Display device

Abstract

A display device includes a first light source for emitting first light in blue, a second light source for emitting second light, and a color filter. The filter has a translucent sheet, a first printed area part for passing the first light to provide a first display excluding an overlapped portion of the first display and a second display and preventing the second light from passing therethrough, a second printed area part for passing the second light to provide the second display excluding the overlapped portion and preventing the first light from passing therethrough, a third printed area part for dimming and passing the first and second lights to provide the overlapped portion, a background printed area part for preventing the first and second lights from passing therethrough, and a white light converting part for the first light passing therethrough into white light.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional side view showing a switch with a display device of a first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plain view of a color which has filter printed area parts for displaying two characters “E” and “A” and is used in the display device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line A-A of FIG. 2, of the color filter with the printed area parts and two light sources;

FIG. 4A is a plan view of the color filter when a first light source is ON and a second light sources is OFF to display the character “A” in white, and FIG. 4B is a plan view of the color filter when the first light source is OFF and the second light source is ON to display the character “E” in red;

FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between characteristics of the printed area parts formed on the color filter and wavelengths of the first and second light sources;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional side view of the color filter, which is not hit by the first and second lights, when the first and second lights are OFF, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of the color filter displaying no characters in a state of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional side view of the color filter, which is hit by the first light, when the first light source is ON and the second light is OFF, and FIG. 7B is a plan view of the color filter displaying the character “A” in white in a state of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional side view of the color filter, which is hit by the second light, when the first light source is OFF and the second light is ON, and FIG. 8B is a plan view of the color filter displaying the character “E” in red in a state of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining changes of the first light into white when it passes through the color filter, a fluorescent substance and a fluorescent filter;

FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining no change of the second light when it passes though the color filter, the fluorescent substance and the fluorescent filter;

FIG. 11 is a diagram explaining three primary colors of light and their additive color processes;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a switch with a display device of a second embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining changes of first light into red when it passes through a color filter, a fluorescent substance, a fluorescent filter and a red-colored filter;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view explaining a first display provided by a display device having layers arranged differently from those of the first and second display devices;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view showing a first display provided another display having layers arranged differently from those of the first and second display devices;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view a display state where a first display is provided by the display device of the first embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional side view showing a display device of a third embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 18A is a front view showing an instrument panel, for which the display device of the first embodiment is adapted, when a first light source is supplied with electric power to provide a first display in white, and FIG. 18B is a front view showing the instrument panel when the second light source is supplied with the electric power to provide a second display in red; and

FIG. 19A is a front view showing an engine starting switch, for which the display device of the first embodiment is adapted, when the first light source is supplied with the electric power to provide a first display in white, and FIG. 19B is a front view showing the engine starting switch when the second light source is supplied with the electric power to provide a second display in red.

Claims

1. A display device that selectively provides a first display and a second display, the display device comprising: a first light source for emitting first light in blue;a second light source for emitting second light with peak wavelength different from wavelength of the first light; anda color filter having a translucent sheet that is hit selectively by one of the first and second lights, the translucent sheet being provided witha first printed area part which is capable of passing the first light to provide the first display excluding an overlapped portion of the first display and the second display and preventing the second light from passing through the first printed area part,a second printed area part which is capable of passing the second light to provide the second display excluding the overlapped portion and preventing the first light from passing through the second printed area part,a third printed area part which is capable of dimming and passing the first light and the second light to provide the overlapped portion,a background printed area part which is capable of preventing the first light and the second light from passing through the background printed area part, anda white light converting part which is capable of converting the first light passing through the white light converting part into white light.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the white light converting part is a fluorescent filter.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the white light converting part is provided on a display side thereof with an additive color filter which is capable of changing the white light to another color light.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the additive color filter produces the first display in the substantially same color as color of the second display.

5. The display device according to claim 4, further comprising: a smoked filter which has a low translucency of light, whereinthe first to third printed area parts, the white light converting part and the smoked filter are arranged in order thereof to form a layer structure so that broadening of the first and second lights passing through the printed area parts and entering the fluorescent filter can be suppressed.

6. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the additive color filter produces the first display in color different from color of the second display.

7. The display device according to claim 6, further comprising: a smoked filter which has a low translucency of light, whereinthe first to third printed area parts, the white light converting part and the smoked filter are arranged in order thereof to form a layer structure so that broadening of the first and second lights passing through the printed area parts and entering the fluorescent filter can be suppressed.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the white light converting part is provided on a display side thereof with an additive color filter which is capable of changing the white light to another color light.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the additive color filter produces the first display in the substantially same color as color of the second display.

10. The display device according to claim 6, further comprising: a smoked filter which has a low translucency of light, whereinthe first to third printed area parts, the white light converting part and the smoked filter are arranged in order thereof to form a layer structure so that broadening of the first and second lights passing through the printed area parts and entering the fluorescent filter can be suppressed.

11. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the additive color filter produces the first display in color different from color of the second display.

12. The display device according to claim 11, further comprising: a smoked filter which has a low translucency of light, whereinthe first to third printed area parts, the white light converting part and the smoked filter are arranged in order thereof to form a layer structure so that broadening of the first and second lights passing through the printed area parts and entering the fluorescent filter can be suppressed.

13. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a smoked filter which has a low translucency of light, whereinthe first to third printed area parts, the white light converting part and the smoked filter are arranged in order thereof to form a layer structure so that broadening of the first and second lights passing through the printed area parts and entering the fluorescent filter can be suppressed.