits light from a rotary pointer by being guided from a light source by a prism is well known, and is also used, for example, as a tachometer for a vehicle. In this case, when combined with another meter as a combination meter, the motor is arranged in the arc center region on the premise of the arc-shaped indication region. On the other hand, according to Patent Document 2 or the like, a meter having a bar display unit in which segments each having a light emitting diode attached to each other are arranged on the back surface is also known. According to Patent Document 3, a similar arc-shaped bar graph display unit is provided. In addition, a combination meter in which another meter is arranged in the center area of the arc is also known.
JP-A-10-281823 JP-A-10-59016 JP 2002-362460 A

  However, when the light emitting portions are arranged on the back surfaces of the segments, especially when trying to make each segment easy to see, the number of necessary light emitting diodes increases, the attached light emission control circuit becomes complicated, and the circuit board has a complicated structure. Occupied area also increases, and there is a problem in terms of cost.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle meter that can cause each segment of a bar display unit to emit light using a common light source.

In order to achieve this object, the present invention is provided with a bar display portion on a dial plate in which translucent segments for displaying variables related to the vehicle state are arranged in a bar shape , and a light emitting portion is provided on the back surface thereof. Thus, in the vehicle meter that is configured to increase or decrease the number of segments to emit light according to the increase or decrease of the variable, the light emitting unit is subdivided corresponding to each segment and stacked in a state of being shielded from each other, Movable projections with a light guide group that is formed as a flat vertical surface with a light emitting surface that emits light from the segment to which the tip portion belongs and a light incident surface that each base end portion is attached to, and a motor that performs linear drive. According to claim 1, the movable light projecting unit (40, 41, 43, 46 to 48) has a common light source and faces the entire surface of the light incident surface (42). Vertical surface A light projecting unit main body (40) having a front surface as a light projecting surface (41) is provided, and the light projecting unit main body moves along the light incident surface (42) of the light projecting surface (41) to each light guide. In order to sequentially increase the number of segments emitted by sequentially projecting light from a common light source to the light incident surface (42) of (30), or according to claim 2, The movable light projecting section (56 to 59) projects a light to the entire area of the light incident surface (42), and the light is interposed between the light source and the light incident surface (42). A shutter (57), and this optical shutter sequentially projects the light incident surface (42) of each light guide (30) from a common light source (56) to sequentially increase the number of light-emitting segments. The motor (59) is linearly driven .

In claim 1, the light projecting portion main body (40) containing the light source is provided, and in claim 2, the light source (56) having a fixed position and the optical shutter (57) interposed between the light incident surfaces (42) are provided in segment units. Each time the variable moves in a stepped manner, the number of segments emitted by the arc or non-arc-shaped bar display portion sequentially increases.

According to the present invention , the circuit configuration is not limited by limiting the arrangement position of the motor, and without having to attach a light emitter to each segment, so that the light projecting unit can be moved and light can be emitted by a common light source. This simplifies the process, reduces the area occupied by the circuit board, ensures sufficient size and brightness, and is advantageous in terms of cost.

Based on FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 4, the vehicle combination meter as a reference example for demonstrating this invention first is demonstrated . As shown in FIG. 3, the combination meter 9 includes a fuel gauge 2 having a bar display unit 8, a tachometer 4 having a bar display unit 3, a water thermometer 6 having a bar display unit 5, and a speed having a numerical display unit 7a. The meter 7 is combined as a vehicle meter. That is, the bar display units 3, 5, and 8 are configured by arranging segments of light-transmitting sheets that are shielded from each other on a common dial 1, and step motors 4a, 6a, and 21 are provided on the circuit board 9a, respectively. The light-emitting part is attached together with a discharge tube or a liquid crystal type speedometer 7.

  FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 explain the fuel meter 2 having the bar-shaped bar display portion 8 of these, and the light emitting portion for sequentially increasing / decreasing the number of segments 8a that emit light according to the increase / decrease of the fuel that is a variable. The prism 10a subdivided corresponding to each segment 8a and shielded from each other is laminated as a light guide, the tip part is used as the light emitting surface 11 for emitting the segment 8a to which it belongs, and the base end part is light. The prism group 10 formed as the incident surface 12 and the step motor 21 are rotationally driven in a stepwise manner, so that light is sequentially projected onto the light incident surface 12 of each prism 10a for each step rotation from the movement start point. A movable light projecting unit 20 that projects light onto the entire light incident surface 12 of the prism group 10 at a predetermined rotational position is provided.

