Illuminable safety and vehicle function display device

A display device is so constructed that a single illuminating lamp can illuminate not only a caution letter on a labelled display plate but also the corresponding portion of a sketch of vehicle illustrated on a figured display plate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates in general to a safety system for a motor 
vehicle and more particularly to an illuminable safety and vehicle 
function display device by which a damaged section of the vehicle and an 
incomplete safety procedure can be easily found or noticed by the 
passenger especially by the driver. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Some modern motor vehicles are equipped at the dashboard panels thereof 
with an illuminable safety and vehicle function display device or visual 
alarm device which generally comprises a figured display plate on which a 
sketch of a vehicle is entirely illustrated, a labelled display plate on 
which caution letters such as "CHG", "BRAKE", "BELT", "DOOR", etc, are 
illustrated, and a plurality of illuminating lamps for illuminating a 
section of the vehicle sketch of the figured display plate which section 
corresponds to the troubled section of the vehicle and also one of the 
caution letters of the labelled display plate which one represents the 
troubled section. 
In such visual alarm device, however, it is usual that the illumination of 
the section of the figured display plate and that of the corresponding 
caution letter of the labelled display plate are achieved by respective 
lamps. More specifically, a lamp used in such conventional device acts for 
illuminating only one portion. Thus, it requires excessive numbers of 
illuminating lamps to make the device causing a bulky and expensive 
construction of the same. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, an essential object of the present invention is to eliminate the 
drawbacks encountered in the conventional visual alarm device mentioned 
above. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved 
illuminable safety and vehicle function display device in which an 
illuminating lamp is arranged to illuminate not only the section of the 
figured display plate but also the corresponding caution letter of the 
labelled plate. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved 
illuminable safety and vehicle function display device which is economical 
and compact in construction. 
According to the present invention, there is provided an illuminable safety 
and vehicle function display device, comprising a casing having therein a 
first group of cells and a second group of cells, each of the first group 
of cells being connected to one of the second group of cells through an 
opening formed in the casing; a labelled display plate covering the first 
group of cells to allow the caution letters thereon to be positioned on 
the cells respectively; a figured display plate covering the second group 
of cells; a light shielding plate disposed between the figured display 
plate and the second group of cells, the shielding plate being formed 
therein with a plurality of translucent portions each of which is located 
at a given part of the figured display plate and is arranged on one of the 
second group of cells; and a single light source disposed in a portion 
which is open to the opening formed in the casing, whereby a given caution 
letter of the labelled display plate and also the corresponding 
translucent portion of the shielding plate are illuminated when the light 
source is energized to light up.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is schematically illustrated a visual 
alarm device of the subject inventon as being generally designated by 
numeral 10. The device 10 comprises a casing 12 and a cover 14 (see FIG. 
1) covering the casing 12. Within the casing 12, there are formed or 
defined a plurality of rectangular cells 16a to 16g (numerals 16d to 16g 
being not shown) which are aligned, as shown in FIG. 2. A labelled 
translucent plate 18 on which seven caution letters such as CHG, BRAKE, 
BELT, DOOR, etc, are illustrated covers the openings of the cells 16a to 
16g so that the caution letters are positioned on the respective openings 
of the cells. 
Within the casing 12, there is also formed a plurality of different cells 
22a to 22g (numerals 22d to 22g being not shown) which are arranged 
substantially parallel with the row of the rectangular cells 16a to 16g 
leaving a straight partition wall 23 between the row of the different 
cells 22a to 22g and the row of the rectangular cells 16a to 16g, as 
shown. As is best seen from FIG. 2, the different cells 22a to 22g are 
isolated by another partition wall 25 from a relatively large chamber 24 
formed in the casing 12, the detailed explanation of the chamber 24 being 
made hereinlater. Now, it should be noted that each of the different cells 
22a to 22g is connected or merged with one of the rectangular cells 16a to 
16g through an opening 26 formed in a lower portion of the partition wall 
23. 
Designated by numeral 28 is a figured display unit which is arranged to 
cover the upper openings of the different cells 22a to 22g. The unit 28 
comprises a transparent plate 30 on which a sketch 32 of a vehicle is 
illustrated, and a light shielding plate 34 attached to the lower surface 
of the transparent plate 30. As will be understood from FIG. 2, the light 
shielding plate 34 is formed with a plurality of translucent or 
semi-transparent portions 36 of which includes an elongate section 36a 
having one end directed to one of the caution letters 20 on the plate 8, 
and a circular section 36b merged with the other end of the elongate 
section 36a. The circular section 36b are positioned at given portions of 
the sketch of the vehicle 32, which portions correspond to vehicular 
portions or parts to be checked. Each of the translucent portions 36 of 
the light sheilding plate 34 is thus positioned on one of the cells 22a to 
22g, which one is connected to the corresponding rectangular cell on which 
a caution letter representing the position where the translucent portion 
is located is arranged. For the reason which will be apparent hereinlater, 
about one third of the figured display unit 28 is exposed to the large 
chamber 24 and one peripheral edge portion 30a of the transparent plate 30 
is left uncovered by the shielding plate 34 and is formed slant as well 
shown in the drawings. 
A plurality of illuminating lamps 38 (seven in the described case) are 
respectively disposed in the rectangular cells 16a to 16g. Because of the 
provision of the openings 26, each lamp 38 can illuminate not only the 
corresponding caution lefter 20 but also the corresponding translucent 
portion of the light shielding plate 34 when energized to light up. For 
increasing the quantity of light directed toward the translucent portions 
36, a curved reflector 40 is disposed in the bottom parts of the different 
cells 22a to 22g. Preferably, the lamps 38 are set on the bottom parts of 
the respective rectangular cells 16a to 16g as shown. If desired, the 
bottom parts may be constructed of a printed circuit board 41 for 
facilitation of wiring. 
Within the large chamber 24, more specifically, fixed to the bottom part of 
the chamber 24 are more illuminating lamps 42 which can illuminate the 
sketch 32 on the transparent plate 30. The illumination of the sketch 32 
is such made that the light emitted from the lamps 42 goes into the 
uncovered peripheral edge portion 30a of the transparent plate 30 and is 
then reflected at the slant portion to be directed toward the sketch 32 to 
illuminate the same. Usually, the lamps 42 are energized for illumination 
when the passenger compartment is dark. 
When a door of the vehicle is left open, for example, the lamp 38 located 
in the cell 16d is energized to light up illuminating the caution letter 
"DOOR" and simultaneously a door of the illustrated vehicle or the sketch 
32 to give a visual alarm to the vehicle passenger or the driver.