Abstract:
A pointer for an indicating device includes a conductor. The conductor includes a front portion, a rear portion, and a receiving portion. The rear portion extends from the front portion. The receiving portion extends from the rear portion. The receiving portion is configured to receive light and to conduct the light through the rear portion toward the front portion. The receiving portion has a cutout dented into the receiving portion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. provisional patent application U.S. 62/245,565 filed on Oct. 23, 2015, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated hereby reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to an indicating device. The present disclosure relates to a pointer for the indicating device. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Conventionally, an indicating device such as a dial gauge includes a pointer rotational to indicate information such as a speed or an engine revolution of a vehicle. An indicating device may desirably have an enhanced visibility of information and illuminative effect. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present disclosure addresses the above-described concerns. According to an aspect of the preset disclosure, a pointer if for an indicating device. The indicating device may have a dial plate and a trim ring. The pointer may include a shaft, a body connected with the shaft, and a needle extended from the body and configured to conduct light therethrough. The needle may include a root, a see-through portion, and a tip. The root may extend from the body. The see-through portion may extend from the root. The tip may extend from the see-through portion. When viewed along an axial direction of the shaft, the see-through portion has a conductivity of light greater than a conductivity of light of both the tip and the root. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing an indicating device; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing components of the indicating device; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a dial cover of the indicating device; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the indicating device; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a sectional perspective view showing components of the indicating device at assembled positions; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a schematic perspective view showing a trim ring, a pointer, and a dial plate of the indicating device; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a schematic side view showing the trim ring, the pointer, and the dial plate; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a plan view showing the indicating device; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a partial view showing one state of the indicating device; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a partial view showing another state of the indicating device; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a partial view showing another state of the indicating device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     First Embodiment 
       [0017]    As follows, an indicating device  1  will be described with reference to drawings. In drawing(s), “VERTICAL” may correspond to a vertical direction. “AXIAL” may correspond to an axial direction. “RADIAL” may correspond to a radial direction. “CIRCUMFERENTIAL” may correspond to a circumferential direction. 
         [0018]    In  FIG. 1 , the indicating device  1  is, for example, an engine revolution meter for an automobile. The indicating device  1  includes a pointer  20 , a dial plate  10 , a dial cover  30 , a prism  50 , a main housing  60 , a printed circuit board (PCB)  70 , a driver unit  80 , and a rear housing  90 . 
         [0019]    The dial plate  10  has a display surface facing a viewer V such as an occupant of an automobile. The dial plate  10  is in a circular shape when viewed from the viewer V. The dial plate  10  has indication marks such as a dial gauge and symbols S to form a gauge meter. The symbols S may be numbers to denote engine revolution. The dial plate  10  may be formed of resin such as polycarbonate. The dial plate  10  has a center hole  18   a  at its center. 
         [0020]    The dial cover  30  is a tubular member placed above the dial plate  10 . The pointer  20  is inserted in the center hole  18   a  of the dial plate  10 . The pointer  20  is located adjacent to the display surface of the dial plate  10 . The pointer  20  includes a shaft  23 , a body  24 , a needle  26 , and a cover  25 . 
         [0021]    In the example, the shaft  23 , the body  24 , and the needle  26  are formed of a non-opaque light-conductive material such as a translucent resin (e.g., polycarbonate resin or PMMA resin). The needle  26  is substantially at a right angle relative to the shaft  23 . The body  24  and the needle  26  are located above a center hole  18   a  of dial plate  10 . The shaft  23  extends through the center hole  18   a.  The cover  25  is formed of an opaque material such as ABS resin. The cover  25  is coupled with the body  24  to enclose the body  24 . 
         [0022]    The PCB  70  is located between the main housing  60  and the rear housing  90 . The PCB  70  has a center hole  78  at its center. The PCB  70  is equipped with electronic wirings and electronic devices such as a microprocessor. The PCB  70  is further equipped with light emitting diodes (LED)  74  around the center hole  78 . 
         [0023]    The driver unit  80  is equipped to the PCB  70 . The driver unit  80  may be an electric motor such as a stepper motor. The driver unit  80  includes a drive shaft  84  and a motor portion  86 . The drive shaft  84  is coupled with a rotor of the motor portion  86 . The motor portion  86  includes a stator configured to receive electricity from a controller (not shown) via the wiring of the PCB  70  to generate a magnetic field and to drive the drive shaft  84  via the rotor. The driver unit  80  may be equipped with reduction gears combined with the motor portion  86 . The drive shaft  84  is coupled with the shaft  23  of the pointer  20  to manipulate the pointer  20  at an appropriate position to point the tick marks and the symbols S on the dial plate  10 . 
