Abstract: An instrument panel having analog gauges with pointers illuminated independently of the light source illuminating the scale indicia. Light is transmitted into the pointer via a facet having an inclined reflective surface through which a gauge motor output shaft passes. The facet may be integrally formed in the light distribution layer which illuminates the scale indicia or a separate discreet component. A novel telltale used in conjunction with an instrument panel having a light distribution layer is also provided which illuminates the telltale indicia by passing light through the light distribution layer without affecting the illumination of other indicia in the graphic layer. Method of manufacturing analog gauges as well as method for using an analog gauge to transmit information to a viewer.

Abstract: An illumination for a display and/or a part of a display in an illumination color with a display and/or a part of a display which can be transilluminated by a source of light of a different color than the illumination color. The source of light is arranged on the side of the display and/or the part of the display facing away from an observer and a color filter 5 is arranged between source of light and the display and/or a part of the display. The color filter 5 is a split filter through which a part of the light from the source of light can pass unfiltered and a further part of the light from the source of light can pass filtered.

Abstract: A direction gauge enables easy recognition of an indicated direction by constructing an arrow-shaped indication segment made up of an unshared segment and a pair of adjacent shared segments. The combination of shared and unshared segments forms an indication segment having a sharp outward-directed tip and a blunt base. The sharp outward directed tip is the outer end of the unshared segment. The blunt base is a combination of the inner end of the unshared segment together with the two adjacent shared segments. The indication segment provides a good indication of direction even if the indicia on the remainder of the display cannot be seen because of darkness.

Abstract: Electrical instrument gage that has a pointer indicator member mounted on a rotatable shaft extending from the gage and including an electrically energizable light source mounted on and extending along the pointer portion of the indicator member. The light source is preferably an electroluminescent lamination that contains a pair of flex circuit terminal contacts extending from its base end. The light source is adhesively attached to the pointer portion of the indicator member. The base element of the indicator member contains a socket portion with a cylindrical opening configured to provide a friction fit to the axial shaft extending from the gage. The outer cylindrical surface of the socket contains an electrically conductive area and the gage contains an electrical wiper contact that makes continual electrical interconnection with the conductive portion of the socket over its rotational range.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an indicating instrument useful to a speedometer for a vehicle. An internal driving unit (2) is secured to a printed circuit board (1), and a cylindrical rotating shaft (6) is carried by bearings (4, 5) of the internal driving unit (2). A pointer (9) is secured to the rotating shaft (6) and rotated via the rotating shaft (6) by the internal driving unit (2). A light emitting diode (12) is disposed inside the rotating shaft (6) and secured to the printed circuit board (1). Light emitted by the light emitting diode is collected by a light collecting portion (9a) of the pointer (9), reflected by a reflecting portion (9b) and illuminates the pointer (9).

Abstract: An instrument panel includes analog gauges with pointers illuminated independently of the light source illuminating the scale indicia. Light is transmitted into the pointer via a facet having an inclined reflective surface through which a gauge motor output shaft passes. The facet may be integrally formed in the light distribution layer which illuminates the scale indicia or a separate discreet component. A novel telltale used in conjunction with an instrument panel having a light distribution layer is also provided which illuminates the telltale indicia by passing light through the light distribution layer without affecting the illumination of other indicia in the graphic layer. Method of manufacturing analog gauges as well as method for using an analog gauge to transmit information to a viewer is also molded.

Abstract: An analog display includes a dial and a movable EL pointer positioned adjacent the dial for indicating a measured value. The pointer is an elongated EL lamp having a conductive pin extending through one end of the lamp and about which the lamp pivots. The pin is mechanically secured to the lamp and is electrically connected to the front electrode of the lamp. A hole larger than cross-sectional diameter of the pin is formed in the rear electrode and in the phosphor layer to prevent the pin from shorting the front electrode to the rear electrode. A conductive spring rests on the pin to provide electrical power to the front electrode. Power is supplied to the rear electrode either through a conductive ferrule attached to the rear electrode or through a resilient wiper. The wiper can be attached to the pointer or to the face of the dial. For plural pointers, concentric conductive pins are used with a sliding contact for the rear electrodes.

Abstract: A gauge assembly for a vehicle instrument cluster is provided. The gauge assembly includes a plate member and a pointer assembly that is rotatable relative to the plate member about a first axis. The pointer assembly includes a pointer cap having an internal surface and a pointer arm fixed relative to the cap. A driven surface is provided on at least a portion of the internal surface of the cap. The gauge assembly further includes a motor having a drive shaft. A driver is coupled to the drive shaft for drivingly engaging the driven surface of the pointer cap and rotating the pointer assembly.

