US2518726A - Instrument panel - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 15, 1950 I c. N. SHLENKER INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed Aug. 8, 1949 INVENTOR. CH/IFL 5 'N.SHLEA/KER ATTORNEY "ti-tented Aug. 15, 1950 INSTRUMENT PANEL Charles N. Shlenker, New York, N. Y., assignor, by memo assignments, to Edwin A. Neugass,

Port Chester, N. Y.

Application August 8, 1949, Serial No. 109,179-

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in panels, particularly for aircraft instruments. It is designed to meet specifications unattainable in other panels, such as, specifications set forth in the United States Air Force-Navy Aeronautical specifications.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a panel wherein the engraved characters are sharply defined without glare.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a laminated panel built up of transparent and/or translucent and opaque laminations producing sharp contrast between the opaque and transparent surfaces.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a panel of the above-mentioned type which provides a supplementary source of light to illuminate dials or other devices superimposed on the panel.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a panel which has a high resistance to abrasion.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention.

The invention consists in such novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts as may be shownand described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a panel according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the light source taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a lamp and its housing employable in the invention.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing:

In a preferred aspect of the invention, the body of the panel comprises a sheet of clear.

transparent light-transmitting material, preferably plastic, such as, for example, methyl methacrylate laminated between two relatively thin sheets or layers of translucent material, preferably plastic, such as, for example, cellulose acetate. This three-layer lamination is laminated between two sheets or layers of suitable opaque material, preferably plastic, such as, for example, vinyl having preferably a matte finish.

The lamination may be performed by coating the surface of the sheets or layers with an adhesive, and the superposed layers or sandwich then passed through a set of rolls, which will squeeze out any excess adhesive, disperse it uniformly over the entire area, and help it to bond the layers together. Another method, and the preferred one, is to place the acrylic sheet in a press with heated platens, between two sheets of cellulose acetate, and bond the three pieces together by means of heat and pressure. This lamination is then placed in the press between two sheets of vinyl, and a new lamination is made by application of heat and pressure. Thus, the final panel body will consist of five layers of plastic material bonded together.

The panel body is then fabricated to suitable size and shape, with the proper drilled holes or other machine. work as required. The material is easily fabricated 'by standard machine tools. The last machining operation, preferably, is the engraving of all required designations. If the engraving tool is not allowed to penetrate the material deeper than the first two layers of material, light that is transmitted through the clear acrylic layer will in turn illuminate any dial, scale or other part placed over it. If, however, the engraving is allowed to be only deep enough to expose the translucent acetate, then a clear outline of the engraving, free from glare, will result. Illumination of the panel can be provided by means of suitable panel lights, which are inserted into holes drilled through the panel material. The clear or transparent layer in the center of the laminated panel will transmit the light in all directions, permitting it to be seen on the surface, in accordance with the engraving. All exposed edges, including the internal walls of the holes not used for light transmission, are coated with a preferably, dull, opaque paint or lacquer.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally represents an example of a laminated panel according to the invention. The center core or layer is preferably made thicker than the other laminae or layers I2 and i3, and is'light-transmitting. A preferred plastic material for core II is of the class of acrylic resins or materials, and their polymers and copolymers, methyl methacrylate being preferred, although other light-transmitting material, such as, quartz may be employed. The preferably translucent laminae or layers I2, next adjacent to core II is preferably made of the class of cellulosics, such as, for example, cellulose acetate. A preferred plastic material for the opaque outer layers I3 is of the class of polyvinyl or vinyl resins or materials, their polymers or copolyrners.

Portions of the top outer layer I3 and the next adjacent layer I2 are cut out or penetrated as indicated at I4, so that the light transmitted by suitable light-emitting sources 20 or 20a, inserted in holes or openings M will illuminate the area Ila upon which may be superimposed a dial, scale, or other suitable part to be illuminated, and will illuminate the slit Ila. The internal walls of the holes or openings 2| are kept clear to allow the light to be transmitted through the core II, whereas, other holes or openings I6 and I8, which are adapted to receive the shafts or pins for suitable switches and other desired devices (not shown) are coated with a paint or lacquer I1, I9, to prevent the light from being transmitted through these openings I6, I8.

Other portions of top outer layer I3, only, are penetrated in the fashion of engraving to provide suitable indicia I5. The openings thus formed as indicated at l extend only through the opaque outer layer I3 (Fig. 3) and therefore are covered by the translucent layer I2. This presents a sharply defined contrast of the indicia at the front of the panel, without glare.

The light-emitting means may comprise the parts 2| to 36, inclusive, and since this type of lighting means is conventional, such as panel lights manufactured under Part #A4295, by Grimes Mfg. Co., Urbana, Ohio, it is deemed unnecessary to describe the same in detail, except to state that sleeve 3|, insulation 32, and sleeve 33 are cut out as indicated at 31 (Fig. 5) leaving two bridges 36. Light will penetrate through cut-out 31 into adjacent layers II and I2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters P Patent is:

1. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a next adjacent layer of translucent material superimposed thereon, and an outer layer of opaque material superimposed over the translucent layer, said outer layer having an opening therethrough covered at the inner end of the opening by the layer of translucent material, said panel having means for admitting light to the transparent layer to transilluminate the translucent layer at the opening in the opaque layer.

2. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a next adjacent layer of translucent material superimposed thereon, and an outer layer of opaque material superimposed over the translucent layer, said outer layer having an opening therethrough forming indicia in the opaque layer at the front of the panel, said opening extending only through the outer layer of opaque material to the layer of translucent material with the layer of translucent material extending over the opening, said panel having means for admitting light to the transparent layer to transilluminate the translucent layer at the opening in the opaque layer.

3. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a next adjacent layer of translucent material superimposed 'thereon, and an outer layer of opaque material superimposed over the translucent layer, said outer layer having an opening therethrough forming indicia in the opaque layer at the front of the panel, said opening extending only through the outer layer of opaque material to the layer of translucent material with the layer of translucent material extending over the opening, and means for directing light through the transparent layer to transilluminate the translucent layer at the opening in the opaque layer.

4. A panel comprising five layers of material, the center layer of which is transparent, the two next adjacent layers of which are translucent and superimposed directly upon the transparent layer at opposite sides thereof, and the front and back outer layers of the panel are opaque and superimposed directly upon the translucent layers, means forming openings in the shape of indicia extending through the front opaque layer of the panel, said openings extending only through the opaque material to the layer of translucent material and having the layer of translucent material extending continuously over the inner end of the openings, and means for directing light through the transparent layer to the translucent layer to transilluminate the latter at the openings in the opaque layer.

5. A panel comprising a layer of transparent material with a next adjacent layer of translucent material superimposed directly thereon, and an outer layer of opaque material toward the front of the panel superimposed on the translucent layer, said panel having an opening in the. front thereof deep enough to extend through the opaque layer but of insuflicient depth to extend through the translucent layer also, said panel having means for admitting light to the transparent layer to transilluminate the translucent layer at the opening in the opaque layer.

CHARLES N. SHLENKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,739,954 DuPont Dec. 17, 1929 1,741,683 Dickey Dec. 31, 1929 1,790,531 Bethlem Jan. 27, 1931 1,880,202 Hodgkin Oct. 4, 1932 1,966,141 Reiss-Schmidt July 10, 1934 2,128,246 Hardesty Aug. 30, 1938 2,496,488 Ohman Feb. '7, 1950

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