JPH09265856A - Thin cluster display control panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate mounting and wiring operations by eliminating the need for boring a mounting hole in each switch when it is mounted on a control panel and to provide a reliable operating feel. SOLUTION: An EL panel 11, a name sheet 12, a touch switch 13, and a control panel unit 14 are enclosed in a casing 10 as they are stacked one on another in that order from the bottom of the casing. The press of the control panel unit 14 is detected by the touch switch 13, and a control signal corresponding to the pressed position is output from the touch switch 13. The name sheet 12, the touch switch 13, and the control panel unit 14 are all made translucent, so that the contents displayed on the EL panel 11 can be viewed from the outside of the control panel unit 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thin collective display operation panel which realizes the functions of a plurality of display operation switches used in a control panel or a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A large number of operation switches for receiving an input operation of an operator are attached to an operation panel of a control panel for controlling the operation of the apparatus in a factory or the like. As this operation switch, there is a display operation switch for displaying the operation contents set and input by the operation of the operation switch and the ON / OFF state of the operation switch. For example, in the illuminated push button switch 91 shown in FIG. 8, the lens 9 that also serves as an operation button is used.
Inside of 2, transparent nameplate 93, translucent diffuser plate 94, L
An ED 95 and a switch mechanism 96 are provided. When the switch mechanism 96 is turned on by the pressing operation of the lens 92, the LED 95 is turned on and the light of the LED 95 is emitted.
4, the light is distributed to the outside through the name plate 93 and the lens 92, and the ON state of the switch mechanism 96 can be confirmed.

As described above, since the display / operation switch 91 is long in the operation direction, the display / operation switch 91 is
When attaching the operation panel 100 to the operation panel 100, the operation panel 1
00, a mounting hole of a predetermined size is opened, and the switch mechanism 96 and the like are inserted into the inside of the operation panel 100 from the front side of the operation panel 100 into this mounting hole. Further, the display panel switch 91 is fixed to the operation panel 100 by sandwiching the operation panel 100 between the outer frame 97 of the lens 92 and the mounting screw 98.

[0004]

However, in general, a large number of display operation switches are required for the operation panel, but in order to attach a large number of conventional display operation switches to the operation panel, it is necessary to open a large number of attachment holes. However, there is a problem in that mounting work and wiring work must be performed for each display operation switch, and the mounting work becomes significantly complicated as the number of display operation switches mounted increases.

In addition, although the touch switch and the membrane switch can shorten the length in the operating direction to simplify the mounting work, they are poor in the feeling of clicking and stroke, and are particularly operated while wearing gloves. In many cases, the operation panel in the factory cannot provide a sufficient operation feeling and cannot reliably prevent erroneous operation.

An object of the present invention is to shorten the length in the operating direction sufficiently so that it is not necessary to open a mounting hole for each switch at the time of mounting on the operation panel, and the mounting work and the wiring work can be facilitated and sufficient operation can be performed. An object of the present invention is to provide a thin collective display operation panel that can provide a feeling.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a panel-shaped light source for irradiating light for displaying operation contents at a plurality of display positions in an upper surface direction and a panel-shaped light source mounted on the upper surface of the panel-shaped light source. The translucent thin switch that detects a pressing operation at each display position of the plurality of display contents and outputs an operation signal, and is mounted on the upper surface of the thin switch, and is displayed at each display position of the plurality of display contents. An operation panel in which a plurality of light-transmissive operation members arranged at predetermined positions with a predetermined gap provided therebetween are movable in the vertical direction via a returning means, and a signal input for outputting an operation signal of at least a thin switch. And an output section.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the thin switch and the operation panel are mounted in this order on the panel light source. The panel light source irradiates the upper surface with light for displaying operation contents at a plurality of display positions. Since the thin switch and the operation panel are translucent, light emitted from the panel light source is distributed upward through the thin switch and the operation panel, and variable light is recognized from the outside of the operation panel. The translucent operation member of the operation panel is disposed on the upper surface of the thin switch with a predetermined gap provided at a position facing each display position of the plurality of display contents of the panel light source. The member is movable in the vertical direction of the thin switch via the returning means. On the other hand, the thin switch detects a pressing operation at a plurality of display positions and outputs an operation signal. Therefore, when the translucent operation member is pressed downward, the thin switch detects this pressing operation, and the operation signal is output to the outside via the signal input / output unit.

