Vehicle indicator unit having wowing and graduation lighting function

• US 6,714,126 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Wada, Toshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US10/079,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 250/463.1, 116/286, 116/288, 116/62.1, 116/300, 116/301, 362/23, 362/26-27, 362/30, 340/438, 340/425.5, 340/815.45, 340/815.78, 340/815.8
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/16 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers

Abstract

A graduation board has an arc-shaped graduation portion and translucent graduations disposed along the graduation portion. A light emitting pointer is disposed on a front side of the graduation board and moves along the graduations. A plurality of LEDs that are disposed on a reverse side of the graduation board emits respective graduations. A control circuit controls an emission order of the LEDs according to the movement of the light emitting pointer when a key switch of the vehicle is turned on. As a result, the combination meter provides attractiveness and originality for the driver, when the key switch turns on.

Claims

1. A vehicle indicator comprising:

a graduation board having an arc-shaped graduation portion and translucent graduations disposed along the graduation portion;

a pointer that is disposed on a front side of the graduation board and movable through the graduations;

a plurality of luminous sources disposed on a reverse side of the graduation board for lighting respective graduations; and

a control unit for controlling lighting of the luminous sources and movement of the pointer;

wherein the control unit controls lighting order of the luminous sources according to the movement of the pointer when a key switch of the vehicle is operated.

2. A vehicle indicator as in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the lighting order in synchronism with the movement of the pointer.

3. A vehicle indicator as in claim 1, further comprising:

a pointer lighting device for lighting the pointer before the pointer is moved when the key switch of the vehicle is turned on.

4. A vehicle indicator as in claim 1, wherein

the graduation portion includes translucent numbers that are disposed in correspondence to the graduations;

and

the control unit controls the pointer from a minimum number position of the graduations to a maximum number position thereof, and thereafter controls the pointer from the maximum number position to the minimum number position.

5. A vehicle indicator as in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the luminous sources to light from a minimum number position of the graduations to a maximum number position thereof.

7. A vehicle indicator as in claim 1, further comprising:

a pointer lighting device for lighting the pointer; and

a black face for covering the light emitting pointer and the graduation board.

8. A vehicle indicator as in claim 1, further comprising:

a liquid crystal panel with a plurality of segments, which indicates information regarding the vehicle,

wherein the control unit controls the liquid crystal panel to take off the all segments when the key switch of the vehicle is turned on.

6. A vehicle indicator comprising:

a graduation board having an arc-shaped graduation portion and translucent graduations disposed along the graduation portion;

a pointer that is disposed on a front side of the graduation board and movable through the graduations;

a plurality of luminous sources disposed on a reverse side of the graduation board for lighting respective graduations; and

a control unit for controlling lighting of the luminous sources and movement of the pointer;

wherein the control unit controls a lighting order of the luminous sources according to the movement of the pointer when a key switch of the vehicle is operated, and

wherein the control unit controls the lighting order of the luminous sources when the key switch of the vehicle is turned off.

9. A vehicle indicator comprising:

a graduation board having an arc-shaped graduation portion and translucent graduations disposed along the graduation portion;

a pointer that is disposed on a front side of the graduation board and movable through the graduations;

a plurality of luminous sources disposed on a reverse side of the graduation board for lighting respective graduations; and

a control unit for controlling lighting of the luminous sources and movement of the pointer;

wherein the control unit controls a lighting order of at least some of the luminous sources according to movement of the pointer when a key switch of the vehicle is operated, and

wherein the control unit controls a lighting order of other ones of the luminous sources after a predetermined delay time.

10. A vehicle indicator as in claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the lighting order in synchronism with the movement of the pointer.

11. A vehicle indicator as in claim 9, further comprising:

a pointer lighting device for lighting the pointer before the pointer is moved when the key switch of the vehicle is turned on.

12. A vehicle indicator as in claim 9, wherein

the graduation portion includes translucent numbers that are disposed in correspondence to the graduations;

and

the control unit controls the pointer from a minimum number position of the graduations to a maximum number position thereof, and thereafter controls the pointer from the maximum number position to the minimum number position.

13. A vehicle indicator as in claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the luminous sources to light from a minimum number position of the graduations to a maximum number position thereof.

14. A vehicle indicator as in claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the lighting order of the luminous sources when the key switch of the vehicle is turned off.

15. A vehicle indicator as in claim 9, further comprising:

a pointer lighting device for lighting the pointer; and

a black face for covering the light emitting pointer and the graduation board.

16. A vehicle indicator as in claim 9, further comprising:

a liquid crystal panel with a plurality of segments for indicating vehicle information,

wherein the control unit controls the liquid crystal panel to take off all of the plurality of segments when the key switch of the vehicle is turned on.