Thermostat having an illuminated keypad and display

A thermostat having an illuminated keypad and display, the thermostat comprising:

• a circuit board having a plurality of actuable elements thereon;
• an electroluminescent element on the circuit board, the electroluminescent element having first and second sections, the first section having a plurality of openings therein aligned with the actuable elements on the circuit board;
• a keypad member overlying the first section of the electroluminescent element, the keypad member comprising a single unitary member having at least one relatively thick portion forming a key aligned with one of the openings in the electroluminescent element, each key surrounded by a relatively thin, flexible portion to allow the key to be depressed to actuate an actuable element on the circuit board that is aligned with the same opening in the first section of the electroluminescent element with which the key is aligned;
• and
• a display overlying the second portion of the electroluminescent element,
• the electroluminescent element being adapted to illuminate the keypad member and the display.

An illuminated thermostat comprising:

• a circuit board having at least one actuable element thereon;
• a keypad having at least one key adapted to be pressed by a user, the at least one key being aligned with the at least one actuable element of the circuit board, so that pressing the key actuates the actuable element;
• an electroluminescent element between the keypad and at least a portion of the circuit board for back lighting the keypad, the element having an opening therein aligned with the at least one actuable element on the circuit board and the at least one key on the key pad, operatively connected to the circuit board, and having a the key being moveable between forward and rearward positions and being operatively connected to the actuable element of the circuit board so that movement of the key from its forward position to its rearward position actuates the actuable element;
• and
• at least one electroluminescent element operatively connected to the circuit board, said at least one electroluminescent element having at least one opening therein aligned with the actuable element and the at least one key, so that the key can operate the actuable element on the circuit board to operated the thermostat.