JP2001110270A - Instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an instrument for preventing the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration collision between a switch pushing operation knob inserted through a through-hole in a front panel and the inner periphery of the through- hole in the front panel without depending on extra structural members. SOLUTION: The end 62 of an operation knob 60c is opposed at its slit portion 62a to a ridge portion 12b formed on the left hand face of an annular wall portion 12a of a cylinder 12. Therefore, when the operation knob 60c is set free, the operation knob 60c is subjected at its end 52 to the elastic force of a switch 60b and engaged with the annular wall portion 12a. At this time, with the slit portion 62a engaged with the ridge portion 12b, the operation knob 60c is tilted to its pushing direction and put at its outer periphery in contact with the inner periphery of a through-hole in a front panel.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an instrument having a switch mechanism for switching display contents, such as an odometer having a reset switch mechanism for resetting a mileage of a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the case of an instrument for a vehicle, an actual open square 2 is used.
There is an instrument provided with an odometer as disclosed in JP-A-12694. The odometer is provided with an operation knob. The operation knob is inserted into and supported by the instrument through the through holes of the front panel and the instrument panel. It faces the open switch. Here, when the reset switch is pushed by the operation knob, the reset switch is turned on. When the operation knob is opened in such a state, the reset switch is turned off with its elastic return and pushes the operation knob back to the original position.

[0003]

By the way, in the above instrument, between the outer peripheral surface of the operation knob and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole of the front panel, in order to smoothly push the operation knob,
Some allowance is given. Therefore, if the operation knob directly hits the inner peripheral surface of the through hole of the front panel at the outer peripheral surface, when the vehicle is vibrated, the operation knob is at the outer peripheral surface of the through hole of the front panel. Repeatedly hits the inner peripheral surface of the device and generates an unusual sound (slap sound).

In order to prevent this, in the above-mentioned meter, a cylindrical guide member made of a soft elastic material such as rubber is fitted into a through hole of a front panel, and an operation knob is passed through the cylindrical guide member through the meter. Is inserted inside.

[0005] However, even if the generation of the abnormal noise can be prevented by the guide member as described above, there is a problem that the number of components increases because the guide member is an essential component.

In order to cope with the above-described problems, the present invention provides a structure in which a switch pressing operation knob inserted through a through hole in a front panel and an inner peripheral surface of the through hole in the front panel. Generation of abnormal noise due to vibration collision,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an instrument that prevents the occurrence of an instrument without relying on extra components.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises an annular dial plate (20) and lower end openings (21, 21) of the dial plate.
a) an instrument panel (50) located on the a) side, and a front panel (40) provided at an upper end opening (22) of the return plate.
A self-resetting switch (60b) located in a housing (12) provided below a lower end opening of an instrument panel and a return board.
And a switching knob mechanism (60c) having a distal end (62) received in the receiving portion so as to face the switch and having an operation knob (60c) extending from the front panel through the through hole (41). SW). In addition, an annular wall (12a) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing portion so as to be closer to the through hole of the front panel than to the tip of the operation knob, and the tip of the operation knob faces the annular wall. Retaining portions (62a, 62b).

In the meter, one of the two opposing surfaces of the annular wall portion and the retaining portion is provided with a protruding portion (12b, 62d) protruding toward the other opposing surface. In this state, when the switch engages with the annular wall at the retaining portion under the self-returning operation state of the switch, the opposing surfaces of the annular wall and the retaining portion engage via the raised portion to move the operation knob. The outer peripheral surface portion (63) is tilted so as to contact the inner peripheral surface portion of the through hole.

Thus, even if vibration is applied to the operation knob and the front panel, the contact state between the outer peripheral surface of the operation knob and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole can be reliably maintained. As a result, the operation knob does not repeatedly hit the inner peripheral surface portion of the through hole of the front panel at the outer peripheral surface portion, and does not generate abnormal noise.

[0010] Such an operation and effect can be attained by providing the protruding portion formed on one of the opposing surfaces of the annular wall portion and the retaining portion toward the other opposing surface as described above. Therefore, there is no need to provide an extra component between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole of the front panel and the outer peripheral surface of the operation knob, which leads to a reduction in the number of components.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an instrument, comprising: an annular dial plate (20); and a meter plate (50) positioned on the lower end opening (21, 21a) side of the dial plate.
A self-return switch (60b) located in a front panel (40) provided in the upper end opening (22) of the return plate, and in a receiving portion (12) provided below the lower end openings of the instrument panel and the return plate. And an operation knob (6) having a front end (62) housed in the housing so as to face the switch and extending from the front panel through the through hole (41).
0c).

