The invention relates to a Vehicle Information Display Instrument in Motor
Vehicles, especially two wheelers, and, more particularly, to a tri-dimensional Dial
Plate in the Vehicle Information Display Instrument.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The statements in this section merely provide background information related
to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art(s).
The vehicle information display instruments are provided to inform the riders
and the passengers about various information and communication related to the motor
vehicles. In particular, the display on the Vehicle Information Display Instruments
can visually represent vehicle data pertaining to the operation or traffic. These
Vehicle Information Display Instruments are typically located in front of the rider
beside a handlebar in two wheelers. In particular, the Vehicle Information Display
Instruments serves to display the speed, the fuel level, telephone, bluetooth, rpm of
the engine, tell tale symbols, and other information items of the motor vehicle
relating to its operation. Moreover, the Vehicle Information Display Instruments may
serve to highlight other information such as a gear display that should be clearly
visible to the rider in order to correctly apply the required gear while driving the
vehicles. Additionally, the Vehicle Information Display Instruments may also
indicate a fuel economy zone which is equally important for the riders to make the
riders more vigilant in terms of arresting fuel loss and also in controlling atmospheric
pollutions. Considering the importance of all these information, the Vehicle
Information Display Instruments should therefore appear as intuitive as possible.
Therefore, the tri-dimensional representations of the display are preferred to convey
the information present in the Vehicle Information Display Instruments to the riders.
Conventionally, the tri-dimensional representation in the Vehicle Information
Display Instruments is achieved by utilizing the depth created by assembling
a selected portion of the Vehicle Information Display Instruments closer to the eyes
of the rider. Disadvantageously, such conventional assemblies require a significant
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of space in the vehicle because of the depth added in the Vehicle Information
Display Instruments to accommodate the differences in physical locations relative to
the vehicle. Additionally, such tri-dimensional representations are not suitable for the
display in the Vehicle Information Display Instruments of the two wheelers.
Hence, there is an urgent need of tri-dimensional representations in the
Vehicle Information Display Instruments to overcome the above mentioned
drawbacks available with the present vehicle information display instruments of the
two wheelers.
BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a Vehicle Information Display Instruments in motor
vehicles, especially two wheelers, and, more particularly, to a Dial Plate of the
Vehicle Information Display Instruments presented in an arrangement with a tridimensional
view. The Dial Plate, which is located at the centre of the Vehicle
Information Display Instruments, is manufactured with a polycarbonate sheet
(hereinafter may be referred as PC sheet). The bottom surface of the PC sheet is
printed with a series of graphical images coatedlpainted outside the graphical images.
The top surface of the PC sheet is disposed with plurality of semispherical convex
lenses. The present invention discloses the tri-dimensional display of the Dial Plate
achieved by the refraction from the lens placed exactly above a graphical image.
An object of the present invention is to provide a tri-dimensional display of
the Dial Plate and subsequently the information displayed in the Dial Plate of the
Vehicle Information Display Instruments of two wheelers (hereinafter may be
referred as vehicle).
Another object of the present invention is to position the Vehicle Information
Display Instrument beside the handlebar wherein the Vehicle Information Display
Instrument is viewable from the rider.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the Vehicle Information
Display Instrument with additional components, such as other gauges, lights, circuit
boards, an odometer reset button, fasteners, a Dial Plate, a pointer and the like.
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- > 7. i??L!-m 7 3 ' Another object of the present inveltion is to-provide &.vehicle 1nforma on
Display -Instrument with indicating numbers (graduations) to designate the vehicle
speed in kilometers per hour.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the tri-dimensional Dial
Plate with a fuel economy zone to create awareness for the rider to prevent fuel losses
due to incorrect selection of gears shift during driving the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the tri-dimensional Dial
Plate with a gear display.
Another object of the present invention is to manufacture the Dial Plate of the
Vehicle Information Display Instrument from the polycarbonate (PC) sheet.
Another object of the present invention is to maintain the thickness of the PC
sheet of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument in the range of 0.5 to 2 mrn.
Another object of the present invention is to print the bottom surface of the
PC sheet with a graphical printing image.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the graphical printing
image with a plurality of rhombus shaped structures that subsequently forms a microdot
structure.
