JPH0129659Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a counter in which a count value is displayed by rotating a character wheel in response to an input signal.

A counter that performs counting by sequentially rotating character wheels arranged on a rotating shaft in response to an input signal performs counting according to vehicle running information, and displays the running information, such as the vehicle running speed, on the instrument panel. used for display. For example, there are various types of information such as travel speed information and travel distance information in the vehicle travel information whose count value is displayed on the vehicle instrument panel.
These various types of information are arranged on the same instrument panel, and the counted values are displayed on this type of counter. These counters are often arranged close to each other on the same instrument panel so that they can be easily seen by the driver. Further, each counter must operate independently and be reset independently of each other.

Therefore, the reset operation for this type of counter is performed by the operation rod attached to each counter, and by moving the operation rod by pushing the operation rod, the reset operation is performed on the counter corresponding to the plurality of character wheels. The drive pieces attached to each move. As this drive piece moves, the tips of the drive pieces engage with the heart cams coaxially attached to the respective character wheels, causing the heart cams to rotate in the same direction. By rotating the heart cam in the same direction, all the character wheels are rotated in the same direction, and the counter is reset.

For example, counters used as instruments for displaying vehicle driving information require a large number of counters to be installed in a limited space, and each counter has to be miniaturized and arranged in a variety of ways. It is required to have a shape that does not have any protruding objects that will get in the way during assembly. Furthermore, it is necessary that the assembly work be simplified and carried out smoothly during manufacturing and assembly.

Based on these requirements, in conventional counters of this type, the operating rod that performs the reset operation is divided into a base piece that is attached to the counter side and an operation piece that is operated by the operator. By screwing the operation piece, the base body piece and the operation piece are fixed to each other by means of screw tightening. If the operating rod is divided into the base part and the operating part in this way, the manufacturing and assembly work can be carried out smoothly, and the operating part can be manufactured in various shapes to suit different vehicle models. Alternatively, by selecting the operating parts according to the driver's preference, it is possible to produce different design effects.

However, in this conventional counter, when the operating rod is rotated around its longitudinal axis, the screw may loosen depending on the direction of rotation, and the screwing between the base piece and the operating piece is fixed. There is a risk that the situation may deteriorate. Therefore, if the reset operation is switched between two counters arranged adjacent to each other on the instrument panel by rotating a common operating rod, the reset operation cannot be switched. It had the above-mentioned operational difficulties.

This invention solves the above-mentioned difficulties with the conventional counter device, and enables stable rotation of the operating rod by connecting the operating part and the base part of the operating rod using an elastic fitting means. The present invention provides a counter device capable of stably and smoothly switching between reset operations for two counters disposed adjacent to each other on an instrument panel.

In this device, a character wheel is rotatably attached to a rotating shaft, and the first and second characters are rotated relative to the rotating shaft, and the first and second characters are sequentially displayed with codes attached to the circumferential surface of the character wheel.
In a counter device in which two counters are disposed adjacent to each other on the same frame, a common operating rod is attached so as to be movable in the longitudinal axis direction and rotatable around the longitudinal axis. The display of the first and second counters can be reset independently by a reset operation on this operating rod.

On the other hand, the operating rod has a structure in which the end side of the operating piece is inserted and fitted into the cylindrical base piece, and the engagement piece formed at the end of the operating piece is inserted into the inner part of the base piece. The operating portion and the base portion are configured to be fitted and fixed by being engaged with an engaging recess formed on the circumferential surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The counter device of this invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments thereof with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the counter device of this invention, in which the first and second counters 12-1 and 12-2 are mounted on the same frame 11 on the mounting shaft 13- of the respective character wheels. 1 and 13-2 are arranged so as to be offset from each other with respect to the plate surface of the frame 11. The respective mounting shafts 13-1 and 13-2 have character wheels 14-11 to 14-14 and 14-, respectively.
21 to 14-24 are rotatably attached.

