JP7114377B2 - Aperture structure of electronic device and brightness adjustment method of light source in electronic device - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed embodiments relate to an aperture structure of an electronic device and a brightness adjustment method of a light source in the electronic device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic device is provided with a connector into which a plug of a cable connected to an external device is inserted. If such a connector is exposed when a plug or the like is not inserted, dust and the like may enter the connector, causing a malfunction and also spoiling the appearance of the electronic device.

For this reason, an electronic device is sometimes provided with a connector inside an opening provided in a front panel or the like, and a lid for opening and closing the opening. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a lid portion that is provided in the center console of a vehicle, has a connector into which a USB (Universal Serial Bus) plug is inserted into an opening of a panel, and closes the opening when the USB plug is not inserted. An audio device is disclosed comprising:

JP 2018-73847 A

However, in conventional electronic devices, the cover and the panel in the closed state are often formed so that they are flush with each other in order to improve the appearance. In the open state, there is a problem with visibility in the opening.

One aspect of the embodiments has been made in view of the above, and provides an opening of an electronic device that can improve the visibility of the opening when the lid is in the closed state and when the lid is in the open state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a component structure and a method for adjusting brightness of a light source in an electronic device.

An opening structure for an electronic device according to an aspect of an embodiment includes a lid, a light source, a window, and a light guide. The lid opens and closes the opening provided in the panel. A light source is provided inside the opening. The window portion is provided in the vicinity of the closed lid portion of the panel. The light guide section guides the light emitted from the light source into the window section and the opening.

An opening structure for an electronic device and a method for adjusting brightness of a light source in an electronic device according to an aspect of an embodiment improve the position of the lid in a closed state and the visibility in the opening when the lid is in an open state. can be done.

In addition, according to the opening structure of the electronic device according to one aspect of the embodiment, the light guide section can simultaneously generate direct light that is emitted from one light source to the window section and indirect light that is emitted to the inside of the opening section. can be done.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a front view of an electronic device according to an embodiment when a lid closed light source is turned off. FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 taken along line AA'. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a front view of the electronic device according to the embodiment when the lid closed light source is turned on. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 3 taken along the line BB'. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a front view of the electronic device according to the embodiment when the lid portion is opened and the light source is turned on. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 5 taken along line CC'. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing front-view shapes of a first terminal and a second terminal of the luminance changeover switch according to the embodiment. FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross-section of the pressed portion of the luminance changeover switch according to the embodiment; FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross section of the brightness changeover switch according to the embodiment when it is turned off. FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross-section when the luminance changeover switch according to the embodiment is ON.

Hereinafter, embodiments of an aperture structure of an electronic device and a method for adjusting brightness of a light source in the electronic device will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by embodiment shown below.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a front view of an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment when a lid closed light source is turned off. FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 1 taken along line AA'. The electronic device 1 is, for example, a car navigation device having an A/V (Audio/Video) function provided on a center console in the vehicle. Note that FIG. 1 selectively illustrates a portion of the electronic device 1 where a connector for connection with an external device is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 1 has an overlay panel (hereinafter simply referred to as "panel 2") on the front. The electronic device 1 also includes a lid portion 3 that opens and closes an opening portion 21 that is provided at a predetermined position of the panel 2 and has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front.

The lid portion 3 is formed so that the front view shape in the closed state is substantially the same shape as the front view shape of the opening portion 21 . In order to improve the appearance of the electronic device 1, the lid portion 3 is provided so as to be flush with the panel 2 in the closed state.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2 , the electronic device 1 is provided with a base panel 4 that defines the installation positions of the connector portion 41 and the light guide portion 7 inside the opening portion 21 . , a connector portion 41 and a light guide portion 7 are provided.

The connector portion 41 is provided so as to face the opening surface of the opening portion 21 when viewed from the front. Also, the light guide portion 7 is provided at the bottom portion of the opening portion 21 . Further, the electronic device 1 is provided with a substrate 5 that serves as a back wall of the opening 21 on the rear surface. In addition, below, such a board|substrate 5 may be called a back wall. Further, the electronic device 1 is provided with the light source 6 at the bottom of the back wall of the opening 21 . The light source 6 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

The light guide section 7 includes a top plate 71, a front plate 72 continuous with the top plate 71, a bottom plate 73, and a reflecting plate 74 connecting the bottom plate 73 and the front plate 72 and forming an upward slope from the bottom plate 73 to the front plate 72. and The light guide section 7 has a cavity 70 in an inner region surrounded by a top plate 71 , a front plate 72 , a reflector plate 74 and a bottom plate 73 . The light source 6 is provided inside the cavity 70 of the light guide section 7 .

