Pull out air gap switch for wallbox-mounted dimmer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A wall box lighting control comprising a wall box having a generally planar face plate and a generally planar bezel protruding through an opening in said face plate;
- said wall box containing a pair of cooperating air-gap contacts interiorly thereof and an elongated air gap switch operator mechanically cooperable with said pair of contacts and movable between a first and second position to cause the opening and closing respectively of said pair of contacts;
one end portion of said elongated operator being disposed adjacent and parallel to an edge portion of said bezel and being movable from a flush position with said bezel when air gap contacts are closed to a position above the plane of said bezel when said air gap contacts are open;
an outer edge portion of said air gap switch operator which is spaced away from said edge portion of said bezel containing a finger nail receiving notch for the easy operation of said operator to open said air gap switch.
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Abstract
A push/pull switch control is incorporated into the surface pattern of a wall box dimmer having a planar face surface. The switch control is finger nail operated and contains a finger nail groove which is accessible on the bottom end surface of the operator so it can be withdrawn to an open position. A switch position indicia is exposed when the operator is withdrawn. The notch is preferably curved with the cross-curvature of the human finger nail
70 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A wall box lighting control comprising a wall box having a generally planar face plate and a generally planar bezel protruding through an opening in said face plate;
- said wall box containing a pair of cooperating air-gap contacts interiorly thereof and an elongated air gap switch operator mechanically cooperable with said pair of contacts and movable between a first and second position to cause the opening and closing respectively of said pair of contacts;
one end portion of said elongated operator being disposed adjacent and parallel to an edge portion of said bezel and being movable from a flush position with said bezel when air gap contacts are closed to a position above the plane of said bezel when said air gap contacts are open;
an outer edge portion of said air gap switch operator which is spaced away from said edge portion of said bezel containing a finger nail receiving notch for the easy operation of said operator to open said air gap switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- said wall box containing a pair of cooperating air-gap contacts interiorly thereof and an elongated air gap switch operator mechanically cooperable with said pair of contacts and movable between a first and second position to cause the opening and closing respectively of said pair of contacts;
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13. A finger nail operated switch comprising a pair of relatively moveable contacts;
- an elongated switch operator operatively coupled to said contacts;
an enclosing housing enclosing said contacts and receiving said elongated switch;
said elongated switch operator being moveable between a switch-open and switch-closed position for opening and closing said contacts respectively;
one end of said elongated switch operator protruding slightly above the surface of said housing for opening said contacts are closed and being movable to a further withdrawn position above the surface of said housing for opening said contacts;
the surface of said operator which is perpendicular to said surface of said housing and which is exposed when said contact are closed containing a finger nail notch for engaging said operator with a finger nail to withdraw said operator to said switch open position. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
- an elongated switch operator operatively coupled to said contacts;
Specification