Assembly for visually indicating signals generated by an electrical circuit and light-diffusing interface apparatus therefor

• US 5,577,267 A
• Filed: 10/26/1992
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Repplinger, Daniel J., Jungles-Butler, Polly
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US07/966,659
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 455/89, 455/90, 455/95, 455/128, 455/157.1, 455/157.2, 455/159.1, 455/347, 455/351, 455/344, 455/159.2, 340/815.45, 340/815.5, 340/815.55, 340/815.73, 340/815.75, 361/679, 361/680, 361/760, 361/807, 361/809, 361/814, 361/220, 200/310, 200/311, 200/314, 200/317, 200/312, 200/313, 200/514, 40/544, 362/31, 362/800, 362/351, 362/235, 362/244, 313/512, 345/32, 341/22, 341/27, 264/230, 359/623, 331/94.5
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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 2219/014 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/056 Diffuser; Uneven surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/064 Optical isolation of switch sites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials

Abstract

An assembly for visually indicating signals generated by an electrical circuit and a light diffuser therefor. Light emitting diodes disposed upon a circuit board and housed within a housing structure are connected to an electrical circuit and generate light responsive to signals generated by the electrical circuit. A sheet of translucent material having a spine-portion and toothed-portion extending therefrom is positioned upon the circuit board portion at which the light emitting diodes are disposed. Light diffusers comprised of truncated, conical bodies protrude beyond top surfaces of each of the toothed-portions and correspond in number and spacing with the light emitting diodes disposed upon the circuit board. Apertures are formed to extend through the housing assembly and top end portions of the light diffusers are visible from beyond the housing assembly. The light diffusers diffuse the light generated by the light emitting diodes to form a uniformly-lighted indication of times in which such diodes are lighted.

Claims

1. An assembly for visually indicating signals generated by an electrical circuit, said assembly comprising:

at least two light-generative devices wherein a first light-generative device of the at least two light-generative devices is operative to turn-on when a first of the signals is generated by the electrical circuit and wherein a second light-generative device of the light-generative devices is spaced-apart from the first of the light-generative devices and is operative to turn-on when a second of the signals is generated by the electrical circuit;

a sheet of translucent material positioned above both the first and second light-generative devices, respectively, of the at least two light-generative devices; and

at least two spaced-apart light diffusers formed of the translucent material comprising said sheet of translucent material and positioned to extend beyond a top surface of said sheet, wherein a gap is formed in the translucent sheet of material between adjacent ones of said at least two spaced-apart light diffusers, wherein a first light diffuser and a second light diffuser of said at least two light diffusers are spaced-apart by distances corresponding to distances at which the first and second light-generative devices, respectively, are spaced-apart, thereby to permit alignment of the first light diffuser with the first light-generative device and alignment of the second light diffuser with the second light-generative device such that light emitted by the first and second light-generative devices, respectively, are diffused by corresponding ones of the first and second light diffusers.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least two light-generative devices are comprised of light emitting diodes.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said sheet of translucent material comprises a sheet of thermoelastic material.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least two spaced-apart light diffusers are integrally formed with said sheet of the translucent material.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least two spaced-apart light diffusers are each formed of truncated conical bodies which protrude beyond the top surface of the sheet of translucent material.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said sheet of translucent material is of a comb-like configuration having a spine-portion and toothed-portions extending therefrom with adjacent ones of said toothed-portions being spaced-apart from one another by distances such that, when suitably aligned, individual ones of said toothed-portions of the sheet of translucent material of the comb-like configuration are positioned above corresponding individual ones of light-generative devices of the at least two light-generative devices.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein a light diffuser of said at least two spaced-apart light diffusers is positioned to extend beyond a top surface of each of the toothed-portions of the sheet of translucent material of the comb-like configuration.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein a first light diffuser of said at least two spaced-apart light diffusers is positioned to extend beyond a top surface of a toothed-portion of the sheet of translucent material positioned above the first light-generative device and wherein a second light diffuser of said at least two spaced-apart light diffusers is positioned to extend beyond a top surface of a toothed-portion of the sheet of translucent material positioned above the second light-generative device.

9. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising means for supporting said sheet of translucent material and the at least two spaced-apart light diffusers extending above a top surface thereof in position above the at least two light-generative devices.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein said means for supporting comprises a housing positioned about the sheet of translucent material, the at least two light-generative devices and the electrical circuit to which the light-generative devices are coupled.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said housing further comprises at least one rib member formed along an inner wall thereof for positioning individual ones of said at least one rib member in said gap formed between adjacent toothed-portions of the sheet of translucent material of the comblike configuration.

12. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said at least one rib member is comprised of an opaque material.

13. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said housing further comprises at least two spaced-apart apertures of diameters of dimensions permitting insertion of top end portions of the at least two light diffusers therein.

14. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a shield having transparent portions for covering the at least two spaced-apart apertures.

