JP7177978B2 - Remote control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a remote control device.

A conventional remote control device includes a display unit having a display unit that displays various setting information of an operation target device (for example, an air conditioner), an operation unit including an operation switch for operating the operation target device, an operation target A circuit board on which a transmission unit for transmitting remote operation signals to the device, an operation detection unit for detecting operations by the operation unit, and a control unit for controlling the display and transmission unit are mounted in the case body. (See Patent Document 1, for example).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-40178

However, there are multiple variations depending on the presence or absence of functions in the device to be operated, and accordingly, there are multiple variations in the size of the display unit and the number of individual switches in the operation unit of the remote control device. It became necessary to design a dedicated board for each variation, and there was room for improvement in terms of standardization of parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to address the above-mentioned problems and to provide a remote control device that can share parts even if there are multiple variations. Other objects of the invention are described later.

A remote control device according to a first disclosure of the present invention is a remote control device for remotely controlling a device (200),
a display panel (2) having a display section (21) for displaying predetermined information;
an operation unit (1) for performing a predetermined operation;
a transmitter (51) for transmitting a remote control signal relating to the remote control;
A circuit in which an operation detection unit (7) for detecting the operation and a control unit (8) for controlling the display panel and the transmission unit (5 1 ) according to the detection result of the operation detection unit (7) are mounted. a substrate (4);
A case body (3) that holds the operation unit (1), the display panel (2), the transmission unit (51), and the circuit board (4),
a part of the display panel (2) including the display portion (21) is provided outside the case body (3) ,
The circuit board (4) includes a first circuit board (41) on which the operation detection section (7) is mounted and a second circuit board (42) on which the control section (8) is mounted,
The first circuit board (41) and the second circuit board (42) are arranged to overlap in the case body (3) .

Further, a remote control device according to a second disclosure of the present invention is the remote control device according to the first disclosure of the present invention, wherein the case body (3) includes the display unit ( 21) is provided with a first opening (34) protruding to the outside.

Further, a remote control device according to a third disclosure of the present invention is the remote control device according to the first or second disclosure of the present invention, wherein the transmitter (5) emits infrared rays as the remote control signal. ,
The case body (3) has a second opening (35) formed behind the display panel (2) and emitting the remote control signal to the outside.

Further, a remote control device according to a fourth disclosure of the present invention is the remote control device according to the first to third disclosures of the present invention, including a transparent display panel as the display panel (2).

According to the remote control device according to the first disclosure of the present invention, by configuring the remote control device so that the display panel is provided outside the case body, even if there are a plurality of variations in the size of the display unit, , the case body and the circuit board can be shared.

According to the remote control device according to the second disclosure of the present invention, the display panel of the remote control device protrudes outside from the first opening of the case body. Even if variations occur, it is possible to share the case body and the circuit board.

According to the remote control device according to the first disclosure of the present invention, by dividing the circuit board into the first circuit board on which the operation detection section is mounted and the second circuit board on which the control section is mounted, Even if there are a plurality of variations in the number and arrangement of switches in the operating portion, the second circuit board among the circuit boards can be shared. In addition, by arranging the first and second circuit boards in the case so as to overlap each other, the area of the circuit boards can be reduced and the size of the case can be reduced.

According to the remote control device according to the third disclosure of the present invention, the case body is provided with the second opening formed on the rear side of the display panel and emitting the remote control signal to the outside. You can keep your sexuality.

According to the remote control device according to the fourth disclosure of the present invention, by using the transparent display panel as the display panel, it is possible to improve the design of the remote control device.

1 is a front view of a remote control device that is an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. (a) is a side view of the remote control device of FIG. 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the remote control device of FIG. 1 taken along the line AA. 2 is a block diagram of the remote control device of FIG. 1; FIG. It is a figure which shows the other example of the remote control which is embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the remote control device of the present invention, an example applied to a remote controller for an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as a remote control) will be described with reference to the drawings.

1, 2(a), 2(b) and 3 are diagrams showing a remote control 100 that is an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view of the remote controller 100, FIG. 2(a) is a side view of the remote controller 100, FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the remote controller 100 along line AA, and FIG. It is a diagram. In addition, in FIG. 2B, hatching lines indicating cross sections of members other than the case body 3 are omitted in order to make the drawing easier to see. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the remote controller 100 includes an operation unit 1, a display panel 2, a case body 3, a circuit board 4, a transmission/reception unit 5, and a battery 6. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the remote control 100 has, as its functions, an operation detection section 7, a control section 8, a transmission/reception section 5, and a display section 21. As shown in FIG. A remote controller 100 is communicably connected to an air conditioner (device) 200 to be remotely controlled.

The operation unit 1 can be a push button switch whose key top is exposed so that the user can touch it. In this case, a plurality of push button switches are provided. It is also possible to print designs such as characters and symbol marks that indicate functions on the key tops. In this embodiment, the operation unit 1 includes a setting switch 11 for changing settings in various modes, a menu switch 12 for switching to the menu mode, a cancel switch 13 for returning to various modes, A cooling switch 14 , a heating switch 15 , and a dehumidifying switch 16 for switching operation modes (cooling, heating, dehumidifying) of the air conditioner 200 are provided.

The display panel 2 is a so-called transparent display panel in which a display section 21 for displaying various information is housed in a plate-shaped transparent member 22 made of transparent resin or the like. The display panel 2 is provided so that a part including the display unit 21 is provided outside the case body 3 and the other part is held inside the case body 3 . As the transparent display panel of the present invention, it is sufficient that the display section 21 and other portions are transparent to light, and translucent ones are also included. The display unit 21 has a display element such as liquid crystal, and can perform desired display output based on a control signal from the control unit 8 . Specifically, the display unit 21 can display the indoor/outdoor temperature of the air conditioner 200, the current time, timer time, operation mode, various setting states, operation guides, and the like. In addition, by covering the display unit 21 with a transparent touch panel, the display panel 2 can also be used as a part of the operation unit (input interface). The display unit 21 has a plurality of display areas, and in this embodiment, a time display unit 211 capable of displaying the current time, the OFF timer time for turning off the power, or the ON timer time for turning on the power, 200 air volume (air velocity), a temperature display unit 213 capable of displaying the indoor temperature and set temperature, an operation mode display unit 214 that displays the operation mode of the air conditioner 200, and various setting states. and a menu display unit 215 capable of displaying operation guides and the like.

The case body 3 is made of a synthetic resin material, for example, and is a housing that accommodates each switch of the operation unit 1, a part of the display panel 2, the circuit board 4, the transmission/reception unit 5, and the battery 6. FIG. The case body 3 is plate-shaped, and in this embodiment, it is divided into three members, a front case 31, a back case 32, and a battery cover 33, which are fitted together. In addition, the case body 3 is formed on its top surface side with a first opening 34 through which part of the display panel 2 protrudes to the outside, and on the back side (rear side) of the display panel 2 and the first opening 34. and a second opening 35 for emitting a remote control signal, which will be described later. The front case 31 includes the operation surface (surface) of the case body 3 and has a third opening 311 that exposes the operation unit 1 on the surface side. Further, the front case 31 has a part of the first opening 34 on the top surface side. The back case 32 has a recessed first storage portion 321 for storing the operation unit 1, part of the display panel 2, the circuit board 4, and the transmission/reception unit 5 on the front side, and stores the battery 6 on the back side. It has a concave second storage portion 322 . Further, the back case 32 has another part of the first opening 34 and a second opening 35 on the top surface side. The battery cover 33 has a lid shape and is arranged to close the fourth opening 323 of the second storage section 322 from the back side of the back case 32 .

The circuit board 4 is mounted with an electronic circuit for executing the function of the remote controller 100 . In the present embodiment, the circuit board 4 includes a first circuit board 41 which is a hard circuit board on which a portion of the electronic circuit that functions as the operation detection section 7 is mounted, and a first circuit board 41 that functions as the control section 8 of the electronic circuit. A second circuit board 42 that is a hard circuit board on which parts are mounted, a third circuit board 43 that is a flexible circuit board that connects the first circuit board 41 and the second circuit board 42, and a display section. A fourth circuit board 44 that is a flexible circuit board that connects 21 and the second circuit board 42, and a fifth circuit board 45 that is a flexible circuit board that connects the transmitting/receiving section 5 and the second circuit board 42. and have The first circuit board 41 and the second circuit board 42 are arranged to overlap each other in the front-rear direction inside the case body 3 .

