Vehicular display device

• US 5,556,187 A
• Filed: 09/27/1994
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Masuda, Michihisa, Furuya, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US08/310,768
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362/26, 362/27, 362/28, 362/242, 362/243, 362/247, 362/298, 362/346, 116/288, 116/287, 116/286, 116/DIG. 6, 116/DIG. 26, 116/DIG. 36, 116/62.1, 116/62.4
• US Class Current: 362/27
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/336 Light guides
• 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

Abstract

There is provided a vehicular display device in which a dial and a pointer are made to glow by a single light source other than a cold-cathode tube to reduce costs. The vehicular display device includes a dial and a disk pointer located at an opening of the dial. A movement having a decentered rotation shaft is mounted on the rear side of the disk pointer, and five bulb light sources are arranged around the movement. A first conical reflector for reflecting and guiding light from the light sources to the disk pointer is disposed between the light sources and the movement. Furthermore, a second reflector having reflecting curved surfaces for respectively guiding light from the light sources to the first reflector is disposed outside the light sources.

Claims

1. A vehicular display device comprising:

a dial having an opening in a center thereof and including characters around said opening on a front side thereof;

a disk pointer located at said opening of said dial;

a movement located on a rear side of said dial and disk pointer to drive said disk pointer;

a plurality of bulb light sources arranged around said movement;

a first reflector located between said light sources and said movement to reflect and guide light from said light sources to said disk pointer; and

a second reflector locating outwardly of said light sources and having reflecting curved surfaces respectively guiding light of said light sources to said first reflector, each of said reflecting curved surfaces of said second reflector being made of a concave reflecting curved surface in the shape of a Fresnel lens.

2. A vehicular display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one indentation is formed at each end of each of said reflecting surface of said second reflector.

3. A vehicular display device according to claim 1, wherein the number of said bulb light sources is so set that luminance does not vary according to the rotation position of said disk pointer.

4. A vehicular display device according to claim 3, the number of said bulb light sources is five.