1. A pushbutton assembly comprising a housing with an open end thereto bounded by a flange structure, the housing being insertable through an aperture in a panel with the flange on an outer side thereof, a fixing means for fixing the housing relative to the panel beneath the panel, a push button movably mounted within the open end and flange structure, a lamp mountable relative to the housing for illuminating the button, a switch mountable relative to the housing for operation by movement of the button via an actuating structure disposed between the button and the switch within the housing, characterized in that the lamp and the switch are mounted within the housing so that at least a major part of the lamp and the switch is located within the confines of the housing and wherein the switch comprises a rectangular body with an upwardly projecting actuator and connection terminals.
2. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the housing has a generally open square frame structure comprising side wall structures with the flange structure mounted at one end.
3. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the housing provides abutments for supporting the actuating structure.
4. The push button assembly according to claim 2 wherein at least one of the side wall structures is generally open to provide access to the interior of the housing.
5. The push button assembly according to claim 2 wherein the frame structure is shorter in axial length than the horizontal length of each of the side wall structures.
6. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the flange structure has outwardly inclined side walls which taper towards the top free end of the housing.
7. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the flange structure is opaque.
8. The push button assembly according to claim 2 wherein the flange structure comprises a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt part defining a peripheral gap between said part and the side wall structures.
9. The push button assembly according to claim 8 wherein the skirt part is light-transmitting.
10. The push button assembly according to claim 9 wherein the skirt part provides an illuminable boundary to give the effect of a halo around the button.
11. The push button assembly according to claim 10 wherein the illuminable boundary is illuminable by an illumination means disposed in said gap.
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the housing provides electrostatic protection to any circuitry within said housing And wherein the protection comprises \u201cgrounding members\u201d integrated into said housing to discharge any introduced electrical charges.
15. (canceled)
16. (canceled)
17. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the fixing means comprises one or more clips on one or more of said side wall structures engageable with holes in said panel.
18. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the switch actuating structure comprises a generally square frame with a centrally disposed aperture and two elongate legs with outwardly turned feet projecting from the center of opposed bottom wall edges at right angles thereto.
19. The push button assembly according to claim 18 herein the bottom wall has spring members fixed across said frame to provide relative movement of the button within the flange structure.
20. The push button assembly according to claim 19 herein the spring members provide downwardly projecting push rods for projection through apertures in said bottom wall so as to be displaceable within the button.
21. (canceled)
22. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body overlies the inner side wall structures within the confines of the housing and the terminals projecting out of said housing.
23. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the switch is a microswitch.
24. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the lamp is disposed in the center of the housing mounted on a rectangular strip with connector terminals.
25. The push button assembly according to claim 1 wherein the lamp is an LED or multiple LEDs.
26. (canceled)
27. (canceled)
28. (canceled)
29. The push button assembly according to claim 24 herein the lamp strip and switch body are separate components.
30. (canceled)
31. The push button assembly according to claim 29 herein the strip and the body are completely within the confines of the housing.
32. The push button assembly according to claim 24 wherein each one of the body and strip snaps onto a part of the housing and is held in place by pegs passing through the body of the strip.
33. (canceled)
34. (canceled)
35. The push button assembly according to claim 2 wherein the flange structure is opaque.
36. The push button assembly according to claim 7 wherein the flange structure comprises a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt part defining a peripheral gap between said part and the side wall structures.
37. (canceled)
38. (canceled)
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
I claim:
1. A fastening member to fasten a first frame element of a window and door assembly to a second frame element of the assembly, said fastening member comprising:
a) a base;
b) a first retaining member presented by the base to attach the fastening member to the first frame element; and
c) a second retaining member presented by the base to attach the fastening member to the second frame element,
wherein at least one of the first and second retaining members is adapted to attach the fastening member to its respective first and second frame element in sliding fit.
2. The fastening member according to claim 1 wherein the first frame element and the second frame element have differing rates of expansion and contraction along at least one given direction, and the sliding fit is along said given direction.
3. The fastening member according to claim 2 wherein the first retaining member comprises at least one extension member extending from the base and adapted to slidingly engage at least a portion of the first frame element so that the fastening member is attached to the first frame element in sliding fit.
4. The fastening member according to claim 3 wherein the extension member comprises at least one substantially planar part adapted to fit in sliding arrangement within a corresponding groove presented by the first frame element.
