JP7584786B2 - Display device, display board - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display device that can switch the display content between red light irradiation and green or blue light irradiation, which are complementary colors of red, and a display panel that can be used with this display device.

Conventionally, display devices that use color filters to change the wavelength of a light source on a display panel that combines a light-shielding filter and a light-transmitting filter are known. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a display panel in which a two-color light source that can switch between red light and green or blue light is arranged directly under a single substrate made of a red filter, a green or blue filter, an achromatic filter, and a light-shielding filter, and when red light is irradiated, a red light emission display is obtained that has passed through the red filter and the achromatic filter, and when green or blue light is irradiated, a green or blue display is obtained that has passed through the green or blue filter and the achromatic filter. In the following, for convenience of explanation, green or blue will be simply expressed as "green" or "green".

JP 2005-55750 A (Patent No. 4463706 A)

However, the inventors' verification revealed that with the configuration described in the above patent document, the light-shielding filter does not provide a sufficient light-shielding effect, and the light that cannot be completely blocked is visible as transmitted light around the red light-emitting display area and the green light-emitting display area, making it difficult to see the displayed content (characters, patterns), and that the shape of the light source is visible through the base material.

After extensive research, the inventors have discovered and realized a new and useful technical idea that had never been conceived before: a display device that changes display content by utilizing the relationship between complementary colors, with a simple configuration that does not use a light-shielding filter, yet changes display content in response to switching of the light irradiated by a light source.

That is, the display device according to the present invention comprises a light source capable of switching between red and green light, which are complementary colors, a switch for switching between red and green light emitted by the light source, and a transparent substrate on which display content is printed that emits light when irradiated by the light source. The substrate comprises at least a red smoke portion printed in red and having translucency, a green smoke portion printed in green and having translucency, and a background smoke portion printed in gray and having translucency, forming a display panel. When red light is irradiated, the green smoke portion is displayed black and the background smoke portion is displayed with the red smoke portion emitting red light, and when green light is irradiated, the red smoke portion is displayed black and the background smoke portion is displayed with the green smoke portion emitting green light. Here, "green" in the present invention is the complementary color of red, and includes blue-green or blue. In other words, "green" in the present invention includes all colors from green to blue, which are complementary to red.

With such a display device according to the present invention, the display contents displayed in black can be highlighted by displaying the green smoke part, which is a complementary color, in black when irradiated with red light, and displaying the red smoke part and the background smoke part with red light emission. Also, by displaying the red smoke part, which is a complementary color when irradiated with green light, in black, and displaying the green smoke part and the background smoke part with red light emission, the display contents displayed in black can be highlighted. Furthermore, with the display device according to the present invention, it is not necessary to provide a light-shielding filter at an appropriate location to actively prevent the irradiated light from reaching the display part, so the configuration can be simplified, and the display device according to the present invention does not suffer from the problem that occurs with a display device such as that described in Patent Document 1, that is, the irradiated light from the light source is seen as transmitted light around the red light emitting display part and the green light emitting display part, making it difficult to see the characters (patterns), and the inventor has found that it is possible to exhibit excellent display functions in which the parts displayed in black when irradiated with red light and green light are uniformly visible, and also to avoid the problem that the shape of the light source is visible through the substrate.

In particular, in the present invention, the substrate has a translucent gray smoke section that appears black together with the green smoke section when irradiated with red light and appears black together with the red smoke section when irradiated with green light. This allows the gray smoke section to be actively used to form areas that are desired to appear black when irradiated with both red and green light, and by setting the transmittance of the gray smoke section lower than the transmittance of the background smoke section, the gray smoke section can be displayed as a black area that differs from the background smoke section when irradiated with both red and green light, thereby realizing a display device with a wide variety of displays.

In addition, if the display device of the present invention is equipped with a switch for switching between red and green light emitted from the light source, the content displayed in black can be changed by switching the emitted light based on the user's switch operation, making it highly practical.

In particular, if the switch is equipped with a sensor that detects the user's contact or proximity, the switch can be easily operated and can be used as a highly user-friendly display device.