In the instrument, when the operation knob is in the released state, the operation knob is moved to the outer peripheral surface portion (6).
Inclining means (12a, 6) for inclining the operation knob with respect to the pushing direction so that the operation knob abuts on the inner peripheral surface portion of the through hole at 3).
2a, 62b, 12b, 62d).

By providing such a tilting means, even if vibration is applied to the operation knob or the front panel, the contact state between the outer peripheral surface portion of the operation knob and the inner peripheral surface portion of the through hole is ensured. Can be maintained. As a result, the same function and effect as the first aspect can be achieved.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a combination meter for a vehicle, and the combination meter is disposed on an instrument panel in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the combination meter includes a casing 10, an annular dial plate 20, and a wiring board 30 such as a printed circuit board.
It is assembled between 0.

The casing 10 has an annular peripheral wall 11, which is sandwiched between the annular low wall 21 of the return plate 20 and the wiring board 30. Further, the casing 10 includes a cylindrical body 12 as a storage unit,
The tubular body 12 extends from an upper wall 13 formed integrally with the annular peripheral wall 11 and is seated on a wiring board 30. Here, the cylindrical body 12 is formed on the upper wall 13 at a position coaxially communicating with a cylindrical portion 21a formed on the low wall 21 of the dial plate 20 from the left side in FIG. In addition, as shown in FIG.
In the vicinity of the lower right of FIG.

The combination meter includes a front panel 40 and an instrument panel 50, and the front panel 40 is provided in the front end side opening 22 of the dial plate 20. The front panel 40 has a through hole 4
1, and the through-hole 41 is formed so that the front panel 4 is coaxial with the cylindrical portion 21 a of the return plate 20.
0 is formed. The instrument panel 50 is mounted on the lower wall 21 of the facing plate 20 from the back side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the combination meter has a odometer 6 provided on an instrument panel 50.
0, a vehicle speed indicator 70, an indicator 80, and a tachometer 90. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 70a indicates a scale of the vehicle speedometer 70, reference numeral 80a indicates an indicator portion of the indicator 80, and reference numeral 90a indicates a scale of the tachometer 90.

The odometer 60 has a display panel 6 embedded in a lower portion of a scale 70a of a vehicle speedometer 70 as shown in FIG.
0a, and a drive circuit (not shown) provided at a position corresponding to the display panel 60a on the back side of the instrument panel 50. In addition, the display panel 60a is configured by a liquid crystal panel that displays a traveling distance of the vehicle.

The odometer 60 includes a normally open switch 60b and a longitudinal operation knob 60c made of an elastic resin material.
And a reset switch mechanism SW comprising: The switch 60b is mounted on the wiring board 30 in the cylindrical body 12, and the switch 60b is pressed to the left in FIG. . Further, the upper wall 61 returns to the original position and is opened with the release of the pressing. The switch 60b, when closed, resets the display travel distance of the display panel 60a via the drive circuit.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation knob 60c is inserted through the through hole 41 of the front panel 40 into the cylindrical portion 21a of the dial plate 20, and the operation knob 60c is connected to the operation knob 60c as shown in FIGS. As shown by 3, the distal end portion 62 is fitted in the cylindrical body 12 of the casing 10 and faces the upper wall 61 of the switch 60 b. The outer diameter of a portion of the operation knob 60c located in the through hole 41 is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 41.

Here, the tip portion 62 of the operation knob 60c is
Double split portions 62a, 62b functioning as retaining portions
Are provided, and these both split portions 62a and 62b are
The distal end portion 62 is formed so as to be divergent from the distal end side to the right side in FIG. 2 and cut in the axial direction of the distal end portion 62. For this reason, when the distal end portion 62 of the operation knob 60c is fitted in the cylindrical body 12 as described above, the both split portions 62a are formed by the annular wall portion 12a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 12.
The annular wall 12 is pursed against elasticity by the
Pass through a. After that, the two split portions 62a and 62b return to their original shapes due to their elasticity, and are prevented from falling off to the right in FIG. 2 by the annular wall portion 12a. At this time, the operation knob 60c is in contact with the upper wall 61 of the switch 60b at the tip end portion 62, but the switch 60b is not closed.

