JP2013088351A - Meter device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a meter device for allowing display with a liquid crystal display as well as display with a pointer without increasing costs.SOLUTION: The meter device is provided with: a movement 23 mounted on a board 21; a conductive pointer 16 rotated by the movement 23; a number plate 22 having light transmissivity which is equipped with a variety of notation; a reflection panel 28 provided on the back surface side of the number plate 22; an LCD 58 for displaying the variety of notation; a light source 24 mounted on the board 21; a light guide member 55 for guiding a part of the light from the light source 24 to the entire back surface of the LCD 58; and a light adjustment part 41 for reflecting a part of the light from the light source 24 and guiding it to the pointer 16 and the reflection panel 28.

Description

  The present invention relates to a meter device that can be used as an instrument for various vehicles such as an automobile instrument, a ship instrument, and an aircraft instrument.

  Conventionally, a meter device is used as an instrument for various vehicles such as automobiles. As shown in FIG. 8A, some meter devices include an LCD (liquid crystal display) 2 for displaying various information and the like as well as a pointer 1 for displaying the engine speed and speed (for example, patents). Reference 1).

  As shown in FIG. 8B and FIG. 8C, this meter device has a plurality of backlights that illuminate the LCD 2 separately from the light source 4 that illuminates the dial 3 and the light source 5 that illuminates the pointer 1. These light sources 4, 5, 6 are mounted on a substrate 7.

JP 2009-20338 A

  As described above, the meter device including the LCD 2 includes a plurality of light sources 6 for illuminating the LCD 2 separately from the light source 4 that illuminates the dial 3 and the light source 5 that illuminates the pointer 1. The cost increases due to the increase and the complexity of the structure.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a meter device capable of displaying on a liquid crystal display as well as displaying on a pointer without incurring an increase in cost.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the meter device according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (3).
(1) a movement mounted on a substrate;
A guide having light guiding properties rotated by the movement;
A transparent dial with various notations,
A reflector provided on the back side of the dial;
A liquid crystal display that displays various notations;
A light source mounted on the substrate;
A light guide member for guiding a part of light from the light source to the entire back surface of the liquid crystal display;
A dimming unit that reflects part of the light from the light source and guides it to the pointer and the reflector;
Be provided.
(2) In the meter device configured as described in (1) above,
The dimming unit is provided on the pointer, the pointer is fixed to a rotating shaft having a light guide property provided on the movement, and light from the light source passes through the rotating shaft and the adjusting of the pointer. Be guided to the optical part.
(3) In the meter device configured as described in (2) above,
The said light control part consists of the space part formed in the said pointer | guide, and the light from the said light source is reflected by the inner surface of the space part which forms the said light control part.

In the meter device having the above configuration (1), a part of the light from the light source is guided to the entire back surface of the liquid crystal display by the light guide member, and a part of the light from the light source is reflected by the dimming unit. And led to the reflector. Thereby, in a liquid crystal display, the light from a light guide member is irradiated as illumination light, and the favorable visual recognition of the display of a liquid crystal display is attained. In addition, the light reflected by the light control unit is guided to the pointer, so that the pointer is illuminated and illuminated, so that the pointer can be seen well. Furthermore, the light reflected by the light control unit is guided to the reflecting plate, reflected by the reflecting plate, and the reflected light is irradiated from the back surface of the dial plate, so that the display of the dial plate can be satisfactorily recognized.
In this way, the illumination light for each of the liquid crystal display, the pointer, and the dial can be obtained from a single light source. Therefore, the illumination performance is excellent compared to a structure having a liquid crystal display with a backlight. In addition, the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts and simplifying the structure.
In the meter device having the above configuration (2), a part of the light from the light source guided to the pointer through the rotation shaft is reflected by the dimming unit to be used as the pointer illumination light and the dial illumination light. it can. Further, the light that passes through the rotation axis and is not reflected by the light control unit can be guided to the light guide member and used as illumination light for the liquid crystal display.
In the meter device having the above configuration (3), the space portion formed in the pointer is a dimming portion, and the light from the light source is reflected by the inner surface of the space portion forming the dimming portion. A separate reflecting member that reflects light can be dispensed with. Thereby, cost reduction by reduction of a number of parts can be aimed at.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the meter apparatus which enabled the display with a liquid crystal display with the display with a pointer | guide can be provided, without causing a cost increase.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the modes for carrying out the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of the meter device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 for explaining the structure of the meter device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pointer constituting the meter device. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the indicating instrument portion of the meter device. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 for explaining the path of light from the light source. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the path of light in the pointer. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 for explaining a modification of the meter device. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a conventional meter device, in which FIG. 8A is a front view, FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 8C is an exploded perspective view of an LCD portion.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of the meter device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 for explaining the structure of the meter device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the indicating instrument portion of the meter device, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 for explaining the path of light from the light source, and FIG. 6 is for explaining the path of light in the pointer. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the meter apparatus 11 of this embodiment is provided in vehicles, such as a motor vehicle. The meter device 11 is a combination meter including two indicating instruments 12, a transmission position display unit 13, and a pair of winker display units 14, and is surrounded by a case 15.

