Time switch

• US 20070217404A1
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawamata, Mototsugu
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/360
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21042 Address a group, a zone
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21088 Define name and address of I-O
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations

Abstract

Provided is a time switch capable of allowing a user to readily set up or change a schedule. For this purpose, a chassis 30 of the time switch 10 has same size (i.e., two-row-module size) as that obtained by arranging two three-module sized implanted type wiring devices in two lines along a minor width direction, and installation frame pieces 38 are protruded from both of upper and lower side walls. In addition, each installation frame piece 38 has a long hole 38a for inserting a box screw fastened to the implanted type box (not shown) implanted on the installation surface or a fastener hole combined with a fastener. Furthermore, decoration covers 33 and 34 are installed in the front side of the chassis 30, and manipulating buttons 45a to 45f of the setup manipulation unit for setting up a time schedule having a set of an address corresponding to the control target load, and a control time and a control item for the load are provided in the decoration cover 33 functioning as a manipulation face of the setup unit 10a.

Claims

1. A time switch used in a remove monitoring control system in which a manipulating switch wiring appliance for monitoring switch manipulation of manipulating switches, to which individual addresses are allocated, and a remote control wiring appliance for controlling open or close of the relays, to which individual addresses are allocated, are connected to a signal line, the manipulating switch wiring appliance outputting a transmission signal containing a monitoring input and address information from the manipulating switch to the signal line using a time division multiplexing transmission scheme, and the remote control wiring appliance opening or closing the relays on the basis of the monitoring input of the transmission signal when the address information contained in the transmission signal received through the signal line corresponds with an address of the corresponding relay, in order to turn on or off the load connected to the relay, the time switch comprising:

a program storage unit which stores sets of addresses corresponding to the loads to be controlled, control items, and control times of the loads as a time schedule;

a setup manipulation unit which sets up the addresses, the control items, and the control times and stores those in the program storage unit as a time schedule;

a clock unit which counts a current time;

a signal transceiver unit which transmits and receives a transmission signal through the signal line by using a time division multiplexing transmission scheme; and

a signal processing unit which prepares a transmission signal containing the addresses and the control items in the time schedule as the address information and the monitoring input and transmits the transmission signal from the signal transceiver unit to the signal line when the control time contained in each set of the time schedule stored in the program storage unit corresponds with the current time counted by the clock unit,

wherein the program storage unit, the clock unit, the signal transceiver unit, and the signal processing unit are received in a switch chassis implanted in a wall surface with its front surface being exposed, and the setup manipulation unit is arranged in a front surface the switch chassis.

2. The time switch according to claim 1, wherein the manipulating switches, to which the addresses registered in the program storage unit are allocated, arranged in the front surface of the switch chassis, and the signal processing unit prepares a transmission signal containing the control item for reversing the turning on or off operation of the corresponding load as the monitoring input by using the address allocated to the switch as the address information and transmits the transmission signal from the signal transceiver unit to the signal line when the manipulating switches are manipulated.

3. The time switch according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a driving switching means for switching a driving mode of the signal processing unit to an automatic driving mode in which a timer control according to the time schedule is applied to all of the addresses registered in the program storage unit or a special day driving mode in which a timer control according to the time schedule is applied to only a selected address, and a setup switching means for switching whether or not the timer control according to the time schedule should be applied to each address in the special day driving mode.

4. The time switch according to claim 3, further comprising an external contact connection terminal to which a contact signal for switching the driving mode of the signal processing unit to one of the automatic driving mode and the special day driving mode is input, wherein the signal processing unit switches the driving mode to the automatic driving mode or the special day driving mode on the basis of the contact signal input through the external contact connection terminal.

5. The time switch according to any one of claims 1 or 2, further comprising a brightness sensor connection terminal to which a brightness sensor having an output signal which changes according to an ambient brightness and a predetermined brightness reference value is connected, wherein the brightness sensor is supplied with power through the brightness sensor connection terminal and changes a voltage between terminals according to the change of the output signal, and the program storage unit stores at least a time schedule in which a changing direction of the output signal of the brightness sensor is set instead of the control time for applying the corresponding control item.

6. The time switch according to any one of claims 1 or 2, further comprising a summer time conversion switch for selection between a summer time condition in which a current time of the clock unit is counted a predetermined time earlier and an original condition in which the current time of the clock unit is originally counted.

7. The time switch according to claim 3, further comprising a brightness sensor connection terminal to which a brightness sensor having an output signal which changes according to an ambient brightness and a predetermined brightness reference value is connected, wherein the brightness sensor is supplied with power through the brightness sensor connection terminal and changes a voltage between terminals according to the change of the output signal, and the program storage unit stores at least a time schedule in which a changing direction of the output signal of the brightness sensor is set instead of the control time for applying the corresponding control item.

8. The time switch according to claim 4, further comprising a brightness sensor connection terminal to which a brightness sensor having an output signal which changes according to an ambient brightness and a predetermined brightness reference value is connected, wherein the brightness sensor is supplied with power through the brightness sensor connection terminal and changes a voltage between terminals according to the change of the output signal, and the program storage unit stores at least a time schedule in which a changing direction of the output signal of the brightness sensor is set instead of the control time for applying the corresponding control item.

9. The time switch according to claim 3, further comprising a summer time conversion switch for selection between a summer time condition in which a current time of the clock unit is counted a predetermined time earlier and an original condition in which the current time of the clock unit is originally counted.

10. The time switch according to claim 4, further comprising a summer time conversion switch for selection between a summer time condition in which a current time of the clock unit is counted a predetermined time earlier and an original condition in which the current time of the clock unit is originally counted.

11. The time switch according to claim 5, further comprising a summer time conversion switch for selection between a summer time condition in which a current time of the clock unit is counted a predetermined time earlier and an original condition in which the current time of the clock unit is originally counted.