The annular wall 12a of the cylinder 12 is
As clearly shown in FIG. 3, a protruding portion 12b is provided on the left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a in FIG.
Is formed in a hemispherical protuberance so as to face. However,
A portion of the outer peripheral surface of the operation knob 60c facing the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 of the front panel 40 when the end surface 62c of the cutout portion 62a is engaged with the top of the raised portion 12b (hereinafter, referred to as an outer peripheral surface portion 63). However, the height of the raised portion 12b from the left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a of the annular portion 12a so that the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 abuts on the upper portion illustrated in FIG. Has been selected.

In this embodiment configured as described above,
When the operation knob 60c is in the released state, the pushing force of the operation knob 60c on the switch 60b is not acting. Therefore, the switch 60b is in the open state, and the operation knob 60c is pushed rightward by the upper wall 61 by the elastic force of the switch 60b as shown in FIGS.

Therefore, the tip 62 of the operation knob 60c is
The two cut portions 62a and 62b are engaged with the annular wall portion 12a of the cylindrical body 12 from the left side. Here, as described above, the raised portion 12b is formed on the left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a. For this reason, the split portion 62a is engaged with the raised portion 12b at its end face 62c.

Therefore, in such a state, the cut portion 62a is engaged with the raised portion 12b at its end face 62c, and the cut portion 62b is at its end face at the left side of the corresponding annular wall portion 12a. It will engage with the surface part. For this reason, the axis of the operation knob 60c is forcibly inclined with respect to the pushing direction so that the operation knob 60c is inclined upward in FIG. 2 from the distal end portion 62 to the outer end portion of the operation knob 60c. Thereby, the outer peripheral surface portion 63 of the operation knob 60c is
In the upper part, the through hole 41 of the front panel 40
As shown in FIG. 2, it is maintained in a state of being pressed against the upper portion of the inner peripheral surface of.

Therefore, the vibration of the vehicle is controlled by the operation knob 60.
c and the front panel 40, the contact state between the outer peripheral surface portion 63 of the operation knob 60c and the inner peripheral surface portion of the through hole 41 can be reliably maintained. As a result, even when the automobile vibrates, the operation knob 60c is moved to the outer peripheral surface portion 6 thereof.
At 3, the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole portion 41 of the front panel 40 is repeatedly hit and no abnormal noise is generated.

Such an effect can be achieved by forming the raised portion 12b on the left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a of the cylindrical body 12 as described above.
It is not necessary to provide an extra component between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 and the outer peripheral portion 63 of the operation knob 60c, which leads to a reduction in the number of parts.

When the operation knob 60c is pushed toward the switch 60b in the above-described state, the switch 60b is pressed on the upper wall 61 by the distal end portion 62 of the operation knob 60c. At this time, since the operation knob 60c turns the axis in the pushing direction, the operation knob 60c is
As shown in FIG. 5, the outer peripheral surface portion 63 is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 of the front panel 40.

When the switch 60c is pressed as described above, the switch 60c is closed, and the display travel distance of the display panel 60a is reset via the drive circuit.

FIG. 6 shows a modification of the above embodiment. In this modification, the raised portion 62d is replaced by the operating knob 60c instead of the raised portion 12b described in the above embodiment.
End face 62c of the split portion 62a at the front end portion 62
In addition, a hemispherical protrusion is formed so as to face the left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a of the cylindrical body 12. The height of the protrusion 62d from the end face 62c is the same as the height of the protrusion 12b. Other configurations are the same as those of the above embodiment.

In this modified example configured as described above,
When the operation knob 60c is in the released state as in the above-described embodiment, the cut portion 62a of the operation knob 60c is engaged with the left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a of the cylindrical body 12 at the raised portion 62d. In other words, with the split portion 62a engaged with the left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a at the raised portion 62d, the split portion 62b engages with the corresponding left side surface of the annular wall portion 12a at its end surface. It will be.