  Each indicating instrument 12 is provided with a pointer 16. One indicating instrument 12 is a speedometer indicating the vehicle speed by the pointer 16, and the other indicating instrument 12 is a tachometer indicating the engine speed by the pointer 16. Has been.

  Further, in the meter device 11, a display screen 17 is provided on the indicating instrument 12, and for example, a travel distance, various warnings, and the like are displayed on the display screen 17.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the meter device 11 is provided with a substrate 21 on the back side and a dial 22 on the front side. A movement 23 and a light source 24 are mounted on the substrate 21. The dial plate 22 is made of a resin plate such as a light-transmitting plastic and has numbers and scales indicating vehicle speed and engine speed. The dial 22 also includes necessary information regarding the vehicle itself or the environment around the vehicle, such as characters and symbols.

  A reflector 27 formed integrally with the case 15 is disposed between the board 21 and the dial 22. The reflector 27 has a reflecting plate 28 that is recessed in a circular arc shape in cross section at a position corresponding to each indicator 12, and the inner surface of the arc of the reflecting plate 28 is a reflecting surface 28 a that reflects light. It is arranged on the back of the dial 22. A window portion 28b is formed in the central portion of the reflecting plate 28, and a movement 23 and a light source 24 mounted on the substrate 21 are disposed in the window portion 28b.

  The movement 23 has a rotating shaft 31, and the power of a step motor (not shown) provided inside the movement 23 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 31 via a reduction gear train (not shown). . The pointer 16 is fixed to the rotary shaft 31. When the rotary shaft 31 is rotated, the pointer 16 integral with the rotary shaft 31 is rotated along the back surface of the dial plate 22, so that the vehicle speed and the engine are increased. Various necessary information such as the number of rotations is indicated by the pointer 16.

  The light source 24 mounted on the substrate 21 is disposed at a position facing the end face on one end side of the rotating shaft 31. The light source 24 emits visible light, and for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) is used.

  The rotating shaft 31 is formed of an appropriate translucent (or light guiding) resin material having excellent light guiding properties. As a result, light from the light source 24 is guided from one end surface of the rotation shaft 31 into the rotation shaft 31.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pointer 16 has a base portion 35 fixed to the rotating shaft 31 and a needle portion 36 extending from the base portion 35. A fitting recess 37 is formed on the base 35 on the rotating shaft 31 side, and the other end of the rotating shaft 31 is fitted into the fitting recess 37. As a result, the pointer 16 is fixed to the rotating shaft 31, and the needle portion 36 is turned by the rotation of the rotating shaft 31.

  The pointer 16 is also formed of an appropriate light-transmitting (or light-guiding) resin material having excellent light-guiding properties, like the rotating shaft 31. Thereby, the light guided into the rotary shaft 31 from one end surface of the rotary shaft 31 is also guided into the pointer 16 from the other end side of the rotary shaft 31.

  This pointer 16 has a light control part 41 at its base part 35. The light control unit 41 is formed of a side-view trapezoidal space portion that penetrates to the side of the base 35, and includes a small surface portion 42 that faces the bottom surface of the fitting recess 37 and a large surface portion 43 that faces the small surface portion 42. And a side surface portion 44 between them. The large surface portion 43 has an area larger than that of the small surface portion 42, whereby the side surface portions 44 are tapered surfaces that are inclined in a direction away from each other toward the large surface portion 43 side.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the case 15 is formed with a support plate portion 51 extending in the center of the indicating instrument 12. The support plate portion 51 is formed with locking projections 51 a on both sides, and a circular opening 52 is formed at a portion corresponding to the center of the indicating instrument 12. In the opening 52 of the support plate 51, a light guide member 55 and a diffusion plate 56 are disposed and mounted in order from the front side. Further, an LCD device 57 is fitted in the support plate portion 51 on which the light guide member 55 and the diffusion plate 56 are mounted. The LCD device 57 has an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 58 on which a traveling distance, various warnings, and the like are displayed. That is, the display screen 17 is configured by the LCD 58.

