Graphic illumination for contact-less control

• US 20060071901A1
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Feldman, Mark G.
• Application Number:
  US10/958,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses

Abstract

A contact-less control includes a panel with at least one back-lit graphic, a sensor circuit; at least one carrier circuit, and a light source connected to the carrier circuit. The light source is connected to the carrier circuit and is positioned within an aperture in the sensor circuit.

Claims

1. A contact-less control comprising:

at least one panel with at least one back-lit graphic;

at least one sensor circuit;

at least one carrier circuit; and

, at least one light source operatively connected to the at least one carrier circuit, the at least one light source being suitably connected to the carrier circuit whereby, when an appropriate signal is received by the light source, the light source is illuminated.

2. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein panel includes at least one generally opaque member through which light cannot pass, the opaque member defining the at least one graphic design formed in the panel, and wherein the graphic design is at least translucent such that light can pass therethrough.

3. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit defines at least one aperture that extends from an inner surface to an outer surface of the sensor circuit, wherein the at least one light source on the carrier sensor is positioned within the at least one aperture.

4. The contact-less control of claim 3, wherein the aperture in the sensor circuit generally has a desired dimension that allows for optimum light transmission from a light source at a desired projection of about 160°

through the aperture.

5. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a LED type of light.

6. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein the graphic design includes at least one lens formed into an inner surface of the panel, the lens being in alignment with the light source on the carrier sensor.

10. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor circuit and the carrier circuit further define at least one or more “

cut out”

areas.

11. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a flexible printed circuit.

12. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein the carrier circuit comprises a flexible printed circuit.

13. The contact-less control of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit includes at least one suitably designed circuit having at least one or more sensor traces, each sensor tracer being in co-axial alignment with a corresponding graphic design on the panel.

7. The contact-less control of claim 7, wherein the lens has a generally concave dimension such that the light is diverged into a wide angle to illuminate a wide area of the graphic.

8. The contact-less control of claim 7, wherein the lens has a generally convex dimension such that the light is focused, or converged, into a narrowed path.

9. The contact-less control of claim 7, wherein the lens is self-aligned with the graphic design.

14. A contact-less control comprising:

at least one panel with at least one back-lit graphic, the panel includes at least one generally opaque member through which light cannot pass, the opaque member defining the at least one graphic design formed in the panel, and wherein the graphic design is at least translucent such that light can pass therethrough;

at least one sensor circuit, the sensor circuit defining at least one aperture that extends from an inner surface to an outer surface of the sensor circuit, wherein the light source on the carrier sensor is positioned within the at least one aperture;

at least one carrier circuit; and

,

at least one light source operatively connected to the at least one carrier circuit, the at least one light source being suitably connected to the carrier circuit whereby, when an appropriate signal is received by the light source, the light source is illuminated.

15. The contact-less control of claim 14, wherein the light source comprises a LED type of light.

16. The contact-less control of claim 14, wherein the graphic design includes at least one lens formed into an inner surface of the panel, the lens being in alignment with the light source on the carrier sensor.

17. The contact-less control of claim 16, wherein the lens is self-aligned with the graphic design.

18. The contact-less control of claim 14, wherein at least one of the sensor circuit and the carrier circuit further define at least one or more “

cut out”

areas.

19. The contact-less control of claim 14, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a flexible printed circuit and wherein the carrier circuit comprises a flexible printed circuit.