Non-contact dead front actuation system
First Claim
1. A dead front actuating assembly for actuating a device in standard ambient light conditions, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
- a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;
a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface being opaque in the standard ambient light conditions;
a switch operatively connected to said inboard surface of said cover plate at a defined location for toggling the device between on and off conditions;
a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent said cover plate; and
a back light inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate such that light passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said defined location of said switch for the operator.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dead front actuating assembly actuates a device in standard ambient light conditions. The dead front actuating assembly includes a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume. A cover plate is fixedly secured to the housing at the periphery. The cover plate defines an inboard surface facing the interior volume and an outboard surface opposite the inboard surface. The outboard surface is opaque in standard ambient light conditions. The dead front actuating assembly also includes a switch that is operatively connected to the inboard surface of the cover plate at a defined location for toggling the device between on and off conditions. The dead front actuating assembly also includes a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent the cover plate. A back light inside the housing illuminates the cover plate such that light passes through the cover plate and out the outboard surface to illuminate the switch for the operator.
17 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A dead front actuating assembly for actuating a device in standard ambient light conditions, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;
a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface being opaque in the standard ambient light conditions;
a switch operatively connected to said inboard surface of said cover plate at a defined location for toggling the device between on and off conditions;
a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent said cover plate; and
a back light inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate such that light passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said defined location of said switch for the operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A dead front actuating assembly for providing a keyless entry into a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle by unlocking a lock of a door of the motor vehicle, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;
a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface being opaque in the standard ambient light conditions a plurality of switches operatively connected to said cover plate for locking and unlocking the lock of the motor vehicle;
a touch sensor identifying when an operator touches said cover plate; and
a back light inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate such that light passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said plurality of switches allowing the operator to select a combination of the plurality of switches to lock and unlock the motor vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A dead front actuating assembly for actuating a device in standard ambient light conditions, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;
a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface being opaque in the standard ambient light conditions;
a switch operatively connected to said cover plate for toggling the device between on and off conditions;
a switch operatively connected to said cover plate for toggling the device between on and off conditions;
a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent said cover plate; and
a plurality of light emitting diodes inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate such that light emitted by said plurality of light emitting diodes passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said switch for the operator. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A dead front actuating assembly for actuating a device in standard ambient light conditions, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;
a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface being opaque in the standard ambient light conditions;
a switch operatively connected to said inboard surface of said cover plate for toggling the device between on and off conditions;
a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent said cover plate; and
a back light inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate such that light passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said switch for the operator to press and select said switch.
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Specification