Meter for automotive vehicle

• US 20070040662A1
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Harada, Takeshi, Yabe, Hirokazu, Furuya, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/349 Adjustment of brightness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/349 Adjustment of brightness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/18 for varying the light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices

Abstract

The meter has a back light illuminating with a predetermined color, a display portion disposed in font of the back light and being changeable between a positive mode and a negative mode at a predetermined state, and a reverse control device determining whether an engine of a vehicle is in an initial starting step or the vehicle is in a running state. The control device reverses the display portion in response to a result of the determination. The control device changes the display portion from one of the positive and negative modes to the other at a lower speed when the control device determines that the vehicle engine is in an initial starting step than when the control device determines that the vehicle is in a running state. When the control device determines that the vehicle engine is in an initial starting step, the control device changes the display portion in one of the positive and negative modes from a neutral contrast state.

Claims

1. A meter for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a back light illuminating with a predetermined color, a display portion disposed in font of the back light and being changeable between a positive mode and a negative mode at a predetermined speed, and

a reverse control device determining whether an engine of the vehicle is in an initial starting step or the vehicle is in a running state, the control device reversing the display portion at a speed in response to a result of the determination.

2. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the control device changes the display portion from one of the positive and negative modes to the other at a lower speed when the control device determines that the vehicle engine is in an initial starting step than when the control device determines that the vehicle is in a running state.

3. The meter according to claim 1 wherein, when the control device determines that the vehicle engine is in an initial starting step, the reverse control device changes the display portion in one of the positive and negative modes from a neutral contrast state.

4. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the display portion has a first deflecting plate, a second deflecting plate, and a ½

λ

phase difference portion, the second deflecting plate disposed in front of the first deflecting plate, the ½

λ

phase difference portion fitted on the first deflecting plate for providing a meter design having a scale and letters, wherein the reverse control device controls a reverse operation control unit for changing a first deflecting axis of the first deflecting plate and a second deflecting axis of the second deflecting plate to be parallel or perpendicular to each other.