Control panel with illuminated capacitive touch-control switches

• US 20060243575A1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Cenedese, Claudio
• Granted Patent: US 7,315,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/310
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960785 with illumination

Abstract

Control panel of the touch-switch comprising: an external control board provided with a transparent surface portions, means for illuminating said transparent surface portions from the inside, capacitive-type detecting or sensing means provided on the backside of said control board and adapted to detect the presence, on the front side of the control board; said illuminating means comprise a plurality of illumination channels comprised laterally between pairs of opaque septum-like partitions arranged in parallel manner each other and located in the space on the backside of the control board, said capacitive-type detecting means comprise conductive elements applied either on the mutually facing surfaces of contiguous septum-like partitions or on one of said surfaces and a ground not comprised between said septum-like partitions. Moreover the illuminating channels are delimited on the front side by the external control board at respective ones of said transparent surface portions and, on the back side, by one or more support members arranged at the rear side of said septum-like partitions.

Claims

1. Control panel of the touch-switch or sensor-switch type comprising:

an external control board (1) provided with at least partly transparent surface portions (2),

means for illuminating said transparent surface portions from the inside,

capacitive-type detecting or sensing means provided on the backside of said control board and adapted to detect the presence, on the front side of the control board, of bodies that modify the electric, field containing said detecting means,

characterized in that said illuminating means comprise;

a plurality of illumination channels (7) comprised laterally between pairs of opaque septum-like partitions (8, 9) that are arranged in substantially parallel manner relative to each other and substantially orthogonal to said control board (1), and located in the space on the backside of said control board,

and in that said capacitive-type detecting or sensing means comprise conductive elements (10, 11), preferably of metal, applied substantially either on the mutually facing surfaces of contiguous septum-like partitions (8, 9) or on one of said surfaces and a ground (15) not comprised between said septum-like partitions (8, 9), in contact thereto.

2. Control panel according to claim 1, characterized in that said illumination channels are delimited on the front side by said external control board (1) at respective ones of said transparent surface portions (2) and, on the back side, by one or more support members (5) arranged at the rear side of said septum-like partitions.

3. Control panel of the touch-switch or sensor-switch type according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises appropriate circuits for actuating and controlling said illuminating means, that said circuits are arranged on said support means (5), which comprise a printed-circuit board (PCB), and that said conductive elements (10, 11) are electrically connected via respective connections (10A, 11A) to said actuation and control circuits on said printed-circuit board (PCB).

4. Control panel of the touch-switch or sensor-switch type to claim 3, characterized in that said illuminating means comprise a plurality of LED-type diodes that are respectively arranged on said printed-circuit boards and oriented towards the backside surface of said transparent portions, through respective ones of said illumination channels, and are further activable in a selective manner.

5. Control panel according to claim 4, characterized in that said LEDs are connected to said actuation and control circuits and are arranged on said printed-circuit board (PCB).

6. Control panel according to claim 1, characterized in that said conductive elements comprise, alternatively or in combination,

metal foils applied onto said septum-like partitions,

conductive paint

clips, or the like.

7. Control panel according to claim 1, characterized in that said external control board (1) and said illuminating means are in a direct relation with each other, without any means or device being arranged or provided therebetween that might even partially intercept, attenuate, distort, scatter or screen the light reaching the backside surface of said external control board.

8. Control panel according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a portion of each one of said septum-like partitions (8, 9) delimitates two distinct ones of said illumination channels arranged on the two opposite sides of each said septum-like partition.