Optical touch panel with heat sink
First Claim
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1. A programmable touch panel, comprising:
- a plurality of keyswitches for entry of data, each keyswitch comprising;
a light source for providing a light beam along a first optical path;
first means for reflecting the light beam so that the light beam traverses a second optical path;
second means for reflecting the light beam so that the light beam traverses a third optical path generally parallel to the first optical path and opposite in direction thereto; and
detector means for producing a detector signal in response to light traversing the third optical path;
a display module for displaying information input via the keyswitches;
a printed circuit board upon which the plurality of keyswitches and the display module are mounted; and
a heat sink adjacent the printed circuit board, the heat sink including a plurality of openings therethrough such that the first and third optical paths for each keyswitch pass through corresponding openings in the heat sink.
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Abstract
A programmable touch panel comprises an interactive control/display panel having the capability of entering and updating information to a host computer via a plurality of multifunction programmable keys. An optical switch is associated with each key for operator selection. Each key includes a light source mounted to a circuit board for sending a light beam through a hole in a heat sink toward a reflector that directs the beam across a touch panel. A second reflector then directs the beam through a second hole in the heat sink toward a detector mounted on the circuit board.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A programmable touch panel, comprising:
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a plurality of keyswitches for entry of data, each keyswitch comprising; a light source for providing a light beam along a first optical path; first means for reflecting the light beam so that the light beam traverses a second optical path; second means for reflecting the light beam so that the light beam traverses a third optical path generally parallel to the first optical path and opposite in direction thereto; and detector means for producing a detector signal in response to light traversing the third optical path; a display module for displaying information input via the keyswitches; a printed circuit board upon which the plurality of keyswitches and the display module are mounted; and a heat sink adjacent the printed circuit board, the heat sink including a plurality of openings therethrough such that the first and third optical paths for each keyswitch pass through corresponding openings in the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for forming a programmable touch panel, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of keyswitches for entry of data by a method that includes the steps of; providing a light beam along a first optical path in each keyswitch; reflecting the light beam perpendicular to the first optical path so that the light beam traverses a second optical path; reflecting the light beam perpendicular to the second optical path so that the light beam traverses a third optical path at an angle to the second optical path and opposite in direction to the first optical path; and producing a detector signal in response to light traversing the third optical path; providing a display module for displaying information input via the keyswitches; mounting the plurality of keyswitches on the display module; and mounting a heat sink adjacent the printed circuit board, the heat sink including a plurality of openings therethrough such that the first and third optical paths for each keyswitch pass through corresponding openings in the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification