JPH07128096A - Display - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a display having a protective cover subjected to dark coloring in which the displayed state can be visually confirmed definitely even if external light impinges on the surface of display in daytime. CONSTITUTION:A display plate 2 comprises a translucent colored layer 5 applied to the rear surface of a substrate 3 oppositely to a display part 4, and an opaque layer 19 applied to the surface of the substrate 3 with a matted layer 8 being applied to the surface thereof. A protective cover 1 subjected to dark coloring is disposed in front of the display plate 2 and a light source disposed on the rear side illuminates the display part 4 through a light diffuser 10. A non-display part 6 diffuses external light entering through the protective cover 1 and the flat display part 4 on the substrate 3, applied with nothing, reflects the external light directly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display device used in automobiles and the like, and to a so-called black-faced display device in which a dark-colored protective cover is provided on the front side of a display plate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a display device typified by a meter of an automobile accommodates a display device having a display plate showing vehicle information such as speed, rotation speed, warning, etc. in one meter case, and the front side of the case. A so-called combination meter type is adopted in which a transparent protective cover for covering the display plate is provided and integrated. Recently, from the viewpoint of designing the interior design of an automobile, the protection cover on the front of the combination meter case is subjected to a dark coloring treatment (smoke treatment) to reduce the light transmittance of the protection cover and turn off the ignition switch. The inside of the case is not visible from the outside when the display is inactive, while the light source such as a cold cathode tube provided on the rear side of the display plate is turned on when the display is active, whether it is day or night. Is also lit so that only the display part such as characters and scales on the display plate can be visually recognized, and a black-faced meter configured so that the display part can be seen out of the darkness is also often adopted. .

By the way, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, a general display device such as a combination meter having a black face formed by providing a semi-transparent protective cover-1 which is smoked is used. The structure of the display plate 2, for example, the display plate 2 used for an automobile speedometer, tachometer, etc., is the same as that of a display plate used in a combination meter provided with a transparent protective cover, and is transparent. A semi-transparent colored layer 5 such as a desired character color or scale color, for example, white, orange, blue or the like is printed or vapor-deposited on a portion of the front surface of the substrate 3 made of polycarbonate or the like which will be the display portion 4 for characters or scales. Etc., the display 4
A light-shielding impermeable layer 7 made of black or the like is laminated on the entire surface of the substrate 3 to be the non-display portion 6 excluding the warning display portion into which a color panel or the like is fitted, and the surface of the display plate 2 is further applied. The matte treatment layer 8 such as a transparent paint or ink for reflecting the external light incident on the surface without diffusing and dazzling the semi-transparent coloring layer 5 and the non-display 6 serving as the display 4. Is applied to the entire surface of the impermeable layer 7 portion. The surface of the matte treatment layer 8 has a minute uneven surface shape, and this shape serves to diffuse outside light. When the display panel 2 is formed by stacking in this manner and the display is in an operating state, light is emitted from a light source 9 such as a cold cathode tube,
The light is applied to the substrate 3 through a light diffusing plate 10 made of a cloudy semi-transparent resin for diffusing the light without concentrating the light, and the semi-transmissive colored layer 5 applied to the places such as characters and scales is transmitted. Display section 4 which is brought into a display state by the transmitted light that has been colored
The display state can be visually recognized by the contrast with the non-display portion 6 provided with the non-transmissive layer 7 that shields light, and the display portion 4 appears as if it stands out from the darkness as described above.

[0004]