  The support plate portion 51 is covered with an LCD bezel 61. The LCD bezel 61 is formed with a circular opening 62, and the opening 62 is disposed on the LCD 58 of the LCD device 57. Further, the LCD bezel 61 has locking holes 61a formed on both sides thereof, and the locking protrusions 51a of the support plate portion 51 are locked to the locking holes 61a. As a result, the light guide member 55, the diffusion plate 56 and the LCD device 57 are attached to the support plate portion 51 by the LCD bezel 61.

  The LCD bezel 61 has a locking claw 61 b at the edge of the opening 62. Further, the dial 22 has a window portion 22a formed at a position corresponding to the LCD bezel 61 (see FIG. 2), and a locking claw 61b of the LCD bezel 61 is locked to the edge of the window portion 22a. Is done. Thereby, the dial plate 22 is supported by the LCD bezel 61 without backlash.

  The light guide member 55 is formed of an appropriate translucent (or light guide) material having excellent light guide properties. As shown in FIG. 2, the center of the light guide member 55 on the side of the pointer 16 protrudes toward the pointer 16, and a hemispherical recess 66 that is recessed in a hemispherical shape is formed on the protruding portion.

  A surface of the light guide member 55 on the side of the pointer 16 is a tapered surface 67 that is gradually inclined away from the pointer 16 from the center side toward the outer peripheral side. The surface of the light guide member 55 on the diffusion plate 56 side is a smooth surface 68.

  The diffusion plate 56 is made of a sheet or a film formed of a translucent resin, and scatters and diffuses the guided light to make it uniform in the surface direction.

  Next, the operation of the meter device 11 having the above configuration will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the illumination light emitted from the light source 24 is incident from one end surface of the rotating shaft 31 facing the light source 24 and guided into the rotating shaft 31. A part of the light α incident on the rotating shaft 31 passes through the rotating shaft 31 and is emitted from the other end surface of the rotating shaft 31.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the light α enters the pointer 16 from the bottom surface of the fitting concave portion 37 of the pointer 16, further passes through the light control portion 41, and exits from the upper surface of the pointer 16, thereby guiding the light guide member 55. The light enters from the hemispherical recess 66 into the light guide member 55. The light α incident on the light guide member 55 proceeds to the outer peripheral side while being reflected by the smooth surface 68 and the taper surface 67 in the light guide member 55, and is emitted to the diffusion plate 56 side. The light α is scattered and diffused by the diffusion plate 56 and is made uniform in the surface direction, and irradiates the LCD 58 of the LCD device 57 as illumination light. Thereby, the LCD 58 is illuminated.

  The other part of the light β incident on the rotating shaft 31 passes through the rotating shaft 31 and is emitted from the other end surface of the rotating shaft 31 while being reflected by the inner peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 31. The light β is reflected by the side surface portion 44 of the dimming portion 41 of the pointer 16 and guided to the needle portion 36 side of the pointer 16. And this light (beta) advances to the front end side of the needle part 36, reflecting on the front and back of the needle part 36. FIG. Thereby, the needle part 36 is illuminated and illuminated.

  A part of the light β guided to the pointer 16 is emitted from the surface of the pointer 16, passes through the dial plate 22, and is emitted to the front side of the meter device 11. As a result, the light β emitted to the front side of the meter device 11 becomes indirect light of the dial plate 22, so that characters and the like written on the dial plate 22 can be visually recognized well.

  Other part of the light γ incident on the rotating shaft 31 passes through the rotating shaft 31 and is emitted from the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 31. The light γ is reflected by the side surface portion 44 of the light adjustment portion 41 of the pointer 16, is emitted from the surface of the pointer 16, passes through the dial plate 22, and is emitted to the front side of the meter device 11. Further, a part of the light γ guided to the pointer 16 is emitted from the pointer 16 to the reflecting plate 28 side, reflected by the reflecting surface 28a of the reflecting plate 28, transmitted through the dial plate 22, and on the front side of the meter device 11. To exit. As a result, the light γ emitted to the front surface side of the meter device 11 becomes indirect light of the dial plate 22, and the characters and the like written on the dial plate 22 can be visually recognized well.

  As described above, according to the meter device according to the embodiment, a part of the light from the light source 24 is guided to the entire back surface of the LCD 58 by the light guide member 55, and a part of the light from the light source 24 is dimmed. The light is reflected by the portion 41 and guided to the pointer 16 and the reflecting plate 28.

