Incremental touch-operated switch

• US 4,584,519 A
• Filed: 02/21/1985
• Issued: 04/22/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neris Coal Export Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neris Coal Export Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Gruodis, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Beha, Jr., William H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERRETT, JEFFREY L
• Application Number:
  US06/703,747
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 307/116, 315/362, 315/DIG. 4, 323/236, 323/239, 323/241, 323/244, 323/245, 323/283, 323/300, 323/322, 323/323, 323/324, 323/904, 323/905
• US Class Current: 323/245
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/2576 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/085 by touch control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/904 Touch systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/905 Lamp dimmer structure

Abstract

This patent presents a touch-responsive switch which incrementally varies AC voltage supplied to an electrical apparatus. The invention includes digital circuitry which compares a control pulse train with a touch affected pulse train to create a switching pulse. The switching pulse is synchronous with the line frequency and controls truncating of individual cycles of line power to regulate voltage applied to an appliance as a function of the number of times a touch plate has been touched. The switching pulse also provides on/off switching as one of the available incremental steps. The circuit components are incorporated in an interface assembly which connects the appliance receptacle to a source of AC voltage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load, comprising:

means for producing a square wave pulse train of greater frequency than but synchronized with the zero crossing of said AC voltage;

means for producing a rectangular pulse with a duration set by the amplitude of a control voltage for each square wave of said square wave pulse train;

means for passing said rectangular pulses as a reference pulse train during one-half cycle of each cycle of said AC voltage;

a sense circuit for altering the individual pulses of said reference pulse train as a function of a physical occurrence;

means for providing a sense signal when the output of said sense circuit changes;

means for providing said control voltage for said means for producing a rectangular pulse train in response to said sense signal and said reference pulse train, the magnitude of said control voltage determined by the relative pulse width between the individual pulses of said reference pulse train and said sense signal;

means for providing a clock pulse in response to a relative difference in pulse width between said sense signal and said reference pulse train;

means for providing a first gate enabling pulse commencing at one of a plurality of preset points during each cycle of said AC voltage;

means incremented by said clock pulse for producing a second gate enabling pulse and incrementing said means for providing said first gate enabling pulse whereby said first gate enabling pulse is caused to occur at a different one of said preset points;

switch means for controlling the application of said AC voltage to said load; and

means to for turning on said switch means during the simultaneous occurrence of said first and second gate enabling pulses.

2. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for producing a square wave pulse train includes a Schmidt trigger zero crossing detector and a gated oscillator.

3. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for producing a square wave pulse train operates at a frequency of at least one hundred times the frequency of said AC voltage.

4. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for producing a rectangular pulse includes a summing junction capacitively coupled to the output of said means for producing a square wave pulse train and coupled to said means for providing said control voltage via an isolation, biasing diode.

5. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said mean for passing said rectangular pulses as a reference pulse train includes means for producing an output during the simultaneous occurrence of output pulses from said means for producing a rectangular pulse and the positive half cycle of said AC voltage.

6. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said sense circuit includes a variable capacitive circuit.

7. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for providing a sense signal when the output of said sense circuit changes comprises a flip-flop latch set by said sense circuit and reset by said reference pulse train.

8. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for providing said control voltage includes a control voltage summing junction for said sense signal and said reference pulse train.

9. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 8, comprising thermally responsive means for applying an inhibiting pulse train to said control voltage summing junction.

10. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for providing a first gate enabling pulse includes a presettable counter comprised of a plurality of series interconnected flip-flops.

11. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means incremented by said clock pulse comprises a counter including a series connected group of flip-flops.

12. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 11, wherein said means for incrementing said means for providing said first gate enabling pulse includes gate means interconnecting said series connected flip-flops of said means for producing said first gate enabling pulse and means responsive to the status of said means incremented by said clock pulse for enabling predetermined ones of said gate means whereby the effective length of the counter created by said series connected flip-flops is regulated.

13. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said switch means controls the application of said AC voltage as a function of zero crossing of the positive half cycle of said AC voltage.

14. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for turning on said switch means is stepped from the zero crossing of the positive half cycle of said AC voltage toward the beginning of said positive half cycle as said means for providing said first gate enabling pulse is incremented.

15. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for providing a clock pulse includes:

a clock forming summing junction for said sense signal and said reference pulse train; and

a flip-flop controlled by said clock forming summing junction.

16. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 15, comprising thermally responsive means for applying an inhibiting pulse train to said clock forming summing junction.

17. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load, comprising:

means for producing a reference pulse train with a pulse duration set by the amplitude of a control voltage;

a sense circuit for altering the individual pulses of said reference pulse train as a function of a physical occurrence;

means for providing a sense signal when the output of said sense circuit changes;

means for providing said control voltage as a function of said sense signal and said reference pulse train;

means for providing a clock pulse in response to a relative difference in pulse width between said sense signal and said reference pulse train;

means for providing a first gate enabling pulse;

means incremented by said clock pulse for producing a second gate enabling pulse and incrementing said means for providing said first gate enabling pulse;

switch means for controlling the application of said AC voltage to said load; and

means for turning on said switch means during the simultaneous occurrence of said first and second gate enabling pulses.

18. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 17, wherein said switch means controls the application of said AC voltage as a function of zero crossing of the positive half cycle of said AC voltage.

19. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 17, wherein said means for turning on said switch means is stepped from the zero crossing of the positive half cycle of said AC voltage toward the beginning of said positive half cycle as said means for providing said first gate enabling pulse is incremented.

20. An apparatus for controlling the application of an AC voltage to a load as defined in claim 17, wherein said means for providing a first gate enabling pulse includes a presettable counter comprised of a plurality of series interconnected flip-flops.