HOUSING ASSEMBLY WITH ALL-ROUND VISIBLE LUMINOUS AREAS

Abstract

A housing assembly for an electronic device, including a connection side on which at least one connection is provided, a first longitudinal side, a second longitudinal side, a first front side, and a second front side. The sides each have at least one housing wall. The housing assembly has at least two indicator lights having one luminous area. The luminous areas are arranged so as to be distributed along the housing assembly such that in an activated state, the luminous areas together emit light signals at least into a hemispherical region around the housing assembly. An electronic device is furthermore described.

Claims

1. A housing assembly for an electronic device, comprising a connection side on which at least one connection is provided, a first longitudinal side, a second longitudinal side, a first front side, and a second front side, wherein the sides each have at least one housing wall, wherein the longitudinal sides are each connected to the front sides in transition regions, wherein the housing assembly has at least two indicator lights, wherein each of the indicator lights has at least one luminous area, wherein a first of the at least two indicator lights is provided in a first transition region, wherein a second of the at least two indicator lights is provided in a second transition region which differs from the first transition region, and wherein the luminous areas are arranged so as to be distributed along the housing assembly such that in an activated state, the luminous areas together emit light signals at least into a hemispherical region around the housing assembly.

2. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are substantially flat surfaces.

3. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas have a triangular shape.

4. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall(s) is/are at least partially made of a light-conducting material.

5. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein each indicator light has two luminous areas which are arranged adjacent to each other, wherein the luminous areas of the same indicator light each have a triangular shape and the indicator light has a rectangular shape.

6. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transition regions are provided in chamfered corner regions of an otherwise cuboid housing which comprises the connection side, the longitudinal sides and the front sides.

7. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein four indicator lights are provided in four different transition regions.

8. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are arranged such that, when viewed from one of the front sides, they each enclose an angle in a range of 15 to 35 with the adjacent longitudinal side(s).

9. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are arranged such that, when viewed from one of the longitudinal sides, they each enclose an angle in a range of 15 to 35 with the adjacent front side(s).

10. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are each aligned at an angle different from 90 with respect to all housing walls of the adjacent sides.

11. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are each formed in a wedge-shape in a side view onto the housing assembly.

12. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are each formed in a wedge-shape in a front view onto the assigned longitudinal side.

13. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are each formed in a wedge-shape in a front view onto the assigned front side.

14. The housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the luminous areas are each formed in a triangular shape in a top view onto the housing assembly.

15. An electronic device comprising a housing assembly according to claim 1 and at least one light source which is arranged in the housing assembly and is configured to emit light coupled out by the luminous areas.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, comprising a control unit which is configured to pilot the light source such that it emits a changing light signal, wherein the changing light signal is characterized by a change in the light intensity and/or in the light color over time.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the change over time is irregular.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description below and from the drawings to which reference is made and in which:

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a schematic tridimensional representation of a first example embodiment of part of an electronic device according to the invention;

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second example embodiment of an electronic device according to the invention in a front side view;

[0062] FIG. 3 shows the electronic device of FIG. 2 in a connection side view or top view;

[0063] FIG. 4 shows the electronic device of FIG. 2 in a longitudinal side view; and

[0064] FIG. 5 shows a schematic tridimensional representation of a detail of a third example embodiment of an electronic device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an electronic device 10 according to the invention.

[0066] The electronic device 10 has a housing assembly 12. Furthermore, the electronic device 10 has two light sources 14, for example light-emitting diodes, which can emit light of different color. The light sources 14 are arranged in the housing assembly 12, which is why in the present case, they are represented in a dashed line.

[0067] Furthermore, the electronic device 10 also has a control unit 16 which is also arranged in the housing assembly 12, which is why the control unit 16 is also represented in a dashed line. The control unit 16 is configured to pilot two light sources 14 such that they each emit a light signal.

[0068] In the example embodiment, the light sources 14 are piloted such that the emitted light signal changes over time, in particular with regard to the light intensity and/or the light color thereof. The two light sources 14 can for example flash, in particular alternately. The flashing can also occur irregularly, i.e. without a fixed temporal pattern.

[0069] The piloting of the light sources 14 by the control unit 16 can occur automatically or depending on an external signal or command specified by a user.

[0070] The housing assembly 12 comprises a housing 18 having a connection side 20 on which at least one connection 22 is provided, in particular a plurality of connections 22. Furthermore, the housing 18 comprises a first longitudinal side 24, a second longitudinal side 26, a first front side 18, and a second front side 30 and a lower side 31.

[0071] The sides 20, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31 each have a housing wall 32 or are formed by it.

[0072] The longitudinal sides 24, 26 are each connected to the front sides 28, 30 in transitions regions 34. The transition regions 34 also each have a housing wall 32 or are formed by it.

[0073] In the example embodiment, the transition regions 34 are provided in chamfered corner regions 36 of the otherwise cuboid housing 18. In other words, the housing 18 would be a cuboid if the transitions regions 34 were not chamfered.

[0074] The housing assembly 12 comprises in each of the transition regions 34 one respective indicator light 38. The housing assembly 12 therefore has a total of four different transition regions 34 and thus also four indicator lights 38.

[0075] In other words, four indicator lights 38 are thus provided, which are arranged in four different transition regions 34.

[0076] Each of the indicator lights 38 has a luminous area 40. One of the luminous areas 40 is thus located in each of the transitions regions.

[0077] In the example embodiment, the luminous areas 40 are formed by the housing walls 32 in the respective transitions regions 34.

[0078] For this purpose, the housing walls 32 consist of a light-conducting material at least in the transition regions 34. Light generated by the light sources 14 in the housing interior can be coupled into the housing walls 32 in the transition regions 34 and can be coupled out of the housing walls 32 to the outside again via the luminous areas 40, as a result of which a light signal is emitted.

[0079] It is furthermore conceivable that the housing walls 32 are also made of a light-conducting material in the region of the connection side 20, the first longitudinal side 24, the second longitudinal side 26, the first front side 28, the second front side 30, and/or the lower side 31. It is in particular also possible that all housing walls 32 are made of a light-conducting material. In regions in which no luminous areas 40 are provided, an additional opaque layer can be provided, for example a coat of lacquer which prevents the light in these regions from being coupled out of the electronic device 10. It is thus ensured that the light emanates only at the desired locations, namely the luminous areas 40.

[0080] In this design, the light sources 14 do not necessarily have to be arranged in regions of the indicator lights 38 or luminous areas 40. A (separately formed) light guiding in the housing walls 32 along the connection side 20, the first longitudinal side 24, the second longitudinal side 26, the first front side 28 and/or the second front side 30 is also possible. The coupling-in and the coupling-out of light can thus occur locally separately from each other at different positions of the housing assembly 12.

[0081] Of course, this is not to be understood in a restrictive manner. The housing 18 can also be made of a non-transparent or light-proof (opaque) material, a metal, for example.

[0082] The luminous areas 40 are manufactured either separately from the housing 18 or together with the housing 18. For example, they can have been injection-molded directly to the housing 18 using a two-component injection-molding method. It is however also conceivable that the luminous areas 40 have been retrofitted into the housing 18.

[0083] In the example embodiment 40, the luminous areas 40 are formed as flat surfaces having a triangular shape.

[0084] In addition, the luminous areas 40 are arranged so as to be distributed along the housing assembly 12 such that in an activated state, they together emit light signals into an hemispherical region 42 around the housing assembly 12.

[0085] FIG. 1 shows the hemispherical region 42 schematically. It is characterized by an hemisphere surface 44 and a sphere sectional surface 46 which together define the boundaries or the size of the hemispherical region 42.

[0086] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the luminous areas 40 are arranged such that the light signals they emit reach any point of the hemisphere surface 44 of the hemispherical region 42.

[0087] In other words, at least one of the luminous areas 40 is visible from any point of the hemisphere surface 44 surrounding the housing assembly 12, so that at least one light signal emitted by these luminous areas 40 can be perceived.

[0088] There is thus a direct line of sight between any point of the hemisphere surface 44 defined by the hemispherical region 42 and one of the luminous areas 40.

[0089] For example, the distance between the housing assembly 12 and the hemisphere surface 44 is 10 cm, 50 cm, 1 m, 5 m, 10 m, 50 m or 100 m. The luminous areas 40 or the light signals emitted by the luminous areas 40 are visible from any point of the hemisphere surface 44 at least from this distance. The luminous areas 40 or the light signals emitted by the luminous areas 40 can of course also be perceived from a greater distance.

[0090] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the hemispherical region 42 completely surrounds the housing assembly 12.