15. In a radiotelephone having transceiver circuitry including circuit board-mounted circuitry operative to receive manually-input signals representative of a call sequence generated by way of a plurality of keypad pushbuttons integrally molded with a keypad interface, the keypad interface further having a face surface positioned in tandem with a face surface of the circuit board at which the circuitry operative to receive the manually-input signals is mounted, a combination with the transceiver circuitry and the keypad interface of an assembly for visually indicating selected signals generated by the transceiver circuitry, said assembly comprising:

at least two light-generative devices coupled to the transceiver circuitry and disposed upon the face surface of the circuit board at which the circuitry operative to receive the manually-input signals is disposed, wherein a first light-generative device of the at least two light-generative devices is operative to turn-on when a first of the signals is generated by the transceiver circuitry and wherein a second light-generative device of the at least two light-generative devices is spaced-apart from the first of the light-generative devices and is operative to turn-on when a second of the signals is generated by the transceiver circuitry;

a sheet of translucent material integrally molded with the keypad interface and extending beyond a top edge surface thereof for positioning above the first and second light-generative devices, respectively, of the at least two light-generative devices; and

at least two spaced-apart, light diffusers integrally molded with the translucent material comprising said sheet of translucent material and positioned to extend beyond a top surface of said sheet wherein a first light diffuser and a second light diffuser of said at least two light diffusers are spaced-apart by distances corresponding to distances at which the first and second light-generative devices, respectively, are spaced-apart, thereby to permit alignment of the first light diffuser with the first light-generative device and alignment of the second light diffuser with the second light-generative device such that light emitted by the first and second light-generative devices, respectively, are diffused by corresponding ones of the first and second light diffusers.

16. The combination of claim 15 further comprising at least one transversely-extending channel formed to extend across at least a portion of the sheet of translucent material proximate to the top edge surface of the keypad interface.

17. The combination of claim 16 wherein said at least one transversely-extending channel comprises a first transversely-extending channel formed to extend across at least a portion of a top surface of the sheet of translucent material and a second transversely-extending channel formed to extend across at least a portion of a bottom surface of the sheet of translucent material.

18. The combination of claim 15 wherein the keypad interface and said sheet of translucent material integrally molded therewith are comprised of a flexible, thermoelastic material.

19. In a radiotelephone having transceiver circuitry including circuit board-mounted circuitry operative to receive manually-input signals representative of a call sequence generated by way of a plurality of keypad pushbuttons integrally molded with a keypad interface, the keypad interface further having a face surface positioned in tandem with a face surface of the circuit board at which the circuitry operative to receive the manually-input signals is mounted, a combination with the transceiver circuitry and the keypad interface of an assembly for visually indicating selected signals generated by the transceiver circuitry, said assembly comprising:

at least two light-generative devices coupled to the transceiver circuitry and disposed upon the face surface of the circuit board at which the circuitry operative to receive the manually-input signals is disposed wherein a first light-generative device of the at least two light-generative devices is operative to turn-on when a first of the signals is generated by the transceiver circuitry and wherein a second light-generative device of the at least two light-generative devices is spaced-apart from the first of the light-generative devices and is operative to turn-on when a second of the signals is generated by the transceiver circuitry;

a sheet of translucent material integrally molded with the keypad interface and extending beyond a top edge surface thereof for positioning above the first and second light-generative devices, respectively , of the two at least two light-generative devices; and

at least two spaced-apart, light diffusers intergrally molded with the translucent material comprising said sheet of translucent material and positioned to extend beyond a top surface of said sheet wherein a first light diffuser and a second light diffuser of said at least two light diffusers are spaced-apart by distances corresponding to distances at which the first and second light-generative devices, respectively, are spaced-apart, thereby to permit alignment of the first light diffuser with the first light-generative device and alignment of the second light diffuser with the second light-generative device such that light and second light-generative devices, respectively, are diffused by corresponding ones of the first and second light diffusers; and

a housing for housing the circuit board having circuit board-mounted circuitry operative to receive the manually-input signals therewithin, and for supporting the keypad interface, and the sheet of translucent material integrally molded therewith, in tandem with the face surface of the circuit board.

20. An interface apparatus for a radio transceiver having transceiver cicuitry mounted upon a circuit board operative to receive manually-input signals representative of a call sequence at spaced locations forming an array of locations upon a face surface of the circuit board, and light-generative devices formed along a top edge portion of the face surface of the circuit board for indicating output signals generated by the transceiver circuitry, said interface apparatus comprising:

a keypad formed of a thermoelastic material and having intergally molded therwith a plurality of keypad pushbuttons positioned at spaced locations forming an array of keypad pushbuttons corresponding to the array of locations formed upon the face surface of the circuit board such that positioning of the keypad upon the face surface of the circuit board aligns array of keypad pushbuttons with the array of locations formed upon the face surface of the circuit board wherein actuation of individual ones of the keypad pushbuttons form the manually-input signals representative of a call sequence;

extending beyond as top edge surface thereof for positioning above the light-generative devices formed along the top edge portion of the face surface of the circuit board when said keypad is positioned upon the face of the circuit board to align the array of keypad pushbuttons with the array of locations formed upon the face surface of the circuit board; and

a plurality of light diffusers integrally molded with the translucent material comprising said sheet of translucent material, each light diffuser of said plurality being positioned to the extend beyond a top surface of said sheet an d spaced-apart from adjacent ones of the light diffusers by distances corresponding to distances separating adjacent ones of the light-generative devices formed along the top edge of the face surface of the circuit board wherein, when the keypad is positioned upon the face surface of the circuit board, individual ones of the plurality of light diffusers are positioned above corresponding ones of the light-generative devices to diffuse light generated therefrom.