JPH09133554A - Indication device for meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively lead lights from the same light source to indicating parts necessary for transmissive illumination such as dials or pointers and obtain sufficient contrast or luminance so as to improve the indication quality. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a light guide plate 20 arranged on the rear side of a dial 11 and a cold-cathode discharge tube 21 arranged along its side edge part. An opening 14 which is larger than the rotating trace of light receiving part 17a of a pointer body 17 is provided near the pivotally supporting part of the pointer 16 on the dial. A light guide part 22 for illuminating pointer is provided with a light irradiation part 23 in one end part that has the approximately same as the opening of the dial and a light leading part 24 in other end part that has at least two facing light leading parts against the cold-cathode discharge tube, and it is integrally provided on a part of the plate 20. A reflecting plane is provided on the rear side of the light irradiation part in the light guide part 20 so as to reflect a light led from the light leading part to the light receiving part side.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a speedometer, a tachometer, a fuel gauge, and a thermometer which informs a driver of, for example, the traveling speed of an automobile, the engine speed, the amount of fuel remaining in a tank, and the temperature of engine cooling water. The present invention relates to a display device for an instrument used in a transillumination type meter in an instrument such as a combination meter having an on-vehicle analog meter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a combination meter provided on a dashboard located on the front side of a driver's seat of an automobile to transmit various information to the driver while the automobile is traveling includes a high speed during daytime as well as during nighttime driving. It is necessary to have the visibility such that the display of each meter can be read accurately regardless of the incidence of sunlight even when the vehicle is traveling or traveling on a snowy road.

For this reason, in recent combination meters, a dark smoke filter is used on the front panel of the meter, the transmittance is reduced, and the display background is black-faced. ), The parts other than the scale are made inconspicuous, and the above-mentioned pointers, letters on the dial, scales, etc. are displayed in white and sharply on the display background by transillumination from the back side, so-called backlight. For both day and night, it is desired to take measures such as ensuring a sufficient contrast for display and sufficient brightness so that legibility can be surely read.

In conventional display devices for instruments, light emitting means such as an incandescent lamp, a light emitting diode (LED), an electroluminescence (EL), or a cold cathode discharge tube is used as a light source for transmitted illumination as a dial or a pointer. It is considered to be provided on the back side. However, it is difficult for the incandescent light bulb described above to obtain sufficient brightness, and it is not possible to obtain bright white. Further, the light emitting diode cannot obtain white light, and it is necessary to use a large number of elements. further,
Electroluminescence is difficult to emit with white and high brightness, and is also a problem in terms of durability.

On the other hand, the cold cathode discharge tube is a light source with high vibration resistance, which is capable of obtaining bright white light with high brightness and has little deterioration in brightness because it has no hot cathode filament. The one used for transmitted illumination of a meter has been proposed.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the conventional display device for an instrument for transmitting and illuminating using the cold cathode discharge tube as described above, the numbers and characters indicating the scales and numerical values of the pointer and dial,
When illuminating the indication display part such as a symbol, a light guide plate is provided on the back side of the dial plate, and a cold cathode discharge tube is provided at one end of the dial plate so that the dial plate can be illuminated through the entire back face side. It is configured to be possible. Also,
The pointer is formed of a light guide, and the light receiving portion of the light guide is provided in the vicinity of the shaft supporting portion so that light from the light guide plate is received and the pointer is illuminated and displayed.

However, with the above-described structure, the brightness of the pointer cannot be sufficiently secured, and the transmittance of the front panel of the meter cannot be reduced as described above.

Particularly, in the case where the above-mentioned black face is made and the transmittance of the surface panel is set to several tens of percent, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-201410, the light sources of the pointer and the dial are separately provided. A cold cathode discharge tube is used. That is, in order to illuminate the instruction display portion on the dial, generally, a mercury cold cathode discharge tube formed in a substantially annular shape along the scale on the back side of the dial is used,
The pointer uses an ultra-fine cold cathode discharge tube or other light emitting means. A light emitting means of this pointer is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-77016, and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 41-12.
No. 380, etc.

