Other

Nu-tech & Engineering, Inc.

Invotronics Manufacturing

Atoma International Corporation

Craig A Ayres

John A Ayres

Michael E Salmon

David L Ehle

Douglas Hall

Thomas Blossom

A custom instrument gauge module is disclosed which replaces the OEM instrument cluster gauges sub-assembly and utilizes the original electronic circuitry for the unique customization of an existing instrument cluster. The custom gauge module is designed and calibrated to replace the original cluster graphics, gauges, and pointers, while maintaining the original cluster circuitry and, optionally, the molded housing. The flexible design and manufacturing of the custom gauge module allows the enhancement of existing instrument panels to have an upgraded appearance and additional functions, while maintaining and using the original cluster complex electronic circuit.

Calibrated custom instrument gauge module and means for assembly

An eyes up instrument having a transparent display is disclosed which is mountable on or above the dashboard of a vehicle to allow the instrument to be read by a vehicle operator without lowering his eyes to the vehicle instrument panel. The display of the instrument is transparent and therefore does not interfere substantially with the view of the operator. The compact design of the instrument and use of a miniature crossed coil gauge supported in the display itself allow it to be mounted unobtrusively on a dashboard even in applications where transparency is not required.

Gauge instrument for use in a motor vehicle

A miniature crossed coil gauge is provided having an oriented rare earth magnet fixedly mounted on a rotary shaft for supplying a magnetic flux directed transverse to the shaft axis. The gauge housing provided by an upper and lower bobbin surrounds the magnet and supports the rotary shaft. A first and second coil are wound about the gauge housing in a crossed coil orientation encircling the magnet. A flux ring is disposed around the first and second coils axially aligned with respect to the magnet. The magnet has sufficient strength and the flux ring is mounted in sufficiently close proximity to the first and second coils to redistribute the flux supplied by the magnet so that the magnetic flux measured at the surface of the coils is substantially increased relative to the magnetic flux density measured with the flux ring removed. This gauge construction facilitates the fabrication of gauges so small that they can be directly mounted on printed circuit boards using conventional electronic component mounting equipment.

Miniature crossed coil gauge having an active flux ring

An instrument panel having easy-to-read instruments is disclosed and which in certain embodiments allows for more efficient use of space behind the instrument panel by providing a partially reflective screen in the instrument panel and mounting certain instruments or instrument elements in the brow of the dashboard over and in front of the screen so that images of the instruments or elements in the brow are reflected off the screen. Other instruments or instrument elements may be located behind the screen, and from a viewing location, the instruments or elements combine into an integral display.

Virtual instrument panel

An compass having an electronic magnetic field sensor and an analog directional display is disclosed wherein a signal from the field sensor proportional to one component of the earth's magnetic field is alternated in polarity and integrated to produce a triangular waveform the frequency of which is proportional to the strength of that field component and wherein a triangular waveform having a frequency proportional to the second component of the earth's magnetic field is produced in the same manner. These values are used by a microcontroller to control an air-core gauge such that a disk with reference markings attached to the gauge remains positioned with one of the reference markings facing either magnetic or true north. A resistor ladder network is also connected in parallel to the inputs of the integrators and controlled by the microprocessor through a shift register in order keep the integrators out of saturation.

Growing community of inventors

Lapeer, MI, United States of America

Craig A Ayres