The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the panel-shaped light source is either a light-emitting body which blinks in response to a drive signal or a light source including a liquid crystal shutter which opens and closes in response to a drive signal. Therefore, the display content of the panel light source is changed by the drive signal input from outside or inside via the signal input / output unit.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the thin switch is any one of a resistance film type touch switch, a photoelectric type touch switch, an ultrasonic type touch switch and a capacitance type touch switch. And Therefore, the pressing operation of the translucent operation member arranged with a predetermined gap on the upper surface of the thin switch is reliably detected by the thin switch.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the returning means of the operation panel uses a magnetic action of a magnet and a magnet or a magnetic body. Therefore, when the pressing force of the translucent operation member is released, the translucent operation member moves away from the thin switch due to the magnetic action of the returning means, and stops in a state of maintaining a predetermined gap with the thin switch. .

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an external view of the top and bottom sides of a thin group display / operation panel which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. The thin collective display operation panel 1 is formed in a flat plate shape as a whole, and is an assembly of ten operation switches as an example. The upper surface of the thin collective display operation panel 1 is composed of ten push buttons 2 and a frame body 3. The push button 2 is the translucent operating member of the present invention, and is, for example, a rectangular thin plate made of transparent resin. The frame 3 is made of, for example, a thin plate such as an iron plate, and has ten openings 3a in which the push buttons 2 are arranged by punching or the like.

On the bottom surface of the thin collective display operation panel 1, 2
The mounting screw 4 of the book is projected, and the connector 5 is exposed at the central portion. The connector 5 is a signal input / output unit of the present invention and is connected to an input / output terminal of a control device (not shown). As the connector 5, a connector for analog signal or digital signal can be used according to the signal state inside the thin collective display operation panel 1.

Since the thin collective display operation panel 1 is formed in a flat plate shape, it can be mounted on the surface of the operation panel (not shown). In this case, at the position where the two mounting screws 4 and one connector 5 face each other on the operation panel,
It is only necessary to form the screw holes and the signal line holes, and the operation panel can be easily processed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of the thin group display / operation panel. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the thin collective display operation panel. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views taken along line XX shown in FIG. The thin collective display operation panel 1 has an EL panel 11, a name sheet 12, a touch switch 13, and an operation panel unit 14 which are stacked in this order from the bottom in a housing 10 having an open top surface. The EL panel 11 is an example of a light-emitting body that constitutes the panel-shaped light source of the present invention, and emits light on its upper surface in response to a drive signal input via the connector 5. The EL panel 11 has a light emitting region divided into 10 areas on the upper surface, and a drive signal can be individually supplied to each light emitting region. The EL panel 1 is used as a light emitting body that constitutes the panel-shaped light source of the present invention.
An LED sheet may be used instead of 1. Also,
Instead of the light-emitting body that is turned on by the drive signal, the panel-shaped light source can be configured by a phosphor that distributes light generated by receiving external light to the outside through a shutter that opens and closes according to the drive signal. It will be described later.

The name sheet 12 is a transparent or translucent resin sheet coated with a light-shielding substance such as paint to indicate the display contents such as characters and figures of each light emitting region of the EL panel 11. Is. The registration sheet 12 is
The EL panel 11 is located on the upper surface of the EL panel 11.
In the light emitted from the upper surface of the name sheet 12, light other than a portion facing the light-shielding substance applied to the name sheet 12 is distributed to the upper surface of the name sheet 12. The name sheet 12 is not essential to the present invention and can be used as needed. Further, by writing the display contents of each light emitting area of the EL panel 11 on the push button 2, the name sheet 12 can be omitted.