  The light irradiation surface 11 is raised so as to face the entire region of the segment 8a to which it belongs, and is formed into a comb shape having a corresponding shape as a whole, and the light incident surface 12 is formed as a circular vertical surface as a whole.

  The shaft 22 of the step motor 21 of the movable light projecting unit 20 is located at the center of the arc of the light incident surface 12, and a cylindrical rotating prism 25 as a light projecting unit main body incorporating a light emitting diode 23 as a light source is provided. Installed. The rotating prism is covered with a cap 29 having a lower end attached to the circuit board 9a and supporting the base end of the prism group 10 at the periphery. The cap is formed with an inner peripheral surface as a light shielding surface, and includes an opening 29 a having a shape facing the all light incident surface 12.

  The rotating prism 25 is formed with a circumferential surface region corresponding to the opening 29a as the light projecting surface 26, and a light shielding film 27 is formed in the remaining circumferential surface region. The light emitting diode 23 irradiates light obliquely at a predetermined angle with respect to the upper surface of the prism 10 a so that the irradiation light is reflected toward the light incident surface 12 at an incident angle at which light can propagate in each prism 10 a.

  The step motor 21 is provided with a rotation control circuit that outputs a pulse signal for rotating in steps of the arc angle of the light incident surface 12 of each segment 8a for each predetermined increment of the variable, and is provided on the circuit board 9a. . The light emitting diode 23 is fed by a power source provided on the circuit board 9a via a whisker spring 24 that follows the rotation of the rotating prism 25.

  The operation of the fuel gauge 2 configured in this way is as follows. When the fuel is empty, the light projecting start end 26 a of the light projecting surface 26 occupies the start end of the light incident surface 12 at the movement start position of the rotating prism 25, so that all the light incident surfaces 12 are shielded by the light shielding film 27. (FIG. 4A). The step motor 21 rotates the light projection start end 26a by the width of each light incident surface 12 every time the measured variable increases by a predetermined step unit. Thus, incident light is transmitted through the associated light irradiation surface 11 in order from the prism 10a at the start end, the number of segments 8a emitted from the bar display unit 8 is increased in order, and a bar graph is displayed in an arc shape. After the state shown in FIG. 4B has elapsed, the entire area of the bar display unit 8 emits light in a full state. As the amount of fuel decreases, the segments 8a are turned off in order from the end of the bar display unit 8.

FIG. 5A shows a vehicle meter according to another reference example, and shows a light emitting portion for the non-arc-shaped bar display portion 3 of the tachometer 4 instead of the bar display portion of the arc-shaped segment described above. The light incident surface 32 of the prism group 30 having the non-arc-shaped light irradiation surface 31 facing the bar display unit 3 is formed as an arcuate vertical surface as a whole, and the rotation of the movable light projecting unit configured as described above. The light projecting surface 36 of the prism 33 is formed in a concentric arc shape. The arc angle of each light incident surface 32 is set to be the same. As a result, the light is sequentially projected onto the light incident surface 32 for each step rotation of the rotating prism 33, and the segments of the bar display unit 3 emit light sequentially. However, if the arc angle of the light incident surface is not uniform for fine adjustment of the brightness, the step rotation amount for the unit variable is set correspondingly by the rotation control circuit of the motor that drives the rotating prism 33.

The vehicle combination meter as a reference example described above is configured by a movable light projecting unit by rotation. FIG. 5B is a linear slide type according to the present invention, which shares the dial part with this reference example. The movable light projecting unit will be described. That is, it shows a light emitting portion when the light incident surface 42 of the prism group 30 is formed flat as a whole, and is provided along the light incident surface 42 as a linear slide type movable light projecting portion. A light projecting part body 40 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 43 using, for example, a prism with a built-in light source and having a flat vertical surface facing the entire light incident surface 42 as a light projecting surface 41. ing. A rack 48 is attached to the rear surface thereof, and a pinion 47 attached to the shaft of the step motor 46 meshes so that the light projecting unit main body 40 projects the light incident surface of each segment in order. Move to slide.

