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EP0732679A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Display panel for instruments installed in vehicles

Assignee: Hayashi Telempu Corp
•
Filing: 1996-03-15
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2016-03-15
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Abstract

Abstract A display panel (10) of a speedometer includes a scattering light guide (50), a light source (LED, small incandescent lamp, etc.) La - Lc, a transparent sheet (60), and a pointer (16) having a rotation shaft (15). A masking (14) is printed on the colorless or colored transparent sheet (60). The shape of a notched part of the masking (14) forming the shining part (13) is defined in response to the display contents such as a speed scale, numerals, letters, etc. The disk-shaped scattering light guide (50) having an axis K has a center portion (51) having a uniform thickness and a tapered peripheral portion (52). Light source receiving holes (53a-53c) for receiving the light source elements La - Lc are disposed around a pointer passing hole (54). The displaying light exits mainly from the tapered periphery portion (52). In a case where a shining part (13) is required in the vicinity of the center portion (51), stipples (57) are formed on a part of the back side by blasting, so that a displaying light is produced by exiting from the scattering light guide (50).

Inventors

  • 👤 Naoaki Nonoyama
  • 👤 Takeya Sakai
  • 👤 Megumi Izuhara
  • 👤 Yukitoshi Hattori
  • 👤 Yasuhiro Koike

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 08:29
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/0001; G02B6/0011; G02B6/0013; G02B6/0015; G02B6/002; G02B6/0021; G01; G01D; G01D11/00; G01D11/28; B; B60; B60K; B60K35/00; B60K35/20; B60K35/21; B60K35/28; B60Q; B60Q3/00; B60Q3/10; B60Q3/14; B60Q3/60; B60Q3/62; B60Q3/64; G02B6/0016; G02B6/0033; G02B6/0035; G02B6/0038; G02B6/0066; G02B6/0068; G02B6/0045; G02B6/0046; G02B6/0058; G02B6/006

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 91 words
A display panel for an instrument, in which a shining part for displaying information is formed by using a primary light source means and a plate-shape light guide optically coupled to said primary light source means, wherein at least a part of the light guide is constituted by a scattering light guide which has a region tending to reduce in thickness as distance increases away from the position at which the optical coupling occurs, and at least a portion of the shining part is provided by light exiting from said region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 39 words
A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the optical coupling occurs in a hole or recess disposed in the light guide for receiving a primary light source means or for receiving light from a primary light source means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A display panel according to claim 2, wherein a reflecting means for deflecting light to the direction of the scattering light guide is disposed in said hole or recess.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the optical coupling occurs at an edge of the scattering light guide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A display panel according to claim 4, wherein a cut part for optical coupling is disposed on said edge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 49 words
A display panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a part of that portion of the scattering light guide which does not correspond to said shining part is covered with a layer having a refractive index lower than that of the scattering light guide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
A display panel according to claim 6, wherein the outside of said layer is further covered with a light shielding layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 45 words
A display panel according to claim 4, or any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 when appended to claim 4, wherein the primary light source means comprises a light emitting diode for generating an incident light flux coordinately directed to the scattering light guide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 23 words
A display panel according to any one of the preceding claims, for an instrument which is adapted to be installed in a vehicle.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB2018485A Cited
FR2536504A1 Cited
DE3602819A1 Cited
US4768300A Cited
EP0382880A1 Cited
EP0431667A1 Cited

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