However, in such a structure, it is necessary to use two kinds of light sources in order to illuminate and display the indicator display portion of the dial and the pointer in the meter, the number of parts constituting the meter is large, and the structure is complicated. In addition, the assembly work is troublesome and the cost is high. Further, in the above-mentioned structure, not only a device for supplying electric power to each light source is required separately, but also each light source is caused to emit light in a required state so that the instruction display portion and the pointer of the dial are provided. There is also a problem that it is difficult to perform uniform illumination display.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and when the indicator display portion of the dial and the pointer in the meter are illuminated and displayed, the same light source can be used, and sufficient contrast and brightness of each can be secured. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device for an instrument which can be manufactured and which has a simple structure and can eliminate problems in assembly work and cost.

[0011]

In order to meet such a demand, a display device for an instrument according to the present invention has an instruction display portion of a dial which is entirely shielded except for an instruction display portion, and an indication display portion on the dial. In order to illuminate and display the pointer part of the pointer having a light guide material with a light receiving part that receives the light emitted from the back side of the dial near the axis support part, it was placed on the back side of the dial. A light guide plate and a cold cathode discharge tube arranged along the side edge of the light guide plate are provided, and an opening larger than the rotation locus of the light receiving portion is provided near the pivotal support of the pointer on the dial, and the dial is provided at one end. Light guide part having a light irradiation part having a region substantially equal to the opening of the light guide part, and a light introduction part having at least two opposite light introduction faces to the cold cathode discharge tube at the other end. It is provided integrally with a part of the On the back side of the light irradiating section, a reflecting surface for irradiating illumination light guided from the light introducing section to the light receiving section side of the pointer through the opening is provided, and the light introducing section is provided from each light introducing surface. It is formed in a shape having a prism for guiding light toward the light irradiation part.

Further, in the display device for an instrument according to the present invention, the light guide part for pointer illumination integrally provided on the light guide plate is gradually widened from the light irradiation part at one end to the light introduction part at the other end. Thus, it is formed in a shape having a side surface inclined with respect to the light guide direction.

Further, the display device for an instrument according to the present invention comprises:
A rectangular display in which a display member for displaying by utilizing light from the light guide portion is provided on the light guide portion for pointer illumination in the light guide plate, and the display surface of the display member is provided on a part of the dial. It is exposed through the window.

According to the present invention, the light from the cold cathode discharge tube is guided over the entire surface of the dial by the light guide plate, and the indicator display portion of the dial is transmitted and illuminated from the back side. Similarly, the light from the cold cathode discharge tube is guided to the light irradiation section facing the pointer shaft support section by the pointer illumination light guide section of the light guide plate, and is received by the light receiving section of the pointer main body made of the light guide material that constitutes the pointer. Then, guide it to the tip of the pointer and illuminate the pointer.

In particular, according to the present invention, the light introducing portion of the pointer illuminating light guide portion of the light guide plate is irradiated with light from at least two directions of the cold cathode discharge tube through the light introducing surface and the reflecting surface. To increase the amount of light received on the pointer side to secure the illumination brightness of the pointer. Such an amount of received light is further improved by ensuring the length in the longitudinal direction of the light introducing portion of the light guide portion for pointer illumination that faces the cold cathode discharge tube.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to illuminate and display the display surface of the display member provided on the light guide portion by utilizing the leaked light to the surface of the pointer light guide portion of the light guide plate.

Here, the dial plate means, for example, a panel made of a light-transmissive material and having a light-shielding portion formed on the surface thereof except the instruction display portion, but is not limited to such a panel structure. Further, the instruction display portion of the dial is composed of numbers, letters, symbols, etc. that represent scales and numerical values. Further, the pointer has a pointer main body made of a light guide material, and a portion extending from the shaft support portion is a pointer portion. The surface of the pointer main body may be covered with a light-shielding cover except for the slits formed on the surface of the pointer portion, or a light-shielding film may be applied.

The instrument display device is, for example, a vehicle-mounted combination meter, which is a device for performing transillumination in a combination instrument of analog meters having a speedometer, a tachometer, a fuel gauge, a thermometer, and the like. However, the present invention is applicable to some of these instruments or various instruments used in other fields, and is not limited thereto. Further, the display member is a totalizer equipped in this combination meter, but is not limited to this.

