Phosphor reactive instrument panel and gauges

• US 7,216,997 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rebo Lighting & Electronics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Federal-Mogul Worldwide Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, James B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton; Anabel
• Application Number:
  US11/257,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20060087826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362/27, 362/29, 362/30, 362/84, 362/85
• US Class Current: 362/27
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices

Abstract

An instrument panel assembly (10) having a transparent intermediate substrate (42) inside its housing (16) on which is applied a phosphor coated indicia (40) for giving the appearance of a depth dimension when energized by a UV light source (36). Multiple intermediate substrates (42, 48) can be positioned at different level within the interior region of the housing (16), each containing various indicia (40, 46, 56, 58) which emits luminescent light when irradiated by the UV light source (36). Multiple UV light sources (36, 52) can be set to project UV radiation of different wavelengths into the housing (16) with each of the phosphor coated indicia (40, 46, 56, 58) being selected from material types which are responsive to only one of the various UV wavelengths, so that each indicia (40, 46, 56, 58) can be selectively energized to display warnings, information messages, or the like.

Claims

1. An instrument panel assembly comprising:

a housing having a generally transparent front viewing screen, a backfield, and sidewalls together bounding an interior region;

at least one gauge fixed to said backfield within said interior region operative to communicate information to an observer through said front viewing screen;

phosphor coated indicia disposed in said interior region operative to convert UV radiation into emitted luminescent light;

a UV light source operative to project UV light into said interior region of said housing and irradiate said phosphor coated indicia so as to emit luminescent light; and

an intermediate substrate holding said phosphor coated indicia in spaced relation to said gauge and suspended between said backfield and said viewing screen.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said intermediate substrate is substantially transparent.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said intermediate substrate comprises a sheet-like plastic material extending between opposing sidewalls of said housing.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said front viewing screen prevents the transmission of UV radiation therethrough.

5. The assembly of claim 1 further including a secondary phosphor coated indicia disposed inside said interior region and spaced from said first-mentioned phosphor coated indicia.

6. The assembly of claim 5 further including a secondary intermediate substrate for holding said secondary phosphor coated indicia in spaced relation to said gauge and suspended between said backfield and said viewing screen.

7. The assembly of claim 6 further including a secondary UV light source for projecting UV light of a wavelength different than that of said first-mentioned UV light source, said secondary phosphor coated indicia being responsive to said second UV light source but not said first-mentioned UV light source.

8. The assembly of claim 1 further including a tertiary phosphor coated indicia disposed in said interior region and affixed to said front viewing screen.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said gauge includes a wave guide for transmitting UV light.

10. The assembly of claim 1 further including a UV filter disposed between said UV light source and said interior region of said housing for selectively passing only UV light within a predetermined range of wavelengths into said interior region.

11. A vehicular instrument panel assembly of the type for displaying real time information to a driver, said assembly comprising:

a housing having a generally transparent front viewing screen made from a UV absorbing material, a backfield, and sidewalls together bounding an interior region;

at least one gauge fixed to said backfield within said interior region operative to communicate information to the driver through said front viewing screen;

phosphor coated indicia disposed in said interior region operative to convert UV radiation into emitted luminescent light;

a UV light source operative to be selectively energized and project UV light into said interior region of said housing and irradiate said phosphor coated indicia so as to emit luminescent light; and

a substantially transparent intermediate substrate holding said phosphor coated indicia in spaced relation to said gauge and suspended between said backfield and said viewing screen.

12. The assembly of claim 11 further including a UV filter disposed between said UV light source and said interior region of said housing for selectively passing only UV light within a predetermined rage of wavelengths.

13. The assembly of claim 11 further including a secondary phosphor coated indicia disposed in said interior region and spaced from said first-mentioned phosphor coated indicia, and a secondary intermediate substrate for holding said secondary phosphor coated indicia in spaced relation to said gauge and suspended between said backfield and said viewing screen.

14. The assembly of claim 13 further including a second UV light source for projecting UV light of a wavelength different than that of said first-mentioned UV light source, said secondary phosphor coated indicia being responsive to said second UV light source but not said first-mentioned light source.