Switch device with indicator

• US 6,627,829 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gibson Brands, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TEAC Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Dai
• Primary Examiner(s): FRIEDHOFER, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/205,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5.R, 200/308, 200/310-317, 362/28-30
• US Class Current: 200/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/025 Light-emitting indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/181 using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD

Abstract

A switch device with an indicator, in which the indication resolution for the operation amount of a switch can be increased without increasing the number of light emitting elements of the indicator and with a low cost, is provided. The switch device includes an LED which emits light when the operation state of a knob of the switch corresponds to a first state and an LED which emits light when the operation state of a knob of the switch corresponds to a second state. When the operation state of the knob lies between the first and second states, at least one of the amount and color of light emission from the LEDs is changed in order to indicate an intermediate operation state of the switch.

Claims

1. A switch device with an indicator, said indicator indicating an operation amount of a switch by causing a light emitting element corresponding to an operation state of the switch to emit light, said switch device comprising:

an operation knob for operating the switch; and

a control section for controlling light emission of said indicator in accordance with the operation amount of said operation knob, wherein

said indicator includes a first light emitting element which emits light when the operation state of the switch is in a first state and a second light emitting element which emits light when the operation state of the switch is in a second state, and

when the operation amount of the operation knob lies between the first and second states, said control section changes at least one of the amount and color of light emission from either one of said first light emitting element and said second light emitting element to indicate an intermediate operation state of the switch.

2. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 1, wherein

said control section changes the amount or color of light emission in a multistage manner to indicate the intermediate operation state of the switch.

3. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 1, wherein

said first light emitting element and said second light emitting element are disposed adjacent to each other.

4. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 1, wherein

said indicator includes an attention point provided for indicating a predetermined operation amount of the operation knob.

5. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 4, wherein

when the operation amount of the operation knob passes the attention point, said control section makes the light emission pattern of the indicator before the attention point different from the light emission pattern of the indicator after the attention point.

6. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 4, wherein

said control section controls lighting of the indicator on the right or left side of the attention point which serves as a base point, in accordance with the operation amount of the operation knob in the right or left direction.

7. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 4, wherein

said control section controls lighting of the indicator on the right and left sides of the attention point simultaneously, using the attention point as a base point, in accordance with the operation amount of the operation knob.

8. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 1, wherein

said control section causes a plurality of successive light emitting elements to selectively light up in accordance with the operation amount of the operation knob, so that the lighting pattern of the indicator mimics the appearance of an inchworm in motion.

9. A switch device with an indicator, said indicator indicating an operation amount of a switch by causing a light emitting element corresponding to an operation state of the switch to emit light, said switch device comprising:

an operation knob for operating the switch; and

a control section for controlling light emission of said indicator in accordance with the operation amount of said operation knob, wherein

said indicator includes a first light emitting element which emits light when the operation state of the switch is in a first state and a second light emitting element which emits light when the operation state of the switch is in a second state, and

when the operation amount of the operation knob lies between the first and second states, said control section causes both the first and second light emitting elements to emit light to indicate an intermediate operation state of the switch.

10. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 9, wherein

when the operation amount of the operation knob lies between the first and second states, said control section changes at least one of the amount and color of light emission from either one of said first light emitting element and said second light emitting element to indicate the intermediate operation state of the switch.

11. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 10, wherein

said control section changes the amount or color of light emission in a multistage manner to indicate the intermediate operation state of the switch.

12. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 9, wherein

said first light emitting element and said second light emitting element are disposed adjacent to each other.

13. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 9, wherein

said indicator includes an attention point provided for indicating a predetermined operation amount of the operation knob.

14. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 9, wherein

when the operation amount of the operation knob passes the attention point, said control section makes the light emission pattern of the indicator before the attention point different from the light emission pattern of the indicator after the attention point.

15. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 9, wherein

said control section controls lighting of the indicator on the right or left side of the attention point which serves as a base point, in accordance with the operation amount of the operation knob in the right or left direction.

16. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 9, wherein

said control section controls lighting of the indicator on the right and left sides of the attention point simultaneously, using the attention point as a base point, in accordance with the operation amount of the operation knob.

17. A switch device with an indicator according to claim 9, wherein

said control section causes a plurality of successive light emitting elements to selectively light up in accordance with the operation amount of the operation knob, so that the lighting pattern of the indicator mimics the appearance of an inchworm in motion.