Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2~
This inventions relates to an instrument panel on the
vehicle and more particularly to a lighting assembly including
a compartmented panel with lighted windows for indicator lights
and a circuit board supporting light bulbs and circuit
components for lighting the windows in response to sensed
conditions on the vehicle.
Instrument panels on motor vehicles provide a
supporting means for various controls and indicators, such as,
meters, lights, gauges, switches and so on. The indicators are
often electrical in nature and consequently, electrical wires
are used to supply an electrical signal responsive to a sensed
condition on the motor vehicle. The complexity of the modern
vehicle and particularly tractors are increasing as the need
for accessory equipment for operating auxiliary equipment
increases. Accordingly, the instrument panel on the modern
tractor requires a maze of wiring which is becoming
increasingly difficult to assemble as well as service.
Accordingly, this invention provides a means whereby
the indicator lights on the instrument panel will signal
various operating conditions of the engine and the tractor. A
cable is connected to the circuit board which carries the
printed circuit as well as the light bulbs which operate
responsive to the sensed conditions. The light bulbs are
positioned in compartments which are covered by a window
carrying a symbol to indicate to the operator the operating
conditions on the vehicle. Accordingly, this invention
simplifies the wiring by bringing the wires into the instrument
panel in a cable with connectors in a plug and socket
arrange~ent which connects the circuit between the indicator
lights to the sensors on the vehicle to simply the assembly and
repair of the system in general.
2U;~
Accordingly, it is an obJect of this invention to
provide a lighting arrangement on an instrument panel on a
motor vehicle.
It is another object of this invention to provide a
plurality of compartments contain~nq light bulbs mounted on a
circuit board with the lights directing illumination ~hrough
windows on the instrument panel to indicate to the operator the
sensed condition on the motor vehicle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
circuit board carrying the electrical circuits including light
bulbs which are positioned in compartments on the lnstrument
panel and a reflector for directing light through windows on
the instrument panel to indicate to the operator a sensed
condition on the motor vehicle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide
a circuit board carrying a printed circuit and supporting
indicator lights with reflectors for reflecting a signal
through windows on the instrument panel. The circuit board is
connected through a connector to-a cable of a plurality of
conductors to sensors on the motor vehicle for providing
- signals visable on the instrument panel as to the operating
conditions of the vehicle.
The objects of this invention are accomplished by
providing an instrument panel on a vehicle with gauges,
controls and lights for indicators to indicate to the operator
operating conditions of the vehicle. The instrument panel is
constructed with compartments adjacent the panel surface which
faces the operator and the compartments extend from the panel
surface to receive light bulbs in the indicator circuit~
Windows are provided on the panel surface to indicate the
- va-riou-s se~sed condit-ions on -bhe vehicle. A circuit board
carries resistors, transistors and light bulbs of the indicator
of which the bulbs extend into the compartments to provide the
indication to the operator when the bulbs are lighted.
A cable is connected through pronqs and sockets to
connect the circuit board to the sensory circuit on the motor
vehicle. The circuit board is mounted on the backside of the
compartments with the bulbs extending into the compartments and
a reflector at the base of the bulbs to reflect light through
the windows to indicate to the operator the sensed condition on
the motor vehicle.
Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment
of this invention is illustrated.
Fig. 1 illustrates a partially sectioned side
elevation view of a control module with an instrument panel
mounted thereon;
Fig. 2 is an electrical circuit includinq the sensory
circuits and the indicator circuit for indicating the sensed
conditions on the motor vehicle;
Fig. 3 is a front view of the indicator windows;
Fig. 4 is a three dimensional view and a partially
exploded view of the backside of the instrument panel;
Fig~ 5 is a three dimensional view showing the front
side of the instrument panel;
Fig. 6 is the front view of the reflector;
Fig. 7 is a side view of the reflector shown in
Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a cross section view taken on line
VIII-VIII of Fig. 4;
Fig. 9 is the front view of the circuit board;
Fig. 10 is a side view of the circuit board; and
Fig. 11 is the back view showing the electrical
printed circuit on the circuit board.
10~312(~3
Referring to the drawings, the instru~ent panel 1 is
shown mounted as an intregal part of the control console 2.
The control console 2 is suitably mounted on the vehicle by
means of a supporting structure 3 and the firewall 4 on the
forward side of the control console. The instrument panel 1 is
connected for mountinq by means of a plurality of bolts of
which bolts 5 and 6 are shown.
Fig. 2 shows the indicator circuit 7 connected
through connectors to the sensory circuits 8. The circuits are.
energized by the battery 9 connected between ground 10 and line
11. The battery supplies the electrical energy to operate the
lighting of the bulbs 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 throuqh
line 11 connected to terminal 20. Terminal 21 is connected to
the oil pressure sensor 22. Terminal 23 is connected to the
alternator 24. Terminal 25 is connected to the transmis~ion
oil temperature sensor 26. Terminal 27 is connected to the
rear housing temperature sensor 28. Terminal 29 is connected
to the trans~ission oil filter switch which is in the filter
assembly 30. The switch operates when there is a deective
filter. Terminal 31 is connected to the trans~ission oil
pressure sensor 32. Terminal 33 is connected to the turn
signal circuit 34. Terminal 35 is connected through the
starter 100 to ground and through the starter switch 36 to
battery 9. Terminal 37 is connected to ground 10. Terminal 38
is connected to the hydraulic oil filter warning switch in the
hydraulic oil filter assembly 39.