The transmitting/receiving unit 5 includes a transmitting unit 51 composed of an infrared LED that emits infrared rays toward the air conditioner 200 as a remote control signal, a receiving unit 52 composed of an infrared sensor that receives infrared rays as a response signal from the air conditioner 200, have The transmitting/receiving section 5 is arranged in the first storage section 321 of the case body 3 so as to be located on the back side (rear side) of the display panel 2 according to the second opening 35 of the case body 3 . The infrared rays emitted from the transmitter 51 are emitted to the outside from the second opening 35 of the case body 3, and the infrared rays from the air conditioner 200 enter the case body 3 from the second opening 35 of the case body 3. and received by the receiving unit 52 . The second opening 35 is covered with a protective cover 53 made of a resin material that can transmit infrared rays.

The battery 6 is housed in the second housing portion 322 of the case body 3 and serves as a power source for supplying power to the circuit board 4 .

The operation detection section 7 detects an operation of the operation section 1 and outputs the detection result to the control section 8 as an operation signal. For example, a tactile switch element (not shown) is mounted on the first circuit board 41, and the tactile switch element operates in conjunction with a change in the position of the key top of the operation unit 1 based on the user's pressing operation. An operation signal can be output to the control unit 8 .

The control unit 8 controls the display unit 21 and the transmission/reception unit 5 based on the detection result (operation signal) of the operation detection unit 7 and the response signal from the air conditioner 200, and causes the display unit 21 to display predetermined information, It causes the transmission/reception unit 5 (transmission unit 51) to output a remote control signal prompting the air conditioner 200 to change the setting. For example, the second circuit board 42 is mounted with a microcomputer having an arithmetic circuit, a memory circuit, a timer circuit, and the like.

Next, functions and effects of the remote controller 100 will be described.

As described above, the remote controller 100 has a part of the display panel 2 provided outside the case body 3 . Specifically, a portion of the display panel 2 protrudes outside from the first opening 34 of the case body 3 . Therefore, even if the air conditioner 200 has a plurality of variations depending on the presence or absence of functions, and the remote controller 100 has a plurality of variations in the size of the display unit, it is sufficient to replace the display panel, and the case body 3 and the circuit can be replaced. Components can be shared for the board 4 .

Further, the remote control 100 includes, as the circuit board 4, a first circuit board 41 on which the operation detection section 7 is mounted and a second circuit board 42 on which the control section 8 is mounted. The second circuit board 42 and the second circuit board 42 are arranged in the case body 3 so as to overlap each other. Therefore, even if the remote controller 100 has a plurality of variations in the number of individual switches in the operation unit, it is sufficient to replace the first circuit board 41 with respect to the circuit board 4, and the second circuit board 42 can be shared. can be done. Moreover, since the first and second circuit boards 41 and 42 are arranged in an overlapping manner, the circuit board 4 can be made smaller, and the case body 3 can be made smaller. When the case body 3 is divided into the front case 31, the back case 32, and the battery cover 33 as in the present embodiment, even if there are variations in the number of individual switches in the operation unit, As for the body 3, it is sufficient to replace the front case 31, and the back case 32 and the battery cover 33 can be shared.

In the remote controller 100, the case body 3 is formed behind the display panel 2 (first opening 34) and has a second opening through which the remote control signal (infrared rays) from the transmitter 51 is emitted to the outside. 35. Therefore, even if the display panel 2 protrudes from the case body 3 to the outside, the transmission of the remote control signal is not hindered, and the operability of the remote control can be maintained.

Further, remote controller 100 includes a transparent display panel as display panel 2 . Therefore, the remote control 100 has a skeleton structure with a transparent upper portion, which improves the design and blends in with the interior.

FIG. 4 shows another variation of the remote controller 101 in which the display panel, the operation section, the front case and the first circuit board are replaced from the remote controller 100 .

The remote controller 101 includes an operation section 1A, a display panel 2A, and a case body 3A.

As with the operation unit 1, the operation unit 1A can employ push button switches, and differs in the number of switches from the operation unit 1 of the remote controller 100. FIG. In this variation, the operation unit 1A includes a power switch 11A for turning the power on and off, an upper switch 12A for increasing the temperature, a lower switch 12B for decreasing the temperature, and an air conditioner. A cooling switch 13A, a heating switch 13B, and a dehumidifying switch 13C for switching operation modes (cooling, heating, and dehumidifying) (not shown), an air volume switch 14A for changing the air volume, and an operation for changing the up and down wind direction. a left/right wind direction switch 15B for changing the left/right wind direction, a timer switch 16A for inputting the OFF timer time and the ON timer time, and a decision switch 17A for deciding the timer time, and a cancel switch 17B for performing an operation to delete the timer time.