[0019]

1 to 3 show one embodiment of a display device for an instrument according to the present invention. In these drawings, the present invention is applied to a transillumination type device in these drawings. In-vehicle combination meter 1 that is a meter
Shows the case where it is applied to

In these drawings, a combination meter indicated by reference numeral 1 is an analog speedometer 2 for displaying the traveling speed of an automobile, a tachometer 3 for displaying the engine speed, and a fuel for displaying the remaining amount of fuel. A total of 4 and a thermometer 5 for displaying the temperature of the engine cooling water are provided. In addition, reference numeral 6 in FIG. 1 denotes a range finder which is provided on a part of the speedometer 2 and which displays a mileage of the vehicle. Reference numeral 7 is omitted from the detailed illustration, but a select lever of a transmission of the vehicle. It is a display unit provided with a transmission indicator display light for displaying the shift position of the above, or various warning lights.

Reference numeral 8 is a meter case formed by opening the front surface, and reference numeral 9 is a meter cover provided at the opening end of the case 8 and having an opening 9a for exposing only the dial portion of each meter to the front. The front end side of the cover 9 is opened to the front, and the transmittance is reduced so as to cover the front opening, so-called smoke filter surface cover (not shown).
Is provided, and the inside of the meter is made a black face except for the indication display part of the dial and the pointer.

The transmission illumination type analog meter including the speedometer 2, tachometer 3, fuel gauge 4, and thermometer 5 has the following configuration. In this embodiment, the speed meter 2 and the fuel meter 4, and the tachometer 3 and the thermometer 5 are integrally formed.

To briefly explain this, in FIGS. 1 to 3, 11 is a dial of each meter, and this dial 11 is
The light-transmitting material is formed into a sheet shape, and the indicator display portion 12 including the scales, numerical values, letters, and symbols necessary for the meter is formed as a transparent portion, and the light-shielding film is formed on the entire other surface. 11a is formed by printing or another method. Note that FIG. 2B and FIG.
As shown in (a) and (b), this sheet-like dial 1
By attaching a transparent light diffusing sheet 13 formed in substantially the same shape as the back surface of No. 1 or providing a coating film, the illumination light from the back surface side is diffused and uniform transmissive illumination is provided throughout. Is configured to display the instruction display unit 12. In addition, an opening 14 is formed in the central portion of the dial 11 in a portion that pivotally supports a pointer, which will be described later. Further, in the dial 11 that serves as the speedometer 2, a rectangular display window 15 is formed in the lower portion of the opening 14. Of course, openings 14a and 15a are formed in the light diffusion sheet 13 so as to correspond to the openings 14 and the display window 15.

Reference numeral 16 is a pointer having a pointer main body 17 formed of a translucent material so that the whole has a substantially pointer shape.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 to 10, a pointer main body 17 made of a light guide material, a light-shielding cover 18 covering the outside thereof, and a shaft member 1 serving as a pointer shaft support.
9 (shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8). Here, the pointer main body 17 has a light receiving portion 17a projecting near the shaft supporting portion on the dial 11 so as to receive the illumination light emitted from the back side of the dial 11, and the pointer main body 17 A reflection film 17b is formed on the back surface side of the above except the light receiving surface of the light receiving portion 17a by applying a white paint or adhering a white sheet. In addition, in combination with the reflection film 17b, a conventionally known stippled reflection portion may be appropriately formed on the back surface side of the pointer main body 17 in order to make the reflected light uniform over the entire surface.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the pointer portion for pointing the instruction display portion 12 of the pointer main body 17 described above gradually narrows in width in plan view as it goes to the tip. Both side surfaces are formed by the inclined surfaces 17c and 17c that are In addition, the surface of this pointer,
An inclined surface 17d is formed so as to incline obliquely downward. Furthermore, the illumination light introduced from the light receiving unit 17a is
As shown in FIG. 8, a reflecting surface 17e for reflecting the distal end side of the pointer portion is formed on the surface side near the shaft supporting portion of the pointer. Reference numeral 17f is a mounting piece for assembling with the cover 18 and the shaft member 19.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the cover 18 is made of a light-shielding material having a shape that covers at least the surface and both side surfaces of the pointer body 17 in accordance with the shape of the pointer body 17 described above. There is. Further, a reflective film 18a made of white paint or a white sheet is provided between the surface and both side surfaces of the pointer main body 17 of the cover 18 and the inner surface covering them. The reflective film 18a may be formed on the back surface of the cover 18, provided on the side of the pointer main body 17, or interposed between the both.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2A, the main body 1 of the pointer is provided near the pivotal support portion of the pointer 16 in the cover 18.
A flange portion 18b is provided that is larger than the rotation locus of the light receiving portion 17a accompanying the rotation of 7. This flange portion 18b
Is located near the shaft support at the center of the dial 11
This is for covering the opening 14 that is formed in such a size that it is opposed to any position where a rotates. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 8 and 10, the cover 18 has a slit 18c for exposing the surface portion of the pointer portion of the pointer main body 17 to the outside. It is formed from the vicinity of the shaft support portion to the tip end in the portion that covers the.

