JPH08201121A - Instrument lighting equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide an illuminating device for an instrument that can illuminate the scales and pointers of the dial with a stable luminance balance even if the light opaque printing on the color filter is abolished. [Structure] An opening 10 for adjusting brightness is formed on the upper wall of the facing 7, and a light source 16 in a light source accommodating chamber 14 is formed through the opening 10.
The brightness of the light emitted from the device is well balanced and the front surface of the dial 5 and the pointer 6 are directly illuminated through the filter 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an illuminating device used for an instrument such as a combination meter mounted on an automobile, and more particularly to a direct illuminating a dial of a dial directly by a light from a light source arranged outside a facing plate. The present invention relates to a lighting system lighting system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 3 to 4 show a conventional direct illuminating type illuminator, in which 21 is a case having a front opening made of synthetic resin, 22 is an instrument, which is inside the case 21. The instrument main body 23 is mounted, the pointer shaft 24 projecting forward from the meter main body 23, and the pointer 26 attached to the tip of the pointer shaft 24 projecting forward of the dial 25.

Reference numeral 27 is a facing plate made of a light-impermeable synthetic resin attached to the front opening of the case 21, which has a window 28 for edging the peripheral portion of the front surface of the dial 25.
An eaves portion 29 as an upper wall protruding forward, a plurality of openings 30 formed in the eaves portion 29 on the left and right of the pointer shaft 24 in a rectangular shape, and protruding upward in front of the plurality of openings 30. A vertical wall 31 is provided, and a color filter 32 made of a light-transmissive colored synthetic resin is provided on the eaves 29 so as to overlap each opening 30.

The color filter 32 corresponds to each of the plurality of openings 30, and has a light-transmitting portion 33 printed out in a predetermined shape shown in FIG. 4, and a light-impermeable print on the upper surface of the portion other than the light-transmitting portion. And the light non-transmissive portion 34,
A front glass 35 made of a transparent synthetic resin is covered and attached to the front opening of the.

Reference numeral 36 is an eaves portion 2 above the front side of the dial 25.
9 is an accommodating chamber defined on the outer side of the eaves portion 29, which extends from the eaves portion 29, the vertical wall 31, and the case 21 to the outside of the eaves portion 29 so as to surround the eave portion 29 at a predetermined distance. Is formed by the extension portion 37 that is in close contact with
On the vertical wall 31, a plurality of illumination bulbs 38 as light sources are arranged inside the accommodation chamber 36 so as to correspond to the plurality of light transmitting portions 33.

[0006] The light transmitting portion 33 is provided with a color filter 32 by lighting an illumination bulb 38 during night illumination.
The unnecessary light to the front glass 35 side is blocked by the light non-transmissive portion 34, and the front surface of the dial plate 25 and the front surface of the pointer 26 and the end face 27 of the peripheral edge of the dial plate 25 are illuminated obliquely from the front side to obtain a luminance balance. It is formed in a predetermined shape as shown in FIG.

[0007]

However, in the illumination device in the conventional instrument, the color filter 32 for dimming the color of the light of the illumination valve 38 is subjected to the light opaque printing so that the illumination valve 38 is illuminated. To dial 26 and pointer 26
Since the brightness of the light radiated to the lens is balanced, not only the portion of the color filter 32 on which the light opaque printing is performed is wasted, but also the positions of the color filter 32 and the dial 27 are If they are deviated, the brightness balance is disturbed, which causes a problem.

Therefore, the present invention also aims to provide an illuminating device for an instrument which can illuminate the scales and pointers of the dial with a stable luminance balance even if the light opaque printing on the color filter is abolished. Is.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a case having a front opening, in which the instrument is mounted, and a peripheral edge of a dial of the instrument, which is covered and attached to the front opening of the case. A window having a window, a light source storage chamber defined above the dial and outside the upper wall of the dial, a light source and a filter disposed inside the light source storage chamber, and the light source storage chamber. It is characterized in that it has a predetermined shape formed on the upper wall of the dial and has an opening for brightness adjustment for transmitting the light emitted from the light source to illuminate the front surface of the dial and the hands.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the light source according to the first aspect is formed by a bulb with a color cap.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the opening for adjusting the brightness is formed on the upper wall of the facing plate, and the brightness of the light emitted from the light source in the light source accommodating chamber is satisfactorily balanced by the opening to make the dial plate. The front and pointer can be illuminated directly. Therefore,
When a color filter that adjusts the color of the light emitted from the light source is used, cost reduction can be achieved by eliminating the light opaque printing to obtain the brightness balance, and the mounting position of the color filter on the dial is shifted. Also, the brightness balance of the front face of the dial and the pointer can be obtained stably.

