JPH11311547A - Instrument for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance pointer illumination (brightness) and stability by arranging a light guide plate for pointer illumination and a light source in an instrument movement bobbin and to enhance fixing of instrument while increasing the degree of freedom in layout. SOLUTION: A tubular light guide body 14 containing a pointer shaft 15 having one end fixed with a light emitting pointer 22 and a movable magnet 16 rotatably is encased in an instrument case 11 along with a fixed coil 21 located at a position corresponding to the movable magnet 16 on the outer circumference of the light guide body 14 and a light source 24 is disposed at the outer end of the light guide body 14 corresponding to the other end of the pointer shaft 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an analog vehicle instrument using a light emitting pointer for emitting light from a light source via a light guide plate, and more particularly to a light guide plate for illuminating a pointer and a light source inside an instrument movement bobbin. The present invention relates to an instrument for a vehicle which can improve the indicator illumination (brightness) performance, enhance the stability, and further enhance the workability of assembling the instrument and the degree of freedom in layout.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional analog device having a pointer illumination mechanism capable of causing a light emitting pointer, which is a component of an analog instrument, to emit light using a light source and a light guide provided in the instrument. For example, there is a type instrument as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, a schematic configuration of the conventional example will be described. Reference numeral 1 denotes an instrument movement fixed on a housing or a circuit board 2.
A light emitting pointer 4 is attached to the tip of the pointer shaft 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a dial for displaying a value indicated by the light emitting pointer 4, and a light guide 6 is disposed between the dial 5 and the instrument movement 1. The light guide 6 is a housing or a circuit. The light from the light source 7 disposed and fixed on the substrate 2 is received, and the light is radiated to the light emitting hands 4 so that the light emitting hands 4 emit light.

[0003]

However, the design of the analog instrument having the above configuration, such as the shape and size, is changed, for example, every time a model change of an automobile or a different vehicle type is made.
The type of the light source 7 must be set and configured so as to be compatible with each type of the vehicle. For this reason, the layout of the light source 7 to be arranged and fixed on the housing or the circuit board 2 is forced to be changed. With the change in the size of the light guide, it is necessary to manufacture various types of light guides, and it is necessary to assemble light guides of various shapes. Chip. In some cases, the meter itself becomes complicated by assembling a light guide of a different shape, and therefore, the manufacturing economy of the light guide and the manufacturing economy of the meter are lacking. In addition, since the position of the light source 7 and the shape of the light guide 6 are different, the illumination brightness of the pointer changes or becomes unstable, and it is difficult to uniformly and stably display the luminescence pointer of each instrument. There was also a problem of becoming.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and has improved the uniformity and stability of the luminance performance of a light emitting pointer in an analog type instrument having various shapes and configurations having the light emitting pointer. Incorporates a light source and a light guide for displaying the light emitting indicators of various analog instruments in the movement of the instrument in order to improve the workability of assembling the analog instruments and increase the degree of freedom in layout. The purpose is to develop such a vehicle instrument.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cylindrical light guide which rotatably houses a pointer shaft having a light emitting pointer fixed at one end and a movable magnet. A fixed coil disposed around the outside of the light guide and corresponding to the movable magnet is accommodated in an instrument case, and a light source is disposed at an outside end of the light guide corresponding to the other end of the pointer shaft. It is a vehicle instrument that has been characterized.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an annular movable member which has both ends of a pointer shaft having one end fixed with a light emitting pointer and which is mounted on the pointer shaft via a transparent magnet support. A transparent instrument case that also serves as a bobbin having a movable magnet storage space in which a magnet is rotatably housed, a light source disposed close to the other end of the pointer shaft, and a fixed coil wound at a position corresponding to the movable magnet. The vehicle instrument comprises a coil, and guides light emitted from the light source to the pointer via the instrument case and the magnet support.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

(First Embodiment) In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes an instrument case for a bobbin for accommodating, for example, a cross-coil type movement of an analog instrument for a vehicle. 12 is attached,
An instrument dial 13 is attached to the upper surface of the instrument case 11. A cylindrical bottomed light guide 14 made of a transparent material such as acryl is fixedly supported by the instrument case 11 at the center of the inside of the instrument case 11, and the upper end of the light guide 14 has an instrument character. It passes through the plate 13.

A pointer shaft 15 positioned at the axis of the cylindrical light guide 14 and a movable magnet 16 are press-fitted into the internal space 14B of the cylindrical light guide 14. The upper and lower ends of the pointer shaft 15 are rotatably supported inside the light guide 14 via a pair of upper and lower bearings 17 and 18. Reference numeral 19 denotes a thrust bearing that receives the lower end of the pointer shaft 15.

A coil housing space 20 is formed in a part between the outside of the light guide 14 and the instrument case 11.
The fixed coil 21 corresponding to the movable magnet 16 is wound and stored in the coil storage space 20. The upper end of the pointer shaft 15 protrudes outward from the upper end of the light guide 14.
Is installed. Reference numeral 23 denotes a pointer cap attached to the base of the light emitting pointer 22.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a light source located inside the instrument case 11 outside the lower end of the light guide 14. The light guide 14 has a light incident surface 14 for effectively guiding light emitted from the light source 24 toward the light emitting pointer 22.
A, a reflecting surface 14C, and the light emitting pointer 22 includes:
The reflecting surface 2 for reflecting light from the light guide 14 in the axial direction of the light emitting pointer 22 and causing the entire light emitting pointer 22 to emit light.
2A is provided. Reference numeral 25 denotes a magnetic shield case that is attached to the instrument case 11 so as to cover the fixed coil winding portion.

