JPH11208249A - Lighting unit for control panel of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to illuminate each display portion of rotational operating knobs disposed at left and right sides of a control panel and each display portion of slide operating knobs disposed at an intermediate part between the rotational operating knobs at a low cost. SOLUTION: This control panel 1 has rotational operating knobs 4, 5 disposed at both sides, and slide operating knobs 6, 7 at an intermediate part of the control panel 1, which are vertically aligned. Display portions 14 to 17 are positioned around the rotational operating knobs 4, 5 and between the vertically aligned slide operating knobs 6, 7, respectively. In this case, a light source 10 is disposed at the upper and lower portion behind the display portions 14, 15 of both rotational operating knobs 4, 5, respectively. A flat reflector is disposed on a side wall 12a behind the display portions 16, 17 of the slide operating knobs 6, 7, which faces the light sources 10.

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 an operation panel such as an air-conditioning operation panel provided on an instrument panel of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an operation panel disposed on an instrument panel of an automobile, for example, an air-conditioning operation panel, rotary operation knobs for setting a temperature and an air blowing position are disposed on both sides of the panel surface. The slide operation knobs for selecting the inside and outside air of the intake air, the on / off of the fan, and the blower intensity are arranged above and below the middle part of the panel surface, and between the periphery of each rotation operation knob and the upper and lower slide operation knobs. Are provided with respective display units.

As an illuminating device for a display section of this type of operation panel, the display sections of the rotary operation knobs on both sides are illuminated with light from light sources provided on their respective backs, and the light from these light sources is difficult to reach. For the display section of the slide operation knob, it is costly to provide a dedicated light source,
Using a light guide plate, installing a reflector formed in the required shape, or making the panel body from a white material that easily reflects light and covering the front and outer periphery with unfavorable light reflection with a black cover, There is known an indirect lighting device.

In Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-76509,
There is disclosed an arrangement in which a light source is disposed at the back of a position between a display section of a rotary operation knob on both sides and a display section of an intermediate slide operation knob, and each display section is illuminated by a light guide plate.

[0005]

However, the use of a light guide plate increases the cost, and the molding cost of the molded reflector is high. Even if the panel body is white and covered with a black cover, the cost and assembly of the parts are high. There was a problem that the cost was high due to the cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides an illumination device for an operation panel of an automobile which can illuminate a display portion of a rotary operation knob on both sides and a display portion of an intermediate slide operation knob at low cost. With the goal.

[0007]

A lighting device for an operation panel of an automobile according to the present invention is provided with rotary operation knobs on both sides, and slide operation knobs above and below an intermediate portion thereof. In an operation panel of a vehicle in which respective display sections are provided between the surrounding and upper and lower slide operation knobs, light sources are respectively disposed at upper portions or lower portions behind the display sections of the both rotation operation knobs, and A flat reflecting plate is disposed on the side wall of the display unit opposite to the light source, and the display units of both rotary operation knobs are appropriately illuminated with light from the light source on the back, and between these display units. The display unit of the slide operation knob can be appropriately illuminated by the light from the light source being reflected by the reflector and radiated to the whole, and can be appropriately illuminated by using two light sources and a flat reflector. To the configuration It can illuminate the display portion of each side rotational operation knob and the display portion of the intermediate slide operation knob.

Further, inverted L-shaped engaging pieces for engaging both ends of the reflecting plate are provided at both ends of the side wall facing the light source, and a plurality of ribs are provided at appropriate intervals therebetween. With this arrangement, the reflector can be easily installed simply by inserting the reflector between the engagement pieces, the orientation of the reflector can be appropriately set by the rib, and the reinforcing effect of the side wall can be obtained by the rib. .

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a lighting device for an operation panel of an automobile according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Reference numeral 1 denotes an air-conditioning operation panel disposed on an instrument panel of an automobile, and a display panel 3 made of a synthetic resin decorative board on which a required display is translucently provided on a front surface of a main body 2 made of a synthetic resin molded product. Are arranged, and FIG.
2 shows the front surface of the main body 2 with the display plate 3 removed.

On the right side of the air-conditioning operation panel 1, a temperature setting rotation operation knob 4 for setting the air-conditioning temperature is provided, and on the left side, a blowing mode setting rotation operation knob 5 for setting the air blowing position.
An inside / outside air switching slide operation knob 6 for selecting the inside / outside air of the intake air is provided at an upper portion of an intermediate portion between the rotary operation knobs 4 and 5, and a lower portion is provided for selecting the on / off of the fan and the blower intensity. A fan control slide operation knob 7 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the main body 2 is provided with bearings 8 for the rotary operation knobs 4 and 5 on both sides, and a lighting recess 9 is provided around the bearings 8 to prevent illumination. The light source 10 is formed at a position near the center of the upper part except for the required lower part. Operation recesses 11 and 12 are formed above and below the center so that the slide operation knobs 6 and 7 can be moved in the lateral direction, and operation rods 26 and 27 are provided at the center in the up and down direction of the back wall. The slits 11a and 12a penetrating toward are formed. An intermediate illumination recess 13 is defined between upper and lower operation recesses 11 and lower operation recesses 12 by upper and lower side walls 13a and 13b.
Is continuous.

