Instrument viewing display system for motorcycles

• US 20060038666A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas F. Wiegner
• Original Assignee: Thomas F. Wiegner
• Inventors: Wiegner, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,307,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/432
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/225 Mounting arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/40 Ornaments or toys
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/24 warning or informing the rider, e.g. low fuel warning lights
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/14 Handlebar constructions, or arrangements of controls thereon, specially adapted thereto hand controls per se B62K23/02

Abstract

An instrument viewing display system for motorcycles. The instrument viewing display system comprises one or more objects in which motorcycle display indicators for motorcycle systems (e.g., oil pressure, low fuel indicator, turn signals, high-beam, voltage indicator, neutral indicator, tachometer, speedometer etc.) are placed on a front, back, or in the objects. The display indicators are immediately viewable in a variety of weather and lighting conditions.

Claims

1. A motorcycle display viewing system, comprising in combination:

a first component with a first set of a plurality of openings including a first set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of a first set of pre-determined colors for a first set of display indicators for a first set of motorcycle systems; and

a second component with a second set of a plurality of openings including a second set of LEDs of a second set of pre-determined colors for a second set of display indicators for a second set of motorcycle systems.

2. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the first set of LEDs include an orange colored LED for a turn signal indication, a red colored LED for a high-oil pressure indication and a blue colored LED for a high-beam indication.

3. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the second set of LEDs include an orange colored LED for a turn signal indication, a green colored LED for a neutral indication for a transmission and a yellow colored LED for a low fuel level or a voltage problem indication.

4. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the first set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the second set of LEDs are placed at an angle of 10 degrees to 80 degrees within the first set and second set of the plurality of openings for viewing in a variety of weather conditions.

5. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the first component and the second component include a human skull head.

6. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the first set of plurality of openings is included in a front portion of the first component and the second set of plurality of openings is included in a front portion of the second component.

7. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the first set of plurality of openings is included in a rear portion of the first component and the second set of plurality of openings is included in a rear portion of the second component.

8. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the first component and the second component are mounted on handlebars of a motorcycle.

9. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 1 wherein the first component includes a human skull head, a pig head, a wolf head, an eagle head, a human head, an animal head, a cartoon or fictional character head or other human or animal or fictional character body part.

16. The motorcycle viewing display system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of LEDs are printed on a circuit board and are powered and controlled by a computer chip or processor providing an automatic dimming feature for LEDs when external lighting becomes darker around the LEDs.

10. A motorcycle display viewing system, comprising in combination:

a center portion including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of pre-determined colors and a plurality of display indicators for displaying information from a set of motorcycle systems;

a front portion attached to the center portion including a material that is translucent when backlit and opaque when not backlit with a plurality of portions for displaying information for the set of motorcycle systems; and

a back portion attached to the center portion and to the front portion including a plurality of openings including the plurality of LEDs and the plurality of display indicators displaying information for the set of motorcycle systems.

11. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the front portion is used as a turn signal indicator, wherein, the material is backlit and is translucent when the turn signal indicator is active and the material is not backlit and is opaque when the turn signal indicator is not active.

12. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of LEDs include an orange colored LED for a turn signal indication, a red colored LED for a high-oil pressure indication, a blinking red colored LED for a voltage, charging or electrical system malfunction, a purple colored LED for a normal voltage, charging or electrical system, a blue colored LED for a high-beam indication, a green colored LED for a neutral indication for a transmission or a yellow colored LED for a low fuel level or a voltage charging system indication.

13. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of display indicators include a speedometer, odometer or tachometer.

14. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of LEDs and plurality of display indicators are aligned with the plurality of portions of the front portion for displaying selected information for the set of motorcycle systems on the front portion via backlighting from the back portion.

15. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the front portion includes a translucent plastic material.

17. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of LEDs are placed at an angle of 10 degrees to 80 degrees within the plurality of openings in the back portion for viewing in a variety of weather conditions.

18. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the center portion is mounted on handlebars of a motorcycle.

19. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein the front portion is used as a turn signal indicator and is used to display a color of a selected motorcycle system based on a pre-determined priority scheme, wherein the front portion displays a color of a selected motorcycle system when the turn signal is not activated, displays a color of the turn signal indicator when activated and then returns to displaying the color of the selected motorcycle system when the turn signal is deactivated.

20. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 10 wherein selected LEDs from the plurality of LEDs are dual-color LEDs that display a first color for a first indication of a motorcycle system and another different blinking color for a second indication for the motorcycle system.

21. A motorcycle viewing display system, comprising in combination:

a first component with a front portion including a material that is translucent when backlit and opaque when not backlit with a plurality of portions for displaying information for a first set of motorcycle systems with a first set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of a first set of pre-determined colors and a first set of display indicators included on a back portion; and

a second component with a front portion including a material that is translucent when backlit and opaque when not backlit with a plurality of portions for displaying information for a second set of motorcycle systems with a second set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of a second set of pre-determined colors and a second set of display indicators included on a back portion.

22. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 21 wherein the first set of LEDs include an orange colored LED for a turn signal indication, a red colored LED for a high oil pressure indication and a blue colored LED for a high-beam indication and the first set of display indicators include a tachometer.

23. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 21 wherein the second set of LEDs include an orange colored LED for a turn signal indication a green colored LED for a neutral indication for a transmission and a yellow colored LED for a low fuel level or a voltage charging system indication and the second set of display indicators include a speedometer or an odometer.

24. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 21 wherein the first component and the second component are mounted on handlebars of a motorcycle.

25. A motorcycle viewing display system, comprising in combination:

a component comprising an artificial crystal etched with a laser to create a translucent shape within the artificial crystal, wherein the translucent shape includes a plurality of portions for displaying information for a set of motorcycle systems with a pre-determined set of colors; and

a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) including the set of pre-determined colors and a set of display indicators included on a bottom portion of the component for displaying the information for the set of motorcycle systems in the plurality of portions in the translucent shape or on the whole translucent shape.

26. A motorcycle viewing display system, comprising in combination:

a first component comprising an artificial crystal etched with a laser to create a translucent shape within the artificial crystal, wherein the translucent shape includes a plurality of portions for displaying information for a first set of motorcycle systems with a first set pre-determined set of colors and a first set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) including the first set of pre-determined colors and a first set of display indicators included on a bottom portion of the first component; and

a second component comprising an artificial crystal etched with a laser to create a translucent shape within the artificial crystal, wherein the translucent shape includes a plurality of portions for displaying information for a second set of motorcycle systems with a second set pre-determined set of colors and a second set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) including the second set of pre-determined colors and a second set of display indicators included on a bottom portion of the first component.

27. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 26 wherein the first set of LEDs include an orange colored LED for a turn signal indication, a red colored LED for a high-oil pressure indication and a blue colored LED for a high-beam indication and the first set of display indicators include a tachometer.

28. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 26 wherein the second set of LEDs include an orange colored LED for a turn signal indication, a green colored LED for a neutral indication for a transmission and a yellow colored LED for a low fuel level or a voltage charging system indication and the second set of display indicators include a speedometer or an odometer.

29. The motorcycle display viewing system of claim 26 wherein the first component and the second component are mounted on handlebars of a motorcycle.