The first embodiment has been described above. Next, the operation will be described. When the light source 24 is turned on, the light emitted from the light source 24 is transmitted from the light incident surface 14A into the cylindrical light guide 14. And a part of the light goes straight on to emit light 22
The light incident on the base of the pointer and the light incident on the base of the pointer are reflected on the reflecting surface 22A and are reflected over the entire length of the light emitting pointer 22, so that the entire light emitting pointer 22 is illuminated and displayed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the light source 24 and the light guide 1 for causing the light emitting pointer 22 of the meter to emit light are provided.
4 is arranged beforehand in the instrument case 11 (in the movement) or below the instrument case 11,
Unlike the conventional, there is no restriction on the space where the light guide plate and light source etc. should be arranged or the restriction on the instrument design,
As a result, the workability of assembling an analog instrument having a desired shape and structure is significantly improved. According to this embodiment,
A light source 24 is disposed at a lower end of a pointer shaft having a light emitting pointer 22 attached to an upper end, and light from the light source 24 is transmitted to the pointer shaft 15.
And the light emitting pointer 22 is illuminated and displayed via the cylindrical light guide 14 positioned in a direction parallel to the pointer shaft 15, so that the configuration of the light guide 14 is simplified. In addition, it is possible to manufacture an analog instrument having a single structure in which a light guide plate, a light source, and the like are pre-assembled, and use this as an instrument for a vehicle. Improvement and homogenization and its stability are enhanced.

(Second Embodiment) In FIG. 2, in this embodiment, an instrument case 11 also serving as a bobbin is formed of a transparent material such as acrylic, and a pointer shaft 15 and a pointer shaft 15 are provided in the center of the inside of the transparent instrument case 11. An internal space 11A for housing the movable magnet 16 is formed. And this internal space 11
The upper and lower ends of the pointer shaft 15 housed inside A are upper and lower bearings 11B, 11 formed integrally with the instrument case 11.
The movable magnet 16 is rotatably supported by C at a substantially middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the pointer shaft 15 via a ring-shaped magnet support 26 formed of a transparent material.

Bearing 1 formed in instrument case 11
The outer diameters (R) of 1B and 11C and the outer diameter (S) of the magnet fitting portion of the magnet support 26 supporting the movable magnet 16
Are set substantially equal or the outer diameter (S) is set slightly larger than the outer diameter (R). 21 is a fixed coil wound and held outside the instrument case 11 corresponding to the movable magnet 16, 22 is a light emitting pointer, 23 is a pointer cap, 24
Denotes a light source and 25 denotes a shield case.

In the second embodiment having such a configuration, when the light source 24 is turned on, light from the light source 24 is transmitted to the transparent lower bearing portion 11C, the transparent magnet support 26, and the transparent magnet support 26. Then, the light enters the pointer base of the light emitting pointer 22 through the bearing portion 11B, and the light emitting pointer 22 is displayed by light emission.

As described above, also in the second embodiment, since the light guide to the light emitting pointer 22 is incorporated inside the movement of the instrument and the light source 24 is arranged inside or below the movement of the instrument. The same operation and effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In the second embodiment, the light from the light source 24 is supplied to the upper and lower bearings 11C and 11B and the magnet support which are parallel to the pointer shaft 15. 26, the light goes into the light emitting pointer 22 and enters the light emitting pointer 22.
4, the light guide efficiency of the light from the light emitting element 4 is increased, and the luminance of the light emitting pointer 22 can be further increased.

[0018]

As described above, according to the instrument for a vehicle of the present invention, a light source for causing the light emitting pointer to emit light and a light guide for guiding light from the light source to the light emitting pointer are provided in the movement of the instrument. The built-in configuration eliminates restrictions on the design and the mounting position of the light source as compared with the conventional one in which a light source and a light guide plate are retrofitted for each instrument. Handling and assembly workability are also improved. Further, according to the present invention, the uniformity and stability of the mounting position of the light source and the light guide for each instrument can be enhanced, so that the effect of uniformity and stabilization of the pointer illumination luminance and the performance of each instrument can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a vehicle instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory sectional view showing a second embodiment of the vehicular instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a conventional vehicle instrument.

[Description of Signs] 11 ... Instrument case 12 ... Circuit board 13 ... Instrument dial 14 ... Light guide 15 ... Pointer shaft 16 ... Movable magnet 17 ... Upper bearing 18 ... Lower bearing 19 ... Thrust bearing 20 ... Coil storage space 21 ... Fixed coil 22 ... Light emitting pointer 23 ... Pointer cap 24 ... Light source 25 ... Shield case 26 ... Magnet support

Claims (2)

[Claims] A cylindrical light guide (14) for rotatably housing a pointer shaft (15) having a light emitting pointer (22) fixed at one end and a movable magnet (16), and the light guide (14). A fixed coil (21) arranged around the outside of the instrument and corresponding to the movable magnet (16) is housed in an instrument case (11), and a light guide corresponding to the other end of the pointer shaft (15). (14) An instrument for vehicles, wherein a light source (24) is arranged at an outer end. 2. An interior shaft supporting both ends of a pointer shaft (15) having a light-emitting pointer (22) fixed to one end thereof, and said pointer shaft (1).
5) Transparent instrument case (11) having a movable magnet storage space (11A) for rotatably mounting an annular movable magnet (16) mounted on a transparent magnet support (26) via a transparent magnet support (26). And a fixed coil (2) wound at a position corresponding to the light source (24) disposed close to the other end of the pointer shaft (15) and the movable magnet (16).
1) The vehicle instrument, wherein the light emitted from the light source (24) is guided to the light emitting pointer (22) through the instrument case (11) and the magnet support (26).