Turn lock bezel for gauge extraction and retention

• US 6,053,043 A
• Filed: 03/15/1995
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Navistar International Transportation Corp. (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Lozito, Thomas V., Dannenberg, Robert D., Lachmann, Leonard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOMBROSKE, GEORGE M
• Application Number:
  US08/404,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 73/431
• US Class Current: 73/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/144 Fixation on flat support, e.g. on dashboard

Abstract

A turn lock bezel mounts an instrument gauge on an instrument panel by exerting axial retention forces that force a bezel ring against a front margin of a mounting aperture in the instrument panel and a dial graphic and dial plate of the gauge against a rear edge of a retaining ring that holds a window glass in the bezel ring and passes axially into the mounting aperture. In a first embodiment, when the bezel is turned a small acute angle in one direction, it can be extracted from the mounting aperture leaving the gauge behind in the instrument panel, and when turned a small acute angle further, the bezel can still be extracted, but it now extracts the gauge too. In a second embodiment, a lost motion connection is provided between the bezel and the gauge so that finger tip clearance will exist between the rear edge of the bezel ring and the instrument panel before the bezel begins to extract the gauge. This allows the person to get a better grip for better overcoming resistance that may be encountered in separating the electrical terminals of the gauge from mating terminals in a circuit board in the instrument panel.

Claims

1. In combination:

A) an instrument panel having an aperture that extends axially in said instrument panel and that is bounded by a marginal edge portion of said instrument panel that is disposed peripherally about said aperture;

B) an instrument gauge that comprises;

1) electrical input terminal means for receiving an electrical input signal that represents the value of an input to said gauge; and

2) a front display at which said gauge presents the value of such an electrical input signal;

C) electrical supply terminal means for separable mating with said input terminal means of said gauge for supplying such an electrical input signal to said input terminal means;

D) means defining an installed position for said gauge relative to said instrument panel wherein said gauge is disposed in registration with said aperture for removal from the installed position by being extracted via said aperture, and wherein said electrical supply terminal means are separably mated with said input terminal means; and

E) bezel means comprising;

1) a front bezel portion that is disposed axially forward of and overlaps both said aperture and said marginal edge portion of said instrument panel and that allows said front display to be viewed by an observer with said gauge being in the installed position; and

2) gauge extraction means that extends axially rearward from said front bezel portion through said aperture, and, upon said bezel means being bodily displaced axially forward, engages the installed gauge to cause said gauge to be bodily displaced axially forward, and thereby extracted from the installed position.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said electrical supply terminal means is mounted on an electrical wiring board that is spaced axially rearward of said aperture and said electrical supply terminal means and said electrical input terminal means are constructed and arranged such that upon said gauge being bodily displaced axially forward by said bezel means, said electrical input terminal means separates from mating with said electrical supply terminal means.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein an axial lost motion connection is provided between said gauge extraction means and the installed gauge for preventing said gauge extraction means from beginning to bodily displace said gauge axially forward until after said bezel means has been bodily displaced axially forward away from said instrument panel a distance that creates an axial clearance between said front bezel portion and said instrument panel to provide finger tip clearance enabling portions of a person'"'"'s finger tips to intrude into said axial clearance.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said gauge comprises a peripheral marginal portion, and upon said bezel means being bodily displaced axially forward, said gauge extraction means engages said marginal portion of said gauge to cause said gauge to be bodily displaced axially forward, and thereby extracted from the installed position.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which said peripheral marginal portion is disposed peripherally about a housing that contains a gauge movement that is operated by such an electrical input signal.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said instrument panel has a front face, a rear face, said aperture extends axially in said instrument panel between said front face and said rear face, and said bezel means comprises retention means applying a retention force that forces a portion of said front bezel portion that radially overlaps said marginal edge portion of said instrument panel against said front face of said instrument panel.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which said gauge extraction means comprises finger means extending axially rearward from said front bezel portion through said aperture, first projection means that projects radially outwardly from said finger means to form said retention means, and second projection means that projects radially inwardly from said finger means for engaging said gauge to extract said gauge from the installed position.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which said aperture has an imaginary axis about which said bezel means is circumferentially positionable to plural positions, said retention force is applied via said first projection means when said bezel means is in a first of said plural positions, said marginal edge portion of said instrument panel comprises clearance means with which said first projection means registers when said bezel means is in a second of said positions for allowing said first projection means to pass through said clearance means upon said bezel means being bodily displaced axially forward to extract said gauge, and when said bezel means is in the second of said positions, said second projection means is disposed to engage said gauge and extract said gauge from the installed position upon said bezel means being bodily displaced axially forward.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8 in which said second projection means is disposed on said finger means such that when said bezel means is in said second of said positions, said second projection means does not begin to engage said gauge until after said bezel means has been bodily moved axially away from said instrument panel a distance that creates an axial clearance between said front bezel portion and said front face of said instrument panel to provide finger tip clearance enabling portions of a person'"'"'s finger tips to intrude into said axial clearance.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 in which said axial clearance is on the order of one-half inch.

