JPH08207659A - Lighting system of control panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To light the whole display panel by the approximately equal intensity without providing any lens and reflecting plate in front of a lighting bulb. CONSTITUTION: A recessed part 32 is formed on the approximately center part in the longitudinal direction of a light distribution plate 30 facing a display panel 22. In the recessed part 32, the sectional shape along the longitudinal direction is formed into a trapezoidal shape, and inclined surfaces 32B, 32C are formed on both sides of the bottom part 32A. A rib 34 is vertically provided toward the display panel 22 on the center part in the direction of the arrow W of the bottom part 32A of the recessed part 32, and the rib 34 extends in the width direction of the light distribution plate 30. A lighting bulb 36 is attached on the display panel 22 side of the rib 34. The lighting bulb 36 is formed into the longitudinal shape and arranged along the rib 34 so that the longitudinal direction may face the width direction of the light distribution plate 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lighting device for a control panel, and more particularly to a lighting device for a control panel provided in an operating portion of a vehicle heater.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a control panel such as an operation portion of a heater for a vehicle is provided with a lighting device for night lighting. An example of the lighting device for the control panel is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-43512. No. 61-94888.

[0003] As shown in FIG.
In the illumination device for the control panel shown in No. 2, the light (arrow S in FIG. 8) emitted from the illumination bulb 70 is reflected in the direction of the tip 74A of the knob 74 by the lens 72 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the illumination bulb 70. Then, the knob lens 76 provided through the knobs 74 guides the light to a part 74B of the surface of the knob 74, and a part 74B of the surface of each knob 74.
B is made to emit light evenly.

Further, as shown in FIG.
In the control panel lighting device shown in Japanese Patent No. 94888, an inner surface 82A of a valve box 82 supporting the lighting bulb 80 is formed as a reflector, and the bulb box 82 is provided in front of the lighting bulb 80 of the bulb box 82.
By providing the reflecting plate 84 facing the inner surface 82A of the heater control panel 86, the amount of light emitted to the portion of the heater control panel 86 far from the illumination bulb 80 is increased, and the entire surface of the heater control panel 86 is illuminated evenly.

[0005]

However, in these illumination devices for control panels, in order to guide the light emitted from the illumination valve in a predetermined direction, a lens and a reflector are arranged in front of the illumination valve. Therefore, the structure is complicated and the cost is high.

In view of the above facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a control panel illuminator capable of illuminating the entire display panel with substantially uniform brightness without providing a lens or a reflector in front of the illumination bulb.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lighting device for a control panel according to the present invention, which has a long display panel, a long light distribution plate facing the display panel, and the light distribution plate. A recess having a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape formed in a part of the light plate along the longitudinal direction, a rib standing on the bottom wall of the recess toward the display panel and extending in the width direction of the light distribution plate, An illumination bulb mounted along the rib on the display panel side is provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the illuminating device for a control panel according to the first aspect, the display panel is formed along a longitudinal direction and has a plurality of openings. It is characterized in that the length along the lengthwise direction of the display panel becomes longer as the distance from the lighting bulb increases, and the inner peripheral wall on the lengthwise side of the display panel becomes an inclined surface that is further toward the lighting bulb direction. .

[0009]

In the illuminating device for a control panel according to the present invention as defined in claim 1, the strong light immediately before the illuminating bulb is reflected by the back surface of the display panel, the inner wall of the recess formed in a part of the light distribution plate facing the display panel, and the rib. The light is reflected in order and is irradiated to the end portion side in the longitudinal direction of the display panel. For this reason, this light, the light emitted directly from the illumination valve, and the light reflected by the light distribution plate and emitted to the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the display panel are emitted to the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the display panel. It Therefore, unlike the conventional structure, the entire display panel can be illuminated with substantially uniform brightness without providing a lens or a reflector in front of the illumination bulb.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control panel illuminating device, wherein a plurality of openings are formed in the display panel so as to correspond to the respective display portions, and the plurality of openings are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the display panel as the distance from the illumination bulb increases. Since the length is long and the inner peripheral wall on the long side of the display panel is an inclined surface that faces the direction of the lighting bulb, the opening farther from the lighting bulb than the opening near the lighting bulb is The amount of light passing through increases. Therefore, the entire display panel can be illuminated with more uniform brightness without using a lens or a reflector.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a control panel lighting device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the figure, an arrow FR indicates a front direction of the vehicle body, and an arrow UP indicates an upward direction of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 6, a heater control panel 12 is provided substantially in the center in the vehicle width direction of the instrument panel 10 of the vehicle body, and switches the inside / outside air of the air conditioner, the air outlet, the air volume, and adjusts the set temperature. And so on.

