Light control and indicating device

• US 4,282,591 A
• Filed: 03/22/1979
• Issued: 08/04/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ilio A. Andreuccetti
• Original Assignee: Ilio A. Andreuccetti
• Inventors: Andreuccetti, Ilio A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US06/022,695
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 58/23 R, 58/53, 58/88 R, 58/152 R, 58/152 A, 73/339, 73/344, 73/362 AR, 73/339 C, 73/431, 364/705, 364/710, 364/557, 206/305, 206/306, 99/327, 99/332, 99/341, 200/247, 174/66
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/008 combined with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/02 Installations within mirrors, pictures, furniture or other household articles clock-lamps, globe-clocks with a fixed dial, G04B19/04; clock in the form of a lamp with a dial mounted upon it, moved by the clockwork G04B19/21; clockwork in the form of a globe for indicating different local apparent times G04B19/22; illumination of the dial and the hands G04B19/30; clock-lamps with the lamp switched on and off by the clockwork mechanism G04C19/02, within keys G04B47/005, within lighters G04B47/006, within pens B43K29/087
• CPC Class Codes: G12B 9/08 Supports; Devices for carrying
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/181 using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD

Abstract

A light control and indicating device including a main component adapted for mounting in a cavity of a wall, and a cover plate fitted thereover. The main component includes a frame or holder on which are mounted a plurality of operating members (referred to below) and those members have indicating elements exposed through, or slightly projecting through, openings in the cover plate. Those operating members include: a switch for connecting with control wires leading to electric lights in the room in which the device is located; a temperature sensor or thermometer having a sensing element in a body of air exposed to the room but shielded from cold air in the spaces in the wall, and including a read-out dial; a location-indicating signal light; and a time piece having a read-out dial.

Claims

1. A unitary and self-contained device, for mounting in a cavity in the wall of a subject room, the wall having a surface exposed to the room and the cavity opening through that wall surface to the room substantially through its own full transverse area, and the wall having an interior structure defining the surface of the cavity, and the cavity being dimensioned and constructed for mounting therein of a conventional light switch, said device comprising,

a main component and a cover plate,

the main component including,

(a) a frame forming a box extending into and positioned in the cavity and including lugs fitted to the wall adjacent said exposed surface and secured to the wall,

(b) a plurality of sub-components mounted in said frame, the sub-components including,

(1) a light switch having a manually actuating element disposed closely adjacent the plane of said exposed surface of the wall,

(2) a block disposing the cavity, composed of heat insulating material continuously on all sides except an open front side, forming a cell opening through said open front side, the block being positioned with its open front side closely adjacent the plane of said exposed surface of the wall, a thermometer in the cell with a sensing element extending into and disposed entirely in the cell and a visual indicating element disposed closely adjacent the plane of said surface of the wall, the cover plate having apertures communicating with the cell at vertically spaced positions respectively adjacent the top and bottom of the cell to enable flow of air from the room through the cell in sensing engagement with the sensing element and to facilitate the free flow of such air,

the cover plate being mounted to said frame over the cavity and secured to the frame, and being flat and essentially of planar form and lying close to said surface of the wall and blending into that surface, the cover plate having openings receiving the actuating element of the light switch, and the indicating element of the thermometer, and those elements thereby being exposed through those openings, and the elements substantially filling those openings and terminating closely adjacent the outer surface of the cover plate, the cover plate, except for said apertures, otherwise completely covering the cavity.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein,

said sub-components include also a timepiece having a time-indicating element disposed closely adjacent the plane of said exposed surface of the wall,

said openings in the cover plate including one receiving the time-indicating element of the time piece, and the latter is thereby exposed through that opening and substantially fills it and terminates closely adjacent the outer surface of the cover plate.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein,

one of said sub-components includes an electric lamp disposed closely adjacent the plane of said exposed surface of the wall,

said openings in the cover plate including one receiving said electric lamp, and the latter is thereby exposed through that opening and substantially fills it and terminates closely adjacent the outer surface of the cover plate.