Automatic vehicle display device

Abstract

To provide a display device for vehicle which can prevent an opaque member from peeling off from a transmission member even if the thickness of the light non-transmission resin-made opaque member that exposes a display part of the light transmission resin-made transmission member is thin.SOLUTION: A display device 10 for vehicle includes: a light transmission resin-made transmission member 12 which has an irradiation object part 16 that is irradiated with light from a light source on a rear surface 15 side and a display part 14 that emits light with transmission of light irradiated to the irradiation object part 16 on a front surface 13 side, and which is formed with multiple through holes 12A in portions excluding the display part 14 during the primary molding of two-color molding; and light non-transmission resin-made opaque members 18 which are filled in the multiple through holes 12A during the secondary molding of two-color molding, provided on the front surface 13 side and rear surface 15 side of the transmission member 12 and expose the irradiation object part 16 and the display part 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device for automobiles.

Background Art

[0002] An illumination structure in which switches are manufactured by two-color molding and characters, symbols, etc. are illuminated by transmitting light from a light source arranged on the back side has been conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the illumination structure as described above, in order to suppress a decrease in luminance (a decrease in the ratio of transmitted light) in a display portion that displays characters, symbols, etc. of a light-transmitting member made of a light-transmitting resin, it is necessary to form the thickness of an opaque member made of a light-impermeable resin that exposes the display portion as thin as possible. This is because the thicker the thickness of the opaque member that exposes the display portion, the greater the ratio of transmitted light reflected and absorbed by the wall surface along the thickness direction of the opaque member. However, if the thickness of the opaque member is formed thin, there is a risk that the opaque member will peel off from the transparent member.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain a display device for an automobile that can suppress peeling of an opaque member made of a light-impermeable resin that exposes a display portion of a light-transmitting member made of a light-transmitting resin, even when the thickness of the opaque member is formed thin.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the first embodiment of the automotive display device according to the present invention comprises a light-transmitting member made of a light-transmitting resin having an irradiated portion on its back side to which light from a light source is irradiated, and a display portion on its front side that emits light when the light irradiated to the irradiated portion is transmitted through it, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the portion excluding the display portion during the primary molding of two-color molding, and an impermeable member made of a light-impermeable resin is filled in the through holes during the secondary molding of two-color molding and provided on the front and back sides of the light-transmitting member to expose the irradiated portion and the display portion.

[0007] According to the first embodiment of the invention, a light-transmitting resin transparent member has an irradiated portion on its back side that is irradiated with light from a light source, and a display portion on its front side that emits light when the light irradiated on the irradiated portion is transmitted through it. Multiple through holes are formed in the portion of the transparent member excluding the display portion. Opaque members made of light-impermeable resin that expose the irradiated portion and the display portion are filled into each through hole of the transparent member and provided on the front and back sides of the transparent member. In other words, these opaque members form a so-called anchor structure with respect to the transparent member. Therefore, even if the thickness of the opaque members that expose the display portion of the transparent member is made thin, the separation of the opaque members from the transparent member is suppressed.

[0008] Furthermore, a second embodiment of the automotive display device according to the present invention is an automotive display device according to the first embodiment, wherein the thickness of the opaque member provided on the surface side of the transparent member is three times or less the width at the tip of the display portion.

[0009] According to the second embodiment of the invention, the thickness of the opaque member provided on the surface side of the transparent member is set to be three times or less the width of the tip of the display portion of the transparent member. Therefore, compared to the case where the thickness of the opaque member provided on the surface side of the transparent member is greater than three times the width of the tip of the display portion of the transparent member, deformation (collapse) of the display portion of the transparent member is suppressed during secondary molding of two-color molding (when the light-opaque resin flows).

[0010] Furthermore, a third embodiment of the automotive display device according to the present invention is an automotive display device according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the width at the base of the display unit is 1.5 times or more the width at the tip of the display unit.

[0011] According to the third embodiment of the invention, the width at the base of the display portion of the transparent member is 1.5 times or more the width at the tip of the display portion of the transparent member. Therefore, compared to the case where the width at the base of the display portion of the transparent member is less than 1.5 times the width at the tip of the display portion of the transparent member, the reduction in brightness in the display portion of the transparent member (from the base to the tip) is further suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, with the automotive display device according to the present invention, even if the thickness of the opaque member made of light-impermeable resin that exposes the display portion of the light-transmitting member made of light-transmitting resin is made thin, it is possible to suppress the peeling of the opaque member from the light-transmitting member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view showing an automotive display device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic front view showing an enlarged portion of the transparent member of the automotive display device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the automotive display device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the display unit of the automotive device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the automotive display device 10 according to this embodiment will be taken as an example of a display device installed on the instrument panel (not shown) in the passenger compartment of an automobile to display the direction of airflow from an air conditioning system (see Figure 1).

