JPH0982175A - Illuminated rotary switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illuminated rotary switch whose visibility is enhanced so that it is convenient to use. SOLUTION: An air-conditioner switch 12 for making an air conditioner 26 function by driving a compressor has a knob body 26 freely rotationally enclosed inside a case 22, and a control knob 40 is secured to time shaft 30 of the knob body 26. A shaft through hole 31 is bored in the shaft 30 along its axis, and a knob through hole 48 is bored in the control knob 40 in such a way as to be concentric with the shaft through hole 31. A branching through hole 50 branching from the knob through hole 48 is bored in the control knob 40, and light-transmitting bodies 52, 54 each made from an acrylic resin are formed in the knob through hole 48 and the branching through hole 50, respectively. The light-transmitting body 52 in the knob through hole 48 is opposed to a LED 39 with the shaft through hole 31 between them.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an illuminated rotary switch having an operation knob that is rotated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A rotary switch having an operation knob that is rotated is used to switch ON / OFF of a device to be switched by the operation of rotating the operation knob, and to define a drive position of the device. Taking air conditioning in a vehicle as an example, there is an air conditioner switch for turning the air conditioner on and off, a blower switch for defining the air outlet, an air volume switch for defining the air volume of the air conditioner, etc. In the air conditioner switch, turning the operation knob turns the compressor ON-O.
FF is performed. Moreover, in the blower switch and the air volume switch, the air outlet may be used as a foot or the air conditioner air volume may be weakened.

[0003]

By the way, as a switch replacing the above rotary switch, there is a push button switch having an operation knob to be pressed. With this push-button switch, the operation knob moves forward and backward by a pressing operation, but the positional relationship with respect to the switch panel does not change during operation and during non-operation. Therefore, the operation knob to be pressed is provided with an indicator as an illuminating section for introducing light from the light source to enhance the visibility of the position of the operation knob at night or visually confirm that it has been turned on. Things have been done.

Even with a rotary switch, it is desired to improve the visibility of the position of the operation knob at night or visually confirm that it has been turned on, as with a push-button switch. However, in the rotary switch, the instruction portion of the operation knob, which is rotated, indicates a character or a figure drawn to mean a switch operation on the switch panel around the operation knob to instruct the switch operation. Therefore, if the indicator is provided at the designated portion of the operation knob, the illumination position may change each time the rotary operation is performed, and the position of the operation knob may not be visually recognized correctly. It should be noted that if an indicator is provided on the switch panel around the operation knob, its illumination position does not change, but the position of the operation knob itself cannot be visually recognized correctly.

Further, in recent years, when a device to be switched, for example, a compressor is operating abnormally, it is detected and the vehicle driver is informed of it.
As a method thereof, it has been proposed to control the indicator of the operation knob to blink with a push button switch. When such a method is also applied to the rotary switch, the blinking position of the indicator in the indicator of the operation knob changes each time the rotary operation is performed. There is a risk of being mistaken for an abnormality related to being turned off.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rotary switch with illumination which improves visibility and is easy to use.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, a rotary switch with illumination of the first invention is a rotary switch with illumination having an operation knob to be rotated. The knob body is provided with a shaft to which an operation knob is attached and is rotatable about its central axis, and a light source that is turned on at a predetermined illumination time. The knob body is concentric with the central axis of the shaft. The operation knob has a shaft through hole formed therethrough, and the operation knob has a light transmission body made of a light-transmitting material in the through hole formed concentrically with the shaft through hole. Is provided so as to face the end of the shaft through hole on the side opposite to the light transmitter.

In the rotary switch with illumination according to the first aspect of the present invention, the light from the light source passes through the shaft through hole of the knob body and reaches the light transmitting body in the through hole of the operating knob. Illuminate at the edges. Since the through hole of the operation knob is concentric with the shaft through hole which is concentric with the central axis of the shaft, its illumination point becomes the center of rotation of the operation knob and does not change regardless of whether or not the operation knob is rotated.

Therefore, according to the rotary switch with illumination of the first aspect of the present invention, the visibility of the position of the operation knob at night or when the rotary operation has been completed can be enhanced, and its usability can be improved. .

In the rotary switch with illumination having the above structure, the light source is turned on when the operation knob is turned to the ON position for driving the device to be switched, and blinks when the device is abnormally driven. Preferably.

With this configuration, it is possible to easily discriminate the normal operation and the abnormal operation of the device from the lighting state at the same position regardless of whether the operation knob is rotated or not.

Further, in the rotary switch with illumination having the above-mentioned structure, the operation knob is branched from the through hole to a branch through hole which is opened to reach an end portion of the operation knob, and a transparent material is used. It is preferable to have the second light transmitting member.

In this structure, light is also guided to the second light transmitter of the operation knob, and the operation knob is illuminated by the end of the second light transmitter. Since the second light transmitting body is provided in the through hole reaching the end of the operation knob, the end of the operation knob is used as the indicator of the knob so that the turning operation state of the operation knob can be visually recognized. It is possible to improve the usability.

