• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    Gauge assembly, comprising: a gauge surface (18) including a concave surface having an illuminable scale (20); and an optical waveguide (36) forming a geometric shape corresponding to the concave surface, the optical waveguide (36) including ends, which curve away from the gauge surface (18) to receive light.
    公开号:FR3014169A1
    申请号:FR1402739
    申请日:2014-12-02
    公开日:2015-06-05
    发明作者:Vyacheslav Birman；Christian Tanguy；Daniel P Tollis
    申请人:Continental Automotive Systems Inc；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    [0001] This invention relates to instrument panels and vehicle controls, and more particularly to a vehicle instrument panel which includes a guide. optical waves to illuminate a concave gauge surface. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The description of the technological background given herein is intended to provide a general context of this invention. The work of the inventors, insofar as they are described in this technological background, as well as aspects of the description, which can not otherwise be classified as technological background at the priority date enjoyed by the inventors the present application are neither expressly nor implicitly admitted as prior art to the present invention.
    [0002] Vehicles include instrument panels for communicating information indicating operation to an operator. Motor vehicles include instrument panels having multiple gauges and dials, which communicate vehicle conditions such as speed, engine revolutions per minute, oil temperature and pressure, as well as time than many other operating parameters. A gauge surface may be illuminated to provide a desired aesthetic appearance. Flat optical waveguides are typically used. to propagate light at desired locations, but the light is not always distributed equally. SUMMARY An optical waveguide is provided which can provide light to a gage surface over substantially 360 ° about the axis of rotation of the gauge needle. The invention relates to a gauge assembly, characterized in that it comprises a gauge surface including a concave surface having an illuminable scale and an optical waveguide forming a geometric shape corresponding to the concave surface of the gauge surface, the optical waveguide including ends, which bend away from the gauge surface to receive light. Preferably: the geometric shape of the optical waveguide is round and concave; the ends are arranged in the vicinity of each other; the geometrical shape of the optical waveguide 25 is not parallel to the gauge surface; the gauge assembly further comprises a needle configured to rotate about an axis of rotation, the optical waveguide being disposed about the axis of rotation; The optical waveguide is configured to illuminate the illuminable scale of the gauge surface; - The optical waveguide is configured to illuminate the scale that can be illuminated from the gage surface substantially 360 ° about the axis of rotation; the gauge assembly further comprises a printed circuit board and a plurality of light sources for the optical waveguide on the printed circuit board, the light sources for the optical waveguide being configured to emit light in the optical waveguide; the light sources for the optical waveguide are arranged near the ends of the optical waveguide; the ends define an interval between them; the light sources for the optical waveguide are configured to emit light in the gap between the ends of the optical waveguide; the gauge assembly comprises a needle light source disposed on the printed circuit board, the needle light source being configured to emit light into the needle; the optical waveguide is transparent or translucent; The optical waveguide defines a plurality of ribs; the optical waveguide has an outer surface roughness; a first portion of the plurality of ribs 30 is placed on a top surface of the optical waveguide and a second portion of the plurality of ribs is placed on a bottom surface of the optical waveguide; - The optical waveguide is configured to illuminate the scale that can be illuminated from the gauge surface; the ends define an interval between them; and the gauge assembly further comprises a plurality of light sources for the optical waveguide configured to emit light in the gap between the ends of the optical waveguide.
    [0003] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Examples are illustrated in the drawings which will be described below. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary dashboard and vehicle instrument panel according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an exemplary gauge assembly of the instrument panel of Fig. 1 according to the present invention; Fig. 3 is a plan view of an optical waveguide as an example of the gauge assembly of Fig. 2 according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a bottom view of the exemplary optical waveguide of Figure 3 in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 1 is an example of optical waves given by way of example of FIGS. 3 and 4 according to the invention; and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the optical waveguide given by way of example of FIGS. 3 to 5 according to the present invention.
    [0004] DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following description is given merely by way of example and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications or its uses.
    [0005] Certain terms are used in the following description to refer to particular system elements and configurations. Those skilled in the art will understand that an element can be designated by different names. We do not intend to distinguish between elements that differ by name and not their function. In the following description, the words "including" - and "including" are used in an open manner and should therefore be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to ...".