However, a semitransparent protective cover which is smoked during the daytime.
When external light is incident on the surface of the display plate 2 via 1 (see the arrow indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure), the matte treatment layer 8 diffuses the external light. In the operating state, the external light diffused at the four display portions by the matte treatment layer 8 faces the transmitted light (see the arrow in the figure) transmitted from the light source 9 through the four display portions. The display part 4 is blurred, or the brightness of the display part 4 is relatively lowered, and the contrast with the non-display part 6 becomes unclear. Therefore, there arises a problem that it is difficult to visually recognize the display state. Such a phenomenon is observed in a black-faced display device in which the light source 9 is turned on to illuminate the display unit 4 even during the daytime when the display is in operation.
In the display device provided with the transparent protective cover-1, only the outside light illuminates the display plate 2 to visually recognize the display state during the daytime.
In this case, even if the incident external light is diffused, in this case, the problem that the visibility is deteriorated does not occur for the above-mentioned reason, and the protective cover obtained by performing the smoke treatment is used.
It can be said that the problem is peculiar when 1 is used.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a display device provided with a semitransparent protective cover formed by dark-colored coloring, external light is displayed during daytime. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device capable of clearly recognizing a display state without lowering visibility even when incident on a plate surface.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a display plate having a display portion such as characters and scales, and a dark system arranged in front of the display plate. A colored protective cover, a light source disposed on the rear side of the display plate, and a light diffusion plate disposed between the light source and the display plate for diffusing light from the light source and emitting the light to the rear surface of the display plate. The display plate includes at least a transparent or semi-transparent flat substrate, and displays nothing on the surface facing the protective cover, which is the front surface of the substrate, except for the portion serving as the display unit. And a light-shielding layer having a matte treatment layer applied to the non-display portion, and a flat substrate is exposed without applying anything to the display portion on the front surface of the substrate. It is provided as a state. In addition, in the display plate formed by providing the transparent substrate, the light source is made to face at least a portion of a front surface of the substrate, which is a rear surface of the substrate, facing the light diffusion plate. It is provided with a semi-transparent coloring layer that is colored by the light from. The semi-transparent substrate is formed by coloring so that the light from the light source can be transmitted.

[0007]

With the above structure, even when external light is incident on the surface of the display plate through the protective cover, the display section reflects the external light.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination meter in which a protective cover is smoked (made into a black face), FIG. 2 is a cutaway sectional view of its main part, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a protective cover, a display plate and a light diffusing plate, and FIG. 4 is a display state diagram in which the display is operated. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same mode parts as in the conventional example, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A display main body 12 is housed in the meter case 11, and a display plate 2 is provided on the front side thereof. The front side of the display plate 2 is provided with a protective cover 1 that has been subjected to a dark coloring process (smoke treatment), and is formed integrally with a plurality of engaging claws 13 and the meter case 11 which are integrally formed. nail
The protective cover 1 and the meter case 11 are integrated by the engagement with the engagement receiving portion 14 corresponding to the display body 12
The display 15 composed of the display panel 2 and the like is covered. In addition, the display body 12 supports the pointer shaft 16 inside,
A pointer 17 is provided at the tip of the pointer shaft 16 so as to be substantially parallel to the display plate 2. Although not shown, the pointer 17 has a light emitting diode incorporated therein, so that the pointer 17 itself emits light. Further, a cold cathode tube which transmits and illuminates a display portion of the display plate 2 as a light source 9 is provided in the meter case 11 along a position corresponding to the display portion, and the lower surface of the display plate 2 is provided with A light diffusion plate 10 that diffuses and emits illumination light from the light source 9 is provided.

The indicator plate 2 is a scale indicated by a pointer 17 according to the operation of the indicator body 12 by the supply of electric power from the outside of the meter case 11 when the ignition switch is turned on, such as the speed, rotation speed, temperature and fuel. A display unit 4 for characters,
Warning display section that displays vehicle information such as warnings
18 and are provided. In this case, the cold cathode fluorescent lamp is used as the light source 9 in the display unit 4, and a light bulb, a light emitting diode or the like (not shown) is used as the light source in the warning display unit 18. The portion of the display plate 2 other than the display portion 4 and the warning display portion 18 is a non-display portion 6 in which the light from the light source 9 is not transmitted.

Next, the structure of the display plate 2 will be described. The display plate 2 has a transparent flat substrate 3 on the front surface of which the display section 4,
The opaque layer 7 is applied by printing or the like except for the 18 warning display portions, and the surface of the opaque layer 7 is provided with a matt treatment layer 8 to form a light shielding layer 19, and the substrate 3
A semi-transparent coloring layer 5 having a desired display color such as a character color and a scale color is formed by printing or the like on the rear surface so as to face the four display portions.