         [0024]    The main housing  60  includes a housing center  64  defining a tubular hollow  64   a.  The prism  50  is located in the tubular hollow  64   a  and is supported by the PCB  70 . The rear housing  90  is equipped to the PCB  70  to accommodate the driver unit  80 . 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , according to the present example, the prism  50  includes a prism body  54  in a rectangular plate shape. The prism body  54  is integrally formed with four legs  52  and four lenses  56 . The prism  50  is formed of a light-conductive material such as a translucent resin. The lenses  56  are faced to the pointer  20 . The legs  52  are attached to support holes  72  formed in the PCB  70  to support the prism  50  on the PCB  70 . The shaft  23  of the pointer  20  and the drive shaft  84  of the driver unit  80  are coupled together to extend through a prism hole  56   a  of the prism  50  and the center hole  78  of the PCB  70 . 
         [0026]    The LEDs  74  are positioned on the PCB  70 , such that optical axes of the lenses  56  of the prism  50  are aligned with optical axes  74   a  of the LEDs  74 , respectively. When each of the LEDs  74  is energized, the LED  74  emits light through the prism body  54  and the lens  56  toward the pointer  20 . In this way, the light illuminates the pointer  20 . The lens  56  amplifies the light from the LED  74  and directs the light toward the pointer  20 . In this way, the prism  50  rectifies the light from the LED  74 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows the dial cover  30  viewed from an upper side along an angle shown by III in  FIG. 8 . In  FIG. 3 , the dial cover  30  includes a cover body  32  and a trim ring  34 . The cover body  32  is a tubular member. The trim ring  34  is an annular disc-shaped member connected on a top end of the cover body  32 . The trim ring  34  may be integrally formed with the cover body  32 . The trim ring  34  is formed of a non-opaque and light-conductive material. The non-opaque and light-conductive material may be translucent resin such as polycarbonate resin and/or PMMA resin. 
         [0028]    The trim ring  34  is opaque at an opaque portion  130  and is non-opaque at a non-opaque portion  140 . The opaque portion  130  includes shades  132  and a bottom shade  134 . The non-opaque portion  140  includes tick marks  142  and an outer ring  144 . 
         [0029]    In the disclosure, the opaque portion  130  has a conductivity of light, which is lower than a conductivity of light of the non-opaque portion  140 . Specifically, the opaque portion  130  is less light-conductive than the non-opaque portion  140 . That is, the opaque portion  130  is higher than the non-opaque portion  140  in an optically shielding property. The term of opaque represents a less light-conductive optical property or non light-conductive optical property such as totally opaque, smoked, colored, or scarcely see-through. The term of non-opaque represents, for example, a light-conductive optical property such as totally transparence, or partially transparence. 
         [0030]    The shades  132  and the bottom shade  134  may be formed on a surface of the trim ring  34  by, for example, hot stamping and/or pad printing (tampography). The tick marks  142  and the outer ring  144  may be formed by laser etching. Alternatively, the shades  132  and the bottom shade  134  may be formed by applying a non-opaque material such as smoke painting on the trim ring  34 . The tick marks  142  and the outer ring  144  may be formed by masking when applying the non-opaque material on the trim ring  34 . 
         [0031]    Each of the tick marks  142  is a thin strip in a liner shape extending in the radial direction. Each of the shades  132  is in an arc strip shape extending in the circumferential direction. The tick marks  142  and the shades  132  are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction at a predetermined interval in a meter range. The meter range corresponds to a rotational angular range of the meter pointer  20 . In the present example, the meter range may be between 0 rpm and 8000 rpm. The bottom shade  134  extends in the circumferential direction within a range other than the meter range. The outer ring  144  is in a ring shape and located on the outside of both the tick marks  142  and the shades  132  in the radial direction. The tick marks  142  are connected with the outer ring  144  at radially outer ends. Therefore, the tick marks  142  extend radially inward from the outer ring  144 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  shows the indicating device  1  viewed form the angle shown by III in  FIG. 8 . In  FIG. 4 , the indicator device is assembled by placing the dial cover  30  on the dial plate  10 . An illuminative tip  126  of the pointer  20  is entirely located below the trim ring  34 . Specifically, the illuminative tip  126  is partially below the outer ring  144  and is viewable through the outer ring  144 . In addition, the illuminative tip  126  is partially concealed by the shade  132  when located below the shade  132 . The illuminative tip  126  is viewable through the tick mark  142  when located below the tick mark  142 . 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 5 , the illuminative tip  126  is located between the trim ring  34  and the dial plate  10 . The illuminative tip  126  is rotational below the trim ring  34 . A see-through portion  124  of the pointer  20  is above the symbol S formed on the dial plate  10 . 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the needle  26  of the pointer  20  has an illuminative root  122 , the see-through portion  124 , and the illuminative tip  126 , which are extended from the body  24  in this order. Specifically, the illuminative root  122  extends from the body  24 . The see-through portion  124  extends from the illuminative root  122 . The illuminative tip  126  extends from the see-through portion  124 . The illuminative tip  126 , the see-through portion  124 , and the illuminative root  122  are integrally formed of a light-conductive material, such as translucent resin (e.g., polycarbonate resin and/or PMMA resin). 
