JPH0620111U - Operation knob Lighting lens - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To diffuse the light from the light source with high directivity inside the operation knob on the surface of the operation knob so that the entire emission area of the arrow display or line display, which has a large emission area, can be uniformly emitted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lens for enabling a control knob illumination. [Structure] A first light-receiving surface 11 having a curved surface, a third light-receiving surface 14 having a tapered shape, a second light-receiving surface 13 provided symmetrically on a side surface of the lens 1, and a bottom surface of the lens 1 which is an LED 17. A first anti-slope 12 that is an inclined surface that rises toward the side, and the second light-receiving surface 1 that protrudes from the side surface of the lens 1.
A second reflecting surface 15 is formed on the light emitting surface 16 side of the root portion of 3 to form a vertical surface that forms an acute angle with the direction parallel to the optical axis, and the light receiving surface and the reflecting surface refract and reflect light to emit light. The 16 wide areas are made to emit light uniformly.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a lens for operating knob illumination, and more particularly to a lens for operating knob illumination in a vehicle air conditioner.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 An operation knob on a display panel or the like guides light from a light emitting source provided inside the operation knob to the surface of the operation knob by an operation knob illumination lens (hereinafter referred to as a lens). Conventionally, the operation knob uses a light-emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as "LED") with a long life and a bright light emission source, and the lens is generally a polyhedron whose planes are orthogonal to each other as shown in FIG. Is.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The LED light, which has high directivity, goes straight without being refracted and is emitted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the operation knob, causing the narrow light emitting surface to emit light brightly.

However, the light emitting portion of the operation knob is used for displaying on / off of the switch and for displaying the set position such as temperature setting. Therefore, a wide range of light is emitted because the arrow display and the line display are emitted on the light emitting surface. Was needed.

According to the conventional lens, there is a problem that the light emitting area on the surface of the light emitting portion is narrow and the light emitting area is wide as described above, and the entire light emitting portion of arrow display or line display cannot emit light uniformly.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to diffuse the light of an LED, which has a high directivity as a light emitting source, on the light emitting surface so that a wide light emitting surface is uniformly emitted.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an operation knob illumination lens which is attached to the back side of an operation knob and guides light from a light emitting source to the surface of the operation knob. It has a light emitting surface from at least the front surface to the upper surface, and has a first light receiving surface, a second light receiving surface, and a third light receiving surface which are located near the light emitting source when assembled, and also has a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface. The first light receiving surface is provided in front of the traveling direction of the light from the light emitting source, and has a concave curved surface whose longitudinal cross section along the optical axis exhibits a substantially semicircular concave portion. Are symmetrically projected to the side of the first light-receiving surface, the third light-receiving surface is provided below the first light-receiving surface and the second light-receiving surface, and has a lateral width perpendicular to the optical axis. It has a taper shape that widens toward the light source, and the first reflecting surface uses the lens bottom surface as a light emitting source. The second reflection surface is a vertical surface that forms an acute angle with the direction parallel to the optical axis on the light emitting surface side of the second light receiving surface. .

[0008]

[Action]

 In the lens of the present invention, the light emitted from the light emitting source is refracted and reflected by the light receiving surface and the reflecting surface provided on the lens while passing through the lens.

That is, light that has traveled straight from the light emitting source is refracted by the first light receiving surface having a concave curved surface provided on the optical axis of the lens, and is refracted and emitted as diffused light from the front surface to the top surface of the light emitting surface.

Light leaking downward from the light emitting source is received by the third light receiving surface having a tapered shape in which the lateral width of the lens gradually widens toward the light emitting source. The light received here is reflected by the first reflecting surface that is provided on the bottom surface of the lens and that rises upward together with the light that is refracted downward by the concave curved surface of the first light receiving surface, and is reflected to the lower front surface of the light emitting surface. Is ejected.

Further, a second reflecting surface having a vertical surface that receives the light leaked to the side by the second light receiving surface that projects symmetrically on the side surface of the lens and has an acute angle with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis. At, the light is guided to the light emitting surface to improve the brightness.

Therefore, the light of the LED with high directivity emitted from the light emitting source is received without leakage and diffused and emitted from the front surface to the upper surface of the light emitting surface, and the entire light emitting portion of arrow display or line display having a wide light emitting area is emitted. Can be uniformly emitted.

[0013]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A lens 1 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 (a) has a body portion 2 which is substantially L-shaped, has an R-shape at a bent portion, and further has a taper shape on the long side of the substantially L-shape. LED 17 which is a light emitting source, and a bottom projection 3 that engages with the short side of the L-shape and a side projection 4 that symmetrically engages with the L-shaped bend. Is inserted between the body portion 2 and the bottom protruding portion 3 at a position facing the side protruding portion 4.

