JPH0620180Y2 - Operation knob device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to an operating knob device, and more particularly to an operating knob device such as a gas stove or other heating device.

(Prior Art) As a conventional operation knob device, an operation knob is arranged in an opening provided in an operation panel, an accommodation member such as an operation member is accommodated in an accommodation hole provided in the operation knob, and the operation knob is It is known that the device is controlled by operating it (Shokaisho 63-80385).

Further, there is also known one in which a light source which is turned on by the operation of the operation knob is provided on the back surface of the operation knob, and light from the light source is emitted through the operation knob (actual exploitation 58.
-186301).

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, in the case of a push-push type operation knob shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-80385, which has a pressing operation and a rotating operation, the operation member is housed and the mechanism is Since it is complicated, a light source that lights up by operating the operation knob is added.Therefore, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-186301, a light source is provided inside the operation knob or behind the operation knob to irradiate the operation knob. I can't.

Further, not limited to the push-push type operation knob as described above, if a light source is provided inside the operation knob, the power supply line to the light source is twisted at the time of the turning operation, which causes disconnection, which is not preferable.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The present invention is intended to provide a device that solves the above-mentioned inconvenience, and the invention of claim 1 is an operation knob arranged in an opening provided in an operation panel, In an operation knob device including a housing member housed in a housing hole provided in the operation knob and a light source that is turned on or blinks by operating the operation knob, the operation knob device is a back side of the operation panel and an outer peripheral side of the operation knob. The light source is provided on one side, a transparent portion is formed on the peripheral wall portion of the accommodation hole of the operation knob so that a part thereof is exposed to the front side of the operation knob, and the accommodation member is formed of a semitransparent member, Among the light from the light source, the light reflected by the surface of the housing member and the light diffusely reflected by the housing member are both irradiated to the front side of the operation panel through the transparent portion. To do.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, of the transparent portion of the invention of claim 1, the inner peripheral surface of the portion protruding to the front side of the operation panel is formed as a diffuse reflection surface.

(Operation) Of the light emitted from the light source, part of the light is reflected by the surface of the containing member and the rest is diffusely reflected and passes through the containing member. Both the reflected light and the diffusely reflected light are emitted from a portion of the transparent portion of the peripheral wall portion of the accommodation hole of the operation knob that is exposed on the front side of the operation panel, and the transparent portion appears to shine. Further, the light that has passed through the housing member reaches the opposite side to the light source, is diffused and reflected there while passing through that portion, and is radiated through the transparent portion on the opposite side to the light source. The transparent parts appear to shine all around.

If the internal storage member is visible through the transparent part and the appearance is impaired, the part, that is, the part of the transparent part that is exposed on the front side of the operation panel, can be used as a diffuse reflection surface from the outside. I can't see.

(Example) Next, an example in which the operating knob device of the present invention is applied to a gas range will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the drawing, 1 indicates a gas range main body, and this gas range main body 1 is provided with an operation panel 2 on its front surface. A plurality of openings 3 are provided at predetermined positions of the operation panel 2, and an operation knob 4 is arranged in the opening 3. The operation knob 4 is provided with a housing hole 5 opening on the back surface thereof, and the operation member 6 as a housing member is provided in the housing hole 5.
Is housed. The operation knob 4 can be moved forward and backward by a push-push mechanism 8 having a spring 7 interposed between the operation knob 4 and the operation member 6. That is, an actuator 9 formed by bending a piano wire or the like and provided on the operation member 6
Is engaged with the first locking portion A of the push-push mechanism 8 so that the front surface of the operation knob 4 is substantially flush with the front surface of the operation panel 2 (see FIG. 2), and the actuator 9 is ,
By being engaged with the second locking portion B of the push-push mechanism 8,
The front surface of the operation knob 4 can be moved back and forth between the forward position (see FIG. 3) protruding from the front surface of the operation panel 2.

In this embodiment, the push-push mechanism 8 is attached to the operation shaft 10a of the gas cock 10 as the operated member.

