Spring biasing means for a self-illuminating pushbutton

Claim 2

A self-illuminating pushbutton, comprising: a. a casing having an aperture at one end thereof; b. a character plate mounted at said aperture; c. a supporting element slidably moveable within said casing toward and away from said character plate and having a light emitting surface facing said character plate; and d. spring biasing means integrally molded with said supporting element and projecting outward therefrom to engage said casing so as to urge said supporting element and light emitting surface away from said character plate.

Claim 3

A self-illuminating pushbutton, comprising: a. a casing having an aperture at one end thereof; b. a character plate mounted at said aperture; c. a supporting element slidably moveable within said casing toward and away from said character plate and having a light emitting surface facing said character plate; and d. spring biasing means including an elongated resilient member integrally molded at each of two oppositely disposed portions of said supporting element and projecting outward therefrom to engage said casing so as to urge said supporting element and light emitting surface away from said character plate.

Claim 4

A self-illuminating pushbutton, comprising: a. a casing having an aperture at one end thereof; b. a character plate mounted at said aperture; c. a supporting element slidably moveable within said casing toward and away from said character plate and having a light emitting surface facing said character plate; and d. spring biasing means including an elongated resilient member integrally molded at each of two oppositely disposed portions of said supporting element and projecting outward therefrom to engage said casing so as to urge said supporting element and light emitting surface away from said character plate.

Claim 5

The self-illuminating pushbutton of claim 2 wherein: a. said supporting element is moveable between forward and rearward positions within said casing; b. said light emitting surface causes said character to appear luminous in the forward position of said supporting element and non-luminous in the rearward position thereof; c. said elongated resilient members each extend generally arcuately rearward within said casing expanding outwardly as said supporting element moves from the forward position to the rearward position thereof; and d. said casing defines a space in which said resilient members can undergo the outward expansion thereof.

Claim 6

The self-illuminating pushbutton of claim 2 including means defining an inner casing positioned within said casing having said aperture therein, wherein: a. said inner casing includes a closed outer end portion, cavity adjacent said character plate and oppositely disposed from said closed end portion, first and second recesses adjacent oppositely disposed sidewalls of said inner casing extending longitudinally from said cavity toward an end of said inner casing opposite said cavity and first and second openings in the sidewalls of said inner casing communicating with said first and second recesses, respectively; b. said supporting element and light emitting surface is moveable within said cavity of said inner casing; and c. each of said resilient elements extend arcuately into a different one of said recesses and outward through said openings in the sidewalls of said inner casing to engage an edge of said openings.

Claim 7

A self-illuminating pushbutton, comprising: a. casing means having an aperture at one end; b. a character plate mounted adjacent said aperture; c. mean defining a supporting element moveable within said casing toward and away from said character plate and having a light emitting surface facing said character plate; and d. spring biasing means molded integrally with one of said casing means and said supporting element means and engaging the other one of said casing means and said supporting element means for urging said supporting element and said light emitting surface away from said character plate.

Claim 8

A self-illuminating pushbutton, comprising: a. casing means having an aperture at one end; b. a character plate mounted adjacent said aperture; c. mean defining a supporting element moveable within said casing toward and away from said character plate and having a light emitting surface facing said character plate; and d. spring biasing means molded integrally with one of said casing means and said supporting element means and engaging the other one of said casing means and said supporting element means for urging said supporting element and said light emitting surface away from said character plate.