Control knob with symbol display

• US 7,255,061 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Denton, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez; Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, AMY COHEN
• Application Number:
  US11/392,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20060219156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 116/310, 116/305, 116/306, 116/309, 116/316, 116/318, 116/277, 116/284, 116/286, 116/298, 116/299, 116/42, 116/43, 116/45, 116/46, 362/23, 362/26, 362/28, 362/29, 362/30, 200/310, 200/313, 200/316
• US Class Current: 116/310
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/105 comprising arrangements for illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/025 Light-emitting indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/164 the light emitting elements being incorporated in and movable with the operating part
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/06 Reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor

Abstract

Control, comprising a knob (12a) with a prism (20) that has an axial part (22) located centrally in the knob, with a symbol display surface (28) at an external end (30) of the knob, and a part (24) arranged at an angle to the central part for receiving incident light from a symbol illuminated by a light source (34), which symbol is on a stationary disc element (32) located at an end of the knob (12a) facing away from the external end (30) and concentric with this, in order to be able to display different symbols by optical projection towards the symbol display surface (28) depending upon the rotational position of the knob (12a).

Claims

1. Control, comprising a knob (12;

12a) intended to be mounted in a wall element (16) in such a way that it can rotate, with an external end (30) facing towards the user and with a central cavity for housing a light-transmitting medium in order to be able to display different symbols, depending upon the rotational position of the knob, by optical projection towards the external end, in addition to which the control (10;

10a) comprises a disc element (32) upon which symbols are arranged that are to be displayed at the external end (30) of the knob (12;

12a), which disc element is located at the end of the knob (12;

12a) facing away from the external end (30) and concentric with this, and a light source (34) that is located on the side of the disc element (32) facing away from the knob (12;

12a) in order to illuminate the symbol on the disc element that is to be displayed at the external end of the knob at the time, characterized in that the disc element (32) upon which the symbols are arranged is stationary, in that the light-transmitting medium that is in the cavity comprises a prism (20), comprising an axial part (22) that is central in the knob (12;

12a) with a symbol display surface (28) at the external end of the knob, and a part (24) that is arranged at an angle to the central part (22) for receiving incident light from the illuminated symbol on the disc element (32) that is to be projected on the display surface (28) at the time and refracting this incident light towards the display surface, and in that the light source (34) is arranged to illuminate the symbol on the stationary disc element (32) that is to be displayed on the display surface (28) at the time, independent of the rotational position of the knob (12;

12a).

2. Control according to claim 1, characterized in that the prism (20) has two reflecting surfaces (36, 38) inclined at an angle of approx. 45°

in relation to the rotational axis of the knob, for refracting light that incides parallel to the axis of the prism twice through approx. 90° and

directing it towards the display surface (28).

3. Control according to claim 1, characterized in that the light source is in the form of a ring (34) with its central axis concentric with the rotational axis of the knob (12;

12a).

4. Control, comprising a knob (12b) intended to be mounted in a wall element (16) in such a way that it can rotate, with an external end (30b) facing towards the user and with a central cavity for housing a light-transmitting medium in order to be able to display different symbols, depending upon the rotational position of the knob (12b), by optical projection towards the external end, in addition to which the control (10b) comprises a disc element (32b) upon which symbols are arranged that are to be displayed at the external end of the knob (12b), which disc element is concentric with the knob, and a light source (34b) that is located on the side of the disc element (32b) facing away from the knob (12b) in order to illuminate the symbol on the disc element that is to be displayed at the external end of the knob at the time, characterized in that the light-transmitting medium that is in the cavity comprises a prism (20b), comprising an axial part (22b) that is central in the knob (12b) with a symbol display surface (28b) at the external end of the knob, and a part (24b) that is arranged at an angle to the central part for receiving incident light from the illuminated symbol on the disc element (32b) that is to be projected on the display surface (28b) at the time and refracting this incident light towards the display surface, and in that the disc element upon which the symbols are arranged is designed as a stationary cylindrical casing (32b) that surrounds concentrically a part of the knob (12b) that contains the angled part (24b) of the prism, and in that the light source (34b) is arranged to illuminate the symbol on the stationary disc element (32b) that is to be displayed on the display surface (28b) independent of the rotational position of the knob (12b).

5. Control according to claim 4, characterized in that the prism (20b) has a single reflective surface (38b) inclined at approx. 45°

to the rotational axis of the knob, for refracting light that incides transversely in relation to the axial part (22b) of the prism once through approx. 90° and

directing it towards the display surface (28b).

6. Control according to claim 4, characterized in that the light source is in the form of a ring (34b) with its central axis concentric with the rotational axis of the knob (12b).

7. Control, comprising a knob intended to be mounted in a wall element in such a way that it can rotate, with an external end facing towards the user and with a light-transmitting element in order to be able to display different symbols, depending upon the rotational position of the knob, by optical projection towards the external end, in addition to which the control comprises a disc element upon which symbols are arranged that are to be displayed at the external end of the knob, which disc element is located at the end of the knob facing away from the external end and concentric with this, and a light source that is located on the side of the disc element facing away from the knob in order to illuminate the symbol on the disc element that is to be displayed at the external end of the knob at the time, characterized in that the disc element upon which the symbols are arranged is stationary, in that the light-transmitting medium comprises a prism that has an axial part that is concentric with the rotational axis of the knob, the external end of which forms a symbol display surface, and a part arranged at an angle to the axial part with an internal end for receiving incident light from the illuminated symbol on the disc element that is to be projected towards the display surface at the time, with both parts of the prism being designed to refract the incident light towards the display surface, in that the prism itself is designed as a knob provided with a part that can be held and with a surface that prevents the leakage of light between the internal and external ends of the prism, and in that the light source is arranged to illuminate the symbol on the stationary disc element that is to be displayed on the display surface independent of the rotational position of the knob.