Illuminating display device

• US 4,977,486 A
• Filed: 12/27/1989
• Issued: 12/11/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gotoh, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/457,907
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362/26, 362/27, 362/30, 362/31, 362/32, 362/234, 362/235, 362/236, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An illuminating device including a first light source, a second light source and light guiding means, all provided behind an indicating panel having a first indicating area and a second indicating area formed adjacent to each other. The first light source is located at a position opposed to the first indicating area for illuminating the first indicating area. The second light source is so located as to illuminate the second indicating area through the light guiding means. The light guiding means is constructed of a transparent plate-like light guiding member for guiding light from the second light source to the second indicating area. The light guiding member is interposed between the indicating panel and the first light source. The light guiding member is capable of transmitting light from the first light source across a thickness of the light guiding member.

Claims

1. In an illuminating display device wherein a first light source is capable of illuminating a first display area and is positioned opposite to said first display area and wherein a second light source is capable of illuminating a second display area through a light guiding means, said first light source and said second light source arranged at a rear side of a display panel having said first display area and said second display area arranged therein, an improvement in which a transparent flat plate-like light guiding member for guiding light from said second light source to said second display area is placed between said display panel and said first light source, wherein the light from said second light source is reflected by a first tapered surface arranged at one end of said light guiding member and guided to said second display area by a second tapered surface arranged at the other end of said light guiding member and wherein at the same time said light guiding member allows the light of said first light source to pass through said light guiding member in a plate thickness direction.

2. An illuminating display device according to claim 1 in which said second display area is arranged within the first display area.

3. An illuminating display device according to claim 2 in which said second tapered surface is oppositely arranged in the second display area.