By using the dial 11 and the pointer 16 as described above, the illumination from the back side of the dial 11
The instruction display portion 12 of the dial 11 and the pointer portion of the pointer 16 are illuminated and displayed, and any instruction display portion 12 can be pointed at the tip of the pointer portion as the pointer 16 rotates about its axis.

According to the present invention, in the meter having the above-described structure, the light guide plate 20 is arranged on the back side of the dial 11 as shown in FIG. This light guide plate 20
Is a speedometer 2 and a fuel gauge 4 in the meter 1 shown in FIG.
The dials 11 and 11 and the dials 11 and 11 of the tachometer 3 and the thermometer 5 are formed in such a shape that the illumination light can be guided over the entire surfaces. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the side edge portion of the light guide plate 20 is arranged along the side edge portion and is cooled by a straight tube for guiding light over the entire surface of the light guide plate 20. The cathode discharge tube 21 is provided as a light source.

The pointer 16 on the dial 11
Of the cold cathode discharge tube 2 through an opening 14 provided in the vicinity of the shaft supporting portion so as to be larger than the rotation locus of the light receiving portion 17a.
In order to guide the light from 1 to the light receiving portion 17a, the pointer illuminating light guide portion 22 is connected to the light guide plate 2 as shown in FIGS.
It is provided integrally with a part of 0. The pointer illumination light guide portion 22 has a light irradiation portion 23 having an area substantially equal to the opening 14 of the dial on one end side, and the cold cathode discharge tube 21 on the other end side.
On the other hand, at least two surfaces (three surfaces in this embodiment) have opposed light introduction surfaces 24a, 24b, 24c, and a shape having a prism for guiding light toward the light irradiation section 23. The formed light introducing portion 24 is provided.

Further, the illumination light guided from the light introducing section 24 is directed to the back surface side of the light irradiation section 23 in the pointer illumination light guide section 22 to the light receiving section 17a side of the pointer 16 through the opening 14. Reflecting surface 25 (25a, 25 for irradiating)
b, 25c) are provided. Further, in this embodiment, the pointer illumination light guide portion 22 provided integrally with the light guide plate 20.
Is formed in a shape having side surfaces 26, 26 that are inclined with respect to the light guide direction such that the width gradually widens in a plan view from the light irradiation section 23 at one end to the light introduction section 24 at the other end.

Here, in the left side portion of the meter 1 in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 4, a case where the rectangular mounting portion 27 is formed by projecting from the side surfaces 26, 26 on a part of the light guide portion 22 is shown. ing. This is the light guide part 2 for this pointer illumination.
An integrating meter 6 as a display member for displaying by utilizing the light from the light guide portion 22 is provided on the display 2, and its display surface is viewed from a rectangular display window 15 provided in a part of the dial 11. By exposing it, the display as the integrating meter 6 can be performed. Further, 28 and 28a in FIG. 4 are for inserting the shaft member 19 which is the shaft supporting portion of the pointer 16 into the light irradiating section 23 of the pointer illuminating light guide section 22 and a part of the light guide plate 20 corresponding thereto. It is an insertion hole provided. In FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 29 is a pointer driving portion for rotating the pointer 16 provided inside the case 8 below the light guide plate 20.

In addition, the light guide portion 2 for pointer illumination provided on the back surface side or the side edge portion of the light guide plate 20 described above, or a part thereof.
A reflective film 30 is formed on the back surface of 2 and the reflective surface 25 by white paint, white printing, or sticking a white sheet. Further, a stippled reflection portion 31 is formed on the back surface of the light guide plate 20 to improve the light guide characteristics, and
The entire surface of 0 can be illuminated with uniform brightness. Such a stippled reflector may be provided in the pointer illumination light guide 22 as well.

