Floor care appliance with an electro luminescent switch panel

• US 7,220,930 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Tondra, Aaron P., Gordon, Evan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KYUNG S
• Application Number:
  US10/352,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20040144633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 200310-317, 153/39, 153/19, 15D/IG.10, 15D/IG.11, 362 26- 31, 341 20- 22, 345/170
• US Class Current: 200/311
• 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. A floor care appliance having at least one operational feature, comprised of:

a suction nozzle;

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, said light and said associated electrical switch formed as a sheet comprising;

a transparent substrate layer, said substrate layer allowing said electroluminescent light to pass therethrough;

an electroluminescent phosphor layer, said electroluminescent phosphor layer disposed beneath said transparent substrate layer;

a film layer disposed beneath said transparent substrate layer, wherein said electroluminescent phosphor layer is surrounded by a film layer;

an inner capacitive dielectric layer disposed beneath said electroluminescent phosphor layer;

a rear capacitive electrode disposed beneath said inner capacitive dielectric layer;

a first encapsulating dielectric layer, disposed beneath said inner capacitive layer, wherein said first encapsulating dielectric layer surrounds said rear capacitive electrode;

a second encapsulating dielectric layer, disposed beneath said rear capacitive electrode, and said first encapsulating dielectric layer;

a first contact layer disposed beneath said second encapsulating dielectric layer;

a first dielectric layer disposed beneath said second encapsulating dielectric layer, wherein said first dielectric layer surrounds said first contact layer;

a second dielectric layer disposed beneath said first contact layer;

a third dielectric layer disposed beneath said first contact layer, wherein said third dielectric layer surrounds said second dielectric layer;

a second contact layer disposed beneath said second dielectric layer;

a fourth dielectric layer disposed beneath said third dielectric layer, wherein said fourth dielectric layer surrounds said second contact layer; and

a third encapsulating dielectric layer disposed beneath said second contact layer.

2. The floor care appliance of claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical switch has an open position and a closed position.

3. The floor care appliance of claim 2, 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.

4. The floor care appliance of claim 3, 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.

5. The floor care appliance of claim 4, wherein said current source comprises an inverter to provide AC current.

6. The floor care appliance of claim 3, 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.

7. The floor care appliance of claim 6, wherein said current source comprises an inverter to provide AC current.

8. The floor care appliance of claim 1, wherein said sheet forming said at least one electrical switch and said associated electro luminescent light is flexible.

9. The floor care appliance of claim 8, wherein said sheet is mounted on a contoured surface of said handle.

10. A 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, wherein said electrical switch and said light are formed as a flexible sheet comprising;

a transparent substrate layer, said substrate layer allowing said electroluminescent light to pass therethrough;

an electroluminescent phosphor layer, said electroluminescent phosphor layer disposed beneath said transparent substrate layer;

a film layer disposed beneath said transparent substrate layer, wherein said electroluminescent phosphor layer is surrounded by a film layer;

an inner capacitive dielectric layer disposed beneath said electroluminescent phosphor layer;

a rear capacitive electrode disposed beneath said inner capacitive dielectric layer;

a first encapsulating dielectric layer, disposed beneath said inner capacitive layer, wherein said first encapsulating dielectric layer surrounds said rear capacitive electrode;

a second encapsulating dielectric layer, disposed beneath said rear capacitive electrode, and said first encapsulating dielectric layer;

a first contact layer disposed beneath said second encapsulating dielectric layer;

a first dielectric layer disposed beneath said second encapsulating dielectric layer, wherein said first dielectric layer surrounds said first contact layer;

a second dielectric layer disposed beneath said first contact layer,

a third dielectric layer disposed beneath said first contact layer, wherein said third dielectric layer surrounds said second dielectric layer;

a second contact layer disposed beneath said second dielectric layer;

a fourth dielectric layer disposed beneath said third dielectric layer, wherein said fourth dielectric layer surrounds said second contact layer; and

a third encapsulating dielectric layer disposed beneath said second contact layer.

11. The floor care appliance of claim 10, wherein said at least one electrical switch has an open position and a closed position.

12. The floor care appliance of claim 11, 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.

13. The floor care appliance of claim 12, 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.

14. The floor care appliance of claim 13, wherein said current source comprises an inverter to provide AC current.

15. The floor care appliance of claim 12, 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.

16. The floor care appliance of claim 15, wherein said current source comprises an inverter to provide AC current.

17. The floor care appliance of claim 10, wherein said sheet forming said at least one electrical switch and said associated electro luminescent light is flexible.

18. The floor care appliance of claim 17, wherein said sheet is mounted on a contoured surface of said handle.