Abstract:
An instrument panel assembly for a motor vehicle includes a housing and an instrument panel surface supported within the housing. A telltale supported on the instrument panel surface is configured to alert a vehicle operator that a shift between gears is desirable responsive to a predetermined vehicle operating condition.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/738,435 filed on Dec. 18, 2012. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a gauge for a vehicle instrument panel, and more specifically to a gauge including features indicating when a gear shift is desirable. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Vehicles include instrument panels to communicate information indicative of operation to an operator. Instrument panels typically include several gauges and dials that communicate vehicle conditions such as speed, engine rpm, temperature, oil pressure along with many other operational parameters. 
         [0004]    Vehicles that include a manual transmission rely on an operator knowing the best time to shift between gears. Engine efficiency is dependent on the skill of the operator for current driving conditions. Poor driving habits such as shifting at lower than desirable engine speeds can reduce overall engine efficiency. A tachometer is provided in most vehicles that provides information indicative of engine speed. In some vehicles an arrow is illuminated in the tachometer that indicates when an upshift or downshift is desirable. Such indicators are programmed for a certain set of operating conditions that may not match current vehicle conditions. Moreover, while the vehicle instrument panel is intended to display information, it is also an aesthetic part of the vehicle and pleasing designs are desirable to raise interest in the vehicle. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is desirable to design and develop a gauge and system that provides information on when to shift between gears that accounts for current driving conditions and also provides a desirable appearance. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A disclosed vehicle instrument panel assembly includes a telltale that changes conditions to communicate when the vehicle is operating at a condition where a shift between gears is desirable. The indication provided to the operator is determined based on a selected engine operating mode. For instance, a vehicle may be placed in a sport mode where vehicle performance is the criteria utilized to determine when best to shift between gears. A city mode may also be selected that provides an indication to a vehicle operator that it is time to shift gears based on engine efficiency to conserve fuel. 
         [0007]    A disclosed instrument cluster assembly incorporates functions of the tachometer into the speedometer as a telltale. The engine rpm dial is replaced by an indicator to the operator that communicates to the operator when vehicle speed and engine speed are within a desired range that optimizes engine performance for shifting between gears. 
         [0008]    Although the different examples have the specific components shown in the illustrations, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from one of the examples in combination with features or components from another one of the examples. 
         [0009]    These and other features disclosed herein can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an example vehicle dashboard and instrument panel. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a view of an example instrument cluster disposed within the instrument panel. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3A  is a view of an example instrument cluster with a telltale displaying a first image indicating an approaching operating condition desirable for shifting between gears. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic view of the instrument cluster with the telltale displaying the first image further indicating an approaching operating condition desirable for shifting between gears. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3C  is a schematic view of the example instrument cluster with the telltale displaying a second image indicating that the operating condition is desirable for shifting between gears. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an example vehicle dashboard  10  is shown and includes an instrument panel  12 . The instrument panel  12  includes an instrument cluster assembly  14  indicating vehicle speed and other secondary dials  16  displaying information indicative of other vehicle operating parameters. In this example, the instrument cluster assembly  14  is shown that provides an indication of vehicle speed and also communicates other information to a vehicle operator. The example instrument cluster assembly  14  communicates vehicle speed and engine RPM and some warning tell tales. Although a single instrument cluster assembly  14  is shown in  FIG. 1 , it is within the contemplation of this disclosure that other gauge assemblies may also be utilized within the example instrument panel  12 . 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the instrument cluster assembly  14  is a speedometer that provides an indication of current vehicle speed and communicates engine speed in RPM. The instrument cluster assembly  14  includes a housing  18  that supports an instrument cluster surface  20 . The instrument cluster surface  20  includes graphics  22  disposed about an axis  26 . The graphics  22  communicate and provide a scale for vehicle speed. In the disclosed example, speed is indicated in MPH, but may also be indicated in KMH. A pointer  24  rotates about the axis  26  to point to a specific one of the graphics  22  to indicate vehicle speed. 
         [0017]    The instrument cluster assembly  14  also includes a display housing  28  that includes a main display  32 . Telltales  30  are supported within the display housing  28 . The telltales  30  provide an indication that a turn signal has been actuated. The main display  32  includes a first image  40  that provides a secondary display of vehicle speed in miles per hour. A second image  42  is also displayed on the screen  32  and provides an indication of the current engine speed in rotations per minute (RPM). 
         [0018]    The surface  20  includes a first mode indicator  36  and a second mode indicator  38  that indicate a specific driving mode that has been selected by a vehicle operator. In this example, the first mode indicated  36  is shown as a sport mode and is selected when it is desired to optimize engine performance. The second mode indicator  38  is shown as a city mode and is utilized when it is desired to optimize engine efficiency, such as providing the most fuel efficient operation of the vehicle. The first and second driving modes provide for the selection of conditions that are indicative of when shifting between gears should be initiated by a vehicle operator to optimize vehicle performance according to the selected mode. For example, in sport mode, shifts between gears will be at higher engine speeds to provide better acceleration of the vehicle. In contrast, in city mode, shifting between gears is indicated at lower engine speeds to optimize fuel efficiency. 