Further, in the rotary switch with illumination having the above structure, the knob body and the light source are housed in a case.

According to this structure, handling becomes easy.

[0016]

Other Embodiments of the Invention The present invention can also adopt the following other embodiments. In the first embodiment, the shaft-side light transmitting member made of a translucent material is provided in the shaft through hole. .

In the first aspect, the light from the light source can be efficiently sent to the light transmitter in the through hole of the operation knob.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of a rotary switch with illumination according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a control panel of an air conditioner for a vehicle having a rotary switch with illumination according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the air conditioner 10 includes an air conditioner switch 12 for driving a compressor (not shown) to start air conditioning by an air conditioner, an air volume switch 14 for defining the air volume, and an air blowing position. A blowout switch 16 for defining the air conditioning temperature, a temperature switch 18 for setting the air conditioning temperature, and an inside / outside air switch 20 for setting the air conditioning air blowing port inside or outside the vehicle. And the air conditioner switch 12
The air volume switch 14, the blowing switch 16, and the temperature switch 18 are rotary switches having operation knobs that are rotated, and the inside / outside air switch 20 is a slide switch.

The panel surface around the air conditioner switch 12 has an "O" signifying that the air conditioner is OFF or ON.
The letters "FF" and "A / C" are drawn, and the air conditioner switch 12 rotates over the positions of "OFF" and "A / C". On the panel surface around the air volume switch 14, "O" indicating zero air volume, low air volume and high air volume is displayed.
In addition to the letters "FF", "LO", and "HI", two symbols ".", Which mean a stepwise air volume between low air volume and high air volume, are drawn. It is rotated from a position of "OFF" to a position of "HI", and is rotated with a sense of moderation at each character or symbol. The same applies to the blowing switch 16 and the temperature switch 18. In addition,
Even in the inside / outside air switch 20, on the panel surface around the inside / outside air switch 20, a figure indicating that the air blowing port is outside the vehicle and a figure indicating inside the vehicle are drawn at both ends of the sliding area. .

Next, among the above rotary switches,
The structure of the air conditioner switch 12 will be described as an example. As shown in a cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. 2 and a front view of the main part, the air conditioner switch 12 includes a case 22 in which a substrate 24 having predetermined contacts and a knob body 26 are housed. The board 24 is assembled and fixed in the case 22, and is connected to a connector pin (not shown) in the connector portion 25 at the end of the case. And this substrate 24
Transmits a contact opening / closing signal to an air conditioning controller (not shown) via a connector pin.

The knob body 26 has a main body 28 incorporated in the case 22 and a shaft 30 extending from the main body 28 at the center thereof. The annular portion 28a at the end of the main body portion 28 is supported by the inner peripheral wall surface 22a of the case 22 at its outer periphery, and the base portion 30a of the shaft 30 is supported by the stepped portion inner peripheral surface 22b of the case 22 at its outer periphery. . Therefore, the knob body 26 is rotatable around the central axis of the shaft 30. Further, a steel ball 32 is incorporated in the main body portion 28 of the knob body 26 together with the spring 34, and the steel ball 32 is used as the protrusion 3 in the case 22.
It is in contact with 6. Since a concave portion is formed on the end surface of the protrusion 36, the moderation of the operation knob 40 can be obtained by the steel ball 32 entering the concave portion. The recesses are provided at a plurality of positions (in the air conditioner switch 12, the “OFF” position and the “A /
It is provided in two places corresponding to the "C" position).

In addition, the knob body 26 has an annular portion 28.
A contact 38 for opening and closing a contact provided on the substrate 24 is provided on the end face on the a side.

The operation knob 40 has a knob portion 42 which is operated by being pinched by the operator's finger, a disc portion 44 at the base thereof, and a shaft fixing portion 46 which projects from the back surface of the disc portion. Then, the operation knob 40 is fixed to the knob body 26 by fitting the shaft 30 into the shaft fitting hole 46a formed in the shaft fixing portion 46, and the both are integrated.

The shaft 30 to which the operation knob 40 is fixed in this manner has a shaft through hole 31 concentric with the central axis thereof.
Is pierced and pierced, and this shaft through hole 31
Is a body through hole 2 concentrically formed in the body portion 28.
It is continuous with 9a and 29b. Then, on the substrate 24,
A light emitting diode (LED) 39 is fixed, and in this LED 39, a substrate 24 and a knob body 26 have a case 22.
When it is incorporated inside, it is located in the main body through hole 29b and faces the shaft through hole 31. LED39
Is turned on upon receiving a control signal from the air conditioning control device, and when the operation knob 40 is turned to the “A / C” position, the lighting is controlled so as to drive the compressor to make the air conditioner function. Further, when the air conditioner detects abnormal drive of the compressor, the lighting control is performed so as to blink.

