JPH0996546A - Transmitted illumination indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) 【Abstract】 PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a dial look different between daytime and nighttime, and to make the dial feel a three-dimensional effect with a sense of depth. A transmitted light adjusting layer 2b is formed on a rear surface side of a translucent substrate 2a of a dial plate 2 in a region D in which a pointer 4 rotated by an inner unit 5 can rotate. The transmitted light adjusting layer 2b is configured to gradually change the amount of light transmitted from the back surface side to the front surface side of the dial 2 along the plane of the transparent substrate 2a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transmitted illumination type indicator instrument, more specifically, a light source arranged on the back side of a dial plate,
The present invention relates to a transillumination type indicator instrument that allows the scale, numbers, characters or symbols of a dial to be visually recognized by transmitting light from a light source from the back side to the front side of the dial.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, in an indicating instrument of a vehicle or the like, a device for making a dial have a three-dimensional effect or the like has been made. For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-104527 describes that the lightness is gradually changed starting from a certain point or a certain side on the dial. Also, the actual fair 6-18392
The publication describes that a fluorescent pattern is formed on the surface side of the dial with its emission density varying from the center of the dial toward the periphery.

[0003]

However, according to the former indicator, since it is a reflective indicator that changes the brightness of the front side of the dial, the dial does not look different between daytime and nighttime. Also, there is a problem that the dial has a poor sense of depth.

Further, the latter indicator instrument has a problem that an ultraviolet lamp must be specially prepared in order to emit a fluorescent pattern.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a transillumination type indicating instrument which has a simple structure and which is different in appearance between daytime and nighttime and can give a more sense of depth. The task is to do.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dial and a light source arranged on the back side of the dial, the dial being a translucent substrate and a back side of the translucent substrate. The transmitted light adjusting layer is formed on the transparent substrate, and the transmitted light adjusting layer gradually changes the amount of light transmitted from the back surface side to the front surface side of the dial along the plane of the transparent substrate. A transillumination indicator instrument is used that is configured to change.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the transillumination type indicator instrument according to the first aspect is employed, wherein the light of the light source is transmitted only in a partial area of the dial.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the area of the dial plate through which the light of the light source is transmitted is an area in which the pointer rotated by the internal unit of the indicating instrument is rotatable. Use the transillumination indicator instrument described.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, at night illumination, the transmitted light adjusting layer formed on the back side of the dial gradually changes the amount of light transmitted from the light source along the plane of the transparent substrate. .
On the other hand, in the daytime, the color applied to the surface of the dial can be seen by reflection. Therefore, the appearance of the dial differs between daytime and nighttime, and since the transmitted light adjusting layer is formed on the back side of the dial, the dial feels a deeper three-dimensional effect. Like

A second aspect of the present invention indicates that the transmitted light adjusting layer may be formed only in a region necessary for giving a three-dimensional effect as a dial, and an example thereof is described in the third aspect.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main part of a transillumination indicator instrument, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the luminance gradient along the line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the portion C in FIG.

1 to 4, in the meter case 1, a light source (bulb, cold cathode tube, LED or EL, etc.) 3 for illuminating the dial 2 from its back side, and a surface of the dial 2 are provided. Internal unit 5 for rotating the pointer 4 arranged on the side
Are arranged. A diffuser plate 6 is provided on the back side of the dial 2 for diffusing and uniformizing the light of the light source 3 to make it incident on the back side of the dial 2 when the light source 3 is a point light source such as a bulb. . A dial plate 7 is arranged on the peripheral portion of the dial 2, and a windshield 8 is attached to the dial plate 7 to cover the surface of the dial 2 and the hands 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the dial 2 has a translucent substrate 2a, and a partial region on the back surface side of the translucent substrate 2a (in FIG. 1, a region shaded with black dots). Corresponding to D, this area D is an area in which the pointer 4 can be rotated by the inner unit 5.) A transmission light adjusting layer 2b is formed by graduation printing. This transmitted light adjusting layer 2
b is configured to gradually change the amount of light transmitted from the back surface side to the front surface side of the dial 2 along the plane of the transparent substrate 2a. For example, in the case of FIG. 1, the light transmission amount is gradually reduced along the direction from the rotation center of the pointer 4 to the peripheral portion. By providing such a transmitted light adjusting layer 2b on the back surface side of the dial 2, the dial 2 can have a more three-dimensional effect with a sense of depth. It should be noted that the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b is preferably not formed on a portion that forms a scale, letters, numbers, symbols, or the like.

