Electro luminescent switch

• US 20040144633A1
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Inventors: Tondra, Aaron P., Gordon, Evan A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,220,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/308
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2836 characterised by the parts which are controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/161 comprising light emitting elements

Abstract

A floor care appliance such as a vacuum cleaner is provided having a display panel having at least one indicator light for indicating a status of a feature of the appliance wherein the indicator light is lighted by electro luminescent lighting. The electro luminescent lighting is also used on a control panel for a floor care appliance to backlight one or more switches used to control a feature or mode of the appliance wherein the backlighting indicates a status of the feature or mode associated with a particular switch. The switches and electro luminescent backlighting are embedded between layers of a thin film allowing the display and control panels to be mounted on a curved surface such as the handle of the floor care appliance.

Claims

1. An electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement, comprised of:

at least one electrical switch; and

an electro luminescent light associated with said at least one electrical switch.

2. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement of claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical switch has an open position and a closed position.

3. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement of claim 2, wherein said electro luminescent light is lighted when said at least one switch is in the closed position.

4. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement of claim 2, wherein said electro luminescent light is lighted when said at least one switch is in the open position.

5. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement of claim 2, further including a microprocessor for controlling the lighting and extinguishing of said electro luminescent light according to whether said at least one electrical switch is in the open position or the closed position.

6. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement of claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical switch and said associated electro luminescent light are embedded between at least two layers of a thin film to form a flexible sheet which can be mounted on a contoured or other surface.

7. A floor care appliance having at least one operational feature, comprised of:

a suction nozzle;

a motor-fan assembly;

a handle;

at least one electrical switch for controlling the operation of said at least one operational feature; and

an electro luminescent light associated with said at least one electrical switch.

8. The floor care appliance of claim 7, wherein said at least one electrical switch has an open position and a closed position.

9. The floor care appliance of claim 8, further including a microprocessor which determines whether said at least one electrical switch has been moved from the open position to the closed position and causes said operational feature to be energized or de-energized and said associated electro luminescent light to be lighted or extinguished.

10. The floor care appliance of claim 9, further including a transistor operationally connected to said microprocessor for controlling the flow of current from a current source to said electro luminescent light upon an output signal from said microprocessor.

11. The floor care appliance of claim 9, further including a relay operationally connected to said microprocessor for controlling the flow of current from a current source to said electro luminescent light upon an output signal from said microprocessor.

12. The floor care appliance of claim 7, wherein said at least one electrical switch and said associated electro luminescent light are embedded between thin layers of film to form a flexible sheet.

13. The floor care appliance of claim 12, wherein said sheet is mounted on a curved outer surface of said handle.

14. An improved floor care appliance of the type having one or more operational features, a suction nozzle, a motor-fan assembly for generating an airflow originating at the suction nozzle, a handle, a suction conduit fluidly connected at one end to the suction nozzle, and a filtration arrangement fluidly connected to the opposite end of the suction conduit, the improvement comprising:

an electrical switch for controlling each of said one or more operational features; and

an electro luminescent light associated with said electrical switch.

15. The improved floor care appliance of claim 14, wherein said at least one electrical switch has an open position and a closed position.

16. The improved floor care appliance of claim 15, further including a microprocessor which determines whether said at least one electrical switch has been moved from the open position to the closed position and causes said operational feature to be energized or de-energized and said associated electro luminescent light to be lighted or extinguished.

17. The improved floor care appliance of claim 16, further including a transistor operationally connected to said microprocessor for controlling the flow of current from a current source to said electro luminescent light upon an output signal from said microprocessor.

18. The improved floor care appliance of claim 16, further including a relay operationally connected to said microprocessor for controlling the flow of current from a current source to said electro luminescent light upon an output signal from said microprocessor.

19. The improved floor care appliance of claim 14, wherein said at least one electrical switch and said associated electro luminescent light are embedded between thin layers of film to form a flexible sheet.

20. The improved floor care appliance of claim 19, wherein said sheet is mounted on a contoured surface of said handle.

21. A method of backlighting at least one electrical switch by an electro luminescent light, comprised of the steps of:

pressing said at least one electrical switch; and

applying electrical current to said electro luminescent light.

22. A method of backlighting at least one electrical switch by an associated electro luminescent light, comprised of the steps of:

providing a microprocessor;

pressing said at least one electrical switch;

sending an input to the microprocessor when said at least one switch is pressed;

generating an output from the microprocessor based upon said input; and

applying said output from said microprocessor to a switching device to either turn the current on or off to said associated electro luminescent light.

23. The method of backlighting at least one electrical switch by an associated electro luminescent light of claim 22, wherein said at least one electrical switch and said associated electro luminescent light are embedded in thin layers of film.

24. An electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement for an appliance having at least one operational feature having an operational status, comprised of:

at least one electrical switch for controlling the operation of said at least one operational feature; and

an electro luminescent light associated with said at least one electrical switch which is either lighted or extinguished according to the operational status of the operational feature.

25. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement for an appliance of claim 24, wherein said at least one electrical switch and said an electro luminescent light associated with said at least one electrical switch are embedded between at least two layers of a flexible film to form a flexible sheet..

26. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement for an appliance of claim 25, wherein said flexible sheet can be mounted on a contoured or other surface of said appliance.

27. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement for an appliance of claim 24, wherein said at least one electrical switch has an open position and a closed position.

28. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement for an appliance of claim 27, further including a microprocessor which determines whether said at least one electrical switch has been moved from the open position to the closed position and causes said operational feature to be energized or de-energized and said associated electro luminescent light to

29. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement for an appliance of claim 28, further including a transistor operationally connected to said microprocessor for controlling the flow of current from a current source to said electro luminescent light upon an output signal from said microprocessor.

30. The electrical switch and electro luminescent light arrangement for an appliance of claim 28, a switching device operationally connected to said microprocessor for controlling the flow of current from a current source to said electro luminescent light upon an output signal from said microprocessor.