Abstract: An automotive instrument cluster has closely spaced face plate and circuit board and a compact gauge including a housing mounted on the side of the circuit board facing the face plate. A light conducting pointer has a two-part snap-together hub extending into the gauge housing and an end face adjacent surface mount LEDs on the circuit board for direct pointer illumination. A gear on the hub is driven by another gear on a stepper motor which is offset from the pointer hub. The stepper motor has a permanent magnet armature supported by the housing and the circuit board, and surface mount electromagnets on the circuit board to provide a motor field.

Abstract: It is object of the present invention to provide a car-carried indicating device which provides a clear indication by the needle and a good readability are secured, and which looks larger than the actual one, leading to improvement of the valid of commodity. In a car-carried indicating device, a character plate 1 includes a substantially circular transparent portion 2 at the indicating position, transparent numerals 3a and a scale 3b being circularly arrayed around the transparent portion 2. A disk-like needle plate 8, which is driven to turn in accordance with given measuring quantities, is made of light diffusion base material. The needle plate 8 is disposed on the front side of the character plate 1. A transparent slit 9 as a needle shining when it receives back-light, which is formed on the needle plate, is extended up to the circumferential outer end of the needle plate 8.

Abstract: An automobile gauge in which the needle thereof is brightened so that the ability with which the driver can see and confirm the position of the needle is enhanced. A pigmented layer is formed on the indicator portion of the needle. Bulbs and a light-guiding plate disposed on the reverse surface of a dial, or a light emitting element provided at the back of the needle introduces light so as to brighten the needle. Because the indicator portion of the needle is shaped into a substantially long and slender cylinder, the light irradiated and guided into the indicator portion advances toward the end of the indicator portion while the total reflection thereof is repeated. Most of the irradiated light reaches the end of the indicator portion because very little of the irradiated light dissipates outside the needle. The entire indicator portion can be thereby brightened uniformly.

Abstract: An illuminable pointer comprising an at least translucent pointer staff and an at least translucent boss suitable for illumination by a light source, wherein the boss includes a staff hole adapted for mounting the pointer for rotation on a spindle and a cavity for holding a known mass to counterbalance the pointer staff, the boss having reflecting surface shaped so to reflect substantially parallel incoming light along the pointer staff towards a focus point outside the distal end of the pointer that the pointer staff is evenly illuminated.

Abstract: The light emitting diode to illuminate the indicating portion of the pointer and the face plate through the light conductive member is fixedly mounted on a drive unit that rotates the pointer shaft according to the amount of a measured quantity. The light emitting diode is installed in center openings formed in the pointer, face plate and light conducting member, the light conducting member being attached to the underside of the face plate to illuminate letters on the face plate. The light emitting portion of the diode is formed cylindrical so as to allow the pointer shaft to be fixed to the pointer inside the hollow portion of the cylindrical light emitting portion, so that light radiated from the light emitting portion is reliably introduced into the indicator portion of the pointer and also to the light conducting member. Thus construction simplifies the power supply path leading from the drive unit to the light emitting diode.

Abstract: A dial needle is mounted on a drive shaft of a measuring instrument. The dle includes a body and a support, both mounted on the drive shaft. The body and the support are initially connected in a one-piece construction in which the body is spaced axially from the support. Upon axially moving the body along the shaft to the support, weakened zones break, thereby detaching the body from the support. A pointer on the body is angularly turnable to an indexed position by a peripheral projection and a complementary recess provided on the support and the body.

Abstract: To unvisualize the mechanical indicating instrument for an automotive vehicle when the ignition switch is turned off, the pointer is covered by a pointer cover below zero indication when the meter is deactivated, or a semitransparent front cover is disposed in front of the dial. In this case, the meter is offset by an offset magnet from a zero position to under the pointer cover when deactivated. On the other hand, to visualize the same instrument, when the ignition switch is turned on, lamps disposed in front and/or back of the dial are illuminated and a colored transparent pointer is illuminated by another or the same lamp in linkage with the ignition switch.

