Multi-angle viewable indicator apparatus

• US 6,958,694 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Shafiyan-Rad, Saeed, Corbosiero, Daniel M. Jr., Schladenhauffen, Mark Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/251,395
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/815.42, 340/815.49, 340/693.5, 340/691.1, 340/473, 340/686.1, 340/815.5, 340/815.55, 340/815.57, 362/541, 362/551, 362/555, 362/544
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/161 comprising light emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/945 Proximity switches H03K17/96 takes precedence

Abstract

An indicator apparatus facilitates visibility of one or more indicators from multiple angles. The apparatus includes a housing having an outer sidewall portion. The sidewall portion, for example, has a first side extending between two adjacent sides. One or more elongated slots are formed in the sidewall portion. One or more light sources are positioned within the one or more elongated slots.

Claims

1. An indicator apparatus, comprising:

a housing that has at least two elongated slots disposed across the surface thereof and extending through at least two other orthogonal sides thereof; and

at least one light source positioned within each of the at least two elongated slots;

wherein a first light source employs a first color to indicate a status of a first operating condition, and at least a second light source employs a different color to indicate a status of at least a second operating condition of a system in which the indicator apparatus is employed.

2. The indicator apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongated slot extends from one side of the housing through a sidewall to an opposed side of the housing while intersecting a top side of the housing, which permits the at least one light source to be viewed from at least three orthogonal surfaces.

3. The indicator apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of elongated slots wherein each of the elongated slots is separated from an adjacent slot by a substantially opaque partition.

4. The indicator apparatus of claim 3, wherein the substantially opaque partition extends coextensively between two opposing sides of the housing.

5. The indicator apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongated slot is exposed at a top side of the housing and at two opposing sides of the housing.

6. The indicator apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is a light emitting diode (LED).

7. The indicator apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source extends outwardly from a lower surface of the at least one elongated slot.

8. The indicator apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is recessed below a lower surface of the at least one elongated slot.

9. The indicator apparatus of claim 1, wherein a strip of substantially translucent material is disposed at least partially within the at least one elongated slot, and wherein the at least one light source illuminates the edges and/or surface(s) of the translucent material.

10. An indicator system that facilitates determination of an operating state of a device, comprising:

a housing that has a plurality of elongated slots disposed across, and extending through at least two sides of, the surface thereof;

a plurality of light sources respectively positioned to be viewable via the plurality of elongated slots wherein light is transmitted in at least three orthogonal planes; and

a plurality of substantially translucent strips disposed at least partially within the plurality of elongated slots, wherein the at least one light source illuminates the edges and/or surface(s) of the substantially translucent strips;

wherein the plurality of substantially translucent strips respectively include retaining tab(s) for interlocking with a corresponding bore located in a lower sidewall surface of a corresponding elongated slot.

11. The indicator system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of light sources have an illuminated condition and non-illuminated condition, each condition being indicative of an operating state of the device.

12. The indicator system of claim 10, wherein the at least tree orthogonal planes include a top side of the housing and two opposing sides of the housing.

13. The indicator system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of light sources are recessed relative to the outer surface of the housing.

14. The indicator system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of light sources is associated with a different color for indicating a different operating state.

15. A proximity sensor system, comprising:

a proximity sensor that has a pair of sensor probes for sensing the proximity of an object;

an indicator housing that has at least one elongated slot orthogonal to the surface thereof, the at least one elongated slot extends through a first orthogonal side and at least one other orthogonal side of the indicator housing;

at least one light source disposed within the at least one elongated slot, wherein the at least one light source is activated according to a condition at each sensor probe; and

at least one substantially translucent strip disposed at least partially within the at least one elongated slots, wherein the at least one light source illuminates the edges and/or surface(s) of the at least one substantially translucent strip;

wherein each of the at least one substantially translucent strip includes a retaining tab for interlocking with a corresponding bore located in a lower sidewall surface of a corresponding elongated slot.

16. The proximity sensor system of claim 15, wherein the at least one light source is transmitted in at least three orthogonal planes.

17. The proximity sensor system of claim 15, further comprising a controller for determining one or more operating conditions of the system and for providing output signals indicative of the determined conditions.

18. A sensing system, comprising:

means for sensing the presence of an object; and

means for indicating at least two operating conditions associated with the means for sensing, said means for indicating comprising at least one light source disposed within each of at least two elongated slots of a means for housing at least a portion of the means for sensing, the elongated slots disposed within and extending through a first orthogonal side and at least a second orthogonal side of the surface of the means for housing to permit light from the at least one light source to be emitted along a plurality of planes, each light source is associated with a color unique to an operating condition indicated the light source.

19. An indicator apparatus, comprising:

a housing that has at least two elongated slots so that extend through at least two orthogonal sides of the surface thereof; and

at least one light source positioned coincident with each of the at least two elongated slots so as to be viewable in at least three orthogonal planes from the three orthogonal sides through which the slot extends, each light source is associated with a unique color that identifies an operating condition indicated by the light source.