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US 4,044,708 AGranted
Transilluminated dial presentation
AssigneeMcDonnell Douglas Corporation
InventorHerman C. Klein
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMcDonnell Douglas Corporation
InventorHerman C. Klein
Estimating the term…
A dial display of transilluminated instruments includes a negative or color transparent film of the pointer and dial face of an instrument, in contact with a diffuser element such as a Mylar (polyester) film, the negative film and diffuser being laminated to a high light transmission element such as an acrylic material to provide a rigid concentric pointer drum and dial face assembly, and light emitting diodes and reflector means mounted for back lighting the transparent negative film. Light from the light emitting diodes (LED) is reflected between the reflector assembly and diffuser surface, and produces a uniformly lighted dial and pointer presentation. The color of the pointer and dial face indicia is formed directly by the color of the diffuser material at the exposed areas on the developed negative film. Various other modifications of the invention include use of a reverse silk screened diffuser instead of a negative film, in combination with the diffuser, e.g. a white diffuser, wherein the pointer and dial face displays are reverse silk screened directly on the diffuser, and wherein the white color of the diffuser material forms the display marks or indicia. Further, the diodes can be oriented toward the diffuser surface instead of toward the reflector surface, and different wavelength light emitting diodes can be used. Also there can be employed different colored diffusers or different wavelength filters between the negative and diffuser surfaces.
An indicator dial system for instruments, which comprises a display of an instrument dial face in the form of a developed photographic film or a reverse silk screened presentation of said instrument dial face, a light diffuser element, said display of an instrument dial face being mounted on one side of said diffuser element, a high light transmission element mounted on the other side of said diffuser element and supporting same, a light source spaced from and positioned on the opposite side of said high light transmission element from said diffuser element, said light source comprising light emitting diode means, means supporting said light emitting diode means in spaced relation to said light transmission element, and reflector means at the rear of said light transmission element for backlighting said instrument dial face display, said reflector means being positioned to reflect light from said light emitting diode means through said light transmission element to said diffuser element, said diffuser element diffusing the light received from said high light transmission element for uniformly illuminating said instrument dial face display.
Illuminating dial and pointer system for instruments, which comprises an instrument cover case for said system, and containing a display of an instrument dial face having indicia thereon, dial pointer display means concentrically mounted for rotation with respect to said dial face display, said instrument dial face display being in the form of a developed photographic film for a reverse silk screened presentation of said instrument dial face, a light diffuser element, said dial face display positioned in front of said diffuser element and in contact therewith, a high light transmission element mounted to the rear of said light diffuser element and in contact therewith for supporting same, and a light source positioned to the rear of said high light transmission element for directing light thereto, said light source comprising light emitting diode means, and reflector means positioned to the rear of said high light transmission element, said light emitting diode means being positioned to direct light toward said reflector means, said reflector means directing reflected light to said high light transmission element, said diffuser element diffusing the light received from said high light transmission element and uniformly illuminating said instrument dial face display and said dial pointer means.
An indicator dial system for instruments, which comprises a display of an instrument dial face in the form of a developed photographic film or a reverse silk screened presentation of said instrument dial face, a light diffuser element, said display of an instrument dial face being mounted on one side of said diffuser element, a high light transmission element mounted on the other side of said diffuser element and supporting same, and a light source spaced from and positioned on the opposite side of said high light transmission element from said diffuser element, said light source comprising light emitting diode means, said light emitting diode means comprising a mounting member and a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned in spaced relation around the periphery of said mounting member, and reflector means for backlighting said instrument dial face display, said light emitting diode means and said mounting member being positioned to direct light against said reflector means, said reflector means being mounted and positioned to reflect light from said light emitting diode means through said light transmission element to said diffuser element, said diffuser element diffusing the light received from said high light transmission element for uniformly illuminating said instrument dial face display.
Illuminating dial and pointer system for instruments, which comprises an instrument cover case for said system, and containing a display of an instrument dial face having indicia thereon, dial pointer display means mounted for rotation with respect to said dial face display, said instrument dial face display being in the form of a developed photographic film or a reverse silk screened presentation of said instrument dial face, a light diffuser element, said dial face display positioned in front of said diffuser element and in contact therewith, a high light transmission element mounted to the rear of said light diffuser element and in contact therewith for supporting same, and a light source positioned to the rear of said high light transmission element for directing light thereto, said light source comprising light emitting diode means, and conically shaped reflector means comprising at least one conically shaped reflector for backlighting said dial face display, said light emitting diode means comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned in spaced relation around the periphery of said reflector and positioned to direct light against said reflector and for directing reflected light from said reflector to said high light transmission element, said diffuser element diffusing the light received from said high light transmission element and uniformly illuminating said instrument dial face display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.