  That is, a part of the light from the light source 24 guided to the pointer 16 via the rotating shaft 31 can be reflected by the dimming unit 41 to be used as the illumination light for the pointer 16 and the illumination light for the dial 22. The light that passes through the rotating shaft 31 and is not reflected by the light control unit 41 can be guided to the light guide member 55 to be used as illumination light for the LCD 58.

  Thereby, in LCD58, the light from the light guide member 55 is irradiated as illumination light, and the visual recognition of the display of LCD58 is attained. Further, the light reflected by the light control unit 41 is guided to the pointer 16 so that the pointer 16 is illuminated and illuminated, and the pointer 16 can be seen well. Further, the light reflected by the dimming unit 41 is guided to the reflecting plate 28, reflected by the reflecting plate 28, and the reflected light is irradiated from the back surface of the dial plate 22. It becomes possible.

  Thus, the illumination light for each of the LCD 58, the pointer 16 and the dial plate 22 can be obtained from one light source 24. Therefore, the illumination is better than the structure provided with the liquid crystal display having the backlight. While obtaining performance, the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts and simplifying the structure.

  Moreover, since the space part formed in the pointer 16 is a light control part 41 and the light from the light source 24 is reflected by the inner surface of the space part to be the light control part 41, the light from the light source 24 is separately reflected. The reflecting member can be made unnecessary. Thereby, cost reduction by reduction of a number of parts can be aimed at.

  In the above-described embodiment, the dimming part 41 having a trapezoidal space part as viewed from the side is formed so as to penetrate the base part 35 of the pointer 16, and the light is reflected by the side part 44 of the dimming part 41 that is the inner surface of the space part. However, the shape of the light control unit 41 is not limited to the trapezoidal shape, and a concave portion such as a truncated cone shape or a polygonal truncated cone shape may be formed from the upper side of the base portion 35 of the pointer 16.

  FIG. 7 shows the meter device 11 in which a dimming portion having another shape is formed on the base portion 35 of the pointer 16. As shown in FIG. 7, in the meter device 11, a planar space portion perpendicular to the extending direction of the needle portion 36 is formed through the base portion 35 side of the pointer 16 so as to form a dimming portion 71. Yes. The light control portion 71 is formed to be inclined toward the light source 24 with respect to the extending direction of the needle portion 36.

  According to the meter device 11, a part of the incident light α incident on the rotary shaft 31 from the light source 24 is guided to the light guide member 55 without passing through the light control unit 71. Thereby, the attenuation of the light α that reaches the illumination light of the LCD 58 can be suppressed as much as possible, and the brightness of the illumination light of the LCD 58 can be increased.

  The light β that is the illumination light of the needle portion 36 of the pointer 16 is well reflected by the light control portion 71 and guided to the needle portion 36 side of the pointer 16, and is reflected on the front and back surfaces of the needle portion 36 while being reflected by the needle portion 36. Go to the tip of 36. Thereby, the needle part 36 is illuminated and illuminated.

  The light γ is well reflected by the dimming unit 71, reflected directly or by the reflecting surface 28a, guided to the dial plate 22, and emitted to the front side of the meter device 11 to become indirect light of the dial plate 22, Characters and the like written on the dial plate 22 can be visually recognized.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, and the like of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and are not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Meter apparatus 16 Pointer 21 Board | substrate 22 Dial 23 Movement 24 Light source 28 Reflector 31 Rotating shaft 41, 71 Light control part 55 Light guide member 58 LCD (liquid crystal display)

Claims (3)

The movement mounted on the board,
A guide having light guiding properties rotated by the movement;
A transparent dial with various notations,
A reflector provided on the back side of the dial;
A liquid crystal display that displays various notations;
A light source mounted on the substrate;
A light guide member for guiding a part of light from the light source to the entire back surface of the liquid crystal display;
A dimming unit that reflects part of the light from the light source and guides it to the pointer and the reflector;
A meter device comprising:   The dimming unit is provided on the pointer, the pointer is fixed to a rotating shaft having a light guide property provided on the movement, and light from the light source passes through the rotating shaft and the adjusting of the pointer. The meter device according to claim 1, wherein the meter device is guided to an optical unit.   3. The meter according to claim 2, wherein the dimming unit includes a space formed in the pointer, and light from the light source is reflected by an inner surface of the space forming the dimming unit. apparatus.

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