OPERATING BUTTONS WITH DISAPPEARING TRIANGULAR INDICIA
First Claim
1. Directional indicators for the first and second control buttons of an electrical control device for indicating the direction of a change initiated by the actuation of either control button;
- said first and second control buttons having identical surface areas of the same color;
each of said first and second buttons receiving at least one directional indicator;
said directional indicators including at least first and second narrow lines which join at a vertex to define an arrow pointing in a direction related to the direction of change caused by the actuation of its respective button;
each of said lines having a length of less than about 100 thousandths of an inch whereby the visibility of said lines to the eye is substantially reduced as an observer'"'"'s distance from the electrical control device is increased.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Directional indicators on the control buttons of an electrical control for a light dimmer or a motor controller are formed by triangular lines with vertices pointing away from one another and in a direction related to the change initiated by pressing the related button. The indicia are formed by narrow lines of length less than about one hundred thousands of an inch, and tend to disappear from view as an observer is farther away from the control buttons. The buttons are formed of right triangles with adjacent spaced hypotenuses and fit into a rectangular area. On/off rectangular buttons of the same color as the control buttons are atop and below the rectangular area.
96 Citations
26 Claims
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1. Directional indicators for the first and second control buttons of an electrical control device for indicating the direction of a change initiated by the actuation of either control button;
- said first and second control buttons having identical surface areas of the same color;
each of said first and second buttons receiving at least one directional indicator;
said directional indicators including at least first and second narrow lines which join at a vertex to define an arrow pointing in a direction related to the direction of change caused by the actuation of its respective button;
each of said lines having a length of less than about 100 thousandths of an inch whereby the visibility of said lines to the eye is substantially reduced as an observer'"'"'s distance from the electrical control device is increased. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- said first and second control buttons having identical surface areas of the same color;
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15. In combination;
- an electrical control device having control buttons for controlling the energization of a load;
said control buttons including first and second control buttons for initiating the energization of said load in first and second opposite directions respectively, and third and fourth buttons for respectively turning full on and full off the energization of said load; and
directional indicators for said first and second buttons;
said first and second buttons being formed in a first rectangular area;
said third and fourth buttons being formed in respective rectangular areas on opposite sides of said first rectangular area;
each of said buttons having surface areas of the same color;
each of said first and second buttons receiving at least one respective triangular directional indicator for indicating the direction of a change of energization caused by the actuation of the button;
said directional indicators including three sides and pointing in a direction related to the direction of change caused by the actuation of its respective button;
each of said sides having a length of less than about 100 thousandths of an inch whereby the visibility of said triangular indicators to the eye is substantially reduced as an observer'"'"'s distance from the electrical control device is increased. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- an electrical control device having control buttons for controlling the energization of a load;
Specification