At each of the counters 12-1, 12-2, a mounting shaft 13-1, 13-2 is installed facing the character wheel.
The first and second driving body portions 16-1, 16-1 and 16-1 are rotatable around rotational axes 15-1 and 15-2 parallel to each other.
16-2 is attached. The first and second drive body parts 16-1 and 16-2 are provided with a pinion (not shown), and this pinion rotates by a unit angle by the two teeth of the character wheel on the lower digit side. The movement is transmitted to the character wheel on the next higher digit side, and by rotating this character wheel by a unit angle, a shift operation for a plurality of character wheels is sequentially performed. On the other hand, the first and second drive body parts 16-1 and 16-2 are moved by their rotation, and each of the character wheels 14-11 to 14-1
Driving pieces that engage with heart cams (not shown) coaxially attached to 4, 14-21 to 14-24 are provided corresponding to the respective character wheels.

Therefore, when the first drive unit 16-1 rotates and its drive pieces are driven, the drive pieces are provided corresponding to all the character wheels 14-11 to 14-14 of the first counter 12-1. The letter wheels 14-11 to 14-1 are rotated so that the heart cams are engaged with their respective drive pieces and all the heart cams face in the same direction.
4 rotates in the same direction and the first counter 12-1
The display will be reset. Similarly, when the second driver section 16-2 rotates and its drive piece is driven, the display on the second counter 12-2 is reset.

In this invention, the operating rod 21 is attached to the frame 11 so as to be inserted, for example, between the first and second counters 12-1 and 12-2. This operating rod 21 is attached so that it can be pushed into the plate surface of the frame 11, and is configured to be freely rotatable around its longitudinal axis.

The operating rod 21 is connected to the operating member 2 with respect to the base member 22.
The end portions of the connectors 3 and 3 are inserted and fitted together. The base piece 22 is made of a synthetic resin material, for example, and has a cylindrical shaft body 2 with an insertion groove 25 formed around its axis.
A block-shaped actuating body 26 is formed integrally with the peripheral surface of the actuator 4 so as to protrude therefrom. First and second actuating pieces 27-
1 and 27-2 are formed to protrude substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the shaft body 24, respectively. The first and second actuating pieces 27-1 and 27-2 are set and arranged so that the angle between them is θ with respect to the central axis of the shaft body 24.

The insertion groove 25 is formed to have a square cross section, and a rectangular flat surface 25 is formed on the inner periphery of the insertion groove 25 shown in FIG.
-H constitutes an inner circumferential surface. A cutout 28 is formed at one edge of the opening of the insertion groove 25, and the cutout 28 is arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the base piece 22 near the bottom end surface of the insertion groove 25 on a line parallel to the axis. An engagement hole 29 is formed at a position where the engagement hole 29 is engaged.

On the other hand, the operation piece 23 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material and has a substantially rod shape, and has an operation knob 30 at its end.
is formed, and an operating piece formed in a cylindrical shape continuous with this knob 30 extends toward the end thereof, and an insertion piece 31 is integrally formed therein. The insertion piece 31 has a substantially rectangular cross section, one side of which is a flat surface 31-H, and an engaging piece 32 is provided at the end of the flat surface 31-H, protruding approximately perpendicularly to the plate surface. Further, an indicator plate 33 is formed at an end position of the plane 31-H opposite to the engagement piece 32 so as to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the plane 31-H. Plane 31-
The width of H in the longitudinal direction is set to be slightly smaller than one side of the insertion groove 25, and the width of the insertion piece 31 in the plane 31-
A tapered surface 31-HT is partially formed on the plate surface facing H in a direction approaching the plane 31-H from the position 31-P in FIG. 3 with respect to the direction of the engagement piece 32. Therefore, the insertion piece 31 has a narrow shape on the engaging piece 32 side, and is configured to have elasticity in a direction perpendicular to its plate surface.

The operation piece 2 is inserted into the insertion groove 25 of the base piece 22.
In order to insert and fit the insertion piece 31 of No. 3, insert the insertion groove 25.
At the opening side of the indicator plate 33, insert the engagement piece 32 into the insertion groove 25 by tilting the insertion piece 31.
is inserted into the notch 28 in a state where it is fitted into the notch 28. The insertion piece 31 inserted into the insertion groove 25 is bent by its own elasticity and inserted so that the engagement piece 32 is aligned along the inner peripheral surface of the insertion groove 25. Upon completion of the insertion operation, the engaging piece 32 engages with the engaging hole 29, and the operating piece 23 is inserted and fixed to the base piece 22.

