INVISIBLE, CONTACTLESS SWITCH DEVICE

• US 20160329893A1
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roberto Airoldi
• Original Assignee: Open App Co.
• Inventors: AIROLDI, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 10,193,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/26 Measuring inductance or capacitance; Measuring quality factor, e.g. by using the resonance method; Measuring loss factor; Measuring dielectric constants ; Measuring impedance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94089 Wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960765 Details of shielding arrangements

Abstract

A switching device adapted to be installed behind an opaque wall (32) so as not to be visible from the outside of the wall and intended to switch at least one electrical device (44) on. This switching device includes a first module (10) and a second module (12) adapted to make the connection between the device and a power source. The first module includes a capacitive sensor (16) having a capacitor on a printed circuit board adapted to change its capacitance value when the hand (34) of a user on the outside is placed near the wall where the device is installed. The capacitor is included in a metal frame whose function is to define the capacitive field due to the capacitor in the plane of the board and to maximize this field perpendicular to the plane of the board.

Claims

1. A switching device adapted to be installed behind an opaque wall (32) so as not to be visible from the outside of said wall and intended to switch at least one electrical device (44) on and comprising at least a first module (10) connected by a communication means (14) to a second module (12) adapted to make the connection between said electrical device and a power source, said first module comprising a capacitive sensor (16) adapted to change its capacitance value when the hand (34) or any other part of the body of a user on the outside is placed near the wall where said device is installed,

said device being characterised in that the capacitive sensor, which is located on a printed circuit type board comprises a capacitor Cx having a first metal electrode (48) consisting of a solid circle and a second metal electrode (50) surrounding said first electrode and being concentric with it, both electrodes being included in a metal frame (51), whose function is to define the capacitive field resulting from the capacitor formed by the two electrodes in the plane of the board and to maximise this field perpendicular to the plane of the board.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said capacitive sensor (16) contains means for calculating the number of times Nr a reference voltage Vr must be applied to said capacitor Cx so that it can charge a reference capacitor Cr to a predetermined value.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said capacitor Cx has a capacitance value between 10 pF and 25 pF.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said capacitor Cr has a capacitance value of approximately 35 nF.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein said first module (10) comprises a first microcontroller (24) adapted to transmit instructions to a second microcontroller (40) in said second module (12) intended to control the connection of said electrical device (44) to its electrical power source when said reference number Nr has been reduced due to a parasitic capacitor Cc caused by the approach of the hand of the user (34) is added in parallel to said reference capacitor Cr.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said capacitor Cr has a capacitance value of approximately 0.3 pF.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communication means (14) is a wireless link between a radio transmitter (38) in said first module (10) and a radio receiver (36) in said second module (12).

8. The device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of modules identical to said first module (10-1, 10-2 and 10-3) each having a capacitive sensor, which communicate with a second module through the communication means 14-1, said second module being adapted to switch at least one electrical device (52, 54 and 56) on or off by means of switches (58, 60 and 62) controlled by a second microcontroller (40-1).

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of modules is used as a light dimmer by passing the hand (34) in an upward motion in front of said wall (32) so as to activate at least two capacitive sensors to increase the light intensity, and in a downward motion to decrease the light intensity.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said wall (32) is made of metal.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said metal is copper.