The touch switch 13 is an example of the thin switch of the present invention. Light-transmitting electrodes are arranged in a matrix in a resin sheet having light-transmitting elasticity, and the resin is changed by changing the resistance value of the electrodes. It is a resistance film type switch that detects a pressing position on the sheet surface. Since the touch switch 13 is translucent, the light of the EL panel 11 that has passed through the inscription sheet 12 is distributed on the upper surface of the touch switch 13. As the thin switch of the present invention, various touch switches can be used instead of the touch switch 13 which is a resistive film type switch, which will be described later.

The operation panel unit 14 is the operation panel of the present invention, and includes the above-mentioned push button 2 and the frame body 3 constituting the upper surface of the thin group display operation panel 1, and the invention described in claim 4 as an example. The return member is provided. One push button 2 is separated from the other push buttons 2 by a non-magnetic guide member 31 having a T-shaped cross section. A protrusion 2 a protrudes from the side surface of the push button 2, and the protrusion 2 a is formed by the support column 31 a of the guide member 31.
The side surface of a is guided. The vertical length of the column 31a is about 0.5 mm longer than the length of the side surface of the push button 2. The frame 3 made of a magnetic material is located on the upper surface of the flat portion 31 b of the guide member 31. The upper surface of the protruding portion 2a of the push button 2 faces a portion of the flat surface portion 31b of the guide member 31 that horizontally protrudes from the column portion 31a. A magnet 32 is provided on the protruding portion 2 a of the push button 2.

With the above configuration, the operation panel unit 14
In the above, the push button 2 is biased upward by the magnetic attraction force of the magnet 32 with respect to the frame body 3, and the protruding portion 2a of the push button 2 and the portion of the flat portion 31b protruding horizontally from the column portion 31a come into contact with each other. It has stopped in contact with it. In this state, a gap of about 0.5 mm is provided between the push button 2 and the touch switch 13. When the push button 2 is pushed downward from the upper surface, the push button 2 moves downward when the sum of the gravity acting on the push button 2 and the pushing force exceeds the magnetic attraction force of the magnet 32. Therefore, if the push button 2 is continuously pressed, the bottom surface of the push button 2 contacts the touch switch 13 and presses it.
When the pressing force on the push button 2 is released from this state, the push button 2 moves upward due to the magnetic attraction force of the magnet 32 to the frame body 3, and stops with a gap provided between the push button 2 and the touch switch 13. To do.

As described above, the frame 3 and the magnet 32 magnetically attracted to the frame 3 constitute a return member for the push button 2, and the magnetic attraction force generated in the magnet 32 depends on the distance from the frame 3. Since it decreases in inverse proportion to the square, a large operating force is required at first when the push button 2 is pressed, and the operating force sharply decreases once the push button 2 starts moving downward. . This makes it possible to give a click feeling to the operation of the push button 2. Further, since a predetermined gap is provided between the push button 2 and the touch switch 13, it is possible to give a certain stroke feeling when operating the push button 2. With these click feeling and stroke feeling, a good operation feeling sufficient to confirm that the push button 2 has been operated reliably can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, the display content of the panel-shaped light source is changed by the drive signal supplied from the outside to the thin group display / operation panel 1. A processing unit may be provided, and the display content of the panel light source may be changed based on the operation signal output from the thin switch. In this case, it is not necessary to externally supply a drive signal for the panel-shaped light source to the thin collective display operation panel 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the construction of the operation panel unit 14 according to another embodiment. The same figure is shown in FIG.
It is sectional drawing in the YY line shown in FIG. In this example, the support portion 21 a protruding downward from one end face side of the push button 21 is formed, and the magnet 3 is formed on the other end face side of the push button 2.
2 is attached. The lower end of the support portion 21 a contacts a part of the guide member 34. With this configuration, the push button 21
Can rotate about the lower end of the support portion 21a as a fulcrum, and the touch switch 13 can be reliably pressed by the protrusion 21b on the bottom surface portion on the other end surface side of the push button 21.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing the configuration of a panel-shaped light source of another embodiment of the thin collective display operation panel according to another embodiment of the invention described in claim 2. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the panel-shaped light source 41 is composed of a light source 42, a diffusion plate 43, and a liquid crystal shutter 44. The diffuser plate 4 allows the light from the light source 42 such as a fluorescent lamp that is constantly turned on to be emitted.
When the light enters the end face of No. 3, the diffuser plate 43 irradiates the upper face with light having substantially uniform illuminance. The liquid crystal shutter 44 is the diffusion plate 4
Located on the upper surface of 3, the liquid crystal array is changed according to the presence or absence of a drive signal to open and close the optical paths for the upper and lower surfaces. Therefore,
By switching the drive signal for the liquid crystal shutter 44, the light emitted from the diffuser plate 43 is transmitted to the liquid crystal shutter 44.
Light can be selectively distributed on the upper surface of the.