Another object of the present invention is to protect the graphical printed
surface by paintinglcoating over the graphical printing surface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a serial array of
semispherical lenses on the top surface of the PC sheet.
Yet another object of the present invention is enable the lenses, convex in
nature, to refract light that passes through the lenses to produce a tri-dimensional
display of the Dial Plate and thus the information viewed in the Dial Plate of the
Vehicle Information Display Instrument.
Yet another object of the present invention is to achieve a depth of 5 to 25 rnm
on the tri-dimensional Dial Plate of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The summary narrated above and the following detailed description of the
invention can be understood with the drawings appended to this claim. The
illustrations provide the details of the invention. However, it should be understood
that the invention is not limited to the arrangements shown. In the drawings:
FIG. 1A to FIG. 1B show perspective views of the two wheelers provided with a
Vehicle Information Display Instrument in an embodiment of the present subject
matter.
FIG. 2A shows a cross sectional view of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument
for two wheelers in different embodiment of the present subject matter.
FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective view of a Dial Plate- of the Vehicle Information
Display Instrument in different embodiment of the present subject matter.
FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D show the steps in manufacturing a tri-dimensional Dial Plate of
the Vehicle Information Display Instrument in different embodiment of the present
subject matter.
FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the tri-dimensional Dial Plate shaped with
plurality of rhombus shapes of a graphical image provided with a gear display and a
fuel economy zone in different embodiment of the present subject matter.
FIG. 5A to FIG. SF illustrate perspective views of the tri-dimensional Dial Plate
provided with other graphical image shapes in different embodiment of the present
subject matter.
FIG. 6 illustrates the functional cross sectional representation of the principle of tridimensional
displays in the Vehicle Information Display Instrument in different
embodiment of the present subject matter.
FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the rhombus shaped image printed below the
PC sheet in different embodiment of the present subject matter.
FIG. 8 illustrates a magnified perspective vi
Dial Plate of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument in different embodiment of
the present subject matter.
FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the tri-dimensional Dial Plate provided with
second graduations for identifying the frequency of the rotation of wheels of the
vehicles in different embodiment of the present subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The embodiments of the present subject matter are described in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present subject matter is not
limited to these embodiments which are only provided to explain more clearly the
present subject matter to the ordinarily skilled in the art of the present disclosure. In
the accompanying drawings, like reference alphabets and numerals are used to
indicate like components.
The present invention relates to a tri-dimensional Vehicle Information Display
Instrument in two wheelers (hereinafter may be referred as vehicles). The following
description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present
disclosure, application, or uses. Throughout the remainder of the disclosure, the
various embodiments will be described and illustrated as a speedometer gauge for the
vehicle. However, it will be appreciated that the principles of the present disclosure
may be incorporated into other types of gauges, such as an RPM gauge, a gas level
gauge, an oil level gauge, and a temperature gauge, and may be used in various
vehicular devices.
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B illustrate two wheelers 100 that may include a fuel tank
146 and an engine 148 mounted ahead of the rider's seat on a frame and two
relatively large sized wheels on which the frame rides. The structure is necessarily
provided with a Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102 located beside the
handle bars 144 of the vehicle. The Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102 may
be viewable by a rider of the vehicle 100 when the rider is seated in a seat and
operating the vehicle 100. The Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102 may be
disposed generally in front of the rider so that the rider can inspect or view a variety
of information that form part of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102,
which information may indicate an operating condition or conditions of the vehicle as
shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2A illustrates a cross sectional view of the Vehicle Information Display
1 Instrument 102 provided with the two wheeler 100. It will be appreciated that the
Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102 may also include additional components,
lights, circuit boards, odometer reset button, fasteners, etc, and that may not be shown
or described. The Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102 is structured with a
Dial Plate 110, a pointer 112 and a spindle 114, which supports the pointer 112 even
during the rotation of the pointer 112, as shown in FIG. 2B.
