JPH11160112A - Instrument dial - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dial structure of an instrument capable of transmittably illuminating the entire surface of a semi-transmitting dial at a uniform brightness using a small number of light sources. SOLUTION: A semi-transmitting layer 14 is formed on the entire surface of a transparent resin plate 13. Also, a semi-transmitting colored layer 16 is provided on the surface of the semi-transmitting layer 14 excluding a transmitting display part 15 for letters and graduations, and the backside of the transparent resin plate 13 is divided into three areas; a first area A liable to receive light illuminated from a light source, a second area B which receives half of the light, and a third area C difficult to receive the light. A first light modulating layer 17 is provided on the first and second areas A and B excluding the third area C. Then a second light modulating layer 18 is overlapped by dot painting on the first light modulating layer 17 in the first area A for forming a layer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dial for an instrument installed in, for example, an automobile, and more particularly to a dial for an instrument capable of transmitting and illuminating the entire surface of a semi-transmissive dial with uniform brightness with a small number of light sources. It relates to a plate structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a means for illuminating a dial of an instrument provided in front of a driver's seat of an automobile, for example, a dial illuminating structure as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is known. In the conventional example, a light source 2 is disposed in the upper front part of the instrument dial 1 and, with the light from the light source, the direct illumination means of the dial for reflecting and illuminating the front surface of the dial, and in the conventional example shown in FIG.
A light source 2 is disposed on the back side of the instrument dial 1, and a reflecting surface 3 of a light guide is disposed on the front upper portion of the instrument dial 1, and light from the light source 2 is transmitted through the reflecting surface 3 to the instrument dial 1. Has a structure that reflects light to the front of the camera.

[0003]

In such direct illuminating means for the instrument dial 1, the light source 2 or the reflecting surface 3 of the light guide must be arranged in front of the instrument dial 1. Of the instrument dial 1 is difficult to reduce the size of the instrument and it is necessary to provide a plurality of light sources or light guides to illuminate the surface of the instrument dial 1 with uniform brightness. The electrical connection structure inside the case has become complicated, causing problems in terms of assembly workability and economy.

Conventionally, there has been known an illumination structure of an instrument dial adopting an EL system in addition to the direct illumination means for the purpose of downsizing the instrument. However, the cost is high and the utility is poor, and the durability (life) is poor. In addition, the fact that an expensive inverter must be provided also lacks economy and practicality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such conventional disadvantages, and can uniformly illuminate the entire surface of the instrument dial with a simple illuminating means and simplify the illumination configuration to reduce the cost of the instrument dial. The purpose is to provide a board. In particular, in the present invention, the instrument dial is transmitted and illuminated by a light source arranged on the back side of the instrument dial to reduce the depth of the instrument and to make the instrument thinner (compact). Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an instrument dial that can illuminate the entire surface of the instrument dial with uniform luminance.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a semi-transmissive layer is formed on the entire surface of the transparent resin plate, and furthermore, a character,
A semi-transmissive colored layer is provided except for a transmissive display section such as a scale, and a first area which is easy to receive light illuminated from a light source on a back surface of the transparent resin plate, and a second area which receives the light halfway,
The first area and the second area except the third area are provided with a first light control layer, and the first light control layer is applied to the first area and the second area except for the third area. From above,
The first area is a dial of an instrument in which a second light control layer formed by halftone dot painting is layered.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a light guide plate is superimposed on the back surface of the instrument dial according to the first aspect, and the light guide plate is provided on the back side of the instrument dial. It is a dial of an instrument provided with light control means for reducing light reflection luminance corresponding to a boundary position between the first light control layer and the second light control layer.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a dial plate of an instrument to be transmitted and illuminated. The dial plate 11 receives light from a light source 12 provided on the back side of the dial plate 11, and the entire dial plate has a uniform luminance. (Light transmission). That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the structure of the dial 11 is such that a semi-transmissive layer 14 made of, for example, white paint having semi-permeability is applied to the entire surface of the transparent resin plate 13 which is a substrate of the dial 11. I have.

On the surface of the semi-transmissive layer 14, a semi-transmissive colored layer 16 made of, for example, blue is formed on a portion other than the transmissive display portion 15 such as characters and scales for forming a dial. .

