JPS613010A - Indicator for automotive instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate discrimination between indications by a needle, by enabling the pointer to change color and become luminous when it effects a predetermined indication. CONSTITUTION:A light guide plate 11 is provided between an indicating panel 3 and an ammeter 5. A through-hole 12 is formed in the center of the light guide plate 11, and a shaft 8 extends through the hole 12. An illuminating bulb 13 is provided at an end face of the light guide plate 11. When the bulb 13 is turned ON in the night-time, the light from the bulb 13 is passed through the light guide plate 11 and led to an indicating pointer 4. This light makes only an indicating pointer body 9 luminous. When the pointer 4 effects a predetermined limited indication, it changes color and becomes luminous. More specifically, the light from a red light-emitting diode 19 is led to the pointer 4 through the light guide plate 20 and an opening 17, causing the indicating pointer body 9 at a predetermined indicating position to radiate red light. When the pointer 4 is at any position other than the predetermined indicating position, the light from the diode 19 is blocked by a coating film 16, so that the pointer body 9 is not made luminous.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a meter installed in an automobile, and more particularly to an indicating device for a display on a meter.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in some automobile instruments, the indicator needle itself is made to emit light in order to make it easier to see which display the indicator needle is indicating (for example, Japanese Utility Model Application No. 54-184151). .

On the other hand, for example, since it is not preferable for an automobile engine to continuously rotate in a predetermined high-speed rotation range, the portion of the tachometer that indicates the high-speed rotation range may be colored.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, as shown in the above publication, even if the indicator itself is easy to see, it is necessary to use the indicator to determine whether or not the engine is rotating at the above-mentioned high speed. It is necessary to visually check whether the above-mentioned high speed rotation range is indicated. Therefore,
Even if the indicator needle indicates a high speed rotation range, it is not easy to immediately determine this.

(Purpose of the Invention) This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the invention is to make it easy to distinguish when a meter indicates a limited predetermined display. .

(Structure of the Invention) A feature of the present invention to achieve the above object is that the indicator needle is configured to change color and emit light when the indicator needle indicates a limited predetermined display. It is in.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 is a tachometer for an automobile, and this tachometer 1 has a circular display plate 3 with a rotational speed display 2 and an indicator 4 rotatably provided on the axis of the display plate 3. In the example shown in Figure 0, the indicator needle 4 is connected to a moving coil type or cross coil type ammeter 5 provided on the back side of the display board 3. Although not shown, the indicator needle 4 is rotated via the ammeter 5 in response to an ignition signal from the engine.

Display 2 above indicates the engine rotation speed of 100Or, p, m
The values are integrated up to 8000r, p, and m. In addition, since continuous engine rotation in the range of 6000 to 800 Or, p, m is not desirable, the display board 3 in this range
is colored red to form a red colored portion 7.

The indicator 4 has a rotating shaft 8 connected to an ammeter 5 at the axis of the display panel 3, and an indicator main body 9 integrally projecting from the rotating shaft 8. The indicator needle 4 is made of colorless and transparent acrylic resin and has light guiding properties.

- On the other hand, a light guide plate 11 made of acrylic resin is provided between the display plate 3 and the ammeter 5. A through hole 12 is formed in the center of the light guide plate 11, and the rotating shaft 8 is connected to the through hole 12.
penetrates through. Further, a white illumination bulb 13 is provided corresponding to one end surface of the light guide plate 11 . When the lighting bulb 13 is turned on at night, the light from the lighting bulb 13 is guided to the indicator needle 4 through the light guide plate 11 (as indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 2).
). A black cap 14 is fitted to the upper end of the rotating shaft 8, and the light guided from the illumination bulb 13 to the indicator needle 4 mainly causes only the indicator main body 9 to emit light. This light emission makes the pointer main body 9 easy to see.

Further, when the indicator needle 4 points to the red colored part 7,
The indicator needle 4 is configured to change color and emit light.

To specifically explain the above configuration, the lower end outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft 8 is covered with a black coating film 16.

An elongated opening 17 is formed in this coating film 16, and the lower end of the rotating shaft 8 is exposed to the outside through this opening 17.

Further, an illumination means 18 is provided to irradiate a part of the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the rotary member 8 with light. The illumination means 18 includes a light emitting diode 19 that emits red light, and a light guide tube 20 that guides the light from the light emitting diode 19 to the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the rotating shaft 8.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, when the pointer 4 points to a display 2 other than the red colored part 7 on the display board 3, the light from the light emitting diode 19 is not guided to the pointer 4. It is blocked by the coating film 16 (arrow B in the figure).

In addition, when the indicator needle 4 indicates the display 2 of the red colored part 7 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in FIG. needle 4
, the indicator needle main body 9 located in the red zi color portion 7 emits red light (arrow C in the figure).

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, the indicator needle is configured to change color and emit light when the indicator needle indicates a limited predetermined display. The appearance of the indicator needle changes greatly between when it is pointing and when it is not pointing.

Therefore, when the meter indicates a limited number of predetermined displays, the indicated state can be easily determined without determining which display the indicator hand is indicating.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures show an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 7iIJ1 is a front view of the instrument, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line m-■ in Fig. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 in a case where the illumination means and the openings of the coating film correspond to each other. 1.-tachometer (instrument), 2. fist display, 3. display board, 4. indicator needle.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an automobile instrument equipped with a display board with a display and an indicator needle that moves on the display board to indicate one of the displays, the indicator needle indicates a limited predetermined display. 1. An indicating device for a display in an automobile instrument, characterized in that the indicator needle changes color and emits light when the indicator is turned on.