The electronic device 1 also includes a brightness changeover switch 50 that switches the brightness of the light source 6 at an upper portion of the back wall inside the opening 21 . In FIG. 2, illustration of a specific shape of the luminance changeover switch 50 is omitted. A specific shape of the luminance changeover switch 50 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7A to 8B.

The electronic device 1 also includes a window portion 22 provided in the vicinity of the lid portion 3 in the closed state in the panel 2 . As shown in FIG. 1, the window portion 22 is formed, for example, in a straight line shape along the lower side of the closed lid portion 3 when viewed from the front.

The window 22 is formed, for example, by coloring the back surface of the panel 2 formed of a translucent member having translucency dark (for example, black) except for the region to be the window 22 . The lid portion 3 is also made of the same material as the panel 2, and the rear surface thereof is dark-colored.

The lid portion 3 is provided so as to be flush with the panel 2 in the closed state as described above. When the lid portion 3 is closed and the light source 6 is turned off, the window portion 22 visually assimilates with the solid black panel 2, and the boundary between the window portion 22 and the panel 2 becomes difficult to see.

Therefore, in the electronic device 1, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off and the light source 6 is turned off, the portion shown in FIG. can be done.

In the electronic device 1, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on and the light source 6 is turned on, the window portion 22 becomes brighter and functions as an indicator for guiding the user to the position of the lid portion 3. Position visibility can be improved.

Furthermore, when the lid portion 3 is opened, the electronic device 1 illuminates the inside of the opening portion 21 with the light emitted from the light source 6, thereby improving the visibility of the connector portion 41 provided inside the opening portion 21. can.

Next, the state of the electronic device 1 when the light source 6 is on will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a front view of the electronic device 1 according to the embodiment when the lid closed light source is turned on. FIG. 4 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 3 taken along line BB'.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a front view of the electronic device 1 according to the embodiment when the lid part open light source is turned on. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 5 taken along line CC'.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the light source 6 is turned on with the lid 3 closed, only the window 22, whose position was difficult to see as indicated by the broken line in FIG. Shine. Since the window portion 22 is arranged along the lower side of the lid portion 3 in the closed state as described above, the window portion 22 functions as an indicator for guiding the user to the position of the window portion 22, thereby position can be improved.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the light source 6 is turned on, the light emitted from the light source 6 passes through the top plate 71 of the light guide section 7 from the cavity 70 inside the light guide section 7 to the panel 2 . and illuminates the area A1 in the vicinity of the window 22. As shown in FIG. As a result, only the window portion 22 appears to shine brightly from the outside of the panel 2. - 特許庁

At this time, the light source 6 is provided at a position outside the area including the opening 21 and the window 22 when viewed from the front. In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the light source 6 is provided at a position lower than the height position at which the window portion 22 is provided.

As a result, the light source 6 during lighting is not visually recognized as a point shining within the window portion 22 from the outside of the panel 2, and the entire window portion 22 appears to shine evenly. Thereby, the shining window part 22 can clearly guide the position of the lid part 3 to the user while improving the appearance.

At this time, the light emitted from the light source 6 passes through the bottom plate 73 from the cavity 70 of the light guide section 7 , is reflected by the bottom surface (reflecting surface) of the reflector plate 74 , and is guided by the front plate 72 of the light guide section 7 . It is illuminated and advances toward the ceiling of the opening 21 .

A mirror surface member may be provided on the reflecting surface of the reflecting plate 74 . Thereby, the reflector 74 can more efficiently reflect the light emitted from the light source 6 toward the ceiling of the opening 21 . The light guided by the front plate 72 diffuses after passing through the upper surface of the front plate 72 .

