Meter device which uses a central and peripheral light source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829355-B2
Application number	US-201314443032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Nov 15, 2012
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A meter device includes an instrument panel, a coaxial motor, a central light source, a peripheral light source, and units. The coaxial motor includes rotation shafts which rotate around a single axis perpendicular to the instrument panel. The central light source is disposed near the rotation shafts. The peripheral light source is disposed more distantly from the rotation shafts than the central light source. The units rotate together with the rotation shafts, respectively. The units includes indicator parts, respectively. Each of the indicator parts guides light to emit the light, thereby indicating a surface of the instrument panel. The units include a first unit and a second unit. The first unit includes a light path which guides light from the central light source to the indicator part. The second unit includes a light path which guides light from the peripheral light source to the indicator part, and a non-light guide part that prevents the light of the central light source from being guided to the indicator part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A meter device comprising:
an instrument panel;
a coaxial motor that includes a plurality of rotation shafts which rotate around a single axis perpendicular to the instrument panel;
a central light source that is disposed near the plurality of rotation shafts;
a peripheral light source that is disposed at a position more distant from the plurality of rotation shafts than the central light source; and
a plurality of units that are provided to extend perpendicularly from the plurality of rotation shafts and rotate together with the plurality of rotation shafts, respectively, wherein:
the plurality of units includes a plurality of indicator parts, respectively, each of the plurality of indicator parts guiding light to emit the light, thereby indicating a surface of the instrument panel; and
the plurality of units include:
a first unit that includes a light path which guides light from the central light source to a corresponding one of the plurality of indicator parts; and
a second unit that includes:
a light path which guides light from the peripheral light source to a corresponding one of the plurality of indicator parts; and
a non-light guide part that prevents the light of the central light source from being guided to the corresponding one of the plurality of indicator parts.

2. The meter device according to claim 1 , further comprising a microcomputer that is capable of controlling the central light source and the peripheral light source independently of each other.

3. The meter device according to claim 1 , wherein:
at an end portion of the second unit on its opposite side from the plurality of rotation shafts, the second unit includes a light guide part that is configured as a light path which guides the light to the corresponding one of the plurality of indicator parts disposed on an upper surface side of the instrument panel and that extends from a lower surface side to the upper surface side of the instrument panel outward of an end edge portion of the instrument panel; and
the non-light guide part is provided between the plurality of rotation shafts and the light guide part.

4. The meter device according to claim 3 , further comprising a board that is disposed perpendicular to the plurality of rotation shafts on the lower surface side of the instrument panel and on rear sides of the plurality of units, wherein the peripheral light source is one of a plurality of peripheral light sources that are provided side by side in an arc-like shape on the board to cover an entire movable range of the light guide part.

5. The meter device according to claim 3 , wherein the peripheral light source is provided for the light guide part to be movable together with the light guide part.

6. The meter device according to claim 1 , wherein the central light source is one of a plurality of central light sources that are arranged side by side evenly around the plurality of rotation shafts.

7. The meter device according to claim 1 , wherein the central light source and the peripheral light source have different luminescent colors from each other.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Ito Hideki

Classifications

• B60K35/53

  Movable instruments, e.g. slidable · CPC title

• B60K35/20

  Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K37/02

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G01D13/265 Primary

  Pointers which conduct light · CPC title

• G01D13/28

  with luminescent markings · CPC title