Display device with indicators having increased brightness

Details Display device with indicators having increased brightness Display device with indicators having increased brightness

2000-08-21

2002-06-25

Tweel, John (Department: 2632)

Communications: electrical

Visual indication

C340S461000, C340S459000, C359S630000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06411216

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a display device including a plurality of indicators.
BACKGROUND ART
As shown in
FIG. 4
, there is a display device for vehicle which stores in a housing
1
, indicating instruments
2
(indicators) such as a speedometer and a tachometer, and a light emitting type indicator
3
(indicator) such as a fluorescent character display tube. The display board
4
for the indicating instruments
2
has a light shielding portion printed in black for example except for an indicator portion (scales and numbers) in a translucent substrate, and a pointer
5
points a scale to indicate the speed of a vehicle or the engine speed. A light source
6
such as a bulb is provided at the back of the display board
4
, and the light source
6
is directed to the indicator portion in the display board
4
for transmitted illumination. A light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) is provided at the base of the pointer
5
and a pointing portion
5
a
emits light. There is a semi-transmitting cover
7
in the front of the housing
1
to protect the indicators
2
and
3
. There is a semi-transmitting reflection board
8
between the indicating instrument
2
and the cover
7
, and the indication light L of the light emitting type indicator
3
is reflected upon the semi-transmitting reflection board
8
to reach the viewer. The light emitting type indicator
3
indicates the time in numerical digits, and the viewer can see the virtual image
9
of the time indication with the eye at a distance approximately the same as that to the display board
4
. Note however that since the transmittance of the semi-transmitting reflection board
8
is about 50%, and the transmittance of the cover
7
is about 20%, the indicating instruments
2
looks dim. More specifically, the light of the indicating instruments
2
(the light of the pointing portion
5
a
and the indicator portion at the display board
4
) is reduced to about 10% as it is transmitted through the semi-transmitting reflection board
8
and the cover
7
.
According to the present invention, a display device capable of indicating a virtual image and preventing the brightness of the indicators (indicating instruments) from being extremely lowered is provided.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An indicating instrument (first indicator
15
) includes a display board
21
, a pointer
24
to point the display board
21
, a light source
22
to subject the display board
21
to transmitted illumination, and pointer driving means
25
to drive the pointer
24
. A housing
10
stores the first indicator
15
, a second indicator
17
formed of a first light emitting type indicator, and a third indicator
16
formed of a second light emitting type indicator.
First indication light L
1
projected by the second indicator
17
is reflected upon a semi-transmitting reflection board
20
to reach the viewer. Second indication light L
2
projected by the third indicator
16
is transmitted through the semi-transmitting reflection board
20
to reach the viewer. Light by the first indicator
15
reaches the viewer without being transmitted through the semi-transmitting reflection board
20
. In other words, the display device has such a structure that the viewer views the second indicator
17
reflected upon the semi-transmitting reflection board
20
, the third indicator
16
through the semi-transmitting reflection board
20
, and the first indicator
15
not through the semi-transmitting reflection board
20
.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4025896 (1977-05-01), Hintze et al.
patent: 4464933 (1984-08-01), Santis
patent: 4954807 (1990-09-01), Fleischer et al.
patent: 5013135 (1991-05-01), Yamamura
patent: 5440428 (1995-08-01), Hegg et al.
patent: 5578985 (1996-11-01), Cremers et al.
patent: 5821867 (1998-10-01), Angell et al.
patent: 63-188184 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 2-164637 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 10-91087 (1998-04-01), None

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