A knob through hole 48 is provided in the operation knob 40 concentrically with the shaft through hole 31 in the shaft 30, and the knob through hole 48 is located at the center of rotation of the operation knob 40. A branch through hole 50 is formed from the knob through hole 48 to the outer peripheral end of the knob 42, and the branch through hole 50 has its opening end located at the outer peripheral end of the knob 42. . Then, in the knob through hole 48 and the branch through hole 50, light transmitting members 52 and 54 made of a light-transmissive resin, for example, a PC resin (polycarbonate resin).
Is arranged. The light transmitters 52 and 54 are so-called two-color molding method in which the operation knob 40 is molded by supplying PC resin and knob-constituting resin (for example, ABS resin) to a predetermined mold for molding the operation knob 40. Are formed in the knob through hole 48 and the branch through hole 50. The light transmitting body 52 thus formed faces the LED 39 with the shaft through hole 31 interposed therebetween.

As described above, in the air conditioner switch 12 of the present embodiment, the light emitted from the LED 39 passes through the body through holes 29a, 29b in the knob body 26 and the shaft through hole 31 of the shaft 30, and the light is transmitted by the operation knob 40. Reach body 52. The operation knob 40 illuminates the center of rotation with the light transmitting body 52. Therefore, according to the air conditioner switch 12, the visibility at the position of the operation knob 40 at night or when the rotation operation has been completed is made possible by the illumination at the rotation center that does not change regardless of whether the operation knob is rotated. It can be improved and its usability can be improved.

Further, the air conditioner switch 12 is set to L depending on whether the compressor to be driven is operating normally or abnormally.
The lighting state of the ED 39 is changed, and the lighting state is visually recognized at the rotation center which is the same position regardless of whether or not the operation knob is rotated. Therefore, the air conditioner switch 12 can easily determine whether the compressor is operating normally or abnormally. In the air conditioner switch 12, the lighting state is visually recognized even at the outer peripheral end portion of the knob portion 42 of the operation knob 40, but it is misunderstood that the turning state is abnormal due to the lighting at the turning center where the position does not change. There is little concern that there will be no problems.

Further, in the air conditioner switch 12, the light transmitting body 52 in the operation knob 40 is branched from the light transmitting body 52 to guide light, and the outer peripheral end of the knob portion 42 is also illuminated. Therefore, according to the air conditioner switch 12, the state of the rotating operation of the operation knob 40, specifically, the operation knob 40 is “OFF”.
It is possible to further improve the usability because it is possible to visually recognize whether it is in the position or the “A / C” position.

Further, in the air conditioner switch 12, the operation knob 40 and the knob body 26 fixed to the shaft 30 and L
Since the ED 39 and the ED 39 are housed in the case 22, it is easy to handle when assembling.

Of course, the rotary switches such as the air volume switch 14, the blowing switch 16 and the temperature switch 18 have the same structure as the air conditioner switch 12 described above.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to the above examples and embodiments, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the operation knob 40 may be configured to include only the light transmitting body 52, or may be configured to include a lamp instead of the LED 39. Also, the shaft through hole 3
It is also possible to form a hole in the substrate 24 and the connector portion 25 facing the No. 1 and provide a light source such as a lamp inside the air conditioner 10 so as to face the hole. If this configuration is adopted and the light source is also used as the light source for the control panel display, the light source only for illuminating the air conditioner switch 12 is not required, and the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced as well. Further, the shaft through-hole 31 and the main body through-hole 29b may be provided with light transmitters such as the light transmitters 52 and 54 in the operation knob 40. According to this configuration, the light of the LED 39 can be efficiently sent to the light transmitters 52 and 54 of the operation knob 40, which is preferable because the illumination effect is enhanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view schematically showing a plane of a control panel of a vehicle air conditioner having a rotary switch with illumination according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a cross section of a main part of an air conditioner switch 12 and a front surface of an operation knob 40 according to an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Air conditioner 12 ... Air conditioner switch 14 ... Air volume switch 16 ... Switch 18 ... Temperature switch 20 ... Inside / outside air switch 22 ... Case 24 ... Substrate 26 ... Knob body 28 ... Main body 29a, 29b ... Main body through hole 30 ... Shaft 31 ... Shaft Through hole 39 ... LED 40 ... Operation knob 42 ... Knob part 48 ... Knob through hole 50 ... Branch through hole 52, 54 ... Light transmission body

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A rotary switch with illumination having a rotating operation knob, comprising: a knob body having a shaft to which the operating knob is attached, rotatable about its central axis, and a predetermined illumination. And a light source that is turned on at a certain time, the knob body has a shaft through hole formed by penetrating the shaft concentrically with the central axis thereof, and the operation knob penetrating concentrically with the shaft through hole. A light transmitting body made of a light-transmitting material is provided in the through hole formed in the hole, and the light source is provided so as to face the end of the shaft through hole on the side opposite to the light transmitting body. 2. The rotary switch with illumination according to claim 1, wherein the light source is turned on when the operation knob is turned to an ON position for driving a device to be switched, and the light source is turned on. Flashes and lights when abnormal driving occurs. 3. The rotary switch with illumination according to claim 1, wherein the operation knob has a branch through hole that branches from the through hole and penetrates to an end of the operation knob. A second light transmitter made of a conductive material. 4. The rotary switch with illumination according to claim 1, wherein the knob body and the light source are housed in a case.