AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 3,839,701 A
• Filed: 08/01/1973
• Issued: 10/01/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allen J. Pomerantz
• Original Assignee: Allen J. Pomerantz
• Inventors: Pomerantz, Allen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nowicki, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US05/384,483
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 340/21,52F,225,324A,324B,373,378,412,414,415,52R,27,325,379
• US Class Current: 340/461
• 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

Abstract

A rotatable translucent drum has a plurality of messages spaced therearound representing events both critical and noncritical in nature which may occur at various remote points in a vehicle A drive motor is energized upon the occurrence of one of the events to index the drum to position the message representing the occurred event adjacent the viewing window. A circuit is provided to energize one of two lamps immediately upon the occurrence of an event to indicate whether the occurred event is critical or noncritical in nature and to energize a legend lamp when the message representing the occurred event is positioned adjacent the viewing window so as to illuminate the message to provide an indication of the specified event which has occurred.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle display system comprising:

first and second groups of event sensors positioned at remote locations in the vehicle, each of the event sensors in the first group being responsive to the occurrence of a respective event of a first type for generating an electrical signal and each of the event sensors in the second group being responsive to the occurrence of a respective event of a second type for generating an electical signal;

a viewing window;

a drum rotatably supported adjacent the viewing window;

a plurality of messages spaced around the drum so as to be sequentially positioned adjacent the viewing window as the drum is indexed, each of said messages representing the occurrence of a respective one of the events of the first and second types;

a plurality of switch means, each of the switch means being associated with a respective one of the event sensors in the first and second groups and having a normally closed contact, a normally open contact and a movable contact normally engaging the normally closed contact;

means coupling the movable contact of each switch means to the event sensor associated therewith so as to couple an electrical signal generated by said event sensoR to said movable contact;

means responsive to the angular position of the drum for shifting the movable contact of the switch means associated with the event sensor which monitors the occurrence of the event represented by the message adjacent the viewing window from engagement with the normally closed contact of said switch means to engagement with the normally open contact thereof;

drive means for indexing the drum;

a legend lamp for illuminating the message adjacent the viewing window;

warning means, the drive means, the legend lamp and the warning means each being energized by an electrical signal coupled thereto;

first connecting means for electrically coupling the normally closed contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the first group to the drive means;

second connecting means for electrically coupling the normally open contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the first group to the legend lamp;

third connecting means for electrically coupling the normally closed contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the second group to the drive means and to the warning means; and

fourth connecting means for electrically coupling the normally open contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the second group to the legend lamp and to the warning means, the third connecting means including first signal blocking means for isolating the warning means from an electrical signal coupled to the drive means through the normally closed contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the first group and second signal blocking means for isolating the drive means from an electrical signal coupled to the warning means through the normally open contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the second group and the fourth connecting means including third signal blocking means for isolating the legend lamp from an electrical signal coupled to the warning means through the normally closed contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the second group and fourth signal blocking means for isolating the warning means from an electrical signal coupled to the legend lamp through the normally open contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the first group, whereby the drive means is energized by an electrical signal generated upon the occurrence of an event to index the drum to position the message representing said occurrence adjacent the viewing window, the warning means is energized immediately upon the occurrence of an event of the second type to provide an indication thereof and the legend lamp is energized when the message representing an occurred event is positioned adjacent the viewing window.

2. An automotive vehicle display system comprising:

first and second groups of event sensors positioned at remote locations in the vehicle, each of the event sensors in the first group being responsive to the occurrence of a respective event of a first type critical in nature for generating an electrical signal and each of the event sensors in the second group being responsive to the occurrence of a respective event of a second type noncritical in nature for generating an electrical signal;

a viewing window;

a drum rotatably supported adjacent the viewing window;

a plurality of messages spaced around the drum so as to be sequentially positioned adjacent the viewing window as the drum is indexed, each of said messages representing the occurrence of a respective one of the events of the first and second types;

a plurality of switch means, each of the switch means being associated with a respective one of the event sensors in the first and second groups and having a normally closed contact, a normally open contact and a movable contact normally engaging the normally closed contact;

means coupling the movable contact of each switch means to the event sensor associated therewith so as to couple an electrical signal generated By said event sensor to said movable contact;

means responsive to the angular position of the drum for shifting the movable contact of the switch means associated with the event sensor which monitors the occurrence of the event represented by the message adjacent the viewing window from engagement with the normally closed contact of said switch means to engagement with the normally open contact thereof;

drive means for indexing the drum;

a legend lamp for illuminating the message adjacent the viewing window;

a critical indicator;

a noncritical indicator, the drive means, the legend lamp and the critical and noncritical indicators each being energized by an electrical signal coupled thereto;

first connecting means for electrically coupling the normally closed contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the first group to the drive means and to the critical indicator through a first pair of diodes;

second connecting means for electrically coupling the normally open contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the first group to the legend lamp and to the critical indicator through a second pair of diodes;

third connecting means for electrically coupling the normally closed contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the second group to the drive means and to the noncritical indicator through a third pair of diodes; and

fourth connecting means for electrically coupling the normally open contacts of the switch means associated with the event sensors in the second group to the legend lamp and to the noncritical indicator through a fourth pair of diodes, the first, second, third and fourth pairs of diodes being poled to pass an electrical signal from the plurality of switch means to the respective drive means, legend lamp and critical and noncritical indicators coupled therewith, whereby the drive means is energized by an electrical signal generated upon the occurrence of an event of the first or second types to index the drum to position the message representing said occurrence adjacent the viewing window, the critical or noncritical indicator is energized immediately upon the occurrence of a respective event of the first or second types to provide an indication of said type and the legend lamp is energized when the message representing an occurred event is positioned adjacent the viewing window.