Rocker switch with movable light ducts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9847195-B2
Application number	US-201615196047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A rocker switch includes a housing. An actuating part is pivotably mounted at the housing and includes at least two opposing actuating surfaces with two opposing actuating directions associated thereto. At least one actuating surface includes a backlit lighting surface. At least one lighting device is attached to the housing for backlighting the lighting surface. The rocker switch includes least one electromechanical pushbutton and at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct. At least one plunger is displaceably supported at the housing. The at least one plunger acts through the actuator part on the electromechanical pushbutton and the at least one light duct so as to define a light channel between the at least one lighting device and the lighting surface. The at least one light duct having a tubular lower light duct section corresponding to the electromechanical pushbutton and a tubular upper light duct section corresponding to the lighting surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rocker switch comprising:
a housing;
an actuating part pivotably mounted at the housing, the actuating part comprising at least two opposing actuating surfaces with two opposing actuating directions associated thereto, at least one of the at least two actuating surfaces comprising a lighting surface configured to be backlit;
at least one lighting device attached to the housing configured to backlight the lighting surface;
at least one electromechanical pushbutton;
at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct; and
at least one plunger displaceably supported at the housing, the at least one plunger being configured to act through the actuating part on the at least one electromechanical pushbutton and the at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct so as to define a light channel between the at least one lighting device and the lighting surface,
wherein,
the at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct comprises a tubular lower light duct section corresponding to the at least one electromechanical pushbutton, and a tubular upper light duct section corresponding to the lighting surface of the actuating part, the tubular upper light duct section being rigidly coupled with the at least one plunger and being elastically biased by the at least one electromechanical pushbutton in a direction of the actuating part, and
the actuating part and the tubular upper light duct section are biasedly supported into mutual engagement with each other.

2. The rocker switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tubular upper light duct section is elastically biased by the at least one electromechanical pushbutton against the actuating part.

3. The rocker switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tubular lower light duct section is configured to engage the tubular upper light duct section.

4. The rocker switch as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a key pad,
wherein, the at least one electromechanical pushbutton comprises a switch dome incorporated in the key pad and a switch contact surface configured to cooperate with the switch dome.

5. The rocker switch as recited in claim 4 , wherein the tubular lower light duct section is formed by the key pad.

6. The rocker switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one light duct further comprises a rectangular cross-section.

7. The rocker switch as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a gear,
wherein,
the at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct includes two multiple-part telescoping light ducts, each of the two multiple-part telescoping light ducts corresponding to a respective one of the two opposing actuating directions, and
the two multiple-part telescoping light ducts each comprise a tubular upper light duct section which is mutually coupled by the gear so that, during an actuating of the actuating part in either one of the two opposing actuating directions, one of the two multiple-part telescoping light ducts is telescopically shortened, and the other of the two multiple-part telescoping light duct is telescopically elongated.

8. The rocker switch as recited in claim 7 , wherein,
the gear comprises a connecting bar which connects the two tubular upper light sections, and
the housing comprises a projection which forms a support for the connecting bar.

9. The rocker switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein,
the actuating part further comprises a transparent or translucent material, and
the lighting surface comprises a masking layer comprising an opaque material.

10. The rocker switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the actuating part is configured to be resettably supported opposing the actuating directions in an intermediate neutral position.

11. A rocker switch comprising:
a housing;
an actuating part pivotably mounted at the housing, the actuating part comprising at least two actuating surfaces with two actuating directions associated thereto, at least one of the two actuating surfaces comprising a lighting surface configured to be backlit;
at least one lighting device attached to the housing configured to backlight the lighting surface;
at least one electromechanical pushbutton;
at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct; and
at least one plunger displaceably supported at the housing, the at least one plunger being configured to act through an actuation of the actuator part on the at least one electromechanical pushbutton and the at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct so as to define a light channel between the at least one lighting device and the lighting surface,
wherein,
the at least one multiple-part telescoping light duct comprises a tubular lower light duct section corresponding to the at least one electromechanical pushbutton and a tubular upper light duct section corresponding to the lighting surface of the actuating part, the tubular upper light duct section being coupled with the at least one plunger and being biased by the at least one electromechanical pushbutton in a direction of the actuating part, and
the actuating part and the tubular upper light duct section are biasedly supported into mutual engagement with each other.

Assignees

• Preh Gmbh

Inventors

• Neubauer Steffen

Classifications

• H01H2221/07

  transparent · CPC title

• H01H23/025 Primary

  Light-emitting indicators · CPC title

• H01H2219/062

  Light conductor · CPC title

• H01H2219/054

  Optical elements · CPC title