Motorola Corporation

Stephen P Kopish

Michael L Shababy

Richard Costantino

Steven Rokita

A display assembly for an LCD device is disclosed wherein the LCD essentially comprises an elongated horizontal plate. The LCD is mounted in a recessed portion of the top surface of a carrier made of light transmitting material with preferably the back surface of the LCD contacting the carrier top surface. Beneath the LCD, the carrier has an effective wedge-shaped portion, or at least an inclined planar surface of the carrier, and a light source is effectively positioned adjacent the carrier. At least one retainer member is utilized to mount the LCD to the carrier with edges of the carrier top surface recessed portion laterally surrounding and thereby laterally locating the LCD device with respect to the carrier. The preceding configuration allows the carrier to provide for backlighting of the LCD since the carrier serves as a light pipe in addition to providing mounting structure for the LCD. Lateral extending portions of the top surface of the carrier are positioned adjacent to graphics, in a coverplate of the LCD assembly, which are to be backlighted. The retainer member may comprise a molded plastic part having two main planar extensions forming an angle less than the angle of the carrier end surfaces which mate with the retainer. Such retainer member has latching projections that engage the carrier such that a snap-together subassembly, capable of hand assembly, is provided comprising the carrier, the LCD and the retainer member.

Display assembly for LCD's

A pushbutton switch assembly having a hand-insertable snap-in subassembly comprising the switch chassis and the switch actuator is disclosed. Dome switch electric contacts are contained within a chassis having a plastic wall with a through opening therein. The chassis has a pair of integral flexible retaining tangs projecting into the through opening. A plastic switch actuator having recesses thereon is hand-inserted into the through opening, and the flexible tangs and recesses cooperate to provide a snap-in subassembly. The flexible retaining tangs bias the actuator into a first predetermined position in which an actuating plunger on the actuator is maintained out of contact with the electrical dome switch contacts. The flexible tangs permit inward movement of the switch actuator into the opening such that the actuating plunger can contact and actuate the dome switch electrical contacts. Stop projections are provided on the switch actuator which cooperate with guide channels and end mating surfaces in the chassis wall to limit the amount of inward movement of the switch actuator while also guiding the actuator movement.

Growing community of inventors

Schaumburg, IL, United States of America

Stephen P Kopish