As shown in FIG. 5, the heater control panel 12 is a so-called cable type heater control panel for connecting the heater control and the air conditioner with a cable. 14 and an inside / outside air switching lever 16 are provided, and a temperature switching lever 18 and a blower switch 20 are provided below. Further, the heater control panel 12 has an intermediate portion in the up-down direction which is a display panel 22 elongated in the vehicle width direction. The surface of the display panel 22 (side surface of the vehicle interior) is transparent. Film 2
4 is attached. The film 24 has a mark 26 indicating the outlet mode and a mark 2 indicating the suction mode.
8 are printed at predetermined intervals along the lengthwise direction (direction of arrow W in FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 1, on the front side of the display panel 22 with respect to the vehicle body, a long light distribution plate 30 facing the display panel 22 is provided. At both ends of the reflecting surface 30A of the light distribution plate 30 in the longitudinal direction (direction of arrow W in FIG. 1),
Inclined surfaces 30B and 30C that are opened toward the opening side are formed, and as shown in FIG. 2, in the vicinity of the longitudinal end of the display panel 22, for example, in the area A of FIG. Of the light emitted from 36, the light reflected by the inclined surface 30B of the light distribution plate 30 (arrow S1 in FIG. 2) and the light distribution plate 3
The light (arrow S2 in FIG. 2) reflected by the reflection surface 30A of 0 is collected.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a concave portion 32 is formed in the light distribution plate 30 at a substantially central portion in the arrow W direction. The recess 32 has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape along the lengthwise direction, and slopes 32B, 32 are provided on both sides of the bottom 32A.
C is formed. At the center of the bottom 32A of the recess 32 in the direction of the arrow W, a rib 34 is erected vertically toward the display panel 22, and the rib 34 is in the width direction of the light distribution plate 30 (direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1). Extends to. Also, rib 3
An illumination bulb 36 is attached to the No. 4 display panel 22 side. The ribs 34 have a plate shape, and both wall portions 3
4A and 34B are reflection surfaces, respectively.

The position and size of the rib 34 are set by the shape of the illumination bulb 36, the positional relationship between the illumination bulb 36 and the recess 32, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 7, the illumination bulb 36 has an elongated shape, and is arranged along the rib 34 with its longitudinal direction oriented in the width direction of the light distribution plate 30.

As shown in FIG. 3, the display panel 22 is formed with a plurality of openings 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 along the lengthwise direction (direction of arrow W in FIG. 3). And each opening 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 4
Reference numerals 8 and 50 each have a rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction of the display panel 22 (direction of arrow W in FIG. 3) as the longitudinal direction. In addition, each opening 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 5
0 indicates a mark 26 indicating a blowout mode and a mark 28 indicating a suction mode of the film 24 shown in FIG. 5, respectively.
Facing.

As shown in FIG. 4, the openings 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 of the display panel 22 are
The lengths L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5, L6, L7 along the arrow W direction become longer (L1>L2>L3> L4, the farther from the illumination bulb 36 along the arrow W direction, respectively).
L5 <L6 <L7).

In the openings 38, 40, 42, 50, the inner peripheral walls (38A, 38A) facing each other on the arrow W direction side.
B), (40A, 40B), (42A, 42B), (5
0A, 50B) inner peripheral wall 38 on the side of the illumination bulb 36
B, 40B, 42B, and 50B are inclined surfaces that are more distant from the illumination bulb 36, and are inclined toward the illumination bulb 36. The inclination angles θ1, θ2, θ3, and θ7 of the inner peripheral walls 38B, 40B, 42B, and 50B are θ1 <θ2 <θ3> θ
It is 7.

In other words, each opening 38, 40, 4
2, 44, 46, 48, and 50 are length L along the arrow W direction as they approach the illumination bulb 36 along the arrow W direction.
1, L2, L3, L4 and L5, L6, L7 are short. Further, the inner peripheral wall 38 becomes closer to the lighting bulb 36.
B, 40B, 42B, and 50B are vertical surfaces.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In the control panel lighting device of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the strong light (arrow S3 in FIG. 1) emitted from the lighting bulb 36 is provided on the back surface of the display panel 22 and the light distribution plate facing the display panel 22. The inclined surface 32 of the recess 32 formed in 30
B and the wall portion 34A of the rib 34 are reflected in this order on the display panel 2
2 is irradiated to the end portion in the longitudinal direction.

Therefore, the light (arrow S3 in FIG. 1), the light directly emitted from the bulb (arrows S4 and S5 in FIG. 1), and the light distribution plate are provided on the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the display panel 22. The light reflected by 30 (arrows S1, S2, S6 in FIG. 1) is emitted. Therefore, unlike the conventional structure, the entire display panel 22 can be illuminated with substantially uniform brightness without providing a lens or a reflector in front of the illumination bulb.

