Halo lighting for keypad switch assemblies

• US 5,491,313 A
• Filed: 07/22/1994
• Issued: 02/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Bartley, Robert M., Conway, Michael E., Millard, Harry J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walczak, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/279,147
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 200/310, 200/314, 200/311, 200/313, 200/317, 200/512, 200/292, 200/312, 200/315, 200/520, 200/510, 200/511
• US Class Current: 200/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/008 Part of substrate or membrane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/044 Edge lighting of layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/0622 only an illuminated ring around keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/026 Car

Abstract

An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly has a keypad and key caps which are illuminated by light passing through thin webs connecting the key caps to the keypad to create a halo lighting effect surrounding the key caps.

Claims

1. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly comprising an optical conductor which is adapted to be connected with a light source,

a printed circuit means secured at a lower surface thereof to said optical conductor and which is adapted to be electrically connected to various electrical devices to be energized and de-energized,

said printed circuit means having a transparent base and a plurality of printed circuit traces on said base which terminate in contact ends closely adjacent each other,

a one piece keypad made from an elastomeric material and overlying an upper surface of said printed circuit means, said keypad having a base of a thickness such that light from the optical conductor does not pass therethrough, a plurality of opaque key caps each having a bottom surface carrying an electrically conductive pellet and located above a pair of said contact ends,

and thin annular translucent webs integral with said base of said key pad and integral with said key caps for connecting said key caps to said base of said key pad,

said thin annular webs biasing said key caps toward a normal position in which said pellets carried by said key caps are spaced from the contact ends of said printed circuit traces, said key caps being depressible to deflect said annular webs to move the pellets carried thereby to engage said contact ends of said printed circuit traces to complete a circuit,

said annular webs functioning as both a spring to bias the key caps toward their normal position and to transmit light from said optical conductor therethrough to create a halo lighting effect around said key caps.

2. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly comprising an optical conductor which is adapted to be connected with a light source,

a printed circuit means secured at a lower surface thereof to said optical conductor and which is adapted to be electrically connected to various electrical devices to be energized and de-energized,

said printed circuit means having a transparent base and a plurality of printed circuit lines on said base and with selective ones thereof terminating in contact ends closely adjacent each other,

a one piece keypad made from an elastomeric material and overlying an upper surface of said printed circuit means, said keypad having a base of a thickness such that light from the optical conductor does not pass therethrough, a plurality of opaque key caps each having a bottom surface carrying an electrically conductive pellet and located above a pair of said contact ends and thin annular translucent webs for integrally connecting said key caps to said keypad said key caps each having an outer peripheral side wall which is spaced inwardly from a side wall of said keypad surrounding said key caps, said side wall of said keypad extending substantially perpendicular to said printed circuit base,

said thin annular translucent webs being integral with said side wall of said key pad adjacent its underside and integral with said key cap adjacent its bottom side,

said annular side walls of said keypad, side walls of said key caps and thin annular webs defining annular recesses in said key pad surrounding said key caps,

said thin annular webs biasing said key caps toward a normal position in which said pellets carried by said key caps are spaced from said contact ends of said printed circuit lines, said key caps being depressible to deflect said annular webs to move the pellets carried thereby to engage said contact ends of said printed circuit lines to complete a circuit,

said annular webs functioning as both a spring to bias the key caps toward their normal position and to transmit light from said optical conductor therethrough and with the side walls of the key pad serving to direct light through the webs to create a visible halo lighting effect around said key caps.

3. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly, as defined in claim 2, and wherein said outer peripheral side walls of said key caps extend substantially perpendicular to said printed circuit base.

4. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly, as defined in claim 2, and wherein said optical conductor comprises a substantially rigid, thin, planar light conducting member.

5. An illuminated elastomeric switch assembly, as defined in claim 4, and wherein said printed circuit base is a flexible membrane.

6. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly, as defined in claim 5, and wherein said optical conductor, printed circuit means and keypad are of the same shape and comprise a thin package when assembled together.

7. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly comprising a substantially rigid optical conductor which is adapted to connect with a light source,

a printed circuit means secured at lower surface thereof to said optical conductor, and which is adapted to be electrically connected to various electrical devices to be energized and de-energized,

said printed circuit means having a transparent base and a plurality of printed circuit lines on said base which terminate in contact ends closely adjacent each other,

a one piece keypad made from an elastomeric material and overlying an upper surface of said printed circuit means, said keypad having a base of a thickness such that light from the optical conductor does not pass therethrough, said keypad having a plurality of first recesses on its underside and with each of the first recesses overlying at least one pair of adjacent contact ends of the printed circuit lines, said keypad also having a second plurality of recesses on its exterior side each defined in part by an annular side on said keypad which is substantially perpendicular to said keypad,

a plurality of opaque key caps each having a bottom surface carrying an electrically conductive pellet, a top exterior surface disposed above the exterior side of said base of said keypad and an annular peripheral side wall extending substantially perpendicular to said keypad base and spaced inwardly from said annular side wall on the exterior side of said keypad, and a thin annular translucent web integral with said annular side wall of said key pad adjacent its underside and integral with said peripheral side wall of the key cap adjacent its bottom side,

said annular side walls of said keypad, side walls of said key caps and said thin webs defining annular recesses in said key pad surrounding said key caps,

said thin annular webs biasing said key caps toward a normal position in which said pellets carried by said key caps are spaced from the contact ends of said printed circuit lines, said key caps being depressible to deflect said annular webs to move the pellets carried thereby to engage said contact ends of said printed circuit lines to complete a circuit,

said annular webs functioning as both a spring to base the key caps toward their normal position and to transmit light from said optical conductor therethrough and with the side walls of the keypad serving to direct light through the webs to create a halo lighting effect surrounding said key caps.

8. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly, as defined in claim 7, and wherein said optical conductor, printed circuit means and said keypad are complementary shaped.

9. An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly, as defined in claim 8, and wherein said optical conductor is a thin planar member, said printed circuit means is thin and planar in shape and said keypad is thin and generally planar whereby said switch assembly when assembled together comprises a thin package.