JP5605155B2 - Combined instrument for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a composite instrument for a vehicle that is mounted on a vehicle and displays various vehicle information such as a vehicle speed and an accumulated travel distance.

  Conventionally, an instrument device used for a vehicle such as an automobile has a plurality of display units for displaying vehicle information such as a speedometer, a tachometer, a fuel meter, a fuel consumption meter, a thermometer, a turn indicator, a seat belt indicator, and a warning light. Is stored in a single case, and there is a composite instrument for vehicles in which the front surface (display side surface) of the display unit is covered with a transparent cover.

  Also, from the viewpoint of interior design in automobiles, there is a cover using a cover that has been subjected to a dark-colored coloring process (smoke process) on the cover of the above-mentioned composite instrument for vehicles to reduce the light transmittance. When the vehicle composite instrument is not operated, that is, when power is not supplied to the light emitting means for illuminating the display unit, the display content is not visible from the outside of the cover, while the vehicle composite instrument is operated, that is, here In addition, in a state where power is supplied to the light emitting means for illuminating the display unit, it is a technique that can also be used for a vehicle composite instrument configured so that the display content can be visually recognized from the outside of the cover and the display unit is viewed from the darkness. For example, it is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP 2003-344114 A

  Such a composite instrument for a vehicle has a display function for displaying various types of vehicle information, and displays these vehicle displays regardless of day or night. Therefore, the vehicle user consumes electric power for displaying the vehicle information on the composite meter for the vehicle even though there is a type of the vehicle information that is not necessary among the vehicle information. There was a problem. For example, for a vehicle user who does not require a tachometer, the power consumption for operating the tachometer or illuminating the tachometer is excessive.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular composite instrument capable of stopping the display unnecessary for the vehicle user and reducing the current consumption. There is.

The vehicle composite instrument of the present invention includes a rotating pointer, a dial plate that forms an indicator portion to be indicated by the pointer, a movement that is a driving source for rotating the pointer, the dial plate, a first display portion comprising a pointer-type instrument having a backlight for illuminating the pointer, instrument cluster for a vehicle and a second display unit for displaying an image different from the vehicle information from the first display unit An input means for issuing an operation signal based on an operation of a vehicle user, a normal mode for controlling the first and second display units to display vehicle information, and the first display unit While the power supply to the backlight and the movement is stopped and the vehicle information is continuously displayed on the second display unit, a part of this display is displayed on the first display unit in the normal mode. Also displays the vehicle information that was displayed A cell power saving mode, characterized in that and a control unit comprising switching based on the operation signal.

  In addition, a smoke glass that transmits the display by the first and second display units at a predetermined transmittance is provided.

  The second display unit includes a pointer-type instrument similar to the first display unit, or a display panel that performs light emission display, and is partitioned so as not to expose the first display unit and emits light. It is characterized by doing.

  The present invention relates to a vehicular composite instrument that is mounted on a vehicle and displays various types of vehicle information, so that the vehicle user can stop unnecessary display and reduce current consumption.

The figure which shows the electrical structure in embodiment of this invention. The top view of the compound instrument for vehicles in embodiment same as the above. The figure which shows the cross section of the compound meter for vehicles in embodiment same as the above. The top view which shows the state which stopped the tachometer display in embodiment same as the above.

  Embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment for displaying vehicle information in a vehicular composite instrument of the present invention. The vehicle composite instrument includes an input unit 1, a control unit 2, and a plurality of display units 3.

  The input unit 1 can be a switch that generates an operation signal in response to a pressing operation by a vehicle user. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the input means 1 is provided in the vicinity of the display means 3 so as to be associated with the display means 3 to be switched, which will be described later, and an operation signal corresponding to the operation in the thrust direction or radial direction is provided. It is configured to output to the control means 2. The input unit 1 is also used as a switch for adjusting the illumination brightness mounted on the instrument and a screen switching switch for a multi-display unit described later in normal times. Note that the input means 1 only needs to be at a position where the vehicle user can operate while riding in the vehicle. For example, a vehicle interface outside the instrument such as a switch or a steering switch on the instrument panel can be used.

