Key with lighted icon

Abstract

This invention discloses a key with an illuminated icon, comprising a housing assembly, a circuit board disposed between the housing assemblies, an LED bead disposed on the circuit board, and a button disposed on the housing assembly, wherein the LED bead illuminates when the button is triggered; a light guide assembly is disposed at the end of the housing assembly, the light guide assembly is disposed opposite to the LED bead, and an icon is formed within the light guide assembly, wherein a light guide cavity is formed around the icon.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive parts technology, and more specifically to a key with an illuminated icon. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of social and economic levels, more and more families are using cars as a means of transportation. Among them, the remote key is a very important component of the car, which can remotely control the car to realize functions such as unlocking, locking, and starting the car. However, existing car keys generally use indicator lights to confirm whether a signal to control the car has been sent. But because the brightness of conventional indicator lights is insufficient, it is impossible to accurately observe whether the indicator light is lit, thus making it impossible to confirm whether a signal has been sent, causing inconvenience to users in daily use. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the technical problems existing in the background art, the present invention proposes a key with a glowing icon.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: A key with a glowing icon includes a housing assembly, a circuit board disposed between the housing assemblies, an LED on the circuit board, and a button on the housing assembly, wherein the LED illuminates when the button is pressed. A light guide component is provided at the end of the housing assembly. The light guide component is disposed opposite to the lamp bead, and an icon is formed inside the light guide component. A light guide cavity is formed around the icon.

[0005] Preferably, the light guide assembly includes a first light guide block covering the bottom of the housing assembly, and a second light guide block abutting against the first light guide block. A shaped strip is formed between the first and second light guide blocks, and the strip abuts to form an icon of a certain thickness. Through this improvement, a raised icon is formed on both the first and second light guide blocks. When the first and second light guide blocks abut against each other, the icons on the two light guide blocks adhere to form an icon of a certain thickness. Furthermore, the entire light guide assembly is positioned opposite the LED bead. As the LED bead emits light, the entire icon illuminates, making it clearly visible to the user whether a signal has been emitted when the button is pressed. This also enhances the aesthetics and provides a better user experience.

[0006] Preferably, a first reflective groove is formed on the first light guide block, and a second reflective groove is formed on the second light guide block. The first and second reflective grooves are fitted together to form a light guide cavity. With this improvement, when the first and second light guide blocks are fitted together, the first reflective groove on the first light guide block and the second reflective groove on the second light guide block form a light guide cavity, and this light guide cavity surrounds the entire icon. When light is transmitted into the light guide assembly, the light undergoes multiple reflections within the light guide cavity, thereby giving the entire icon higher brightness.

[0007] Preferably, the surface of the light guide cavity is provided with reflective patterns. Through the above improvements, reflective patterns are provided on the inner wall of the light guide cavity, and the reflective patterns are matte spark patterns (VDI 20). When light enters the light guide cavity, multiple reflections can be achieved, resulting in a high-brightness effect for the icon.

[0008] Preferably, the housing assembly includes an upper housing and a lower housing. The upper housing includes a light-guiding section that is transparent to light and a light-shielding section that is opaque to light. The light-guiding section is located between the light-guiding assembly and the LED bead, and the cover section covers the LED bead. Through the above improvements, the upper housing is made using two-color injection molding, dividing the upper housing into a light-guiding section and a cover section, thereby controlling the path of light transmission and giving the icon higher brightness.

[0009] Preferably, the housing assembly has legs formed thereon, and slots are formed between the legs, with the light guide assembly placed within the slots. Through these improvements, the legs can block light and guide it into the slots, resulting in higher brightness for the light guide assembly. Furthermore, the legs abut against the light guide assembly from both sides, enhancing its stability.

[0010] Preferably, a light guide groove is formed on the housing assembly, and a light guide post is inserted into the light guide groove, with the light guide post connecting the light guide assembly and the LED bead. Through this improvement, the LED bead emits light, which is then transmitted through the light guide post to the light guide assembly, resulting in higher brightness and uniformity of the icons within the light guide assembly.

