A veneer configured to be secured to a backlit button of a control device may include a plate portion. The plate portion may have one or more laser-cut indicia defined therethrough, may have laser-cut rounded corners, and may have angularly offset outer edges that may be defined during an embossing process. The laser-cut indicia may be representative of a command for controlling an electrical load. The indicia may include an alphanumeric character, an icon, or the like, may define one or more substantially zero-radius corners, and may define respective inner surfaces that are substantially perpendicular to an outer surface of the plate portion. A laser-cut alphanumeric character may have variable (e.g., continuously variable) line width. The plate portion may define a rib that suspends a floating portion of the alphanumeric character relative to an open portion. The rib may define a thickness that does not exceed 0.003 inches.

Embodiments are directed to a sensing membrane that is coupled with electrical terminals of a key switch and a light source. This may allow the membrane to be both configured to transmit a signal in response to actuation of keyboard key cap and illuminate an illuminable symbol of key cap. In one aspect, the membrane includes a set of deformable layers separated by a spacer layer. Terminals of the key switch are connected to distinct ones of the set of deformable layers and positioned within a cavity defined by the spacer layer. A light assembly may be positioned along and configured to move with one of the set of deformable layers. Depression of a key cap toward the set of deformable layers causes the set of terminals to move and initiate a switch event.

The disclosure provides a base plate adapted for disposing a support unit. The base plate includes a thermally sensitive material plate and a connecting member. The connecting member includes a junction part joined to the thermally sensitive material plate, and a connection part extending from the junction part. The connection part protrudes from a surface of the thermally sensitive material plate. A key assembly, an illuminated key input device, and a manufacturing method of the base plate are also provided.

Systems and methods for providing illumination to illuminable portions of keys associated with a keyboard are described. A key disposed on a flexible substrate includes a light guide positioned below a keycap. The light guide includes one or more light extraction features to produce a substantially uniform light distribution of light from a light emitting element at an illuminable portion of the key. In one embodiment, a light emitting element is positioned on the flexible substrate and is optically coupled to the light guide. In another embodiment, a light emitting element is positioned below the flexible substrate and is optically coupled to the light guide via an optical interface.

A module cover comprising a through-hole for a passage of a key tappet of the key, a light injection region for injecting light from a light source into the module cover, a first light output region for outputting a first portion of the light, and a second light output region for outputting a second portion of the light out of the module cover. The first light output region and the second light output region, and a first light directing portion and a second light directing portion, are arranged on different sides of the through-hole. The first light directing portion directs a first portion of the light to the first light output region and a second portion of the light to the second light directing portion, and the second light directing portion directs at least part of the second portion of the light to the second light output region.

A switch apparatus for an automobile with a reduced size by installing a touch type switch apparatus inside a dial switch apparatus is provided. A switch apparatus for an automobile according to the present disclosure includes a main body which has an open lower side, a cover body which is inserted into the open lower side of the main body and is coupled to the main body, a dial switch apparatus which is installed on the main body and has an annular wheel knob rotatable with a virtual rotation axis disposed in a vertical direction as a rotation center, a touch type switch apparatus which is installed on the main body and has a capacitive touch pad which is touched by a user and pressed in an up-down direction, a main PCB which is coupled to the cover body to be disposed in the main body and into which a switch signal is input from the dial switch apparatus and the touch type switch apparatus, and a case body which is coupled to the main body and has a hole, through which the wheel knob and the capacitive touch pad are exposed, on an upper side, in which the capacitive touch pad is disposed inside the wheel knob.

The disclosure provides a base plate adapted for disposing a support unit. The base plate includes a thermally sensitive material plate and a connecting member. The connecting member includes a junction part joined to the thermally sensitive material plate, and a connection part extending from the junction part. The connection part protrudes from a surface of the thermally sensitive material plate. A key assembly are also provided.

Apparatus, system, and method for ganging a plurality of wall mounted control devices, such as keypads. Particularly, an assembly of ganged control devices is provided comprising a pair of adjacently positioned control devices each adapted to control at least one function of at least one associated load. Each control device comprises a housing assembly and at least one button attached to the housing assembly. The housing assembly comprises a pair of oppositely disposed side surfaces each comprising a pair of vertically aligned recesses. Each recess comprises a tapered inner side wall. The assembly further comprises an alignment plate comprising a vertical wall adapted to be positioned in between the pair of control devices and a pair of vertically aligned tabs traversely extending from oppositely disposed side surfaces of the vertical wall. Each tab comprises a tapered outer side wall. The tabs are sized, shaped, and positioned to be inserted into the recesses such that the tapered outer side walls of the tabs form a friction fit with the tapered inner side walls of the recesses to removably attach and align the pair of control devices.

A circuit breaker apparatus may include a housing, a circuit inside the housing for protecting the conductors and the load of the circuit, a display attached to outside of the housing, a controller, and a power control device. The display may be an electronically-alterable display that does not require power in situations other than changing its state. The power control device may provide power to the controller and the display when the apparatus is being tampered with. When the controller is powered, it may cause the power control device to cause the display to change from a state that indicates that the apparatus is authenticated to another state that indicates that the apparatus has been tampered with. The power control device may include a battery and a switch, or a power harvester, which can be configured to provide power to the controller when the apparatus is being tampered with.

A light source board includes a substrate; a metal reactive layer disposed on the substrate; a metal conductive layer disposed on the metal reactive layer; a metal alloy layer disposed on the metal conductive layer; and at least one light source disposed on the metal alloy layer. A material of the metal reactive layer is a SnBi type alloy or a SnAgCu type alloy, and arrangements of materials of the metal reactive layer and the metal conductive layer are respectively an arrangement of silver paste and copper, an arrangement of silver paste and nickel, an arrangement of silver paste and silver, an arrangement of copper paste and copper, an arrangement of copper paste and nickel, or an arrangement of copper paste and silver.