Instrument display method and system for passenger vehicle

An instrument panel for use in a passenger vehicle to provide a visual representation of data from a plurality of instruments to a passenger, the instrument panel comprising:

• a thin generally planar plastic sheet forming a light distribution layer having a front surface, a back surface, an outer peripheral edge, and a plurality apertures extending through said light distribution layer between said front and back surfaces, with each of said of said apertures being defined by an inner peripheral edge;
• a graphic layer having indicia thereon forming a stationary graphic portion of a plurality of analog gauges, said graphic layer overlaying the front surface of the light distribution layer;
• a circuit board fixed relative to said light distribution layer and extending parallel and adjacent to the back surface thereof, said circuit board having mounted thereon a series of electrical components forming a gauge circuit and a plurality of miniature electric gauge motors forming a portion of said plurality of analog gauges, each of said miniature gauge motors having a stator mounted directly on the circuit board in electrical communication with said gauge circuit, and a rotor and shaft assembly rotatable relative to the stator about an axis generally perpendicular to the plane of the light distribution layer, each of said plurality of gauge motor shafts being aligned with and extending through one of said plurality of apertures in said light distribution layer;
• a light source mounted on the circuit board and cooperating with one of said peripheral edges of the light distribution layer for directing light into the plane thereof;
• a reflector cooperating with the outer peripheral edge of the light distribution layer to minimize light loss;
• and
• a plurality of rotatable pointers each mounted adjacent to said graphic layer and affixed to a rotor shaft, said rotatable pointers being shiftable relative to the indicia on the graphic layer to form an analog gauge for transmitting instrument data to a vehicle passenger.