Illuminative display device and electronic apparatus equipped with same

• US 5,987,793 A
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ebine, Nobuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbermann, Joanne
• Application Number:
  US09/008,262
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 40/580, 40/570, 40/541, 40/579, 40/219, 340/332, 362/23, 362/29, 362/109
• US Class Current: 40/580
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/06 using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/066 Lens

Abstract

An illuminative display device for use in an electronic apparatus including a cabinet with a metallic color surface and having at least a main function and a subsidiary function. The display device comprises a light source and a transparent sheet spaced apart therefrom by a predetermined distance, wherein a colored layer composed of a thin film and being the same or substantially the same in color as the metallic color of the cabinet is formed on one side of the transparent sheet opposed to the light source, and a backing layer with cutout characters is formed on one side of the colored layer opposed to the light source, so as to display the characters relative to the subsidiary function. And other display characters relative to the main function are shown on the surface of the transparent sheet at positions not overlapping with the display characters relative to the subsidiary function. The display characters are completely invisible when the illuminating light is turned off, whereby the appearance of the display device is rendered congruous with the metallic or similar color of the surrounding cabinet.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus having a metallic-color peripheral surface, comprising:

an illuminative display device including;

a light source; and

a transparent sheet spaced apart therefrom by a predetermined distance;

wherein a colored layer formed of an aluminum-evaporated thin film surface and being the same or substantially the same in color as said metallic color is formed on the same side of said transparent sheet as said light source and has printed information functions thereon, and a black-based backing layer with cutout characters is formed on the opposite side of said colored layer which does not have information functions printed thereon.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said thin-film colored layer ranges from 0.01 to 0.05 μ

m.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an urethane resin layer is formed on the surface of said transparent sheet.

4. An electronic apparatus including a cabinet with a metallic-color surface and having at least a main function and a subsidiary function, said apparatus being equipped with an illuminative display device which is disposed in or adjacent to the metallic-color surface of said cabinet and serves for selectively displaying said main and subsidiary functions;

wherein said illuminative display device comprises a light source and a transparent sheet spaced apart therefrom by a predetermined distance;

a colored layer formed of an aluminum-evaporated thin film surface and being the same or substantially the same in color as said metallic color is formed on the same side of said transparent sheet as said light source and has printed information thereon, and a black-based backing layer with cutout characters is formed on the opposite side of said colored layer without information functions printed thereon, so as to display the characters relative to the subsidiary function; and

other display characters relative to the main function are shown on the surface of said transparent sheet at positions not overlapping with the display characters relative to the subsidiary function.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the thickness of said thin-film colored layer ranges from 0.01 to 0.05 μ

m.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an urethane resin layer is formed on the surface of said transparent sheet.