JP5103132B2 - Switch device and display forming method of switch device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch device such as a combination switch in an automobile, and a display forming method for the switch device, and in particular, the entire display of characters, symbols, etc. that are formed on the surface of the switch device and receive light emitted from a light source. The present invention relates to a technique for suppressing a luminance difference and luminance unevenness.

  Patent Document 1 includes a switch knob cover main body that can be retrofitted to a knob of a combination switch of an automobile or a shape printed on the surface of the switch knob cover so that it is separated from the main body at night. It describes that the main body or the figure is caused to emit light by ultraviolet rays emitted from a black light provided near the ceiling of the passenger seat.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 describes that a paint that emits light by ultraviolet rays is applied to a knob of a control switch of a power window for an automobile, and an ultraviolet lamp is installed in a casing of the control switch to emit light.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-7488 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-33403

  By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, when the display formed by the fluorescent paint is formed on a wide range of the surface of the switch device such as a combination switch, the display is displayed when the same light source is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. As a whole, there is a problem that brightness differences and brightness unevenness occur, and the aesthetics of the switch device are impaired and the commercial value is lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a switch device with less overall luminance difference and unevenness in the display formed on the surface of the switch device, and a display forming method for such a switch device. The purpose is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, one of the present invention is a switch device having a display formed by applying or printing a paint containing a light-emitting substance that emits light with a luminance corresponding to the amount of irradiated light. When the distance from the light source to the display is R, the incident angle of light incident on the display is θ, and a, b, and c are constants, the thickness T of the display is expressed by the following equation: T = (A × R ² + b × R + c) / cos θ
It is set to the value calculated | required by.

Another aspect of the present invention is the switch device, wherein the light-emitting substance is a fluorescent substance that emits light when irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for forming the display of a switch device having a display formed by applying or printing a paint containing a light-emitting substance that emits light with a luminance corresponding to the amount of irradiated light. Te, wherein the thickness T, the distance from the light source to the display and R, the incidence angle of light incident on the display and theta, when the constant a, b, and c, the following equation T = (a × R ² + b × R + c) / cos θ
It is characterized in that it is set to a value obtained by

Another aspect of the present invention is the switch device, wherein the light-emitting substance is a fluorescent substance that emits light when irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the whole brightness difference and brightness nonuniformity of the display formed on the surface of a switch apparatus can be suppressed.

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

  1 to 3 show a wiper switch 2 provided around a steering handle 1 of an automobile, which will be described as an example of a switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, the wiper switch 2 includes a wiper switch, such as letters such as “MIST”, “PULL”, “REAR”, a design depicting a state in which window washer liquid is ejected to a windshield, etc. A plurality of displays 3 are formed at different locations on the surface of 2 by printing paint (ink material or the like) containing a fluorescent material on the surface of the wiper switch 2.

Each display 3 formed on the wiper switch 2 receives light emitted from the light source 4 provided on the back side of the steering handle 1 and emits light. The light source 4 emits light (for example, ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 315 nm to 400 nm) that emits a fluorescent material, and is an apparatus such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or a fluorescent lamp (these are also referred to as black lights). It is. The light source 4 is turned on, for example, when a predetermined operation is performed on a switch such as a lighting switch provided around the steering handle 1 or when a light sensor or the like detects that the surrounding of the automobile has become dark. .

  In the present embodiment, the wiper switch 2 will be described as an example of the switch device. However, the form of the switch device is not limited to this, as long as the display 3 irradiated with the light source is formed on the surface thereof. Other types of devices may be used. That is, the switch device is a combination switch different from the wiper switch 2 such as a winker switch as shown in FIG. 4 (the switch shown in FIG. 4 also has a lighting switch), and the instrument panel (instrument panel) The power window switch etc. which are provided in the switch arrange | positioned in the inside, the door inner side part of a motor vehicle, etc. may be sufficient.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, when a plurality of displays 3 are formed at different locations on the surface of the switch device, the amount of light (illuminance) incident on each display 3 is different and is emitted from the light source. The following relationship exists among the luminous intensity I of the light, the distance R between the light source and the display, the incident angle θ of the light incident on the display 3, and the illuminance E of the light incident on the display 3.

E = I × cos θ / R ² (1)
That is, the amount of light (illuminance E) incident on each display 3 is determined by the distance R between the light source 4 and each display 3 and the incident angle θ of the light emitted from the light source 4 and incident on each display 3. It decreases as R increases and as the incident angle θ increases.

  On the other hand, the luminance of each display 3 increases as the amount of the fluorescent material per unit area included in the paint forming the display 3 increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, from the above relationship, the thickness T of each display 3 is set according to the distance R and the incident angle θ in order to make the luminance of each display 3 uniform. Specifically, the thickness T [mm] of the display 3 formed so as to receive light from the light source at an incident angle θ at a distance R [mm] from the light source was determined from the following equation.