11. The combination set forth in claim 8 in which said gauge comprises means disposed in the path of travel of said finger means as said bezel means is being positioned from said first of said positions to said second of said positions to be abutted by said finger means and stop said bezel means when said bezel means arrives at said second of said positions.

12. The combination set forth in claim 11 in which said means disposed in the path of travel of said finger means as said bezel means is being positioned from said first of said positions to said second of said positions to be abutted by said finger means and stop said bezel means when said bezel means arrives at said second of said positions comprises hook means having a radially outwardly extending portion and a circumferentially extending portion at a radially outer end of said radially outwardly extending portion that cooperatively form throat means that is open circumferentially toward said finger means as said finger means approaches said hook means during positioning of said bezel means toward said second of said positions.

13. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said front bezel portion comprises a full ring.

14. The combination set forth in claim 13 in which said ring is circular in shape.

15. In combination:

A) an instrument panel comprising an aperture;

B) an instrument gauge having a front display at which said gauge presents the value of an input to said gauge; and

C) bezel means for mounting said gauge on said instrument panel such that said front display is presented via said aperture for viewing by an observer, said bezel means comprising a front bezel portion in front of said aperture;

D) said instrument panel, said instrument gauge, and said bezel means comprising;

1) means for circumferentially positioning said bezel means to two particular circumferential positions relative to both said aperture and gauge about a coaxis of said aperture, said gauge, and said bezel means;

2) means forcefully retaining said bezel means in assembled relationship with said instrument panel when said bezel means is at a first of said two particular circumferential positions; and

3) means allowing said bezel means to be disassembled from said instrument panel by moving said bezel means bodily axially away from said aperture and in the process said bezel means extracting said gauge from said instrument panel axially through said aperture when said bezel means is in a second of said two particular circumferential positions, including an axial lost motion connection between said bezel means and said gauge for preventing said bezel means from beginning to bodily extract said gauge until after said bezel means has been bodily moved axially away from said instrument panel a distance that creates an axial clearance between said front bezel portion and said instrument panel to provide finger tip clearance enabling portions of a person'"'"'s finger tips to intrude into said axial clearance.

16. In combination:

A) an instrument panel having a front face, a rear face, and an aperture that extends axially in said instrument panel between said front face and said rear face and that is bounded by a marginal edge portion of said instrument panel that is disposed radially of a central axis of said aperture;

B) an instrument gauge having a front display at which said gauge presents the value of an input to said gauge; and

C) bezel means for mounting said gauge on said instrument panel such that said front display is presented via said aperture for viewing by an observer comprising;

1) a front bezel portion that is disposed over said front face of said instrument panel and that radially overlaps both said aperture and said marginal edge portion of said instrument panel;

2) finger means extending rearwardly from said front bezel portion through said aperture;

3) first retention means on said finger means for coaction with said rear face of said instrument panel to create a first retention force that forces a portion of said front bezel portion that radially overlaps said marginal edge portion of said instrument panel against said front face of said instrument panel; and

4) second retention means on said finger means for coaction with said gauge to create a second retention force that forces said gauge against a portion of said front bezel portion that radially overlaps said aperture.

17. The combination set forth in claim 16 in which said first retention means comprises first projection means that projects radially outwardly from said finger means and said second retention means comprises second projection means that projects radially inwardly from said finger means.

18. The combination set forth in claim 17 including first camming and cammed means between said first projection means and said rear face of said instrument panel and second camming and cammed means between said second projection means and said gauge, said first and second camming and cammed means functioning to develop said first and second retention forces in response to turning of said front bezel portion relative to said aperture about an axis of said front bezel portion that is coaxial with said central axis of said aperture.

19. The combination set forth in claim 18 in which said first camming and cammed means comprises ramp means on said instrument panel which extends both circumferentially and axially of said central axis of said aperture and with which said first projection means reacts to develop said first retention force in response to turning of said front bezel portion relative to said aperture.