Further, a display board according to the present invention comprises a substrate made of a transparent material on which is printed display content which will be displayed as red light and display content which will be displayed as green light when irradiated with a light source of either red or green, which are complementary colors, the substrate having at least a red smoke portion printed in red and having translucency, a green smoke portion printed in green and having translucency, a background smoke portion printed in gray and having translucency, and a gray smoke portion having a transmittance set lower than that of the background smoke portion , characterized in that when irradiated with red light, the green smoke portion and the gray smoke portion are displayed black and the background smoke portion and the red smoke portion are displayed with red light emission, and when irradiated with green light, the red smoke portion and the gray smoke portion are displayed black and the background smoke portion and the green smoke portion are displayed with green light emission.

Since the display board of the present invention has a similar configuration to the display board of the display device described above, it is possible to obtain the same effects as described above, and it is also easy to replace only the display board.

The present invention has a simple configuration that does not require a light-shielding filter, but utilizes the complementary color relationship to display the main display part in black against a background that emits red or green light through transmitted light in either red or green light irradiation depending on the switching of the light emitted by the light source, thereby improving the visibility of the displayed content, and providing a highly versatile display device and display board that can be used for a variety of purposes.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a user's viewpoint. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a portion displayed in black when irradiated with red light in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a portion displayed in black when irradiated with green light in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a coating area of a red smoke portion in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a coating area of a green smoke portion in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a coating area of a gray smoke portion in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a coating area of a background smoke portion in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing application areas of each smoke portion in the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a portion displayed in black when irradiated with red light in a modified example of the display content. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a portion displayed in black when irradiated with green light in the modified example. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the application areas of each smoke portion in this modified example.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the display device X according to this embodiment is capable of changing the display contents displayed on the display panel 2 by switching the wavelength of light irradiated from the light source 1. The display device X according to this embodiment is configured to display only the hatched portion in Fig. 2, i.e., the three characters "off" and the power mark indicating the off state (a mark in which a "circle" with the top cut out is combined with a "|") in black when irradiated with red light, and to display the entire surrounding background, i.e., the non-hatched portion in Fig. 2, in red light (see Fig. 2). The display device X according to this embodiment is configured to display the hatched portion in Fig. 3, i.e., the two characters "on" and the power mark indicating the on state (a "|" mark) in black when irradiated with green light, and to display the entire other background, i.e., the non-hatched portion in Fig. 3, in green light.

The light source 1 may be any light source capable of switching between red and green illumination, and in this embodiment, a surface-emitting illumination is provided by arranging multiple red and green LEDs in a predetermined area within the housing 3 (see FIG. 1). The red and green LEDs are arranged in appropriate predetermined areas so that the entire display board 2 can be illuminated.

The display board 2 is mainly composed of a substrate 21 made of a transparent material, on which an appropriate design pattern is formed. The design pattern is determined by the red smoke section 5, green smoke section 6, gray smoke section 7, and background smoke section 8 formed on the substrate 21. The substrate 21 may be any material that has translucency, and a resin plate material such as polycarbonate or polyester is suitable. The size and thickness of the substrate 21 can be determined taking into consideration the manner of use and the environment in which it is used. The substrate 21 can be used as is as the display board 2, or it can be used after being covered with an appropriate protective material such as a cover film.

The red smoke section 5 is formed by applying a translucent red paint to the base material 21. Figure 4 shows the formation pattern of the red smoke section 5 in this embodiment (the area where the translucent red paint (red translucent ink) is applied). The paint printed on the red smoke section 5 is adjusted to block green illumination and transmit red illumination. In other words, the red smoke section 5 has translucency and is printed in red so that it appears red when illuminated with red light, but appears black when illuminated with green light.

The green smoke section 6 is formed by applying a translucent green paint to the base material 21. FIG. 4 shows the formation pattern of the green smoke section 6 in this embodiment (the area where the translucent green paint (green translucent ink) is applied). The paint printed on the green smoke section 6 is adjusted to block red illumination and transmit green illumination. In other words, the green smoke section 6 is printed in green and has translucency so that it appears green when illuminated with green light, but appears black when illuminated with red light.

The gray smoke section 7 is formed by applying a translucent gray paint to the base material 21. Figure 5 shows the formation pattern of the gray smoke section 7 in this embodiment (the area coated with the translucent gray paint (translucent gray ink)). The gray smoke section 7 is printed in translucent gray so that it appears black together with the red smoke section 6 when irradiated with green light, and appears black together with the green smoke section 5 when irradiated with red light.

