Touch-sensitive momentary-contact switch and operating device having at least one touch-sensitive momentary-contact switch

Abstract

A touch-sensitive momentary-contact switch includes an infrared-radiation-emitting transmitter, an infrared-radiation-receiving receiver and at least one visible-light-emitting signal element. The transmitter, receiver and signal element radiate into a single light-guiding element. Due to optical beam guidance, a separation of a transmission channel and a reception channel in the light-guiding element is effected in such a way that at a top-side area of the light-guiding element remote from the transmitter and the receiver, a superimposition of a region that can be irradiated by the transmitter and a region that can be detected by the receiver is produced only on a small portion of the area. An operating device for a domestic appliance including at least one touch-sensitive momentary-contact switch, is also provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.