US 5,398,018 AGranted

Automatic transmission lever position indicating device

AssigneeAtoma International Inc.

InventorGregory Polityka

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Abstract

An automatic transmission lever position indicating device comprising a housing including a face wall structure presenting within an opaque background a sequence of translucent characters corresponding in sequence with the positions of the lever. A circuit board is mounted within the housing including leads for receiving and transmitting signals including the input signals of the automatic transmission. An illuminating assembly is carried by the circuit board for illuminating all of the sequence of translucent characters and additionally indicating by illumination one of the sequence of translucent characters corresponding to the position the lever is in. The illuminating assembly includes a light emitting diode associated with each translucent character of the sequence, the light emitting diodes being connected with the leads for energizing the light emitting diodes in a manner determined by the input signals received so as to illuminate the one light emitting diode associated with the translucent character of the sequence corresponding to the position the lever is in so that the illumination of the associated one light emitting diode provides said additional indication by illumination.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A visual indicating device for an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission operatively shiftable by a lever, said lever movable to anyone of a parking position, a reverse position, a neutral position and a plurality of forward driving speed positions, and means for for generating input signals indicative of the position the lever is in, said visual indicating device comprising:

a housing including a face wall structure having an opaque background with a first plurality of spaced translucent indicators corresponding to the positions of the lever, each of said first translucent indicators corresponding to one of the parking position, the reverse position, the neutral position, and one of the plurality of forward driving speed positions;
a second plurality of spaced translucent indicators equal in number to that of said first translucent indicators formed on said face wall structure, each of said second translucent indicators being associated with one of said first translucent indicators and positioned adjacent thereto, and each of said second translucent indicators having a light emitting diode positioned in close proximity thereto and within said housing;
an illumination-confining means positioned within said housing and adjacent to each of said light emitting diodes for said second translucent indicators to confine the illumination of said each light emitting diode to only one of said second translucent indicators;
a separate illuminating means comprising a light source housed inside said housing for simultaneously illuminating all of said first translucent indicators by directing said light source from inside of said housing through said first translucent indicators;
and
a circuit means within said housing including leads for receiving signals, including said input signals of the automotive transmission, for activating said separate illuminating means, and for additionally illuminating one of said second translucent indicators with one of said light emitting diodes that corresponds to the position of the lever is in so as to provide a visual indication of all of the lever positions and the position of the lever.

3 more elements

The device as defined in claim 22, wherein said housing comprises a rear wall and peripheral walls extending from a periphery of said rear wall and terminating in an open end, providing access to an interior space defined by said rear wall and said peripheral walls, said circuit means including a circuit board,

means on the interior of said housing walls for enabling said circuit board to be guided rectilinearly through the open end of said housing into an operative position within said interior space, said face wall structure being movable into closing relation to the open end of said housing and in engagement with said circuit board to fixedly retain the same in said operative position.

A self-contained, readily attachable and detachable visual indicating module for attaching to an automotive vehicle having an automatic transmission operatively shiftable by a lever, said lever movable to anyone of a parking position, a reverse position, a neutral position and a plurality of forward driving speed positions, and means for for generating input signals indicative of the position the lever is in, said visual indicating device comprising:

a housing having means for readily attaching and detaching to the vehicle, said housing including a face wall structure having an opaque background with a plurality of first spaced translucent indicators corresponding to the positions of the lever, each of said first translucent indicators corresponding to one of the parking position, the reverse position, the neutral position, and one of the plurality of forward driving speed positions;
a second plurality of spaced translucent indicators equal in number to that of said first translucent indicators provided on said face wall structure, each of said second translucent indicators being associated with one of said first translucent indicators and positioned adjacent thereto, and each of said second translucent indicators having a light emitting diode positioned in close proximity thereto and within said housing;
an illumination-confining means positioned within said housing and adjacent to each of the light emitting diodes for said second translucent indicators to confine the illumination of said each light emitting diode to only one of said second translucent indicators;
a separate illuminating means comprising a light source housed inside said housing for simultaneously illuminating all of said first translucent indicators by directing said light source from inside of said housing through said first translucent indicators;
and
a circuit means within said housing including leads for receiving signals, including said input signals of the automotive transmission, for activating said separate illuminating means, and for additionally illuminating one of said second translucent indicators with one of said light emitting diodes that corresponds to the position of the lever is in so as to provide a visual indication of all of the lever positions and the position of the lever.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/981,459Filed 25 Nov 1992 · continuation
Priority: 20 Feb 1991
Granted: 14 Mar 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F16H 63/42
Comprising signals other than signals for actuating the final output mechanisms: ratio indicator devices
B60Q 3/283
For lighting specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments; mounted on specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments: steering…
F16H 2063/423
Ratio indicator devices: range indicators for automatic transmissions, e.g. showing selected range or mode
Y10T 74/2014
Transmission control: manually operated selector [e.g., remotely controlled device, lever, push button, rotary dial, etc.]