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, when the cover portion 3 is opened, the front area A2 of the connector portion 41 is illuminated, and an AUX (Auxiliary) terminal 42 and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) provided in the connector portion 41 are illuminated. ) The visibility of the operation portion such as the terminal 43 can be improved.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the lid portion 3 is opened, the lid portion 3 opens upward as indicated by the black arrow and is housed along the ceiling of the opening portion 21 . At this time, the portion of the lid portion 3 that was the lower end at the time of closing partially protrudes from the opening portion 21 in an eaves shape.

For this reason, the connector portion 41 is shielded from outside light by the eaves-like protruding portion of the lid portion 3 , but the light emitted from the light source 6 is reflected by the reflector plate 74 of the light guide portion 7 and the upper surface of the front plate 72 is reflected. , the diffused light becomes faint and illuminates the front area A2, thereby ensuring visibility.

As a result, the AUX terminal 42 and the USB terminal 43 are illuminated by light diffused light (indirect light), so that the user's operation of inserting the AUX plug or USB plug becomes difficult due to the excessively strong illumination light. can be prevented.

Moreover, in the light guide portion 7, the portion 71a from which light is emitted toward the ceiling of the opening 21 is located outside the opening edge of the opening 21 in a front view (here, below the lower end 21a of the opening edge). is offset so as to be positioned at As a result, it is possible to prevent glare caused by direct visual recognition of the portion 71a from which the light is emitted.

At this time, the AUX terminal 42 and the USB terminal 43 are illuminated with faint light. is brighter than the front area A2 of the connector portion 41, the visibility of the installation position is ensured.

Here, the case where the connector portion 41 is provided inside the opening portion 21 is taken as an example, but the operating portion provided inside the opening portion 21 is not limited to the connector portion 41. For example, Any operation component other than the connector portion 41, such as a button or knob, may be used.

In this manner, the electronic device 1 includes the lid portion 3 for opening and closing the opening portion 21 provided in the panel 2, the light source 6 provided inside the opening portion 21, and the light source 6 provided near the closed lid portion 3 in the panel 2. and a window portion 22 to be formed.

Further, the electronic device 1 includes a light guide section 7 that guides the light emitted from the light source 6 into the window section 22 and the opening section 21 . As a result, the electronic device 1 can improve the visibility of the position of the lid portion 3 in the closed state and the visibility in the opening portion 21 when the lid portion 3 is in the open state, using the single light source 6 .

The electronic device 1 also includes a luminance changeover switch 50 that switches the luminance of the light source when pressed on the back wall inside the opening 21 . When the lid 3 is opened, it is housed inside the opening 21, and the luminance of the light source 6 is switched by pressing the luminance changeover switch 50 with the edge thereof. Next, with reference to FIGS. 7A to 8B, the luminance changeover switch 50 will be specifically described.

FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing front-view shapes of the first terminal 51 and the second terminal 52 of the luminance changeover switch 50 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross-section of the pressed portion 53 of the luminance changeover switch 50 according to the embodiment.

Also, FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross section of the luminance changeover switch 50 according to the embodiment when it is turned off. FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross section of the brightness changeover switch 50 according to the embodiment when it is ON.

The luminance changeover switch 50 includes a first terminal 51 and a second terminal 52 shown in FIG. 7A, and a pressed portion 53 shown in FIG. 8B. The first terminal 51 and the second terminal 52 are provided on the back wall inside the opening 21 .

As shown in FIG. 7A, the first terminals 51 and 52 have an S-shaped insulating region formed therebetween. On the other hand, the pressed portion 53 is made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber, and is formed in an arch shape or a dome shape as shown in FIG. 7B, and a connection terminal 54 is provided on the inner surface of the arch portion or the dome portion. .

The first terminal 51 and the second terminal 52 of the luminance changeover switch 50 are provided on the upper part of the substrate that forms the back wall of the opening 21, as shown in FIG. 8A. Further, the pressed portion 53 is provided so as to cover the first terminal 51 and the second terminal 52 with the connection terminal 54 located at a position facing the first terminal 51 and the second terminal 52 .

