WO2009101719A1 - Operating device with illumination function - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided an operating device capable of performing illumination with a highly decorative effect by a simple structure using an already existing member. The operating device comprises an operation panel (10) having an operation part window (12) and operation parts (20A, 20C, 20E, 30) provided inside the window (12). An illumination light source is also provided on the backside of the operation panel (10). Light emitted from this illumination light source is irradiated from the backside of the operation parts toward a panel surface at the periphery of the operation part window (12) by a light guiding system comprising, for example, a light guiding material (60). The panel surface constitutes a panel reflective surface (13) having a shape that reflects the light to the front side of the operation panel (10).

Description

Operating device having lighting function

The present invention relates to an operating device provided in a vehicle interior of a car and the like, which has a lighting function.

Among conventional operating devices, in addition to including an operating panel and an operating unit such as a switch provided on the operating panel, one having an illumination function for indicating the position of the operating unit is known. . For example, in Patent Document 1, an illumination light source (LED) provided on the back side of the operation panel, a switch button provided on the operation panel and having a display unit, and the illumination light source and each switch button An interposing light guide member is disclosed, and the light guide member guides light emitted from the light source for illumination to the back side of the switch button to cause the display portion of the switch button to emit light.

In such an operating device, it may be desired to illuminate the peripheral edge of the operating portion so as to be lifted for the purpose of decoration. In order to realize such illumination, for example, a ring-shaped light guide material surrounding the switch included in the operation unit is disposed, and light is emitted from the light guide material to the panel surface. Conceivable. However, with such lighting, the outline is so clear that the decorative effect is low. Also, the use of special light guides and other components to illuminate soft feeling leads to a significant increase in cost.
JP 2000-106049 A

An object of this invention is to provide the operating device which can perform illumination with high decoration effect by the simple structure which utilized the existing member in view of the above situations. As means for achieving this object, the operating device according to the present invention comprises an operating panel having an operating part window, an operating part provided inside the operating part window of the operating panel, and the operating panel. An illumination light source provided on the back side for emitting illumination light, and the light emitted from the illumination light source is emitted from the back side of the operation portion toward the peripheral portion of the operation portion window on the operation panel And a light guide system for guiding as described above. Then, the surface of the peripheral portion of the window for the operation part of the surface of the operation panel reflects the light emitted toward the peripheral portion of the window for the operation part by the light guide system to the front side of the operation panel Construct a shaped panel reflective surface.

In this controller, the light emitted from the light source for illumination is guided to the light guide system such that it is irradiated from the back side of the controller to the panel reflection surface which is the surface of the controller panel located on the periphery of the window for the driver. Further, the light is reflected to the front side of the operation panel by this panel reflection surface to contribute as illumination light. The illumination light is, for example, softer and has a high decoration effect as compared to the light directly irradiated from the light guide to the panel surface side. Moreover, since the panel reflection surface utilizes the surface of the operation panel, the number of parts of the entire apparatus is small, and the cost is also low.

It is a front view of an operating device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the said operating device. It is a side view of the light guide material contained in the said operating device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a light guide system included in the operation device, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the V section of FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The operating device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided in a vehicle interior of a car or the like, and includes an operation panel 10, a plurality of operation buttons 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D and 20E corresponding to operation members, and a decoration member. And a circuit board 40, and an elastic member 50 for a pressing switch.

The operation panel 10 has a main body panel 10A and a holding panel 10B. The main body panel 10A is disposed to face the vehicle interior and the like. The main body panel 10A is provided with a window 12 for operation part, and the operation part including the operation buttons 20A to 20E and the decoration ring 30 is disposed inside the window 12 for operation part. The holding panel 10B holds the operation unit from the back side.

Each of the operation buttons 20A to 20E receives a pressing operation to turn on the pressing switch formed by the circuit board 40 and the pressing switch elastic member 50, and is exposed on the panel surface to be in the depth direction (see FIG. 2 has a button body 22 capable of receiving a pressing operation in the downward direction) and a pressing portion 24 extending from the button body 22 in the pressing operation direction.

In this embodiment, each button body 22 has a cap shape. Specifically, it has an operated wall 22a that receives a pressing operation, and a side wall 22b extending from the operated wall 22a in the pressing operation direction.

On the other hand, a guide groove 14 is formed in the holding panel 10B so that the side walls 22b can be inserted from the front side of the panel (the upper side in FIG. 2). Then, with the side walls 22b inserted in the guide grooves 14, the operation buttons 20A to 20E are held by the holding panel 10B so as to be guided in the pressing operation direction.

