Pull out air gap switch for wallbox-mounted dimmer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A wall box lighting control comprising a wall box having a generally planar face plate and a generally planar bezel protruding through an opening in said face plate;
- said wall box containing a pair of cooperating air-gap contacts interiorly thereof and an elongated air gap switch operator mechanically cooperable with said pair of contacts and movable between a first and second position to cause the opening and closing respectively of said pair of contacts;
one end portion of said elongated air gap switch operator being disposed adjacent and parallel to an edge portion of said bezel and being movable from a flush position with said bezel when said air gap contacts are closed to a position above the plane of said bezel when said air gap contacts are open;
an outer bottom edge portion of said air gap switch operator which is spaced away from said edge portion of said bezel containing a finger nail receiving notch for easy operation of said air gap switch operator to open said air gap contacts;
an electronic on/off circuitry, and a planar on/off operator disposed in said bezel and coupled to said electronic on/off circuitry, said on/off operator including a beveled edge providing a gap between a top edge of said one end portion of said air gap switch operator and said beveled edge, said gap being hidden by a shadow effect but providing access to said top edge of said one end of said air gap switch operator whereby said air gap switch operator may be manually operated by accessing said top edge of said one end as well as said finger nail receiving notch.
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Abstract
A push/pull switch control is incorporated into the surface pattern of a wall box dimmer having a planar face surface. The switch control is finger nail operated and contains a finger nail groove which is accessible on the bottom end surface of the operator so it can be withdrawn to an open position. A switch position indicia is exposed when the operator is withdrawn. The notch is preferably curved with the cross-curvature of the human finger nail
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A wall box lighting control comprising a wall box having a generally planar face plate and a generally planar bezel protruding through an opening in said face plate;
- said wall box containing a pair of cooperating air-gap contacts interiorly thereof and an elongated air gap switch operator mechanically cooperable with said pair of contacts and movable between a first and second position to cause the opening and closing respectively of said pair of contacts;
one end portion of said elongated air gap switch operator being disposed adjacent and parallel to an edge portion of said bezel and being movable from a flush position with said bezel when said air gap contacts are closed to a position above the plane of said bezel when said air gap contacts are open;
an outer bottom edge portion of said air gap switch operator which is spaced away from said edge portion of said bezel containing a finger nail receiving notch for easy operation of said air gap switch operator to open said air gap contacts;
an electronic on/off circuitry, and a planar on/off operator disposed in said bezel and coupled to said electronic on/off circuitry, said on/off operator including a beveled edge providing a gap between a top edge of said one end portion of said air gap switch operator and said beveled edge, said gap being hidden by a shadow effect but providing access to said top edge of said one end of said air gap switch operator whereby said air gap switch operator may be manually operated by accessing said top edge of said one end as well as said finger nail receiving notch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- said wall box containing a pair of cooperating air-gap contacts interiorly thereof and an elongated air gap switch operator mechanically cooperable with said pair of contacts and movable between a first and second position to cause the opening and closing respectively of said pair of contacts;
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12. A finger nail operated switch comprising a pair of relatively moveable contacts;
- an elongated switch operator operatively coupled to said contacts;
an enclosing housing enclosing said contacts and receiving said elongated switch operator;
said elongated switch operator being moveable between a switch-open and switch-closed position for opening and closing said contacts respectively;
one end of said elongated switch operator protruding slightly above a surface of said housing and being movable to a further withdrawn position above the surface of said housing for opening said contacts;
a surface of said operator which is perpendicular to said surface of said housing and which is exposed when said contacts are closed containing a finger nail notch for engaging said operator with a finger nail to withdraw said operator to said switch-open position, and a second notch opposite to said finger nail notch and accessible to a user. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
- an elongated switch operator operatively coupled to said contacts;
Specification