    [0006] Examples of the invention are described below. It will be appreciated that these examples and other examples or embodiments are given by way of example and are intended to illustrate the invention, rather than to limit it. Although the invention can be widely applied to different types of systems, it is impossible to encompass all possible embodiments and contexts in this disclosure. In reading this discussion, many alternative embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other embodiments may be used and other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle instrument panel 10 is comprised of an instrument panel 12 which includes a main gauge assembly 16 and accessory gauges 14. The main gauge assembly 16 comprises a concave gauge surface 18 having a scale 20 which can be illuminated. An optical waveguide 36 is provided to allow illumination of the scale 20. Typical optical waveguides are planar and are illuminated by a plurality of light sources disposed about an axis of the gauge surface 18. The optical waveguide 36 is however not arranged in a single plane. The gauge assembly 16 comprises a needle 22, which rotates about the axis A to indicate a precise value on the scale 20. In this example, the assembly 16 forming a gauge is a speed indicator or a tachometer supported in a housing 32; but other gauges are contemplated also in the invention. The needle 22 is supported on a shaft 26 driven by a stepping motor 24 mounted on a PCB 28. A light source 30 is disposed along the axis A to illuminate the needle 22. The light source 30 propagates light in the shaft 26. The exemplary shaft 26 may be translucent or may include an opening allowing light to propagate to the needle 22. The scale 20 is illuminated by the optical waveguide 18, which is arranged around the axis A and which receives light the light source 34 mounted on the PCB 28. Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, while continuing to refer to FIG. 2, the exemplary optical waveguide 36 provides substantially 360 ° uniform illumination of the gauge surface 18 using 34 light sources mounted on the plate 28 printed circuit. The light sources 34 are light-emitting diodes (LEDs), but other known light sources can be used. Several bright sources 34 can be used to provide light in the optical waveguide 36.
    [0007] The exemplary optical waveguide 36 is made of a transparent or translucent material, such as PMMA, in a geometric shape having a curvature corresponding to the concave surface 18 of the gauge. Uniform illumination is provided, at least in part, by the ribs 42 on a vertex surface 44 and by a surface roughness at desired locations on the optical waveguide 36. Light is provided by the light sources 34 and enters the optical waveguide 36 or at the ends 40. The ends 40 are curved down towards the light sources 34 and each end 40 defines a surface 38 for receiving light. the light exposed to the light sources 34 and being adjacent. The light sources 34 are mounted on the printed circuit board 28. Light propagates in the curved concave shape of the optical waveguide 36 about the axis A. Light is also transmitted in a gap 50 between lower light receiving surfaces 36 of the optical waveguide 36 . The geometric shape of the optical waveguide 36 causes light to propagate around the optical waveguide 36. The optical waveguide 36 includes ribs 48 disposed on a bottom surface 46, as shown in FIG. 4, for uniformly distributing light. The ribs 48 are spaced apart from each other so as to direct light upwards to illuminate the ladder 20. Ribs 48 are also provided on the bottom surface of the waveguide 36 to facilitate in addition, the distribution of light around the waveguide 36. In addition, a surface of the optical waveguide 36 is provided with a roughness, which equalizes the illumination around the axis A. The optical waveguide 36 is curved to correspond to the gauge surface 18, but is not parallel to the gauge surface 18. The exemplary optical waveguide 36 illuminates a scale 20 and a concave gage surface uniformly with light sources 34 mounted on a printed circuit board 28. Although an exemplary embodiment has been described, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain modifications would fall within the scope of the invention.
    权利要求:
    Claims (18)
    [0001]
    REVENDICATIONS1. Gauge assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a gauge surface (18) including a concave surface having an illuminable scale (20); and an optical waveguide (36) forming a geometric shape corresponding to the concave surface of the gauge surface (18), the optical waveguide (10) including ends, which curve away from the the gauge surface (18) for receiving light.
    [0002]
    Gauge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the geometric shape of the optical waveguide (36) is round and concave.
    [0003]
    3. Measuring assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ends are arranged adjacent to each other.
    [0004]
    Gauge assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the geometrical shape of the optical waveguide (36) is not parallel to the gauge surface (18).
    [0005]
    Gauge assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a needle (22) configured to rotate about an axis of rotation, the waveguide (36) optics being arranged around the axis of rotation.
    [0006]
    Gauge assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical waveguide (36) is configured to illuminate the illuminable scale (20) of the gauge surface (18).
    [0007]
    A gauge assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the optical waveguide (36) is configured to illuminate the illuminable scale (20) of the substantially 360 ° gage surface (18) around of the axis of rotation.
    [0008]
    Gauge assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a printed circuit board (28) and a plurality of light sources (34) for the optical waveguide on the printed circuit board (28), the light sources (34) for the optical waveguide being configured to emit light in the optical waveguide (36).
    [0009]
    Gauge assembly according to Claim 8, characterized in that the light sources (34) for the optical waveguide are arranged in the vicinity of the ends of the optical waveguide (36).
    [0010]
    Gauge assembly according to Claim 9, characterized in that the ends define a gap between them.
    [0011]
    Gauge assembly according to Claim 10, characterized in that the light sources (34) for the optical waveguide are configured to emit light in the gap between the ends of the optical waveguide (36). .
    [0012]
    Gauge assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a needle light source disposed on the printed circuit board (28), the needle light source being configured to emit light into the light source. needle (22).
    [0013]
    Gauge assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical waveguide (36) is transparent or translucent.
    [0014]
    Gauge assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical waveguide (36) defines a plurality of ribs.
    [0015]
    Gauge assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical waveguide (36) has an outer surface roughness.
