Luminous key top

• US 5,404,133 A
• Filed: 04/11/1991
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Haseyama, Atsushi, Moriike, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US07/683,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 362/109, 362/100, 362/116, 362/293, 341/27, 341/23, 400/490, 400/493, 400/494, 400/472, 200/341, 345/30, 340/815.56
• US Class Current: 340/815.56
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/023 Light-emitting indicators for multi-layer switches H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2011/0081 using double shot moulding, e.g. for forming elastomeric sealing elements on form stable casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/034 Coloured areas

Abstract

A luminous key top having display sections comprises: a display member having a plurality of protrusions corresponding to the respective external configurations of the display sections and formed of a transparent or a translucent synthetic resin; an external member consisting of an opaque synthetic resin and formed integrally on the display member except for the respective top surfaces of the protrusions; first light-transmitting color layers formed by printing on the respective top surfaces of the protrusions; and second light-transmitting color layers formed by printing on the first light-transmitting color layers.

Claims

1. A luminous key top comprising:

a display member having protrusions corresponding to external shapes of displayed sections of said display member, said display member being made of a transparent or a translucent synthetic resin, said display member having an exposed region, said protrusions having top surfaces;

an external member made of an opaque synthetic resin and integrally formed on said display member except for said exposed region;

a first transparent colored layer printed and formed on the exposed region of said display member, said first transparent colored layer being a first color;

a second transparent colored layer printed and formed on top of the first transparent colored layer, said second transparent colored layer being a second color; and

a light source acting as a back light characterized in that a displayed color of the exposed region of said display member is a mixture of the first color and the second color in response to a presence of light illumination of said light source.

2. A luminous key top as claimed in claim 1, wherein said exposed region has at least one enclosed area, and shielding color layers are formed on top of said transparent colored layers in correspondence with said enclosed areas.

3. A luminous key top as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exposed region of said display member has at least one enclosed area, and a black colored shielding layer is printed and formed on said second transparent colored layer in correspondence with said enclosed areas.

4. A luminous key top as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protrusions are tapered, expanding from the top surfaces downwardly.