For this reason, the operation knob 60c is attached to the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 of the front panel 40 at the upper part of the outer peripheral surface part 63 as shown in FIG. The contact state is maintained as shown in FIG.
As a result, the same functions and effects as those of the above embodiment can be achieved.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the raised portion 12b described in the above embodiment is provided with the annular wall portion 12 of the cylindrical body 12.
A protrusion may be formed on a portion of the left side surface a that faces the cutout portion 62b. In this case, the operation knob 60c is inclined in a direction opposite to that of FIG. To contact the lower part of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 of the front panel 40. With this, the same operation and effect as the above embodiment can be achieved.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the raised portion 62d described in the above modification may be formed on the end face of the cutout portion 62b. In this case as well, the operation knob 60c is reversed in FIG. And the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface portion 63 contacts the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 41 of the front panel 40. This also achieves the same operation and effect as the above-described modification.

In practicing the present invention, the present invention is not limited to a combination meter, but may be applied to an instrument of the odometer 20 alone.

In practicing the present invention, the switch 60b of the reset switch mechanism SW is not limited to a normally-open switch, but may be a normally-closed switch that is opened by being pushed by the operation knob 60c.

In implementing the present invention, the operation knob 6
0c is not the tubular portion 21a of the dial plate 20, but the instrument panel 5
It may be inserted through the through hole of the instrument panel instead of 0. Note that the instrument panel may be formed so as to be wide up to a position corresponding to the low wall instead of the low wall of the return plate 20.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, unlike the above-described embodiment, the cylindrical body 12 as the housing portion may be formed in a light guide plate provided below the instrument panel 50, for example.

In practicing the present invention, the present invention is applied to a display changeover switch mechanism of an instrument (having a front panel) instead of the reset switch mechanism SW of the odometer as described in the above embodiment. You may. In this case, the display changeover switch mechanism applies the present invention to the operation knob that closes the display changeover normally open switch by pressing the same as in the above-described embodiment and the modification. Therefore,
The instrument is not limited to a vehicle, and may be a vessel or aircraft instrument.

In implementing the present invention, the switch 6
0b is not limited to one that is turned on and off by elastic force,
Generally, any self-return type may be used.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the present invention may be applied to a reset switch mechanism of an odometer for various vehicles such as a motorcycle and a truck without being limited to the odometer for an automobile. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion surrounded by a circle A in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view in a state where an operation knob is pushed.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a modification of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 12: cylindrical body, 12b, 62d: raised portion, 20: facing plate, 21: low wall, 21a: cylindrical portion, 22: distal end opening,
40 front panel, 41 through hole, 60b switch, 60c operation knob, 62 tip, 62a, 62
b: cutting part, 63: outer peripheral surface part, SW: reset switch mechanism.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An annular dial plate (20), an instrument panel (50) located on the lower end opening (21, 21a) side of the dial plate, and an upper end opening (22) of the dial plate. A front panel (40); and a self-resetting switch (6) located in a housing (12) provided below a lower end opening of the instrument panel and the return plate.
0b) and an operation knob (6) having a distal end (62) received in the housing so as to face the switch and extending from the front panel through the through hole (41).
0c), wherein a ring-shaped wall (12a) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing part from the through hole of the front panel rather than the tip of the operation knob. In a meter having a retaining portion (62a, 62b) opposed to the annular wall, a tip portion of the operation knob is provided on one of two opposing surfaces of the annular wall and the retaining portion. Raised portions (12b, 6) raised toward the facing surface
2d), when the operating knob engages with the annular wall at the retaining portion under the self-returning operation state of the changeover switch in the released state, the annular wall and the retaining An instrument which is inclined so that both opposing surfaces of the portion engage through the raised portion so that the operation knob abuts on an inner peripheral surface portion of the through-hole portion at an outer peripheral surface portion (63) thereof. . 2. An annular return plate (20), an instrument panel (50) located on the lower end opening (21, 21a) side of the return plate, and an upper end opening (22) of the return plate. A front panel (40); and a self-resetting switch (6) located in a housing (12) provided below a lower end opening of the instrument panel and the return plate.
0b) and an operation knob (6) having a distal end (62) received in the housing so as to face the switch and extending from the front panel through the through hole (41).
0c), the operating knob is in its released state, and the operating knob is connected to the inner peripheral surface portion of the through-hole at its outer peripheral surface portion (63). Tilting means (12a, 62a, 62b, 12b,
An instrument comprising: 62d).