Dial switch having an ornamental colored ring

• US 7,091,434 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedhofer, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMZA, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/146,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20050284741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 200310-316, 200341-345, 200/336, 200/308, 200/5.R, 200/5.A, 200/512, 200/517, 200/317
• US Class Current: 200/316
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/025 Light-emitting indicators

Abstract

A dial switch disposed on a front surface of a control panel is surrounded by a colored ring which is visible from a front side of the control panel. Behind the front surface of the control panel, an ornamental prism made of a transparent material and a light source are disposed. A colored layer is formed on the rear surface of the ornamental prism so that a ring surrounding the dial switch is visible as a colored ring. The colored ring is visible through the transparent ornamental prism at the daytime and is visible by illumination of the light source in the nighttime. Since no light leaks bypassing the colored layer, the ring is perfectly colored. Since only the flat rear surface of the ornamental prism is covered with the colored layer, the ornamental prism can be manufactured in a simple process.

Claims

1. A dial switch disposed on a control panel, the dial switch comprising:

a case covering the control panel, the case being made of a non-transparent material and having an opening;

an ornamental prism having a plate portion and a cylindrical portion formed on a front surface of the plate portion, the plate portion having a center hole, the cylindrical portion being inserted into the opening of the case;

a colored layer formed on a rear surface of the plate portion;

a light-source disposed behind the colored layer;

a printed circuit board on which the light source is supported, electric power being supplied to the light source from the printed circuit board;

a rotary switch supported on the printed circuit board, the rotary switch having a shaft extending through the center hole of the plate portion to a front side of the case; and

a dial knob connected to the shaft so that the shaft being rotated by rotating the dial knob, wherein;

the colored layer covers substantially an entire area of the rear surface of the plate portion, so that light is led from the light source to a front surface of the case through the colored layer and the cylindrical portion of the ornamental prism.

2. The dial switch as in claim 1, wherein:

the colored layer is divided into two portions, a first portion and a second portion, by a diametric line passing a center of the center hole of the plate portion; and

the first portion is colored in a first color and the second portion in a second color.

3. The dial switch as in claim 1, wherein:

the colored layer gradationally changes its colors along a circumferential direction around a center of the center hole.

4. The dial switch as in claim 1, wherein:

the colored layer is divided into a plurality of portions by lines radially extending from a center of the center hole; and

the plurality of portions are colored in colors different from each other.

5. The dial switch as in claim 1, wherein:

a layer for suppressing uneven brightness is formed on the colored layer.

6. The dial switch as in claim 1, wherein:

a light-conducting prism for conducting light from the light source to the colored layer is disposed between the light source and the ornamental prism.