         [0035]    The needle  26  has a top surface and a bottom surface in the axial direction. The axial direction is along an axis AX of the shaft  23  of the pointer  20 . In this example, the illuminative tip  126  has illuminative layers  126   a  and  126   b  on both the top surface and the bottom surface in the axial direction. In addition, the illuminative root  122  has illuminative layers  122   a  and  122   b  on both the top surface and the bottom surface. The illuminative layers  122   a,    122   b,    126   a,    126   b  may be formed by, for example, hot stamping, pad printing (tampography) and/or applying (spraying) illuminative material. The see-through portion  124  does not have an illuminative layer on both the top surface and the bottom surface. That is, a base light-conductive material of the see-through portion  124  may be exposed on the upper surface and the bottom surface. 
         [0036]    Thus, when viewed along the axial direction of the shaft  23 , the see-through portion  124  may be viewed translucent, and both the illuminative tip  126  and the illuminative root  122  may be viewed colored. That is, the see-through portion  124  is further light-conductive than both the illuminative tip  126  and the illuminative root  122 . In other words, the see-through portion  124  has a conductivity of light greater than a conductivity of light of both the illuminative tip  126  and the illuminative root  122 . 
         [0037]    The needle  26  has side surfaces, which are perpendicular to the top surface and the bottom surface. The side surfaces may not have an illuminative layer. That is, the base material of the needle  26  may be exposed entirely on the side surfaces. Therefore, the needle  26  may be entirely see-through when viewed from one of the side surfaces to the other of the side surfaces. 
         [0038]    In  FIG. 7 , the body  24  of the pointer  20  receive light from the light source after passing the prism ( FIG. 2 ). The body  24  has a reflective surface  24   a  to reflect light and to direct the light toward the needle  26 . 
         [0039]    The illuminative tip  126  and the illuminative root  122  receive the light on the illuminative layers on the bottom side and reflect the light along the axial direction to pass through the illuminative layers. Thus, the illuminative layers illuminate when reflecting the light and when passing the light therethrough. To the contrary, the see-through portion  124  does not illuminate itself when receiving the light. That is, the see-through portion  124  is translucent on receiving the light. Therefore, the see-through portion  124  conducts the symbol S therethrough from the bottom surface to the top surface and shows the symbol S on the top surface, even when receiving the light ( FIG. 6 ). 
         [0040]    As follows, dimensions of components of the indicating device  1  will be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . Relative relationships among the components will be described in a state where the indicating device  1  is viewed along the axial direction of a rotational center C of the pointer  20 . The rotational center C of the pointer  20  corresponds to the axis AX around which the pointer  20  is rotational. 
         [0041]    In  FIG. 6 , the center C is at a distance r 1  from an inner end of the trim ring  34 . The center C is at a distance r 2  from an outer end of the shade  132 . The center C is at a distance r 3  from an outer end of the illuminative tip  126  of the needle  26 . The center C is at a distance r 4  from an outer end of the outer ring  144 . The center C is at a distance r 5  from an inner end of the illuminative tip  126 . The center C is at a distance r 6  from an outer end of the illuminative root  122 . The center C is at a distance r 7  from an inner end of a symbol range R. The center C is at a distance r 8  from an outer end of the symbol range R. 
         [0042]    The illuminative tip  126  has a length  11 , which is a difference between the distances r 3  and r 5 . The length  11  is the same as a width w 2  of an illumination IL. The see-through portion  124  has a length  12 , which is a difference between the distances r 5  and r 6 . The outer ring  144  has a width w 1 , which is a difference between the distances r 4  and r 2 . The non-opaque portion  140  of the trim ring  34  has a width w 3 , which is a difference between the distances r 4  and r 1 . The width w 3  corresponds to the total length of both the outer ring  144  and the tick mark  142  in the radial direction. The symbol range R is a difference between the distances r 7  and r 8 . The symbol range R defines a region within which the symbols S are located in the radial direction. 
         [0043]    The distance r 1  is less than the distance r 5 . That is, the inner end of the illuminative tip  126  is farther from the center C than the inner end of the trim ring  34 . Therefore, the inner end of the illuminative tip  126  is located entirely below the trim ring  34  and is concealed by the trim ring  34 . The distance r 3  is between the distances r 2  and r 4 . That is, the outer end of the illuminative tip  126  resides within the width w 1  of the outer ring  144 . Therefore, the outer end of the illuminative tip  126  is viewable regularly through the outer ring  144  even when the illuminative tip  126  is partially behind the shade  132 . 
