JP2017185869A - Illumination structure of operation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illumination structure of an operation device which enables a user to recognize an operation state, an operation ratio, and an operation position by seeing an operation member.SOLUTION: An illumination structure of an operation device 1 comprises: a slide lever 8 slidable along an operation hole 6 formed on an operation panel 2; first and second light emitters 10 separately mounted on a substrate 9 fixed on both sides of the slide lever 8; first and second light guides 11 arranged to face the operation hole 6 for guiding light from the first and second light emitters 10 to the operation hole 6; a light guide fixing component 12 for fixing an end part of the slide lever 8 and storing and fixing the first and second light guides 11 on both sides which are partitioned by the end part of the slide lever 8; and a slide guide component 13 for slidably guiding and supporting the light guide fixing component 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an illumination structure of an operating device, and more particularly to an illumination structure of an operating device provided with a slide lever that can be slid.

  As an example of the illumination structure of the conventional operating device, for example, there is an illumination structure for instructing the position of the heater control knob on a heater control panel arranged on an instrument panel of an automobile (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The conventional heater control knob illumination structure described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a transparent display plate in which various patterns are engraved on the convex portion of the heater control panel having a concavo-convex portion extending in the lateral direction, and the heater control panel. A heater control knob is movably provided through an arm in a slit formed along the bottom surface of the recess.

  An illumination bulb is disposed inside the convex portion of the heater control panel, and a small hole for introducing light from the illumination bulb is provided on the side surface of the irregular portion.

  According to the conventional illumination structure of the heater control knob, the transmissive display board is lit up by lighting the illumination bulb, and the side surface of the heater control knob is illuminated by introducing light from the small hole. By providing the structure for illuminating the heater control knob, the position of the heater control knob can be easily confirmed at night.

JP 9-315131 A

  However, in the illumination structure of the conventional heater control knob described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, just by illuminating the heater control knob, the heater control knob is in any operating state, and the heater control knob is in which position. It is difficult for the user to recognize by looking only at the heater control knob that the desired operation can be performed.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an illumination structure of an operation device that allows a user to recognize an operation state, an operation ratio, and an operation position by looking at an operation member.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a slide lever that can be slid along an operation hole formed in an operation panel, and a first and a second that are separately mounted on substrates fixed to both sides of the slide lever. A second light emitting element, first and second light guides that are disposed facing the operation hole, guide light from the first and second light emitting elements to the operation hole, and an end of the slide lever. A light guide fixing part for receiving and fixing the first and second light guides on both sides defined by an end of the slide lever, and a slide guide for slidably guiding and supporting the light guide fixing part The lighting structure of the operating device is characterized by comprising the components.

  The first light emitting element according to the present invention may be disposed facing the end face of the first light guide, and the second light emitting element may be disposed facing the end face of the second light guide. Is preferred.

  Further, it is preferable that the first and second light emitting elements according to the present invention emit illumination lights having different colors.

  Furthermore, the first and second light guides according to the present invention are made of a flexible material, and guides for changing the moving direction by curving the end portions of the light guide at both ends of the slide guide component. It is preferable that the portion is formed.

  According to the illumination structure of the operation device of the present invention, the user can recognize the operation state, the operation ratio, and the operation position by looking at the operation member, and the operability can be improved.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically an example of the operating device provided with the illumination structure which concerns on 1st Embodiment suitable for this invention. It is a perspective view which shows typically the external appearance after assembling an operating device. It is a principal part cross-sectional enlarged view of the III-III line arrow of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3, where (a) is an explanatory diagram for explaining the movement when the slide lever is slid in one direction, and (b) is the movement when the slide lever is slid in the other direction. It is explanatory drawing demonstrated. It is principal part sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 3 which shows typically an example of the operating device provided with the illumination structure which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of one constituent part constituting the illumination structure. FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5, where (a) is an explanatory diagram for explaining the movement when the slide lever is slid in one direction, and (b) is the movement when the slide lever is slid in the other direction. It is explanatory drawing demonstrated.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the front side of the operating device is referred to as the front, the back side of the operating device is referred to as the rear, and the operating device is referred to as up, down, left, and right when viewed from the front.

