Indicating instrument

Claim 2

An indicating instrument including an internal driving unit with a driving shaft, an indicator, a light emitting element with leads and an electric source, wherein said indicator comprises: a light conductive pointer having a light receiving portion and an illuminating surface; a fixture, having a center of rotation connected to said driving shaft, for securing said light receiving portion of said pointer adjacent to said light emitting element; a cap-shaped cover disposed on said fixture for holding said pointer and said light emitting element in a space formed between said cover and said fixture in place; and a connecting member for connecting said light emitting element and said electric source; wherein said fixture comprises a balancing weight at a portion opposite said light emitting element with respect to said center of rotation.

Claim 3

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1 wherein said cap-shaped cover has a slit extending from an outer periphery so that said illuminating surface of said pointer is visible to a driver.

Claim 4

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 2, wherein said slit extends from said outer periphery to a portion above said center of rotation.

Claim 5

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting member has a flat portion which is longer than said light emitting element and disposed on said fixture in parallel with an axis of said light emitting element.

Claim 6

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 4, wherein said connecting member comprises terminal members extending close to said leads of said light emitting element so that said leads are connected to said terminal members without bending.

Claim 7

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said flat portion of said connecting member comprises a conductive plate molded integrally with said fixture.

Claim 8

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 6, wherein said connecting member comprises a plurality of terminal members made of a same sheet of material.

Claim 9

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting member comprises terminal members extending close to said leads of said light emitting element so that said leads are connected to said terminal members without bending.

Claim 10

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said cap-shaped cover and said fixture in combination comprises ribs for securing said light emitting element.

Claim 11

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 9, wherein said cap-shaped cover and said fixture in combination comprises member for providing a small clearance between said ribs and said light emitting element.

Claim 12

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 10, wherein said cap-shaped cover and said fixture in combination comprises a cushion member disposed in said small clearance.

Claim 13

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said light receiving portion of said pointer comprises a concave light receiving surface at least an upper portion thereof.

Claim 14

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 12, wherein said concave light receiving surface comprises a hemispheric surface having its center disposed at a portion where light of said light emitting element is emitted.

Claim 15

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 12, wherein said concave light receiving surface comprises a vertically cylindrical surface.

Claim 16

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said light receiving portion of said pointer comprises a horizontally convex light receiving surface at least at an upper portion thereof.

Claim 17

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 15, wherein said concave light receiving surface comprises a horizontally cylindrical surface.

Claim 18

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said light receiving portion of said pointer comprises a horizontally convex surface and a vertically concave surface.

Claim 19

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said pointer comprises a toothed bottom surface having first reflecting surfaces facing said light receiving portion and second reflecting surfaces facing said pointed end.

Claim 20

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 18, wherein said first reflecting surfaces have an inclination angle with respect to an axis of said light emitting element smaller than that of said second reflecting surfaces.

Claim 21

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 18, wherein said toothed bottom surface is disposed in parallel with an axis of said light emitting element.

Claim 22

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 18, wherein said inclination angle of said second reflecting surfaces are approximately perpendicular to said axis of said light emitting element.

Claim 23

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said pointer comprises a matted portion at said upper surface.

Claim 24

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said pointer comprises a colored portion at a bottom portion.

Claim 25

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 1, wherein said light emitting element comprises a light emitting diode.

Claim 26

An indicating instrument for use in a vehicle instrument panel including an internal driving unit for driving an indicator in response to a vehicle information, a light emitting element with leads and an electric source, wherein said indicator comprises: a light conductive pointer having an illuminating surface and a light receiving portion; a casing, having a center of rotation connected to said internal driving unit and a slit exposing said illuminating surface to the outside, for securing said light receiving portion of said pointer to a portion above said center of rotation and said light emitting element in an optical alignment to said light receiving portion; and a connecting member for connecting said light emitting element and said electric source, wherein said casing further comprises a balancing weight disposed at a portion opposite said light emitting element with respect to said center of rotation.