         [0044]    The length  11  is less than the width w 3 . That is, the illuminative tip  126  is shorter than the width of the non-opaque portion  140  of the trim ring  34 . Therefore, the illumination IL appears within a limited region of the trim ring  34 . 
         [0045]    The distance r 5  is greater than the distance r 8 , and the distance r 6  is less than the distance r 7 . That is, the length  12  of the see-through portion  124  is greater than the symbol range R. Therefore, the symbols S on the dial plate  10  are smaller than the see-through portion  124  in the radial direction. Therefore, the symbols S are entirely viewable through the see-through portion  124 . That is, both the illuminative tip  126  and the illuminative root  122  are regularly away from the symbols S in the radial direction and do not conceal the symbols S. 
         [0046]    As follows, operation of the indicating device will be described with reference to  FIGS. 8 to 11 .  FIG. 8  shows the indicating device when viewed along the axial direction of the rotational center C of the pointer  20 . In  FIG. 8 , the pointer  20  is at an angle slightly lower than an angular position of one tick mark  142  corresponding to 2500 RPM. The illuminative tip  126  produces the illumination IL at the outer ring  144  and a lower part of the tick mark  142 . 
         [0047]    The pointer  20  in  FIG. 8  rotates clockwise to be in the state of  FIG. 9 . The pointer  20  is at an angle slightly greater than an angular position of the one tick mark  142 . The illuminative tip  126  produces the illumination IL at the outer ring  144  and an upper part of the tick mark  142 . 
         [0048]    The pointer  20  in  FIG. 9  further rotates clockwise to be in the state of  FIG. 10 . The pointer  20  is at an angle corresponding to an angular position of one shade  132 . Therefore, the pointer  20  is located below the one shade  132  and is partially concealed by the one shade  132 . Thus, the illuminative tip  126  produces the illumination IL only at the outer ring  144 . 
         [0049]    The pointer  20  in  FIG. 10  further rotates clockwise to be in the state of  FIG. 11 . In this state, the pointer  20  directs one tick mark  142  corresponding to 3000 RPM. The illuminative tip  126  produces the illumination IL at the outer ring  144  and entirely at the tick mark  142 . The symbol S, which is 3, is viewable through the see-through portion  124  of the pointer  20 . 
         [0050]    As described above, as the pointer  20  rotates relative to the dial plate  10  and the trim ring  34 , the illuminative tip  126  is partially viewable through the tick mark  142  and is partially concealed by shade  132  alternately. In addition, the illuminative tip  126  is partially viewable through the tick mark  142  and is partially masked by shade  132  alternately. The illuminative tip  126  is viewable through the outer ring  144 , regularly. In addition, the symbol S is viewable through the see-through portion  124  of the pointer  20  regularly even when the see-through portion  124  is above the symbol S. 
       Other Embodiments 
       [0051]    The indicating device  1  may be used in various control panels or instrument panels other than the engine revolution meter. The prism  50  may be omitted. The LED  74  may be located below the shaft  23 . In this case, the shaft  23  may conduct light emitted from the LED  74  toward the reflective surface  24   a  of the body  24 . 
         [0052]    The relative relation among the trim ring  34 , the needle  26  of the pointer  20  may be arbitrarily modified. In  FIG. 6 , the distance r 5  may be less than the distance r 1 . That is, the inner end of the illuminative tip  126  may be located beyond the inner end of the trim ring  34  inward in the radial direction. When viewed along the axial direction, the width of the illuminative tip  126  may be greater than the width of the tick mark  142  or may be less than the width of the tick mark  142 . The see-through portion  124  may be omitted. The outer ring  144  may be omitted. The tick mark  142  may be omitted. Alternatively of or in addition to the outer ring  144  and/or the tick mark  142 , the trim ring may have various marks. The various marks may include various shapes, such as a star, a circle, and/or a triangle, various letters, and/or the like and combination of those various shapes. For example, the trim ring may have a non-opaque graphical form through which the illuminative tip is partially or entirely viewable for a viewer. 
         [0053]    The illuminative tip  126  and the illuminative root  122  may have the illuminative layer on one of the top surface and the bottom surface. At least one of the illuminative tip  126  and the root may be non-illuminative. That is, at least one of the illuminative tip  126  and the root may be merely opaque. 
         [0054]    It should be appreciated that while the processes of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein as including a specific sequence of steps, further alternative embodiments including various other sequences of these steps and/or additional steps not disclosed herein are intended to be within the steps of the present disclosure. 
         [0055]    While the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the preferred embodiments and constructions. The present disclosure is intended to cover various modification and equivalent arrangements. In addition, while the various combinations and configurations, which are preferred, other combinations and configurations, including more, less or only a single element, are also within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.