DISPLAY SWITCH UNIT FOR A VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE DISPLAY SWITCH UNIT

• US 20120257416A1
• Filed: 04/06/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: DEMMA, Dino
• Granted Patent: US 8,789,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/613
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1461 Multifunction switches for dimming headlights and controlling additional devices, e.g. for controlling direction indicating lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0041 provided in the bulk of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96079 using a single or more light guides

Abstract

A display switch unit is provided for a vehicle comprising at least one first and one second light guide plate with first and second light sources disposed at the edges. The light guide plates have switch symbols and proximity sensors having sensor structures. The first light guide plate and the second light guide plate are disposed on one another. Respectively one sensor structure is assigned two switch symbols in both light guide plates. The material of the switch symbols is a plastic with light-sensitive nanoparticles, which is arranged distributed in the light guide plates in such a manner that under edge-side irradiation the switch symbols are visible illuminated in color and three-dimensionally in the light guide plates.

Claims

1. A display switch unit for a vehicle comprising:

a first light guide plate having a first light source disposed at an edge side;

a second light guide plate having a second light source disposed at the edge and disposed on the first light guide plate;

a plurality of switch symbols disposed in the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate; and

a plurality of proximity sensors having a sensor structure,

wherein the sensor structure is assigned switch symbols in both light guide plates,

wherein a material of the plurality of switch symbols comprises a plastic with a plurality of light-sensitive nanoparticles, and

wherein the plurality of light-sensitive nanoparticles are distributed in the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate such that under edge-side irradiation the plurality of switch symbols are visible illuminated in color and three-dimensionally.

2. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the first light source and the second light source have different colors.

3. The display switch unit according to claim 2, wherein the first light source and the second light source are configured to emit a white light and a first switch symbol and a second switch symbol light up in the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate when irradiated with the white light in different colors.

4. The display switch unit according to claim 3, wherein the first switch symbol comprises a preformed colored illuminating plastic having light-sensitive nanoparticles distributed in a volume and embedded in a transparent plastic mass of the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate.

5. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate has different-colored edge-side light sources that are configured to light up the plurality of switch symbols in switch position display colors.

6. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate have light-emitting diodes disposed at the edge as a light source.

7. The display switch unit according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor structure comprises substantially invisible electrically conducting layer structures, and

wherein the substantially invisible electrically conducting layer structures are connected to electrical connections on one edge side of the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate.

8. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor structure comprises a capacitor structure.

9. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor structure is a strip structure or a meander structure made of a transparent electrically conducting structured indium oxide or structured iron oxide coating.

10. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor structure is a strip structure that is at least partially formed of a transparent electrically conducting structured oxide coating.

11. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor structure has a direction identification so that operating functions are individually adjustable for a first side and a second side.

12. The display switch unit according to claim 1, wherein a circuit board with electronics for the sensor structure are disposed as a nontransparent additional layer on a rear side of rear light guide plate.

13. A method for producing a display switch unit for a vehicle, comprising:

producing dimensionally stable three-dimensional transparent plastic switch symbols formed at least partially of a plastic compound that comprises a plurality of light-sensitive nanoparticles that are configured to light up in color when excited;

embedding the dimensionally stable three-dimensional transparent plastic switch symbols in a first light guide plate and as second light guide plate;

applying a transparent electrically conducting coating to a rear side of the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate;

structuring the coating to form sensor structures of proximity sensors;

assembling the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate with a switch symbol and a sensor structure.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein three-dimensional plastic switch symbols are embedded by potting the three-dimensional plastic switch symbols in pre-fabricated recesses of a light guide plate under vacuum.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the dimensionally stable three-dimensional transparent plastic switch symbols are embedded by of gluing the switch symbol into prepared recesses of a light guide plate.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the applying and the structuring of the transparent electrically conducting coating for sensor structures is accomplished by spraying and subsequent selective etching to form the sensor structure.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the applying and the structuring of the transparent electrically conducting coating for sensor structures is accomplished by vapor deposition and subsequent selective etching to form the sensor structure.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the applying and the structuring of the transparent electrically conducting coating for sensor structures is accomplished by PVD and subsequent selective etching to form the sensor structure.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the applying and the structuring of the transparent electrically conducting coating for sensor structures is accomplished by CDV and subsequent selective etching to form the sensor structure.