In FIGS. 2A and 5, reference numeral 32 denotes the cold cathode discharge tube 21 at the side edge portion of the light guide plate 20 and the end portion of the pointer light guide portion 22 on the light introducing portion 24 side. This is a reflection member provided so as to surround the outside, whereby the amount of light emitted from the cold cathode discharge tube 21 can be efficiently introduced into the light guide plate 20 and the light guide section 22, and the cold cathode discharge tube 21 can be held and protected. Is a member having.

According to the above construction, the light from the cold cathode discharge tube 21 is guided over the entire surface of the dial 11 by the light guide plate 20, and the indication display portion 12 of the dial 11 is transmitted and illuminated from the back side. Similarly, the light from the cold cathode discharge tube 21 is guided by the pointer illumination light guide portion 22 of the light guide plate 20 to the light irradiation portion 23 facing the shaft support portion of the pointer 16, and is made of a light guide material that constitutes the pointer 16. It is possible to illuminate the pointer 16 by causing the light receiving portion 17a of the pointer main body 17 to receive the light and guide it to the tip of the pointer 16.

In particular, the pointer light guide portion 22 of the light guide plate 20.
In the light introducing part 24, light from three directions of the cold cathode discharge tube 21 is introduced into the light introducing surfaces 24a, 24b, 24c and the reflecting surface 2.
5 (25a, 25b, 25c) is configured to be guided to the light irradiation section 23, so that three layers of light guide paths can be obtained in the light guide section 22, and a normal light guide member can be obtained. It is possible to guide and irradiate three times as much light as the light guide in (1) to the pointer 16 side. As a result, the amount of light received on the side of the pointer 16 can be increased and the illumination brightness of the pointer 16 can be increased.

The amount of such received light is gradually increased by the inclined side surfaces 26, 26 of the length of the light introducing portion 24 of the pointer illuminating light guide portion 22 in the longitudinal direction facing the cold cathode discharge tube 21. By further widening the width and ensuring it, it is possible to further improve.

Here, such a pointer light guide portion 22 is provided.
As a modified example of the light introducing section 24 in FIG.
The structure shown in (a) may be adopted. In this case, the light received by the three surfaces of the cold cathode discharge tube 21 can be guided by being reflected by the reflecting surface of the light introducing portion 24, as in the example of FIG. 5 described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
As shown in (b), the light introducing section 24 may be configured to guide the light received by the two surfaces of the cold cathode discharge tube 21.

The present invention is not limited to the structure described in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the shape of each part of the instrument display device,
The structure and the like can be appropriately modified and changed. That is,
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the speedometer 2, the tachometer 3 and the like in the vehicle-mounted combination lamp 1 which is an instrument provided with a display device for performing transillumination is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. Of course, any analog type instrument having a pointer can be applied to various instruments used in various fields. Further, as a display member, a totalizer 6 provided in the combination meter 1
However, the present invention is not limited to this.

Further, as the dial plate 11, for example, a panel made of a translucent material and having a light-shielding portion 11a formed on the surface except the instruction display portion 12 is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. The instruction display unit 12 may be stamped and formed on the light shielding plate, and a light diffusion sheet may be attached to the back surface thereof.

Further, the pointer 16 has a pointer main body 17 made of a light guide material, and a portion of the pointer main body 17 extending from the shaft support is used as the pointer. A cover 18 having a light-shielding property is used except for the slit 18c formed on the surface, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is a pointer made of a light guide member that has been widely known from the past. Even a guideline that is composed of only the main body can be applied.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the light guide plate 2
By arranging the light guide plate 20 along the side edge of 0,
As a light source for illuminating the indication display section 12 of the dial 11 arranged above, a cold cathode discharge tube 21 formed of a straight tube is used.
However, the present invention is not limited to this.
As shown in FIG. 1, a cold cathode discharge tube 21 having an L shape is used as a light source, and a bent portion 21a along a side edge portion of the light guide plate 20 is integrally provided, so that a light amount for illumination display can be obtained. May be configured to increase. According to this structure, the amount of light guided to the light guide plate 20 can be further increased, and the dial 1 through the light guide plate 20 can be increased.
The illumination display of the instruction display unit 12 of No. 1 can be performed more appropriately.