[First Embodiment]
(Configuration of operation device)
1 and 2, reference numeral 1 indicating the whole indicates an example of a typical operation device according to the first embodiment. An operation device 1 according to the illustrated example is applied as, for example, a heater control device for an automobile, and includes an operation panel 2 for controlling the heater control device. The operation panel 2 is arranged on the design surface of the instrument panel of the automobile.

  The operation panel 2 includes a rectangular case 3 made of a resin material such as ABS. The case 3 constitutes the appearance of the operation panel 2 by combining a front case body 4 that opens to the rear and a rear case body 5 that opens to the front. Two front and lower operation holes 6 and 6 extending in the left-right direction are formed on the front surface of the front case body 4, and sliding operation knobs 7 and 7 are slidable in the left-right direction in each operation hole 6. Has been placed.

  The upper operation knob 7 is for adjusting the set temperature by sliding left and right along the operation hole 6, and the lower operation knob 7 slides left and right along the operation hole 6. This is for adjusting the air flow rate. A rear portion of the rear case body 5 is provided with a mechanism (not shown) that transmits the slide operations of the upper and lower operation knobs 7 and 7 to the heater control device.

(Lighting structure)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, FIG. 4 (a), and FIG. 4 (b), the operating device 1 configured as described above includes the operating states, operating ratios, and the like of the operating knobs 7 and 7 on the upper and lower sides. An illumination structure for an indicator that displays the operation position is provided.

  This illumination structure does not require a portion for providing a transparent display plate with various indicator patterns on the design surface of the operation panel 2, and is provided on each sliding portion of the upper and lower operation knobs 7, 7. The structure has an illumination function and a display function, and is a main feature of the controller device 1.

  The sliding portion of the operation knob 7 includes operation holes 6 and 6 on the upper and lower sides of the operation panel 2. Each operation hole 6 is provided with an illumination unit that transmits the light La emitted from the light emitting element 10. When the light La from the light emitting element 10 passes through the illumination unit, the upper operation hole 6 is configured with a temperature display unit that displays a set temperature, and the lower operation hole 6 has a set air flow rate. A fan display unit for displaying is configured.

  The illumination structure corresponding to each of the upper operation knob 7 for adjusting the set temperature and the lower operation knob 7 for adjusting the set air flow rate has substantially the same structure. In the description, as shown in FIG. 1, an illumination structure and members corresponding to the lower operation knob 7 for adjusting the set air flow rate will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the components constituting the indicator lighting structure are accommodated in an internal space formed by combining the rear opening of the front case body 4 and the front opening of the rear case body 5. Has been.

  The components constituting this illumination structure are a slide lever 8 that can be slid, a light emitting element 10 mounted on a substrate 9 fixed to the slide lever 8, and a light La emitted from the light emitting element 10 on the operation panel 2. A light guide 11 (diffusion light guide tube) diffused and guided to the operation hole 6, a light guide fixing part 12 for accommodating and fixing the light guide 11, and a slide guide part 13 for guiding and supporting the light guide fixing part 12 slidably. And.

  A slide lever 8 that can be slid through the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2 is used as a fixing member that is long in the front-rear direction. The front end portion of the slide lever 8 is fitted and fixed to the operation knob 7, and the rear end portion of the slide lever 8 is supported and fixed to a light guide fixing component 12 that accommodates and fixes the light guide 11.

  Substrates 9 and 9 are fixed on the left and right sides of the slide lever 8, and a light emitting element 10 is mounted on each substrate 9. A slide lever 8 that moves left and right along the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2 moves the light emitting element 10 and the light guide 11 of the substrate 9 together with the light guide fixing component 12.

  The light emitting element 10 mounted separately on each substrate 9 is a light emitting diode that radiates toward the end face of the light guide 11, and includes, for example, chip LEDs having red, blue, or green color that emit different color lights. The light emitting element 10 is electrically connected to a power source (not shown) via a terminal, a lead wire, etc. (not shown) mounted on the substrate 9.

  As another example of the light emitting element 10, for example, a single color light of red light, blue light, or green light is mixed with two types of single color light, or three types of single color light is combined. A chip LED configured to emit white light mixed and combined can be used. Thereby, you may make it change the color rendering property of the operation hole 6 used as the sliding part of the operation panel 2. FIG.

