US 6,182,601 B2Granted

Meter with microprocessor control of pointer and multi-status indicator

AssigneeFloScan Instrument Company, Inc.

InventorWilfried Baatz

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Abstract

A meter (10) for receiving signals from a device and presenting status information according to received signals. A microprocessor (12) generates a status signal regarding the status of connected equipment according to the received signals and a predefined boundary for the presented status information. A nighttime indicator and a daytime indicator on the meter's pointer present status information to a viewer according to the generated status signal. The nighttime indicator includes one or more LED(s) (49), a translucent pointer (46) and an angled light deflecting surface (48) for deflecting light generated by the LED(s) to the clear pointer. The daytime indicator includes a cap (36) over the light deflecting surface and a hole (60) through the cap for allowing LED generated light that passes through the deflecting surface to illuminate to a viewer.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A meter for presenting status information of equipment during low and high intensity lighting conditions, said meter comprising;

a controller for generating status information signals according to signals received from the equipment;
a pointer comprising a base portion and an opaque cap, the base portion including a translucent elongate portion and a splitter;
a pointer driver for deflecting the pointer according to the generated status information signals;
and
at least one LED connected to the controller for generating light according to the generated status information signals for illuminating the pointer for viewing the low and the high intensity lighting conditions, said light being directed to the splitter, wherein a first portion of the light is reflected into the translucent elongate portion and a second portion is passed through said splitter, said cap including an aperture spaced apart from the elongate portion, the aperture allowing the second portion of the light to pass through the cap to permit the aperture to be viewed in the high intensity lighting conditions when the translucent elongate portion is less visible.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.