Control console for an aerial lift, and associated aerial lift

The control panel addresses readability and adaptability issues by using a semi-transparent dark-colored pictogram and LEDs to indicate function availability, improving usability and adaptability across various aerial work platforms.

WO2026132290A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-06-25HAULOTTE GROUP

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
HAULOTTE GROUP
Filing Date
2025-12-18
Publication Date
2026-06-25

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing control panels for aerial work platforms are not intuitive, suffer from readability issues in sunlight, and cannot be easily adapted for use on machines with different configurations, leading to uncertainty about function availability and potential misuse.

Method used

A control panel design featuring a push button with a semi-transparent dark-colored pictogram and surrounding LEDs that switch between off and on states, where the pictogram appears black when LEDs are off, indicating unavailability, and lit when available, using a transparent polymer material and dark background to enhance readability and adaptability.

Benefits of technology

The design reduces cognitive load by making unavailable functions invisible, ensuring intuitive operation across different platform configurations and lighting conditions, enhancing usability and adaptability.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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    Figure EP2025088135_25062026_PF_FP_ABST
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Abstract

The invention relates to a control console for an aerial lift, comprising a push button (100) defined by a pressing area (102) provided on a front wall (114) of the console. The push button comprises a switching device (130) which can be actuated by a user when the user presses on the pressing area (102), wherein a plurality of light-emitting diodes (150) are arranged around the switching device (130), the diodes being jointly switchable between an off state and an on state. A pictogram (104), arranged on the pressing area, is printed in a semi-transparent manner in a first dark colour on the front wall, while the rest of the pressing area is printed in an opaque manner in a second dark colour, so that, when the diodes are in the off state, the pictogram (104) appears blended with the rest of the pressing area, and, when the diodes are in the on state, the pictogram appears illuminated to the user.
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Description

[0001] TITLE: Control panel for an aerial work platform, and associated aerial work platform

[0002] The present invention relates to a control panel for an aerial work platform, as well as an aerial work platform comprising such a control panel.

[0003] WO-2022 / 263455-A1 describes an example of a boom lift equipped with a control panel. It is known, notably from WO-2017 / 097874-A1, to use light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, to indicate the available actions, depending on the boom lift's position or configuration. Thus, the same control panel model can be used for boom lifts with different configurations. For example, some boom lifts have a platform with a retractable extension, while others do not.

[0004] However, when an LED associated with a function is off, indicating that the function is unavailable, uncertainty remains for the user, who may wonder whether the function is unavailable due to a temporary situation—for example, the platform being in a raised position—or due to the configuration of the aerial work platform, or even if the LED itself is faulty. Furthermore, the readability of such a system is limited when the aerial work platform is used in direct sunlight.

[0005] Furthermore, the control panels are often disconnected from the machine at the end of the day. A control panel can therefore be used on another machine the following day, but this is only possible if that other machine has an identical configuration to the original machine.

[0006] It is these problems that the invention aims to address in particular, by offering a control panel that is more readable and easier to understand, in an intuitive way.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a control panel for a lifting platform, the control panel comprising a front face on which a push button is provided, wherein: the control panel comprises a front wall providing a support area, on which a pictogram associated with the push button is provided, the push button comprises:

[0008] • a switching device, which is located on the rear side of the support area and is configured to be activated by a user when the user exerts an activation force on the support area along an activation axis, • a buffer, which is interposed between the switching device and the front wall and is configured to transmit to the switching device the activation force exerted by the user on the support area, and

[0009] • Several light-emitting diodes, arranged around the switching device, which are jointly switchable between an off and an on state; the pad is made of a synthetic polymer material that allows light to pass through; the pictogram is printed on the front wall, the pictogram being printed in a first dark color in a semi-transparent manner, while the rest of the support area is printed in a second dark color in an opaque manner, so that:

[0010] • When the LEDs are off, the pictogram appears black to the user, and

[0011] • when the light-emitting diodes are in the lit state, the pictogram appears lit to the user.