As shown in FIG. 1D, the main body portion 2 has a first light receiving surface 11 which is a concave curved surface having a substantially semicircular concave portion in a longitudinal sectional shape along the optical axis of the lens 1. There is. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 (a), the lateral protruding portion 4 has a second light receiving surface 13 which is symmetrically projected on the side surface of the lens 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the bottom protrusion 3 has a tapered shape in which the width of the bottom protrusion 3 below the LED 17 gradually increases from the light emitting surface 16 toward the LED 17. The second reflection forming a light receiving surface 14 and forming a vertical surface at an acute angle to the direction parallel to the optical axis on the light emitting surface 16 side of the root portion of the second light receiving surface 13 protruding from the side surface of the main body 2. It has a face 15.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, the bottom surface of the bottom protruding portion 3 facing the third light receiving surface 14 is a first reflecting surface 12 which is an inclined surface that gradually rises toward the LED 17. have.

Next, the optical path of the light emitted from the LED 17 will be described.

The light emitted from the LED 17 to the front is refracted by the concave curved surface of the first light receiving surface 11 as shown in FIG. 2A, and is emitted as diffused light from the front surface to the upper surface of the light emitting surface 16. At this time, in the upper part and the lower part of the front surface of the light emitting surface 16, the optical path is longer in the lower part, and the brightness of the front surface of the light emitting surface 16 is lower in the lower part than in the upper part. Here, the light refracted downward at the first light receiving surface 11 is reflected by the first reflecting surface 12 and is emitted to the lower part of the light emitting surface 16 to compensate for the lowering of the luminance at the lower part of the light emitting surface 16 and to have a wide light emitting area. It is possible to make the entire light-emitting portion of arrow display or line display uniformly emit light.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (c), the third light receiving surface 14 has a tapered shape to increase the light receiving area and receives the light leaked downward from the LED 17. 1 Reflection is performed on the reflection surface 12 in the same manner as described above to compensate for the decrease in the luminance of the lower portion of the light emitting surface 16. Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the second light receiving surface 13 projecting from the side surface of the main body 2 receives the light leaked laterally from the LED 17, and faces the second light receiving surface 13. The light is reflected by the second reflecting surface 15 and guided to the light emitting surface 16 to diffuse light in the left and right directions of the optical axis to facilitate confirmation of light emission from the lateral direction of the light emitting surface 16 and to improve the brightness of the light emitting surface 16. I am trying.

[0020]

[Effect of device]

 The present invention is configured as described above, and light with high directivity emitted from the LED is received without leakage, refracted and reflected by the light receiving surface and the reflecting surface while passing through the lens, and diffused and emitted in a wide range.

Therefore, it is possible to uniformly emit light over the entire light emitting portion of the arrow display or line display, which has a wide light emitting area.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a view showing a lens according to the present invention, (a) is a perspective view of the lens of the present invention, (b) is a side view of the lens of the present invention, and (c) is a view of the lens of the present invention. It is a top view of a lens, (d) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view parallel to the optical path of the lens of this invention.

2A and 2B are views for explaining an optical path when the lens of the present invention is used, FIG. 2A is a side view of the lens of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of the lens of the present invention. .

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional lens.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lens 2 Main body part 3 Bottom protruding part 4 Side protruding part 11 First light receiving surface 12 First reflecting surface 13 Second light receiving surface 14 Third light receiving surface 15 Second reflecting surface 16 Light emitting surface 17 LED

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An operation knob illumination lens which is attached to the back side of an operation knob and guides the light of a light emission source to the surface of the operation knob, wherein the operation knob has a light emitting surface from at least the front surface to the upper surface, and emits light when assembled. It has a first light receiving surface, a second light receiving surface, and a third light receiving surface that are located in the vicinity of the light source, and also has a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface, and the first light receiving surface travels the light from the light emitting source. Provided in the front in the direction, has a concave curved surface whose longitudinal cross-sectional shape along the optical axis exhibits a substantially semicircular concave portion, and the second light receiving surface is symmetrically projected laterally of the first light receiving surface, The third light receiving surface includes the first light receiving surface and the second light receiving surface.
It is provided below the light receiving surface and has a taper shape in which the lateral width perpendicular to the optical axis becomes wider toward the light emitting source, and the first reflecting surface is configured so that the bottom surface of the lens gradually approaches the light emitting source. The operating knob illumination lens, wherein the second reflecting surface is a vertical surface on the light emitting surface side of the second light receiving surface that forms an acute angle with the direction parallel to the optical axis.