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the automotive display device 10 according to this embodiment is formed in the shape of a disc having a predetermined outer diameter, and a display section 14 composed of predetermined characters or symbols is displayed on its design surface at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. Examples of the display section 14 include the shape of a person, represented by a circular head formed with a predetermined width W1 (see Figure 2) of about 0.3 mm and a body formed in a roughly crank shape, an arrow indicating the direction of the wind blown out from an air outlet (not shown), a window frame and arrow indicating a defroster, English letters indicating outside air intake, the shape of an automobile and an arrow, etc.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, such an automotive display device 10 is manufactured by two-color molding of a light-transmitting member 12 made of light-transmitting resin and an opaque member 18 made of light-impermeable resin. The light-transmitting member 12, which is a primary molded member molded during the primary two-color molding process, is, for example, white, and has multiple through-holes 12A, which are circular bypass channels when viewed from the front, formed in predetermined areas excluding the display section 14. The opaque member 18, which is a secondary molded member molded during the secondary two-color molding process, is, for example, black, and is filled into each through-hole 12A of the light-transmitting member 12 and provided on the front surface 13 side and the back surface 15 side of the light-impermeable member 12.

[0017] In other words, in the opaque member 18, the outer layer 18A provided on the surface 13 side of the permeable member 12 and the inner layer 18C provided on the back surface 15 side are connected by a connecting portion 18B that fills the through hole 12A. Thus, the opaque member 18 is configured to fill each through hole 12A of the permeable member 12 and also exists on the back surface 15 side, and is formed to form a so-called anchor structure with respect to the permeable member 12.

[0018] Note that this opaque member 18 is provided on its front surface 13 side and back surface 15 side so as to expose an irradiated portion 16 on the back surface 15 side of the transmissive member 12 irradiated with light from a light source (not shown), and a display portion 14 (specifically, a tip portion 14T described later in detail) on the front surface 13 side of the transmissive member 12 that emits light by transmitting the light irradiated to the irradiated portion 16.

[0019] Also, on the front surface 13 side of the transmissive member 12, the thickness D1 of the opaque member 18 provided around the display portion 14 (exposing the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14) is formed to be thinner than the thickness D2 of the transmissive member 12. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the thickness D1 of the opaque member 18 is set to be not more than three times the width W1 (also refer to FIG. 2) at the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14 exposed from the opaque member 18 (outer layer 18A) (D1 ≦ 3 × W1), and is less than 1 mm (preferably about 0.7 mm to 0.8 mm).

[0020] Also, the width W2 at the base portion 14D of the display portion 14 on the front surface 13 side of the transmissive member 12 is set to be not less than 1.5 times the width W1 at the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14 (W2 ≧ 1.5 × W1). Here, the “base portion 14D” referred to herein is the portion having the maximum width in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 4, which is continuously formed in a tapered shape (inclined shape at a predetermined angle) in the thickness direction from the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14.

[0021] Also, the light-transmissive resin according to the present embodiment is an amorphous thermoplastic resin, and examples thereof include acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), and the like. The light-opaque resin according to the present embodiment is a crystalline thermoplastic resin having high fluidity, and examples thereof include polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), and the like.

[0022] Next, the operation of the automotive display device 10 according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[0023] The automotive display device 10 is installed on the instrument panel (not shown) in the passenger compartment of an automobile. When light from a light source is shone from the back surface 15 side onto the illuminated area 16 on the back surface 15 side of the transparent member 12, one of the display units 14, which are composed of predetermined characters or symbols, lights up, informing the occupant (not shown) of the current direction of airflow from the air conditioning system.

[0024] In conventional automotive display devices, the miniaturization of characters and symbols was achieved by using a paint-laser display process, which involved applying black paint to a white molded component and then performing laser cutting. However, this paint-laser display process increases manufacturing costs due to the multiple steps involved, and the painting process is also undesirable from an environmental (carbon neutrality) perspective.

[0025] On the other hand, automotive display devices are sometimes manufactured by two-color molding using a white primary molded member and a black secondary molded member. However, in this case, if the thickness of the secondary molded member that surrounds the display portion of the primary molded member (exposing the display portion) is set to be thick, a large amount of resin material will be required for the secondary molded member. During the secondary molding process in which the secondary molded member is formed, the flow pressure of the resin material of the secondary molded member relative to the primary molded member may cause deformation (collapse) of the display portion of the primary molded member, such as characters or symbols.

[0026] Furthermore, the thicker the secondary molded member surrounding the display portion of the primary molded member (exposing the display portion), the greater the proportion of transmitted light reflected and absorbed by the wall surface along the thickness direction of the secondary molded member surrounding the display portion. In other words, the proportion of transmitted light emitted by the display portion decreases, and the brightness of the display portion decreases.