As the display panel 2A, a transparent display panel in which a display section 21A for displaying various information is housed in a plate-shaped transparent member 22A can be applied as in the display panel 2. The display panel 2 of the remote controller 100 is the display section 21A. The sizes (display areas) are different, and the size of the display portion 21A is smaller than the size of the display portion 21A. The display unit 21A has a plurality of display areas, and in this variation, an air volume display unit 211A that displays the air volume (wind speed) of the air conditioner 200, a temperature display unit 212A that can display the indoor temperature and the set temperature, and an operation mode display unit 213A that displays the operation mode of the air conditioner 200 . In addition, although illustration is omitted, the display unit 21A displays the ON timer time, the OFF timer time, and the direction of the wind using characters, numbers, or icons.

The case body 3A has a front case 31A similar to the front case 31 of the remote control 100 except that the number of openings corresponding to the switches of the operation unit 1A is different. Although not shown, the case body 3A has a back case 32 and a battery cover 33 similar to those of the case body 3 of the remote control 100. As shown in FIG.

Although not shown, the remote control 101 has a first circuit board different from the first circuit board 41 of the remote control 100 mainly in the number of tact switch elements corresponding to each switch of the operation unit 1A. , and second to fifth circuit boards 42 to 45 similar to those of the remote controller 100 . In addition, the remote controller 101 includes a transmission/reception unit 5 and a battery 6 similar to those of the remote controller 100 .

As is clear from FIG. 4, according to the present embodiment, even if there are a plurality of variations in the size of the display section and the number of individual switches in the operation section of the remote control, at least part of the case body and the circuit board can be replaced. It can be shared, and the development cost and manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

Although the remote control device of the present invention has been described by taking the configuration of the above-described embodiment as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and other configurations may also deviate from the gist of the present invention. It goes without saying that various improvements and display changes are possible within the scope of this invention.

For example, in the remote control device according to the first disclosure of the present invention, the display panels 2 and 2A may be partially provided outside the case body 3, and the transparent member 22 of the display panel 2 may be A part of the front side may be arranged on the surface of the case body 3, or a part of the front side of the transparent member 22 may also serve as a part of the case body 3 (front case 31).

For example, when a transparent display panel is used for the display panels 2 and 2A, a light source of an arbitrary emission color may be separately provided to irradiate the interior of the transparent members 22 and 22A with illumination light to cause the edge portions to emit light. In this case, the emission color may be changed according to the operation of the target device, such as blue light emission during cooling, red light emission during heating, and white light emission during dehumidification. According to this, the user's convenience can be further improved.

Further, the target equipment for remote control may be not only an air conditioner but also, for example, a water heater, an electric light, or the like.

100, 101 remote control (remote control device)
200 air conditioners (equipment)
1 Operation Unit 2 Display Panels 21, 21A Display Units 22, 22A Transparent Member 3 Case Body 4 Circuit Board 41 First Circuit Board 42 Second Circuit Board 5 Transceiver 51 Transmitter 52 Receiver 6 Battery 7 Operation Detector 8 control unit

Claims (4)

A remote control device for remotely controlling a device (200),
a display panel (2) having a display section (21) for displaying predetermined information;
an operation unit (1) for performing a predetermined operation;
a transmitter (51) for transmitting a remote control signal relating to the remote control;
A circuit in which an operation detection unit (7) for detecting the operation and a control unit (8) for controlling the display panel and the transmission unit (5 1 ) according to the detection result of the operation detection unit (7) are mounted. a substrate (4);
A case body (3) that holds the operation unit (1), the display panel (2), the transmission unit (51), and the circuit board (4),
a part of the display panel (2) including the display portion (21) is provided outside the case body (3),
The circuit board (4) includes a first circuit board (41) on which the operation detection section (7) is mounted and a second circuit board (42) on which the control section (8) is mounted,
The first circuit board (41) and the second circuit board (42) are arranged to overlap in the case body (3),
Remote control device. 2. The remote control according to claim 1, wherein the case body (3) has a first opening (34) through which part of the display panel (2) including the display section (21) protrudes to the outside. Device. The transmitter (51) emits an infrared ray as the remote control signal,
3. The case body (3) according to claim 1 , wherein the case body (3) has a second opening (35) formed behind the display panel (2) and emitting the remote control signal to the outside. remote control device. 4. The remote control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , comprising a transparent display panel as the display panel (2).

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