Continental Automotive Systems Us, Inc.

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Shirley Yu

Vyacheslav B Birman

Christian Jean Tanguy

Richard Daniel Sanders

Chay Lee

Werner Eckardt

Guoqing Wang

A pointer for an instrument cluster assembly of a motor vehicle is provided. The pointer includes a pointer arm and a light distributor formed of light conducting material. The pointer arm has a proximal end and a distal end. The light distributor is disposed at the proximal end. The light distributor has a light receiving side and a light reflecting surface. The light distributor is configured to receive rays through the light receiving side. The light reflecting surface is configured to reflect rays into the pointer arm. The light receiving side has an inner portion and an outer portion. The inner portion is disposed closer to the distal end of the pointer arm than the outer portion is with respect to the distal end. Angled surfaces are disposed on the inner portion. The angled surfaces are configured to refract rays toward the light reflecting surface.

High light efficiency pointer illumination

A gauge assembly having a pointer arm extending away from a hub is supported for movement about an axis to indicate a current vehicle condition. This is accomplished when the pointer points to a specific location and telltales on the gauge surface. The pointer arm has a pointer arm viewing surface with one or more clear portions and one or more illuminated portions along the length of the pointer arm viewing surface. The pointer arm further includes one or more raised steps formed on a bottom surface of the pointer arm located opposite the viewing surface of the pointer arm. The one or more raised steps is aligned with the one or more illuminated portions and the one or more raised steps have a reflective surface for reflecting light through the one more illuminated portions on the viewing surface.

Dash line pointer

An instrument cluster assembly includes an outer gauge that is disposed about an inner gauge. The inner gauge is flood lit and the outer gauge is back lit. A single light guide assembly receives light from a plurality of light source exposed about an outer perimeter of the outer gauge. Light directed through the light guide is emitted through a light emitting edge to illuminate the inner gauge. Light traveling from the light source through the light guide is uniformly transmitted through a curved transition portion to back light the outer gauge assembly.

Flood and back lit instrument cluster

A vehicle display includes two colored light sources that are operatively connected to a circuit board. Each of the two colored light sources emits a colored light that mixes to form a desired color of display light that illuminates a vehicle graphic. The desired color of display light is within a predetermined color tolerance. The vehicle display achieves a small size without incurring added expenses associated with using more than two light sources.

Illuminated display having two single-colored light sources

A light guide assembly for illuminating an instrument surface includes a continuous curved transition portion for uniformly directing and transmitting light from a light source to a backlight surface of the instrument surface. The curved shape of the transition portion is tailored to transmit a desired amount of light into the backlight portion and a desired amount outwardly against a back surface of the instrument surface.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Shirley Yu