In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the panel-shaped light source 5 is used.
1 is composed of a fluorescent light condensing plate 52 and a liquid crystal shutter 53. The fluorescent light condensing plate 52 is one in which fluorescent particles 52b are diffused and arranged inside a transparent resin 52a. Fluorescent particles 5
2b receives the external light incident on the transparent resin 52a from the surface and irradiates the light. When the composition of the transparent resin 52a is appropriately selected, the light emitted from the fluorescent particles 52b will not be emitted to the outside of the transparent resin 52a when the emission angle at the boundary surface with the air layer becomes a certain critical angle or more. Therefore, on the upper and lower surfaces of the transparent resin 52a whose emission angle is equal to or greater than the critical angle, most of the light emitted from the fluorescent particles 52b is transparent resin 52a.
Repeats total internal reflection inside. On the other hand, light is emitted to the outside of the transparent resin 52a from the end surface of the transparent resin 52a whose emission angle is equal to or less than the critical angle, and a reflective material 52d is attached to the entire end surface of the transparent resin 52a. The light emitted from 52b is reflected in the transparent resin 52a even at the end surface of the transparent resin 52a.

A reflective plate 52c is adhered and adhered to a part of the lower surface of the transparent resin 52a. This reflector 52c
The transparent resin 52a does not form a boundary with the air layer in the portion where is adhered, and does not totally reflect even if the emission angle is equal to or greater than the critical angle. Therefore, the light emitted from the fluorescent particles 52b is emitted to the outside from the portion where the reflection plate 52c is attached, is reflected by the reflection plate 52c, and then is transmitted through the transparent resin 52a.
Is transmitted through and is irradiated on the upper surface.

On the upper surface of the fluorescent light collecting plate 52, the reflecting plate 5
A liquid crystal shutter 53 is arranged at a position facing 2c. The liquid crystal shutter 53 is the liquid crystal shutter 4 described above.
Similar to 4, the optical paths for the upper and lower surfaces are opened and closed according to the drive signal. Therefore, by switching the drive signal to the liquid crystal shutter 53, the light emitted from the fluorescent light condensing plate 52 can be selectively distributed on the upper surface of the liquid crystal shutter 53.

By providing a light source such as an LED for supplying external light to the fluorescent light condensing plate 52, even when the thin collective display operation panel 1 is operated in a dark place, the operation state can be maintained with sufficient illuminance. Can be displayed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the touch switch. FIG. 9A is an example in which a thin switch is configured by the photoelectric touch switch described in claim 3. The light emitting element 61 and the light receiving element 62 are arranged so as to face each other with a gap between the push button 2 and the panel light source 3 being interposed. When the push button 2 is pressed, the light of the light emitting element 61 is blocked by the push button 2 and is not received by the light receiving element 62. For each push button 2, two pairs of the light emitting element 61 and the light receiving element 62 are arranged orthogonally to each other, and the light receiving signal of each light receiving element 62 is read to identify the push button 2 operated among the plurality of push buttons 2. it can.