         [0019]    In vehicles that are operated utilizing a manual transmission much of the overall vehicle operating efficiency is determined by the driving habits of the operator. The operator must use their skill and knowledge of driving to perform shifts between gears depending on current vehicle operating conditions. Shifting gears at optimal times during vehicle performance at specific speeds and engine rpm provides the best overall performance or fuel efficiency if performed properly. However, many operators do not possess the skill level required to operate a vehicle at optimal conditions and, therefore, much of the engine efficiency and capability are not realized by a vehicle operator. Moreover, an operator may be distracted by other events during driving a vehicle and, therefore, not be specifically aware that a gear shift may be desirable to operate a vehicle within optimal ranges. 
         [0020]    Accordingly, the instrument cluster assembly  14  includes features that prompt a vehicle operator to shift between gears depending on a selected mode to optimize vehicle operation. Moreover, the example instrument cluster assembly  14  includes this information within a central cluster and, therefore, provides a single location for a vehicle operator to focus their attention upon to obtain and be prompted with information indicative of current driving parameters. 
         [0021]    A telltale  34  is supported within the instrument cluster surface  20  of the instrument cluster assembly  14 . The telltale  34  operates with sensors (not shown) disposed within the vehicle to receive information indicative of engine speed and the relationship between the current gear. The telltale  34  will then display that information indicative of engine speed  44   a - b,  best shown in  FIGS. 3   a - b.  The sequence of pictures shows how engine speed, RPM, increases when the vehicle speed increases without any change in the gear shift. The telltale  34  displays an image indicative of a difference between current engine speed and the engine speed at which a shift between gears is desirable. The main display  32  will display the specific engine rpm to the operator. In this way, between the main display  32  and the telltale  34 , a separate engine tachometer is not required because those functions are integrated within the one common instrument cluster assembly  14 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 3A  with continued reference to  FIG. 2 , the instrument cluster assembly  14  is shown in a first condition wherein the vehicle is operating at a specific speed and the engine is also in a specific speed that is indicated on the main display  32 . The telltale  34  is displaying a first image  44 A that is in a first condition. In this example, the first image is an indicator bar that is filled in proportion to a difference between the current engine speed displayed at  42  and a desired engine speed where a shift between gears becomes desirable. The first mode indicator  36  is illuminated to indicate that the operator has selected sport mode for the determination of when a shift between gears is desirable. 
         [0023]    As appreciated, each vehicle will include optimal engine speed ranges for each gear. Moreover, current vehicle operating conditions along with engine speed will correspond to provide an optimal range of engine speeds in which a shift between gears is desirable. In this example, that criteria is determined with regard to the selected mode  36 . The example selected mode  36  is a sport mode and provides an increase in engine performance rather than concentrating on fuel efficiency. 
         [0024]    During normal operation of the vehicle, the instrument cluster assembly  14  will communicate vehicle speed both on the surface  20  and in the main display  32 . The telltale  34  will illuminate the first image  44 A in a first condition as an indicator bar. In the first condition illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the engine speed is approximately halfway between engine speeds that are conducive to a shift between gears. This distance between gear shifts is illustrated in the proportion that the indicator bar  44 A is filled in the telltale  34 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 3B , a second condition is illustrated where the telltale  34  is closer to being completely filled because the engine speed and vehicle speed are such that they are approaching a condition where it is conducive and desirable to perform a shift between gears to maintain optimal performance of the vehicle. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 3C , telltale  34  is now switched to a second engine image  46  that includes a completely filled indicator bar that has changed from the first color provided by the partially indicated bars of the first images  44 A,  44 B to the second color indicated by the filled-in indicated bar and second image  46 . In this example, the second image  46  includes a completely filled indicator bar along with the word “DRIVE” that prompts an operator to shift between gears to provide vehicle performance according to the sport mode selected. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C, the example first images  44 A and  44 B are shown in red as the indicator bars are filled and approach a completely filled condition that is indicated in  FIG. 3C  and provided by a completely filled indicator bar. 
         [0028]    Accordingly, the example instrument cluster assembly  14  provides and communicates prompts to a vehicle operator to improve engine operation according to a selected operating mode. Moreover, the example instrument cluster assembly  14  consolidates tachometer information and functions into a single instrument cluster assembly  14  thereby eliminating the requirement for a separate tachometer. The telltale and information provided in the main display  32  further communicates information required by an operator to perform shifts between gears in a manner that will provide the most efficient vehicle operation according to the selected mode. 
         [0029]    Although an example embodiment has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this disclosure. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the scope and content of this disclosure.