JPH0125456Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a switch operation panel device that is attached to a switch base including a plurality of switch elements.

For example, in recent years, vehicles have been provided with a so-called column cluster switch having a large number of switch elements assembled at the upper end of a steering column near the driver's seat. This type of switch operation panel device consists of a switch base with a large number of switch elements and a panel body on which operation members corresponding to each switch element are arranged in order to illuminate each operation member that operates the switch elements at night. At the same time, a configuration has been considered in which a flat light guide made of a transparent material is provided between the switch base and the panel body to guide light from a night illumination lamp to each operating member.

However, with the above structure, the panel main body, the light guide, a large number of operating members, etc. must be assembled to the switch base in a state where they are separated from each other, so there is a problem that the assembly workability is extremely poor.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a switch operation panel device that can be assembled to a switch base with good workability.In short, the purpose of this invention is to provide a switch operation panel device that can be assembled to a switch base with good workability. It is characterized by the fact that it is made into a unit.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a column cluster switch for a vehicle will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a horizontally long switch base attached to the upper end of a sling column (not shown), and an operation panel device 2 (only the right one is shown), which will be described later, is provided on both the left and right sides of this switch base. There is. A steering shaft passes through the center of the switch base 1, and a steering wheel (none of which is shown) is fixed to the upper end of the steering shaft. 3 is a flat turn lever provided on the operation panel device 2 to control the turn signal lamp of the vehicle, and 4 is a cancel mechanism for the turn lever 3. 5 is a knob for operating a light switch for controlling the headlamp and small lamp, and 6 is an indicator of the light switch. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, a switch unit 7 including a plurality of switch elements (not shown) is fixed to the switch base 1 with screws 8. Reference numeral 9 denotes a plurality of actuators (only two are shown) provided on the switch unit 7, which are used to actuate switch elements for controlling, for example, parking lamps, rear differentials, hazard lights, etc., and each have a cylindrical shape. The upper end portion normally protrudes upward from the switch unit 7. On the other hand, the operation panel device 2 includes a panel main body 10 in the shape of a flat box with an open bottom surface, a flat light guide 11 made of a transparent material housed within the panel main body 10, and various operations of the switch unit 7. It consists of a plurality of operation members 12 provided corresponding to the child 9.
The light guide 11 and the panel body 10 have a plurality of insertion holes 11a and 10a corresponding to each actuator 9.
is formed. Reference numeral 13 designates the head of the operating member 12, which is made up of a substantially rectangular operating plate 13a and a fitting cylinder portion 13b integrally protruding from the lower surface thereof, and is disposed on the operating surface side (upper side in the figure) of the panel body 10. The fitting cylinder portion 13b is the insertion hole 10a of the panel body 10.
It is possible to move up and down inside. Reference numeral 14 denotes a knob light guide corresponding to the shaft portion of the operating member 12, which is formed of a transparent material into a substantially cylindrical shape, and whose outer diameter is slightly smaller than the insertion hole 11a of the light guide 11, and which fits into the fitting. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 13b is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 13b, and the fitting cylindrical portion 13 is located near the upper end.
b An engagement protrusion 14a that can be engaged with an engagement groove 15 formed on the inner peripheral portion is provided in a protruding manner (see FIG. 4). 1
Reference numeral 6 denotes a ring-shaped hook protruding from the lower end of the knob light guide 14, which is attached to the light guide 11.
The diameter of the insertion hole 11a is larger than that of the insertion hole 11a. 17
is a compression spring that is fitted into the knob light guide 14 and interposed between the hook portion 16 and the light guide 11.

The operation panel device 2 having such a configuration is assembled in the following manner. That is, first, the light guide 11 is housed and arranged in the panel body 10, and the fitting cylinder portion 13b of the head 13 of each operating member 12 is inserted into the respective insertion holes 10a and 11a of the panel body 10 and the light guide 11. Apply it to the panel main body 10 in such a way that it Next, the compression spring 17
is fitted into the knob light guide 14 and inserted into the insertion hole 11a from the lower surface side of the knob light guide 14. When the upper end of this knob light guide 14 is further press-fitted into the fitting cylindrical part 13b of the head 13, the engagement protrusion 14a of the knob light guide 14 engages with the engagement groove 15 of the fitting cylindrical part 13b. Then, the knob light guide 14 and the head 13 are integrated in a manner that prevents them from coming off. In this way, the panel body 10 and the light guide 11 are sandwiched between the head 13 of the operating member 12 and the catch part 16 via the compression spring 17, and the operating panel device 2 is formed into a unit with the plurality of operating members 12. is constructed (see Figure 3). As a result, the operation panel device 2 consisting of many parts can be handled as an integrated unit from now on, which greatly facilitates the assembly work. The operation panel device 2 is fixed to the switch base 1 by fixing the lower end of a rod-like projection 18 integrally provided downwardly on the panel body 10 to the switch unit 7 with a screw 19. Incidentally, reference numeral 20 denotes a lamp for night illumination disposed on the switch base 1 and located within the light guide 11. When the panel body 10 is attached to the switch base 1, as shown in FIG. With this, the light from the lamp 20 passes through the light guide 11 and is irradiated onto the knob light guide 14. This light further passes through the knob light guide 14 and is emitted to the outside from a through hole (not shown) formed in the operation plate 13a of the head 13 of the operation member 12, so that the operation member can be operated at night. 12 positions are displayed.

As described above, in the present invention, a plurality of operating members are composed of heads and shafts, and the shafts are provided with hooks, so that the panel main body and light guide can be attached to the heads of the operating members. It can be held between the panel body, the light guide, and the operating member, and the panel body, light guide, and operating member can be combined into a unit, which has the effect of greatly improving assembly work efficiency. . In addition, the shaft that constitutes the operating member is made of a transparent material, and when the panel body is assembled, this shaft corresponds to the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole formed in the light guide. Light can now be reliably guided to the operating member.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a column cluster switch, and FIG. 2 is a partial front view of a column cluster switch.
3 is an exploded sectional view of the same, and FIG. 4 is an exploded sectional view of the operation panel device. In the figure, 1 is a switch base, 2 is an operation panel device, 7 is a switch unit, 10 is a panel body,
10a is an insertion hole, 11 is a light guide, 11a is an insertion hole, 12 is an operating member, 13 is a head, 14 is a knob light guide (shaft), and 16 is a hook.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A panel body attached to the switch base, a plurality of operation members provided corresponding to the plurality of switch elements provided on the switch base, and a plurality of operation members provided between the switch base and the panel body to control the light from the lamp. and a light guide that guides the operating member to the panel body, the operating member comprising a head disposed on the operating surface side of the panel main body, and a shaft portion fixed to the head by fitting. A hook is formed at a predetermined portion of the shaft, and the shaft is fitted to the head through an insertion hole formed in the panel main body and the light guide, so that the panel main body and the light guide can be attached to the operating member. It is held between the head and the latching part to form a unit together with the operating member, and the shaft of the operating member is made of a transparent material, and when the panel main body is attached to the switch base, the shaft is An operation panel device for a switch, characterized in that a shaft part is fitted to the head part so that the part corresponds to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole of the light guide and receives light from the lamp.