  The side surface of the light guide 11 that irradiates the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2 with the light La emitted from the light emitting element 10 is disposed facing the operation hole 6 serving as an illumination unit and a display unit of the operation panel 2. By arranging the side surface of the light guide 11 at the site corresponding to the illumination part and display area of the operation hole 6, the operation state, operation ratio, and operation position of the operation knob 7 can be determined by the left and right light emitting areas in the operation hole 6. It can be expressed by change.

  The light guide 11 is a linear light guide member that propagates light La incident from one end surface on the light emitting element 10 side and diffuses the light La to the entire side surface. The light guide member is made of a flexible material having, for example, a transparent acrylic resin core and a fluorine resin clad covering the peripheral surface of the core. An example of this type of light guide member is a light string manufactured by 3M.

  A light reflecting film 111 made of, for example, a metal film is formed on the other end surface of the light guide 11 opposite to the light emitting element 10 side, and light La is prevented from leaking outside from the other end surface of the light guide 11. ing. Light La incident from one end surface of the light guide 11 propagates through the core to the other end surface and is emitted from the entire surface of the cladding.

  The light guide fixing component 12 for receiving and fixing the light guide 11 is formed with a long groove-shaped receiving recess 121 having a cross-sectional opening forward, and the rear bottom of the slide lever 8 is formed on the center bottom surface of the receiving recess 121. A fixing groove 122 for supporting and fixing the end portion is formed.

  The receiving recess 121 of the light guide fixing part 12 is defined to the left and right via a fixing groove 122, and the light guide 11 is received and held in each of the pair of left and right receiving recesses 121 and 121. One end surface of the light guide 11 is disposed to face the light emitting element 10 on the substrate 9 fixed to the slide lever 8.

  The slide guide part 13 that guides and supports the light guide fixing part 12 is a rectangular parallelepiped having a rectangular cross section. On the front surface of the rectangular parallelepiped, long concave groove-shaped guide grooves 131 and 131 arranged in two rows are formed linearly. It is formed in parallel with. The light guide fixing component 12 is slidably housed and held in the guide groove 131 and is slidably guided along the guide groove 131.

  4A and 4B, the light guide fixing component 12 follows the movement of the operation knob 7 via a slide lever 8 that moves to the left and right along the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2. To do.

  The light guide fixing component 12 moves the light emitting element 10 and the light guide 11 of the substrate 9 along the guide groove 131 of the slide guide component 13 to propagate the light La emitted from the light emitting element 10 to the light guide 11. Then, the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2 is irradiated. Therefore, the operation state and operation ratio of the operation knob 7 are expressed by changes in the left and right light emitting areas in the operation hole 6 in accordance with the operation position of the slide lever 8.

(Effects of the first embodiment)
According to the operating device 1 in the first embodiment, in addition to the above effects, the following effects can be obtained.

  Since the operation hole 6 serving as the sliding portion of each of the upper and lower operation knobs 7 and 7 is structured to have both illumination and display functions, various design patterns for indicators are engraved on the design surface of the operation panel 2. It is possible to suppress the height of the operation panel 2 in the vertical direction without providing a transmissive display board, and to make the appearance of the operation panel 2 clear.

  Since the light emitting element 10 is provided on the slide lever 8, the operation state, the operation ratio, and the operation position of the operation knob 7 that moves to the left and right along the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2 are represented by the left and right light emitting areas in the operation hole 6. It is possible to express, and the user can sensuously recognize the illumination and display on the operation panel 2.

  Since the light emitting element 10 and the light guide 11 can be moved to the left and right together along the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2 via the slide lever 8, the change in the light emission area of the left and right emission colors can be made with a simple configuration. It is possible to express and to improve the effect of the operation panel 2.

  Since the side surface of the light guide 11 is configured as an illumination unit and a display unit, the side surface of the light guide 11 can be used as the design surface of the operation panel 2 and the appearance as a product can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
Referring to FIG. 5, a configuration example of the controller device 1 according to the second embodiment is shown. In FIG. 5, the same member names and symbols are used for members that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, and a detailed description of these members is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the horizontal width W2 of the operation panel 2 is set shorter than the horizontal width W1 of the operation panel 2 in the first embodiment. This is different from the first embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the horizontal width W1 of the operation panel 2 is set according to the horizontal movement range of the light guide 11, whereas in the second embodiment, the first width is set. The width dimension W2 in the left-right direction of the operation panel 2 can be arbitrarily set without changing the operation range of the operation knob 7 in the first embodiment.

