Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/758,054 which was filed on Jan. 11, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention generally relates to an instrument cluster assembly that includes a pointer that can be selectively illuminated. More particularly, this invention relates to an instrument cluster assembly with a pointer with different parts that can be selectively illuminated. 
         [0003]    An instrument cluster for a motor vehicle includes a dial with a scale indicative of a vehicle performance or operational parameter. A pointer is rotated about a central axis to point to a specific indicator on the dial to communicate the current state of the measured parameter. The basic configuration of an instrument cluster is modified to provide a desired aesthetic appearance to the interior of a vehicle. Because the instrument cluster is an integral part of vehicle operation, automotive manufactures continually update and improve the appearance of the vehicle instrumentation. 
         [0004]    An instrument cluster assembly can be equipped with an illuminated pointer. The illuminated pointer is provided by directing light into the pointer from a fixed light source. The pointer includes reflective surfaces to direct light through the pointer. Different styles and shapes of pointer are provided to provide a desired appearance. This structure provides for the illumination of the entire pointer, not specific portions. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is desirable to design and develop a pointer assembly with different portions that can be illuminated independently. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An example instrument cluster includes a pointer having an outer portion and an inner portion that are independently and selectively illuminated. 
         [0007]    An example gauge assembly includes a pointer assembly having an inner portion and an outer portion. The outer portion points to one scale of the dial gauge where the inner portion points to a different scale. The outer portion and inner portion of the pointer assembly are illuminated by different light sources and can thereby be independently illuminated. 
         [0008]    A first light emitting diode (LED) is mounted on a main circuit board and a second LED is mounted to an auxiliary circuit board that is electrically connected to the main circuit board. The auxiliary circuit board is mounted above the pointer assembly and directs light downwardly onto the inner pointer portion of the pointer assembly and dial face. The first LED directs light upwardly into the outer portion of the pointer assembly. The different light sources are independently actuated to selectively light the inner and outer portions of the pointer assembly. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, the example pointer assembly includes independently illuminatable portions to provide different desired lighting schemes for an instrument cluster. 
         [0010]    These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an example dial gauge assembly. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the example dial gauge assembly. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the example dial gauge assembly. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an example instrument cluster assembly in a non-illuminated condition. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is the example instrument cluster assembly in an illuminated condition. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an example gauge assembly  10  includes a dial face  12  and a pointer assembly  14 . The pointer assembly  14  includes an outer pointer portion  16  and an inner portion  18 . The pointer assembly  14  rotates about an axis  20  and is driven by a motor  22 . The example pointer assembly  14  is only one configuration possible. Although the illustrated example pointer assembly includes an inner and outer portion, other separately lightable pointer configurations are possible within the scope of this disclosure. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the outer portion  16  is illuminated by a first light emitting diode (LED)  38  and the inner portion  18  is illuminated by a second LED  40 . The first LED  38  is mounted on a main circuit board  24 . The main circuit board  24  is disposed below the dial face  12  and provides a mounting location for the motor  22 . The motor  22  includes a shaft  25  to which a mount  15  for the pointer assembly  14  is mounted. 
         [0018]    The main circuit board  24  includes a connector socket  28  into which a connector pin  30  is received. The connector pin  30  extends downward from an auxiliary circuit board  26 . The auxiliary circuit board  26  is mounted above the pointer assembly  14  and held in place by a light support  36 . The light support  36  supports the auxiliary circuit board  26  that includes the second LED  40 . 
         [0019]    The second LED  40  is disposed substantially along the central axis  20 . The light mount  36  includes a light housing that directs light from the LED  40  downwardly onto the pointer assembly  14  and dial face  12 . The inner portion  18  includes a reflective surface  21  that directs light from the second LED  40  through the inner portion  18 . Because the second LED  40  is disposed along the central axis  40  light is directed into the central portion  18  of the pointer assembly  14 . 
         [0020]    The first LED  38  mounted on the main circuit board is mounted a distance from the axis  25  to illuminate the outer portion  16  of the pointer  14 . The outer portion  16  includes a second reflective surface  23  that directs light from the first LED through the outer portion  16 . The inner and outer portions  18 ,  16  of the pointer assembly  14  can be illuminated independently with the separate LEDs  38 ,  40 . 
         [0021]    The first LED  38  may be of a different color or intensity than the second LED  40  to provide a desired color and illumination scheme. Alternatively, different colors for the inner and outer portions  18 ,  16  of the pointer assembly  14  can be provided with coatings of different colors. Further, a worker with the benefit of this disclosure would understand how to sequentially or preferentially illuminate specific portions of the pointer assembly to provide the desired aesthetic appearance. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an exploded view of the dial gauge assembly  10  is illustrated. The exploded view shows the cap  42  that is placed over the auxiliary circuit board  26 . The auxiliary circuit board  26  in turn provides a mounting location for the LED  40 . The LED  40  is disposed along the central axis  20 . The auxiliary circuit board  26  includes connector pins  30  that extend through the light support  36  and engage connectors  28  on the main circuit board  24 . 
         [0023]    The main circuit board  24  provides a mounting location for the first LED  38 . In this example, three LEDs  38  are illustrated, however any number of LEDs as are required to provide the desired uniform illumination and brightness of the outer pointer portion  16  may be utilized. The dial face  12  is mounted within a housing  32  that is also mounted adjacent the main circuit board  24 . The pointer assembly  14  is mounted on the pointer mount  15  which is in turn mounted to the shaft  25  of the motor  22 . Rotation of the shaft  25  rotates the pointer assembly  14  about the axis  20  to indicate a desired perimeter on the dial face  12 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , an instrument cluster assembly  50  includes several gauge assemblies including the dial face  12 . The outer portion  16  points to an outer scale  19  and the inner portion  18  points to an inner scale  17 . The example gauge assembly  10  is utilized as a speedometer that includes the outer scale  19  in miles per hour (MPH) and the inner scale  17  in kilometers per hour (KPH). The space between the inner portion  18  and the outer portion  16  provides for a clear view of the inner scale  17  which is in this example is the KPH scale. The instrument cluster illustrated in  FIG. 4  is in a non-illuminated condition. In this condition neither of the pointer portions  16 ,  18  are illuminated. 
         [0025]    The instrument cluster  50  also includes auxiliary gauges with auxiliary dial faces  14 ′,  14 ″. These dial faces also includes pointer assemblies  14 ′,  14 ″. The dial face  46  includes two pointer assemblies  14 ′ that each have inner and outer portions  16 ′ and  18 ′. 
         [0026]    Another dial gauge assembly  44  includes a single pointer assembly  14 ″. The dial face  44  provides an indication of engine speed (RPM). The dial gauge  46  provides an indication of fuel level and also of coolant temperature. As appreciated, the example cluster assembly  50  includes several gauges that communicate information to a vehicle operator. A worker with the benefit of this disclosure would understand that other gauges and information that are commonly equipped in vehicles to provide the communicating information to an operator could also utilize the pointer assemblies of this invention. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the pointer assemblies  14 ,  14 ′,  14 ″ are illustrated in an illuminated condition. In the example illuminated condition the inner pointer portions  18 ′ and  18 ″ are illuminated in a first color  52  (indicated by the dark shading) and the outer portions  16 ,  16 ′,  16 ″ are illuminated in a second color  54  (indicated by the lighter shading). The independent illumination of different portions of the pointer assemblies  14 ,  14 ′,  14 ″ provide for different lighting schemes as may be desired. 
         [0028]    Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Technology Category: g