Indication apparatus

• US 4,090,194 A
• Filed: 02/25/1977
• Issued: 05/16/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kosuge, Shuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/772,278
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 340/27 R, 340/52 F, 340/197, 340/223, 340/324 R, 340/325, 340/379, 340/412, 340/414, 340/415
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/30 with rotating or oscillating members, e.g. vanes

Abstract

An indication apparatus indicates a highest priority one of a plurality of simultaneously occurring abnormal states of a vehicle. When one of a plurality of abnormal state sensors is opened, a drive motor coupled to an indication drum starts to rotate and stops when a position on the indication drum indicating above abnormal state sensor is reached. When another sensor having higher priority than the first sensor is also opened, the indication drum rotates to the position corresponding to the second higher priority sensor, but when a sensor having a lower priority is further opened the indication drum remains fixed at the position corresponding to the first sensor.

Claims

1. An indication apparatus comprising:

an indication drum having a plurality of indicia thereon;

a plurality of stationary contacts positioned circularly to correspond to respective indicia on said indication drum;

a first movable contact coupled to be rotated in synchronized relationship with said indication drum for contacting one of said stationary contacts when one of said indicia is positioned at a predetermined position due to rotation of said indication drum;

a second movable contact coupled to be rotated in synchronized relationship with said indication drum for contacting another of said stationary contacts when said first movable contact contacts with said one of said stationary contacts;

a plurality of sensors connected to said respective stationary contacts for sensing the abnormal state of respective items corresponding to said indicia and applying an output signal to the corresponding stationary contact;

priority means for applying said output signal to the stationary contact corresponding to the item having either higher or lower priority over the item sensed to be abnormal; and

a logic circuit connected to control the rotation of said indication drum in accordance with two input signals applied through said first and second movable contacts, said logic circuit rotating said indication drum so that the item sensed to be abnormal is indicated at said predetermined position and that another item sensed to be abnormal is indicated at said predetermined position when the latter item has higher priority over the former item.

2. An indication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said priority means includes a diode connected between two contacts among said stationary contacts, said two contacts being corresponding to respective items having different priority from each other.

3. An indication apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:

an electric motor coupled to be energized by said logic circuit and rotate said indication drum; and

a lamp coupled to be energized when said electric motor is de-energized for illuminating the indicium at said predetermined position.