FIG. 2B further illustrates a perspective view of the Dial Plate 110 present at
the centre of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102. In a preferred
embodiment of the present subject matter, the Vehicle Information Display
Instrument 102 is provided with indicating numbers, also known as graduation 116,
thereon to designate the vehicle speed in kilometer per hour as the pointer 112 moves
to indicate the speed of operation of the vehicle 100. In the same embodiment of the
present subject matter, the tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 is provided with a fuel
economy zone and/or a gear display (as discussed later). In another embodiment of
the present subject matter, the Dial Plate 110 is made from a transparent material,
preferably but not restricted to a polycarbonate sheet (not shown) (hereinafter may be
referred as PC sheet). In another embodiment of the present subject matter, the
thickness of the PC sheet is maintained in the range of the 0.5 mm to 2 mrn.
Constructionally, FIG. 3A shows the PC sheet 118 provided with a graphical
print 120 (as shown in FIG. 3B) printed at the bottom surface of the PC sheet 118
wherein the graphical print subsequently forms a micro-dot structure and configured
to enable a real picture to be seen through the graphical printing surface. The
graphical print 120 may includes aesthetic decorative image, effect, photographic,
etc. In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the graphical printing prints
plurality of rhombus images on the printing surface below the PC sheet 118. In an
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embodiment of the present subject
coatedlpainted 122 over the graphical printing surface, as shown in FIG. 3C. Further,
the top of the PC sheet 118 is surfaced with a serial array of semispherical lenses 126
as shown in FIG. 3D. These lenses 126 are convex in shape and functions to refiact
light that passes through the lenses 126 to produce a tri-dimensional display of the
Dial Plate 110 and also the information viewed in the Vehicle Information Display
Instrument 102.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the tri-dimensionally,
manufactured Dial Plate 110 provided with rhombus shapes in the graphical print, is
shown in FIG. 4. In a preferred embodiment of the present subject matter, the tridimensional
Dial Plate as shown in FIG. 4 are provided with information such as the
fuel economy zone 130 and the gear display 132. This additional information
provided in the tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 advantageously facilitates and thus
draws the attention of the rider towards the highlighted details.
In different embodiment of the present subject matter, FIG. 5A to FIG. 5F
illustrate Dial Plates provided with various shapes of graphical print 120 such as but
not restricted to circle (FIG. 5A), square (FIG. 5B), triangle (FIG. 5C), pentagon
(FIG. 5D), hexagon (FIG. 5E), rectangle (FIG. 5F), and the like.
FIG. 6 illustrates the functional cross sectional representation of the principle
of tri-dimensional display in the Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102. FIG. 6
shows the PC sheet 118 provided with a surface for printing the graphical prints 120
at the bottom of the PC sheet 118, in an embodiment of the present subject matter.
The printed graphical details 120 are shown in a magnified manner in FIG. 6. These
details, preferably rhombus shaped, are covered with the lens 126 (at the top surface)
with the intermittent layer of the PC sheet 118 as shown in FIG. 7. However, the
configuration of the graphical print 120 should not be restricted to the concept of the
present subject matter. In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the lenses 126
may be protected by a convex lens layer. Technically, the refraction occurs only from
that particular lens 124 which is placed exactly above that dot 134 (image), in a
preferred embodiment of the present subject matter. FIG. 8 illustrates the magnified
b
134 dot as viewed above the PC sheet 118. FIG. 8 demonstrates an array of the
magnified dots which results in the generation of dizzy illusion on the printed screen
and thus the tri-dimensional display of the information displayed in the Vehicle
Information Display Instrument 102. In an embodiment of the present subject matter,
this tri-dimensional display in the Vehicle Information Display Instrument 102
convey a difference in the depth of the Dial Plate 110 of the Vehicle Information
Display Instrument 102 with respect to the outer surrounding of the Dial Plate 110.
The displayed depth of the tri-dimensional display is in the range of 5 mm to 25 mm
in an embodiment of the present subject matter. The above embodiments and the
inference may be concluded from a sample calculation as mentioned below:
We have,
> Radius of curvature R = 0.48 mm
> Square dot printing side length = 0.15
> Refractive Index (PC Sheet) = 1.58 (pl)
> Refractive Index (Air) = 1.008 (p2)
> Object distance from refractive surface, i.e.