  The control means 2 can be a microcomputer, a storage section for storing input information and a predetermined program, a calculation section for performing calculation processing based on these information and programs, and a signal from the input means 1 An input / output interface for inputting vehicle information from an external device such as an electronic control unit (ECU) or outputting a control signal to the display means 3 is provided via a serial communication cable.

  The control means 2 can switch between the normal mode and the power saving mode by a predetermined operation by the input means 1, and generates a control signal for operating the display means 3 based on each prepared program. Output. In this case, the control unit 2 includes a drawing processing unit, and can perform a process of generating a desired composite image corresponding to the vehicle information and prompting it to be displayed on the display unit 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display means 3 includes a tachometer (first display unit) 31, a speedometer (second display unit) 32, and a multi-display unit (second display unit) 33. It is provided in the same case H. The case H is accommodated while holding the circuit board C, the display means 3 and the like, and the smoke glass G having a predetermined transmittance is provided on the display surface side of the display means 3, and the display by the display means 3 is displayed. It is configured to be able to display and output to the vehicle user via the smoked glass G.

  The tachometer 31 is composed of a pointer-type instrument that expresses the engine speed based on a control signal from the control means 2, and includes a rotating pointer 31a and an index portion (a scale or a numerical value (not shown) Dial 31b formed by printing unit, movement (motor) 31c as a driving source for rotating the pointer 31a, backlight 31d for illuminating the dial 31b and the pointer 31a, pointer 31a and the dial 31b It consists of a pointer-type instrument provided with a backlight 31d for transmissive illumination. The backlight 31d is divided so as to illuminate only the tachometer 31 portion and not expose to other display means such as the speedometer 32 and the multi-display unit 33.

  In the tachometer 31, the backlight 31d and the movement 31c mounted on the same circuit board C as the control means 2 operate based on the control signal generated based on the vehicle information, and the pointer 31a is placed on the dial 31b. By rotating to a desired angle, the engine speed as a measurement value can be read by comparing the pointer 31a and the indicator portion of the dial 31b.

  The speedometer 32 is composed of a pointer-type instrument that expresses the traveling speed of the vehicle based on a control signal from the control means 2, and is provided with a pointer 32a, a dial 32b, a movement 32c, and a backlight 32d, like the tachometer 31. Then, the pointer 32a and the dial 32b that rotate the traveling speed as the measurement value are displayed and output so that they can be read in comparison.

  The multi-display unit 33 includes a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) type LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 33a and a backlight 33b installed behind the LCD. The composite image generated by the control means 2 is displayed on the LCD 33a. Display is performed using the backlight 33b.

  In this case, on the multi-display unit 33, the control unit 2 controls the input unit 1 based on numerical values or vehicle graph information such as trip data such as accumulated travel distance and fuel consumption, outside air temperature, and remaining fuel amount. The display can be output while switching the screen based on the above operation. The multi-display unit 33 described above is configured so that the display image formed on the LCD 33a can be seen through the smoke glass G by illuminating the LCD 33a using the backlight 33b. A self-luminous display device such as an EL or a fluorescent display tube can also be used. In this case, a backlight for illuminating the multi-display unit 33 can be omitted.

  With the above configuration, a composite instrument for a vehicle that displays various types of vehicle information via the smoked glass G is provided. Next, the normal mode and the power saving mode by the control means 2 will be described.

  In the normal mode, the control unit 2 controls all the displays 31 to 33 of the display unit 3 described above to operate and display the vehicle speed, the engine speed, and the like.

  On the other hand, the control means 2 can control the display means 3 to display or stop the preset display means 3 as the power saving mode. For example, the power supply to the movement 31c and the backlight 31d of the tachometer 31 can be stopped, and the power consumption to these electronic components 31c and 31d can be reduced. Moreover, since the display means not illuminated is darkened by the smoked glass G, it is difficult to visually recognize the pointer 31a and the dial 31b of the tachometer 31, and it is possible to prevent the display from becoming complicated due to unnecessary display.

  Further, the backlight 31d of the tachometer 31 is partitioned by the partition wall H1 between the dial plates 31b and 32b and the LCD 33a and the circuit board C so that the illumination light does not affect the display of the other display means 32 and 33. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, it seems that only the tachometer 31 portion has nothing.

