Industrial electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10834840-B2
Application number	US-201716326582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

An industrial electronic apparatus includes a display panel that includes a design portion including a character or a graphic, and a light source provided behind the display panel. The display panel includes: a transparent plate having a back face located on the light source side and a front face located on a side opposite to the light source side; a light shielding portion that is located on the back face side of the transparent plate, covers a portion, of the back face, that does not correspond to the design portion, and includes a window that is formed at a portion, of the back face, that corresponds to the design portion, and a light diffusing portion that is located on the back face side of the transparent plate, and covers a portion, of the back face of the transparent plate, that corresponds to the design portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An industrial electronic apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a display panel that is attached to the housing, and comprising a design portion comprising at least one of: a character; and a graphic;
a light source provided behind the display panel, and capable of being turned on and off, wherein
the display panel further comprises:
a transparent plate comprising a back face located on a light source side and a front face located on a side opposite to the light source side;
a light shielding portion located on a back face side of the transparent plate, covering a portion of the back face of the transparent plate that does not correspond to the design portion, and comprising a window formed at a portion of the back face of the transparent plate that corresponds to the design portion; and
a light diffusing portion located on the back face side of the transparent plate, and covering a portion of the back face of the transparent plate that corresponds to the design portion, wherein
the front face of the transparent plate is exposed without being covered by another member or layer, and
the light diffusing portion fills out the window such that the back face of the transparent plate in the portion corresponding to the window is not exposed.

2. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light shielding portion comprises a printed layer printed on the back face of the transparent plate.

3. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the light diffusing portion comprises the printed layer that is printed on the back face of the transparent plate such that the printed layer fills out the window.

4. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the light diffusing portion is white, and
the light source emits light of a color other than white.

5. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an external wiring connection portion in which a plurality of terminals for connecting external wiring are arranged, wherein
the display panel is attached to a region, of the housing, adjacent to the external wiring connection portion, and comprises, as the design portion, a plurality of design symbols that are arranged in a layout corresponding to the layout of the plurality of terminals, and
the light source comprises a plurality of unit light sources that are arranged in association with the plurality of respective design symbols.

6. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of design symbols comprise numbers indicating terminal numbers.

7. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the industrial electronic apparatus comprises a programmable logic controller.

8. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the light diffusing portion is white, and
the light source emits light of a color other than white.

9. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an external wiring connection portion in which a plurality of terminals for connecting external wiring are arranged, wherein
the display panel is attached to a region, of the housing, adjacent to the external wiring connection portion, and comprises, as the design portion, a plurality of design symbols that are arranged in a layout corresponding to the layout of the plurality of terminals, and
the light source comprises a plurality of unit light sources that are arranged in association with the plurality of respective design symbols.

10. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of design symbols comprise numbers indicating terminal numbers.

11. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the industrial electronic apparatus comprises a programmable logic controller.

12. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light diffusing portion is white, and
the light source emits light of a color other than white.

13. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an external wiring connection portion in which a plurality of terminals for connecting external wiring are arranged, wherein
the display panel is attached to a region of the housing adjacent to the external wiring connection portion, and comprises, as the design portion, a plurality of design symbols that are arranged in a layout corresponding to the layout of the plurality of terminals, and
the light source comprises a plurality of unit light sources that are arranged in association with the plurality of respective design symbols.

14. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of design symbols comprise numbers indicating terminal numbers.

15. The industrial electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the industrial electronic apparatus comprises a programmable logic controller.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Otsu Sadahito
• Nada Heita
• Azuma Yoshimi

Classifications

• G09F23/04

  illuminated · CPC title

• G09F13/08

  using both translucent and non-translucent layers · CPC title

• G09F13/0409 Primary

  Arrangements for homogeneous illumination of the display surface, e.g. using a layer having a non-uniform transparency (arrangements of reflectors G09F13/14) · CPC title

• G05B19/054

  Input/output · CPC title

• H05K7/1481 Primary

  User interface, e.g. status displays; Programming interface, e.g. connector for computer programming; Monitoring · CPC title