JPH08202296A - Method for lighting control panel for car - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To miniaturize and lighten a lighting device and to enhance quality of lighting by separating a display part from a light source and eliminating influence of heat radiation from the light source. CONSTITUTION: A light transmission body separating the display part from the light source 1 is made an optical fiber 2, and a diffusion lens 6 is attached to the tip of the optical fiber 2 of a lighting panel 3 side for improving light transmission efficiency. Further, when a main light source 9 is snapped, a backup light source is lighted automatically, and maintenance is facilitated by warning with an indicator.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of illuminating a control panel for an automobile, and more particularly, to improving the quality of illumination and reducing the size of the vehicle.
The present invention relates to a lighting method for an automobile control panel, which is suitable for thinness, weight reduction, and cost reduction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-75217.
No. 6,086,045. According to this, the light projecting side of the optical fiber is directly opened to the lighting panel or the key top (FIGS. 1 and 2), and the light projecting efficiency is improved for the backlight board for surface illumination of the display section. However, it has a drawback that the effect when actually applied to a product cannot be expected.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a control panel having a high illumination quality and an illumination method which is small, thin, lightweight, and inexpensive.

[0004]

As means for solving the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, light is guided from a light source by an optical fiber for each illumination target, and the guided light is efficiently illuminated by a diffusing lens. It is designed to irradiate.

[0005]

A light diffusion efficiency is improved because a diffusion lens is attached to each optical fiber and a reflection plating is applied to the side opposite to the light projection side of the diffusion lens.

Furthermore, since the outer diameter of the optical fiber is small, it is possible to illuminate finely for each illumination section.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is a light source device, 2 is an optical fiber as a light guide, 3 is an illumination panel, 4 is an operation switch, 5 is a casing, and 6 is a diffusion lens. With this configuration, the light from the light source device 1 is guided to the diffusion lens 6 by the optical fiber 2, and the guided light is projected and illuminated by the diffusion lens 6 for each illumination unit. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the diffusing lens, which is the point of the present invention. The diffusing lens 6 is made of a transparent ABS resin grade and has a reflection plating on the anti-light projecting surface. The optical fiber 2 and the diffusing lens 6 are connected by adhesion or integral molding. As another embodiment of the diffusing lens 6, a coloring material is mixed in a transparent ABS resin, or a coloring material is coated on the light projecting surface. By doing so, it is possible to prove a different color for each illumination unit. As described above, in addition to the effect of using the optical fiber for the light guide, the light guiding efficiency is improved, the advantage of using the optical fiber having a small outer diameter is expanded, and fine lighting for each lighting unit becomes possible.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a maintenance method of the light source device 1 of the control panel according to the present invention. In FIG. 3, 7 is a power source, 8 is a light switch, 9 is a main light source, 10 is a backup light source, 1
Reference numeral 1 is a relay, 11a is a movable contact, 11b is a normally closed contact, 11c is a normally open contact, 11d is a contact actuating coil (iron core, yoke, etc. are omitted), 12 is a normal display indicator, and 13 is an abnormal display indicator. . The operation of the backup light source 10 of the light source device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. When the light switch 8 is turned on,
The main light source 9 and the normal display indicator 12 are lit, a current is applied to the contact actuating coil 11d of the relay 11, the movable contact 11a is actuated, and the normally open contact 11c is closed. When the main light source 9 is broken, No current flows through the contact operating coil 11d of the relay 11, the movable contact 11a operates, and the normally closed contact 1
1b is closed and current flows to the backup light source 10 and the abnormality display indicator 13, and the backup light source 10 and the abnormality display indicator 13 are lit up to display the abnormality,
Turn on the backup light until maintenance.

[0009]

According to the present invention, in addition to the advantage of separating the light source and the display section of the control by using the optical fiber, the light guiding efficiency can be improved by the diffusing lens, so that high quality illumination can be obtained. When the main light source is disconnected, the backup light source is automatically turned on and an alarm is issued by the indicator, so that safe lighting of the lighting panel becomes possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of components of a control panel illumination according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a diffusion lens used for illuminating a control panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram used for lighting a control panel according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Light source device, 2 ... Optical fiber, 3 ... Illumination panel, 6 ... Diffusing lens, 9 ... Main light source, 10 ... Backup light source, 12 ... Normal display indicator, 13 ... Abnormality display indicator.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takayuki Ninomiya 5305-3085 Higashiishikawa Nishikouchi, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Hitachi Car Electronics Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle control panel comprising a light source device separated from a control panel, a light guide, a lighting panel, an operation switch, and a casing enclosing them. An illumination method for an automobile control panel, characterized in that an optical fiber is used, and a diffusion lens is attached to each tip of the plurality of optical fibers. 2. The method of illuminating a control panel for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion lens mounted on the tip of the optical fiber has a reflection projection plated on its anti-light projecting surface. 3. The illumination method for an automobile control panel according to claim 2, wherein a coloring material is mixed in a diffusing lens attached to the tip of the optical fiber, or a coloring material is coated on the light-projecting side surface. 4. A vehicle control panel comprising a light source device separated from a control panel, a light guide, a lighting panel, an operation switch, and a casing enclosing them, wherein a backup lamp is provided on the light source device. And a changeover switch means and an indicator that lights when a backup lamp lights up.