Push-button switch unit with a display device

1. A push-button switch unit with a display device comprising:

a base casing ( 1 ) with a cavity ( 13 );

a frame ( 2 ) attached to said base casing ( 1 ), said frame having an opening ( 14 ) in communication with said cavity ( 13 ) and a bevel ( 16 ) around said opening ( 14 );

a display device ( 3 ) with a luminous display area ( 21 ) mounted on a support plate ( 22 ) having a connection portion ( 22 a ) extending laterally from one side of said luminous display area ( 21 );

a push-button casing movably housed in said cavity ( 13 ) of the base casing ( 1 ) and sized to house said display device ( 3 ), said push-button casing having a viewing window ( 23 ) aligned with the opening ( 14 ) of said frame ( 2 ) and being sized to allow viewing through it the luminous display area ( 21 );

an electronic control circuit ( 6 ) supported in said push-button casing and operationally connected to the display device ( 3 ); and

a switch device ( 12 ) operationally connected to said electronic control circuit ( 6 ) and arranged to be operated by a relative movement between the push-button casing and the base casing ( 1 );

characterized in that:

the push-button casing forms a protruding casing portion ( 24 a ) extending laterally from one side of said viewing window ( 23 ), said protruding casing portion ( 24 a ) being sized to house said connection portion ( 22 a ) of the support plate ( 22 ) of the display device ( 3 );

the base casing ( 1 ) has a side opening ( 15 a ) sized to accommodate the protruding casing portion ( 24 a ) formed by a lower and upper push-button casing elements ( 4 , 5 ), the protruding casing portion ( 24 a ) not projecting laterally from the base casing ( 1 ); and

said bevel ( 16 ) of the frame ( 2 ) has a width around the entire opening ( 14 ) and protrudes laterally a distance from all sides of the base casing ( 1 ).

2. The push-button switch unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that said display device ( 3 ) is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device arranged to display words or varying graphics.

3. The push-button switch unit according to claim 1 characterized in that said push-button casing comprises a lower push-button casing element ( 4 ) and an upper push-button casing element ( 5 ) connected with each other, wherein said upper push-button casing element ( 5 ) has said viewing window ( 23 ) built-in, which is covered by a transparent cover ( 9 ) fitting the opening ( 14 ) of the frame ( 2 ) and acting as a push button.

4. The push-button switch unit according to claim 3 , characterized in that the support plate ( 22 ) of the display device ( 3 ) comprises at least one connector ( 25 ) on a side opposite the luminous display area ( 21 ), and the lower push-button casing element ( 4 ) has a first connection opening ( 17 ) built-in through which said connector ( 25 ) is accessible.

5. The push-button switch unit according to claim 4 , characterized in that the electronic control circuit ( 6 ) has connecting pins ( 18 ) going through at least one passageway ( 26 ) formed in a bottom wall ( 35 ) of the base casing ( 1 ) and through said connection opening ( 17 ) of the lower push-button casing element ( 4 ), wherein said connecting pins ( 18 ) are connected to the connector ( 25 ) of the display device ( 3 ).

6. The push-button switch unit according to claim 5 , characterized in that the electronic control circuit ( 6 ) is mounted on a circuit board ( 33 ) housed in a control casing formed by a lower control casing element ( 7 ) and an upper control casing element ( 8 ), wherein said connecting pins ( 18 ) of the electronic control circuit ( 6 ) protrude from said control casing through at least a second connection opening ( 19 ) formed in said upper control casing element ( 8 ).

7. The push-button switch unit according to claim 6 , characterized in that the electronic control circuit ( 6 ) comprises one or more connectors ( 56 ) mounted on the circuit board ( 33 ) and the control casing comprises one or more openings ( 37 ) in one or more side walls ( 38 ) thereof through which said one or more connectors ( 56 ) are accessible.

8. The push-button switch unit according to claim 6 , characterized in that said switch device ( 12 ) is mounted on said circuit board ( 33 ) and is driven by an actuator member ( 34 ) extending from the base casing ( 1 ) and interacting with the switch device ( 12 ) by means of an actuator opening ( 36 ) formed in the control casing.

9. The push-button switch unit according to claim 8 characterized in that the switch device ( 12 ) comprises an optical sensor.

10. The push-button switch unit according to claim 6 , characterized in that said push-button casing and said control casing are mechanically connected with each other through at least one connection member.

11. The push-button switch unit according to claim 10 , characterized in that said connection member is a tubular connection member ( 32 ) through which the connecting pins ( 18 ) of the electronic control circuit ( 6 ) extend when they are connected to the connector ( 25 ) of the display device ( 3 ), and said tubular connection member ( 32 ) goes through said passageway ( 26 ) of the base casing ( 1 ) with the capability of relative movement.

12. The push-button switch unit according to claim 11 , characterized in that the lower push-button casing element ( 4 ) has a first tubular projection ( 27 ) formed around the first connection opening ( 17 ) and extending from a bottom wall ( 28 ) of the lower push-button casing element ( 4 ), and the upper control casing element ( 8 ) has a second tubular projection ( 29 ) formed around the second connection opening ( 19 ) and extending from a cover wall ( 31 ) of the upper control casing element ( 8 ), wherein said first and second tubular projections ( 27 , 29 ) are mechanically connected to each other forming said tubular connection member ( 32 ).