In addition, inverted L-shaped engaging pieces 20 project inwardly from both ends of the upper surface of the lower side wall 13b of the side wall facing the light source 10 in the recess 13 for intermediate illumination. And a plurality of ribs 21 at appropriate intervals between them
Is protruding. Then, a flat and rectangular reflecting plate 2
2 are arranged on the ribs 21, and both ends are engaged with the engaging pieces 20 and fixed.

The display panel 3 has a set temperature display section 14 around the temperature setting rotation operation knob 4, a ventilation mode display section 15 around the ventilation mode setting rotation operation knob 5, and a slide operation knob 6, 7. The inside and outside air switching display 16
However, a fan display section 17 for displaying the on / off of the fan and the blower intensity is provided at a lower portion, respectively. Further, the display plate 3 is formed with a notch 19 for opening the shaft holes 18 of the rotary operation knobs 4 and 5 and the operation concave portions 11 and 12 to the front.

In FIG. 3, the rotary operation knobs 4, 5
Is converted into rotation of the operation piece 25 via bevel gears 23 and 24 provided in the main body 2. The operation of the operation piece 25 and the operation rods 26 and 27 causes the switches and the like to be switched.

In the above configuration, the set temperature display unit 1 around the rotary operation knobs 4 and 5 on both sides of the air conditioning operation panel 1.
4 and the ventilation mode display section 15 are provided with the lighting recess 9 on the back thereof.
Is appropriately illuminated by the light from the light source 9 disposed on the upper part. Also, the light from the light source 9 is applied to the inside of the intermediate illumination recess 13 that is continuous with the illumination recess 9,
The whole of the indirect illumination area 28 in which the inside / outside air switching display section 16 and the fan display section 17 are provided is appropriately illuminated by being reflected by the reflection plate 22 arranged on the upper surface of the lower side wall 13b.

The lower wall 13b of the recess 13 for intermediate illumination is provided.
And a flat plate-like reflecting plate 22
Since the reflector 22 is inserted between the engagement pieces 20 and 20 from the front surface of the main body 2 and then the display plate 3 is simply attached to the front surface of the main body 2, the reflection The plate 22 can be easily arranged. In addition, the lower side wall 13b can be reinforced and the thickness can be reduced, and the direction of the reflection plate 22 can be appropriately set regardless of the draft angle of the intermediate illumination recess 13.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, the two light sources 9 disposed on the back of the rotary operation knobs 4 and 5 on both sides of the air-conditioning operation panel 1 allow not only the surrounding display unit but also
The display portion between the upper and lower slide operation knobs 6 and 7 in the middle portion can also be properly illuminated, and furthermore, it is only necessary to insert the flat plate-like reflection plate 22 into the main body portion 2 and to arrange it at low cost. Of the rotary operation knobs 4 and 5 and the display units of the intermediate slide operation knobs 6 and 7 can be illuminated.

In the above embodiment, the reflection plate 22 is inserted between the engagement pieces 20 and fixedly arranged. However, an adhesive is provided on the back surface of the reflection plate, and the reflection plate 22 is arranged and fixed by bonding or the like. You may.

[0020]

According to the present invention, as described above, the light sources are respectively disposed at the upper and lower portions of the back of the display portion of the both rotary operation knobs, and the side of the display portion of the slide operation knob opposite to the light source is disposed. Since the flat reflector is disposed on the side wall of the display, the display sections of both rotary operation knobs are appropriately illuminated with light from the light source on the back, and the display section of the slide operation knob between the display sections is provided with the light source from the light source. Light can be properly illuminated by being reflected by the reflector and illuminating the whole, and can be appropriately illuminated.
With a low-cost configuration using two light sources and a flat reflecting plate, it is possible to illuminate the display sections of the rotary operation knobs on both sides and the display section of the intermediate slide operation knob.

Also, inverted L-shaped engaging pieces for engaging both ends of the reflecting plate are projected from both ends of the side wall on the side facing the light source, and a plurality of ribs are projected at appropriate intervals between them. With this arrangement, the reflector can be easily installed simply by inserting the reflector between the engagement pieces, the orientation of the reflector can be appropriately set by the rib, and the reinforcing effect of the side wall can be obtained by the rib. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment in which a lighting device for an operation panel of an automobile according to the present invention is applied to an air-conditioning operation panel.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a main body of the air conditioning operation panel according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air-conditioning operation panel 4 Temperature setting rotation operation knob 5 Ventilation mode setting rotation operation knob 6 Inside / outside air switching slide operation knob 7 Fan control slide operation knob 9 Lighting recess 10 Light source 13 Intermediate lighting recess 13b Lower wall 14 Set temperature display 15 Ventilation mode display 16 Internal / external air switching display 17 Fan display 20 Engagement piece 21 Rib 22 Reflector

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A rotary operation knob is provided on both sides, and slide operation knobs are provided above and below an intermediate portion thereof, and respective display portions are provided between the periphery of each rotation operation knob and the upper and lower slide operation knobs. In the operation panel of the car
A light source is disposed on the upper or lower part of the display part of the two rotary operation knobs, respectively, and a flat reflector is disposed on the side wall facing the light source on the rear part of the display part of the slide operation knob. Control panel lighting system for cars. 2. An inverted L-shaped engagement piece that engages both ends of a reflection plate at both ends of a side wall facing a light source, and a plurality of ribs project at appropriate intervals therebetween. The lighting device for an operation panel of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device is provided.