T = (a × R ² + b × R + c) / cos θ (2)
In the above formula, a [1 / mm], b [dimensionless], and c [mm] are all constants. In order to obtain specific values of these constants a, b, and c, a measurement system shown in FIG. 6 was constructed and experiments were actually performed. As shown in FIG. 6, in this experiment, the distance between the light source 4 and the first display 3 (thickness T = 0.09 [mm]) is 50 [mm], and the light source 4 and the second display 3 (thickness). The distance from the light source 4 to the third display 3 (thickness T = 0.17 [mm]) was set to 60 [mm].

  As a result of the above experiment, the following values were obtained.

a = 6.25 × 10 ⁻⁴ [1 / mm]
b = −6.1 × 10 ⁻²
c = 1.589 [mm]
Therefore, Formula (2) becomes the following formula.

T = (6.25 × 10 ⁻⁴ × R ² + (− 6.1 × 10 ⁻² ) × R + 1.589) / cos θ (3)
In the above formula, the relationship between the thickness T [mm] and the distance R [mm] when the incident angle θ is 0 degree, that is, when cos θ = 1, is shown as an example in the following table and the graph of FIG.

以上のように、スイッチ装置に設けられる表示３の厚さＴを、光源４から表示３までの距離Ｒと表示３に入射する光の入射角θとに応じて設定するようにすることで、表示３の輝度を適切に制御することができ、スイッチ装置に形成されている各表示３の全体的な輝度差や輝度むらを抑制することができる。

As described above, the thickness T of the display 3 provided in the switch device is set according to the distance R from the light source 4 to the display 3 and the incident angle θ of the light incident on the display 3. The brightness of the display 3 can be appropriately controlled, and the overall brightness difference and brightness unevenness of each display 3 formed in the switch device can be suppressed.

  Further, the thickness T of the display 3 provided in the switch device increases as the distance R from the light source 4 to the display 3 increases, and the incident angle θ of light incident on the display 3 from the light source 4 increases. By setting so as to increase in accordance with the amount of light emitted from the light source 4, the amount of light emitting material contained in the paint increases as the display 3 emits less light, and the brightness of the display 3 increases. It is possible to suppress the overall luminance difference and luminance unevenness of the respective displays 3 formed in the above.

  Further, by formulating the relationship between the thickness T, the distance R, and the incident angle θ as in the above equation (3), the thickness T of each display 3 can be easily and accurately obtained by numerical calculation.

  By the way, when manufacturing an actual product, for example, based on three-dimensional design data acquired from a device such as a computer-graphic aided three-dimensional interactive application (CATIA) used for designing a product including a switch device, When the distance R to each display 3 and the incident angle θ are obtained, and the obtained distance R and the incident angle θ are delivered to a printing process including a printing machine capable of printing based on the above equation (3). Good.

  In this way, the thickness T can be accurately set, and a switch device in which a display with little luminance difference and luminance unevenness is formed as each display 3 as a whole can be manufactured efficiently and at low cost.

  The above description of the embodiment is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

It is a perspective view around the driver's seat of a car explaining wiper switch 2 concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is the figure which looked at the steering handle 1 periphery from the upper direction explaining the wiper switch 2 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the elements on larger scale of the wiper switch 2 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the elements on larger scale of the lighting switch and turn signal switch which concern on embodiment of this invention. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the luminous intensity I of the light emitted from the light source, the distance R between the light source and the display, the incident angle θ of the light incident on the display 3, and the illuminance E (light of the light incident on the display 3) It is a figure explaining the relationship of (quantity). It is a figure explaining the measuring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the thickness T and the distance R in the case of cos (theta) = 1 concerning embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Steering handle 2 Wiper switch 3 Display 4 Light source

Claims (4)

A switch device having a display formed by applying or printing a paint containing a light-emitting substance that emits light with a luminance corresponding to the amount of light applied,
When the distance from the light source to the display is R, the incident angle of light incident on the display is θ, and a, b, and c are constants, the thickness T of the display is expressed by the following equation: T = (a × R ² + b × R + c) / cos θ
A switch device characterized by being set to a value obtained by The switch device according to claim 1 ,
The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the luminescent material is a fluorescent material that emits light when irradiated with ultraviolet rays. A method of forming the display of a switch device having a display formed by applying or printing a paint containing a luminescent material that emits light with a luminance corresponding to the amount of light applied,
When the thickness T is R, the distance from the light source to the display is R, the incident angle of light incident on the display is θ, and a, b, and c are constants, T = (a × R ² + B × R + c) / cos θ
A display forming method for a switch device, characterized in that the value is set to a value obtained by the above. It is a display formation method of the switch apparatus according to claim 3 ,
The display forming method of a switch device, wherein the light emitting material is a fluorescent material that emits light when irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

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