Laser pointer
AssigneeBeede Electrical Instrument Co., Inc.
InventorBradford L. Brooks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pointer for use with an analog meter movement providing a luminous indication of the meter position. The present invention provides an analog meter movement indicator which selectively directs a laser light or other collimated beam across the contoured face or dial or an analog meter, wherein the selective movement of the light beam and the resulting luminous image is provided by a selective movement of an optical deflector mounted on the shaft of the meter movement. The optical deflector is optically energized by an externally mounted, stationary light source. As the meter movement shaft is rotated, the luminous beam image moves over the dial face according to the signal applied to the meter movement. The resulting instrument provides a dramatic indication of analog meter signal presentation.
Claims14
A meter comprising:
- a dial having a plurality of designator means which are placed at predetermined locations per meter values and which reflect light;
- a collimated light source;
- a meter movement
- proximate said dial and controllingly rotating light deflector means according to input signals;
- media means for conducting light from said light source to said deflector means which in turn will direct collimated light at said designator means thereby indicating the value according to the input signal;
- and
- wherein said deflector means is characterized by the absence of any pointing structure.
An instrument cluster comprising:
- a plurality of dials each having a plurality of designators on a surface thereof which are placed at predetermined locations per meter values and which reflect light;
- a collimated light source providing at least one light beam;
- and
- a plurality of positioning means each responsive to a signal, each said positioning means being proximate a respective dial, and each controllingly rotating light deflector means according to an input signal, and including
- media means for conducting light from said collimated light to each said deflector means which in turn directs collimated light at said designator means thereby indicating the value according the input signal, wherein
- said deflector means is characterized by the absence of any pointing structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.