[0012] Thanks to this invention, when the LEDs associated with a push button are off, the push button appears to the user as a dark color against a dark background, making it virtually invisible. Preferably, both the dark colors are black. This provides the user with no visual cues indicating that a function might be available. The control panel is simple, easy to understand, and intuitive. Each push button is associated with a function of the aerial work platform. When the function is unavailable, for example, due to the platform's configuration, the associated button appears black on black, meaning it is not visible. This reduces the operator's cognitive load, particularly when working with multiple aerial work platforms of different configurations or types.For example, if a control panel is used on machines with different configurations, the display of the control panel will adapt to show only the options active on the machine on which the control panel is installed.

[0013] According to advantageous but not mandatory aspects of the invention, such a control panel may incorporate one or more of the following features taken individually or in any technically permissible combination:

[0014] The pad is made of polysiloxane.

[0015] The buffer has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross-section.

[0016] The pad is made of a transparent material. The push button includes a disc, which is made of a translucent material and is interposed between the pad and the front wall, the disc being configured to uniformly diffuse, through the pictogram, a luminous flux generated by the light-emitting diodes in the lit state.

[0017] The control panel includes a substrate, which has a front face and a rear face opposite the front face, while the substrate provides a shaft, which connects the front face to the rear face through the substrate, while the front wall is fixed to the front face of the substrate, so that the pictogram is aligned with the shaft, and while the buffer is received in the shaft.

[0018] The control panel includes a printed circuit board, on which the LEDs and the switching device are mounted, while the printed circuit board is fixed to the rear face of the substrate, so that the LEDs and the switching device are at least partially received in the barrel.

[0019] The substrate is made of an opaque material with a third dark color. The substrate is made by stacking several plates, each made of a dark opaque material, and which are assembled together by gluing using a dark opaque assembly adhesive.

[0020] The front wall is fixed to the front face of the substrate by means of a first layer of adhesive, which is opaque and dark in color, and / or the printed circuit board is fixed to the back face of the substrate by means of a second layer of adhesive, which is opaque and dark in color.

[0021] The invention also relates to an elevating platform, which includes: a copy of the control console as defined above, and a ground support chassis, a platform intended to accommodate at least one operator, and an elevating structure, which supports the platform and which is arranged on the chassis in a movable manner to raise the platform more or less relative to the chassis, in which the control console is fixed to the platform.

[0022] The control panel is reversibly attached to the platform. The invention will be better understood, and other advantages thereof will become more apparent, in light of the following description of an embodiment of a control panel and a lifting platform conforming to its principle, given solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] - [Fig 1] Figure 1 is an elevation view of a lifting platform, according to the invention;

[0024] - [Fig 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a control panel on the lifting platform of Figure 1,

[0025] - [Fig 3] Figure 3 shows, respectively, on two insets a) and b), a cross-section and an exploded perspective view of a push button from the control panel in Figure 2, and

[0026] - [Fig 4] Figure 4 represents, on two inserts a) and b), a front view of the push button of Figure 3, the push button being respectively in an off state and in an on state.

[0027] A lifting platform 1 is shown in Figure 1. The lifting platform 1, also referred to simply as the "platform" in this description, allows an operator to reach an elevated area to perform work. As shown in Figure 1, the lifting platform 1 comprises a chassis 10 resting on a surface S. The surface S is assumed to be horizontal, given that the description refers to the various components of the platform 1 as shown in the figures, although this may not be the case in reality. In the illustrated example, the chassis 10 is equipped with wheels for its movement on the ground, namely, in this case, a pair of rear wheels 11 and a pair of front wheels 12.To allow the chassis 10 to rotate relative to the ground S, the wheels of at least one of the two pairs of wheels 11 and 12 are advantageously steerable, being tiltable to the left and to the right about an anteroposterior geometric axis of the chassis 10, extending parallel to the ground S. In an alternative (not shown), all or part of the rear wheels 11 and the front wheels 12 can be replaced by tracks for the purpose of translating the chassis 10 along the ground. More generally, the rear wheels 11 and the front wheels 12 are merely examples of ground-transmission devices fitted to the chassis 10.

