Pushbutton switch

• US 5,661,279 A
• Filed: 12/05/1995
• Issued: 08/26/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunarrow Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sunarrow Ltd.
• Inventors: Kenmochi, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Walczak, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/567,223
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 200/512, 200/305, 200/304, 200/314, 200/313, 200/310
• US Class Current: 200/314
• 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 2219/06 Reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/004 High frequency adaptation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/008 Static electricity considerations

Abstract

A pushbutton switch which is based on a printed-wiring board equipped with a light source and a keypad that is arranged above the printed-wiring board. The pushbutton switch has a non-working portion and a working portion made of transparent silicone rubber or a transparent thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the upper surfaces of the non-working portions, excluding the working portions of the keypad, are covered with an opaque film, with the underside thereof being covered by an insulating film which forms an electrically conductive light-reflecting layer in which the electrically conductive light reflective layer is grounded by being connected to an earth portion.

Claims

1. A pushbutton switch comprising:

a printed wiring board equipped with a light source; and

a keypad which is arranged above the printed-wiring board, the keypad including a non-working portion and a working portion made of translucent silicone rubber or a translucent thermoplastic elastomer;

in which an insulating resin film having an upper surface and an underside surface is arranged on the non-working portion of the keypad, excluding the working portion of the keypad, with said upper surface of said insulating resin film being covered with an opaque coating and said underside surface of said insulating resin film being covered by an electrically conductive light-reflecting layer, and in which the electrically conductive light-reflective layer is grounded by being connected to an earth portion.

2. A pushbutton switch comprising:

a printed wiring board equipped with a light source; and

a keypad which is arranged above the printed-wiring board, the keypad including a non-working portion and a working portion made of translucent silicone rubber;

in which an insulating resin film having an upper surface and an underside surface is arranged on the non-working portion of the keypad, excluding the working portion of the keypad, with said upper surface of said insulating resin film being covered with an opaque coating and said underside surface of said insulating resin film being covered by an electrically conductive light-reflecting layer, and in which the electrically conductive light-reflecting layer is grounded by being connected to an earth portion.

3. A pushbutton switch comprising:

a printed wiring board equipped with a light source; and

a keypad which is arranged above the printed-wiring board, the keypad including a non-working portion and a working portion made of translucent thermoplastic elastomer

in which an insulating resin film having an upper surface and an underside surface is arranged on the non-working portion of the keypad, excluding the working portion of the keypad, with said upper surface of said insulating resin film being covered with an opaque coating and said underside surface of said insulating resin film being covered by an electrically conductive light-reflecting layer, and in which the electrically conductive light-reflecting layer is grounded by being connected to an earth portion.