Illuminated push button

Abstract

 An illuminated push-button for game machine includes a body (2) hookable to the game machine.
Into the body (2) a sliding element is housed (3) supporting a cap (5) illuminable by means of a light source (6), consisting of two LED (6a; 6b) and internal to the push-button (1), and acting on electrical commutation means (7).
The push-button (1) includes moreover connecting means (8) to the game machine and a single supporting means (6) of the light source (6), of the electrical commutation means (7) and of the connecting means (8).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to game machines, and in particular it refers to an illuminated push-button for such machines.

[0002] The known illuminated push-buttons essentially include a body for engaging the game machine and for housing a sliding element, intended for carrying out the opening and closing stroke of the push-button electrical connection, and for supporting at its upper end an overbody providing a seat for a transparent cap fit for enabling the light passage emitted by a lamp opportunely housed inside the sliding element.

[0003] Therefore, such known push buttons are fit to operate the main functions of the game machine and, when in operation, they allow the lighting of the transparent cover.

[0004] A drawback of the known illuminated push-button is that they incorporate a lamp support different from the micro-switch support which is separated from the electrical means of the push-button connecting to the control card of the game machine.

[0005] Further disadvantage of the known push-buttons resides in the fact that the lighted portion, in some cases, is reduced and however is only of one color.

[0006] The main object of the present invention is to propose an illuminated push-button incorporating a single supporting means for the lighting, commutation and connecting means.

[0007] Further object is to propose an illuminated push-button with more than one illuminable zone also with different colorings.

[0008] The characteristics of the invention are in the following evidenced with particular reference to the attached drawings in which:

• figure 1 shows a perspective view of the push-button object of the present invention;
• figure 2 shows a top view of the push-button of figure 1;
• figure 3 shows a section according to the plan III-III of the push-button of figure 2;
• figure 4 shows a side-view of the unique support means of the push-button of figure 1;
• figure 5 shows a front view of the supporting means of figure 4;
• figure 6 shows a perspective view of the supporting means of figure 4;
• figure 7 shows the single housing of the supporting means of figure 4.

[0009] With reference to figures 1-7, numeral 1 indicates an illuminated push-button for game machine, known and not shown, that is essentially including a body 2, a sliding element 3, a fixing element, the so-called overbody 4, a cap 5, a supporting means 9, a light source 6, electrical commutation means 7, connecting means 8 and a bolt 11.

[0010] The body 2 is internally hollow and houses the sliding element 3 with the interposition of a spring, not shown, and outside is provided with a threaded zone to facilitate the hooking of the push-button 1 to the game machine by means of the bolt 11.

[0011] The sliding element 3 is internally hollow, it houses the light source 6, that consists of a LED cup 6a, 6b that, in the preferred embodiment, they produce light of the same color and that, in a variant, have different coloring.

[0012] The overbody 4 is fixed to the upper portion of the body 2 and constitutes the peripheral viewable portion of the push-button 1.

[0013] The electrical commutation means 7 consists of a microswitch.

[0014] The connecting means 8 include at least a pin connector for housing the corresponding connector for the electrical connection of the push-button to the control card of the game machine.

[0015] In the preferred embodiment, the supporting means 9 of the light source 6, of the electrical commutation means 7 and of the connecting means 8, consists of a single board where the components are tinned thereon and are made of the two LED 6a, 6b, the microswitch 7 and the connector 8.

[0016] Such supporting means 9, namely printed circuit board with the components tinned thereon, is contained in a container (10) removably hookable to the lower portion of the push-button 1 which is opposite to the cap 5.

[0017] The operation of the push-button 1 provides the activation of the light source whose brightness hits the inside wall of the cap 5, back-illuminating this latter and allowing the primary lighting of the bright push-button 1.

[0018] The brightness of the light source and therefore the brightness and coloring of the cap 5 depends on the activation of one or both LED, and, as already said, it/they can emit light of the same or different color.

[0019] The use of a single board 9 for supporting one or more LED, of the microswitch and of the connector allows the use of this solution in a wide variety of illuminated push-buttons, making simple the interchangeability.

[0020] The main advantage of the present invention is to supply an illuminated push-button incorporating a single supporting means for the lighting means and for the commutation and electrical connecting means.

[0021] Further advantage consists in supplying an illuminated push-button with more than one illuminable zone also with different colorings.

Claims

1. Illuminated push-button for game machine comprising a hooking body (2) to the game machine, inside the body (2) a sliding element is housed (3) bearing a cap (5) illuminable by means of at least a light source (6) inside the push-button (1) and acting on electrical commutation means (7), said button comprising moreover connecting means (8) to the game machine and being characterized by including a single supporting means (9) of the at least one light source (6), of electrical commutation means (7) and of connecting means (8).

2. Illuminated push-button according to claim 1 characterized in that the only one supporting means (9) consists of a single printed circuit.

3. Illuminated push-button according to claim 1 characterized in that the at least a light source (6) consists of at least one couple of LED (6a, 6b).

4. Illuminated push-button according to claim 3 characterized in that the LED (6a; 6b) emit light of the same color.

5. Illuminated push-button according to claim 3 characterized in that the LED (6a; 6b) emit light of different colors.

6. Illuminated push-button according to claim 1 characterized in that the electrical commutation means (7) include a microswitch.

7. Illuminated push-button according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting means (8) include at least a pin connector.

8. Illuminated push-button according to claim 1 characterized by comprising moreover a container (10) of the supporting means (9) hookable to the lower portion of the push-button (1) opposite to the cap (5).

Drawing