The instrument panel l is supported on its upper end
on the bracket 41 and the bracket 41 is connected to the
control console by bolts 5 and 6 in the bolt holes shown. The
lower portion of the instrument panel is similarly bolted as an
. ~. fntegral part.of the control console by.means of bolt 6 as .
indicated in Fig. 1.
-- 4
'
10g1~03
The instrument panel carries the tachometer 42 and
the water temperature gauge 43. The ignition switch 44 and
starter button 45 are also mounted on the instrument panel.
The ethyl injector button 46 is mounted on the control panel as
well as the light switch 47 and the turn signal switch 48.
These components are generally indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.
Suitable electrical connections are provided between the
indicator circuit 7 on the instrument panel and sensory
circuits 8.
The circuit board 49 is mounted by means of a
plurality of screws 50 of which one is shown. The reflector 51
is seated at the base 52 of the bulbs 53. These componen~s are
mounted on the box 54 on the instrument panel which forms a
plurality of compartments for receiving the bulbs.
Fig. 8 shows a portion of the instrument panel
carrying the pane 55 and the box 54 forming the compartments
56, 57, 58 and 59. The internal surface of these compartments
has a high gloss reflective surface to improve the efficiency
of the light reflected toward the windows formed by the pane
55-
The pane 55 forming a plurality of windows is shown
in Fig. 3 and will be described subsequently.
Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show the circuit board 49. The
printed circuit shown on Fig. 11 is the electrical circuit
shown in Fig. 2 and the connectors are identified as the
terminals between circuits. The bulbs shown in Fig. 2 are also
identified in Fig. 8. The bulbs project into the compartments
shown in box 54 of Figs. ~ and 8. The bulbs 12, 13, 14 and 15
as shown in Fig. 9, would extend into the compartments 56, 57,
58 and 59. Similarly the bulbs 19, 18, 17 and 16 would extend
into the compartments 60, 61, 62 and 63. Since the circuit
board 49 would not have reflective characteristics, the
,~ ,
.
reflector 51 is formed of resilient material and having a MYL~R
coating forming an aluminized surface 64 positioned on the
circuit board. The MYLAR surface 64 engages the end surface 55
of the box 54 to reflect light towards the windows. The
resistors and transistors and the base of the bulbs as well as
the circuit board are all covered by the reflector 51 when
assembled.
The pane 55 covers the ends of the compartments in
the box 54 on the panel surface. The pane 55 forms eight
windows shown in Fig. 3 which include the turn signal window
66, the hydraulic oil filter window 67, the transmission
pressure window 68 and transmission oil filter window 69, as
well as the alternator window 70, the engine oil pressure
window 71, the transmission oil temperature window 72 and the
rear housing oil temperature window 73.
Each of these windows includes a symbol as well as a
printed readout on each window. Each window is lighted when
the bulb beneath the window is lighted. This signals to the
operator a warning of the condition sensed from the sensory
circuit which is electrically transmitted to light the bulb
through an electrical signal. Accordingly, the parameters
sensed on the vehicle generates a signal which is transmitted
from the sensory circuit to the indicator circuit to light the
bulb to inform the operator of the various conditions sensed in
the vehicle.
The operation of the indicator lighting arrangement
operates in the following described manner.
When the alternator 24 is not charging, it is sensed
by the regulator circuit of the alternator 24 allowing a
current flow which illuminates the bulb 12 and cautions the
operator the alternator is not operating properly.
p ~ 6 -
lO~lZ03
When the oil pressure in the engine drops below a
predetermined value, the en~ine oil pressure switch 22 closes
and the light 13 illu-~inates providing a warning to the
operator that engine oil pressure is low.
When the transmission oil temperature is above a
predetermined value, a temperature sensor 26 senses the
temperature and closes the circuit through the indicator
circuit and the light 14 is illuminated to warn the operator
that the transmission oil temperature is excessively high.
When the rear housing oil temperature on the vehicle
is above a predetermined value, this also is sensed by the rear
housing temperature sensor 28 and a switch is closed to the
indicator circuit illuminating the light 15 which in turn warns
the operator by illuminating the window 73 of the window 55.
When the turn signal switch 34 is closed in either of
two directions, current flows through switch 34 which flows
through the bulb 19 and illuminates window 66 indicating to the
operator a turn signal switch is closed.
When the hydraulic oil filter in the hydraulic system
for auxiliary equipment is not filtering properly, the
hydraulic oil bypasses the filter opening a valve and a switch
which in turn generates a signal which illuminates the light 18
and window 67 indicating to the operator that the hydraulic oil
filter is defective and should be replaced.
When the transmission oil pressure falls below a pre-
determined value, the drop-in pressure is sensed by the
pressure sensor 32 and current flows through the light 17 which
is then lighted. As light 17 is lit, it illuminates the window
68 and this indicates to the operator the pressure has fallen
below a predetermined value and the hydraulic system is not
operating properly.
~91;~03
Similarly when the transmission oil filter has become
defective and oil is bypassing the filter, a bypass switch is
opened which in turn causes an electrical signal to flow
through the indicator circuit and the light 16 is illuminated.
As light 16 is illuminated, the window 69 is illuminated which
warns the operator that the transmission oil filter is
defective.
The starter switch 36 is also connected to the
indicator light circuit and tests the operativeness of the
indicator lights 14, 15, 16 and 18 when the starter switch is
closed. The switch is operated manually to start the engine on
the vehicle and simultaneously provides a test for circuits.
The indicator light arrangement accordingly is a
compact, easily assembled unit. The system can also be
serviced readily either by replacing any component in the
assembly or replacing the whole unit if desired.
