Vehicle instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664541-B2
Application number	US-201514867631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle instrument includes: a three-dimensional object which is formed of a light transmitting material and is formed so as to protrude from a surface displaying a measurement value involved with a vehicle; and a light source which emits light to the three-dimensional object, wherein the three-dimensional object includes a portion having a different protrusion amount from a light incident surface to which light emitted from the light source is incident, and the light incident surface of the portion having a relatively small protrusion amount from the light incident surface is provided with a high-diffusion portion having a relatively large diffusion degree for the incident light compared with the light incident surface of the portion having a relatively large protrusion amount from the light incident surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle instrument comprising:
a three-dimensional object which is formed of a light transmitting material and is provided so as to protrude from a surface displaying a measurement value involved with a vehicle; and
a light source configured to emit light to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object includes a portion having a different protrusion amount from a light incident surface to which light emitted from the light source is incident, and the light incident surface of a portion having a relatively small protrusion amount from the light incident surface is provided with a high-diffusion portion having a relatively large diffusion degree for the incident light compared with the light incident surface of a portion having a relatively large protrusion amount from the light incident surface.

2. The vehicle instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
the high-diffusion portion is formed so that a surface roughness of the light incident surface of the portion having a relatively small protrusion amount from the light incident surface is relatively larger than the surface roughness of the light incident surface of the portion having a relatively large protrusion amount from the light incident surface.

3. The vehicle instrument according to claim 2 , wherein
the high-diffusion portion is composed of a grained surface.

4. The vehicle instrument according to claim 3 , wherein
the three-dimensional object is a plurality of protrusion-shaped scales provided so as to correspond to the measurement value and indicated by an indicating needle.

5. The vehicle instrument according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

6. The vehicle instrument according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

7. The vehicle instrument according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a dial plate configured to cover a surface opposite to the light source of the light guide body, wherein
at least a part of the three-dimensional object is located at the opposite side to the light guide body of the dial plate.

8. The vehicle instrument according to claim 2 , wherein
the three-dimensional object is a plurality of protrusion-shaped scales provided so as to correspond to the measurement value and indicated by an indicating needle.

9. The vehicle instrument according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

10. The vehicle instrument according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

11. The vehicle instrument according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a dial plate configured to cover a surface opposite to the light source of the light guide body, wherein
at least a part of the three-dimensional object is located at the opposite side to the light guide body of the dial plate.

12. The vehicle instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
the high-diffusion portion is composed of a grained surface.

13. The vehicle instrument according to claim 12 , wherein
the three-dimensional object is a plurality of protrusion-shaped scales provided so as to correspond to the measurement value and indicated by an indicating needle.

14. The vehicle instrument according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

15. The vehicle instrument according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

16. The vehicle instrument according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a dial plate configured to cover a surface opposite to the light source of the light guide body, wherein
at least a part of the three-dimensional object is located at the opposite side to the light guide body of the dial plate.

17. The vehicle instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
the three-dimensional object is a plurality of protrusion-shaped scales provided so as to correspond to the measurement value and indicated by an indicating needle.

18. The vehicle instrument according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

19. The vehicle instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light guide body configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the three-dimensional object, wherein
the three-dimensional object and the light guide body are integrally formed of dark-color semi-transparent material.

20. The vehicle instrument according to claim 19 , further comprising:
a dial plate configured to cover a surface opposite to the light source of the light guide body, wherein
at least a part of the three-dimensional object is located at the opposite side to the light guide body of the dial plate.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Otani Akihiro
• Takeshita Kouhei

Classifications

• G01D11/28 Primary

  Structurally-combined illuminating devices · CPC title

• G02B6/0016 Primary

  Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces · CPC title

• G02B5/0226

  having particles on the surface · CPC title