[0011] Preferably, the circuit board is covered with waterproof rubber, and the light guide post extends with a pressing part, which abuts against the top of the waterproof rubber. Through these improvements, the waterproof rubber covering the circuit board enhances the overall waterproof performance of the key, giving it a longer service life. Furthermore, the pressing part formed on the light guide post, abutting against the top of the waterproof rubber, prevents the waterproof rubber from detaching, thus improving the stability of the waterproof rubber installation.

[0012] Preferably, the light guide component is made of a transparent material. These improvements enable the entire light guide component to emit light, making the key more aesthetically pleasing.

[0013] Preferably, a four-way axis is provided below the button, and a micro switch is provided on the circuit board, with the micro switch located below the button. With these improvements, when a person presses a character on the button, the signal is transmitted to the micro switch via the four-way axis. After the micro switch is activated, the signal is processed by the circuit board assembly, and the LED emits light. The light passes through the light guide column on the upper housing and illuminates the light guide assembly, causing the icon inside the light guide assembly to light up. Furthermore, each time a character is pressed, the LED illuminates through signal processing.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: By setting a light guide component at the end of the housing assembly, and forming an icon of a certain thickness inside the light guide component, with a light guide cavity formed around the icon, when the user presses the button, the LED on the circuit board will light up, and the light will pass through the upper housing and enter the light guide component, making the entire light guide component light up. The light will also be reflected multiple times in the light guide cavity, making the entire icon have higher brightness and uniformity, so that the user can clearly observe the icon. This not only improves the aesthetics of the vehicle key, but also clearly indicates the issuance of control signals, bringing convenience to the user. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second light guide block of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first light guide block of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the upper housing of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light guide post and the waterproof rubber of the present invention; In the diagram: 1. Housing assembly; 2. Upper housing; 3. Lower housing; 4. Circuit board; 5. LED bead; 6. Button; 7. Light guide assembly; 8. Icon; 9. Light guide cavity; 10. Decorative strip; 101. First light guide block; 102. Second light guide block; 103. First reflective groove; 104. Second reflective groove; 105. Shaped strip; 201. Light guide part; 202. Covering part; 203. Support foot; 204. Slot; 205. Waterproof rubber; 206. Light guide post; 207. Pressing part; 208. Light guide groove; 301. Four-way axis; 302. Micro switch; Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] It should be understood that although the terms upper, middle, lower, top, one end, etc., appear in this document to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the elements from each other for ease of understanding, and are not used to define any directional or sequential restrictions.

[0018] like Figure 1-7 As shown, the key with the illuminated icon includes a housing assembly 1, a circuit board 4 disposed between the housing assemblies 1, an LED bead 5 disposed on the circuit board 4, and a button 6 disposed on the upper housing 2. When the user presses down on the button 6, the signal is processed by the circuit board 4 assembly, causing the LED bead 5 to light up.

[0019] Furthermore, light guide components 7 are provided at the ends of the upper housing 2 and the lower housing 3. The light guide components 7 are arranged opposite to the lamp beads 5. An icon 8 is formed inside the light guide components 7, and a light guide cavity 9 is formed around the icon 8.

[0020] During daily use, when the user presses button 6, the LED bead 5 on the circuit board 4 will light up. The light will pass through the upper housing 2 and enter the light guide assembly 7, causing the entire light guide assembly 7 to light up. The light will also be reflected multiple times within the light guide cavity 9, giving the entire icon 8 higher brightness and uniformity. This allows the user to clearly observe the illuminated icon 8, thus clearly knowing whether the key has sent a signal, bringing convenience to the user. In addition, the illuminated icon 8 greatly enhances the aesthetics.