In this way, the display plate 2 is provided with the semi-transparent coloring layer 5 on the rear surface of the substrate 3 corresponding to the display portion 4, and is flat on the display portion 4 on the front surface of the substrate 3 without providing the light shielding layer 19 or the like. Since the substrate 3 in the shape of a strip is exposed, the display 15 is in an operating state, that is, the cold cathode tube which is the light source 9 emits light.
When the display portion 4 is displayed by the transmitted light colored by transmitting through the semi-transmissive coloring layer 5 through the light diffusion plate 10,
Protective cover 1 where the outside light is smoked during the daytime
Even if the light enters the display panel 2 after passing through, it is reflected by the mirror effect of the flat substrate 3 with almost no diffusion (see the dashed line arrow), and becomes the external light reflection portion, which reflects the external light. Since the light is biased in the opposite direction without disturbing the optical path of the transmitted light by the light source 9, the contrast with the non-display portion 6 which is the external light diffusion portion is always clear, and the display portion 4 is protected from darkness on the smoke-protected protective cover 1. Since it clearly floats and looks bright, good visibility can always be obtained as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment, the display plate 2 is configured by providing a semi-transparent substrate 20 colored and formed by mixing a desired dye material and the like, and the light from the light source 9 is transmitted through the substrate 20, A desired display color can be obtained without applying the semi-transparent coloring layer 5.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment, a white layer 21 made of a white system is printed on the front surface of a substrate 20 constituting the display plate 2 except for the four display portions, and the white layer 21 allows the light from the light source 9 to pass through. Since the substrate 20 is repeatedly reflected and concentrated on the display unit 4 (see the arrow), the brightness of the display unit 4 can be further increased. In both the second embodiment and the third embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same operational effects as the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, in the structure of the display plate, if the substrate having the flat display portion is exposed, the layers to be applied to the substrate by printing or the like may be laminated in any number of stages.
The color applied to the semi-transparent colored layer or the colored substrate is
Protective cover smoked when the display is not in operation
It is desirable that the color is such that the display portion cannot be visually recognized through, and if so, it can be appropriately selected.

[0016]

According to the present invention, there is provided a display plate having a display portion such as characters and scales, a dark-colored protective cover arranged in front of the display plate, and the display plate. And a light diffusing plate which is disposed between the light source and the display plate and which diffuses the light from the light source to the rear surface of the display plate, and the display plate is at least transparent. Alternatively, it is applied to a semi-transparent flat substrate and to a non-display portion where nothing is displayed, except for the display portion, on the front surface of the substrate facing the protective cover. A light-shielding layer having a matte treatment layer, and a flat substrate is provided in a state where a flat substrate is exposed without performing anything on the front surface of the substrate, which serves as a display unit. Even if external light is incident on the display, the flat substrate is exposed, and Since the external light is reflected and the transmitted light from the light source is biased, the contrast with the non-display part is always clear, and the display part clearly floats and shines on the protective cover formed by coloring the dark system. It is possible to provide a display device that can obtain good visibility that is visible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway sectional view of an essential part showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a protective cover, a display plate, and a light diffusing plate showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a display state diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a protective cover, a display plate, and a light diffusion plate showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of essential parts of a protective cover, a display plate, and a light diffusion plate showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cutaway sectional view of a main part showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Protective Cover 2 Display Plate 3, 20 Substrate 4 Display Part 5 Semi-Transparent Coloring Layer 6 Non-Display Part 8 Matte Treatment Layer 9 Light Source 10 Light Diffusing Plate 19 Light-shielding Layer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A display plate having a display portion such as characters and scales, a dark-colored protective cover arranged on the front side of the display plate, and a rear side of the display plate. The display plate is at least transparent or semi-transparent and comprises a light source provided and a light diffusing plate which is provided between the light source and the display plate and diffuses light from the light source to the rear surface of the display plate. A flat substrate and a matte treatment layer applied to a non-display portion where nothing is displayed, except for the display portion, of the surface facing the protective cover which is the front surface of the substrate. And a light-shielding layer having a light-shielding layer, and a flat substrate is provided in an exposed state without performing anything on a portion of the front surface of the substrate to be a display portion. 2. The display plate, which is formed by providing the transparent substrate, faces at least a portion of a rear surface of the substrate facing the light diffusing plate, which is a display portion on the front surface of the substrate. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a semi-transmissive coloring layer for coloring the light from the light source. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the semitransparent substrate is colored so as to transmit light from the light source.