20. The combination set forth in claim 19 in which said aperture comprises clearance means at a beginning of said ramp means for allowing said first projection means to clear said ramp means and said marginal edge portion of said instrument panel when said front bezel portion is turned to one particular circumferential position to circumferentially register said first projection means with said clearance means whereby in that one particular circumferential position said bezel means can be removed from said aperture by bodily moving said front bezel portion axially away from said aperture.

21. The combination set forth in claim 20 including means to circumferentially constrain said gauge on said instrument panel to a given circumferential position relative to said aperture, in which said second camming and cammed means comprises a marginal edge portion of said gauge with which said second projection means reacts to develop said second retention force, and in which said second projection means is disposed in radially overlapping relationship with said marginal edge portion of said gauge both when causing said second retention force to be exerted on said gauge and also when said front bezel portion is turned to said one particular circumferential position whereby when said front bezel portion is in said one particular circumferential position and said bezel means is being removed from said aperture, said bezel means is also removing said gauge from said instrument panel via said aperture.

22. The combination set forth in claim 21 in which said marginal edge portion of said gauge comprises further clearance means at a beginning of said marginal edge portion of said gauge for allowing said second projection means to clear said marginal edge portion of said gauge when said front bezel portion is turned to another particular circumferential position at which said first projection means remains registered with said first mentioned clearance means whereby with said front bezel portion at that another particular circumferential position, said bezel means will not extract said gauge from said instrument panel via said aperture when said bezel means is being removed from said aperture.

23. The combination set forth in claim 16 in which said front bezel portion comprises a transparent window in covering relation to said aperture, a bezel ring in which said window is seated, and a retaining ring that holds said window seated in said bezel ring, and in which said second retention means causes said second retention force to force said gauge against said retaining ring.

24. The combination set forth in claim 23 in which said front display of said gauge is disposed within said retaining ring just rearward of said window, and in which said retaining ring is disposed within said aperture.

25. The combination set forth in claim 16 in which said second retention means is disposed on said finger means axially rearward of said first retention means.

26. The combination set forth in claim 16 in which said first and second retention means comprise respective axially facing curved surfaces that face in the same direction as does said front display.

27. The combination set forth in claim 16 in which said front bezel portion comprises a bezel ring that is forced by said first retention force to bear directly against said instrument panel front face.

28. The combination set forth in claim 16 in which said first camming and cammed means are operative between said first retention means and said rear face of said instrument panel to develop said first retention force in response to turning of said front bezel portion relative to said aperture about an axis of said front bezel portion that is coaxial with said central axis of said aperture, and in which second camming and cammed means are operative between said second retention means and said gauge to develop said second retention force in response to such turning of said front bezel portion.

29. The combination set forth in claim 28 in which said first camming and cammed means comprises for a first cammed means thereof an axially facing curved surface of said first retention means that faces in the same direction as does said front display and for a first camming means thereof an axially rearward facing ramp surface in said rear face of said instrument panel, and in which said second camming and cammed means comprises for a second camming means thereof an axially facing curved surface of said second retention means that faces in the same direction as does said front display and for a second cammed means thereof a rear face of a marginal edge portion of said gauge.

30. In combination:

A) an instrument panel comprising an aperture;

B) an instrument gauge having a front display at which said gauge presents the value of an input to said gauge; and

C) bezel means for mounting said gauge on said instrument panel such that said front display is presented via said aperture for viewing by an observer;

D) said instrument panel, said instrument gauge, and said bezel means comprising;

1) means for circumferentially positioning said bezel means to three particular circumferential positions relative to both said aperture and gauge about a coaxis of said aperture, said gauge, and said bezel means;

2) means forcefully retaining said bezel means and said gauge in assembled relationship with said instrument panel when said bezel means is at a first of said circumferential positions;

3) means allowing said bezel means to be disassembled from said instrument panel and gauge while said gauge remains mounted on said panel by moving said bezel means axially away from said aperture when said bezel means is at a second of said circumferential positions; and

4) means allowing said bezel means to be disassembled from said instrument panel by moving said bezel means axially away from said panel and in the process said bezel means extracting said gauge from said instrument panel axially through said aperture when said bezel means is at a third of said circumferential positions.

31. The combination set forth in claim 30 in which said three circumferential positions are disposed such that said second of said circumferential positions is circumferentially between said first and third of said circumferential positions, and is no more than an acute angle from each of said first and third of said circumferential positions.