[0091] This ensures a good visibility of the luminous areas 40, even if the electronic device 10 is viewed from the side rather than directly from the connection side 20.

[0092] FIGS. 2 to 4 show a schematic representation of a second example embodiment of an electronic device 10 according to the invention in a front side view, a connection side view and a longitudinal side view.

[0093] The electronic device 10 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 corresponds in several essential aspects to the electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 1, so that only the differences will be discussed below. Identical and/or functionally identical components are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0094] In the electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 2, the luminous areas 40 of the housing assembly 12 are each aligned at an angle different from 90 with respect to all housing walls 32 of the adjacent sides 20, 24, 26, 28, 30 of the (cuboid) housing 18. Each of the luminous areas 40 is thus visible from more than one of the sides 20, 24, 26, 28, 30.

[0095] The luminous areas 40 are basically arranged such that, when viewed from one of the front sides 28, 30, they each form an angle 48 of 25 with the adjacent longitudinal sides 24, 26. They simultaneously form, when viewed from one of the longitudinal sides 24, 26, an angle 48 of 25 with the adjacent front sides 28, 30.

[0096] It can thus be achieved that when viewing the electronic device 10 from different directions, the visible entire luminous area (i.e. the visible portions of the respective luminous areas 40 considered together) is at least approximately identical.

[0097] Figuratively speaking, when the electronic device 10 is viewed from one of the front sides 28, 30 (cf. FIG. 2) or from one of the longitudinal sides 24, 26 (cf. FIG. 4), only two of the four luminous areas 40 are visible. In such a front view onto one of the longitudinal sides 24, 26 and/or front sides 28, 30, the luminous areas 40 are configured in a wedge shape.

[0098] However, when viewed from the connection side 20 (cf. FIG. 3), all four luminous areas 40 are visible. In such a top view onto the housing assembly 12, the luminous areas 40 are each configured in a triangular shape, in particular as isosceles right-angled triangles.

[0099] The visible entire luminous area is however always approximately the same size, regardless of from which of the sides 20, 24, 26, 28, 30 it is viewed. This ensures good visibility of emitted light signals irrespective of the viewing direction.

[0100] FIG. 5 shows a schematic tridimensional representation of a detail of a third example embodiment of an electronic device 10 according to the invention.

[0101] It corresponds in several aspects to the electronic devices 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, so that only the differences will be discussed below. Identical and/or functionally identical components are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0102] The electronic device 10 of FIG. 5 also has a housing assembly 12 which comprises a substantially cuboid housing 18, except for chamfered corner regions 36.

[0103] The chamfered corner regions 36 are at the same time transition regions 34.

[0104] In the example embodiment, the housing assembly 12 comprises four indicator lights 38. One of the indicator lights 38 is provided in each of the transition regions 34.

[0105] The electronic device 10 of FIG. 5 has the particular feature that each of the indicator lights 38 has a rectangular shape and two luminous areas 40 which are arranged adjacent to each other and each have a triangular shape.

[0106] The electronic device 10 can be used in a more versatile way due to the generally larger number of luminous areas 40 which are visible from one viewing point, as compared with the previous example embodiments.

[0107] It is thus conceivable that one of the adjacent luminous faces 40 serves to draw the attention of a viewer to the electronic device 10, for example by flashing, and the other of the adjacent luminous faces 40 serves as an indicator light, for example to indicate an operating status of the electronic device 10 and/or a machine or installation.

[0108] Furthermore, the figures show that the connections 22 are themselves each assigned to lights which serve to indicate the status of the connection established via the respective connection 22. The lights 20 may be provided at the edges of the connection side 20, as is particularly visible in FIG. 3.

[0109] The status information of the connections established via the connections 22 is thus output only via the lights provided on the connection side 20, but not via the indicator lights 38 or die luminous areas 40 which only serve to output information relating to the entire electronic device 10.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

TABLE-US-00001 Reference Numeral Designation 10 Electronic device 12 Housing assembly 14 Light source 16 Control unit 18 Cuboid housing 20 Connection side 22 Connection 24 First longitudinal side 26 Second longitudinal side 28 First front side 30 Second front side 31 Lower side 32 Housing wall 34 Transition region 36 Chamfered corner region 38 Indicator light 40 Luminous area 42 Hemispherical region 44 Hemisphere surface 46 Sphere sectional surface 48 Angle