Automatic transmission lever position indicating device

• US 5,245,313 A
• Filed: 02/20/1991
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flextronics Automotive Inc
• Original Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Inventors: Polityka, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US07/657,862
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 340/456, 340/438, 340/461, 340/425.5, 340/815.12, 340/767, 340/762, 340/815.03, 200/61.88, 200/61.91, 116/28.1, 116/286, 116/288, 74/473 R, 74/491, 74/DIG. 7, 362/29
• US Class Current: 340/456
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/283 Steering wheels; Gear levers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2063/423 Range indicators for automatic transmissions, e.g. showing selected range or mode
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2014 Manually operated selector [e.g., remotely controlled device, lever, push button, rotary dial, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20177 Particular element [e.g., shift fork, template, etc.]

Abstract

An automatic transmission lever position indicating device comprising a housing including a face wall structure presenting within an opaque background a sequence of translucent characters corresponding in sequence with the positions of the lever. A circuit board is mounted within the housing including leads for receiving and transmitting signals including the input signals of the automatic transmission. An illuminating assembly is carried by the circuit board for illuminating all of the sequence of translucent characters and additionally indicating by illumination one of the sequence of translucent characters corresponding to the position the lever is in. The illuminating assembly includes a light emitting diode associated with each translucent character of the sequence, the light emitting diodes being connected with the leads for energizing the light emitting diodes in a manner determined by the input signals received so as to illuminate the one light emitting diode associated with the translucent character of the sequence corresponding to the position the lever is in so that the illumination of the associated one light emitting diode provides said additional indication by illumination.

Claims

1. A visual indicating device for an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission operatively shiftable by a lever movable successively through a predetermined sequence of positions including a parking position, a reverse position, a neutral position and a plurality of forward driving speed positions, and means for creating input signals in response to the movement of said lever to determine the specific position of the lever is in, said visual indicating device comprising:

a housing including a face wall structure having an opaque background with a plurality of translucent indicators corresponding with the position of the lever, each of said translucent indicators corresponding to one of the parking position, the reverse position, the neutral position, and one of the plurality of forward driving speed positions,

each translucent indicator having a light emitting diode positioned within said housing in close proximity thereto,

an illumination confining means positioned adjacent to each light emitting diode to confine the illumination of each light emitting diode to one of said translucent indicators, and

a circuit means within said housing including leads for receiving and transmitting signals, including the input signals of the automotive transmission, and for simultaneously illuminating all of the sequence of translucent indicators at a first intensity using said light emitting diodes and for illuminating one of said translucent indicators corresponding to the position of the lever at a second intensity which is higher than said first intensity so as to provide a visual indication of all of the lever positions and the one position corresponding to the position the lever is in.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said face wall structure includes an exterior laminate providing spaced areas within which said translucent indicators are disposed, the remainder of said face wall structure joining an interior face of said laminate and having openings communicating with the interior face of said laminate within the areas of said translucent indicators.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein the number of leads for the input signals of the automatic transmission is less than the number of light emitting diodes, said circuit means including decoding means between said input signal leads and said light emitting diodes for determining, from said input signals, which position the lever is in and providing an output indicative thereof, for the energization of the one light emitting diode associated with the translucent character of said sequence corresponding to the position the lever is in.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said leads include an output lead for delivering a signal when said decoding means is providing an output indicative of the position of the lever when in its parking position or neutral position.