    [0016]
    Gauge assembly according to Claim 14 or 15, characterized in that a first part of the plurality of ribs (48) is placed on a top surface of the optical waveguide (36) and a second part of the plurality of ribs (48) is placed on a bottom surface of the optical waveguide (36).
    [0017]
    Gauge assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical waveguide (36) is configured to illuminate the illuminable scale (20) of the gauge surface (18).
    [0018]
    Gauge assembly according to claim 17, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of light sources (34) for the optical waveguide configured to emit light in the gap between the ends of the light guide. optical waveguide (36).
    类似技术:
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    FR3077362B1|2021-05-28|LIGHTING MODULE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, AND LIGHTING AND / OR SIGNALING DEVICE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A MODULE
    GB2457237A|2009-08-12|Backlit display
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    US10132662B2|2018-11-20|Cluster illumination by piezoelectric material
    EP2313747B1|2016-05-04|Backlit instrument with graduations comprising means for highlighting part of the graduations
    FR2727559A1|1996-05-31|Dashboard panel display device for vehicles
    EP2269008B1|2017-03-29|Indicator device and display device, particularly for a motor vehicle, and needle mounting method for a display device
    FR2888320A1|2007-01-12|Variable quantity e.g. instantaneous speed, displaying meter e.g. speedometer, for motor vehicle, has screen with numeric value scales each corresponding to different measuring range and printed with different transparent colors
    FR3082954B1|2021-03-12|BRAGG NETWORK FIBER OPTIC SENSOR ASSOCIATED WITH A DIFFUSING STRUCTURE AND METHODS FOR LOCATING AND INSTALLING SUCH A SENSOR
    WO2012067260A1|2012-05-24|Illuminating structure of meter apparatus
    JP2006010386A|2006-01-12|Illumination structure for car instrument
    EP2682305A1|2014-01-08|Light Guide for an Instrument Cluster
    JP2012232612A|2012-11-29|Display device
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    US20150151668A1|2015-06-04|
    DE102014224311A1|2015-06-03|
    DE102014224311B4|2021-06-02|
    CN104773076B|2019-02-05|
    US9937849B2|2018-04-10|
    FR3014169B1|2019-05-10|
    CN104773076A|2015-07-15|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    JPS54128450U|1978-02-28|1979-09-06|
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    US5458082A|1994-03-24|1995-10-17|Delco Electronics Corp.|Tip to tail illuminated pointer|
    EP1132721B1|1999-09-29|2007-08-22|Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.|Instrument|
    US7048397B2|2003-05-13|2006-05-23|Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation|Illumination of gauge indicator scale|
    KR20050044961A|2003-11-08|2005-05-16|삼성전자주식회사|Light guide plate and back light assembly having the same|
    JP2006236974A|2005-01-28|2006-09-07|Toyoda Gosei Co Ltd|Ring-shaped light emitting unit|
    US7458695B2|2005-06-20|2008-12-02|Continental Automotive Systems Us, Inc.|High light-efficiency illumination cluster|
    FR2929702B1|2008-04-08|2015-05-22|Johnson Controls Tech Co|DISPLAY DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND NEEDLE MOUNTING METHOD FOR A DISPLAY DEVICE|
    US7758195B2|2008-07-24|2010-07-20|Honda Motor Co., Ltd.|Dial plate with diffuse lighting|
    CN201592676U|2010-01-13|2010-09-29|南京帝显科技有限公司|Light source display structure of automobile pointer dashboard|
    JP5642631B2|2011-07-06|2014-12-17|カルソニックカンセイ株式会社|Instrument lighting device|
    CN203082754U|2013-01-31|2013-07-24|大陆汽车投资（上海）有限公司|Lighting device and vehicle instrument provided with same|US10365130B2|2015-12-21|2019-07-30|Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.|High light efficiency pointer illumination|
    WO2017147558A1|2016-02-26|2017-08-31|Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.|Decorative ring pointer cap illumination|
    WO2017147541A1|2016-02-26|2017-08-31|Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.|Light guide with chaplet tick marks|
    US10723262B1|2019-06-11|2020-07-28|Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.|Light guide for ring gauge illumination|
    US11002902B1|2019-11-08|2021-05-11|Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.|Tick mark luminance adjustment tool|
    法律状态:
    2015-06-05| EXTE| Extension to a french territory|Extension state: PF |
    2015-12-21| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 2 |
    2016-12-22| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 3 |
    2017-06-23| PLSC| Publication of the preliminary search report|Effective date: 20170623 |
    2017-12-21| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 4 |
    2019-12-19| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 6 |
    2020-12-23| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 7 |
    2021-12-24| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 8 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US201361910481P| true| 2013-12-02|2013-12-02|
    US61910481|2013-12-02|
    US14/555,158|US9937849B2|2013-12-02|2014-11-26|Gauge 360 illumination lightguide|
    US14555158|2014-11-26|
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