Light guide assembly for display illumination
AssigneeContinental Automotive Systems, Inc.
InventorsVyacheslav Borisovich Birman, Richard Daniel Sanders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light guide assembly for an instrument display includes a light housing, a light source and a light guide. The light guide directs light from the light source through an opening in the light housing, and includes at least a first branch and a second branch. A diffuser is disposed above an opening in the light housing. The diffuser includes a bottom surface facing an interior of the light housing and a top surface facing opposite the bottom surface. A dimming feature is disposed on a portion of the top surface of the diffuser, such that the dimming feature reduces a brightness of the portion of the top surface thereby maintaining at least approximately a constant brightness across the diffuser.
Claims19
A light guide assembly for an instrument display comprising:
- A light housing;
- a light source;
- a light guide directing light from the light source through an opening in the light housing, wherein the light guide comprises at least a first branch and a second branch;
- a diffuser disposed above an opening in the light housing, wherein the diffuser includes a bottom surface facing an interior of said light housing and a top surface facing opposite said bottom surface;
- and
- a dimming feature disposed on a portion of the top surface of the diffuser, such that the dimming feature reduces a brightness of the portion of the top surface thereby maintaining at least approximately a constant brightness across said diffuser.
A method for reducing uneven light disbursement through a diffuser comprising:
- passing light through a plurality of clear protrusions disposed on a surface of a light box diffuser, thereby dimming the light passing through the protrusions, wherein the protrusions are disposed on a bright spot of the diffuser.
A diffuser for a light guide assembly comprising:
- an outward facing surface and an inward facing surface opposite said outward facing surface;
- an inner portion of said outward facing surface including a center of said outward facing surface;
- an outer portion of said inward facing surface approaching an edge of said outward facing surface;
- a plurality of clear protrusions disposed on said inner portion of said outward facing surface, wherein the clear protrusions are operable to redirect light passing through the diffuser at the inner portion thereby providing a dimming effect.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.