According to the second aspect, since the light source is formed by the bulb with the color cap, the color filter can be eliminated and the cost can be further reduced.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 is a case having a front opening made of synthetic resin, 2 is an instrument, which is an instrument main body 3 mounted inside the case 1 and a portion in front of the instrument main body 3. It has a protruding pointer shaft 4 and a pointer 6 attached to the tip of the pointer shaft 4 protruding forward of the dial plate 5.

Reference numeral 7 designates a veneer attached to the front opening of the case 1 and made of a light-impermeable synthetic resin, which has a window 8 edging the peripheral portion of the front face of the dial 5 and projects forward. An eaves portion 9 as an upper wall, a plurality of brightness adjusting openings 10 provided on the eaves portion 9 on the left and right sides of the pointer shaft 4, and projecting upward in front of the opening portion 10. It has a vertical wall 11.

Each of the brightness adjusting openings 10 transmits the light of an illumination valve 16 which will be described later at night illumination to illuminate the front surface of the dial 5 and the pointer 6 so that a good brightness balance can be obtained, for example. It is formed in a predetermined shape as shown in FIG.

On the eaves portion 9 of the dial 7, a color filter 12 made of a light-transmitting colored synthetic resin is arranged so as to cover a plurality of brightness adjusting openings 10, and the front portion of the dial 7 is covered. A front glass 13 made of transparent synthetic resin is attached to the opening by coating.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a light source accommodating chamber formed above the front side of the dial plate 5 and outside the eaves portion 9. The light source accommodation chamber 14 is located outside the eaves portion 9 from the eaves portion 9, the vertical wall 11 and the case 1. The vertical wall 1 is formed by an extending portion 15 which extends so as to surround the vertical wall 11 at a predetermined interval and is in close contact with the outer peripheral edge of the vertical wall 11.
In FIG. 1, a plurality of illumination bulbs 16 as light sources are arranged inside the light source accommodating chamber 14 so as to correspond to the plurality of brightness adjusting openings 10.

According to the structure of this embodiment, at night illumination,
When the illumination bulb 13 is turned on, unnecessary illumination to the side of the front glass 13 is blocked by the peripheral portions of the plurality of brightness adjustment openings 10, and the light dimmed by the color filter 12 passes through the openings 10. The front surface of the dial 5 and the front surface of the dial 6 and the front edge 7 of the dial plate 5 are directly illuminated obliquely from the front so that a stable luminance balance can be obtained.

Moreover, according to this embodiment, the eaves portion 9 is provided.
Since the plurality of brightness adjusting openings 10 are formed with the minimum opening area necessary to obtain the brightness balance as described above, the strength of the dial 7 can be improved.

Further, the color filter 12 can be downsized to substantially the same size as the brightness adjusting opening 10.

In this embodiment, the color filter 12 is provided in the opening 10 for adjusting the brightness of the eaves 9. However, a bulb with a color cap is used as the illumination bulb 16, and the light emitted by the illumination bulb 16 is used. By dimming the color of, the color filter 12 can be eliminated and the cost can be reduced.

Further, the light source accommodating chamber 14 is formed by integrally forming the extending portion 15 from the case 1, but this may be formed separately as a cap.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the first aspect, the brightness adjusting opening is formed on the upper wall of the facing plate, and the brightness of the light emitted from the light source in the light source accommodating chamber is well balanced through the opening to ensure the brightness of the dial plate. The front and pointer can be illuminated directly. Therefore, when a color filter that adjusts the color of the light emitted from the light source is used, it is possible to eliminate the light opaque printing for obtaining the brightness balance and reduce the cost. Even if the mounting position is deviated, the brightness balance of the front surface of the dial and the pointer can be stably obtained, and the sense of quality and reliability can be further improved.

According to the second aspect, since the light source is formed by the bulb with the color cap, the color filter can be eliminated and the cost can be further reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main part of the embodiment from the direction of arrow B in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional lighting device for an instrument.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a main part of the conventional example from the direction of arrow A in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Case 2 Instrument 5 Dial 6 Pointer 7 Lookup 8 Window 10 Opening 14 Storage Room 16 Light Source

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A case having a front opening in which the instrument is mounted, a dial having a window covering the front opening of the case and edging the peripheral portion of the dial of the instrument from the front, and a dial of the dial. A light source accommodation chamber that is formed outside the upper wall of the dial above the front side, a light source and a filter that are disposed inside the light source accommodation chamber, and a predetermined shape formed on the upper wall of the dial that separates the light source accommodation chamber. And a brightness adjusting opening for illuminating the front surface of the dial and the pointer by transmitting the light emitted from the light source. 2. The illuminating device for an instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light source is formed by a bulb with a color cap.