Non-contact dead front actuation system and lighting assembly for providing keyless entry into a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle

• US 7,637,631 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Magna International Incorporated
• Inventors: McDermott, Daniel T., Giles, Steven R., Granger, Sean E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton; Anabel
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPINELLA, KEVIN
• Application Number:
  US11/805,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20070295043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 362/276, 362/464, 362 84- 85, 362/501, 362/394, 362/802, 362/100, 362/95, 362/411, 362/311, 362/545, 200/314, 200/317, 702/55, 345/156, 345/173, 307 103- 105, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 362/276
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• 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 2239/032 Anti-tamper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5969 Other element with switch

Abstract

A dead front actuating assembly actuates a device in standard ambient light conditions. The dead front actuating assembly includes a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume. A cover plate is fixedly secured to the housing at the periphery. The cover plate defines an inboard surface facing the interior volume and an outboard surface opposite the inboard surface. The outboard surface is opaque in standard ambient light conditions. The dead front actuating assembly also includes a switch that is operatively connected to the inboard surface of the cover plate at a defined location for toggling the device between on and off conditions. Also included is a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent the cover plate. A back light inside the housing illuminates the cover plate such that light passes through the cover plate and out the outboard surface to illuminate the switch.

Claims

1. A dead front actuating assembly for providing a keyless entry into a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle by unlocking a lock of a door of the motor vehicle, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:

a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;

a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface forming a dead front surface which is opaque in the standard ambient light conditions and transparent during back lighting conditions;

a plurality of switches operatively connected to said cover plate for locking and unlocking the lock of the motor vehicle, said plurality of switches being connected to said cover plate such that said plurality of switches are hidden by said dead front surface in standard ambient lighting conditions;

a touch sensor identifying when an operator touches said cover plate; and

a plurality of back lights inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate in response to a signal from said touch sensor such that light passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said plurality of switches, making said plurality of switches visible to said operator and allowing the operator to select a combination of the plurality of switches to lock and unlock the motor vehicle.

2. A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in claim 1, including a graphics template fixedly secured to said inboard surface to graphically identify said switch when said plurality of back lights are is on.

3. A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said switch and said graphics template are not visible when said plurality of back lights are is off.

4. A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a reflective surface to reflect most of the light emitted from said plurality back lights at said cover plate.

5. A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of back lights are is a light emitting diodes.

6. A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said touch sensor extends across an area defined by said periphery of said housing.

7. The dead front actuating assembly of claim 1, wherein said cover plate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of:

lexan, lucite, ABS, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, mixture blends and copolymers thereof, a metallized film or material, glass, an electrochromic film or material, and combinations thereof.