JP2000242193A - Display lighting device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a display lighting device capable of reducing the number of parts and the number of assembling steps and easily realizing a display having a three-dimensional curved surface. SOLUTION: A structure in which characters, drawings, and the like are directly printed on an illuminating surface 16 of a light guide plate 14, whereby the number of parts and man-hours can be reduced and a three-dimensional curved surface can be realized. .

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display / illumination device for illuminating various operation units of an electronic device using a light source and a light guide plate to display characters, graphics, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 3 and 4 show the peripheral structure of an operation unit in a vehicle-mounted audio device. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the operation unit, and FIG. It is a perspective view. 3 and 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a frame panel (front panel) of the apparatus main body, and 2 denotes a printed circuit board. 3 is a switch mounted on the printed circuit board 2,
Reference numeral 4 denotes an operation button for pressing the switch 3 from the outside of the apparatus main body, and a plurality of the switches 3 and the operation buttons 4 are provided in a pair and arranged in a horizontal direction. 5
Is a display unit. The display unit 5 is provided adjacent to the plurality of operation buttons 4, and characters / graphics for displaying the function of each operation button 4 are provided corresponding to each operation button 4.

[0003] The display unit 5 is a display plate formed of a light-transmitting film material or the like on the surface of which characters and figures are printed.
(Nameplate) 6 and light guide plate 7 formed of transparent resin material
And an escutcheon 8 having means (not shown) for assembling the display plate 6 and the light guide plate 7 to the front plate 1, and a lamp or the like as a light source 9. The light guide plate 7 has a surface 7a for receiving light emitted by the light source 9 on one end side facing the light source 9, and has an illuminating surface 10 corresponding to characters, graphics, etc. of the display plate 6. Have multiple. And the light source 9
Is received by the surface 7a, the light passes through the inside of the light guide plate 7 and is guided to the illuminating surface 10 respectively.
The display plate 6 is illuminated from behind with light emitted from zero. Therefore, from the outside of the in-vehicle audio equipment,
The characters and figures formed on the display panel 6 can be seen in a shining state, and the operator presses the operation button 4 corresponding to the characters and figures to display the characters and figures corresponding to the characters and figures. A switch having a function can be switched.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional display illumination means using the light guide plate 7 generally includes the display plate 6, the escutcheon 8, the light guide plate 7, and the like. is there. For this reason, the number of parts is large and the number of assembling steps is also large, which is disadvantageous in cost. In addition, since a flat plate is mainly used in assembling the display plate 6, it is difficult to illuminate a three-dimensional curved surface such as a free-form surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a display lighting device capable of reducing the number of parts and the number of assembling steps and easily realizing a display having a three-dimensional curved surface. It is intended for.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a structure in which characters, figures, etc. are directly printed on the illuminated surface of a light guide plate. The display panel and the escutcheon that were required are eliminated, so that the number of parts and the number of working steps can be reduced, and a three-dimensional curved surface can be easily realized.

[0007]

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is directed to a display illuminating device provided with a light guide plate that transmits light from a light source incident from at least one end surface and guides the light to an illumination surface side. This is a display lighting device characterized by directly printing characters, figures, etc. on the illuminating surface of the light guide plate, eliminating the display plate and escutcheon required in the conventional device, and reducing the number of parts and the number of work steps. As well as
This has an effect that a three-dimensional curved surface of the illumination surface can be easily realized.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the display color is changed between when the light source is turned on and when the light source is not turned on, and the display surface of the light guide plate and the light source are changed. 2. The display lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the one end surface on which the light is incident is coated with each other, and it is possible to easily distinguish between a state where the light is lit and a state where the light is not lit. In addition, it has an effect that the design can be improved.

The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is the display lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a light-transmitting paint is used as the paint for coating. Has the effect of being able to.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the illuminating surface is formed into a curved surface.
4. The display illumination device according to any one of items 3 to 3, which has an effect that the appearance and the like can be decoratively improved by making the illuminated surface a curved surface.

(Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, a display illumination device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an operation unit in a vehicle-mounted audio device, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of a display unit in the operation unit. 1 and 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a frame panel (front plate) of the apparatus main body, and reference numeral 12 denotes a printed circuit board. 13 is a switch attached to the printed circuit board 12, 14 is a light guide plate also serving as an operation button for pressing the switch 13 from outside the apparatus main body, and 20 is attached to the substrate 12 below the light guide plate 14. Lamp as a light source.

More specifically, the light guide plate 14 is made of a transparent resin material, and is arranged horizontally horizontally in a state where the illuminating surface 16 is arranged in the window 15 of the front plate 11. I have. A notch recess 17 is provided in the upper center, and a fulcrum shaft 18 protruding from the printed circuit board 12 side is engaged with the notch recess 17.
The light guide plate 14 is swingable in the left-right direction with the fulcrum shaft 18 as a fulcrum, and a guide when swinging is regulated by a guide plate (not shown). Also,
A projection 19 is formed on the lower surface of the light guide plate 14 toward the lower side where the light source 20 is located. The projection 19
Are formed so as to be centered on the swing fulcrum of the light guide plate 14, and the lower surface of the projection 19 is a light receiving surface 19a.
Therefore, since the projection 19 is substantially aligned with the swing center, even when the light guide plate 14 is rotated, the light receiving surface 19a rotates at a fixed position centered on the swing fulcrum.
When the light source 20 is turned on, the light from the light source 20 illuminates the light receiving surface 19a of the light guide plate 14, and the light enters the light guide plate 14 from the light receiving surface 19a. Further, the light incident on the light guide plate 14 is guided to the illuminating surface 16 and emits light from the illuminating surface 16. The illumination surface 1
6 may be a flat surface, or may be a curved surface according to the function and usage of the display lighting device, or a decorative meaning.

