The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 23, 1996
Filed:
Aug. 03, 1992
Jeffrey J Norris, Bloomington, MN (US);
Edward J Herout, Glencoe, MN (US);
Phillip R Russell, Plymouth, MN (US);
ITT Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
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.