[0028] Regardless of the specific features of the ground-mounted drive components, such as the rear wheels 11 and front wheels 12, the chassis 10 is advantageously designed to be self-propelled so that it can move independently on the ground surface S. For this purpose, the aerial work platform 1 is equipped with a motor, which is generally mounted directly on the chassis 10 and is either internal combustion, electric, or hybrid. In a variant not shown, the aerial work platform 1 is not equipped with a motor; instead, it is towed to the desired location. The aerial work platform 1 also includes a platform 20 designed to accommodate the operator using the platform. The platform 20, also called the "basket," is thus designed to hold the operator, as well as, if necessary, one or more other people and / or equipment for carrying out work at height.For this purpose, the platform 20 includes a floor 21, on which the operator stands and which extends horizontally when the aerial work platform is placed on a horizontal surface. The platform 20 also includes a guardrail 22, which rises from the floor 21, encircling the platform 20, and which is designed to prevent people from falling off the platform.

[0029] The lifting platform 1 further comprises a lifting structure 30 supporting the platform 20. This lifting structure 30 is arranged on the chassis 10 so as to raise the platform 20 more or less relative to the chassis 10. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the lifting structure 30 comprises a turret 31, which rests on the chassis 10 and is rotatable relative to the latter around an axis of rotation extending perpendicularly to the ground, and an arm 32, which connects the turret 31 to the platform 20 and is deployable so as to move the platform 20 more or less away from the turret 31. The shape of the turret 31 is not limiting.Similarly, the embodiment of arm 32 is not limiting, it being noted that the term "arm" used here is understood in a broad sense and thus corresponds to an elongated mechanical structure, including several arm elements that are movable relative to each other, in particular in an articulated and / or telescopic manner, for the purpose of deploying this mechanical structure.

[0030] More generally, the form of embodiment of the lifting structure 30 is not limiting as long as, by moving parts of this lifting structure relative to each other and / or relative to the chassis 10, the positioning of the platform 20 relative to the chassis 10 is modified accordingly, the platform 20 thus being controlled in movement, via the lifting structure 30, by the operator using the lifting platform 1. Thus, as variants not shown, the lifting structure 30 may be without the turret 31 and / or include, or even consist of, a scissor lifting mechanism.

[0031] Regardless of the specific characteristics of the lifting structure 30, the drive of the lifting structure 30 relative to the chassis 10 is ensured by at least one actuator 33, this at least one actuator being located on the lifting platform 1. The actuators 33, which are known in this field, are, for example, mechanical and / or electrical and / or hydraulic in nature and powered by a thermal and / or electric motor. In the illustrated example, only one actuator 33 is referenced, the actuator 33 being a hydraulic cylinder. The lifting platform 1 also includes a control panel 40. The control panel 40, also referred to simply as the "panel" in this description, is shown separately from the rest of the lifting platform 1 in Figure 2.As detailed later, this control panel 40 is equipped with various manually operated control devices allowing the operator to control the drive of the lifting structure 30 and, thereby, to cause in particular the vertical movement of the platform 20 relative to the chassis 10, as well as, where appropriate, to control the movement of the chassis 10 on the ground S.

[0032] The control panel 40 is advantageously designed to be connected to a control unit 13 of the lifting platform 1, which, as schematically shown in Figure 1, is preferably integrated into the chassis 10. This control unit 13 comprises, for example, a microprocessor and is designed to, based on commands issued by the control elements belonging to the control panel 40, actuate the drive elements that propel the lifting structure 30 relative to the chassis 10 and, if necessary, actuate the motor that moves the chassis 10 along the ground. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the corresponding connection between the control panel 40 and the control unit 13 is made by a cable 50, only the end of which connected to the control panel 40 is visible in the figures. The cable 50 transmits the commands issued by the control elements belonging to the control panel 40 to the control unit 13.Advantageously, cable 50 provides the electrical power supply to control panel 40. The electrical energy supplied by cable 50 can be consumed directly or stored in a battery integrated into control panel 40. Control panel 40 is fixed to platform 30, preferably reversibly, to facilitate its removal, for example, when the lifting platform 10 is parked outside, and / or to prevent damage or theft, or for maintenance purposes, to replace control panel 40. As explained later, control panel 40 can be mounted on different types of lifting platforms.

