Control panel illumination

An illumination system for a control panel having a plurality of optical indicia and a plurality of controls comprising:

• an electroluminescent lamp panel including at least one chargeable area configured to register with at least a portion of said plurality of optical indicia;
• at least one charging circuit for applying voltage across each said chargeable area;
• wherein one of said plurality of controls comprises a switch for selectively coupling one of said at least one charging circuit to said chargeable area;
• and
• wherein said at least one chargeable area comprises a plurality of first chargeable areas, and a plurality of second chargeable areas, each of said plurality of first and second chargeable areas registering with an optical indicia, wherein said at least one charging circuit comprises at least one first charging circuit coupled to said first plurality of chargeable areas and at least one second charging circuit coupled to said plurality of second chargeable areas;
• and
• wherein at least one control of said plurality of controls includes a plurality of indicia and a chargeable area from each said plurality of first and second chargeable areas is located in registration with indicia for said at least one control.

A control panel for a motor vehicle audio entertainment system a plurality of entertainment sources taken from the group consisting of AM radio receiver, FM radio receiver, audio tape player an compact disc player;

• the control panel comprising:
• a plurality of optical indicia on said control panel including a predetermined set of indicia associated with one of the plurality of entertainment sources,
• an electroluminescent lamp panel including a plurality of chargeable areas, and the plurality of chargeable areas corresponding in number to at least as many as the number of the plurality of entertainment sources;
• at least one chargeable area configured to correspond with said predetermined set of indicia;
• a plurality of charging circuits for applying voltage to said plurality of chargeable areas in the electroluminescent lamp panel;
• and
• a selector for coupling at least one of said plurality of charging circuit to said at least one chargeable area configured to correspond with said predetermined set in response to actuation of said one of said plurality of entertainment sources.

A control panel with controllers for a motor vehicle audio entertainment system including:

• a plurality of entertainment sources taken from the group consisting of AM radio receiver, FM radio receiver, audio tape player and compact disc player;
• an electroluminescent lamp panel including a first plurality of chargeable areas;
• a second plurality of charging circuits for applying voltage to said chargeable areas;
• a selector for coupling a first charging circuit to a first predetermined set of at least one said chargeable area in response to actuation of one of said sources;
• and
• a selector for coupling a second charging circuit to a second predetermined set of at least one said chargeable area in response to actuation of another of said sources, and wherein a portion of said first predetermined set and a portion of said second predetermined set register with first and second indicia, respectively, on a single controller.

An illuminated control panel comprising:

• a bezel panel having a plurality of openings;
• at least one of said bezel panel and said at least one button having a first optical indica and a second optical indicia adjacent said first optical indicia;
• an elastomeric layer beneath said button and said panel, wherein said layer has an opening communicating with each said optical indicia and a wall portion resiliently urged against said button intermediate said first and said second optical indicia;
• an electroluminescent lamp panel beneath said elastomeric layer including a first chargeable area in communication with a first elastomeric layer opening on one side of said wall portion, and a second chargeable area in communication with a second elastomeric layer opening on another side of said wall portion;
• and
• said electroluminescent lamp panel includes at least one first and at least one second chargeable areas, each said chargeable area being in registration with one of said first and second optical indicia.