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US 2002/0170809 A1Published application
Thermal dissipating switch pad for backlit control
OwnerChris Ralph Sniderinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switch pad constructed of a thermally conductive elastomer whereby undesirable heat generated by an incandescent lamp used to backlight the device. A thermally conductive elastomer is molded into all or a portion of the switch pad and conducts heat away from the surface of the backlit device.
Claims10
A switch comprising:
- a surface member having a predefined pattern for illumination;
- an actuator in contact with and below said surface member;
- an incandescent lamp for illuminating said predefined pattern on said surface member;
- and
- a switch pad supporting said incandescent lamp, said switch pad having first and second contacts in communication with said actuator, and at least a portion of said switch pad being molded from a thermally dissipating elastomer whereby heat generated by said incandescent lamp is conducted through said thermally dissipating elastomer and away from said surface member.
2 more elements
A switch pad comprising:
- a base having an incandescent lamp mounted thereto;
- and
- at least a portion of said housing being a thermally conductive elastomer material.
A method for dissipating heat from the surface of a control panel having at least one backlit device illuminated by an incandescent lamp, said method comprising the steps of:
- mounting said incandescent lamp to the backlit device wherein said backlit device has a switch pad having at least a portion thereof molded from a thermally dissipating elastomer;
- conducting heat generated by said incandescent lamp through said switch pad away from said backlit device to a location remote from said backlit device;
- and
- dissipating heat conducted away from said backlit device at said remote location.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.