[0033] The control panel 40 includes a front face 42, which is oriented substantially towards the user when the user is standing on the floor 21 in front of the control panel 40. The front face 42 advantageously provides a through opening 44, in which a control lever 70, called a "joystick" in English, is arranged. The control lever 70 is a first example of a control device with which the control panel 40 is equipped. In the illustrated example, only one control lever 70 is present. In an alternative not illustrated, the control panel 40 includes, in addition to the control lever 70, at least one other additional control lever. The control panel 40 advantageously includes a display 80, for example a liquid crystal display or equivalent, which is here provided on an upper portion 46 of the front face 42, above the passage 44. The control panel 40 advantageously includes a light sensor 47, which is here arranged on the upper portion 46 of the control panel 40.The brightness sensor 47 is configured to measure ambient brightness, so as to automatically adjust the brightness of the display 80.

[0034] Also on the upper portion 46, the control panel 40 is advantageously equipped with an emergency stop button 90, which is self-explanatory and whose activation causes the power to be cut off to the lifting platform 1. The emergency stop button 90 is advantageously located to the right of the display 80, for ergonomic reasons, to allow it to be operated by the operator's right hand. The emergency stop button 90 is a second example of a control device with which the control panel 40 is equipped.

[0035] The control panel 40 includes at least one push button 100. In the illustrated example, the panel 40 includes a plurality of push buttons 100, which are arranged here in a row on one left side of the front face 42. The push buttons 100 are a third example of a control element with which the panel 40 is equipped. In general, the types, shapes, and arrangements of the various control elements are not limiting.

[0036] A push button 100 is described with reference to figures 3 and 4, knowing that what is valid for a push button 100 is transposable to other push buttons 100.

[0037] The front face 42 provides, for the push button 100, a support area 102, on which is provided a pictogram 104 associated with the push button 100. In the non-limiting example illustrated, the pictogram 104 includes a ring 106 and the letter "H".

[0038] When pictogram 104 is visible, it serves to delineate the contact area 102, indicating to the user both the function associated with the push button 100 and the area on which the user must apply activation force to activate the button. Preferably, pictogram 104 includes ring 106, with the remainder of pictogram 104 located inside ring 106. Typically, ring 106 has a diameter between 10 mm and 25 mm, particularly a diameter of 15 mm. Push button 100 is specifically designed to be activated by a user wearing gloves.

[0039] As illustrated in Figure 2a), the push button 100 is advantageously formed from a stack of several elements, each of which is generally flat, and which are advantageously joined to one another by gluing. Layers of adhesive are thus intercalated between the various elements. With reference to Figure 2a), the push button 100 is described from top to bottom.

[0040] The push button 100 advantageously includes a protective layer 110. This protective layer 110 is a transparent layer, preferably replaceable, which protects the rest of the control panel 40 against chemical or mechanical damage, for example, against scratches, etc. The protective layer 110 is made of a transparent polymer material, preferably flexible, for example, polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET. "Flexible" means that the protective layer 110 does not interfere with the user's activation of the push button 100.

[0041] The push button 100 includes a protective adhesive layer 112, through which the protective layer 110 is bonded to the rest of the push button 100. The protective adhesive layer 112 is represented here by a dashed line. The protective adhesive layer 112 is preferably transparent.

[0042] The push button 100 includes a front wall 114, on which the pictogram 104 is formed. The protective layer 110 is here glued to the front wall 114 by means of the protective adhesive layer 112.

[0043] The pictogram 104 is produced by printing on the front panel 114. The pictogram 104 is printed in a first dark color in a semi-transparent manner, while the rest of the support area 102 is printed in a second dark color in an opaque manner. The front panel 114 is made of a transparent layer of PET, onto which the pictogram is printed. "Dark color" means a dark color, for example, black, dark blue, dark red, etc. For the purposes of this invention, a dark color is a color with a brightness of less than 60%, preferably less than 80%, and preferably less than 90%, the brightness being as defined in the CIELab:1976 color model. Preferably, the first dark color and the second dark color are close to each other, that is, they each have equal brightness to each other, within ±10%, preferably less than ±5%.Preferably, the first dark color and the second dark color each have a hue value equal to each other, within ±10%, preferably less than ±5%, the hue being as defined in the CIELab:1976 color model. Preferably, the first dark color and the second dark color each have a saturation value equal to each other, within ±10%, preferably less than ±5%, the saturation being as defined in the CIELab:1976 color model.

