Apparatus and methods for illuminating display panels of electronic devices
View Patent ↗An example electronic device includes a printed circuit board having a first row of light sources coupled to a first surface of the printed circuit board and a second row of light sources coupled to a second surface of the printed circuit board; a panel having a plurality of visual indicators; an first housing having a first row of chambers each having a first opening to receive one of the first row of light sources and a second opening to communicate light from the one of the first row of light sources to one of the visual indicators; and a second housing having a second row of chambers each having a third opening to receive one of the second row of light sources and a fourth opening to communicate light from the one of the second row of light sources to a second one of the visual indicators.
1. A printed circuit board, comprising:
a tab having an end to be inserted into a slot of a housing;
a first light source located a first distance from the end at a first position corresponding to a first chamber of a first panel of the housing, the first light source being mounted to a first surface of the printed circuit board; and
a second light source located a second distance greater than the first distance from the end at a second position corresponding to a second chamber of a second panel of the housing, the second light source being mounted to a second surface of the printed circuit board opposite the first surface.
2. A printed circuit board as defined in claim 1 , the first and second light sources being aligned with a first axis extending along the tab.
3. A printed circuit board as defined in claim 2 , further comprising a first row of light sources including the first light source, the first row of light sources being aligned with a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
4. A printed circuit board as defined in claim 3 , further comprising a second row of light sources including the second light source, the second row of light sources being aligned with the second axis.
5. A printed circuit board as defined in claim 2 , wherein ones of the first row of lights are spaced apart according to a layout of a row of chambers including the first chamber.
6. A printed circuit board as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a row of tabs including the tab, the tabs being spaced apart according to a layout of a row of slots including the slot of the housing.
7. A printed circuit board as defined in claim 1 , wherein the tab is inserted into the slot to align the first light source with the first chamber.
8. A chamber comprising:
a semi-circular wall extending from a first housing along an axis;
a first angled wall having a first surface angled relative to the axis, the first angled wall to matably engage an angled display panel having a light port; and
a second angled wall different than the first angled wall, the second angled wall to reflect light towards the light port of the angled display panel.
9. A chamber as defined in claim 8 , the second angled wall being located within a cavity of the chamber.
10. A chamber as defined in claim 8 , the first angled wall having an angle substantially similar to the angled display panel.
11. A chamber as defined in claim 8 , the semi-circular wall having a first opening to receive a light source.
12. A chamber as defined in claim 11 , the first angled wall having a second opening to provide the light to the light port of the angled display panel.
13. A chamber as defined in claim 8 , the second angled wall having a chrome finish.
14. A chamber as defined in claim 8 , the semi-circular wall to sealingly engage a surface of a printed circuit board having a light source mounted to the surface.
15. A printed circuit board as defined in claim 14 , the semi-circular wall defining a cavity of the chamber to surround the light source.
16. An electronic device comprising:
a printed circuit board having a first row of light sources coupled to a first surface of the printed circuit board and a second row of light sources coupled to a second surface of the printed circuit board, the first and second rows of light sources being parallel;
a panel having a plurality of visual indicators;
a first housing having a first row of chambers each having a first opening to receive a respective one of the first row of light sources and a second opening to communicate light from the respective one of the first row of light sources to a respective one of the visual indicators; and
a second housing having a second row of chambers, each of the chambers having a third opening to receive a respective one of the second row of light sources and a third opening to communicate light from the respective one of the second row of light sources to a second respective one of the visual indicators.
17. An electronic device as defined in claim 16 , wherein the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of tabs, each of the tabs to be inserted into a respective one of a plurality of slots in the panel.
18. An electronic device as defined in claim 17 , wherein respective ones of the plurality of indicators are aligned with respective ones of the plurality of tabs.
19. An electronic device as defined in claim 16 , wherein the first opening is defined by a semi-circular wall of the chamber, and the second opening is defined by an angled wall of the chamber.
20. An electronic device as defined in claim 19 , wherein the angled wall of the chamber has a substantially similar angle as the panel.