Further, in the control panel lighting device of the present embodiment, a plurality of openings 3 formed in the display panel 22.
8, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 are farther from the illumination bulb 36 along the lengthwise direction of the display panel 22 (direction of arrow W in FIG. 4), the length L along the direction of arrow W.
1, L2, L3, L4 and L5, L6, L7 are long (L
1>L2>L3> L4, L5 <L6 <L7). Further, in the openings 38, 40, 42, 50, the inner peripheral walls 38B, 40B, 42B, 50B on the side of the illumination bulb 36.
However, the farther away from the lighting bulb 36, the more the lighting bulb 3
It is an inclined surface that faces 6 directions, and the inner peripheral walls 38B, 4
0B, 42B, 50B inclination angles θ1, θ2, θ3, θ
7 is θ1 <θ2 <θ3> θ7. For this reason,
The amount of light passing through the opening farther from the illumination valve 36 is larger than that at the opening closer to the illumination valve 36. Therefore, the entire display panel 22 can be illuminated with more uniform brightness.

Further, in the lighting device for the control panel of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, when the display panel 22 is in a state before being assembled, the cable 62 before connecting to each lever is a lighting bulb. It is possible to prevent the ribs 34 from entering between the concave portion 32 and the concave portion 36, and it is possible to prevent the illumination bulb 36 from being damaged.

Further, in the lighting device for the control panel of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, since the lighting bulb 36 is arranged along the bottom 32A of the recess 32, the lighting bulb has a structure which stands vertically on the bottom of the recess. In comparison, display panel 2
It is not necessary to take a large distance from 2 to the illumination bulb 36, which is advantageous in terms of space, and it is not necessary to secure a space for attaching the illumination bulb on the back surface side of the light distribution plate 30. Further, when the illumination bulb 36 is attached to the light distribution plate 30, it is sufficient to move the illumination bulb 36 in the width direction of the light distribution plate 30 (the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 7). It is not necessary to hold the attached heater control unit so that it does not move toward the rear surface of the light distribution plate and attach the illumination bulb, and the workability of assembly is improved.

The illuminance unevenness within the illuminance adjustment range of the display panel 22 that cannot be adjusted with the above-described configuration is adjusted by the thickness of the film 24.

In the above, the present invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments within the scope of the present invention. The present invention is also applicable to, for example, a so-called microcomputer type heater control panel that operates a servo motor of an air conditioner by an electric signal from the heater control. It is also applicable to control panels other than the vehicle heater control panel.

[0029]

According to the illuminating device of the control panel of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, an elongated display panel, an elongated light distribution plate facing the display panel, and a part of the light distribution plate. Formed in the longitudinal direction of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, the bottom wall of the recessed ribs upright toward the display panel and extending in the width direction of the light distribution plate, and the rib on the display panel side of the rib. Since it is configured to include an illumination bulb mounted along the same, it has an excellent effect that the entire display panel can be illuminated with substantially uniform brightness without using a lens or a reflector. Further, it is possible to prevent the damage of the lighting bulb and to improve the workability of assembling the lighting bulb.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the illuminating device for a control panel according to the first aspect, the display panel has a plurality of openings formed along the longitudinal direction, and these openings are the illumination bulbs. Since the length along the lengthwise direction of the display panel becomes longer as the distance from the display panel increases, and the inner peripheral wall on the lengthwise direction side of the display panel is an inclined surface that faces more toward the illumination bulb, It has an excellent effect that the entire display panel can be illuminated with more uniform brightness without using.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a lighting device of a control panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a lighting device of a control panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view illustrating a display panel of a lighting device of a control panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a control panel of a lighting device for a control panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an instrument panel to which a lighting device for a control panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, viewed from diagonally rearward of a vehicle body.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a recess of the light distribution plate of the lighting device of the control panel according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a lighting device of a control panel according to a conventional example.

FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view showing an illumination device of a control panel according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Heater control panel 22 Display panel 30 Light distribution plate 32 Recessed portion 34 Rib 36 Lighting valve 38 Opening 40 Opening 42 Opening 44 Opening 46 Opening 48 Opening 50 Opening 38B Inner peripheral wall 40B Inner peripheral wall 42B Inner peripheral wall 50B Inner peripheral wall

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A long display panel, a long light distribution plate facing the display panel, and a recess formed in a part of the light distribution plate and having a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape along the long direction. When,
A rib provided upright on the bottom wall of the recess toward the display panel and extending in the width direction of the light distribution plate, and an illumination bulb attached to the display panel side of the rib along the rib are provided. Characteristic control panel lighting device. 2. The display panel is formed along a lengthwise direction and has a plurality of openings, and these openings have a longer length along the lengthwise direction of the display panel as the distance from the illumination bulb increases. The illumination device for a control panel according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral wall of the display panel on the longitudinal direction side is an inclined surface that is further directed toward the illumination bulb.