Hand-held control device

• US 6,693,552 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dewert Antriebs-Und Systemtechnik GmbH& Company KG (Phoenix Mecano AG)
• Original Assignee: Dewert Antriebs-Und Systemtechnik GmbH& Company KG (Phoenix Mecano AG)
• Inventors: Herzig, Fried-Helm, Ctvrtnicek, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US09/636,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340/825.22, 340/825.69, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/455, 349/58, 294/905, 341/176, 361/730, 361/755, 361/752
• US Class Current: 340/13.32
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/0006 for converting electric switches H01H13/564 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0214 Hand-held casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/04 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings

Abstract

A hand-held control device for controlling a drive having one or more d.c. motors and/or a.c. motors for adjusting a piece of furniture, includes a housing having a lower housing part and an upper housing part. A circuit board is received in the housing and has switch elements. Further accommodated in the housing is a battery pack for providing emergency power supply for operation of drive functions and/or power supply for operating the hand-held control device. A cable and/or an infrared transmitter unit operatively connects the hand-held control device with the drive, wherein the circuit board and/or the upper housing part is securable to the lower housing part in at least two positions.

Claims

1. A hand-held control device for controlling a drive having one or more d.c. motors and/or a.c. motors for adjusting a piece of furniture, said hand-held control device comprising:

a housing having a lower housing part, which has an opening, and an upper housing part, which has a keypad with a number of keys;

a circuit board received in the lower housing part and connected to the upper housing part, said circuit board having switch elements actuatable by the keypad of the upper housing part, whereby the keys and the switching elements are placed into one-to-one correspondence;

a battery pack received in the housing for providing emergency power supply for operation of drive functions and/or power supply for operating the hand-held control device; and

connecting means associated to the opening and operatively linking the hand-held control device with the drive,

wherein the upper housing part with the attached circuit board is rotatable in relation to the lower housing part for attachment of the upper housing part with the attached circuit board to the lower housing part in two positions rotated by 180°

while retaining control functions of the switch elements when the keypad is actuated, so as to enable a user to operate the keypad in a user-friendly disposition.

2. The hand-held control device of claim 1 wherein the connecting means includes at least one of a cable for passage through the opening, and an infrared transmitter for passage of infrared light through the opening.

3. The hand-held control device of claim 1 wherein the circuit board includes a first electromechanical connector for connection to a complementary second electromechanical connector disposed in the lower housing part.

4. The hand-held control device of claim 3 wherein the circuit board is destined for clipped securement to the upper housing part, said lower housing part having a shape and an electric circuiting as to allow placement and detachable clipped securement thereto of the upper housing part.

5. The hand-held control device of claim 2, and further comprising a clamp for securing the cable in the lower housing part.

6. The hand-held control device of claim 5 wherein the lower housing part has ridges and recesses which guide the clamp perpendicular to the cable and are so configured as to fix the clamp in its end position for clamping the cable.

7. The hand-held control device of claim 1, and further comprising a surface film glued to and sealing the upper housing part.

8. The hand-held control device of claim 1 wherein the upper housing part is made of at least two portions, with one of the portions representing at least part of the keypad which is removable from the remaining portion of the upper housing part.

9. The hand-held control device of claim 3, and further comprising a wireless control mechanism including a transmitter circuit board disposed in the lower housing part at a distance to the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board via the first and second connectors, and a plug transparent to infrared light for closing the opening.

10. The hand-held control device of claim 1 wherein the upper housing part and the lower housing part have a sealing lip.

11. The hand-held control device of claim 10 wherein the sealing lip is made by a two-component injection molding process for realizing a high degree of sealing action.

12. The hand-held control device of claim 1 wherein the keys of the keypad are integrated in the upper housing part.

14. The hand-held control device of claim 1 wherein the switch elements have resilient contact disks which are disposed in recesses of a retainer sheet, glued onto the circuit board, and are sized to contact mating contacts.

15. The hand-held control device of claim 1, and further comprising a layer placed over the switch elements.

16. The hand-held control device of claim 14, and further comprising a film glued on the layer and imprinted with data in an area of the switch elements.

17. The hand-held control device of claim 1, and further comprising a self-resetting electric fuse incorporated in the lower housing part.

13. The hand-held control device 12 wherein each of the keys has a joint-forming notch to transmit an actuation pressure upon the switch elements.

18. A kit for assembly of a hand-held control device useful for controlling a drive for adjusting an element, said kit comprising:

a first housing part including an opening and having a compartment with two receiving spaces, with a first one of the receiving spaces arranged distal to the opening and a second one of the receiving spaces arranged proximal to the opening

a second housing part configured for connection to the first housing part in at least two different positions and having a keypad;

a circuit board received in the first housing part and having switch elements cooperating with the keypad;

a pair of batteries, at least one of the batteries intended for installation in the first receiving space of the compartment for providing emergency power supply;

a cable guided through the opening of the lower housing part for electric connection of the circuit board with the drive being controlled for implementing an operation of the hand-held control device in wired mode;

an infrared transmitter, intended for installation in the second receiving space of the compartment, for electric connection of the circuit board to the drive being controlled for implementing an operation of the hand-held control device in wireless mode; and

a plug capable of sealing the opening when operating the hand-held control device in wireless mode,

wherein the first housing part with the circuit board is rotatable in relation to the second housing part for attachment of the first housing part with the attached circuit board to the second housing part in two positions rotated by 180°

while retaining control functions of the switch elements when the keypad is actuated so as to enable a user to operate the keypad in a user-friendly disposition.

19. The kit of claim 18 wherein the circuit board received in the first housing part is clipped to the second housing part when securing the second housing part to the first housing part.

20. The kit of claim 18, and further comprising a clamp for securing the cable in the first housing part.

21. The kit of claim 18, and further comprising a surface film glued to and sealing the second housing part.

22. The kit of claim 18 wherein the second housing part is made of at least two portions, with one of the portions representing at least part of the keypad which is removable from the remaining portion of the second housing part.

23. The kit of claim 18 wherein the keypad of the second housing part has keys, each key having a joint-forming notch to transmit an actuation pressure upon the switch elements.

24. The kit of claim 18, and further comprising a layer placed over the switch elements.

25. The kit of claim 24, and further comprising a film glued on the layer and imprinted with data in an area of the switch elements.