The operation rod 21 formed by fitting the operation piece 23 to the base piece 22 is connected to the first and second counters 12- on the side of the base piece 22, as shown in FIG.
Frame 11 is inserted between 1 and 12-2.
Fixed. In this state, the first actuating piece 2
7-1 is disposed at a position facing a not-illustrated drive engagement portion of the first drive body portion 16-1 of the first counter 12-1. When the knob 30 is pinched and the operating rod 21 is pushed, the drive engagement portion of the first drive body portion 16-1 is driven by the first actuation piece 27-1, and the first drive body The drive piece of part 16-1 is driven, and the character wheel 14
Since the heart cams -11 to 14-14 are rotated in the same direction, the first counter 12-1 is reset.

To reset the second counter 12-2, pinch the knob 30 and rotate the operating rod 21 counterclockwise around the axis by θ ₁ .
The second actuating piece 27-2 is connected to the second driver portion 16-2.
It is disposed at a position opposite to a drive engagement portion (not shown). From this state, when the knob 30 is pinched and the operating rod 21 is pushed in, the second driver section 1
The drive engagement portion 6-1 is driven by the second actuation piece 27-2, and the drive piece of the second drive body portion 16-2 is driven to move the heart cams of the character wheels 14-21 to 14-24 in the same manner. Since the second counter 12-2 is rotated in this direction, the second counter 12-2 is reset.

The operating rod 21 is connected to the operating member 2 with respect to the base member 22.
3 are inserted and fitted together elastically, so even if rotational force is applied to the operating rod 21 around the axis, the fitted state between the base piece 22 and the operating piece 23 will loosen. Never.

When manufacturing and assembling, the first and second counters 12
-1 and 12-2 are attached to the frame 11, the base body piece 22 is attached and fixed to the frame 11. In this state, the first and second counters 12
-1 and 12-2, the protruding portion of the base piece 22 from the plate surface is slight, and the attachment and assembly of other parts of the counter portion can be smoothly performed without being hindered by the protruding portion. After the assembly and attachment of other parts are completed, the operation part 23 is elastically fitted to the base part 22 with a simple operation, so that the counter device can be manufactured and assembled smoothly and efficiently. The direction of insertion is determined by the indicator plate 33 and the notch 28, making the assembly work extremely easy.

In addition, it is also possible to prepare the operating pieces 23 in the design shapes of each part, and to achieve the optimum design effect by attaching the operating pieces 23 that are suitable for each vehicle type or according to the driver's preference. It is.

As explained in detail above, the counter device of this invention realizes a reset operation rod in which the fitting between the base piece and the operation piece does not loosen even when rotated around the axis. Therefore, by using a common operating rod for the first and second counters, it is possible to reset each counter independently by switching the operating rod. In addition, since the operating piece can be easily attached to the base piece, the production and assembly of the counter device can be carried out smoothly and efficiently, and the operating piece can be replaced in order to provide a more aesthetic effect. This can also be done with simple operations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cutaway view showing the structure of an embodiment of the counter device of this invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of the base piece of the embodiment of the counter device of this invention, and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view showing the configuration of the operating part of the embodiment of the counter device of this invention, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the base piece shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 2. It is. 11: Frame, 12-1, 12-2: Counter, 14-11 to 14-14, 14-21 to 14
-24: Character wheel, 16-1, 16-2: Drive unit, 21: Operation rod, 22: Base piece, 23: Operation piece, 25: Insertion groove, 29: Engagement hole, 32: Engagement Piece.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A character wheel rotatably attached to a mounting shaft rotates with respect to the mounting shaft, and first and second counters that sequentially display codes attached to the circumferential surface of the character wheel are on the same frame. A common operating rod is attached to the operating rods, which are disposed adjacent to each other and are movable in the longitudinal axis direction and rotatable around the longitudinal axis. In the counter device in which the display of the second counter can be reset independently, the operating rod is configured such that the end side of the operating member is inserted into and fitted into the cylindrical base member, The end of the operation piece extends toward the end and is integrally formed with an insertion piece, and the insertion piece has a substantially rectangular cross section with one side having a flat surface, and the end of this flat surface. is provided with an engagement piece, and a plate surface opposite to the plane of one side of the insertion piece has a tapered surface in a direction approaching the one side with respect to the direction of the engagement piece, and the engagement piece A counter device characterized in that, in an inserted and fitted state, the base piece is engaged with an engagement recess formed on an inner circumferential surface of the base piece to be elastically fitted and fixed to the operating piece.