Among the operation buttons 20A to 20E, as shown in FIG. 1, when viewed from the front of the panel (as viewed from the upper side in FIG. 2), the operation button 20A has a small circle, and the remaining operation buttons 20B to 20E are the operation buttons It is arranged around the circumference of 20A. The outer peripheral edges of the operation buttons 20B to 20E are generally in the form of a large circle (more precisely, an oval shape slightly inclined to the panel surface), and the decorative ring 30 is disposed to further surround the outer peripheral edges.

The decorative ring 30 has a cylindrical ring main body 32 and a reflecting portion 34 projecting outward from the front end (upper end in FIG. 2) of the ring main body 32, and the ring main body 32 is the holding panel. It is held at 10B. The reflection unit 34 constitutes a part of a light guide system described later. The decorative ring 30 is made of a base material such as a synthetic resin, and a plating (for example, trivalent chromium plating) having a metallic luster applied to the surface thereof, and the gloss of the button group consisting of the operation buttons 20A to 20E Make the outline stand out.

The circuit board 40 is disposed on the back side of the operation panel 10 in a posture substantially parallel to the main body panel 10A, and constitutes a plurality of pressing switches together with the pressing switch elastic member 50. Specifically, a plurality of substrate side contacts 42 are provided on the surface of the circuit board 40, and the substrate side contacts 42 are disposed at positions corresponding to the pressing portions 24 of the operation buttons 20A to 20E. There is.

The pressing switch elastic member 50 is integrally formed entirely of an elastic material such as rubber, and has a plate-like base 52 and a plurality of elastic displacement portions 54.

The base 52 is fixed between the operation panel 10 and the circuit board 40 by being sandwiched therebetween. The base 52 is provided with a plurality of through holes positioned so as to expose the substrate side contact 42 to the front side, and the respective elastic displacement portions 54 are positioned in the area inside the respective through holes.

Each elastic displacement portion 54 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has a bottom surface facing the substrate side contact 42. An operation side contact 56 is provided on the bottom surface. The outer peripheral surface of each elastic displacement portion 54 is connected to the peripheral portion of each through hole in the base 52 via the thin portion 53. The thin portion 53 holds the elastic displacement portion 54 at a position where the operation side contact 56 and the substrate side contact 42 are separated from each other in the non-deformed state, while the elastic displacement from the pressing portion 24 is performed. The portion 54 is elastically deformed when a pressing operation force to the circuit board 40 side is applied. By this elastic deformation, elastic displacement of the elastic displacement portion 54 in the pressing operation direction is allowed, and the two contact points 56 and 42 come in contact with each other. By this contact, the pressing switch including both contacts 56 and 42 is switched on.

In this embodiment, the locked portion 26 projects from the tip end of the pressing portion 24 in a direction orthogonal to the pressing operation direction (that is, a direction parallel to the circuit board 40), and the locked portion 26 Together with the tip of the part 24, it constitutes a pressing surface. On the other hand, a bending piece 16 extends from the holding panel 10B toward the circuit board 40, and the tip of the bending piece 16 abuts against the engaged portion 26 from the side opposite to the circuit board 40. Thus, the return positions of the operation buttons 20A to 20E (return positions when the pressing operation is released) are defined.

Furthermore, this operation device has an illumination function of indirectly illuminating the peripheral edge of the decorative ring 30 that constitutes the operation portion. A structure therefor will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 together.

A plurality of illumination light sources 44 are mounted on the circuit board 40. For example, an LED is suitable for each illumination light source 44, but other light emitting elements may be used. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, illumination light sources 44 are disposed at six positions along the decorative ring 30, respectively, and the operation panel 10 is provided through unshown through holes provided in the elastic member 50. Exposed to the side. The light emitted from these illumination light sources 44 is guided to the front side of the operation panel 10 by the light guide system and the panel reflection surface 13 formed on the peripheral portion of the operation window 12 of the main body panel 10A, and the illumination light Contribute as.

The light guide system guides the light emitted from each of the illumination light sources 44 so that the light is emitted from the back side of the operation unit toward the panel reflection surface 13, and in this embodiment, The light guiding member 60 and the reflecting portion 34 of the decorative ring 30 are formed.

