Itt Corporation

Edward J Herout

Jeffrey J Norris

Phillip R Russell

A back lit keypad device and method for fabricating it are described, which facilitates construction of a low cost, durable, and attractive keypad of the 'reverse graphics illumination' type (which is opaque everywhere except for illuminated characters at the tops of the keys). The keypad device includes a shell (30, FIG. 2 ) of opaque rubber having a thin top wall (32), and an insert (42) of light-transmitting rubber molded into the cavity formed within the shell. The thin top wall of the shell has an opening therein forming a character, so light passing up through the insert can pass through the character-forming opening. The keypad device is formed by first forming the shell between first and second molds (94,110, FIG. 4 ), and leaving the formed shell in the first mold. Then a third mold (140, FIG. 5 ) is clamped against the first mold which has the shell (30) therein, and the light-passing insert material (144) is injected into the space between the shell and third mold to form the insert.

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Glencoe, MN, United States of America

Edward J Herout