Illuminated pointer for instrument gage

An electrical instrument gauge comprising:

• an axial shaft member that is mounted on said gauge to be rotated about its axis in response to electrical signals applied to said gauge, and
• an indicator member mounted on said shaft member to rotate with said shaft member and sweep said indicator member over a predetermined arcuate rotational range and along a plane that is transverse to said axis, wherein said indicator member includes:
• a base element at one end of said indicator member;
• an elongated and generally narrow pointer portion that extends in a radial direction from said base element:
• an electrically energizable light source mounted on and extending along said pointer portion and said light source having first and second electrical contact areas formed at one end;
• a socket portion in said base element having a cylindrical opening formed about a central axis that is concentric with said axis of said shaft member when mounted on said shaft member and sized to allow for a compression attachment to said shaft member;
• said socket portion has an outer cylindrical surface that contains first and second electrically conductive areas extending over separate portions of the circumference of said surface and respectively interconnects to said first and second source contact areas;
• and
• said gauge contains first and second fixed electrical wiper contacts that respectively make continual electrical interconnection with said first and second conductive portions of said socket portion over its rotational range.