Bright pointer for instrument cluster

Abstract

An instrument display for a vehicle dash includes a unique light source and light guide assembly. The light source is incorporated directly into the light guide. A non-contact magnetic coupling transfers power from a circuit board to the light source. A textured surface is formed on one portion of the external surface of the light guide to evenly illuminate the light guide. Also, surface roughness on an opposing external surface portion of the light guide is varied depending on the length of the light guide to provide similar luminance for light guides having different lengths.

1 . An instrument display comprising: 
 a panel mountable to a vehicle structure and including at least one graphical image indicating a vehicle operating condition;    a light guide mounted for movement relative to said graphical image;    a light source mounted to said light guide to illuminate at least a portion of said light guide;    a circuit board for controlling operational characteristics of said light guide and said light source; and    a non-contact coupling electrically connecting said light source to said circuit board.    
   
   
       2 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said light guide comprises a pointer having a longitudinally extending body with a first end having a mounting portion and a second end cooperating with said graphical image to indicate the vehicle operating condition and wherein a portion of an external surface of said body is formed with a predetermined roughness to control luminance.  
   
   
       10 . The display of  claim 9  wherein said predetermined roughness varies for pointers having different lengths.  
   
   
       11 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said light guide comprises a pointer having a longitudinally extending body with a first end having a mounting portion and a second end cooperating with said graphical image to indicate the vehicle operating condition and wherein a portion of an external surface of said body is formed with a textured surface extending from said first end toward said second end to evenly illuminate said pointer.  
   
   
       12 - 18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . An instrument display comprising: 
 a panel mountable to a vehicle structure and including at least one graphical image indicating a vehicle operating condition;    a light guide mounted for movement relative to said graphical image, said light guide including a body portion with a textured external surface extending along the length of the body portion;    a light source cooperating with said textured external surface to provide even illumination of said light guide;    a circuit board for controlling operational characteristics of said light guide and said light source; and    a coupling electrically connecting said light source to said circuit board.    
   
   
       20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said light source is mounted for movement with said light guide.  
   
   
       22 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said light guide comprises a pointer with said light source being directly mounted to said pointer.  
   
   
       23 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said light guide comprises a pointer having an upper external surface and a lower external surface and wherein one of said upper and lower external surfaces includes a predetermined roughness to control luminance and the other of said upper and lower external surfaces includes a textured surface extending along a length of said pointer to evenly illuminate said pointer.  
   
   
       24 . The display of  claim 23  wherein said textured surface comprises a plurality of prisms.  
   
   
       25 . The display of  claim 24  wherein each prism is spaced apart from an adjacent prisms by a predetermined distance and wherein said predetermined distance varies between adjacent prisms.  
   
   
       26 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said non-contact coupling includes a rotating member fixed to said light guide and a non-rotating member fixed to said circuit board, said rotating and non-rotating members being spaced apart from each other in an overlapping relationship.  
   
   
       27 . The display of  claim 26  wherein said rotating and non-rotating members comprise wire coils.  
   
   
       28 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said non-contact coupling comprises an electromagnetic coupling.  
   
   
       29 . The display of  claim 19  wherein said coupling comprises an electromagnetic coupling.  
   
   
       30 . The display of  claim 19  wherein said light guide comprises a pointer and wherein said light source is mounted directly to said pointer.  
   
   
       31 . An instrument display comprising: 
 a light guide mounted for movement relative to a graphical image to indicate a vehicle operating condition;    a light source mounted to said light guide; and    an electromagnetic coupling that couples said light source to a circuit board.    
   
   
       32 . The display of  claim 31  wherein said light guide comprises a pointer and wherein said light source is mounted directly to said pointer.  
   
   
       33 . The display of  claim 31  wherein said electromagnetic coupling includes a rotating coil supported by said light guide and a non-rotating coil supported by said circuit board.  
   
   
       34 . The display of  claim 31  including a motor electrically connected to said circuit board to move said light guide relative to said graphical image.  
   
   
       35 . The display of  claim 34  wherein said light guide includes a first mounting portion that receives said light source and a second mounting portion that is coupled to an output shaft of said motor.