Abstract: An electroluminescent keypad, and an electroluminescent lamp, with integral shunts, for use in a keypad. The keypad includes a circuit board that includes a plurality of contact pairs adapted to complete circuits to perform keypad functions. An elastomeric sheet that includes a plurality of key elements overlays the circuit board. Each of the key elements is associated with one of the contact pairs. An electroluminescent lamp with a plurality of integral shunts corresponding to the contact pairs is positioned between the elastomeric sheet and the circuit board.

Abstract: An electroluminescent keypad, and an electroluminescent lamp, with integral shunts, for use in a keypad. The keypad includes a circuit board that includes a plurality of contact pairs adapted to complete circuits to perform keypad functions. An elastomeric sheet that includes a plurality of key elements overlays the circuit board. Each of the key elements is associated with one of the contact pairs. An electroluminescent lamp with a plurality of integral shunts corresponding to the contact pairs is positioned between the elastomeric sheet and the circuit board.

Abstract: An electroluminescent ("EL") lamp has EL material sandwiched between front and back conductive layers, which are disposed on a transparent substrate. The indiciae are formed from ink or other material deposited on the second surface of the front conductive layer, thereby completely burying the indicia within the EL lamp. The material may be transparent or colored, conductive or insulating, or made with an EL phosphor. The buried indicia provide sufficient contrast, when viewed with the EL lamp in an illuminated or non-illuminated state, to be seen. The present invention also describes a method for fabrication of such EL lamps.

Abstract: The present invention is for touch activated electroluminescent lamps and displays having a flexible translucent or transparent substrate, a transparent electrode deposited onto the flexible transparent substrate, a phosphor layer over the transparent electrode, a dielectric layer over the phosphor layer, and a second electrode, which together form a lamp. A third electrode is separated from the second electrode by an insulating spacer having an open region configured to allow contact between the second electrode and the third electrode when pressure is applied to the flexible transparent substrate. For a touch activated display, a segmented second electrode is employed to allow selectively energizing regions of the display.

Abstract: A thick-film multi-color electroluminescent display (10) includes a transparent substrate (12), a transparent electrode (14) deposited on the substrate (12), a phosphor layer (16) deposited on the transparent electrode (14) having two regions (18, 20) having different compositions providing visually distinct spectra of light when placed in a common electric field, a dielectric layer (22) deposited on the phosphor layer (16), and a second electrode (24) deposited on the dielectric layer (22). In an alternate embodiment, the phosphor layer (16) is composed of a marbled ink having a mixture of a first phosphor ink and a second phosphor ink having different compositions providing visually distinct spectra of light when placed in a common electric field. In another alternate embodiment, the phosphor layer (16) is composed of at least two halftone screen prints corresponding to at least two phosphor compositions providing visually distinct spectra of light when placed in a common electric field.

Abstract: The present invention is for improved thick film electroluminescent lamps and displays which provide a moisture barrier for the phosphor layer of the electroluminescent lamp and allows all of the contacts for the lamp or the display to reside within the footprint of the lamp. The moisture barrier is provided without employing a pair of encapsulating polymer sheets. The resulting lamps and displays are provided with vias which allow leads to be attached to a front electrode and one or more back electrodes employed to provide a potential across a phosphor layer therebetween causing the phosphor to emit light. A second dielectric layer is deposited over the underlying architecture of the lamp or display and forms a seal with an exposed continuous phosphor free band of the front electrode, which surrounds the perimeter of the lamp and also seals with a phosphor free contact region at the bottom of the via which it passes down. The second layer also seals any passages provided which traverse the lamp or display.

Abstract: Improved thick film electroluminescent lamps and displays which provide a moisture barrier for the phosphor layer of an electroluminescent lamp and allows all of the contacts for the lamp or the display to reside within the footprint of the lamp. The moisture barrier is provided without employing a pair of encapsulating polymer sheets. The resulting lamps and displays are provided with vias which allow leads to be attached to a front electrode and one or more back electrodes employed to provide a potential across a phosphor layer therebetween causing the phosphor to emit light. A second dielectric layer is deposited over the underlying architecture of the lamp or display and forms a seal with an exposed continuous band of a phosphor free front electrode which surrounds the perimeter of the lamp and also seals with a phosphor free region at the bottom of the vias which it passes down. The dielectric layer also seals any passages provided which traverse the lamp or display.