  In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, partition walls 133 and 133 having openings 132 and 132 intersecting with the bottom surface are formed at the left and right edge portions of the guide groove 131 of the slide guide component 13. The partition wall 133 is configured as a guide surface 134 that guides the other end of the light guide 11 opposite to the light emitting element 10 by curving backward.

  The guide surface 134 of the partition wall 133 having the opening 132 is formed as an arc surface that curves and deforms the other end of the light guide 11. With this configuration, the partition wall 133 having the opening 132 functions as a guide that can change the moving direction of the other end of the light guide 11.

  The guide portion according to the illustrated example includes a pair of partition walls 133 and 133 that are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval. However, it is not limited to the illustrated example. The structure which the guide surface 134 connects and is formed may be sufficient by integrating the end surfaces which a pair of partition part 133 opposes.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the light guide fixing component 12 follows the movement of the operation knob 7 via the slide lever 8 that moves to the left and right along the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2. To do. The light guide fixing component 12 moves the light emitting element 10 and the light guide 11 of the substrate 9 along the guide groove 131 of the slide guide component 13 to propagate the light La emitted from the light emitting element 10 to the light guide 11. Then, the operation hole 6 of the operation panel 2 is irradiated.

  As the end position of the operation knob 7 in the operation range is approached, the end portion of the light guide 11 is guided and guided backward along the guide surface 134 of the partition wall 133 of the slide guide component 13. Therefore, the operation state and operation ratio of the operation knob 7 are expressed by changes in the left and right light emitting areas in the operation hole 6 in accordance with the operation position of the slide lever 8.

(Effect of the second embodiment)
By employing the operating device 1 according to the second embodiment configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the same effects as the first embodiment.

  The lateral width W2 of the operation panel 2 can be set to a short dimension without narrowing the operation range of the operation knob 7. Since the height dimension W2 of the operation panel 2 can be shortened in combination with the fact that the height dimension of the operation panel 2 can be shortened, the operation panel 2 can be further downsized.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the heater control device is illustrated. However, the operation device is not limited to the illustrated example as long as the operation device includes a slide lever capable of sliding operation. Of course, it can be applied.

  As is clear from the above description, the illumination structure of the operating device of the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, modified examples, and illustrated examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, modified examples, The present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples, and can be carried out in various modes without departing from the gist thereof.

  Therefore, it should be noted that not all the combinations of features described in the above embodiments, modifications, and illustrated examples are essential to the means for solving the problems of the present invention. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Operation apparatus, 2 ... Operation panel, 3 ... Case, 4 ... Front side case main body, 5 ... Rear side case, 6 ... Operation hole, 7 ... Operation knob, 8 ... Slide lever, 9 ... Board | substrate, 10 ... Light emitting element, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Light guide, 12 ... Light guide fixing component, 13 ... Slide guide component, 111 ... Reflection film, 121 ... Housing recessed part, 122 ... Fixing groove, 131 ... Guide groove, 132 ... Opening part, 133 ... Partition part, 134 ... Guide surface, La ... Light, W1, W2 ... Width dimensions

Claims (4)

A slide lever that can be slid along an operation hole formed in the operation panel;
First and second light emitting elements separately mounted on substrates fixed on both sides of the slide lever;
A first light guide and a second light guide which are arranged facing the operation hole and guide light from the first and second light emitting elements to the operation hole;
A light guide fixing component for fixing the end portion of the slide lever, and for accommodating and fixing the first and second light guides on both sides defined by the end portion of the slide lever;
A slide guide part that slidably guides and supports the light guide fixing part;
A lighting structure for an operating device, comprising:   The first light emitting element is disposed to face an end face of the first light guide, and the second light emitting element is disposed to face an end face of the second light guide. Lighting structure of the operating device.   The illumination structure of the operating device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second light emitting elements emit illumination lights of different colors. The first and second light guides are made of a flexible material,
The illumination structure of the operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a guide portion is formed at both ends of the slide guide component to change the moving direction by curving the end portion of the light guide. .

Images