Further, on the back surface side of the transparent substrate 2a, a region where the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b is formed, a scale,
In order to prevent the light of the light source 3 from being transmitted from the back surface side to the front surface side of the dial plate 2 in a region excluding a portion for forming letters, numbers, symbols, or the like, a light shielding layer 2c formed by black printing is formed.

When it is desired to make the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b invisible from the surface side of the transparent substrate 2a, a white layer 2d is formed between the transparent substrate 2a and the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b. Keep it.

On the other hand, on the surface side of the transparent substrate 2a, the color printing layer 2e is left with the shapes of scales, letters, numbers or symbols left.
Are formed. The color printing layer 2e is formed so that the light of the light source 3 that has passed through the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b can be transmitted to the front surface side of the dial plate 2. Further, the scales, letters, numbers or symbols are framed by a narrow black print 2f as necessary.

The indicating instrument constructed in this way is
When the light source 3 is in the off state, external light is reflected by the color printing layer 2e of the dial 2 and the surface of the dial 2 is colored by the color printing layer 2e.
Visible as the color of.

On the other hand, when the light source 3 is turned on at night, the light of the light source 3 incident on the light shielding layer 2c is shielded by the light shielding layer 2c and is not emitted to the front side of the dial plate 2. On the other hand, the light of the light source 3 which has entered the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b is transmitted through the transparent substrate 2a and the color printing layer 2e in order after the amount of transmitted light is adjusted by the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b and then transmitted through the dial 2 Is emitted to the surface side of. Here, as described above, the transmitted light adjusting layer 2b is configured to gradually change the amount of light transmitted from the back surface side to the front surface side of the dial 2 along the plane of the transparent substrate 2a. For example, in the case of FIG. 1, since the light transmission amount is gradually reduced along the direction from the rotation center of the pointer 4 to the peripheral portion (see FIG. 3),
The dial 2 has a more three-dimensional effect with a sense of depth. In addition, the light of the light source 3 which is incident on a portion forming a scale, a letter, a number, a symbol, or the like is transmitted through the transparent substrate 2a,
Alternatively, the light passes through the white layer 2d and the transparent substrate 2a in order and is emitted to the front surface side of the dial 2.

As described above, the indicator instrument is seen as an indicator instrument that has different appearances during the day and at night, and
When illuminated at night, the dial 2 can be made to have a more three-dimensional effect with a sense of depth.

When the indicating instrument is a so-called black face meter, the light source 3 is always in a lighting state, so that stereoscopic display can be performed regardless of day or night.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main portion of a transillumination type indicator instrument according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a brightness gradient along line BB in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion C shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 dial 2a translucent substrate 2b transmitted light adjusting layer 3 light source 4 pointer 5 internal machine

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Mitsunari Kojima 5-33-8 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A dial and a light source disposed on the back side of the dial, wherein the dial includes a translucent substrate and a transmitted light adjusting layer formed on the back side of the translucent substrate. And the transmitted light adjusting layer,
A transillumination indicator instrument configured to gradually change the amount of light transmitted from the back surface side to the front surface side of the dial along the plane of the translucent substrate. 2. Only in a partial area of the dial,
The transillumination indicator instrument according to claim 1, wherein light from the light source is transmitted. 3. The transmission according to claim 2, wherein the region of the dial through which the light of the light source is transmitted is a region where a pointer rotated by an internal unit of the indicating instrument is rotatable. Illuminated indicating instrument.