The background smoke portion 8 is formed by applying a translucent gray paint to the base material 21. Figure 6 shows the formation pattern of the background smoke portion 8 in this embodiment (the application area of the translucent gray paint (gray translucent ink)). The gray paint forming the background smoke portion 8 and the gray paint forming the gray smoke portion 7 are appropriately selected and adjusted so that the transmittance of the background smoke portion 8 is higher than the transmittance of the gray smoke portion 7.

In this embodiment, the red smoke section 5, green smoke section 6, gray smoke section 7, and background smoke section 8 are applied to a common substrate 21, specifically, by screen printing or inkjet printing. As shown in FIG. 7, the red smoke section 5, green smoke section 6, gray smoke section 7, and background smoke section 8 are formed at positions that do not overlap with each other, and therefore can be formed simultaneously on the common substrate 21 by a single inkjet printing. In the case of silk screen printing, simultaneous printing of different colors is not possible, so each section (red smoke section 5, green smoke section 6, gray smoke section 7, background smoke section 8) can be formed by applying a coating process to the substrate 21 in order. The order of application is not particularly limited.

In the display device X of this embodiment, such a display board 2 is installed at a position at a predetermined distance from the light source 1 in such a position that the planar direction of the display board 2 is perpendicular to the light direction (see FIG. 1). Note that FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the user's viewpoint V and the display device X. In addition, the display device X of this embodiment is configured so that the switching of the light emitted by the light source 1 can be controlled based on a signal from a touch sensor. As the touch sensor, one that operates by detecting contact with a user's finger or the like or one that operates by detecting the proximity of a finger or the like can be used, and the irradiation state of the red light or green light of the light source can be switched depending on the presence or absence, number, pattern, etc. of contact or proximity. The touch sensor may be connected to a controller that switches from an off state to an on state upon the first contact or proximity and simultaneously controls to emit red or green light, or may be provided with an on/off switching function.

The light source 1 is connected to an appropriate circuit related to the touch sensor. Such light source 1 and the circuit are arranged in a common housing 3. Note that as a changeover switch for the light source 1, instead of a signal changeover method using a sensor or the like, a manual changeover method such as a tact switch or toggle switch can also be used.

According to the display device X of this embodiment, the red smoke section 5 and the gray smoke section 7 can be displayed in black when irradiated with green light, and the green smoke section 6 and the background smoke section 8 can be displayed in green light. In particular, according to the display device X of this embodiment, the red smoke section 5 can be displayed in black when irradiated with green light by utilizing the complementary color relationship, and the background other than the part displayed in black can be displayed in green light. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate light-shielding filter or the like for performing a light-shielding treatment, and it is expected that the user will focus on the part displayed in black when the background is displayed in a light-emitting state. In addition, according to the display device X of this embodiment, it was found that the shape of the light source 1 present behind the part displayed in black or behind the background part displayed in a light-emitting state cannot be seen through the base material 21, or is extremely difficult to see. Furthermore, it was found that with the display device X according to this embodiment, color and brightness unevenness cannot be visually recognized between the green smoke portion 6 and the background smoke portion 8 in the background portion, resulting in a clear green light emission display state.

Furthermore, according to the display device X of this embodiment, when red light is irradiated, the green smoke section 6 and the gray smoke section 7 can be displayed in black, and the red smoke section 5 and the background smoke section 8 can be displayed in red light. In the display device X of this embodiment, color and brightness unevenness cannot be visually recognized between the red smoke section 6 and the background smoke section 8 that emit red light in the background portion, resulting in a clear red light emission display state, and the display contents of the green smoke section 5 and the gray smoke section 7 that are displayed in black by utilizing the complementary color relationship can be clearly seen, and the shape of the light source 1 can be prevented or suppressed from being seen through the display board 2.

Thus, the display device X according to this embodiment has a simple configuration, but when red light is irradiated, the entire background, which is the red light-emitting display portion, appears uniform, and when green light is irradiated, the entire background, which is the green light-emitting display portion, appears uniform, providing an excellent display function that makes the black display portion stand out, and thus providing a highly versatile display device that can be used for a variety of purposes.