[0044] Preferably, the first dark color is black. Preferably, the second dark color is black. In the illustrated example, pictogram 104 is printed in semi-transparent black, while the rest of the support area 102 is printed in opaque black.

[0045] The push button 100 advantageously includes a disc 116, which is located on the rear side of the front wall 114, i.e. on the side of the front wall 114 opposite the protective layer 110. As explained later, the disc 116 is intended to uniformly diffuse the light through the pictogram 104. The disc 116 is thus a light-diffusing disc. The disc 116 is here made of a translucent material, the disc 116 being an added piece, which is glued to the front wall 114, on the rear side of the front wall 114. In an alternative not shown, the disc 116 is a paint disc, which is directly printed on the front wall 114, on the rear side of the front wall 114. The disc 116 is preferably white, so as not to alter the color of a light beam passing through the disc 116, whether the disc 116 is glued to the front wall 114 or directly printed on the front wall 114.

[0046] In the embodiment with a disc, the disc 116 has a profile which, when projected onto the front wall 114, covers the pictogram 104. The disc 116 here has a disc shape, with a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the ring 106 of the pictogram 114. The disc 116 is here glued to the rear face of the front wall 114, preferably using a transparent glue.

[0047] The control panel 40 includes a substrate 120, which has a plate shape with two opposing faces, the two faces including a front face 120A and a rear face 120B.

[0048] The substrate 120 incorporates a shaft 122, which connects the front face 120A to the rear face 120B through the substrate 120. The shaft 122 is cylindrical with a circular cross-section, centered on an activation axis A122. The front wall 114 is fixed to the front face 120A of the substrate 120, so that the pictogram 104 is aligned with the shaft 122. Preferably, the ring 106 is centered on the activation axis A122. In the preferred example shown, the ring 106 delimits the support area 102. The remainder of the pictogram 104, here H-shaped, is aligned with the activation axis A122. More generally, whether ring 106 is present or not, pictogram 104 is printed on support area 102, materializing support area 102.

[0049] Preferably, the substrate 120 is made of a black, opaque material. Here, the substrate 120 is formed by stacking several plates 124, in this case two plates 124A and 124B, each made of an opaque, dark-colored material, preferably black, and joined together by bonding with an assembly adhesive 125. The assembly adhesive 125 is also opaque and dark-colored, preferably black. The plates 124 are made of black polycarbonate, colored throughout, so the material is considered opaque. Thus, it is assumed that no light can pass through the substrate material 120 to enter or exit the barrel 122.

[0050] Advantageously, the front wall 114 is fixed to the front face 120A of the substrate 120 by means of a first layer of adhesive 126A, which is opaque and dark in color, preferably black.

[0051] The push button 100 includes a switching device 130, which is configured to be activated by a user when the user applies an activation force to the contact area 102 along the activation axis A122. In particular, the switching device 130 is configured to be activated by a user when the user applies, along the activation axis A122, an activation force to the pictogram 104 associated with the contact area 102. The switching device 130 is represented here by a metallic dome, which is located on one rear side of the contact area 102. The switching device 130 is housed in the shaft 122. The switching device 130 is also referred to as a "switch" in English.

[0052] The switching device 130 is located at a distance from the front panel 114. The push button 100 includes a pad 140, which is interposed between the switching device 130 and the front panel 114 and is configured to transmit to the switching device 130 the activation force exerted by the user on the contact area 102. The diffusion pad 116 is interposed between the pad 140 and the front panel 114. Thus, the pad 140 is received in the shaft 122. The pad 140 is made of a light-transmitting synthetic polymer material. Preferably, the pad 140 is made of a transparent material. In an alternative design not shown, the pad 140 is made of a translucent material, which has the advantage of better light diffusion.

