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:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1997
Toshiya Inubushi, Tokyo, JP;
Tsutomu Inoue, Tokyo, JP;
Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A lighted switch illuminator which solves a problem of a conventional device in that it was difficult to reduce its thickness and size because the electroluminescent (EL) layer functioning as an illuminator is adhered to a separate film click board. An EL layer is directly formed on a film click board by stacking its layers (consisting of a transparent electrode layer, a light emitting layer, a dielectric layer, a rear electrode layer and an insulation layer) in order excluding hollow convex portions of the film click board. Upper contacts and lower contacts are formed on the film click board and a printed board, respectively, such that they face each other. Depressing a key button pushes the corresponding hollow convex portion so that the upper contact and the corresponding lower contact are brought into conduction, in which case a good clicking feeling is obtained because the EL layer is not formed on the back of the hollow convex portions. Since the film click board is an integral part of the electroluminescent light, the thickness of the illuminator can be reduced.