5. The fastening member according to claim 2 wherein the base and the first retaining member form a cavity to receive in sliding fit at least a portion of the first frame element.
6. The fastening member according to claim 3 wherein the base and the extension member form a cavity to receive in sliding fit at least a portion of the first frame element.
7. The fastening member according to claim 4 wherein the base and the substantially planar part form a cavity to receive in sliding fit at least a portion of the first frame element.
8. The fastening member according to claim 1 wherein the second retaining member comprises an engagement member to attach the fastening member to the second frame element.
9. The fastening member according to claim 8 wherein the engagement member comprises at least one detent for engaging a corresponding abutment surface presented by the second frame element.
10. The fastening member according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the engagement member securely attaches the fastening member to the second frame element.
11. The fastening member according to claim 2 wherein the first retaining member attaches the first frame element in sliding fit on one side of the fastening member, and the second retaining member attaches the second frame element on the other side of the fastening member.
12. The fastening member according to claim 1 wherein the fastening member is comprised of a plastic material.
13. The fastening member according to claim 1 wherein the fastening member is comprised of metal.
14. A window and door assembly, comprising:
a) a first frame element;
b) a second frame element; and
c) a fastening member comprising a base, a first retaining member presented by the base to attach the fastening member to the first frame element, and a second retaining member presented by the base to attach the fastening member to the second frame element,
wherein at least one of the first and second retaining members is adapted to attach element the fastening member to its respective first and second frame in sliding fit.
15. The assembly according to claim 14 wherein the first frame element and the second frame element have differing rates of expansion and contraction along at least one given direction, and the sliding fit is along said given direction.
16. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the first retaining member of the fastening member comprises at least one extension member extending from the base and adapted to slidingly engage at least a portion of the first frame element so that the fastening member is attached to the first frame element in sliding fit.
17. The assembly according to claim 16 wherein the extension member comprises at least one substantially planar part adapted to fit in sliding arrangement within a corresponding groove presented by the first frame element.
18. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the base and the first retaining member of the fastening member form a cavity to receive in sliding fit at least a portion of the first frame element.
19. The assembly according to claim 16 wherein the base and the extension member form a cavity to receive in sliding fit at least a portion of the first frame element.
20. The assembly according to claim 17 wherein the base and the substantially planar part form a cavity to receive in sliding fit at least a portion of the first frame element.
21. The assembly according to claim 14 wherein the second retaining member of the fastening member comprises an engagement member to attach the fastening member to the second frame element.
22. The assembly according to claim 21 wherein the engagement member comprises at least one detent for engaging a corresponding abutment surface presented by the second frame element.
23. The assembly according to claims 21 or 22 wherein the engagement member securely attaches the fastening member to the second frame element.
24. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the first retaining member of the fastening member attaches the first frame element in sliding fit on one side of the fastening member, and the second retaining member attaches the second frame element on the other side of the fastening member.
25. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the first frame element is comprised of wood.
26. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the first frame element is comprised of PVC foam.
27. The assembly according to claims 25 or 26 wherein the second frame element is comprised of a plastic material.
28. The assembly according to claim 27 wherein the fastening member is comprised of a plastic material.
29. The assembly according to claim 15 wherein the fastening member is comprised of a metal.
30. A method of attaching a first frame element of a window and door assembly to a second frame element of the assembly, the first frame element and the second frame element having differing rates of expansion and contraction along at least one given direction, the method comprising:
a) attaching the first frame element to a fastening member; and
b) attaching the fastening member to the second frame element;
wherein the fastening member is adapted to attach to at least one of the first and second frame elements in sliding fit, and the sliding fit is along said given direction.
31. The method according to claim 28 wherein the fastening member is attached to the first frame element in sliding fit.
32. The method according to claim 31 wherein the fastening member attaches the first frame element in sliding fit on one side thereof, and attaches the second frame element on the other thereof.
33. The method according to claim 31 wherein the first frame element is comprised of wood.
34. The method according to claim 31 wherein the first frame element is comprised of PVC foam.
35. The method according to claims 33 or 34 wherein the second frame element is comprised of a plastic material.
36. The method according to claim 35 wherein the fastening member is comprised of a plastic material.
37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the fastening member is comprised of metal.