Also, a protrusion provided on the side of the push-push mechanism 8
The engagement between the operation member 6 and the projection 6a of the operation member 6 prevents the operation member 6 from being separated from the push-push mechanism 8. Further, a cylindrical locking piece 11 extending backward by a predetermined length is provided on the periphery of the opening 3 of the operation panel 2, and the rear end edge of the outer periphery of the operation member 6 is arranged in a symmetrical position. Two protruding pieces
12 and 12 are provided, these locking piece 11 and protruding piece 12,
Due to the engagement with 12, the push-push mechanism 8 moves the operating shaft 10
It prevents you from leaving a.

Further, three protrusions 6b, 6b, 6b are provided on the outer periphery of the operating member 6 (see FIG. 5). These protrusions 6b, 6b,
6b is fitted in the accommodation hole 5 of the operation knob 4.

Here, in this embodiment, the light source 13 is provided on the back side of the operation panel 2 on the outer peripheral side of the operation knob 4, and the operation knob 4 is provided at the forward position of the peripheral wall portion of the accommodation hole 5. A portion located on the back side of the operation panel 2 and partially exposed on the front side of the operation panel 2 is a transparent portion 4a, and the operation member 6 is a semitransparent member. Are reflected on the surface of the operating member 6 and the rest pass through the operating member 6 and reach the opposite side of the light source 13 or diffusely reflect in the operating member 6 to cause the operation of the transparent portion 4a. The light is emitted from the portion located on the front side of the panel 2, and specifically, the light source is provided on the front plate 14 of the gas range main body 1.
13 is provided, the tubular portion of the operation knob 4 is a transparent portion 4a, and a portion of the transparent portion 4a provided on the peripheral wall portion of the accommodation hole 5 of the operation knob 4 that protrudes to the front side of the operation panel 2 is a diffuse reflection surface 4b. The operation member 6 was formed of a milky white translucent member.
The irregular reflection surface 4b is obtained by forming fine irregularities by a pattern provided in advance on the mold when the operation knob 4 is molded.

Next, the operation of the gas range having the above configuration will be described.

When the gas range is not specified, the operation knob 4 and the operation member 6 are in the retracted position in which the front surface of the operation knob 4 is substantially flush with the front surface of the operation panel 2.

From this state, when operating the gas cock 10 and operating the gas range, the operation knob 4 is pushed. Then, the engagement between the first locking portion A and the operator 9 by the push-push mechanism 8 is released, the operating member 6 is repelled by the spring 7, and the operator 9 of the push-push mechanism 8 is secondly locked. The front surface of the operation knob 4 is locked to the portion B and is switched to the forward position where the front surface of the operation knob 4 projects from the front surface of the operation panel 2 (see FIG. 3).

Next, when the operating knob 4 is rotated from its stop position to the operating position, the operating member 6 is rotated, the gas cock 10 is switched to the operating state via the operating shaft 10a, and the fuel gas is supplied to the burner in the gas range. Are supplied and the burner is ignited.
At this time, the light source 13 is turned on or blinks, and the light passes through the transparent portion 4a of the operation knob 4, a part thereof is reflected by the surface of the semitransparent operation member 6, and the rest passes through the operation member 6. Then, the light is emitted from the transparent portion 4a located on the front side of the operation panel 2. At this time, a diffuse reflection surface 4b is formed on a portion of the wall surface of the accommodation hole 5 of the operation knob 4 projecting to the front side of the operation panel 2,
Since that part is semi-transparent, the shape of the operation member 4 is not visible from the outside, and the appearance is good.

The smaller the outer diameter of the operating member 6, the wider the light from the light source 13 reaches the operating member 6 and the brighter the operating knob 4, as shown in the principle diagram of FIG.

Although the operation member 6 is made of a milky white semi-transparent member in the above embodiment, it may be made of a transparent member having a diffuse reflection surface formed on the surface thereof.

A U-shaped light reflection plate 15 as shown in FIG. 7 is provided around the light source 13 so that more light is directed toward the operation knob 4. Locking pieces 16 are provided at both ends of the light reflecting plate 15 so that the light reflecting plate 15 can be engaged and fixed to the front plate 14 of the gas range main body 1 by elastic force without using screws.

