WO2001004907A1 - Pointeur - Google Patents

Pointeur Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2001004907A1
WO2001004907A1 PCT/SE2000/001417 SE0001417W WO0104907A1 WO 2001004907 A1 WO2001004907 A1 WO 2001004907A1 SE 0001417 W SE0001417 W SE 0001417W WO 0104907 A1 WO0104907 A1 WO 0104907A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pointer
indicator
needle
cap
light
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE2000/001417
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Göran MANNEBERG
Original Assignee
Berifors Ab
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Berifors Ab filed Critical Berifors Ab
Priority to AU60419/00A priority Critical patent/AU6041900A/en
Publication of WO2001004907A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001004907A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D13/00—Component parts of indicators for measuring arrangements not specially adapted for a specific variable
    • G01D13/22—Pointers, e.g. settable pointer
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D11/00—Component parts of measuring arrangements not specially adapted for a specific variable
    • G01D11/28—Structurally-combined illuminating devices
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G12—INSTRUMENT DETAILS
    • G12B—CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF INSTRUMENTS, OR COMPARABLE DETAILS OF OTHER APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G12B11/00—Indicating elements; Illumination thereof
    • G12B11/04—Pointers; Setting-mechanisms therefor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a pointer or an indicator, and then particularly to an internally illuminated indicator for use as an instrument indicator in vehicles and the like.
  • Hitherto known pointers or indicators are also so complicated as to necessitate their manufacture in a number of different parts, such as indicator needle, light conductor, diffuser, cap, shaft and possible a counterweight, that must be assem- bled in order to obtain a complete indicator. Because of the small sizes of these components, it is obvious that assembly is both laborious and expensive. In order to obtain sufficient illumination with the aid of light-emitting diodes, it has hitherto required the use of several diodes, normally from five to six diodes.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a pointer or an indicator of the aforesaid kind with which at least some of the aforesaid drawbacks associated with known indicators have been overcome .
  • an inventive pointer or indicator that includes a needle carried by a hub part, wherein said hub part includes a cap that forms a light conductor which extends from the bottom of the hub part to said needle.
  • the needle and the hub part have the form of a one-piece structure.
  • the cap includes a surface that presents an exponential horn shape .
  • Fig. 1 is a side view of an inventive pointer or indicator
  • Fig. 2 illustrates the indicator from its rear end, as seen from the right in Fig. 1
  • Fig. 3 is a plan view of the indicator shown in Fig. 1
  • Fig. 4 is a side view corresponding to the view of Fig. 1 but with the top casing removed
  • Fig. 5 shows the indicator in Fig. 4 from beneath.
  • the inventive pointer or indicator includes a needle 1 carried by a hub 2.
  • the needle 1 has a front part la which ex- tends radially from the hub 2 through a considerable distance, and an end part lb which extends radially from a centre section lc through a short distance and in a direction opposite to the direction of the front part la, said centre section lc being located above the hub 2.
  • a top casing 3 is fitted around the needle 1 on the hub 2, so as to cover the end surface of the hub 2 in the vicinity of the needle.
  • a fastener hole 5 is provided in the other end of the hub, for fastening the indicator to an outwardly projecting rotatable shaft (not shown) of the instrument in which the indicator is used.
  • the indicator including the needle 1 and hub 2 is conveniently made in one piece, preferably injection-moulded, from a transparent plastic material through which light can be spread.
  • the hub 2 includes a generally cylindrical centre part 2a, in which the fastener hole 4 is provided.
  • the hub also includes a cab or jacket 2b that extends from the centre part 2a.
  • the cap 2b has a circular-sector cross-sectional shape and its size varies along the height of the hub. The greatest cross- sectional area of the cap 2b is located at that end of the hub which lies distal from the indicator 1.
  • the surface of the cap 2b that faces in the same direction as the front part la of the needle is arcuate in shape, a single curved surface, whereas those surfaces 2c of the cap 2b that face in the same direction as the end part lb of the needle have a double-curved surface, these surfaces between the single- curved surface of the cap forming particularly a surface that has an exponential horn shape.
  • This embodiment of the cap 2b and its surface 2c enables the cap to take up light from light diodes and lead the light to essentially the same point in the centre section lc of the needle, regardless of the point at which the light impinges on the underside of the cap 2b.
  • the cap 2b In the case of the aforedescribed embodiment of the cap 2b, it normally suffices to place only two light diodes in the instrument dial, at positions corresponding to about 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock respectively, in respect of an indicator that has roughly equal deflections on both sides of the 12 o'clock point.
  • at least one of the light-emitting diodes will always be positioned so that its light will impinge on the cap 2b and therewith be led up to the indicator 1. This enables a deflection angle of at least about 270 with respect to the indicator 1 to be achieved with solely two light-emitting diodes.
  • a generally triangular opening 5 that is delimited by a front reflection surface 6a, a rear reflection surface 6b, and an upper surface 6c located slightly beneath the surface of the needle in the centre section lc .
  • Both the front reflection surface 6a and the rear reflection surface 6b are single-curved surfaces, preferably parabolically curved surfaces.
  • the two reflection surfaces 6a, 6b are designed to give total reflection of the light impinging thereon.
  • the front reflec- tion surface 6a As a planar wave, forwardly to the tip of the front part la of the needle.
  • the front reflection surface 6a is a parabolic surface
  • the front part of the needle may have a planar surface and still obtain uniform illumina- tion from the light directed onto the underside of the front part la of the needle surface by the front reflection surface 6a.
  • the reflected light is directed from the rear reflection surface 6b onto the rear surface of the end part lb of the needle.
  • This rear surface has a conic cross-sectional shape, preferably global, and therewith reflects the light forwards onto the underside of the surface of the end part lb of the needle and onto the underside of the surface of the centre section lc of said needle, so as to provide uniform illumination.
  • the thickness of the bridge formed between the surface of the centre section lc of the needle and the upper surface 6c of the opening 5 is not uniform, but decreases forwardly so that the internal illumination of this part will also be uniform.
  • the aforementioned top casing 3 is adapted to prevent any spreading of stray light, particularly should the cap 2b be located outside one of the light diodes.
  • the top casing 3 conveniently has a divided upper surface, so that the entire upper surface of the needle 1 will be visible, even in the centre section lc, therewith enabling the needle to be illuminated throughout the whole of its length, from the tip of the needle to its end.
  • the invention thus enables an internally illuminated indicator to be produced in one single piece, therewith requiring the minimum of assembly work. All that is required with respect to assembly is to fit the top casing, when such a casing is used.
  • the invention also enables fewer light-emitting diodes to be used in effecting illumination. Although cost savings in respect to each unit may seem to be small, the combined savings in costs is considerable with regard to mass-produced units.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Details Of Measuring Devices (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un pointeur ou un indicateur, notamment un pointeur ou un indicateur à éclairage interne, qui est utilisé en tant qu'aiguille d'instrument ou pointeur dans des véhicules et des systèmes similaires. Ledit pointeur ou indicateur comprend une aiguille (1) portée par une partie pivot (2). Ladite partie pivot (2) est pourvue d'un capuchon ou d'une gaine (2b) qui forme un conducteur lumineux s'étendant de la base de la partie pivot jusqu'à l'aiguille (1).
PCT/SE2000/001417 1999-07-09 2000-07-04 Pointeur WO2001004907A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU60419/00A AU6041900A (en) 1999-07-09 2000-07-04 Pointer

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9902651A SE515866C2 (sv) 1999-07-09 1999-07-09 Visare
SE9902651-0 1999-07-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2001004907A1 true WO2001004907A1 (fr) 2001-01-18

Family

ID=20416457

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE2000/001417 WO2001004907A1 (fr) 1999-07-09 2000-07-04 Pointeur

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU6041900A (fr)
SE (1) SE515866C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2001004907A1 (fr)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4218726A (en) * 1977-11-09 1980-08-19 Nissan Motor Company, Limited Indicator gauge with illuminated pointer
DE3347014A1 (de) * 1983-12-24 1985-07-04 Vdo Schindling Zeigereinrichtung
US4625262A (en) * 1983-07-08 1986-11-25 Yazaki Corporation Pointer illuminating structure in measuring instrument
DE3824391A1 (de) * 1988-07-19 1990-01-25 Vdo Schindling Anzeigeinstrument
EP0411799B1 (fr) * 1989-07-29 1994-10-19 Combined Optical Industries Limited Aiguilles
DE19612492A1 (de) * 1996-03-29 1997-10-02 Valeo Borg Instr Verw Gmbh Zweiteiliger transparenter Zeiger

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4218726A (en) * 1977-11-09 1980-08-19 Nissan Motor Company, Limited Indicator gauge with illuminated pointer
US4625262A (en) * 1983-07-08 1986-11-25 Yazaki Corporation Pointer illuminating structure in measuring instrument
DE3347014A1 (de) * 1983-12-24 1985-07-04 Vdo Schindling Zeigereinrichtung
DE3824391A1 (de) * 1988-07-19 1990-01-25 Vdo Schindling Anzeigeinstrument
EP0411799B1 (fr) * 1989-07-29 1994-10-19 Combined Optical Industries Limited Aiguilles
DE19612492A1 (de) * 1996-03-29 1997-10-02 Valeo Borg Instr Verw Gmbh Zweiteiliger transparenter Zeiger

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU6041900A (en) 2001-01-30
SE9902651L (sv) 2001-01-10
SE9902651D0 (sv) 1999-07-09
SE515866C2 (sv) 2001-10-22

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