Control element cap and method for producing said control element cap
AssigneePreh GmbH
InventorMartin Jeitner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a control element cap. Such control element caps are used, for example, for switches and/or keys in motor vehicles. In the known control element caps, the representation of a symbol is relatively diffuse and thus not always recognizable with a sufficient degree of reliability. Therefore, a control element cap is to be provided in which the sharpness, and thus the clearness of the symbol is improved; this is accomplished by a transparent carrier plate being disposed between a foil and a display, luminous or projection surface. The invention further relates to a manufacturing process associated therewith.
Claims6
Control element cap, comprising
- a cap body for covering and/or actuating a switch,
- wherein, in the cap body, a display, luminous or projection surface is configured in such a way that a symbol displayed on or by the display, luminous or projection surface is visible to an operator of the control element only by way of illumination by means of a light source disposed on the switch side,
- wherein the display, luminous or projection surface comprises a mask into which the symbol is incorporated, and a foil which includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of light-refractive microspheres connected in optical contact with the substrate, and an opaque matrix into which the microspheres are embedded, and
- wherein a transparent carrier plate is disposed between the foil and the mask.
Method for producing a control element cap, comprising
- producing a cap body from a transparent plastic by means of two-component injection molding;
- laminating a carrier plate with a foil,
- applying a symbol onto an inner side of the cap body, either by being printed on as a negative with an opaque printing ink, or by an opaque lacquer being applied into which the symbol is engraved through to the cap body,
- applying transparent UV curable adhesive in the cap body,
- pressing the carrier plate into the cap body and onto the glue,
- curing the glue by means of UV radiation, and
- coating the cap body with a transparent protective lacquer on a side facing the operator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.