US3609899A - Day-night prism display device - Google Patents

Abstract

AN INDICATING DEVICE INCLUDING AN OPEN-ENDED OUTER HOUSING WITH LIGHT PRODUCING MEANS WITHIN THE HOUSING. A CAP IS AXIALLY MOVABLE WITHIN THE HOUSING AND COVERS THE LIGHT PRODUCING MEANS. THERE ARE INDICIA BANDS ALONG THE INNER SIDES OF THE HOUSING AND A REFLECTING SURFACE ADJACENT EACH OF THE INDICIA BANDS FOR DIRECTING INTERIOR LIGHT TO THE INDICIA. THE MOVABLE CAP IS TRANSPARENT AND INCLUDES PRISM AREAS. THE INDICIA BANDS ARE ILLUMINATED BOTH FROM THE INTERIOR LIGHT SOURCE AND FROM AMBINET LIGHT PASSING

THROUGH THE TRANSPARENT CAP. IN ONE POSITION OF THE CAP THE INDICIA BANDS WILL BE VISIBLE AT THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAP WHICH IS THE IMAGE SURFACE OF THE PRISM AREA. IN THE SECOND POSITION OF THE CAP. IN WHICH IT IS POSITIONED AWAY FROM THE INDICIA BANDS, THERE WILL BE NO INDICIA DIPLAYED AT THE CAP OUTER SURFACE.

Description

Oct. 5, 1971 Filed March 17, 1970 if Z4 J. C. ALEXANDER ET AL www DAY-NIGHT PRISM DISPLAY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l f INH@ IIII'IIIIII Imm l Il!"i F Oct. 5, i971 J. @ALEXANDER ETAL 3,60%@

DAY-NIGHT PRISM DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 17, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 555m@ @riff/MM@ United States Patent Oitce 3,609,899 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 3,609,899 DAY-NIGHT PRISM DISPLAY DEVICE .lames C. Alexander, Crystal Lake, Ill., and Peter J. Van Benschoten, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., assignors to Oak Electro/Netics Corp., Crystal Lake, Ill.

Filed Mar. 17, 1970, Ser. No. 20,211 Int. Cl. G09f 3/00 U.S. Cl. 40-331 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An indicating device including an open-ended outer housing with light producing means within the housing. A cap is axially movable within the housing and covers the light producing means. There are indicia bands along the inner sides of the housing and a reflecting surface adjacent each of the indicia bands for directing interior light to the indicia. The movable cap is transparent and includes prism areas. The indicia bands are illuminated both from the interior light source and from ambient light passing through the transparent cap. In one position of the cap the indicia bands will be visible at the exterior of the cap which is the image surface of the prism area. In the second position of the cap, in which it is positioned away from the indicia bands, there will be no indicia display at the cap outer surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to indicating devices and in particular to indicating devices utilizing a prism having an object surface, an image surface and a reflecting surface.

A primary purpose of the present invention is a prism type of indicating device in which indicia is illuminated both by interior light, for example from an electrical light source, and from exterior ambient light.

Another purpose is an indicating device of the type described in which indicia in the form of colored bands is utilized to indicate the position of a switch, solenoid or the like.

Another purpose is an indicating device of the type described in which different bands of indicia, illuminated both interiorly and exteriorly, are utilized to show the condition of an operating member.

Another purpose is an indicating device of the type described in which indicia in the form of a colored band is illuminated from an interior light source and from exterior ambient light, with the interior light being directed by a reflecting surface to the indicia band, and with the exterior ambient light being directed by a second reflecting surface to the indicia band.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one form of indicating device described herein,

FIG. 2 is a section along plane 2 2 of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a section, similar to FIG. 2, but showing the indicating device in a second position, and

FIG. 4 is a section, similar to FIG. 3, but showing a modified form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention utilizes prisms formed of a transparent material to provide an indication of the condition of a switch, solenoid or other electrical or mechanical operating device. Such prisms, which may be made of a variety of transparent plastics, have an object surface, an image surface and a reflecting surface. The reflecting surface may be a highly polished surface formed of the transparent plastic material, or it may be silvered or otherwise made to have a high degree of reflection.

The structure shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 includes an outer housing, indicated generally at 10, formed of side walls 12, 14, 16 and 18. The housing 10 has an open end 20 and the bottom of the housing may be closed by a plate or the like 22 which may, for example, be an instrument panel or the like.

The housing walls may preferably be formed of an opaque plastic material, or any other material which will not pass light. Walls 12 and 14 are identical and only one will be described in detail. Considering wall 12, there is a groove indicated at 24 within which is mounted a reflector plate 26. The reflector plate 26 has a longitudinal slot 27, the upper surface of which is slanted, as at 28, to form a reflecting surface. Indicia, in the form of a band of colored tape or the like indicated at 30, may either be attached to the exterior `wall of the reflector plate or to an interior wall of the groove 24. In either event, the indicia 30 is so positioned that it is accessible to light coming in through the transparent reflector plate 26.

Mounted within the housing 10 is a light 32 which is movable with a push-button switch plunger 34. The pushbutton plunger 34 is in the in position in FIG. 2, and in the out position in FIG. 3.