U = dial thickness + 0.04 = 1+0.04 = 1.04
Hence, applying refraction formula,
: +ve value for object length due to the real object
-ve value as curvature is concave w.r.t. inc. ray
Here the negative values show that the image formed is virtually erect and formed on
the same side of the object. On the basis of the ray diagram as pasted below,
The magnification factor, m = plJ = 1 S8x9.6 = 14.58 14.6
p2U 1x1.04
Thus, enlarged image length = L2 = 14.6 x Object Length (Ll) = 14.6 x 0.15 = 2.19
2.2 mm
The above calculation clearly demonstrates that the depth of the graphical
printed image is 9.6 mm and thus lies in the range of 5 to 25 mm, as explained with
the embodiments of the present subject matter.
In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the tri-dimensional Dial Plate
of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument may be provided with a second
graduation 136, as shown in FIG. 9, to designate the rotation of the wheel of the
vehicle in revolution per minute (may be referred as rpm). The second graduation 136
is marked on the hi-dimensional Dial Plate 110 concentrically alongwith the
graduation 116 (hereinafter may be referred as first graduation 116) which is already
present outside the tri-dimensional Dial Plate. The first graduation 116 may be
marked with two dimensional effects. In this embodiment of the present subject.
matter, the pointer 112 commonly serves to point the rpm of the rotation of the wheel
alongwith the speed of the vehicle. In other words, the same pointer 112 highlights
the speed of the vehicle in two dimensional effects and the rpm of the rotation of the
wheel in tri-dimensional form, in an embodiment of the present subject matter. This
embodiment decreases the requirement of additional components that subsequently
minimizes the efforts and cost too.
The Vehicle Information Display Instrument in accordance with the present
subject matter provides a tri-dimensional visual display of the data andlor the gauges
present in the Vehicle Information Display Instrument. In addition to being
aesthetically pleasing with or without illumination, the ti-dimensional effect created
in the Dial Plate of the Vehicle Information Display Instrument may permit a rider to
be quickly informed of the economic zone in terms of fuel loss while speeding up the
vehicles as well as the requirements of change in gears when the same is displayed in
the tri-dimensional portions of the Dial Plate. Any prior problems related to the
length of time in first locating and then reading the correct information on the Vehicle
Information Display Instrument, for example, will have been overcome. Additionally,
the ti-dimensional effect may desirably quickly reduces the amount of time
necessary for the rider to determine a speed of the vehicle, thereby permitting the
rider to spend more time concentrating on operating the vehicle relative to the road
surface. Further, such Vehicle Information Display Instqment diminishes the
additional requirements of space in the vehicles as required in vehicles in prior arts to
create a depth for achieving the ti-dimensional effect.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to
the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept
thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as
illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the
appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all variations,
substitutions and changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency
of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

WE CLAIM:
1. A tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 located at the centre of a vehicle information
display instrument 102 for a two-wheeler 100 comprising:
a transparent polycarbonate (PC) sheet 118 for manufacturing the Dial Plate
110;
a series of graphical prints 120 printed at the bottom surface of the PC sheet
118;
a coatlpaint 122 coatedlpainted over the graphical prints 120;
a plurality of semispherical convex lenses 126 disposed at the top surface of
the PC sheet 118;
wherein the tri-dimensional display in the Dial Plate 110 is achieved by the
refraction from the particular lens 124 placed exactly above a graphical image
134.
2. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
thickness of the PC sheet 118 material is the range of the 0.5 mm to 2 mm.
3. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
displayed depth of the tri-dimensional display of Dial Plate 110 in the vehicle
information display instrument 102 is in the range of 5 to 25 rnrn.
4. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle
information display instrument 102 is provided with graduations 116 to
designate the speed of two wheelers.
5. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1 is provided with a
fuel economy zone 130.
6. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1 is provided with a
gear display 132.
7. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle
information display instrument 102 is provided with second graduations 136
on the tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110.
8. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
graphical print 120 may include aesthetic decorative image, effect,
photographic, and the like.
9. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
graphical printed image 120 comprises of plurality of rhombus shaped
structures.
10. The tri-dimensional Dial Plate 110 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
graphical printed image 120 may be of shapes such as circle, square,
rectangle, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, and the like.
f4
Dated this 29day of November, 2013
7
JNS INSTRUMENTS LIMIT LEIMNISTE fb/-" .',
For J H ~
l N ~ ~ ~ ' M
s\G~hToRY
R u T ~ ~ ~ \ S E
To,
The Controller of Patents
The Patent Office, New Delhi