As shown in FIG. 8A, the brightness changeover switch 50 is in the OFF state when the edge of the lid 3 is not in contact with the pressed portion 53. As shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the luminance changeover switch 50 is turned on when the pressed portion 53 is pressed by the end portion of the lid portion 3 that is opened and stored along the ceiling in the opening portion 21 . The portion 53 is elastically deformed, and the connection terminal 54 connects the first terminal 51 and the second terminal to be in an ON state.

For example, the brightness changeover switch 50 makes the brightness of the light source 6 strong (high brightness) when in the OFF state, and switches the brightness of the light source 6 to low (low brightness) when in the ON state. Thus, when the lid 3 is in the closed state, the brightness changeover switch 50 illuminates the window 22 with high brightness, thereby accurately guiding the user to the position of the lid 3 in the closed state.

After the lid portion 3 is opened, the luminance changeover switch 50 does not need to guide the user about the position of the lid portion 3. Therefore, the brightness of the window portion 22 can be reduced to reduce power consumption. .

Furthermore, the luminance changeover switch 50 can prevent the user from becoming difficult to insert the AUX plug or the USB plug due to the inside of the opening 21 being too bright when the lid 3 is open.

In addition, the luminance changeover switch 50 is switched between OFF and ON in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the lid portion 3 by the user. Thereby, the user can perform the opening/closing operation of the lid portion 3 and the luminance switching operation of the light source 6 by one operation, thereby improving usability.

Further, the pressed portion 53 pressed by the cover portion 3 of the luminance changeover switch 50 is made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber. For this reason, the luminance changeover switch 50 can suppress the generation of a knocking sound due to the collision of the lid 3 with the substrate 5 even when the user opens the lid 3 forcefully, for example.

Note that the above-described embodiment is an example, and the electronic device 1 can be modified in various ways. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the brightness of the light source 6 is high when the brightness selector switch 50 is OFF, and the brightness of the light source 6 is low when the brightness switch 50 is ON. However, such luminance states may be reversed.

In other words, the brightness of the light source 6 may be low when the brightness switch 50 is OFF, and may be high when the switch 50 is ON. As a result, the luminance changeover switch 50 can prevent the vehicle driving from being hindered due to the window 22 being too bright when the cover 3 is closed at night, for example.

Furthermore, when the cover 3 is opened at night, the brightness changeover switch 50 brightly illuminates the interior of the opening 21 with the high-brightness light source 6 even if the surroundings are dark. Workability can be improved.

For example, the luminance changeover switch 50 may be configured to turn off the light source 6 when in the OFF state and turn on the light source 6 when in the ON state. As a result, the brightness changeover switch 50 cannot use the window portion 22 as an indicator, but power consumption can be reduced as much as possible in a bright location such as during the daytime.

In the above-described embodiment, the lid portion 3 has an upward opening structure, the window portion 22 is provided near the lower side of the lid portion 3 in the closed state, the brightness changeover switch 50 is provided on the upper part of the back wall, and the light source 6 and the light guide are provided. Although the portion 7 is provided at the bottom inside the opening 21, they may be configured upside down.

In such a configuration, the lid portion 3 opens downward, the window portion 22 is provided in the vicinity of the upper side of the closed lid portion 3, the luminance changeover switch 50 is provided in the lower part of the back wall, and the light source 6 and the light source 6 are provided. A light part 7 is provided in the upper part inside the opening part 21 .

Even with this configuration, as in the electronic device described above, one light source 6 provides visibility of the position of the lid 3 in the closed state and the visibility in the opening 21 when the lid 3 is in the open state. It is possible to improve the operability of the operation unit provided inside the.

Moreover, when the cover part 3 is a downward opening structure, the light source 6 is provided in the position higher than the height position in which the window part 22 is provided in front view. As a result, it is possible to prevent the light source 6 during lighting from being visually recognized from the outside of the panel 2 as if it were a shining point within the window portion 22 . In addition, it is possible to prevent glare caused by direct visual recognition of the portion of the light guide portion 7 from which the light that illuminates the inside of the opening 21 is emitted.

Also, the lid portion 3 may have a right-opening structure, a left-opening structure, or a double-door structure. For example, when the lid portion 3 has a structure that opens to the right, the window portion 22 is provided near the left side of the lid portion 3 in the closed state, the luminance switch 50 is provided at the right end of the back wall, and the light source 6 and the light guide portion are provided. 7 is provided at the left end within the opening 21 .