A cap indicated generally at 3S, generally the same in size and shape as the opening 20 in the housing, is movable within the housing, generally on the housing axis. The cap has a transparent outer portion 36 with a pair of reflecting surfaces 38 and 40. Reflecting surfaces 38 and 40 are part of a pair of prisms, having object surfaces 42 and 44 and image surfaces 46 and 48 which are co-planar with the exterior surface of the cap. The cap 35 may include an opaque plastic member 50 which extends about light 32 and is keyed to a sleeve 54. The entire cap structure is movable with the push-button plunger 34. Thus, movement of the cap in and out of the housing 10 will move the light 32 and the opaque member 50.

When the cap structure is in the in position of FIG. 2, the indicia 30 is visible at the image surfaces 46 and 48. Light from the light source 32 will be reflected by the reflecting surface 28 into the reflector plate 26. Light will be diffused within the reflector plate 26 such that the indicia 30` will be illuminated. This illumination will be displayed by reflecting surfaces 38 and 40 at the image surfaces 46 and 48. Ambient light will pass in- Wardly through transparent cap 36 to the reflecting surfaces 38 and 40 and Will also illuminate the indicia 30. Thus in daytime, or in a lighted area situation, the primary illumination of the indicia 30, to give an indication of switch position, will be from ambient light. In nighttime, or in a darkened area, the same indicia can be illuminated by the light 32, which will be on at all times, but will be the primary source of light in the dark.

In the out position of the cap 35, shown in FIG. 3, there can be no ambient light directed to the indicia 30 since it will be reflected onto walls 12 and 14 by surfaces 38 and 40. No illumination from the light 32 will reach the indicia 30 as it -will also be blocked by the opaque member 50. Thus, in only one position of the cap 3S will the indicia 30 -be illuminated. In order for there to be a display of the indicia 30 `at the surface of the cap, the reflecting surfaces 38 and 40 forming a part of the two prisms in the cap must be positioned opposite the indicia.

The center section of the cap 36, illustrated particularly in FIG. l, may be used for a suitable legend. Three triangles, indicated `at 56, are illustrated in FIG. l, but this is obviously merely an example of one possible type of legend display. The legend will always be visible because of the light 32, however, indicia will only be displayed in the structure of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 when the cap is in the in position,

The structure of FIG. 4 is substantially the same, except that there are a pair of indicia bands. The second indicia bands are indicated at 60. There is a second reflector plate 62 having a slanted reilecting surface 64. In the structure of FIG. 4, Iwhen the cap is in the out position, there will be an indicia` display at the surface of the cap. In one practical use of the invention, one color hand may form indicia 30 and a second color band form indicia 60; In this way one color can indicate an on or an in position of the cap, with the other color indicating an oit or out position of the cap.

As disclosed herein, the light moves with the cap. In some practical applications both the light and cap may be stationary and the indicia 'may move.

Although the housing structure is shown as generally rectangular, obviously the invention should not be so limited. The housing structure maybe a cylinder, in which case the indicia bands could extend all the way around or only partially around the cylinder. Other cross sectional configurations are equally satisfactory. There may be indicia only along one side of the housing instead of on both sides. In other applications, all four sides of the housing may include indicia bands and thus the cap would have an equal number of prisms.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been sho-wn and described herein, it should be realized that there may be many modifications, alterations and substitutions thereto.

We claim:

1. In an indicating device, an open-ended outer housing, light producing means within the housing, a cap axially movable within the housing and having substantially the size and shape of the housing open end, a reflecting surface on said cap,

indicia positioned along an inner surface of said housing and adjaecnt the path of movement of said cap, a reecting surface in said housing adjacent said indicia and positioned to direct light from said light producing means toward said indicia,

said cap being movable between at least two positions,

in one of which said cap reflecting surface is adjacent said indicia whereby an outer surface of said cap displays said indicia, said indicia being illuminated by said light producing means and by such light as passes inwardly through said cap.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said light producing means is movable with said cap.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said cap has a transparent portion.

4. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said cap reecting surface is part of a prism having an object surface and an image surface, with the image surface being generally co-planar with an outer surface of the cap, said object surface being positioned adjacent said indicia in said one cap position.

5. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said indicia is in the form of a band of color embedded within said housing and directly adjacent said housing reiiecting surface.

6. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said cap is transparent, said light producing means being located generally centrally of said housing, and means for blocking light about said light producing means, and positioned to prevent light from the indicia area reaching the cap reflecting surface when the cap is positioned away from said indicia.

7. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said housing has a plurality of sides, a band of indicia along at least two sides of said housing, -with there being a housing reflecting surface for each band of indicia.

8. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by and including second indicia positioned along the path of movement of the cap and spaced from said iirst indicia, a second housing reecting surface adjacent said second indicia, said cap having two positions, in one position said cap rellecting surface being adjacent said rst indicia, and in the second position said cap being adjacent said second indicia.

9. The structure of claim 8 further characterized in that said first indicia and said second indicia are different.

10. The structure of claim 8 further characterized in that said light producing means is movable with said cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,607,873 8/1952 Sheidler .200-167 2,616,941 11/1952 Lasko 350l l2 2,847,559 8/1958 Harrington et al 2402 S 3,144,643 8/1964 Anderson 240-1 EI FOREIGN PATENTS 676,448 6/1966 Belgium 40-337 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 40-130 K

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