The light guide member 60 has a substantially cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 3, is coaxially disposed around the operation portion, and as shown in FIG. It intervenes between the reflecting portion 34 of the ring 30. The back end of the light guide 60 is fixed on the circuit board 42. A plurality of notches 62 for straddling the bottom of the holding panel 10B and a plurality of notches 64 for straddling the respective illumination light sources 44 are formed in the rear end portion. That is, the illumination light sources 44 are disposed in the notches 64. The light guide member 60 guides the light emitted from the illumination light source 44 to the front side of the operation panel 10, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the panel side end 66 which is the end on the operation panel 10 side. From the top of the panel (upper side in the figure).

The reflecting portion 34 of the decorative ring 30 is disposed so as to cover the panel side end 66 of the light guide 60 from the panel front side (the upper side in FIGS. 4 and 5). The back surface of the reflecting portion 34, that is, the surface facing the panel side end portion 66 constitutes a light guiding reflecting surface 34a (FIG. 5) utilizing the metallic gloss. The light guiding reflection surface 34 a reflects the light emitted from the panel side end 66 toward the panel reflection surface 13 on the radially outer side, and in this embodiment, the axial direction of the operation portion That is, it is formed as a conical surface inclined approximately 45 ° with respect to the pressing operation direction).

In the present embodiment, the panel reflection surface 13 is a conical surface that spreads so as to increase in diameter from the position immediately outside (radially outside) of the panel side end 66 of the light guide 60 to the front side of the panel The light reflected by the light guiding reflection surface 34a is further reflected to the front side of the panel. This light illuminates the periphery of the decorative ring 30 as illumination light.

The illumination light is irradiated from the back side of the reflection portion 34 of the decorative ring 30 constituting the operation portion to the panel reflection surface 13 located radially outward and reflected, and the panel reflection surface 13 is a main body. Since the front side surface (generally, the painted surface) of the panel 10A itself is formed, illumination softer and having a high decorative effect is realized, for example, as compared with light directly irradiated from the light guide member 60. In particular, in the case where the surface of the main panel 10A including the panel reflection surface 13 is metallically coated, providing illumination light softer than, for example, a metal surface while securing the necessary reflectance for illumination It is possible.

The inclination angle of the panel reflection surface 13 can be arbitrarily set within a range that allows the illumination light to leak out to the outside of the decorative ring 30, but basically, the surface of the operation panel It is preferable to incline so as to form an angle of 45 ° or more (less than 60 ° in the drawing) with respect to the normal of. The panel reflection surface 13 thus inclined reflects the light incident from the light guide system from the outside, thus giving a sense of spreading to the illumination light.

Although the light guiding reflection surface 34a according to this embodiment is configured by utilizing the metallic luster of the surface of the decorative ring 30 which is a decorative member, for example, when the decorative member is not provided, The peripheral portion (for example, the outer peripheral edge of the operation button 20B to 20E) may be used for the reflective portion. In that case, a metal film for light reflection may be provided on the back surface of the reflecting portion by coating or the like to form a partial reflecting surface. Furthermore, it is also possible that the reflection part is omitted and the light guide material alone constitutes the light guide system. In that case, the shape of the light guide may be set so that light is emitted radially outward from the back side of the peripheral edge of the operation unit. However, if the light guiding system includes the light guiding reflecting surface as described above, the shape of the light guiding member is simplified, and the degree of freedom in design is also increased.

The shape of the outer edge of the operation part and the panel reflection surface as viewed from the front of the panel is not necessarily limited to a circle or an oval, and may be, for example, a rectangle or another shape. However, when the shape is circular or elliptical, substantially uniform illumination can be performed over the entire circumference of the operation unit.

As described above, the present invention provides an operation device capable of performing illumination with high decoration effect with a simple structure using existing members. That is, the operation device is provided on an operation panel having an operation portion window, an operation portion provided inside the operation portion window of the operation panel, and a back side of the operation panel, and emits light for illumination. And a light guide system for guiding light emitted from the light source for illumination such that the light is irradiated from the back side of the operation unit toward the peripheral portion of the operation unit window of the operation panel. The surface of the peripheral portion of the window for the operation part among the surfaces of the operation panel has a shape that reflects light irradiated toward the periphery of the window for the operation part by the light guide system to the front side of the operation panel Make up the panel's reflective surface.