In particular, the display device X according to this embodiment is equipped with a switch for switching between red and green light irradiation from the light source, and can change the display content by switching the irradiation light based on the user's switch operation. Furthermore, by applying a switch equipped with a sensor that detects the user's contact or proximity, the user can easily operate the switch, and the display device can be used as a highly practical and user-friendly display device.

In addition, since the display board 2 according to this embodiment is equipped with the above-mentioned substrate 21, it has a simple configuration, but can appropriately display the display content by being illuminated with a red or green light source, and the display content can be easily switched.

In addition, since the display board 2 according to this embodiment includes the above-mentioned substrate 21, it has a simple configuration, but can appropriately display the display content by being irradiated with a red or green light source, and the display content can be easily switched. Furthermore, since only the display board 2 can be replaced in the display device X, it is easy to replace the display board 2 when it is damaged, or to change the design by replacing it with a display board 2 with a different display content.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, a display device can be constructed by using a switch box for various switches such as a firefly switch (a switch that lights a lamp of a specified color (e.g., green) when the switch is "off") that can be set on the wall of a building as a housing, accommodating a light source and a circuit in this housing, and assembling the display plate of the present invention in a position that blocks the front opening of the housing (in the case of a firefly switch, the position where the switch body and the lighting display unit are located). In this case, it is also possible to arrange two display parts that can switch the content to be displayed in black vertically at a specified interval (it is desirable to provide a light-shielding part such as a partition wall that prevents the irradiated light from reaching the adjacent display part). By designing the display content of each display part to reflect the ON/OFF state of each separate lighting fixture, a wall switch that can control the ON/OFF state of two lighting fixtures can be realized with one switch box. It is also possible to configure the lighting state of the lighting fixture to be switchable ON/OFF by touching the display part. A manual changeover switch can also be adopted. The display device may have only one display area on one display panel, or it may have three or more display areas.

The content (design) displayed in black on the display portion can be selected and changed as appropriate. One example is a setting in which, when red light is illuminated, the three characters "off" and an illustration that allows the user to intuitively understand that the bulb is off are displayed in black (see FIG. 9), and when green light is illuminated, the two characters "on" and an illustration that allows the user to intuitively understand that the bulb is on are displayed in black (see FIG. 10). Note that FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11 correspond to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 8, respectively, when this modified example is adopted, and the conditions for the formation process and formation pattern of each smoke portion are similar to those of each smoke portion 5, 6, 7, and 8 in the above embodiment.

The light source in this invention is not limited to LEDs, and fluorescent lamps and other lighting fixtures can also be used as light sources.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a case where green is used as the complementary color of red is described, but the display device of the present invention also includes a configuration in which blue or blue-green is used as the complementary color of red.

The specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1... light source 2... display board 21... substrate 5... red smoke section 6... green smoke section 7... gray smoke section 8... background smoke section

Claims (3)

A light source that can switch between red and green light, which are complementary colors, and
A switch for switching between irradiating red light and green light from the light source;
a transparent material substrate on which display content is printed to be irradiated by the light source and become a light-emitting display,
The substrate is
a red smoke portion printed in red and having translucency;
a green smoke portion printed in green and having translucency;
A background smoke portion having translucency printed in gray ;
and a gray smoke portion having a transmittance set lower than the transmittance of the background smoke portion ,
A display device configured so that, when red light is irradiated, the green smoke portion and the gray smoke portion are displayed in black and the background smoke portion and the red smoke portion are displayed with red light emission, and, when green light is irradiated, the red smoke portion and the gray smoke portion are displayed in black and the background smoke portion and the green smoke portion are displayed with green light emission. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the switch is equipped with a sensor that detects contact or proximity of a user. A display panel having a transparent substrate on which display content is printed, the display content being a red light display when irradiated with a light source of either red or green, which are complementary colors, and the display content being a green light display,
The substrate is
a red smoke portion printed in red and having translucency;
a green smoke portion printed in green and having translucency;
A background smoke portion having translucency printed in gray ;
and a gray smoke portion having a transmittance set lower than the transmittance of the background smoke portion ,
A display panel characterized in that, when red light is irradiated, the green smoke portion and the gray smoke portion are displayed in black and the background smoke portion and the red smoke portion are displayed with red light emission, and when green light is irradiated, the red smoke portion and the gray smoke portion are displayed in black and the background smoke portion and the green smoke portion are displayed with green light emission.

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