[0021] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, a further explanation of the implementation of the light guide component 7 in this embodiment is provided. The light guide component 7 includes a first light guide block 101 covering the bottom of the housing component 1 and a second light guide block 102 abutting against the first light guide block 101. A shaped strip 105 is formed between the first light guide block 101 and the second light guide block 102, and the shaped strip 105 abuts against the icon 8 which has a certain thickness.

[0022] Since the first light guide block 101 has a raised icon 8 and the second light guide block 102 also has a raised icon 8, when the first light guide block 101 and the second light guide block 102 abut against each other, the icons 8 on the two light guide blocks fit together to form an icon 8 of a certain thickness. The entire light guide assembly 7 is positioned opposite to the lamp bead 5. As the lamp bead 5 emits light, the entire icon 8 will light up, so that when the user presses the button, it can be clearly observed whether a signal is emitted. The appearance is also more beautiful, bringing a better user experience to the customer.

[0023] Furthermore, a first reflective groove 103 is formed on the periphery of icon 8 on the first light guide block 101, and a second reflective groove 104 is formed on the periphery of icon 8 on the second light guide block 102. When the first light guide block 101 and the second light guide block 102 are attached, the first reflective groove 103 on the first light guide block 101 and the second reflective groove 104 on the second light guide block 102 are attached to form a light guide cavity 9, and the light guide cavity 9 is set around the entire icon 8. When light is transmitted into the light guide assembly 7, the light will undergo multiple reflections in the light guide cavity 9, thereby giving the entire icon 8 higher brightness.

[0024] The surface of the light guide cavity 9 is provided with reflective patterns, and the reflective patterns are matte spark patterns (VDI 20). When light enters the light guide cavity 9, multiple reflections can be achieved to achieve the high brightness effect of icon 8.

[0025] Preferably, the light guide component 7 is made of transparent material, so that the entire light guide component 7 can emit light, making the entire key more aesthetically pleasing.

[0026] like Figure 2 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, to further explain the implementation of the housing assembly 1 in this embodiment, the housing assembly 1 includes an upper housing 2 and a lower housing 3. The lower housing 3 is made of two-color injection molding, which divides the upper housing 2 into a light-guiding part 201 that is transparent and a light-shielding part 202 that is opaque. The light-guiding part 201 is made of transparent PC material, and the light-shielding part 202 is made of opaque white PC material. The opaque white PC material can block light from passing through, while the transparent PC material allows light to pass through. The light-guiding part 201 is located between the light-guiding assembly 7 and the LED bead 5, and the light-shielding part 202 covers the LED bead 5. This controls the path of light transmission, giving icon 8 higher brightness.

[0027] Furthermore, a support leg 203 is formed at the end of the housing assembly 1, and a slot 204 is formed between the support legs 203. The light guide assembly 7 is placed in the slot 204. The lower part of the support leg 203 is formed on the lower housing 3. Decorative strips 10 for fixing the light guide assembly 7 are provided on both sides of the housing assembly 1. The decorative strips 10 are connected to the lower housing 3 and form the upper half of the support leg 203. The support leg 203 can block and guide the light, and guide the light into the slot 204, so that the light guide assembly 7 has higher brightness. The support leg 203 abuts against the light guide assembly 7 from both sides, so that the light guide assembly 7 has higher stability. The decorative strip 10 serves as the outer contour of the key, abutting and protecting the housing assembly 1 and the light guide assembly 7, making the entire structure more robust.

[0028] like Figure 6 As shown, preferably, a light guide groove 208 is formed on the upper housing 2, and a light guide column 206 is inserted in the light guide groove 208. The light guide column 206 is disposed between the light guide assembly 7 and the lamp bead 5. When the user presses the button 6, the lamp bead 5 will emit light, and the light will be transmitted through the light guide column 206 to the light guide assembly 7, so that the icon 8 in the light guide assembly 7 has higher brightness and uniformity.