[0053] Preferably, the pad 140 is made of polysiloxane, also known as silicone. Preferably, the pad 140 is formed by molding, so that the pad 140 is pre-formed before being assembled with the other elements of the push button 100. Advantageously, the pad 140 has a shape of revolution around the activation axis A122. Preferably, the pad 140 has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross-section centered on the activation axis A122. The pad 140 is thus easy to manufacture. In an alternative not shown, the pad has a frustoconical shape, or even a lenticular shape.

[0054] The push button 100 includes several light-emitting diodes 150, which are arranged around the switching device 130. A light-emitting diode is also called a LED. The LEDs 150 can be switched between an off and an on state.

[0055] Preferably, the control panel 40 includes a printed circuit board 160, also called a PCB, on which the diodes 150 and the switching device 130 are mounted. The printed circuit board 160 is fixed to the rear face 120B of the substrate 120, so that the diodes 150 and the switching device 130 are at least partially received in the barrel 122. Preferably, the printed circuit board 160 is fixed to the rear face 120B of the substrate 120 by means of a second layer of adhesive 126B, which is opaque and dark in color, preferably black. Preferably, the diodes 150 are evenly distributed around the activation axis A122. In the illustrated example, there are six diodes 150.

[0056] Advantageously, the diodes 150 are distributed into at least two groups of diodes, each group of diodes being powered by a specific power supply circuit, different from the circuits powering the other group or groups of diodes, so as to improve the reliability of the push button 100. More generally, for each push button 100, in other words for each function associated with a push button 100, the control panel 40 includes at least two electrically independent light sources.

[0057] The diodes 150 of a single push button 100 are advantageously paired, with the diodes 150 of each pair being diametrically opposite each other. Each pair of diodes 150 is powered by a specific power supply circuit, different from the circuits powering the other pairs of diodes, in order to improve the reliability of the push button 100. Thus, in the illustrated example, the diodes 150 are arranged in three groups of two diodes each. The printed circuit board 160 is advantageously a flexible board, also called a flexible PCB, which is here bonded to a reinforcement 170 by means of a reinforcing adhesive layer 172. The reinforcement 170 is, for example, a polycarbonate sheet or equivalent. The reinforcement 170 is preferably opaque, preferably black. Similarly, the reinforcing adhesive layer 172 is preferably opaque, preferably black.

[0058] Thanks to the clever combination of pictogram 104, which is printed in a semi-transparent dark color, pictogram 104 appears black to the user when the LEDs 150 are off, even when the control panel 40 is used outdoors in direct sunlight. In other words, as long as the LEDs 150 are off, the entire activation surface 102 appears a uniform dark color to the user, specifically black, as illustrated in Figure 4a). The absence of a visible pictogram means that the associated push button is not physically visible to the user. Thus, the user understands at a glance that the function associated with the push button 100 is unavailable, which is particularly intuitive. When the light-emitting diodes 150 are in the lit state, the pictogram 104 appears lit to the user, as illustrated in figure 4 b).The presence of the illuminated pictogram 104 makes the push button 100 visible to the user, who understands that the function associated with this push button 100 is available, whether due to the configuration of the lifting platform or for a temporary reason. The disc 116 is configured to uniformly diffuse, through the pictogram 104, the light generated by the illuminated LEDs 150.

[0059] In the illustrated example, the LEDs 150 are white, while pictogram 104 is printed in semi-transparent black. When the LEDs 150 are lit, pictogram 104 appears white on a black background.

[0060] In an alternative not shown, the light-emitting diodes are colored diodes, for example, green diodes, so that when the diodes are lit, pictogram 104 appears green on a black background. Other colors are obviously possible, notably through the use of multicolor diodes, capable of changing the color of the emitted light.

[0061] According to another, unshown variant, pictogram 104 is printed in a different color, for example, semi-transparent red, while the LEDs are white. When LEDs 150 are illuminated, pictogram 104 appears red on a black background.

[0062] Generally, pictogram 104 is printed in a dark color, so that when diodes 150 are in the off state, the pictogram appears black or almost black, regardless of the color of pictogram 104.

[0063] The 150 LEDs are designed to generate a sufficiently powerful luminous flux so that, when illuminated, pictogram 104 stands out clearly, despite the fact that pictogram 104 is printed in a semi-transparent dark color. Naturally, the number of 150 LEDs can be adjusted, either up or down, depending on factors such as the size of the pressure zone 102 and / or the available LED technology, etc. Advantageously, the brightness of the 150 LEDs is adjusted based on measurements from the light sensor 47, so that the user is not dazzled when the aerial work platform 1 is in a dimly lit area, such as a warehouse, or conversely, to ensure that pictogram 104 is clearly visible when the aerial work platform 1 is outdoors in direct sunlight.

[0064] The embodiments and variants mentioned above can be combined to generate new embodiments of the invention.

Claims

DEMANDS 2. Control panel (40) for a lifting platform (1), the control panel (40) comprising a front face (42) on which a push button (100) is provided, wherein: the control panel (40) comprises a front panel (114) providing a support area (102), on which a pictogram (104) associated with the push button (100) is provided, the push button (100) comprises: • a switching device (130), which is located on a rear side of the support area (102) and which is configured to be activated by a user when the user exerts an activation force on the support area (102) along an activation axis (A 122), • a buffer (140), which is interposed between the switching device (130) and the front wall (114) and which is configured to transmit to the switching device (130) the activation force exerted by the user on the support area (102), • several light-emitting diodes (150), which are arranged around the switching device (130), and which are jointly switchable between an off state and an on state, the pad (140) is made of a synthetic polymer material that allows light to pass through, the pictogram (104) is produced by printing on the front wall (114), the pictogram (104) being printed in a first dark color in a semi-transparent manner, while the rest of the support area (102) is printed in a second dark color and in an opaque manner, so that: • when the light-emitting diodes (150) are in the off state, the pictogram (104) appears black to the user, when the light-emitting diodes (150) are in the on state, the pictogram (104) appears lit to the user.

3. Control console (40) according to claim 1, in which: the buffer (140) is made of polysiloxane.

4. Control panel (40) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein: the buffer (140) has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross-section.

5. Control console (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the buffer (140) is made of a transparent material.

6. Control panel (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the push button (100) includes a disc (116), which is made of a translucent material and is interposed between the pad (140) and the front wall (114), the disc (116) is configured to uniformly diffuse, through the pictogram (104), a luminous flux generated by the light-emitting diodes (150) in the lit state.

7. Control panel (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the control panel (40) comprises a substrate (120), which has a front face (120A) and a rear face (120B) opposite the front face (120A), the substrate (120) provides a shaft (122), which connects the front face (120A) to the rear face (120B) through the substrate (120), the front wall (114) is fixed to the front face (120A) of the substrate (120), so that the pictogram (104) is aligned with the shaft (122), and the buffer (140) is received in the shaft (122).

8. Control panel (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: the control panel (40) comprises a printed circuit board (160), on which the light-emitting diodes (150) and the switching device (130) are mounted, the printed circuit board (160) is fixed to the rear face (120B) of the substrate (120), so that the light-emitting diodes (150) and the switching device (130) are at least partially received in the barrel (122). 15 9. Control console (40) according to any one of claims 6 or 7, wherein: the substrate (120) is made of an opaque material with a third dark colour.

10. Control console (40) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: the substrate (120) is made by stacking several plates (124A.124B), each of which is made of a dark opaque material, and which are assembled together by gluing with an assembly adhesive (125), which is dark and opaque.

11. Control panel (40) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein: the front wall (114) is fixed to the front face (120A) of the substrate (120) by means of a first layer of adhesive (126A), which is opaque and dark in color, and / or the printed circuit board (160) is fixed to the rear face (120B) of the substrate (120) by means of a second layer of adhesive (126B), which is opaque and dark in color.

12. Lifting platform (1), comprising: a copy of the control console (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, a ground support chassis (10) (S), a platform (20) intended to accommodate at least one operator, and a lifting structure (30), which supports the platform (20) and which is arranged on the chassis (10) in a mobilizable manner to raise the platform (20) more or less relative to the chassis (10), in which: the control console (40) is fixed to the platform (20).

13. Lifting platform (1) according to claim 11, in which: the control console (40) is fixed to the platform (20) in a reversible manner.