NON-FLAMMABLE, THIN, INTEGRALLY ILLUMINATED CONTROL PANEL OVERLAY

• US 3,676,943 A
• Filed: 07/27/1970
• Issued: 07/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albert D. Mcclain, Thomas L. Kidd Jr
• Original Assignee: Albert D. Mcclain, Thomas L. Kidd Jr
• Inventors: Kidd, Thomas L. Jr., McClain, Albert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carter, Richard
• Application Number:
  US05/064,879
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 40/13M,133,133A,133B
• US Class Current: 40/544
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/227 Electroluminescent displays for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/186 using an electroluminiscent panel

Abstract

A non-flammable control panel overlay with legible indicia openings, integral illumination and integral supporting means comprises a metallic member with indicia openings on the front thereof backed by a non-flammable, transparent backing member mounted in a recessed area on the back of the member behind the indicia openings, an electroluminescent lamp mounted in a second recessed area behind the transparent backing member and ribs on the back side of the member comprising the unetched areas left when the various mounting recesses are formed. Such a metallic overlay is made by mechanically engraving the indicia, on the front of a metal blank and then chemically etching the rear of the blank, in a stepwise fashion to form the various recesses and remove unnecessary material, until breakthrough to the indicia occurs.

Claims

1. A control panel overlay comprising a thin, sheet-like metallic member having a first recessed area on the back thereof, a second recessed area within and smaller than said first recessed area, indicia openings through said overlay in said second recessed area, a flat, transparent backing member for support of said indicia openings and the free centers surrounded by said openings, said backing member conforming to the shape of and seated in said second recessed area, and an electroluminescent lamp conforming to the shape of and seated in said first recessed area.

2. A control panel overlay, as recited in claim 1, further including additional recessed areas of predetermined shape and depth, the unrecessed areas surrounding all of said recessed areas being adapted to provide integral structural support to the overlay.