US3728673A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fault display unit for a vehicle
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-07-27
•
Granted: 1973-04-17
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Expires: 1991-07-27
Abstract
Abstract A fault display unit for a vehicle includes a casing having an aperture at one end thereof and a plurality of translucent display panels mounted in the casing in parallel, spaced relationship with said one end of the casing. A plurality of optical cables are associated with said display panels respectively, one end of each optical cable being positioned adjacent a respective display panel so that light from the optical cable, in use, illuminates the display panel. Each of the display panels is formed with a plurality of indentations in the surface thereof remote from the aperture in the casing, and each of the indentations includes a surface for reflecting some of the light from a respective optical cable, in use, towards the aperture in the casing. The indentations in each display panel are arranged to define a legend so that when a display panel is illuminated an image of the respective legend is produced in the aperture.
Inventors
- 👤 K Werda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 11:55
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R16/00; B60R16/02; B60R16/023; B60R16/0231; B60R16/0232
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A fault display unit for a vehicle, including a casing having an aperture at one end thereof, a plurality of translucent display panels mounted in the casing in parallel, spaced relationship with said one end of the casing, and a plurality of optical cables associated with said display panels respectively, one end of each optical cable being positioned Adjacent a respective display panel so that light from the optical cable, in use, illuminates the display panel, each of said display panels being formed with a plurality of indentations in the surface thereof remote from the aperture in the casing, and each of said indentations including a surface for reflecting some of the light from a respective optical cable, in use, towards said aperture in the casing, the indentations in each display panel being arranged to define a legend so that when a display panel is illuminated an image of the respective legend is produced in the aperture.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
A fault display unit for a vehicle, including a casing having an aperture at one end thereof, a plurality of translucent display panels mounted in the casing in parallel, spaced relationship with said one end of the casing, and a plurality of optical cables associated with said display panels respectively, one end of each optical cable being positioned Adjacent a respective display panel so that light from the optical cable, in use, illuminates the display panel, each of said display panels being formed with a plurality of indentations in the surface thereof remote from the aperture in the casing, and each of said indentations including a surface for reflecting some of the light from a respective optical cable, in use, towards said aperture in the casing, the indentations in each display panel being arranged to define a legend so that when a display panel is illuminated an image of the respective legend is produced in the aperture.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A unit as claimed in claim 1 in which each display panel is illuminated in use by a pair of optical cables positioned at their one end at opposite sides respectively of the display panel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A unit as claimed in claim 1 in which each of the display panels is of a different colour.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A unit as claimed in claim 1 in which the degree of illumination of the panels increases with the distance of the panel from the aperture in the casing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
91 words
A fault display system incorporating a fault display unit as claimed in claim 1 and further including a control unit for controlling illumination of the optical cables in use, the system being arranged so that when a fault occurs in the vehicle in use one of said plurality of optical cables is illuminated whereby a respective display panel is also illuminated and an image of the legend carried by the display panel is produced in said aperture so as to give warning of the fault to the driver of the vehicle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as claimed in claim 5 including means for preferentially illuminating selected display panels so that the most important fault is indicated first in the event of more than one fault occurring simultaneously.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as claimed in claim 5 including means for illuminating the display panels cyclically, so that during each cycle each fault is indicated.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3384885A
Cited
US3588811A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-16 | 1976-10-16 | 1977-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-16 | 1980-10-16 | 1981-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-16 | 1984-10-16 | 1985-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |