AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ROTARY DISPLAY DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE OCCURRENCE OF A SINGLE OR A PLURALITY OF EVENTS

• US 3,852,712 A
• Filed: 08/01/1973
• Issued: 12/03/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roy G. Hynes
• Original Assignee: Roy G. Hynes
• Inventors: Hynes, Roy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/384,482
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 340/52R,52F,177R,181,195,197
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles

Abstract

A translucent indicator drum having a number of messages spaced therearound representing events which may occur at various remote points in a vehicle is indexed by a drive motor upon the energization of a drive circuit. A plurality of coded conductive logic strips are spaced around the drum and cooperate with wiper contacts coupled to event sensors to control the energization of the drive circuit and the energization of a lamp within the indicator drum in response to the occurrence of one or more of the events to index the drum to position the message representing that event adjacent a viewing window and to energize the lamp when that message is so positioned. The drive circuit includes a time delay to insure a minimum display time of each message upon the occurrence of two or more events.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle rotary display device for indicating the occurrence of events at remote locations in the vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of event sensors positioned at remote locations in the vehicle, each of said event sensors being responsive to the occurrence of a respective event for generating a signal upon said occurrence;

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;

a lamp positioned within the drum;

drive means for indexing the drum; and

circuit means responsive to the angular position of the drum for coupling the event sensor responsive to the event represented by the message adjacent the viewing window to the lamp and coupling the remaining event sensors to the drive means, the lamp being energized by a signal generated by one of the event sensors coupled thereto for illuminating the message positioned adjacent the viewing window to thereby provide an indication of the occurrence of the event represented by said message and the drive means being energized by a signal generated by one of the event sensors coupled thereto for indexing the drum to sequentially position the messages thereon adjacent the viewing window, the drive means including delay means for maintaining each message positioned adjacent the viewing window for a predetermined time period when the drive means is energized to index the drum, whereby a continuous indication is provided of the occurrence of a single event and an indication having a predetermined time duration is provided for the occurrence of each of a plurality of events which has occurred.

2. An automotive vehicle rotary display device for indicating the occurrence of events at remote locations in the vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of event sensors positioned at remote locations in the vehiCle, each of said event sensors being responsive to the occurrence of a respective event for generating a signal upon said occurrence;

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;

a lamp positioned within the drum;

reciprocating drive means for indexing the drum to sequentially position the messages on the drum adjacent the viewing window as said reciprocating drive means is energized and deenergized;

circuit means for periodically energizing and deenergizing the reciprocating drive means when said circuit means is energized, the circuit means having a time delay for controlling the energization and deenergization of the drive means so as to maintain each message adjacent the viewing window for a predetermined minimum time duration; and

a logic circuit responsive to the angular position of the drum for coupling the event sensor responsive to the event represented by the message adjacent the viewing window to the lamp and coupling the remaining event sensors to the circuit means, the lamp being energized by a signal coupled thereto from one of the event sensors for illuminating the message positioned adjacent the viewing window to provide an indication of the occurrence of the event and the circuit means being energized by a signal coupled thereto from one of the event sensors for periodically energizing and deenergizing the reciprocating drive means to index the drum, whereby a continuous indication is provided of the occurrence of a single event and an indication having a predetermined minimum time duration is provided for each of a plurality of events which has occurred.

3. An automotive vehicle rotary display device for indicating the occurrence of events at remote locations in the vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of event sensors positioned at remote locations in the vehicle, each of said event sensors being responsive to the occurrence of a respective event for generating a signal upon said occurrence;

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;

a lamp positioned within the drum;

reciprocating drive means for indexing the drum to sequentially position the messages on the drum adjacent the viewing window as said drive means is energized and deenergized;

oscillating thermal switch means for periodically energizing and deenergizing the reciprocating drive means when said oscillating thermal switch means is energized, the oscillating thermal switch means having a time delay for maintaining each message adjacent the viewing window for a predetermined minimum time duration; and

logic means responsive to the angular position of the drum for coupling the event sensor responsive to the event represented by the message adjacent the viewing window to the lamp and coupling the remaining event sensors to the oscillating thermal switch means, the lamp being energized by a signal coupled thereto from one of the event sensors for illuminating the message positioned adjacent the viewing window to thereby provide an indication of the occurrence of the event and the oscillating thermal switch means being energized by a signal coupled thereto from one of the event sensors to effect the indexing of the drum, the logic means including a plurality of coded conductive logic strips spaced around the drum and a plurality of wiper arms positioned to sequentially engage the coded conductive logic strips as the drum is indexed, at least one of the wiper contacts being coupled to the lamp, at least one of the wiper arms being coupled to the oscillating thermal switch means and each of the remaining wIper arms being coupled to a respective event sensor, whereby a continuous indication is provided of the occurrence of a single event and an indication having a predetermined minimum time duration is provided for each of a plurality of events which has occurred.