Keypad having illuminated buttons
A control device for controlling power delivered to an electrical load may illuminate an area around a button of the control device, such as a gap formed between the button and an opening of a faceplate of the control device. The control device may illuminate the gap to provide a nightlight feature, to provide feedback (e.g., a status of the electrical load), and/or to indicate a selected preset. The button may have a cap portion that may be actuated by a user and a diffuser portion that may contact a rear surface of the cap portion and may conduct light emitted by an internal light source to illuminate the gap around the button.
1. A button for a keypad, the button comprising:
a cap having a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall extending between the first surface and the second surface, the second surface defining an inwardly extending recess;
a diffuser configured to conduct light emitted from a light source, the diffuser having a projection and a flange at least partially surrounding the projection, the projection received within the recess defined by the cap, and the flange having a widthwise dimension that is greater than a widthwise dimension of the cap such that the flange is configured to contact a surface of a faceplate of the keypad when the button is installed in the keypad; and
an elongate portion having a base and an end portion, the end portion disposed at a first end of the elongate portion, the end portion received within an opening defined by the diffuser, and the base including at least one rib sized and configured to prevent rotation of the button when the button is installed in the keypad.
2. The button of claim 1 , wherein a second end of the elongate portion defines a recess sized and configured to receive a spring member.
3. The button of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser includes a support surface contacting the second surface of the cap.
4. The button of claim 3 , wherein a planar surface defined by the flange is offset from a planar surface defined by the support surface.
5. The button of claim 3 , wherein a widthwise dimension of a sidewall extending between the support surface and the flange is greater than the widthwise dimension of the cap.
6. The button of claim 5 , wherein the widthwise dimension of the sidewall extending between the support surface and the flange is less than the widthwise dimension of the flange.
7. The button of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser includes a light emitting surface configured to conduct light emitted from the light source.
8. The button of claim 7 , wherein the light emitting surface is disposed at an oblique angle relative to a planar surface defined by the flange.
9. The button of claim 8 , wherein the light emitting surface of the diffuser is disposed between a support surface of the diffuser and a sidewall of the diffuser, wherein the sidewall of the diffuser extends from the light emitting surface of the diffuser and the flange of the diffuser.
10. A button for use in a keypad, the button comprising:
a cap having a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall extending between the first surface and the second surface, the cap defining a recess extending inwardly from the second surface;
a diffuser including:
a support surface sized and configured to contact the second surface of the cap,
a flange having a widthwise dimension that is greater than a widthwise dimension of the cap and is greater than a widthwise dimension of the support surface such that the flange is configured to contact a faceplate of the keypad when installed in the keypad, and
a light emitting surface disposed between the support surface and a side-wall of the diffuser that extends from the support surface to the flange, the light emitting surface oriented at an oblique angle with respect to a plane defined by the support surface; and
an elongate portion having a base and an end portion, the end portion disposed at a first end of the elongate portion and received within an opening defined by the diffuser.
11. The button of claim 10 , wherein the widthwise dimension of the cap is smaller than the widthwise dimension of the sidewall that extends from the support surface to the flange.
12. The button of claim 10 , wherein the planar surface defined by the support surface is located in a plane that is different from a plane in which a planar surface defined by the flange is disposed.
13. The button of claim 12 , wherein a second end of the elongate portion defines a recess sized and configured to receive a spring.
14. The button of claim 10 , wherein the elongate portion is coupled directly to the cap.
15. The button of claim 10 , wherein the sidewall that extends from the support surface to the flange is dimensioned to contact a sidewall of a hole defined by the faceplate of the keypad.
16. A button, comprising:
a cap having a first surface, a second surface, and a first sidewall extending between the first surface and the second surface; and
a diffuser disposed adjacent to the cap, the diffuser including:
a projection at least partially received within an opening defined by the cap,
a support surface contacting the second surface of the cap,
a light emitting surface disposed adjacent to the support surface, and
a flange outwardly extending from a second sidewall of the diffuser, the second sidewall extending between the light emitting surface and the flange,
wherein the cap has a first widthwise dimension, the second sidewall has a second widthwise dimension that is greater than the first widthwise dimension, and the flange has a third widthwise dimension that is greater than the second widthwise dimension, and
wherein the light emitting surface is arranged at an oblique angle with respect to the support surface.
17. The button of claim 16 , further comprising an elongate portion having a base and an end portion, the end portion disposed at a first end of the elongate portion, the end portion received within an opening defined by the diffuser.
18. The button of claim 16 , wherein the support surface is located in a plane that is different from a plane defined by a planar surface of the flange.
19. The button of claim 18 , wherein the planar surface of the flange is configured to contact a surface of a faceplate of a keypad when at least a portion of the cap and at least a portion of the diffuser are received within an opening defined by the faceplate.
20. The button of claim 19 , wherein the light emitting surface is configured to emit light into a gap between a sidewall that defines the opening in the faceplate and the first sidewall of the cap.