Actuator assembly for a wallbox dimmer

• US 10,055,043 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: McDonald, Matthew Philip, Carmen, Jr., Lawrence R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US15/204,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 315 36, 315306, 315307, 315224, 315291-297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9625 using a force resistance transducer
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/08 by shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes also in controlled semiconductor devices in converters H02M5/00; with regulation G05F1/44
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light

Abstract

A wall-mounted dimmer may include an actuator assembly configured to translate a touch interaction with the dimmer into a desired dimming level. The actuator assembly may include a control interface having a resilient, deflectable membrane, a plurality of force-sensitive impedance members supported by the membrane, and an actuator configured to transfer a touch along the actuator to the membrane, causing the membrane to actuate one or more corresponding force-sensitive impedance members. The force-sensitive impedance members may be configured to make contact with corresponding ones of a plurality of open circuit pads supported by a printed circuit board. Each of the plurality of open circuit pads may correspond to a predetermined dimming level applied to a lighting load electrically connected to the dimmer. The control interface may be configured such that contact between the force-sensitive impedance members and corresponding ones of the open circuit pads is pressure sensitive.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive actuator assembly configured for use with a load control device configured to control an amount of power delivered to an electrical load, the actuator assembly comprising:

a resilient, deformable membrane supporting a plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members; and

an actuator having a plurality of posts that are spaced from each other, each post configured to transfer a force applied to the actuator at a location proximate to the post to a corresponding location on the membrane;

wherein, in response to the transferred force, the membrane is configured to deform and actuate at least one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members; and

wherein each of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members is configured to, when actuated, cause the load control device to apply one of a plurality of dimming levels to the electrical load.

2. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of dimming levels may be modified based upon a magnitude of the force applied to the actuator.

3. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is elongate between a first end and an opposed second end, and applying the force along the actuator between the first and second ends corresponds to linear transitions between two or more of the plurality of dimming levels.

4. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of force-sensitive impedance members is configured to contact a corresponding one of a plurality of impedance element junctions when the actuator is actuated to deform the membrane.

5. The actuator assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of impedance element junctions corresponds to one of the plurality of dimming levels.

6. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein actuation of a first force-sensitive impedance member produces a first impedance,

actuation of a second force-sensitive impedance member produces a second impedance that is different from the first impedance, and

substantially concurrent actuation of the first and second force-sensitive impedance members produces a third impedance that is between the first impedance and the second impedance, wherein the third impedance is based on a location of the force applied to the actuator between the first and second force-sensitive impedance members.

7. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein when the force is applied to the actuator at a location between respective first and second posts of the plurality of posts, the amount of power delivered to the electrical load by the load control device is derived from a first dimming level associated with a first force-sensitive impedance member actuated by the first post and a second dimming level associated with a second force-sensitive impedance member actuated by the second post.

8. The actuator assembly of claim 7, wherein the dimming level applied by the load control device is a blend of the first and second dimming levels based on the location along the actuator where the force is applied.

9. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane is rubber.

10. A touch-sensitive actuator assembly configured for use with a load control device configured to control an amount of power delivered to an electrical load, the actuator assembly comprising:

a rubber membrane supporting a plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members; and

an actuator having a plurality of posts that are spaced apart from each other, wherein in response to receiving a force, the one or more of the plurality of posts of the actuator are configured to deform the rubber membrane to actuate at least one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members with an amount of force;

wherein the at least one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members is configured to provide an impedance in accordance with the amount of force applied to the force-sensitive impedance member when actuated by the rubber membrane; and

wherein the load control device is configured to apply one of a plurality of dimming levels to the electrical load based on a voltage output set by the impedance in response to the impedance provided by the at least one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members.

11. The touch-sensitive actuator assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of discrete members are comprised of activated carbon.

12. The touch-sensitive actuator assembly of claim 11, wherein when one of the force-sensitive impedance members is actuated with the amount of force providing a full pressure against a corresponding open circuit pad, the impedance is substantially small.

13. The touch-sensitive actuator assembly of claim 11, wherein when first and second force-sensitive impedance members are actuated substantially concurrently by the amount of force, the impedance is based on a location of a pressure applied to the actuator between the first and second force-sensitive impedance members.