Light conductor device and meter device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9746351-B2
Application number	US-201414273815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2014
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A light conductor device receives light from a light source. The light conductor includes a radial conductor including an annular body, a conductor base, and outer segments. The annular body extends in a circumferential direction. The conductor base extends from the annular body inward in a radial direction. The conductor base extends in the circumferential direction. Each of the outer segments extends from the annular body outward in the radial direction. The outer segments are arranged in the circumferential direction and distant from each other in the circumferential direction. The annular body is located between the conductor base and the outer segments in the radial direction to bridge the conductor base and the outer segments into a single piece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light conductor device configured to receive light from a light source, the light conductor comprising:
a radial conductor including:
an annular body extending in a circumferential direction;
a conductor base extending from the annular body inward in a radial direction, the conductor base extending in the circumferential direction; and
a plurality of outer segments each extending from the annular body outward in the radial direction, the outer segments arranged in the circumferential direction and distant from each other in the circumferential direction, wherein

the annular body is located between the conductor base and the outer segments in the radial direction to bridge the conductor base and the outer segments into a single piece.

2. The light conductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor base is substantially in a tubular shape having a cross section in an O-shaped or a C-shape.

3. The light conductor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the conductor base is configured to reflect first light from the light source on a radial-conductor receiver reflection surface toward radial-conductor emitter reflection surfaces of the outer segments, respectively, and
the outer segments are configured to reflect the first light from the radial-conductor receiver reflection surface on the radial-conductor emitter reflection surfaces, respectively, and to emit the first light to an outside of the outer segments.

4. The light conductor device according to claim 3 , wherein the annular body is configured to conduct the first light from the radial-conductor receiver reflection surface to the radial-conductor emitter reflection surfaces outward in the radial direction.

5. The light conductor device according to claim 4 , wherein the outer segments are further configured to conduct second light emitted from the light source at a position outside the conductor base, such that the second light intersects with the first light.

6. The light conductor device according to claim 5 , wherein
the outer segments are configured
to emit the first light according to an intensity of the first light emitted from the light source and
to conduct the second light according to an intensity of the second light emitted from the light source.

7. The light conductor device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a ring conductor configured to be coupled with the radial conductor,
the ring conductor is configured to reflect third light from the light source on a ring-conductor receiver reflection surface toward a ring-conductor emitter reflection surface, and
the ring conductor is further configured to reflect the third light from the ring-conductor receiver reflection surface on the ring-conductor emitter reflection surface and to emit the third light to an outside of the ring conductor.

8. The light conductor device according to claim 7 , wherein
the ring conductor includes a ring body and a ring disc,
the ring body is substantially in a tubular shape having the ring-conductor receiver reflection surface,
the ring disc is substantially in a disc shape and located outside the ring body in the radial direction, and
the ring disc has the ring-conductor emitter reflection surface.

9. The light conductor device according to claim 8 , wherein
the ring disc is configured
to conduct the third light from the ring-conductor receiver reflection surface to the ring-conductor emitter reflection surface outward in the radial direction,
to conduct fourth light emitted from the light source at a position outside the ring body, such that the third light intersects with the fourth light,
to emit the third light according to an intensity of the third light emitted from the light source, and
to conduct the fourth light according to an intensity of the fourth light emitted from the light source.

10. The light conductor device according to claim 7 , wherein
when the ring conductor is stacked on a surface of the light source and when the radial conductor is stacked on the ring conductor,
the radial-conductor emitter reflection surface is at a first height from the surface of the light source,
the ring-conductor emitter reflection surface is at a second height from the surface of the light source, and
the first height is greater than the second height.

11. The light conductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an opaque cover integrally formed of an opaque material to extend in the radial direction, wherein
the opaque cover is configured to be coupled with the radial conductor to conceal at least partially the conductor base.

12. A meter device comprising:
the radial conductor according to claim 1 ; and
the light source according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source has a plurality of pixels configured to be activated selectively,
the radial conductor is stacked on the light source, and
the conductor base is configured to receive light from the pixels.

13. The light conductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor base includes a plurality of inner segments each extending from the annular body inward in the radial direction, the inner segments arranged in the circumferential direction and distant from each other in the circumferential direction.

14. The light conductor device according to claim 13 , wherein
at least one of the inner segments is configured to reflect first light from the light source on a radial-conductor receiver reflection surface toward a radial-conductor emitter reflection surface of corresponding one of the outer segments, and
the corresponding one of the outer segments is configured to reflect the first light from the radial-conductor receiver reflection surface on the radial-conductor emitter reflection surface and to emit the first light to an outside of the corresponding one of the outer segments.

15. The light conductor device according to claim 14 , wherein the corresponding one of the outer segments extends linearly substantially along an extension line along which the at least one of the inner segments extends in the radial direction.

16. A light conductor device comprising:
a radial conductor including a conductor base extending in a circumferential direction and a plurality of outer segments arranged in the circumferential direction, wherein
each of the outer segments has a radial-conductor emitter reflection surface at an outer position,
the conductor base has a radial-conductor receiver reflection surface at an inner position inside the outer position in the radial direction, and
the radial conductor is configured to receive light at the inner position and to emit the light at the outer position remotely in the radial direction by internally reflecting the light on the radial-conductor receiver reflection surface and further on the radial-conductor emitter reflection surface.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Webb Gareth

Classifications

• G02B6/0066

  characterised by the light source being coupled to the light guide · CPC title

• B60Q3/14

  lighting through the surface to be illuminated · CPC title

• G02B6/0031

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G01D7/04 Primary

  using a separate indicating element for each variable · CPC title

• G01D13/28

  with luminescent markings · CPC title