Gauge having variable display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9243937-B2
Application number	US-201313912706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A gauge which uses a prism or other type of reflector to illuminate a single graphic or icon on a dial such that only one graphic on the dial is shown during the operation of the gauge. All of the remaining graphics have a dead front appearance, and cannot be viewed, such that the gauge presents only one discrete value at a time. The dial is beneath a lens, and the prism is beneath the dial. An actuator is mounted to a PCB, and an LED is also mounted to the PCB to allow the prism to transmit light to the desired area of the dial. The dial also includes a central graphic, or icon, and the gauge is able to display different values, while the central graphic remains constantly illuminated in the center of the gauge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a gauge, including:
a light source;
a light directing device operable for directing light from the light source;
a dial located in proximity to the light directing device; and
a plurality of graphics located on the dial, the plurality of graphics representing a plurality of measurements of an operating parameter;
a housing, the dial mounted within the housing;
a printed circuit board (PCB) located in the housing;
an actuator connected to the printed circuit board; and
a shaft extending through the actuator;
a tube portion mounted on an end of the shaft, the light directing device connected to the tube portion;
a center graphic located on the dial, the center graphic being part of the plurality of graphics;
wherein the light directing device directs light through one of the plurality of graphics to indicate that the vehicle is operating at one of the plurality of measurements of the operating parameter, the actuator rotates the shaft such that the light directing device rotates and is positioned to direct light through the one of the plurality of graphics, such that the one of the plurality of graphics is illuminated, and the center graphic is constantly illuminated by light from the light source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens mounted in the housing adjacent the dial; and
a bezel connected to the housing, the bezel maintaining the position of the lens in the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the plurality of graphics further comprising:
a first graphic located on the dial, the first graphic representing a first measurement of the operating parameter; and
a second graphic located on the dial, the second graphic representing a second measurement of the operating parameter;
wherein the light directing device is positioned in proximity to the first graphic to illuminate the first graphic, and the light directing device is positioned in proximity to the second graphic to illuminate the second graphic.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the light directing device further comprising a prism.

5. A gauge, comprising:
a housing;
an actuator located within the housing;
a light directing device movable within the housing, the movement of the light directing device controlled by the actuator;
a dial mounted within the housing in proximity to the light directing device;
a light source, the light directing device directs light from the light source through the dial;
a plurality of graphics located on the dial such that light directed through the dial from the light directing device illuminates one of the plurality of graphics;
a shaft connected to the actuator such that the shaft extends away from the actuator towards the dial;
a tube portion mounted on an end of the shaft; and
a center graphic located on the dial;
wherein the light directing device further comprises a prism connected to the tube portion, and the light passing through the shaft also passes through the tube portion and the prism, such that the prism directs light through one of the plurality of graphics, depending upon the location of the prism, and the center graphic is illuminated by light passing through the tube portion, independently of the position of the prism.

6. The gauge of claim 5 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted in the housing, the actuator connected to the PCB;
wherein the light source is mounted on the printed circuit board such that light from the light source passes through the shaft to the light directing device.

7. The gauge of claim 5 , the plurality of graphics further comprising:
a first graphic located on the dial representing a first measurement of the operating parameter; and
a second graphic located on the dial representing a second measurement of the operating parameter;
wherein the prism is positioned in proximity to the first graphic to illuminate the first graphic, and the prism is positioned in proximity to the second graphic to illuminate the second graphic.

8. A pointerless gauge, comprising:
a housing;
a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted within the housing;
an actuator mounted on the PCB;
a shaft extending through the actuator;
an light emitting diode (LED) mounted on the PCB in proximity to the shaft, such that light passes through the shaft when the LED is activated;
a tube portion mounted on an end of the shaft;
a prism connected to the tube portion;
a dial mounted in the housing in proximity to the prism;
a plurality of graphics located on the dial, each of the plurality of graphics representing a measurement of an operating parameter; and
a lens mounted in the housing in proximity to the dial such that the lens is on the opposite side of the dial in relation to the prism;
wherein the actuator rotates the shaft to position the prism in proximity to one of the plurality of graphics representing a measurement of the operating parameter, and light emitted from the LED passes through the shaft and is directed through one of the plurality of graphics.

9. The pointerless gauge of claim 8 , further comprising a bezel connected to the housing, securing the lens to the housing.

10. The pointerless gauge of claim 8 , the plurality of graphics further comprising:
a first graphic located on the dial representing a first measurement of the operating parameter;
a second graphic located on the dial representing a second measurement of the operating parameter; and
a center graphic located in proximity to the center of the dial;
wherein the center graphic is constantly illuminated by the light passing through the shaft and the tube portion, and the first graphic and second graphic are selectively illuminated, depending upon the position of the prism.

11. The pointerless gauge of claim 8 , wherein light from the LED passes through the shaft, through the tube portion, such that a portion of the light is directed through the dial by the prism, and a portion of the light is directed through the dial by the tube portion.

12. The pointerless gauge of claim 8 , wherein the light directed from the prism passes through and illuminates one of the plurality of graphics, while the remainder of the dial has a dead front appearance.

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Systems

Inventors

• Fernandez Michel Marcela

Classifications

• G01D13/20 Primary

  with luminescent markings · CPC title

• G01D13/04 Primary

  Construction · CPC title

• G01D11/28

  Structurally-combined illuminating devices · CPC title

• B60K2350/408

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G01D13/265

  Pointers which conduct light · CPC title