US 11,234,321 B2Granted

Control device having buttons with metallic surfaces and backlit indicia

AssigneeLutron Technology Company LLC

InventorsChris Dimberg, Kevin J. Heimann, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Matthew P. McDonald

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Abstract

The control device includes a button having a backlit indicium (or indicia) indicating a function of the button. The button may comprise a button body that is translucent and configured to be backlit by a lighting element. A front surface of the button body may be opaque outside of the area of the indicium (or indicia). The button body may have a post that extends from a rear surface of the button body and is aligned with an actuator. The control device may have a plurality of such buttons. Selection of a button by a user, such as by pressing the button, results in the selected button displaying a greater illumination intensity than a button that is not selected.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A control device that is configured for use in a load control system, the control device comprising:

a plurality of buttons, each button comprising a backlit translucent button body having:
an opaque layer disposed upon a front surface of the button body, the opaque layer not being present in an area forming an indicium, such that light from the button body passes through the indicium;
and
a plurality of symmetrically spaced apart lenses to disperse light evenly across the button body;
and
a control circuit configured to backlight the buttons such that the indicium of a button selected by a user is illuminated to a first illumination intensity, and the respective indicia of the remaining buttons are illuminated to a second illumination intensity that is lower than the first illumination intensity.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/944,544Filed 31 Jul 2020 · continuation
Priority: 10 Sep 2014
Published: US 2020/0043395 A119 Nov 2020
Granted: 25 Jan 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

H01H 13/83
Having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard: characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid…
G09F 9/00
Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on
G09G 3/20
Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes: for presentation of an…
H05B 47/175
Controlling the light source: by remote control

Family

Application62/048,652Us provisional application · filed 10 Sep 2014
Application14/850,800Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Sep 2015
Application15/911,581Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Mar 2018
US 9,911,372 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Mar 2018
Application16/541,400Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Aug 2019
US 10,424,233 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Sep 2019
US 2020/0365069 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Nov 2020
US 10,733,926 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0069537 A1Published application
US 2018/0197449 A1Published application
US 2020/0043395 A1Published application
US 11,234,321 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.