Tachometer pointer instrument

• US 6,962,127 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Birke, Lars, Kail, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US10/744,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20040182305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 116/305, 116/302, 116/303, 116/62.1, 116/334, 116/300, 116/280, 116/286, 116/284, 116/DIG.5, 116/DIG.36, 116/62.4, 180/90, 296/70, 340/459, 340/461, 340/462, 738/663, 362/22, 362/489
• US Class Current: 116/305
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/42 Circuit board features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/42 Circuit board features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 116/05 using light guides

Abstract

A tachometer pointer instrument for motorcycles comprises a housing which includes a housing base and a housing cover which is transparent at least in part. The tachometer pointer instrument also comprises a pointer drive module accommodated in the housing base and a number dial visible through the housing cover. The pointer drive module has a stepping motor, control electronics and a display unit which are built on a common printed circuit board and the pointer drive module is fastened on support structures formed in the housing base.

Claims

1. A tachometer pointer instrument for a motor vehicle, said tachometer pointer instrument comprising a housing which includes a housing base and a housing cover which is transparent at least in part, and a pointer drive module accommodated in said housing base and a number dial visible through said transparent part of said housing cover, wherein said pointer drive module has a stepping motor, control electronics and a display unit which are built on a common printed circuit board and said pointer drive module is fastened on support structures formed in said housing base, wherein said printed circuit board mounts several light-emitting components to which light guides are optically connected, and wherein said light guides are associated with symbols in said number dial which are able to be illuminated, said symbols being located in said number dial at selected places next to the places where said associated light guides end.

2. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein said printed circuit board is positioned by said support structures in said housing base.

3. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein on the outside of said housing base a plug socket is formed, which surrounds a plurality of contact pins penetrating through said housing base, and wherein said contact pins are connected with said printed circuit board inside said housing.

4. The pointer instrument according to claim 3, wherein said inner ends of said contact pins are inserted directly into contact holes of said printed circuit board.

5. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting components are light-emitting diodes.

6. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein a light source is associated with said display unit.

7. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein said display unit, related to said number dial, is arranged between said lower housing edge and said pointer drive shaft of said stepping motor.

8. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein said control electronics comprise a microcomputer and the functionality of said control electronics is determined by the individually adapted software run on said microcomputer.

9. The pointer instrument according to claim 1, wherein said control electronics, in addition to the control of the stepping motor, contain the control of said display unit with at least one of the following functions:

total distance;

trip meter, resettable;

fuel filling level;

time;

oil temperature.

10. A tachometer pointer instrument for a motor vehicle, said tachometer pointer instrument comprising a housing which includes a housing base and a housing cover which is transparent at least in part, and a pointer drive module accommodated in said housing base and a number dial visible through said transparent part of said housing cover, wherein said pointer drive module has a stepping motor, control electronics and a display unit which are built on a common printed circuit board and said pointer drive module is fastened on support structures formed in said housing base, the outer contour of said housing base forming an indentation in which an edge of said printed circuit board is held in a form-fitting manner.