JPH0550712B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a lighting device for electronic equipment, particularly suitable for efficiently illuminating a panel surface of a vehicle-mounted electronic equipment.

BACKGROUND ART In conventional electronic equipment such as radios, a light source is provided for each object of illumination as a lighting means to make push buttons such as a keyboard and a liquid crystal display arranged on a panel surface easy to see even in a dark place. There have been efforts to establish

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the conventional method of providing individual light sources requires a plurality of light sources, which also poses a problem in terms of power consumption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional examples and to provide a lighting device for electronic equipment that is simple in structure and efficient.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides light from a common light source to a liquid crystal display via a light guide, and also includes a switch part in a part of the light guide. A hole is provided through which the push button passes, so that light from the common light source is also supplied to the push button via the light guide.

Function Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it is possible to illuminate both the pushbuttons of a keyboard, etc. on the panel surface, etc. and the liquid crystal display through the light guide using a common light source, which is efficient. Furthermore, since the light guide also serves as a holding member for the push buttons of the keyboard, etc., it has the effect of simplifying the structure.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a light guide made of a transparent material, which includes a dial frame portion 1a and a stepped portion 1.
b and a liquid crystal frame portion 1c. 2 is a liquid crystal display disposed on the surface of the electronic device housing in parallel with the dial frame part 1a, which is mounted on the liquid crystal frame part 1c and displays numbers, characters, etc. by receiving light from the direction of the lower surface 2a. It is. Reference numeral 3 denotes a switch section, which has a plurality of push buttons 3a made of a transparent material.The upper part of the push button 3a provided on the surface of the electronic device housing passes through a switch hole 1e provided in the dial frame section 1a, and the switch section 3 is inserted into the dial frame. It is set at approximately the same height as the surface of portion 1a.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a printed circuit board on which the light guide 1 is mounted and a switch pattern 4a forming a switch contact point is provided at a position corresponding to the push button 3a. 5 is
A light source such as an LED is housed in the light source hole 1d.
6 is an operation display sheet adhered to the surface of the dial frame portion 1a by adhesive or the like, and numbers for display are printed on the display. 1f is a reflective section provided on the back surface of the liquid crystal frame section 1c;
It is formed so that the thickness becomes thinner toward the tip of c, and the surface is provided with many irregularities to reflect the light from the light source 5 upward.

Next, the operation will be explained. Light from a common light source 5 is transmitted through the light guide 1 in both directions to the liquid crystal frame 1c and the dial frame 1a, and illuminates the liquid crystal display 2 and the operation display panel 6 as part of the keyboard, respectively. The light traveling through the dial frame 1a is efficiently reflected in the horizontal direction by the triangular reflection holes 1g, 1h, and 1i provided in each part, as shown by the broken line arrows in FIG. The light is supplied to the push button switch 3a, and is sent upward by reflection within the push button switch 3a, illuminating the upper part of the push button switch 3a and the display on the operation display sheet 6.

By pressing the push button switch 3a, the switch pattern 4a operates as a switch element such as a keyboard by short-circuiting the contacts of the switch pattern 4a (not shown) or the like.

Note that the material for forming the light guide 1 or the push button 3a, etc., is not necessarily transparent, but may be a translucent or cloudy resin material that transmits light to some extent.

Note that the operation display sheet 6 is omitted and the pushbutton 3
Numbers may be engraved or printed directly on a. Further, the dial frame 1a itself also receives light from the light guide 1 and is illuminated.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, both the switch and the liquid crystal display are configured to be illuminated by a common light source via the light guide, which is efficient. Furthermore, since the light guide also serves as a frame for holding the pushbutton group, the equipment configuration can be rationalized. Furthermore, in the present invention, the light guide uses total internal reflection to reflect the light from the light source.
This has the effect of reducing costs since there is no need to use special paint.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting device for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Light guide, 1a... Dial frame part, 1c... Liquid crystal frame part, 2... Liquid crystal display, 3... Switch part, 3a... Push button, 4...
...Printed circuit board, 4a...Switch pattern, 5
...Light source, 6...Operation display sheet.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A main body of an electronic device in which a translucent push button provided in a switch portion and a liquid crystal display are attached to a substrate, a light source attached to the inside of this main body, a hole through which the push button passes, and a hole for the light source. a dial frame portion having a reflective hole having a surface that horizontally reflects light; a liquid crystal frame portion integrally formed with the dial frame portion and holding the liquid crystal display device; and a liquid crystal frame portion disposed on the bottom surface of the liquid crystal display device. 1. A lighting device for an electronic device, comprising: a reflective section having a large number of unevenness on its surface, the thickness of which decreases as the distance from the light source increases, and reflects light from the light source to the liquid crystal display.