Claim 27

An indicating instrument for use in a vehicle instrument panel including an internal driving unit for driving an indicator in response to a vehicle information, a light emitting element with leads and an electric source, wherein said indicator comprises: a light conductive pointer having an illuminating surface and a light receiving portion; a casing, having a center of rotation connected to said internal driving unit and a slit exposing said illuminating surface to the outside, for securing said light receiving portion of said pointer to a portion above said center of rotation and said light emitting element in an optical alignment to said light receiving portion; and a connecting member for connecting said light emitting element and said electric source, wherein said casing further comprises a balancing weight disposed at a portion opposite said light emitting element with respect to said center of rotation.

Claim 28

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 25, wherein said light conductive pointer comprises a toothed bottom surface.

Claim 29

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 26, wherein said light conductive pointer comprises a matted portion at said illuminating surface.

Claim 30

An indicating instrument including an internal driving unit with a driving shaft, an indicator, a light emitting element with leads and an electric source, wherein said indicator comprises: a light conductive pointer having a pointed end, a light receiving portion and an illuminating surface; a fixture, having a center of rotation connected to said driving shaft, for securing said light receiving portion of said pointer to a portion above said center of rotation and said light emitting element adjacent to said light receiving portion; a cap-shaped cover disposed on said fixture for holding said pointer and said light emitting element in a space formed between said cover and said fixture in place, said cover having a slit extending from an outer periphery to a portion above said center of rotation so that said illuminating surface of said pointer is visible to a driver; and a connecting member for connecting said light emitting element and said electric source, said connecting member having a flat portion which is longer than said light emitting element and disposed on said fixture in parallel with an axis of said light emitting element, wherein said fixture comprises a balancing weight at a portion opposite said light emitting element with respect to said center of rotation.

Claim 31

An indicating instrument including an internal driving unit with a driving shaft, an indicator, a light emitting element with leads and an electric source, wherein said indicator comprises: a light conductive pointer having a pointed end, a light receiving portion and an illuminating surface; a fixture, having a center of rotation connected to said driving shaft, for securing said light receiving portion of said pointer to a portion above said center of rotation and said light emitting element adjacent to said light receiving portion; a cap-shaped cover disposed on said fixture for holding said pointer and said light emitting element in a space formed between said cover and said fixture in place, said cover having a slit extending from an outer periphery to a portion above said center of rotation so that said illuminating surface of said pointer is visible to a driver; and a connecting member for connecting said light emitting element and said electric source, said connecting member having a flat portion which is longer than said light emitting element and disposed on said fixture in parallel with an axis of said light emitting element, wherein said fixture comprises a balancing weight at a portion opposite said light emitting element with respect to said center of rotation.

Claim 32

An indicating instrument including an internal driving unit with a driving shaft, an indicator, a light emitting element with leads and an electric source, wherein said indicator comprises: a light conductive pointer having a light receiving portion and an illuminating surface; a fixture, having a center of rotation connected to said driving shaft, for securing said light receiving portion of said pointer adjacent to said light emitting element; a cap-shaped cover disposed on said fixture for holding said pointer in a space formed between said cover and said fixture in place; and a connecting member for connecting said light emitting element and said electric source; wherein said fixture comprises a balancing weight at a portion opposite said light emitting element with respect to said center of rotation.

Claim 33

An indicating instrument including an internal driving unit with a driving shaft, an indicator, a light emitting element with leads and an electric source, wherein said indicator comprises: a light conductive pointer having a light receiving portion and an illuminating surface; a fixture, having a center of rotation connected to said driving shaft, for securing said light receiving portion of said pointer adjacent to said light emitting element; a cap-shaped cover disposed on said fixture for holding said pointer in a space formed between said cover and said fixture in place; and a connecting member for connecting said light emitting element and said electric source; wherein said fixture comprises a balancing weight at a portion opposite said light emitting element with respect to said center of rotation.

Claim 34

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 29 wherein said cap-shaped cover has a slit extending from an outer periphery so that said illuminating surface of said pointer is visible to a driver.

Claim 35

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 30, wherein said slit extends from said outer periphery to a portion above said center of rotation.

Claim 36

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 29, wherein said connecting member has a flat portion which is longer than said light emitting element and disposed on said fixture in parallel with an axis of said light emitting element.

Claim 37

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 32, wherein said connecting member comprises terminal members extending close to said leads of said light emitting element so that said leads are connected to said terminal members without bending.

Claim 38

An indicating instrument claimed in claim 29, wherein said light emitting element is mounted on said fixture.