JP4243666B2 - In-vehicle meter - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a self-luminous vehicle-mounted meter mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Vehicles such as passenger cars are equipped with meters, including speedometers and engine tachometers, in the instrument panel in front of the driver's seat. As such meters, to improve visibility during night driving, etc. In recent years, self-luminous meters that emit light themselves have become widespread.
[0003]
Here, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional vehicle-mounted meter 100. In this figure, a motor 104 that rotationally drives a pointer 103 is mounted on a substrate 102 fixed in the case 101. The pointer 103 rotates around the rotation shaft 106 on the surface side of the dial 105.
[0004]
A plurality of LEDs 107 which are light sources are also mounted on the substrate 102, and when these LEDs 107 emit light, the light passes through the dial 105 having translucency. The surface of the dial 105 is transparently printed with scales and numbers indicating speed, engine speed, etc., and light emitted from the LEDs 107 is emitted when the scales and numbers are irradiated. Yes.
[0005]
An LED is also incorporated in the pointer 103 made of a light-transmitting material (not shown), and the pointer 103 also emits light. A facing portion 108 that is widened in a cup shape toward the front is attached to the front portion of the case 101, and a smoke glass 109 is covered on the facing portion 108.
[0006]
As this type of meter, a pointer having a plurality of dedicated lamps for illuminating the dial area and a dial illumination lamp driving circuit for selectively operating any one of the lamps in response to a display selection signal. A meter is known (see Patent Document 1).
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-66167
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional vehicle-mounted meter 100 as shown in FIG. 3, since the light from the LED 107 is simply emitted toward the outside of the meter, only the illuminant and the irradiated part can be visually recognized. Thus, if the visible region is limited, the degree of freedom of decoration of the dial 105 has to be narrowed.
[0009]
In addition, such a design of the self-luminous meter 100 is not particularly provided with novelty or excellent appearance.
[0010]
In view of the above, the present invention has an object to provide a vehicle-mounted meter that expands the degree of freedom of decoration of the dial and improves the appearance.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The in-vehicle meter of the present invention is arranged in a ring shape with a first dial face that is rotated back by a light source on the back side and a front face of the first dial face apart from the front face. A second dial formed and a prism formed in a cylindrical shape, wherein the first dial and the second dial are disposed in the prism cylinder, and the thickness gradually decreases toward the front. The second dial is arranged closer to the bottom of the prism than the position of the taper, and the light from the light source incident from the bottom of the prism is prism-shaped. The second dial is indirectly illuminated by being propagated inward, reflected by a taper, and emitted from the upper end of the prism .
[0014]
The prism is preferably provided with a projecting portion for introducing light from the light source, which extends from the bottom portion toward the inside thereof.
[0015]
It is desirable that the tip of the protruding portion is formed as an inclined surface with the thickness gradually decreasing toward the tip, and the inclined surface is preferably directed to the light source.
[0016]
Further, smoke glass is disposed in the opening of the second dial, the scale is printed on the first dial, and the numbers are printed on the second dial. .
[0017]
According to the present invention, the light from the light source is indirectly irradiated on the second dial in a ring shape by the light guide.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a vehicle-mounted meter according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle-mounted meter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the vehicle-mounted meter 10 has a pointer that rotates on the front side and a light source on the back side. A first dial 11 that is back-lit and a second dial 12 that is disposed in front of the first dial 11 and is indirectly illuminated by the light source.
[0019]
In the figure, a substrate 16 fixed in the case 13 is equipped with a motor 16 that rotates a pointer 15, and the pointer 15 rotates around a rotation shaft 17 on the surface side of the first dial 11. To do. The substrate 14 is disposed in the case 13 at a distance from the first dial 11 as shown in the figure.
[0020]
A plurality of LEDs 18 as light sources are also mounted on the substrate 14, and light from these LEDs 18 passes through the first dial 11 having translucency. At this time, the scale 11a emits light by irradiating light from the LED 18 to the scale 11a (see FIG. 2) indicating the speed, engine speed, etc. printed on the first dial 11. Yes. In addition, the pointer 15 formed of a light-transmitting material is also configured to emit light by a built-in LED (not shown).
[0021]
The 2nd dial 12 is formed in a ring shape, and the surface side is indirectly illuminated by LED18 via a light guide. On the surface of the second dial 12, numerals 12 a (see FIG. 2) indicating the speed, the engine speed, and the like are printed.
[0022]
In this embodiment, the light guide is constituted by a prism 19 formed in a cylindrical shape, and the first and second dials 11 and 12 are arranged in the cylinder of the prism 19, and the LED 18 It arrange | positions so that light may be irradiated to 2nd dial 12 cyclically | annularly (refer the shaded part of FIG. 2).
[0023]
For this reason, the cylindrical prism 19 includes a protruding portion 19b extending from the bottom portion 19a toward the inside thereof. An inclined surface 19c is formed at the tip of the projecting portion 19b with the thickness gradually reduced toward the tip in order to make it easier for light from the LED 18 to enter. In the example shown in the figure, the inclined surface 19 c is formed so as to face the LED 18. The first dial 11 is disposed in surface contact with the flat front side of the protrusion 19b in the cylinder.
[0024]
Further, the cylindrical prism 19 is formed with a taper 19e at its upper end portion 19d that gradually decreases in thickness as it goes forward. This tapered surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the prism 19.
[0025]
As shown in the figure, it is desirable that the second dial 12 be disposed closer to the bottom 19a than the position where the taper 19e is formed. By arranging in this way, the second dial 12 can be irradiated with a lot of light reflected by the taper 19e.
[0026]
The prism 19 formed in this way is arranged in the case 13 so that the tip position of the taper 19e coincides with the tip position of the case 13, as shown in the figure.
[0027]
Incidentally, smoke glass 20 is disposed in the opening 12a of the second dial 12 as shown in the drawing. A non-reflective coating is applied to the surface of the smoked glass 20.
[0028]
Thus, the cup-shaped turn-back portion 21 is attached to the front end of the case 13 in which the first and second dials 11 and 12, the substrate 14, the pointer 15, and the smoked glass 20 are disposed. Further, the facing portion 21 is covered with a glass 22.
[0029]
In the vehicle-mounted meter 10 configured as described above, the scale 11a of the first dial 11 emits light with the light of the LED 18 (see reference symbol A in the figure). At the same time, the numeral 12 a of the second dial 12 is indirectly illuminated in a ring shape through the prism 19 with the light from the LED 18.
[0030]
That is, the light of the LED 18 incident from the bottom 19a side of the prism 19 propagates in the prism 19 as indicated by a dotted arrow B, is reflected by the taper 19e, and is emitted from the upper end 19d of the prism 19, and the second character. The board 12 is illuminated.
[0031]
Thus, according to the vehicle-mounted meter 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention, the 2nd dial 12 is illuminated by the light from the prism 19 so that visual recognition is possible also at night. That is, the area irradiated by the indirect light is brighter and wider than the conventional vehicle-mounted meter 100.
[0032]
Thereby, the degree of freedom of decoration of the second dial 12 can be effectively expanded. For example, an impermeable material such as metal, a three-dimensional shape, or the like can be used for the second dial 12.
[0033]
Moreover, since the 2nd dial 12 is spaced apart and arrange | positioned in front of the 1st dial 11, the appearance provided with the depth feeling and the three-dimensional effect which the conventional vehicle-mounted meter 100 does not have is realizable.
Further, in this indirect illumination, the number 12a indicating the speed, engine speed, etc. on the second dial 12 is sufficiently illuminated to reduce luminance unevenness, so that it is easy to see and misidentification can be prevented.
[0034]
As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated with embodiment, this invention is not limited only to said example, A change etc. are possible within the scope of the present invention.
For example, the first dial 11 or the second dial 12 can adopt a circular shape or a ring shape, a similar shape or a square shape, and the prism 19 has a cylindrical shape. It is not limited.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, by combining indirect illumination, a novel appearance can be realized and the degree of freedom of dial decoration can be effectively expanded. In addition, since the second dial is arranged separately from the first dial, it is possible to produce a meter with a sense of depth that is not found in conventional in-vehicle meters. Furthermore, there is an advantage that luminance unevenness is reduced by indirect illumination, and a meter that is easy to see and has no misunderstanding can be realized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a vehicle-mounted meter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing around first and second dial faces in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional vehicle-mounted meter.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 on-vehicle meter 11 first dial 12 second dial 13 case 14 substrate 15 pointer 16 motor 18 LED
19 Prism 19a Bottom portion 19b Protruding portion 19c Inclined surface 19d Upper end portion 19e Taper 20 Smoke glass 21 Look-back portion 22 Glass

Claims (6)

A second dial formed in a ring shape is disposed in front of the first dial and the first dial that is back illuminated by a light source on the back side while the pointer rotates on the front side. Having a dial and a prism formed in a cylindrical shape ,
The first dial and the second dial are arranged in a cylinder of the prism,
The prism has a taper that gradually decreases in thickness toward the front at the upper end,
The second dial face is disposed closer to the bottom side of the prism than the position of the taper,
The light from the light source incident from the bottom side of the prism propagates through the prism, is reflected by the taper, and is emitted from the upper end of the prism, so that the second dial is indirectly illuminated. In-vehicle meter. The in-vehicle meter according to claim 1 , wherein the prism includes a projecting portion for introducing light from the light source, which extends from the bottom portion toward the inside thereof. The vehicle-mounted meter according to claim 2 , wherein the tip of the projecting portion is formed as an inclined surface with the thickness gradually decreasing toward the tip. It said inclined surface, characterized in that it kicked toward the light source, automotive meter according to claim 3. The in-vehicle meter according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein smoke glass is disposed in an opening of the second dial. Wherein the first dial scale is printed, characterized in that the numbers in the second face are printed, automotive meter according to any one of claims 1-5.

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