Abstract: To improve bright needle recognizability on a dial for a bright meter, a needle made of a light transmissible material and brightened by a light source comprises a lower light reflecting layer formed at a lower surface of the needle; a first side light reflecting layer formed on a first side surface of the needle; and an upper semitransparent layer for brightening an upper surface of the needle. Therefore, when the needle is brightened, light is transmitted from a second side surface opposing the first side surface of the needle obliquely onto the dial to illuminate the lower indication display area side from the needle on the dial, for instance.

Abstract: A support (2) which serves for fastening a pointer (1) on a pointer shaft has, towards the top, a holding part (12) which is developed as an expansion rivet. The pointer (1) has a central passage (13) through which the holding part (12) engages. A cap (3) is provided with an expansion pin (14) which is adapted to be pushed from above into the holding part (12) when the cap (3) is mounted. In this way, the expansion rivet is expanded and the pointer (1) is thereby attached firmly to the support (2). A projection (16) on the holding part (12) which engages into a recess (17) in the pointer (1) determines the exact angular position of the pointer (1) with respect to the holding part (12).

Abstract: An improved pointer and shaft adapter assembly for use in instruments such as the speedometer of a vehicle including an elongated pointer portion and shaft forming portion connected together by engagement between spaced tabs which project from the pointer lying alongside side wall surfaces of an end connector of the shaft adapter. Cooperative nibs and apertures of the pointer and shaft forming portions secure the parts together and prevent any substantial tilting movement therebetween.

Abstract: A display device for the displaying of two measured values on a graduated dial 1 which has two scales 4 and 5 arranged concentrically to each other. Two pointers 6 and 7 are turnable around pointer shafts 8 and 9 which are coaxial to each other and each of which is associated with a separate scale 5 and 6, each pointer 6 and 7 being adapted to be driven in rotation by separate measurement mechanisms 13 and 14 respectively. The measurement mechanisms 13 and 14 are arranged coaxially to each other on opposite sides of the graduated dial 1 and the ends of the pointer shafts which carry the pointers 6 and 7 face each other.

Abstract: At an extremity of the pointer board of a push-button tuner is fixed a member on which a pointer is mounted. At a surface of the member on which the pointer is mounted. There is disposed a lateral fitting groove having an opening at the front surface. The fitting groove is provided with indentations. The pointer has a fitting portion engaging with the fitting groove on its back surface and the fitting portion has protrusion engaging with one of the indentations.

Abstract: A meter useful in vehicles, having a dial plate, a swivel pointer made of a transparent material and an electrical light source such as a miniature light bulb to illuminate the pointer by light transmitted therethrough. A root portion of the pointer is bored to provide therein a cavity, and a hood member mounted on the dial plate has a shade portion above the cavity. The light source is attached to the hood member so as to be disposed in the cavity in the pointer. The hood member is detachably secured to the dial plate by a set of metal connectors which serve also as electric connectors to establish a circuit for energizing the light source.

Abstract: A pointer and scale indicating assembly for a radio receiver is disclosed. A scale with indicia thereon is fixed to a radio receiver chassis and a pointer arm is movably mounted in the chassis to positions corresponding to the frequency to which the radio receiver is tuned. A resilient pointer rod is mounted on the pointer arm and has an end portion visually cooperating with the scale indicia to indicate the receiver frequency. The pointer rod is hand insertable onto the pointer arm and is attached thereto by having an end portion of the pointer rod cooperating with a raised surface and a holding projection of the pointer arm.

Abstract: A gauge movement includes a tapered plastic output shaft having a member disposed symetrically thereabout. The member has first and second ends and a conical inner surface disposed about and adapted to receive the tapered plastic output shaft. The conical inner surface extends substantially from the first end to the second end and defines a conical bore through the member. The bore has a first inside diameter at the first end and a second inside diameter, smaller than the first inside diameter, at the second end. The member is further provided with a stepped outer surface having a first outside diameter at the first end and a second outside diameter, larger than the first outside diameter, at the second end. The member further includes at least one slot for deforming the tapered plastic output shaft when the member is forced into engagement with the shaft, to thereby prevent relative rotational movement between the member and the shaft.

Abstract: A flexible pointer is provided for use as a movable indicator, hand or arm on such devices as dial indicators, movable arms for electrical contacting devices, and the like. The pointer is comprised of a pair of strips of spring material joined at their upper ends and spread apart at their lower ends in a generally triangular shape, the outer free end being the indicating portion, while the wider, inner end is connected to a pivot or other movable support. The triangular configuration allows the pointer to bend due to rapid acceleration or overtravel and to return to its original shape without damage.