Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-16
2003-07-22
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Automobile
C362S026000, C362S027000, C362S029000, C362S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06595667
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an instrument apparatus to be mounted, for example, on the vehicle, and more specifically, to a structure of illumination thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As an instrument apparatus of this type, the one comprising an instrument body having a projecting drive shaft being mounted on the circuit board, a pointer that gleams with a light supplied from the center of the rotation thereof mounted on the tip of the drive shaft, and a front panel having a translucent display portion such as a scale or letters provided along the orbit of the pointer mounted behind the pointer, wherein the display portion of the front panel and the pointer are illuminated by the light source disposed behind the front panel is known.
More specifically, as shown in the publication of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.105649/1997 for example, an instrument apparatus comprising an instrument body and a light source being disposed side-by-side in front of the circuit board, a light conductor of a shape bypassing the instrument body disposed behind the front panel, wherein a illuminating light is conducted to behind the front panel by the light conductor to illuminate the display portion (in this case, the pointer is also illuminated by the light conductor) is generally used. Such a structure that has a light conductor is advantageous in that the variations in illumination on the entire display portion can easily be prevented in comparison with the structure in which a plurality of light sources are disposed immediately under the front panel to illuminate the display portion directly (for example, see the publication of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No.33020/1993).
As shown in the publication of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.21655/1997, for example, a structure in which an instrument body is disposed behind the circuit board, and a light source comprising a light emitting diode, a light conductor extending from the area in the vicinity of the drive shaft along the front panel toward the outside, and a reflector for supporting the light conductor from behind are disposed in the area in front of the circuit board (the area in the vicinity of the drive shaft) that is left as a free space because the instrument body is disposed behind thereof, so that the illumination is conducted to the outer periphery of the drive shaft by the light conductor to illuminate the display portion (in this case, the pointer is illuminated simultaneously by a direct light), is also known. Such a structure has many advantages such that the light source and the front panel can be disposed in the vicinity with each other by placing the instrument body behind the circuit board, that an uniform and blight illumination is realized while slimming the entire structure of illumination by providing a light conductor of a plate shape between the reflector and the front panel, and so on.
However, the instrument apparatuses shown in the publications of Japanese Patent Laid-open No.105649/1997 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.21655/1997 are both require the light conductor, and thus there is recognized problem in that the cost of parts and the weight of the entire apparatus increase and the structure of illumination in creases in complexity correspondingly. In addition, in the instrument apparatus shown in these publications, simply eliminating the light conductor may result in variations in illumination or lowering of luminance, thereby lowering the quality of the illumination significantly.
With these circumstanced in view, an object of the present invention is to provide an instrument apparatus in which at least a light conductive body can be eliminated for illumination of the front panel by improving the structure of illumination, so that weight reduction can be achieved at low cost.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The instrument apparatus of the present invention comprises: a circuit board; an instrument body disposed on the circuit board and provided with a drive shaft extending forward; a pointer to be fitted on the tip side of the drive shaft; a front panel disposed between the pointer and the circuit board and including a display portion having a scale, characters, and the like corresponding to the pointer; a light source disposed at the position in front of the circuit board and the inside (on the side where the drive shaft resides) with respect to the display portion, for illuminating the display portion; and a reflector to be disposed between the front panel and the circuit board. The reflector is formed with a first reflecting portion at the position facing to the light source in the direction of the axis of the drive shaft for reflecting a light from the light source toward the outer periphery, and with a second reflecting portion disposed outside (the position of the outer periphery) of the first reflecting portion extending outwardly with an airspace interposed between itself and the front panel so as to surround the light source for reflecting the illumination reflected from the first reflecting portion toward the front panel, so that the illumination conducted by the second reflecting portion illuminates the display portion.
In this manner, by illuminating the front panel (display portion) via the first and the second reflecting portion of the reflector, the front panel can be brightly and almost uniformly illuminated without using the light conductor. Therefore, a satisfactory quality of the illumination is achieved, and thus the light conductor can be eliminated for illuminating the front panel, thereby realizing cost reduction and weight reduction.
The light source is preferably disposed at a prescribed distance away from the display portion toward the side where the drive shaft resides, and the second reflecting portion is formed so as to cover the area behind the front panel including the display portion.
In the instrument apparatus of the present invention, illumination of the pointer may also be accomplished by disposing the instrument body behind the circuit board with the drive shaft passed through the circuit board, constructing the pointer of a light-emitting pointer that emits a light upon reception of the light supply from the center of rotation thereof, forming the front panel with a through hole for exposing the center of rotation of the pointer; disposing the light source at the position corresponding to the through hole, and forming the reflector with a opening at the position corresponding to the through hole for allowing the illumination to pass through and advance toward the center of rotation of the pointer.
In this case, since a light from the light source illuminates the display portion of the front panel via the first and the second reflecting portion of the reflector, and simultaneously, illuminates the pointer via the opening of the reflector and the through hole of the front panel, the light conductor can be eliminated not only for illuminating the front panel, but also for illuminating the pointer. In addition, since a common light source can be used for illuminate the front panel and the pointer, the necessity to specifically provide a light source for the pointer may be eliminated, thereby realizing cost reduction and weight reduction.
The light source may be disposed so as to face to the first reflecting portion in the direction of the axis of drive shaft, at the position where the illumination can be supplied toward the pointer through the opening of the reflector and the through hole of the front panel. By providing a cylindrical portion on the reflector within the first reflecting portion so as to surround the opening, the illumination from the light source can be guided toward the pointer, thereby increasing efficiency to illuminate the pointer.
The instrument apparatus of the present invention may also be constructed by disposing the instrument body behind the circuit board with the drive shaft passed through the circuit board, constructing the pointer of a light-emitting pointer that emits a light upon reception of the light supply from the center
Choi Jacob Y.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nippon Seiki Co. Ltd.
O'Shea Sandra
LandOfFree
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