Illumination display switching device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9484165-B2
Application number	US-201414528034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2012
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

An illumination display switching device includes a board, a push button-type switch mounted on the board, a light source mounted on the board, and a switch knob that is supported to a frame member to be slidable in an operation direction of the push button-type switch. The switch knob includes a display design part that is molded with a light-transmitting resin, a non-display design part except for the display design part that is molded with an opaque resin and a light guide member that is integrally molded with the light-transmitting resin of the display design part. The light guide member includes a base part and an arm part, and the base part is integrally molded with the display design part and the arm part extends from the base part and is connected to a switch part of the push button-type switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination display switching device comprising:
a board;
a push button-type switch mounted on the board;
a light source mounted on the board; and
a switch knob that is supported to a frame member to be slidable in an operation direction of the push button-type switch, wherein
the switch knob includes a display design part that is molded with a light-transmitting resin, a non-display design part except for the display design part that is molded with an opaque resin and a light guide member that is integrally molded with the light-transmitting resin of the display design part, wherein the display design part is illuminated from a backside by emission light of the light source through the light guide member,
the light guide member includes a base part and an arm part, wherein the base part is integrally molded with the display design part and the arm part extends from the base part and is connected to a switch part of the push button-type switch,
the arm part includes a cut surface configured to reflect the emission light from the light source toward the display design part in a converging manner,
the switch part of the push button-type switch includes a recess, and
the light guide member includes an engaging claw that extends into the recess.

2. The illumination display switching device according to claim 1 , wherein
the light guide member is formed to match an axis of the arm part substantially with a center of an operation surface of the switch knob and an operation axis of the push button-type switch.

3. The illumination display switching device according to claim 2 , wherein
the cut surface is formed as an inner surface of the arm part and reflects and directs the emission light from the light source which is incident from a side surface of the arm part towards the display design part.

4. The illumination display switching device according to claim 1 , wherein
the display design part has a plurality of sections, the sections are spaced from each other and integrally molded with the base part of the light guide member,
a solitary island of the non-display design part, which is formed between the plurality of spaced sections, is molded by a molding tool having a bypass route into which the opaque resin is introduced while bypassing the base part, and
the light-transmitting resin forming the display design part is mixed with a light-diffusing material.

5. The illumination display switching device according to claim 1 , wherein
a branched part is formed to be integrally molded with the light guide member by the light-transmitting resin and branched from a side surface of the arm part and so that the emission light of the light source is guided to the arm part.

6. The illumination display switching device according to claim 1 , wherein
the switch knob further includes a bypass part that extends from the non-display design part and across the base part on a side of the base part that is opposite to the display design part.

7. The illumination display switching device according to claim 1 , wherein
the cut surface includes a plurality of cut surface sections located inside the arm part.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Chiba Shingo

Classifications

• B60K37/06

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• H01H13/83

  characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements · CPC title

• H01H13/14

  Operating parts, e.g. push-button · CPC title

• H01H9/161

  comprising light emitting elements · CPC title

• H01H2221/014

  Slide selector · CPC title