It should be noted that the surface of the transparent portion 4a of the operation knob 4 is provided with an index indicating the heat power, and the index is made to stand out by the light from the light source 13.

A recess 4c for hooking a finger is provided on the front side of the operation knob 4 so that the operation knob 4 can be easily rotated.

When the colored transparent film 17 is applied to the portion of the transparent portion 4a of the operation knob 4 located on the back side of the operation panel 2, the portion of the operation knob 4 protruding to the front side of the operation panel 2 is made to shine brightly with colored light. If the colored film 17 whose color changes steplessly or the color film 17 whose color changes stepwise is applied, the irradiation from the operation knob 4 is performed in accordance with the rotation angle of the operation knob 4. You can change the color of the emitted light. For example, FIG. 8 shows the case where the position of the operation knob 4 is in the state of weak combustion (small), but in this case, the operation knob 4 appears to shine yellow due to the yellow transparent film 17a. Also, when it is rotated to a position between the weak combustion and the strong combustion (middle), it looks like orange light by the orange transparent film 17b, and when it is rotated to the position of the strong combustion (large), a red transparent film. It appears to glow red by 17c. The light source 13 is not turned on at the fire extinguishing position between the (small) position and the (extinguishing) position.

When the operation knob 4 is rotated, even if the color of the colored film 17 changes stepwise as described above, the boundaries of the respective colors do not appear to be changed stepwise.
It seems that the colors are mixed and gradually changing. At the (small) position where the light source 13 starts to light up, the yellow transparent film 17a is extended from the apex of the operation knob 4 by a predetermined angle (θ ₁ : 30 °) so that white light is not emitted from the operation knob 4. The upper surface of the operation knob 4 is covered. Similarly, the red transparent film 17c prevents the white light from being emitted even when rotated to the (large) position.
Has been extended.

Colored transparent film whose color gradually changes in this way
17 and the colored transparent film 17 whose color changes step by step, the color can be changed according to the turning operation, and the user can see the emission color of the operation knob 4 and the strength of the heat power. You can know.

Although the colored transparent film 17 is applied to the outer surface of the operation knob 4 in the above embodiment, it may be applied to the wall surface of the accommodation hole 5 provided in the operation knob 4 or the operation member 6.

In the above embodiment, the push-push type is used as the operation knob device, but the invention is not limited to this.

(Effect of the Invention) As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, since the operation knob is made to appear to be shining by using the light reflected on the surface of the housing member, the reflected light is hardly attenuated and shines brightly. appear. By making the housing member semi-transparent, light can reach a portion opposite to the light source, so that the transparent portion of the operating knob can be made to appear to shine over the entire circumference.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, since the shape of the housing member cannot be seen from the outside, there is an effect that the appearance is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a gas range, FIG. 2 is a sectional view when the operating knob is in a retracted position, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view when the operating knob is forward. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the operating knob device, FIG. 5 is a plan view of a housing member of the operating knob device, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the principle of the operating knob device. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a light reflecting plate of the operation knob device, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a case where a colored film is applied to the transparent portion of the operation knob. 2 ... Operation panel 3 ... Opening 4 ... Operation knob 4a ... Transparent part 5 ... Storage hole 6 ... Operation member (storage member) 13 ... Light source

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yuji Wakasugi 2-26 Fukuzumi-cho, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture Rinnai Co., Ltd. (56) Bibliographic references Sho 34-11244

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An operation knob arranged in an opening provided in an operation panel, a housing member housed in a housing hole provided in the operation knob, and a light source that is turned on or blinks by operating the operation knob. In the operation knob device, the light source is provided on the back side of the operation panel on the outer peripheral side of the operation knob, and the transparent portion is provided on the peripheral wall of the accommodation hole of the operation knob.
Form a part of it so that it is exposed on the front side of the operation panel,
The housing member is formed of a semitransparent member, and among the light from the light source, the light reflected on the surface of the housing member and the light diffusely reflected inside the housing member together through the transparent portion of the operation panel An operation knob device characterized in that the front side is irradiated. 2. The operation knob according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral surface of a portion of the transparent portion projecting to the front side of the operation panel is formed as a diffuse reflection surface.