In the case of such a configuration, the light guide portion 7 is provided so that the right end thereof is positioned outside the opening portion 21 when viewed from the front, and the light source 6 is positioned to the left of the position where the window portion 22 is provided when viewed from the front. provided in

When the lid portion 3 has a structure that opens to the left, the window portion 22 is provided near the right side of the lid portion 3 in the closed state, the luminance changeover switch 50 is provided at the left end portion of the back wall, and the light source 6 and the light guide portion are provided. 7 is provided at the right end within the opening 21 .

In the case of such a configuration, the light guide portion 7 is provided so that the left end thereof is located outside the opening portion 21 when viewed from the front, and the light source 6 is located on the right side of the position where the window portion 22 is provided when viewed from the front. provided in

Further, for example, when the lid portion 3 has a double-door structure, the windows 22 are provided in the vicinity of the upper side and the lower side of the closed lid portion 3, and the luminance changeover switches 50 are provided in the left and right ends of the back wall. , and the light source 6 and the light guide 7 are provided in the upper and lower portions of the opening 21 .

In the case of such a configuration, the light guide portion 7 provided above the opening portion 21 is provided so that the lower end portion is positioned outside the opening portion 21 in a front view, and the light guide portion 7 provided below the opening portion 21 is provided. The light part 7 is provided so as to be positioned outside the opening 21 in plan view.

The light source 6 provided above the opening 21 is provided at a position higher than the height position at which the upper window 22 is provided, and the light source 6 provided below the opening 21 is provided at the lower window. It is provided at a position lower than the height position at which 22 is provided.

With such a configuration, as with the electronic device described above, the position of the lid 3 in the closed state and the visibility of the inside of the opening 21 when the lid 3 is in the open state can be improved. It is possible to prevent the light source 6 from being visually recognized as a shining point within the window portion 22. - 特許庁In addition, it is possible to prevent glare caused by direct visual recognition of the portion of the light guide portion 7 from which the light that illuminates the inside of the opening 21 is emitted.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the electronic device 1 is a car navigation device mounted on a vehicle has been described, but this is just an example. The electronic device 1 is not limited to an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation device, and may be any electric appliance such as a general home appliance used at home.

Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments so shown and described. Accordingly, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 electronic device 2 panel 21 opening 22 window 3 lid 4 base panel 41 connector 42 AUX terminal 43 USB terminal 5 board 50 brightness changeover switch 51 first terminal 52 second terminal 53 pressed part 54 connection terminal 6 light source 7 Light Guide Part 70 Cavity 71 Top Plate 72 Front Plate 73 Bottom Plate 74 Reflector

Claims (7)

a lid that opens and closes an opening provided in the panel;
a light source provided inside the opening;
a window portion provided in the vicinity of the lid portion in the closed state in the panel;
and a light guide section that guides light emitted from the light source to the inside of the window section and the opening section. The opening is
Equipped with an operation unit inside,
The light guide section
2. The opening structure of an electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a reflecting surface that reflects light emitted from a light source toward the operation unit. The light source is
3. The opening structure of an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the opening structure is provided outside a region including the opening and the window when viewed from the front. further comprising a switch for switching the brightness of the light source when pressed on the back wall inside the opening,
The lid is
4. The opening structure of an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the opening is housed inside the opening when opened, and the end presses the switch. The switch is
Provided on the upper part of the back wall,
The lid is
5. The opening structure of an electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the electronic device opens upward when opened and is stored along the ceiling inside the opening. The switch is
a first terminal and a second terminal provided on the back wall;
It is formed in an arch shape or a dome shape covering the first terminal and the second terminal, and is elastically deformed by being pressed by the end of the lid portion to a position facing the first terminal and the second terminal. 6. The opening structure of an electronic device according to claim 4, further comprising: a pressed portion for connecting the first terminal and the second terminal by a connection terminal. a step of opening a lid for opening and closing an opening provided in a panel of an electronic device and storing the lid in the opening;
A step of switching the brightness of a light source provided inside the opening by pressing a switch provided on a back wall inside the opening by an end portion of the lid accommodated inside the opening. A method for adjusting brightness of a light source in an electronic device, comprising:

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