  The control means 2 can set the display means 3 to be stopped in advance according to the preference of the vehicle user, etc., and use the vehicle by the guidance display by the multi-display unit 33 and the operation signal of the input means 1. Display items of the power saving mode set by the user can be stored in the storage unit as setting information. In addition, the display of the pointer-type instrument can be stopped, and can instead be displayed on a part of the composite image of the multi-display unit 33. For example, energization of the movement 32c and the backlight 32d of the speedometer 32 is stopped, The traveling speed can be expressed numerically in a part of the display of the multi display unit 33.

Such a vehicular composite instrument has rotating hands 31a, 32a, dials 31b, 32b forming indicator portions to be indicated by the hands 31a, 32a, and driving for turning the hands 31a, 32a. A tachometer (first display unit) 31 comprising a movement 31c as a source, a pointer-type instrument provided with a backlight 31d for illuminating the dial 31b and the pointer 31a, and a speedometer for displaying vehicle information different from the tachometer 31 32 and a multi-display unit 33 (second display unit), which is a vehicular composite instrument, an input means 1 for generating an operation signal based on the operation of a vehicle user , a tachometer 31, a speedometer 32, a multi In the normal mode in which the display unit 33 controls to display the vehicle information, and the vehicle information is continuously displayed on the speedometer 32 and the multi-display unit 33, the back of the tachometer 31 And control means 2 comprising switching based on the power saving mode to stop power supply to the site 31d and movement 31c on the operation signal, comprising comprises a.

Therefore, it becomes a composite instrument for vehicles which can stop the display unnecessary for a vehicle user and can reduce current consumption.
Further, by providing the smoke glass G that transmits the display by the tachometer 31, the speedometer 32, and the multi-display unit 33 at a predetermined transmittance, the target display means 3 can be prevented from being shown when the light is turned off. The other display means 3 can be easily recognized, and erroneous display value recognition can be prevented.

  The speedometer 32 and the multi-display unit 33 include a pointer-type instrument similar to the tachometer 31 or a display panel that displays light emission. The speedometer 32 and the multi-display unit 33 are divided so as not to be exposed to the tachometer 31 and display the light emission. It is possible to switch the presence / absence of partial display.

  Although the present invention has been described by way of example in the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and various other configurations can be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Of course, it is possible to improve the design and change the design.

  The present invention relates to a vehicle composite instrument that is mounted on a vehicle and displays various types of vehicle information. For example, the present invention can be applied to an instrument mounted on a mobile body including an automobile, a motorcycle, an agricultural machine, or a construction machine, It is suitable for instruments that display various types of display information such as speed and total travel distance (total use amount).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Input means 2 Control means 3 Display means 31 Tachometer 32 Speedometer 33 Multi-display part 31a, 32a Pointer 31b, 32b Dial 31c, 32c Movement 31d, 32d, 33b Backlight 33a LCD
C Circuit board G Smoke glass H Case

Claims (3)

A rotating pointer,
A dial plate formed with an index portion to be indicated by the pointer;
A movement as a drive source for rotating the pointer;
A first display unit comprising a pointer-type meter provided with a backlight for illuminating the dial and the pointer;
A vehicle composite instrument comprising a second display unit for displaying an image of vehicle information different from the first display unit,
An input means for issuing an operation signal based on the operation of the vehicle user ;
A normal mode for controlling the first and second display units to display vehicle information;
While the power supply to the backlight and the movement of the first display unit is stopped and the vehicle information display by the second display unit is continued, a part of this display is displayed in the normal mode. Control means for switching a power saving mode for displaying the vehicle information displayed on the first display unit based on the operation signal;
A vehicle composite instrument characterized by comprising:   The composite instrument for vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising smoked glass that transmits the display by the first and second display units at a predetermined transmittance.   The second display unit is composed of a pointer-type instrument similar to the first display unit or a display panel that displays light emission, and is divided and displayed so as not to be exposed to the first display unit. The vehicular composite instrument according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above-mentioned.

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