FIG. 1B shows an example in which a thin switch is constituted by a surface acoustic wave type touch switch which is a kind of ultrasonic type touch switch. An ultrasonic wave transmitter 72 and an ultrasonic wave receiver 73, which are in contact with the upper surface of a resin or glass transparent substrate 71, are arranged to face each other with a gap between the transparent substrate 71 and the push button 2 interposed therebetween. An ultrasonic wave as a surface acoustic wave having directivity is transmitted. The panel light source 3 may be the transparent base 71. When the push button 2 is pressed, a part of the push button 2 becomes transparent substrate 71.
The ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transmitter 72 when contacting the
The ultrasonic receiver 7 is cut off by a part of the push button 2.
3 does not receive ultrasonic waves. For each push button 2, two pairs of ultrasonic transmitters 72 and ultrasonic receivers 73 are arranged orthogonally to each other, and by reading the reception state of each ultrasonic receiver 73, the operation is performed among the plurality of push buttons 2. The push button 2 can be specified. The ultrasonic touch switch may be an inner waveguide touch switch by using a twist wave propagating inside the transparent substrate 71 instead of the surface acoustic wave.

As long as the touch switch is translucent and can be made thin, an electrostatic capacitance type touch switch other than the above-described configuration can be used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the connector 5 of the thin collective display operation panel 1 is connected to the control device through a cable 82 extending from the operation panel 81, and the thin collective display operation panel is provided on the operation panel 81. It is also possible to form a concave portion 83 for housing 1 so that the thin collective display operation panel 1 can be taken out from the operation panel 81 and operated during operation. The cable 82 can use not only an electric wire but an optical fiber.

Further, by configuring the signal input / output unit of the thin collective display operation panel 1 by a radio transmitter / receiver and installing a battery power source in the thin collective display operation panel 1,
Even when the installation place of the operation panel 81 is away from the device to be controlled, the thin collective display operation panel 1 can be operated while confirming the operation of the device. In this case, if power is supplied to the thin collective display operation panel 1 via the power carrier transmitted from the operation panel or the transmitter at the relay position, it is necessary to equip the thin collective display operation panel 1 with a power source. Absent. Further, radio waves or infrared rays can be used as the radio signal.

When the above operation panel is used in a control panel, a vending machine or the like, various methods such as a table type and a wall hanging type can be used.

[0034]

According to the invention described in claim 1, a plurality of display operation switches can be integrally formed into a flat plate shape, and the work of attaching to the operation panel and the work of wiring to each switch are extremely easy. be able to. Further, since the thin switch is turned on / off by pressing the translucent operation member, a reliable operation feeling can be obtained and erroneous operation can be reliably prevented.

According to the invention described in claim 2, the panel-shaped light source can be made thin.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the pressing operation of the translucent operation member disposed on the upper surface of the thin switch with a predetermined gap can be reliably detected by the thin switch.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the returning means of the operation panel can be formed in a thin structure with a simple structure, and a reliable operation feeling can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a thin group display operation panel according to an embodiment of the present invention in a top surface direction and a bottom surface direction.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the thin collective display operation panel.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the thin collective display operation panel.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an operation panel unit according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the panel light source.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the touch switch.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a usage state of the thin collective display operation panel of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional illuminated push button switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-Thin group display operation panel 2-Push button 3-Frame 5-Connector 10-Housing 11-EL panel 12-Name sheet 12 13-Touch switch 13 14-Operation panel unit 14

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A panel-shaped light source for irradiating light for displaying operation contents at a plurality of display positions in an upper surface direction, and a press placed on the upper surface of the panel-shaped light source at each display position of the plurality of display contents. A translucent thin switch that detects an operation and outputs an operation signal, and is placed on the upper surface of the thin switch, and a predetermined gap is provided at a position facing each display position of a plurality of display contents. A thin type including an operation panel in which a plurality of translucent operating members are movable in the vertical direction via a returning means, and a signal input / output unit for outputting an operation signal of at least a thin type switch. Collective display operation panel. 2. The thin collective display operation panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel-shaped light source is either a light-emitting body that blinks in response to a drive signal or a light source including a liquid crystal shutter that opens and closes in response to a drive signal. 3. The thin set according to claim 1, wherein the thin switch is any one of a resistance film type touch switch, a photoelectric type touch switch, an ultrasonic type touch switch, and a capacitance type touch switch. Display operation panel. 4. The thin collective display operation panel according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the returning means of the operation panel uses a magnetic action of a magnet and a magnet or a magnetic body.