Connecting light source to background plate

• US 6,666,562 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Nissilä, Seppo
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S.
• Application Number:
  US09/854,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20020015298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362/26, 362/27, 362/30, 362/103, 362/104, 362/800, 362/561, 362/368, 362/31
• US Class Current: 362/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices

Abstract

A wrist-worn device (100) comprising a background plate (106) to be illuminated for a display (102) of the wrist-worn device (100), and a light source (108A, 108B) for illuminating the background plate (106). The wrist-worn device (100) comprises a guide chamber (300, 302) at least partly surrounding the light source for collecting light emitted by the light source (108A, 108B) and for directing it to the background plate (106).

Claims

1. A wrist-worn device comprising a background plate to be illuminated for a display of the wrist-worn device, a light source for illuminating the background plate, and a guide chamber formed by rolling at least a portion of the background plate, the guide chamber at least partly surrounding the light source for collecting light emitted by the light source and for directing it to the background plate.

2. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber are interconnected.

3. A wrist worn device according to claim 1, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber form a uniform piece.

4. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber are made of the same material.

5. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber are made of a thin, film-like material.

6. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the guide chamber comprises a first end and a second end.

7. A wrist-worn device according to claim 6, wherein the inner surface of the guide chamber comprises a guide surface, and wherein the guide surface is in the area between the first end and the second end.

8. A wrist-worn device according to claim 6, wherein the first end and the second end.

9. A wrist-worn device according to claim 8, wherein the guide chamber is positioned with regard to a light source such that substantially all the light emitted by the light source to its numerical aperture is arranged to be directed inside the circle formed by the first end of the guide chamber.

10. A wrist-worn device according to claim 8, wherein the guide chamber is conical in shape, the diameter of the cross-section of the first end being greater than the diameter of the cross-section of the second end.

11. A wrist-worn device according to claim 8, wherein the guide chamber is roll-shaped, the diameter of the first end being substantially equal to the diameter of the second end.

12. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the guide chamber comprises an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a guide surface.

13. A wrist-worn device according to claim 12, wherein the space defined by the guide surface is open.

14. A wrist-worn device according to claim 12, wherein the guide chamber comprises at least one guide means for directing the light that meets the guide means from the guide chamber to the background plate, the guide means being located on the guide surface.

15. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the guide chamber comprises at least one guide means for directing the light that meets the guide means from the guide chamber to the background plate.

16. A wrist-worn device according to claim 15, wherein the guide means comprises at least one of a mirror, prism, and air bubble changing the direction of light.

17. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the background plate comprises at least one diffractive element for directing light from the surface of the background plate towards the display of the wrist-worn device.

18. A wrist-worn device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a LED.

19. A method for illuminating a background plate of a display of a wrist-worn device, the method comprising the step of emitting light with a light source for collecting the light into a guide chamber formed by rolling at least a portion of the background plate, the guide chamber at least partly surrounding the light source in the wrist-worn device and for directing it to the background plate.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber are interconnected.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber form a uniform piece.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber are made of the same material.

23. A method according to claim 19, wherein the background plate and the guide chamber are made of a thin, film-like material.

24. A method according to claim 19, wherein the guide chamber is positioned with regard to a light source such that substantially all the light emitted by the light source to its numerical aperture is directed inside the area surrounded by the first end of the guide chamber.

25. A method according to claim 19, wherein the guide chamber is conical in shape, the diameter of the cross-section of the first end of the guide chamber being greater than the diameter of the cross-section of the second end of the guide chamber.

26. A method according to claim 19, wherein the guide chamber is roll-shaped, the diameter of the first end being substantially equal to the diameter of the second end.

27. A method according to claim 19, wherein the space defined by the guide surface of the wrist-worn device is open.

28. A method according to claim 19, the method further comprising the step of directing the light that meets the guide means of the guide chamber with the guide means to the background plate.

29. A method according to claim 19, wherein the guide surface is provided with a guide means that changes the direction of light.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the guide means comprises at least one of a mirror, prism, and air bubble changing the direction of light.

31. A method according to claim 19, the method further comprising the step of directing the light from the surface of the background plate towards the display of the wrist-worn device by means of at least one diffractive.

32. A method according to claim 19, wherein the light source is a LED.