Illuminated serrated wheel

Details Illuminated serrated wheel Illuminated serrated wheel

1998-10-30

2000-07-25

Spyrou, Cassandra

Illumination

Illuminated scale or dial

Illuminated through meter case

362 29, 362 30, 362 31, 362 32, F21V 3300

Patent

active

060929022

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control knurl for actuating an appliance, in particular for the rotary adjustment of a potentiometer in automotive vehicles.
2. Description of the Art
A knurl of this type is disclosed in the applicant's German patent application No. 38 08 770. Control knurls of this type must permit being manipulated even if the passenger compartment is dark. Therefore, the dial setting of the potentiometer is illuminated from the inside. Such illumination permits not only recognizing the positioning of the control knurl in the dark but also its respective setting. If needed, adjustment changes can be made.
Because the number of operable adjustment elements on the control panel is constantly rising, it is desired to minimize the energy needed for the dial illumination, while sufficient visibility is ensured in addition. Therefore, one requirement is to minimize, to the extent possible, any light loss which the beams of light suffer on their way to the dial indicating instrument.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a control knurl. The principle of the present invention is directed to minimizing light loss of the light guide inside the knurl by largely coating the outside surfaces of the light guide with a reflecting (white) plastic coating. In this arrangement, that surface is left blank which is used to introduce the light into the light guide. Under certain circumstances, other surfaces are also left blank, in case this is considered appropriate for the mode of operation of the control knurl.
To minimize the loss surfaces of the light guide where the light might leak inadvertently, the light guide should have a shape which is as uncomplicated as possible. In the present case, light beams which enter axially into the light guide are emitted at a radially circumferential surface. The light beams are then introduced into the cross-sectional surface of a first portion of the light guide and redirected radially outwardly through a second portion until the light beams extend radially outwardly within a third portion. It is preferred that the individual portions are spatially circumferential, with the result that a large number of light-scattering surfaces are eliminated, which would prevail, for example, if the second portion consisted of generally radially extending struts.
Further, the outwardly circumferential surface permits the provision of an inwardly illuminated circumferential strip on the peripheral contour of the knurl on which appropriate markings can be made at any location desired.
Accordingly, the second portion has a circumferential surface which is inclined by 45 degrees with respect to the axis of light beam entry. The inside peripheral surface is configured so that the light beams which are introduced into the light guide in parallel to the axis of rotation of the control knurl are reflected on the inside peripheral surface of the truncated cone. Thus, the angular position of the wall is chosen so that it acts like a mirror for the beams which are impinged within the light guide. This is important, as will still be explained hereinbelow, inasfar as there is no need to apply a (white) protective coating at this point.
To prevent disturbing beams of light from being directed into the light guide from the outside, a second, preferably black, coating covers the first coating. However, it is important that the dark, second coating is not in direct contact with the light guide, because it would not reflect the beams of light which emit from the light guide, but rather take them up and become warm or heated as a result. On the other hand, the advantage of the dark, second coating is that soiling of the control knurl, due to its usage, is not visible on its surface. Still another special advantage of the second coating is that the coating can additionally be configured as an operating surface. It is preferred that this operating surface is a knurl which is adjacent to the illuminated dial and mechanically conne

REFERENCES:
patent: 3334958 (1967-08-01), Appeldorn
patent: 4141058 (1979-02-01), Mizohata et al.
patent: 4342908 (1982-08-01), Henningsen et al.
patent: 4371916 (1983-02-01), De Martino
patent: 4583151 (1986-04-01), Nagel
patent: 5288957 (1994-02-01), Swaybill
German Patent Office Search Report dated Jul. 21, 1997 for German patent application No. 196 54 651.6.
PCT International Search Report dated Mar. 25, 1998 for PCT/EP97/05561.

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