[0027] Therefore, in order to suppress deformation (collapse) of the display unit and a decrease in brightness (reduction in the proportion of transmitted light) in the display unit, it is necessary to make the thickness of the secondary molded member that surrounds the display unit of the primary molded member (exposing the display unit) as thin as possible. However, if the thickness of the secondary molded member is made thin, there is a risk that the secondary molded member will peel off from the primary molded member.

[0028] Therefore, in the automotive display device 10 according to this embodiment, in two-color molding using a transparent member 12 as a primary molded member and an opaque member 18 as a secondary molded member, a cross-sectional structure that sandwiches the member between the front and back (a so-called anchor structure) is adopted, and as described above, the resin material used for molding is appropriately set, as well as the thickness of the molded member, etc. This will be explained below.

[0029] When the automotive display device 10 according to this embodiment is manufactured by two-color molding, a plurality of through holes 12A are formed in a transparent member 12 on which a display portion 14 such as characters or symbols is formed, in predetermined areas excluding the display portion 14. The opaque member 18 is then filled into each of the through holes 12A of the transparent member 12 and provided on the front surface 13 and back surface 15 sides of the transparent member 12 with the display portion 14 and the illuminated portion 16 exposed.

[0030] In other words, this opaque member 18 fills each through hole 12A and is also present on the back surface 15 side of the transparent member 12, forming a so-called anchor structure for the transparent member 12. Therefore, even if the thickness D1 of the opaque member 18 (outer layer 18A) provided around the display unit 14 (exposing the tip 14T of the display unit 14) is made thin, it is possible to suppress the separation of the opaque member 18 provided around the display unit 14 from the transparent member 12.

[0031] This makes it possible to form the thickness D1 of the opaque member 18 (outer layer 18A) as thin as possible. Specifically, the thickness D1 of the opaque member 18 (outer layer 18A) can be set to three times or less the width W1 at the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14, and can be less than 1 mm (preferably about 0.7 mm to 0.8 mm).

[0032] Therefore, compared to the case where the thickness D1 of the opaque member 18 (outer layer 18A) is greater than three times the width W1 at the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14 (1 mm or more), it is possible to suppress or prevent deformation (collapse) of the display portion 14 of the transparent member 12 due to the flow pressure of the opaque member 18 relative to the transparent member 12 during secondary molding (when the opaque resin flows) when forming the opaque member 18. Thus, even fine characters and symbols that could only be processed with a paint laser can be displayed.

[0033] Furthermore, as described above, since the thickness D1 of the opaque member 18 (outer layer 18A) provided around the display unit 14 (exposing the tip 14T of the display unit 14) can be made thin, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the proportion of transmitted light that passes from the illuminated area 16 to the display unit 14 (by preventing the transmitted light from being reflected and absorbed by the wall surface along the thickness direction of the opaque member 18), and thus suppress the decrease in brightness of the display unit 14.

[0034] In particular, the width W2 at the base portion 14D of the display portion 14, which is on the surface 13 side of the transmissive member 12, is set to be 1.5 times or more the width W1 at the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14. Therefore, compared to the case where the width W2 at the base portion 14D of the display portion 14 is less than 1.5 times the width W1 at the tip portion 14T of the display portion 14, the reduction in brightness in the display portion 14 (from the base portion 14D to the tip portion 14T) can be suppressed even more effectively.

[0035] The automotive display device 10 according to this embodiment has been described above based on the drawings. However, the automotive display device 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the illustrated version, and can be appropriately modified in design without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the characters and symbols displayed as the display unit 14 are not limited to those shown. Furthermore, the automotive display device 10 is not limited to the circular shape shown. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10. Automatic vehicle display device 12 Through components 12A Through Hole 13 Surface 14. Representation Section 15 inside 16 Irradiated areas 18. Without using components

Claims

1. A light-transmitting member made of light-transmitting resin, having an irradiated area on its back side that is illuminated by light from a light source, and a display area on its front side that emits light when the light irradiated on the irradiated area is transmitted through it, wherein multiple through holes are formed in the area excluding the display area during the first molding of two-color molding, An opaque member made of light-opaque resin is provided on the surface and back sides of the transparent member, which is filled into the through hole during the secondary molding of the two-color molding process, and exposes the irradiated portion and the display portion. Equipped with, The opaque member protruding from the through hole and located on the back side is formed in an anchor structure with a cross-sectional shape that sandwiches the transparent member from both sides, and is used as an automotive display device.

2. The automotive display device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the opaque member provided around the display portion on the surface side of the transparent member is three times or less the width at the tip of the display portion.

3. The automotive display device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the width at the base of the display unit is 1.5 times or more the width at the tip of the display unit.

Images