In addition, the illumination surface 16 of the light guide plate 14 has
Parts 21a, 21b, 21c, 21 representing characters, figures, etc.
A paint having light transmissivity in accordance with desired characters and graphics is printed on d, 21e, and 21f, and a light-shielding paint is applied on a portion 22 excluding those portions 21a to 21f.
In the light guide plate 14 configured as described above, when the illumination surface 16 is illuminated with the light from the light source 20, the portions 21a to 21f of the illumination surface 16 printed with the light-transmissive paint are illuminated. As a result, brighter and more vivid characters and figures emerge as compared to when not illuminated. Therefore, by looking at this state, it is possible to easily determine whether the light source 20 is on or off.

The light receiving surface 19a also has portions 21a to 21a.
A structure in which a light-transmissive paint having a color different from f is applied may be used. With such a structure, when the light source 20 is not turned on, the color applied to the portions 21a to 21f can be directly visually recognized, so that characters and figures can be seen in that color. On the other hand, when the light source 20 is turned on, the light from the light source 20 passes through the paint on the light receiving surface 19a, reaches the illumination surface 16 as colored light, and can be displayed in different colors. In this way, by changing the light between when the light is turned on and when the light is turned off, it is also possible to improve the design and make it easier to recognize whether the light is turned on or off.

Next, the switch 13 is connected to the light guide plate 14.
Are provided on the left and right sides of the back of the vehicle. Then, when the right or left side of the light guide plate 14 is pressed with the fulcrum shaft 18 interposed therebetween, the light guide plate 14 is
It turns to the pressed side, and switches the contact by pressing the switch 13 on the turned side. When the pressing is released, the switch 13 is returned to the neutral position by the repulsive force.
That is, in the structure of the operation unit, the switching of the switch 13 can be simultaneously operated by pressing the right or left of the light guide plate 14.

Therefore, in the structure of the display lighting device of this embodiment, characters and graphics are directly printed on the illuminating surface 16 of the light guide plate 14, so that the display plate and escutcheon required in the conventional device are used. Can be eliminated. As a result, the number of parts and the number of working steps can be reduced, and at the same time, the illuminating surface 16 can be formed at the same time when the light guide plate 14 is formed. Can be done.

The light receiving surface 19a also has portions 21a to 21a.
In the case of a structure in which a light-transmissive paint having a color different from f is applied, the color can be easily changed between when the light source 20 is not turned on and when the light source 20 is turned on. It is also possible to improve the performance and make it easy to recognize the distinction between turning on and off.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the operation unit of the in-vehicle audio device has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the in-vehicle audio device and can be applied as a general display lighting device. .

[0019]

As is clear from the above embodiment, the display illumination device of the present invention has a structure in which characters, figures, and the like are directly printed on the illuminated surface of the light guide plate, and the following effects are expected. it can. -The display board and escutcheon required in the conventional device can be eliminated, and the number of parts and the number of work steps can be reduced. -Since the illumination surface can be formed at the same time when the light guide plate is formed, a three-dimensional curved surface can be easily realized, and the design of the display portion can be improved. The color can be easily changed between when the light source is not turned on and when the light source is turned on, so that the design can be improved and the distinction between turning on and off can be easily recognized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an operation unit in an on-vehicle audio device shown as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of a display portion of an operation unit of the on-vehicle audio device shown as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an operation unit in a conventional on-vehicle audio device.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of a display part in an operation unit of a conventional on-vehicle audio device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Frame panel (front panel) 12 Printed circuit board 13 Switch 14 Light guide plate 15 Window 16 Illumination surface 17 Notch recess 18 Support shaft 19 Projection 19a Light receiving surface 20 Light source (lamp) 21a-21f Represents characters, figures, etc. Light transmitting part 22 Light shielding part

Continued on the front page F-term (reference) 5G006 BC03 CB01 CD03 JA01 JB01 JC02 JD01 JF25 LA09 LC04 5G019 AA01 AM55 AM62 CP03 JJ02 JJ09 KK06 LL02 LL10 SK04 SY01 SY05 5G435 AA00 AA17 BB03 BB15 CG15 GG23 GG27

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A display lighting device comprising a light guide plate that transmits light from a light source incident from at least one end surface and guides the light to an illumination surface side, wherein characters, figures, and the like are directly written on the illumination surface of the light guide plate. Display illumination device characterized by being printed. 2. A display color is changed between when the light source is turned on and when the light source is not turned on, and the illumination surface of the light guide plate and the one end surface on which light from the light source is incident. The display illumination device according to claim 1, wherein each of the display illumination devices is coated. 3. The display lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a light-transmitting paint is used as the paint for painting. 4. The display lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating surface is formed into a curved surface.