In this controller, the light emitted from the light source for illumination is guided to the light guide system such that it is irradiated from the back side of the controller to the panel reflection surface which is the surface of the controller panel located on the periphery of the window for the driver. Further, the light is reflected to the front side of the operation panel by this panel reflection surface to contribute as illumination light. The illumination light is, for example, softer and has a high decoration effect as compared to the light directly irradiated from the light guide to the panel surface side. Moreover, since the panel reflection surface utilizes the surface of the operation panel, the number of parts of the entire apparatus is small, and the cost is also low.

It is preferable that the light guide system includes a light guide member for guiding the light emitted from the illumination light source to the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the operation unit. The light guide increases the degree of freedom of the arrangement position of the illumination light source. For example, even if the illumination light source is slightly away from the position near the periphery of the operation unit, it is possible to guide the light emitted from the illumination light source to the periphery of the operation unit.

The light guide system may be made of only the light guide material, that is, the light guide material may directly emit light for illumination to the panel reflection surface from the back side of the operation unit, but in addition to this light guide material A reflective portion configured by a peripheral portion of the operation portion to cover the light guide from the front side of the operation panel, and a back surface of the reflective portion reflects light guided by the light guide to the panel reflection surface It is more preferable to constitute a reflecting surface for light guide to be directed and reflected. For example, even if the light guide member emits the light for illumination toward the front side of the operation panel as it is, the light guide reflection surface of the reflection unit reflects the light on the back side of the reflection unit. It is possible to make the light incident on the panel reflection surface. This makes it possible to simplify the shape of the light guide and to increase the degree of freedom in the design of the light guide.

The reflection part may be provided exclusively for the reflection of the light, but the operation part is provided with an operation member to receive an operation and the periphery of the operation member, and the surface has a metallic luster decoration In the case of including a member, if the decoration member has the reflection portion and the back surface of the reflection portion constitutes the light guiding reflection surface, the metallic gloss for decoration of the surface of the decoration member The surface can be used as it is as a light guiding reflection surface. Thus, the structure for illumination is simplified.

In the present invention, the specific shape of the outer edge of the operation portion as viewed from the front of the operation panel and the shape of the panel reflection surface are not particularly limited, but for example, a circular shape or an elliptical shape is preferable. The shape enables substantially uniform illumination over the entire circumference of the operation unit.

The surface of the control panel including the panel reflection surface may be a surface of the base material of the panel exposed as it is or a coated surface. In particular, a metallic paint is suitable. This painted surface makes it possible, for example, to provide illumination light that is softer than a metal surface, while having the necessary reflectivity for illumination.

Further, it is preferable that the panel reflection surface be inclined so as to form an angle of 45 ° or more with respect to a normal to the surface of the operation panel. The panel reflection surface thus inclined reflects the light incident from the light guide system from the outside, thus giving a sense of spreading to the illumination light.

Claims (7)

An operating device having a lighting function,
An operation panel having an operation window,
An operation unit provided inside the operation unit window of the operation panel;
A light source for illumination which is provided on the back side of the operation panel and emits light for illumination;
A light guide system for guiding light emitted from the illumination light source so that the light is irradiated from the back side of the operation unit toward the peripheral portion of the operation unit window of the operation panel;
Of the surface of the operation panel, the surface of the peripheral portion of the window for the operation portion is shaped to reflect the light irradiated toward the peripheral portion of the window for the operation portion by the light guide system to the front side of the operation panel Construct a panel reflective surface. In the operating device having the illumination function according to claim 1,
The light guide system includes a light guide for guiding the light emitted from the light source for illumination to the vicinity of the periphery of the operation unit. In the operating device having the illumination function according to claim 2,
The light guiding system further includes a reflecting portion which is constituted by the peripheral portion of the operation portion and covers the light guiding member from the front side of the operation panel, and the back surface of the reflecting portion is guided by the light guiding member A light guide reflection surface is configured to reflect light toward the panel reflection surface. In the operating device having the illumination function according to claim 3,
The operation unit includes an operation member that receives an operation, and a decoration member provided around the operation member and having a metallic gloss on the surface, the decoration member includes the reflection portion, and the back surface of the reflection portion is The light guiding reflection surface is configured. In the operating device having the illumination function according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The outer edge of the operation unit and the panel reflection surface have a circular or oval shape as viewed from the front of the operation panel. An operating device having the illumination function according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The surface of the operation panel including the panel reflection surface is metallically painted. An operating device having the illumination function according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The panel reflecting surface is inclined at an angle of 45 ° or more with respect to the normal to the surface of the operation panel.

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