[0043]

EXAMPLE As a light source, a cold-cathode discharge tube 21 of a straight tube or an L-shaped cold-cathode discharge tube 21 is used, which is arranged along a side edge of a light guide plate 20. As a pointer illumination light guide portion 22 provided in a part of the light guide plate 20, one end is provided with a light introducing portion 24 within a predetermined length range in the longitudinal direction of the cold cathode discharge tube 21.
And the other end as the light irradiation part 23 which can secure the range of the rotation locus of the light receiving part 17a on the pointer 16 side, and is formed so as to widen along the light introducing part 24 side. ing.

In addition, the back surface and side edges of the light guide plate 20,
A reflection film 30 and a stippled reflection portion 31 are appropriately formed on the back surface of the pointer light guide portion 22. Further, the cold cathode discharge tube 21
For illuminating the pointer 16 and the dial 11, the display has sufficient brightness in the daytime,
At night, it is necessary to have a brightness that does not cause glare, and the control means is used.

[0045]

As described above, according to the display device for an instrument of the present invention, the light guide plate arranged on the back side of the dial plate and the cold cathode discharge tubes arranged along the side edges thereof are provided. An opening larger than the rotation locus of the light receiving portion is provided near the pivotal support portion of the pointer on the dial, and a light irradiation portion having an area substantially equal to the opening of the dial is provided at one end and the other end. Part of the light guide plate is integrally provided with a light guide part having a light guide part having at least two light guide surfaces facing each other with respect to the cold cathode discharge tube. On the back surface side of the light irradiation portion in, a reflecting surface for irradiating the light receiving portion side of the pointer with the illumination light guided from the light introduction portion is provided, and the light introduction portion is provided with light from each light introduction surface. In a shape having a prism for guiding light toward the light irradiation part Since the forms, despite the simple structure, excellent effects described below.

That is, according to the present invention, the light from the cold cathode discharge tube is guided over the entire surface of the dial by the light guide plate,
While transmitting and illuminating the indicator display section having the transparency of the dial from the back side, the light from the cold cathode discharge tube is also guided to the light irradiation section facing the pointer shaft support section by the guide illumination light guide section of the light guide plate, The cold cathode discharge tube, which is the same light source, makes it possible to illuminate the pointer by letting the light receiving section of the pointer main body made of the light guide material that constitutes the pointer receive the light and guiding it to the tip of the pointer.
The dial and pointer can be illuminated at the same time.

Therefore, according to the present invention, as compared with the conventional case where the dial and the pointer are separately illuminated by two kinds of light sources, the number of constituent parts is reduced and the structure is simplified, and the assembling work is performed. It is easy and cost-saving can be achieved, and it is not necessary to separately use a conventional power supply device, and sufficient brightness can be obtained for each illumination display.

In particular, according to the present invention, the light introducing portion of the pointer illuminating light guide portion of the light guide plate is irradiated with light from at least two directions of the cold cathode discharge tube through the light introducing surface and the reflecting surface. The light that has been diffused in the past can be efficiently collected by being concentrated on a portion, and thus the amount of light received on the pointer side can be improved and the illumination brightness of the pointer can be secured. Therefore, it is possible to exert an effect when a meter with a black face is used in which the transmittance of the front panel of the meter is set to several tens%.

Further, according to the instrument display device of the present invention, the pointer illumination light guide portion integrally provided on the light guide plate is gradually widened from the light irradiation portion at one end to the light introduction portion at the other end. The light receiving amount described above is formed in a shape having a side surface inclined with respect to the light guiding direction so that the length in the longitudinal direction facing the cold cathode discharge tube of the light introducing portion of the light guiding portion for pointer illumination. It is possible to increase the brightness of the pointer portion and further improve the illumination brightness of the pointer portion, and to properly perform the illumination display of the pointer together with the dial side.

Furthermore, the instrument display device according to the present invention is
A display member is provided on the light guide portion for guiding the pointer in the light guide plate, and a display member that performs display using light from the light guide portion is provided. The display surface of the display member is a rectangular shape provided on a part of the dial. By exposing the light from the display window, the leaked light to the surface of the pointer illuminating light guide part of the light guide plate can be skillfully utilized, and the display surface of the display member provided on the light guide part can be appropriately illuminated and displayed. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of a combination meter to which an instrument display device according to the present invention is applied.

