Display apparatus for vehicle

• US 5,414,595 A
• Filed: 11/10/1993
• Issued: 05/09/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Oike, Toshio, Yokota, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raab, Sara Sachie
• Application Number:
  US08/149,914
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362/26, 362/29, 362/30, 362/32, 73/499, 116/48, 116/62.1
• US Class Current: 362/489
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 13/22 Pointers, e.g. settable pointer

Abstract

A display apparatus for a vehicle with a light introducing member in which light emitted by a light source passes through a slit. The slit is used as a luminous pointer with high luminance, resulting in improved recognizability and readability of the display apparatus. The display apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention comprising: a dial; a pointer plate with a substantially round light-transmissible portion, the pointer plate situated on a front side of the dial and driven to rotate according to a measured value; a light-transmissible slit formed on the pointer plate; a light source situated on a rear side of the dial; and a light introducing member for gathering light from the light source to introduce the light into the slit.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a dial with a substantially round light-transmissible portion;

a pointer plate situated on a front side of the dial and driven to rotate according to a measured value;

a light-transmissible slit formed on the pointer plate;

a light source situated on a rear side of the dial; and

a light introducing member for gathering light from said light source to introduce said light into said slit;

wherein an outwardly extending projection is formed on an outer periphery of said pointer and said slit of the pointer plate is prolonged up to said projection.

3. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said light introducing member includes a pointer member with a shape of substantial truncated cone and both end faces thereof are formed to have a light reflecting function for reflecting light back and forth therebetween to form diffused light, and said pointer member is situated in the close vicinity to said slit.

4. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said light introducing member is provided with a white layer as a reflection face on a surface of said light introducing member opposing a face adjacent to said slit of the pointer plate.

5. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein a projection is formed on a surface of said light introducing member and is engaged with said slit of the pointer portion.

6. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a substantially cone-shaped cap with a reflection face on an inner face thereof is attached to an outer periphery of the pointer plate, and a light-transmissible slit on the cap is overlapped with the slit of the pointer plate to form a single luminous pointer portion.

7. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light introducing member includes a light introducing plate for receiving the light from the light source on a front face thereof and emitting the light from a side face thereof, and said side face where the light is emitted is situated in close vicinity to the slit of the pointer plate.

2. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in 1 wherein a portion of said light introducing member excluding an area of said slit, and said light transmissible portion of said dial are formed to have a light-intercepting function.