INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LENS INFORMATION, TELLTAILS, AND LIGHTING

• US 20090121853A1
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Hotary, James T., Eich, Rodger W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/10 for dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/62 using light guides

Abstract

An instrument cluster for use in a passenger vehicle includes a translucent sheet. The sheet is located in front of at least one of an appliqué, a display face, and a pointer of the instrument cluster. Indicia are embedded in the translucent sheet. The indicia has a first visual state and a second visual state, the indicia being more noticeable in its second visual state than in its first visual state.

Claims

1. An instrument cluster for use in a passenger vehicle, the instrument cluster comprising:

a translucent sheet located at a first level at least one of an appliqué

, a display face, and a pointer of an instrument cluster located at a second level, the instrument cluster configured such that the first level is closer to an occupant of the vehicle than the second level when the instrument cluster is mounted in the vehicle; and

a plurality of independently controllable indicia carried by in the translucent sheet, each of the indicia having a first visual state and a second visual state where the individual indicia is more noticeable in its second visual state than in its first visual state.

2. The instrument cluster of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of indicia switches from the first visual state to the second visual state in response to a change in a vehicle operating condition.

7. The instrument cluster of claim 1, further comprising a light source configured to illuminate at least one of the plurality of indicia, light from the light source configured to enter the translucent sheet at an edge of the translucent sheet.

8. The instrument cluster of claim 1, wherein at least one entire indicia of the plurality of indicia is located in proximity to an edge of the sheet.

9. The instrument cluster of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of indicia represents at least one of a turn indicator, a tell-tale, and a three-dimensional indicia.

13. The instrument cluster of claim 1, further comprising a light guide coupled to the translucent sheet and configured to guide light from a light source to illuminate at least one of the plurality of indicia.

34. The instrument cluster of claim 1, further comprising a light source configured to illuminate at least one of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information, light from the light source configured to enter the translucent sheet at an edge of the translucent sheet.

35. The instrument cluster of claim 1, wherein at least one entire graphic information of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information is located in proximity to an edge of the sheet.

42. The instrument cluster of claim 1, wherein the translucent sheet located in front of at least one of an appliqué

, a display face, and a pointer of the instrument cluster.

43. The instrument cluster of claim 42, wherein the indicia is embedded in the translucent sheet.

3-6. -6. (canceled)

10-12. -12. (canceled)

14-16. -16. (canceled)

17. An instrument cluster for use in a passenger vehicle, the instrument cluster comprising:

a translucent sheet, the translucent sheet not located behind at least one of an Appliqué

, a display face, and a pointer of an instrument cluster; and

an indicia carried by the translucent sheet, the indicia configured to comprise a first visual state and a second visual state where the indicia is more noticeable in its second visual state than in its first visual state;

wherein the indicia switches from the first visual state to the second visual state in response to a change in a vehicle operating condition.

44. The instrument cluster of claim 17, wherein more than one of the plurality of indicia is configured to switch from the first visual state to the second visual state in response to a change in monitored vehicle operating conditions.

18-19. -19. (canceled)

20. An instrument cluster for use in a passenger vehicle, the instrument cluster comprising:

a translucent sheet located in the instrument cluster;

an indicia carried by the translucent sheet, the indicia configured to comprise a first visual state and a second visual state where the indicia is more noticeable in its second visual state than in its first visual state; and

a light source configured to illuminate the indicia;

wherein the instrument cluster is configured such that light from the light source enters the sheet at an edge of the sheet.

45. The instrument cluster of claim 20, further comprising a light guide coupled to the sheet and configured to guide light from the light source to illuminate the indicia.

21-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An instrument cluster for use in a passenger vehicle, the instrument cluster comprising:

a translucent sheet located in the instrument cluster;

and

graphic information carried by the translucent sheet, the graphic information configured to comprise a first visual state and a second visual state where the graphic information is more noticeable in its second visual state than in its first visual state; and

a light guide coupled to the sheet and configured to guide light from a light source to illuminate the graphic information.

46. The instrument cluster of claim 25, wherein light from the light guide is configured to enter the sheet from an edge of the sheet.

26-27. -27. (canceled)

28. An instrument cluster for use in a passenger vehicle, the instrument cluster comprising:

a translucent sheet located in the instrument cluster; and

a plurality of independently controllable graphic information carried by the translucent sheet, each of the indicia having a first visual state and a second visual state where the individual indicia is more noticeable in its second visual state than in its first visual state.

29. The instrument cluster of claim 28, wherein at least one of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information is configured to switch from the first visual state to the second visual state in response to a change in a vehicle operating condition.

30. The instrument cluster of claim 29, wherein more than one of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information are configured to switch from the first visual state to the second visual state in response to a change in monitored vehicle operating conditions.

31. The instrument cluster of claim 28, further comprising

a second translucent sheet in the instrument cluster;

and

graphic information carried by the second translucent sheet, the graphic information in the second translucent sheet configured to comprise a first visual state and a second visual state where the graphic information carried by the second translucent sheet is more noticeable in its second visual state than in its first visual state.

32. The instrument cluster of claim 28, further comprising a light emitting diode configured to illuminate a first graphic information of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information such that illumination of the first graphic information from the light emitting diode causes the first graphic information to transition from the first visual state to the second visual state.

33. The instrument cluster of claim 32, further comprising a second light emitting diode configured to illuminate a second graphic information of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information such that illumination of the second graphic information from the light emitting diode causes the second graphic information to transition from the first visual state to the second visual state.

36. The instrument cluster of claim 28, wherein the plurality of independently controllable graphic information represents indicia.

37. The instrument cluster of claim 36, wherein at least one of the plurality of indicia represents at least one of a turn indicator, a tell-tale, and a three-dimensional indicia.

38. The instrument cluster of claim 28, wherein light from a light source is configured to be applied to the indicia from a position that is configured to be at least partially hidden from a user of the instrument cluster in the vehicle.

39. The instrument cluster of claim 28, further comprising a light guide coupled to the translucent sheet and configured to guide light from a light source to illuminate at least one of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information.

40. The instrument cluster of claim 28, wherein at least two of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information are segregated from each other in the translucent sheet such that light provided to one of the at least two independently controllable graphic information is hindered from illuminating the other of the independently controllable graphic information.

41. The instrument cluster of claim 28, further comprising a light resistant area located between at least two of the plurality of independently controllable graphic information.