Touch sensitive control panel and a method of manufacture thereof

Claim 2

A control panel of the type having a plurality of touch sensitive areas in proximate relationship to corresponding functional indicia, said control panel comprising: a non-conductive support member having a surface; a plurality of regions of conductive material arranged on said support surface; means for providing electrical connections to said plurality of conductive material regions; an optically transparent graphic display member having a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface having said functional indicia printed thereon in non-conductive material; and adhesive means for adhesively securing said rear surface of said graphic display member to said support surface with said functional indicia in registration with said conductive material regions; said graphic display member and said adhesive means forming a dielectric medium in contact with said conductive material regions so as to provide capacitive coupling between selective ones of said conductive material regions and a body portion of an operator touching said front surface of said graphic display member in an area having an overlying relationship to a selected one of said functional indicia visible through said graphic display member.

Claim 3

The control panel according to claim 1 wherein said graphic display member is formed from a flexible sheet of polycarbonate plastic.

Claim 4

The control panel according to claim 2 wherein said polycarbonate plastic graphic display member has a velvetized texture on said front surface.

Claim 5

The control panel according to claim 1 wherein the dielectric medium formed by said graphic display member and said adhesive means has a dielectric constant in the range from about 3.6 to about 4.

Claim 6

The control panel according to claim 4 wherein said dielectric medium has a thickness of about 0.006 inch.

Claim 7

The control panel according to claim 1 wherein the support member and the conductive material are optically transparent and the non-conductive material with which the functional indicia are printed is optically translucent.

Claim 8

A control panel of the type having a plurality of touch sensitive areas in proximate relationship to corresponding functional indicia, said control panel comprising: a non-conductive optically transparent support member having a surface; a plurality of regions of optically opaque conductive material arranged on said support surface, said regions being printed with removal areas thereof corresponding to said functional indicia; means for providing electrical connections to said plurality of conductive material regions; an optically transparent protective member having a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface having areas of color for said functional indicia printed thereon in non-conductive material; and adhesive means for adhesively securing said rear surface of said graphic display member to said support surface with said areas of color in registration with said functional indicia; said graphic display member and said adhesive means forming a dielectric medium in contact with said conductive material regions so as to provide capacitive coupling between selective ones of said conductive material regions and a body portion of an operator touching said front surface of said graphic display member in an area having an overlying relationship to a selected one of said functional indicia visible through said graphic display member.

Claim 9

A control panel of the type having a plurality of touch sensitive areas in proximate relationship to corresponding functional indicia, said control panel comprising: a non-conductive optically transparent support member having a surface; a plurality of regions of optically opaque conductive material arranged on said support surface, said regions being printed with removal areas thereof corresponding to said functional indicia; means for providing electrical connections to said plurality of conductive material regions; an optically transparent protective member having a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface having areas of color for said functional indicia printed thereon in non-conductive material; and adhesive means for adhesively securing said rear surface of said graphic display member to said support surface with said areas of color in registration with said functional indicia; said graphic display member and said adhesive means forming a dielectric medium in contact with said conductive material regions so as to provide capacitive coupling between selective ones of said conductive material regions and a body portion of an operator touching said front surface of said graphic display member in an area having an overlying relationship to a selected one of said functional indicia visible through said graphic display member.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 8 further including between the steps (f) and (g) the step of: hardening said adhesive material to substantially eliminate any tackiness thereof.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of hardening includes lowering the temperature of said graphic display member.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 9 further including between the steps (g) and (h) the step of: softening said adhesive material to restore its tackiness.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of softening includes raising the temperature of said graphic display member.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 8 wherein the step of providing a graphic display member includes providing a roll of flexible polycarbonate plastic and the step of printing includes the steps of: utilizing a continuous printing process to print a multiple number of graphic display members from said roll; and separating said printed roll into individual graphic display members.