[0029] The light guide post 206 has an arc-shaped end face and serves as the outer surface of the upper housing 2, so that the light guide post 206 fits the outer contour of the upper housing 2, giving it better light guiding properties.

[0030] Preferably, the light guide component 7 is positioned adjacent to the button 6, and the light guide component 7 serves as the outer contour of the key, resulting in a larger light-emitting area and higher visibility.

[0031] like Figure 2 , Figure 7 As shown, in some other embodiments, the circuit board 4 is covered with a waterproof rubber 205, and the light guide post 206 extends with a pressing part 207. The pressing part 207 abuts against the top of the waterproof rubber 205. The waterproof rubber 205 on the circuit board 4 improves the waterproof performance of the entire key, giving it a longer service life. Furthermore, the pressing part 207 formed on the light guide post 206 abuts against the top of the waterproof rubber 205, preventing the waterproof rubber 205 from detaching and improving the stability of the waterproof rubber 205 installation.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown in the further explanation of the implementation method of button 6 in this embodiment, a four-way axis 301 is provided below button 6, and a micro switch 302 is provided on the circuit board 4, with the micro switch 302 located below button 6.

[0033] During key use, when a person presses the character on button 6 with their finger, the signal is transmitted to micro switch 302 through four-way shaft 301. After micro switch 302 is turned on, the signal is processed by circuit board 4 assembly, and LED bead 5 emits light. The light passes through light guide post 206 on upper housing 2 and shines on light guide assembly 7, causing icon 8 inside light guide assembly 7 to light up. Moreover, when each character is pressed, the LED will light up through signal processing.

[0034] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A key with a glowing icon, characterized in that, The device includes a housing assembly (1), a circuit board (4) is disposed between the housing assemblies (1), an LED bead (5) is disposed on the circuit board (4), and a button (6) is disposed on the housing assembly (1). The LED bead (5) emits light when the button (6) is triggered. A light guide assembly (7) is provided at the end of the housing assembly (1). The light guide assembly (7) is disposed opposite to the lamp bead (5), and an icon (8) is formed inside the light guide assembly (7). A light guide cavity (9) is formed around the icon (8). The light guide assembly (7) includes a first light guide block (101) covering the bottom of the housing assembly (1) and a second light guide block (102) abutting against the first light guide block (101), and a shaped strip (105) is formed between the first light guide block (101) and the second light guide block (102), and the shaped strip (105) abuts against an icon (8) of a certain thickness; A first reflective groove (103) is formed on the first light guide block (101), and a second reflective groove (104) is formed on the second light guide block (102). The first reflective groove (103) and the second reflective groove (104) are fitted together to form a light guide cavity (9), and the surface of the light guide cavity (9) is provided with reflective texture.

2. The key with a luminous icon according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing assembly (1) includes an upper housing (2) and a lower housing (3). The upper housing (2) includes a light-transmitting light guide (201) and an opaque cover (202). The light guide (201) is located between the light guide assembly (7) and the lamp bead (5), and the cover (202) covers the lamp bead (5).

3. The key with a glowing icon according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing assembly (1) has legs (203) formed on it, and slots (204) are formed between the legs (203). The light guide assembly (7) is placed in the slots (204).

4. The key with a luminous icon according to claim 1, characterized in that, A light guide groove (208) is formed on the housing assembly (1), and a light guide post (206) is inserted in the light guide groove (208). The light guide post (206) is connected between the light guide assembly (7) and the lamp bead (5).

5. The key with a luminous icon according to claim 4, characterized in that, The circuit board (4) is covered with a waterproof rubber (205), and the light guide post (206) extends with a pressing part (207), which abuts against the top of the waterproof rubber (205).

6. The key with a luminous icon according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light guide component (7) is made of transparent material.

7. The key with a luminous icon according to claim 1, characterized in that, A four-way axis (301) is provided below the button (6), and a micro switch (302) is provided on the circuit board (4), with the micro switch (302) located below the button (6).

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