FIG. 6 shows a light emitting part as a reference example in which the movable light projecting part is deformed by rotation . The prism 30 (FIG. 5A) in which the movable light projecting part is attached to the circuit board 9a by the peripheral wall part 39. The two light-emitting diodes 55 fixed to the circuit board 9a and fixed between the light-emitting surfaces and the light-incident surface 32 are disposed so as to project light to the entire area of the light incident surface 32 of the arc-shaped vertical surface. A cylindrical cap-shaped optical shutter 50 is provided, and an optical shutter concentric with the light incident surface 32 is attached to the shaft 22 positioned at the center of the arc of the step motor 21. On the peripheral surface of the optical shutter 50, an opening 51 having an arc angle corresponding to the light incident surface 32 is formed, and the remaining peripheral surface and upper surface are formed as light shielding surfaces. As a result, each time the optical shutter 50 is rotated stepwise, the opening 51 sequentially releases the light incident surface 32 from the light-shielding state, and sequentially projects light.

FIG. 7 shows a movable light projecting unit using an optical shutter in the same manner as the linear slide type according to the present invention . The light projecting unit 42 faces the above-described flat vertical surface light incident surface 42 and projects light to the entire area. A plurality of light emitting diodes 56 arranged in a fixed position and a plate-like optical shutter 57 slidably supported on a guide rail 58 are provided. The optical shutter 57 is stepped by a motor 57 via a slide drive mechanism. Driven. Thereby, for each step slide of the optical shutter 57, the light incident surface 42 is released in order from the light shielding state and projected.

It is a schematic sectional drawing of the fuel meter which is a vehicle meter of the structure used as the premise of this invention. It is a perspective view of the light emission part of the fuel gauge. The combination meter including the fuel gauge is shown, wherein FIG. A is a front view and FIG. B is a cross-sectional view. It is a top view explaining operation | movement of the light emission part. It is a schematic plan view explaining the structure of the light emission part with respect to a non-arc-shaped segment instead of the circular arc shape by FIG. 2 , and the same figure A is a light emission part provided with the rotational movable light projection part as a reference example, FIG. B is a light emitting section provided with a movable light projecting section by linear driving according to an embodiment of the present invention . As another reference example, a movable projection unit by rotation is shown. FIG. A is a schematic plan view thereof, and FIG. B is a sectional view thereof. It is a schematic plan view of the movable light projection part by another embodiment of this invention .

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dial 2 Fuel gauge 3, 5, 8 Bar display part 4 Tachometer 4a, 6a, 21, 46 Step motor 7 Speedometer 8a Segment 9a Circuit board 10,30 Prism group 10a Prism 11,31, Light irradiation surface 12,32 , 42 Light incident surface 20 Movable projector 23, 55, 56 Light emitting diode
25, 33 Rotating prism 26, 36, 41 Emitting surface 40 Emitting unit body 43 Guide rail 47 Pinion 50, 57 Optical shutter
59 Motor

Claims (2)

A segment that emits light according to the increase or decrease of the variable amount by providing the dial with a bar display part in which light-transmitting segments that display variables related to the vehicle state are arranged in a bar shape and a light emitting part on the back side In the vehicle meter that has increased or decreased the number,
The light emitting part is subdivided corresponding to each segment and laminated in a state where the light emitting parts are shielded from each other, and the tip part is used as a light emitting surface for emitting the segment to which it belongs, and the base part is a light incident surface. And a light projecting group formed as a flat vertical surface, and a movable light projecting unit attached with a motor that performs linear driving,
This movable light projecting unit includes a light projecting unit main body with a common light source and a flat vertical surface facing the entire surface of the light incident surface as a light projecting surface. However, the movement of the light projecting surface along the light incident surface causes the light incident surfaces of the light guides to sequentially emit light from the common light source so as to sequentially increase the number of segments emitted. A vehicular meter that is linearly driven by the motor . A segment that emits light according to the increase or decrease of the variable amount by providing the dial with a bar display part in which light-transmitting segments that display variables related to the vehicle state are arranged in a bar shape and a light emitting part on the back side In the vehicle meter that has increased or decreased the number,
The light emitting part is subdivided corresponding to each segment and laminated in a state where the light emitting parts are shielded from each other, and the tip part is used as a light emitting surface for emitting the segment to which it belongs, and the base part is a light incident surface. And a light projecting group formed as a flat vertical surface, and a movable light projecting unit attached with a motor that performs linear driving,
The movable light projecting unit includes a fixed light source that projects light to the entire area of the light incident surface, and an optical shutter interposed between the light source and the light incident surface.
The optical shutter is linearly driven by the motor so as to sequentially increase the number of segments emitted by emitting light from the common light source in order to the light incident surface of each light guide. Vehicle meter.

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