2A is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the meter of FIG. 1, showing a pointer shaft support in a cross-section, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a main part in which a dial part is cross-sectioned.

3 is a cross-sectional side view showing the left half of the meter of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a front view, (b) is a bottom view, and (c) is a front view of a pointer illumination light guide portion of a light guide plate showing one embodiment of an instrument display device according to the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a pointer illuminating light guide portion, which shows one embodiment of the instrument display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a modification example of the light introducing section (a) in FIG.
It is a figure shown in (b).

7A is a front view showing a dial in the case of a speedometer in the meter of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7B is a front view of a light diffusion sheet provided on the back surface of the dial.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing one embodiment of a pointer structure used in the display device for a meter according to the present invention.

9A is a plan view of the pointer main body, FIG. 9B is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 9, and FIG. 9C is a bottom view.

FIG. 10: In the pointer and the pointer main body of FIGS. 8 and 9,
(A) is a plan view of the cover that covers the pointer body, (b) is XI
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line XI.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing the left half of the meter showing another embodiment of the instrument display device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Combination meter as an instrument provided with a display device by transmitted illumination, 2 ... Speedometer, 3 ... Tachometer, 6 ... Totalizer (display member), 8 ... Meter case, 9 ... Meter cover, 11 ... Dial, 12 ... Instruction display part, 13 ... Light diffusion sheet, 14 ... Opening, 15 ... Display window, 16 ... Pointer, 17 ...
Pointer body, 17a ... Light receiving part, 17b ... Reflective film, 17c ...
Inclined surface, 17d ... Inclined surface, 17e ... Reflective surface, 18 ... Cover, 18b ... Flange portion, 18c ... Slit, 19 ... Shaft member, 20 ... Light guide plate, 21 ... Cold cathode discharge tube, 21a ... L
B-shaped cold cathode discharge tube bent portion, 22 ... Pointer illumination light guide portion, 23 ... Light irradiation portion, 24 ... Light introducing portion, 25 ... Reflecting surface,
26 ... Side surface, 27 ... Display device mounting portion, 28 ... Insertion hole, 2
9 ... Pointer drive unit, 30 ... Reflective film, 31 ... Stipple reflection unit, 3
2 ... Reflective member.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A dial which is entirely shielded except for an instruction display portion, and an illumination which is entirely formed of a light-guiding material and is irradiated from the back side of the dial near a pivotal support on the dial. And a pointer having a pointer main body having a light-receiving portion for receiving light, the pointer indicating portion of the dial and the pointer portion of the pointer are illuminated and displayed, and the pointer is rotated around the axis on the dial. In the instrument display device configured so that the tip of the pointer portion points to the instruction display unit, the light guide plate disposed on the back side of the dial and the light guide plate disposed along the side edge of the light guide plate. A cold cathode discharge tube is provided, and an opening larger than the rotation locus of the light receiving section is provided in the vicinity of the pivotal support of the pointer on the dial, and a light irradiation section having an area substantially equal to the opening of the dial at one end. And has the cold cathode discharge at the other end A light guide part for pointer illumination having at least two light guide parts facing each other is integrally provided on a part of the light guide plate, and the back surface of the light irradiation part in the light guide part for pointer illumination. On the side, while providing a reflecting surface for irradiating the light receiving portion side of the pointer with the illumination light guided from the light introducing portion through the opening, the light introducing portion is provided with the light from each light introducing surface. A display device for an instrument, which is formed in a shape having a prism for guiding light toward the front. 2. The instrument display device according to claim 1, wherein the pointer illumination light guide portion integrally provided on the light guide plate is gradually widened from the light irradiation portion at one end to the light introduction portion at the other end. And a display device for an instrument, which is formed in a shape having a side surface inclined with respect to the light guide direction. 3. The instrument display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a display member is provided on the pointer illumination light guide portion of the light guide plate for performing display using light from the light guide portion. A display device for an instrument, wherein a display surface of the display member is exposed through a rectangular display window provided in a part of a dial. 4. The instrument display device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein a reflective film is formed on at least the back surface of the light guide plate and the pointer light guide section. Display device. 5. The instrument display device according to claim 1, claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4, wherein a stippled reflection portion is formed on the back surface of the light guide plate. .