Gauge instrument for use in a motor vehicle
First Claim
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1. An instrument for viewing a condition of a vehicle, said instrument comprising:
- a sheet of material having a front and a back;
markings on said back of said sheet of material, said markings being visible through said front of said sheet of material;
a gauge motor disposed adjacent to said sheet of material;
a controller for receiving a signal indicative of the condition of the vehicle, said controller controlling said gauge motor based on said signal;
a pointer extending out of said gauge motor and movable by said gauge motor; and
a light source disposed adjacent said sheet of material, said light source emitting light receivable by said sheet of material such that said light is reflected within said sheet of material and refracted out of said front of said sheet of material only at locations directly opposed said markings on said back of said sheet of material allowing said markings to be visible due to the refracted light exiting said sheet of material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An eyes up instrument having a transparent display is disclosed which is mountable on or above the dashboard of a vehicle to allow the instrument to be read by a vehicle operator without lowering his eyes to the vehicle instrument panel. The display of the instrument is transparent and therefore does not interfere substantially with the view of the operator. The compact design of the instrument and use of a miniature crossed coil gauge supported in the display itself allow it to be mounted unobtrusively on a dashboard even in applications where transparency is not required.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An instrument for viewing a condition of a vehicle, said instrument comprising:
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a sheet of material having a front and a back;
markings on said back of said sheet of material, said markings being visible through said front of said sheet of material;
a gauge motor disposed adjacent to said sheet of material;
a controller for receiving a signal indicative of the condition of the vehicle, said controller controlling said gauge motor based on said signal;
a pointer extending out of said gauge motor and movable by said gauge motor; and
a light source disposed adjacent said sheet of material, said light source emitting light receivable by said sheet of material such that said light is reflected within said sheet of material and refracted out of said front of said sheet of material only at locations directly opposed said markings on said back of said sheet of material allowing said markings to be visible due to the refracted light exiting said sheet of material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An instrument for viewing a condition of a vehicle, said instrument comprising:
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a sheet of material having a front and a back;
markings on said back of said sheet of material;
an applique applied to said front of said sheet of material, said applique including information in locations opposite said markings on said back;
a gauge motor disposed adjacent to said sheet of material;
a controller for receiving a signal indicative of the condition of the vehicle, said controller controlling said gauge motor based on said signal;
a pointer extending out of said gauge motor and movable by said gauge motor; and
a light source disposed adjacent said sheet of material, said light source emitting light receivable by said sheet of material such that said light is reflected within said sheet of material and refracted out of said front of said sheet of material through said applique only at locations directly opposed said markings on said back of said sheet of material allowing said information on said applique to be visible due to the refracted light exiting said sheet of material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification