Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-30
2001-01-09
Saras, Steven J. (Department: 2775)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
C708S138000, C200S0050EA
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172666
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an equipment operation panel, and more particularly to an equipment operation panel which includes an operation signal generation electric component for feeding an operation signal to a control unit received in an equipment such as a room heater, an electric appliance or the like and is mounted on a casing of the equipment.
An equipment such as an oil room heater, a gas room heater or the like includes an operation section provided with electric parts or components such as a switch and a variable resistor for driving the heater, a luminous display means for displaying an operation state of the equipment, and the like. A conventional equipment operation panel for such an operation section includes a rigid circuit board which is made of bakelite, epoxy resin or the like and on which the electronic components are mounted. The circuit board is then supported on a frame made of a synthetic resin material. The frame having the circuit board supported thereon is then fixedly mounted on a casing of the equipment in such a manner that the electric components and luminous display means which are required to be externally operated are positioned in an opening of the casing. The opening of the casing is closed with a cover member having a character, a mark or the like printed on a surface thereof and including a light-permeable section which permits light emitted from the luminous display means to permeate therethrough. Also, the cover member is so formed that a portion thereof corresponding to the switch and the like which are required to be externally operated exhibits flexibility.
In the conventional equipment operation panel, as noted from the above, it is required to form the opening of the casing of the equipment into an increased size. This renders a design for the casing troublesome and causes a location on the casing at which the equipment operation panel is to be mounted to be subject to restriction. Also, the conventional equipment operation panel renders mounting of the panel on the casing of the equipment highly troublesome.
In general, a heater such as an oil room heater or the like is constructed so as to selectively adjust combustion to a desired combustion level between a minimum combustion level and a maximum one by manual operation. For such adjustment, a variable resistor of the slide type has been conventionally used. The conventional slide type variable resistor is constructed so as to mechanically slide a slider. Unfortunately, such construction of the variable resistor fails to permit a thickness of the equipment operation panel to be satisfactorily reduced. Thus, it is obliged to receive a part of the equipment operation panel in the casing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an equipment operation panel which is capable of being readily mounted on an outer surface of a casing of an equipment and facilitating connection thereof to a control unit arranged in the equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an equipment operation panel which is capable of being significantly reduced in thickness and mounted on an outer surface of a casing of an equipment by means of an adhesive.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an equipment operation panel which is capable of being significantly reduced in thickness while incorporating a variable resistor as an operation signal generation electric component therein.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an equipment operation panel which is capable of being reduced in thickness while incorporating an operation signal generation electric component and a luminous element or light emitting element therein.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an equipment operation panel which is capable of increasing an area of a luminous display section while constructing the luminous display section of a light emitting element decreased in luminous plane.
In accordance with the present invention, an equipment operation panel which includes an operation signal generation electric component for feeding an operation signal to a control unit arranged in an equipment or both the operation signal generation electric component and a light emitting element and is fixed on a casing of the equipment is provided. The equipment operation panel includes a first flexible circuit board including a main section formed thereon with a first circuit pattern including contacts of the operation signal generation electric component and a lead-out section arranged so as to extend from the main section and formed with a plurality of connection wire patterns connected to the first circuit pattern. The main section and lead-out section are arranged on a front surface of the first flexible circuit board. The equipment operation panel also includes a spacer layer provided with windows for exposing the contacts therethrough and laminated on the front surface of the first flexible circuit board, conductive members arranged in correspondence to the windows to generate the operation signal by contact with the contacts, a second flexible circuit board laminated on the spacer layer and including a second circuit pattern which includes or is electrically connected to the conductive members, and a cover sheet member laminated on the second flexible circuit board and formed so that at least a portion thereof corresponding to the conductive members exhibits flexibility. The main section of the first flexible circuit board, the spacer layer, the second flexible circuit board and the cover sheet member are laminated on each other in turn to provide a single laminate. The lead-out section of the first flexible circuit board is led out of the laminate in a manner to be insertable into the equipment.
Such construction of the present invention permits mounting of the equipment operation panel on the equipment to be readily accomplished by merely introducing the lead-out section of the first flexible circuit board into the casing of the equipment and fixing the laminate to an outer surface of the casing of the equipment. Also, the laminate significantly reduces a thickness of the equipment operation panel.
Such mounting of the equipment operation panel on the outer surface of the casing of the equipment may be carried out in such a manner that the main section of the first flexible circuit board is bonded on a rear surface thereof directly to the outer surface of the casing by means of an adhesive. Alternatively, the first flexible circuit board may be mounted on the outer surface of the casing through any suitable insulating sheet.
The first flexible circuit board may be provided thereon with a luminous element or light emitting element for displaying an operation state of the equipment. In this instance, the spacer layer may be formed with windows for receiving the light emitting element and the second flexible circuit board may be provided at a portion thereof corresponding to the light emitting element with windows or constructed so that the portion exhibits light-permeability. Also, the cover sheet member may be constructed so that a portion thereof corresponding to the light emitting element may exhibit light-permeability.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the operation signal generation electric component may be constituted by a variable resistor. In this instance, the variable resistor may be constructed of the contacts constituted by a plurality of filament electrodes arranged on the front surface of the first flexible circuit board so as to be spaced from each other at predetermined intervals, a thin or thick resistive film formed on the front surface of the first flexible circuit board to electrically connect the plural filament electrodes to each other therethrough, and the conductive members incorporated in the second circuit pattern of the second flexible circuit boar
Nelson Alecia D.
Pollock Vande Sande & Amernick
Saras Steven J.
Toyotomi Co. Ltd.
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