US3246134A - Indicating instrument with lighting means - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1966 A. J. WHITE INDICATING INSTRUMENT WITH LIGHTING MEANS Filed July 29, 1964 [III 7 INVENTOR.

United States Patent fice 3,246,134 INDICATING INSTRUMENT WITH LIGHTIN MEANS Andrew J. White, Newmarket P.0., South Lee, N.H.

Filed July 29, 1964, Ser. No. 385,926

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-21) Reference is made to my pending patent application Serial No. 359,141, filing date April 13, 1964, pending in Group 430.

This invention relates to an indicating instrument that has lighting means.

One object of my invention is to provide an indicating instrument having lighting means so positioned as to clearly illuminate the dial or dials to be read.

Another object is to provide such an instrument that is especially adaptable for night driving of an automobile by so constructing the parts that glare is avoided even though the instrument may be mounted in different angular positions.

A further object is to provide a lens with light transmitting members extending angularly to the main face of the lens and through which light may be transmitted through a small overhead space to make the instrument dial clearly visible.

A still further object is to provide such lighting means that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in an instrument to indicate operating conditions of an automobile motor.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed 'by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of my instrument.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lens for my instrument.

FIG. 4 isa front elevational view of my instrument, but omitting the cover and lens, and showing the outer casing broken away.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of my instrument; but omitting the outer casing and electric light.

As illustrated, my instrument has an outer, hollow casing having a back 12 with a countersunk hole 13 therethrough. Extending into said casing 19 is a holder or housing 14 having a back 16 to which a nut 18 is fixedly attached opposite a hole 20 in the latter back. A screw 22 extends through said hole 13 and also a bushing 23, which screw-threadedly connects with said nut 18 thus attaching said holder 14 to the casing 10.

An angular supporting bracket 24 is riveted as at 26 to the outside of said holder 14. An electric socket 28 is attached to said bracket 24 and it holds a light bulb 30 that receives electric current through the usual wiring 32.

Said holder 14 has a projecting front rim 34 circumferentially outward of dials 40 and 50 later described. Said rim has an outer edge portion 36 peripherally engaging the inner peripheral surface of a cover 56 later referred to. An arcuate portion of said rim outer edge portion is peened down as at 38 or a depressed portion is otherwise provided, leaving a space 72 later referred to.

As shown, an inner dial member 40, having indicia 42 3,246,134 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 thereon, is provided. A pointer 44 is fixed to a pin 46 that extends through said dial 40 and is attachable to well-known actuating means, not shown, such as vacuum responsive mechanisms. Said dial member 40 has a mounting block 47 held to said holder 14 by two screws 48.

An outer dial 50, having a central opening 52 of a size to fit around the periphery of said inner dial 40, has numeric indicia 54 thereon. Said two dials constitute the indicating means in this illustration; but the number of dials used, whether one or two or more, is inconsequential to this invention. When the foregoing dials are used, I preferably have the inner dial 40 of a relatively light color and the outer dial 50 of a relatively dark color. For instance, the inner dial may be white or made of aluminum, while the outer dial may be black.

My instrument has a hollow cover 56 having an inwardly extending rim 58 that extends from the cover outer edge inwardly and terminates in a fiat, radial surface 66 that provides a stop member for a lens 64 later referred to. Inw-ardly of said flat surface 60 is a retainer or positioning lug 62 projecting inwardly from the inner periphery of said cover.

A transparent lens 64 fits inside said cover and contacts said flat stop surface 60. It has two light transmitting members 66 and 68, projecting angularly inward from the main face of said lens. They also project radially outward, slightly beyond the outer peripheral lens edge and slightly forward and rearward of said dials 40 and 50. Said positioning lug 62 extends into said space 70 when the lens is properly positioned in the cover 56.

Said space 72 is left between the inner peripheral surface of the cover 56 and the holder depressed portion 38. Into said space 72 said light transmitting members 66 and 68 enter. Thus light provided by said bulb 30 passes through said members 66 and 68 illuminating said dials 40 and 50 to provide the maximum visibility thereof without interfering shadows or glare, especially when driving at night.

What I claim is:

1. An indicating instrument comprising an outer casing, a cover, a holder extending into said outer casing embodying a dial and a rim :circumferentially outward of said dial, said rim extending into said cover and peripherally engaging the latter and having a depressed portion to thereby provide a space between said lens and an adjacent portion of said cover, a lens extending into said cover and being forwardly of said dial and embodying light transmitting means extending angularly from the main face thereof into said space, illuminating means in said casing rearwardly of said space, and means attaching said holder to said casing, said cover having a positioning lug at its inner peripheral surface, said light transmitting means embodying two light transmitting members spaced apart, said positioning lug extending into the latter space.

2. An indicating instrument as set forth in claim 1 in which said cover embodies an inwardly extending rim terminating in a flat radial surface intermediate the front and rear extremities of said cover providing stop means, said lens extending to said flat surface, said positioning lug terminating adjacent said flat surface.

3. An indicating instrument comprising an outer casing, a cover, a holder extending into said outer casing embodying a dial and a rim circumferentially outward of said dial, said rim extending into said cover and peripherally engaging the latter and having a depressed portion to thereby provide a space between said lens and an adjacent portion of said cover, a lens extending into said cover and being forwardly of said dial and embodying light transmitting means extending angularly from the main face thereof into said space, illuminating means in said casing rearwardly of said space, means attaching said holder to said casing, said cover embodying a positioning lug at its inner peripheral surface, said light transmitting means embodying two light transmitting members spaced apart, extending radially outward beyond the peripheral outer edge of said lens,said positioning lug extending into said latter space, said cover embodying an inwardly extending rim terminating in a flat, radial surface intermediate the front and rear extremities of said cover 10 providing stop means, said lens ext-ending to said flat sur face, and supporting means attached to said holder and within said casing, said illuminating means being supported by the latter supporting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,143,174 1/1939 Stuerzl. 2,317,182 4/1943 Dickson et a1. 2402.1 2,680,813 6/1954 Doyle 24 0--2.l

NORTON ANSI-1BR, Primary Examiner. EVON c. BLUNK, Examiner.

J. F. PETERS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN INDICATING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN OUTER CASING, A COVER, A HOLDER EXTENDING INTO SAID OUTER CASING EMBODYING A DIAL AND A RIM CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID DIAL, SAID RIM EXTENDING INTO SAID COVER AND PERIPHERALLY ENGAGING THE LATTER AND HAVING A DEPRESSED PORTION TO THEREBY PROVIDE A SPACE BETWEEN SAID LENS AND AN ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID COVER, A LENS EXTENDING INTO SAID COVER AND BEING FORWARDLY OF SAID DIAL AND EMBODYING LIGHT TRANSMITTING MEANS EXTENDING ANGULARLY FROM THE MAIN FACE THEREOF INTO SAID SPACE, ILLUMINATING MEANS IN SAID CASING REARWARDLY OF SAID SPACE, AND MEANS ATTACHING SAID HOLDER TO SAID CASING, SAID COVER HAVING A POSITIONING LUG AT ITS INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE, SAID LIGHT TRANSMITTING MEANS EMBODYING TWO LIGHT TRANSMITTING MEMBERS SPACED APART, SAID POSITIONING LUG EXTENDING INTO THE LATTER SPACE.

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