JPS6279315A - Illumination apparatus of meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently uniformize the illumination of a dial, by integrally forming a light reflective attenuating member having hue such that light reflectivity is low along the inner surface of a case so as to extend the same from the existing light blocking member arranged in the vicinity of the dial. CONSTITUTION:The light emitted from a light source 2 to straightly advance to the upper part passes through the hole 5b of a plate 5 as shown by an arrow (a) and is reflected from the inclined surface 6a of a dial 6 to illuminate the dial 6. The light shown by an arrow (b), which impinged against the light reflective attenuating member 5a of the plate 5 provided along a case, is absorbed because said light reflective attenuating member 5a has hue low in light reflectivity such as black and becomes soft light which is, in turn, similarly converted in to the illumination light of the dial 6. That is, because light to be reflected from the light source toward the end surface of the dial by the inner surface of the case is attenuated by the light reflective attenuating member extending from the existing light blocking ember arranged in the vicinity of the dial, the illumination of the dial can be efficiently uniformized with inexpensive constitution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a lighting device for instruments used mainly in automobiles.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 4, in the conventional case, the light emitted from the light aI2 placed at the inner bottom of the case 1 is reflected by the inclined surface 6a of the end face of the light-transmitting dial 6 placed at the front inside the case 1. There is a device that illuminates the dial 6 by making it incident parallel to the dial 6 as shown by arrow a. By the way, in such conventional devices, in order to improve lighting efficiency, the case 1 is made of a resin material with a high light reflectance such as white, and the light from the light source 2 is reflected by the inner surface of the case 1. This allows sufficient light to enter from the end face of the dial 6 that is remote from the light source 2.

However, as it is, the light from the light source 2 near the light source 2 that is reflected by the inner surface of the case l and enters the end face of the dial 6 is not reflected by the inclined surface 6a of the end face of the dial 6, but as already indicated by the arrow. Because it penetrates through the dial 6, the dial 6 near the light source 2 becomes too bright compared to other parts, and the illumination of the dial 6 becomes uneven. It is being considered to apply ink, paint, tape, etc. in a color tone that absorbs light, such as black (for example, Nippon Denso Technical Report, serial number 42-1).
51).

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in this case, it is necessary to separately apply ink, paint, tape, etc. to the back side of the dial 6 near the light source 2, which not only increases the number of man-hours and increases the price, but also makes the dial 6 smaller than the light source 2. There is a problem in that even a part of the effective light shown by arrow a that is reflected by the inclined surface 6a of the dial 6 and enters the dial 6 is attenuated, resulting in poor illumination efficiency.

Therefore, the present invention aims to uniformize the illumination of the dial efficiently with an inexpensive configuration without increasing the number of work steps.

[Means for solving problems]

Therefore, the present invention provides an instrument illumination device in which light from a light source disposed at the inner bottom of the case enters into the dial from the end face of a light-transmitting dial disposed at the front inside the case. A light reflection attenuation member having a color tone with low light reflectance is arranged along the inner surface of the case in a portion where light is to be reflected toward the end face of the dial, and this light reflection attenuation member is placed near the dial. The present invention provides an instrument illumination device that is integrally formed by extending from an existing light shielding member.

[Effect]

Thereby, the light reflection attenuation member extending from the existing light shielding member disposed near the dial attenuates the light that should be reflected from the light source toward the end face of the dial by the inner surface of the case.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

In Figures 1 and 2, 1 is a case made of a resin material with a high light reflectance color such as white, 2 is a light source made of illumination pulp placed on the inner bottom of the case l, and 3 is a case 1.
4 is a facing plate placed in front of the display element 3; 5 is a light-shielding blade made of a resin material with low light flux such as black;
It is placed along the front of the. The ends of the two light sources of the plate 5 are bent along the inner surface of the case l and partially extended to form a light reflection attenuation member 5a. 6
is a light-transmitting dial plate placed along the front surface of the plate 5, and has a light-reflecting inclined surface 6a formed on its end surface. A hole 5b is formed in the portion of the plate 5 on the light reflection attenuation member 5a side so that the light from the light source 2 can be guided to the end surface of the dial 6. Further, on the back surface of the dial plate 6, a display 6b such as characters is printed in correspondence with the display element 3. Reference numeral 7 denotes a facing plate placed and fixed at the opening end of the case 1 to cover the periphery of the end face of the dial 6, and 8 is a transparent protection plate fixed to cover the opening of the case l.

To explain the lighting of the instrument configured as above,
The light emitted from the light source 2 and traveling straight upward passes through the hole 5b of the plate 5 as shown by arrow a, and reaches the inclined surface 6 of the dial 6.
a and illuminates the dial 6 itself. Further, the light reflection attenuating member 5 of the plate 5 provided along the case 1
The light shown by the arrow that has hit point a is reflected by the light reflection attenuation member 5a.
Since the light has a low light reflectance color such as black, the light is absorbed and becomes soft light, which similarly becomes illumination light for the dial 6.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the end of the facing plate 4 disposed along the back surface of the plate 5 on the light source 4 side is extended, in contrast to the first embodiment. The light reflection attenuation member 4a is formed by protruding along the inner surface of the facing plate 4, and the light reflection attenuation member 4a (, [!IJ
A hole 4b for guiding light from the light source 2 to the end face of the dial 6 is formed at the end. It goes without saying that the facing plate 4 is made of a synthetic resin with a low light reflectance color close to black.

Further, the light reflection attenuating member may be formed to protrude and extend from the facing plate 7.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the present invention, the light that should be reflected from the light source toward the end face of the dial by the inner surface of the case is attenuated by the light reflection attenuation member extending from the existing light shielding member placed near the dial. Therefore, there is an excellent effect that the illumination of the dial can be uniformized efficiently with an inexpensive configuration without increasing the number of work steps by effectively utilizing the existing light shielding member.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a longitudinal sectional view and a partially broken front view showing one embodiment of the device of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a conventional device. FIG. 1...Case, 2...Light source, 4...Return plate, 4
a... Light reflection attenuation member, 5... Light shielding play h,
5a... Light reflection attenuation member, 6... Light transmissive dial plate. Representative Patent Attorney Takashi Okabe Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an instrument illumination device in which light from a light source placed at the inner bottom of the case enters into the dial from the end face of a transparent dial plate placed at the front inside the case, the light from the light source enters the dial from the end face of the dial. A light reflection attenuation member having a color tone with low light reflectance is arranged along the inner surface of the case in a portion that is to be reflected toward the end face of the dial, and this light reflection attenuation member is arranged near the dial. An instrument lighting system that extends from the existing light shielding member and is integrally formed. (2) The light reflection attenuation member is formed by extending an end of a light-shielding plate placed along the back surface of the dial and bending this extended portion along the inner surface of the case. An illumination device for an instrument according to claim 1. (3) The lighting device for an instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light reflection attenuation member is integrally formed so as to protrude from a facing plate disposed near the dial.