On the back surface of the transparent resin plate 13, a first dimming layer 17 made of, for example, a translucent blue paint is formed by, for example, printing means. The following features are provided for the formation of In other words, the light source 12, which is a transmission illuminating means of the dial 11, transmits and illuminates the dial with a small number of light sources, so that the illumination range of the dial covered by one light source is wide, and the light source received by the back of the dial 11 The amount of light received from the light source 12 has a large difference in illumination intensity between a portion close to the light source 12 and a portion far from the light source 12, and uneven brightness occurs in the dial 11 during transmitted illumination.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the dial 11
A portion of the back surface where the amount of light received from the light source 12 is relatively strong is defined as a first area (A), a portion where the amount of received light is normal is defined as a second area (B), and a portion where the amount of received light is relatively weak is defined as Assume a third area (C). Incidentally, the form (shape) of these areas is of course set differently in view of the light-shielding condition of the instrument movement provided on the back side of the dial or the light-shielding device such as the light-shielding wall of a warning lamp. That is.

The first light control layer 17 includes first and second areas (A) and (A) except for the third area (C).
The layer (B) is formed by using a semi-transparent paint, but in the portion of the second area (B) close to the third area (C), the light transmission amount is changed according to the light intensity, for example. As a light control layer for increasing the amount of transmitted light by a halftone dot printing unit or the like, it may be devised so that uneven brightness does not occur at the boundary between the second area (B) and the third area (C). Further, the dimming layer is not limited to the boundary between the second area and the third area, and may perform dimming by performing halftone printing over the entire second range.

After the first light control layer 17 is formed, a first area (A) on the back surface of the first light control layer 17 is formed.
Next, a second light control layer 18 is formed by halftone printing, for example, in the same blue color as the first light control layer.

As described above, the area with the highest light reception amount and the area with the lowest light reception amount on the back surface of the dial 11 are determined, and among the areas with the highest light reception amount, the first light control layer 17 and the second light control layer 17 are used. We give double light control layer by light control layer,
In the area where the amount of received light is the least, no light control layer is provided, so that the overall luminance of the dial 11 transmitted and illuminated by light from the light source can be made substantially uniform.

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the light from the light source 12 is directed to the back of the dial 11 on the back of the dial 11 having the same configuration as that described in the first embodiment. When the light guide plate 19 that guides light is used repeatedly, the light guide plate 1
The light control means 20 is formed, for example, with a satin finish or the like corresponding to the position of the boundary (D) between the first area (A) and the second area (B) in FIG.

Therefore, by using the light guide plate 19 provided with the light control means 20 on the back surface of the dial 11 so as to overlap the characters at the boundary between the first area (A) and the second area (B). The unevenness of the transmitted luminance of the plate 11 can be effectively eliminated.

[0018]

As described above, according to the dial of the instrument according to the present invention, even with a very small number of light sources, the transmitted illumination of the dial is made to have uniform brightness over the entire surface of the dial. Therefore, it is possible to provide uniform transmission illumination of the entire dial with a minimum number of relatively inexpensive incandescent lamps, and to provide an inexpensive and economical instrument and to reduce the light source installation space. Thus, it is possible to provide an instrument that can be made compact.

In the present invention, not only uniform illumination but also
Since the blue halftone dimming layer is used, color adjustment can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view showing an embodiment of an instrument dial according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing an embodiment of an instrument dial according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of an instrument provided with a conventional instrument dial.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of another instrument provided with a conventional instrument dial.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Dial 12 ... Light source 13 ... Transparent resin plate 14 ... Semi-transmissive layer 15 ... Transmissive display part 16 ... Semi-transmissive coloring layer 17 ... 1st light control layer 18 ... 2nd light control layer 19 ... Light guide plate 20 ... Light control means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A semi-transmissive layer (14) is formed on the entire surface of a transparent resin plate (13), and a transmissive display section (15) such as a character or a scale is formed on the surface of the semi-transmissive layer (14). Except for providing a semi-transmissive colored layer (16), the back surface of the transparent resin plate (13) is provided with a first area (A) which is easy to receive light illuminated from a light source and a second area which receives the light halfway. (B),
The first area (A) and the second area excluding the third area (C) are divided into the third area (C) which is hard to receive the light, and the first light control layer (17). And a second light control layer (18) formed by halftone dot painting on the first area (A) from above the first light control layer (17).
The dial of the instrument, which is formed by layering. 2. A light guide plate (19) is superimposed on the back surface of the instrument dial according to claim 1, and a light guide plate (19) is provided on a back side of the instrument dial. According to the boundary position between the light control layer (A) and the second light control layer (B),
A dial for an instrument, which is provided with a dimming means (20) for reducing light reflection luminance.