Operation switch wiring mechanism

• US 7,760,068 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Takashi, Hatemata, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Vernal U
• Application Number:
  US11/246,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.37, 340/825.52, 340/3.1, 340/825.21, 340/825.29, 340/5.1
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/01 Liquid crystal
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/014 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/058 flush mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/04 Programmable interface between a set of switches and a set of functions, e.g. for reconfiguration of a control panel
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

A small-sized operation switch wiring mechanism which can easily set an address without using an address setting device. The operation switch wiring mechanism includes a device body formed at three-module size. Disposed on the front surface of the device body are operation buttons which cover operators of eight operation switches individually assigned with addresses corresponding to the addresses of relays, and an operator of a rotary switch which alternatively selects a combination of the addresses of the operation switches among a plurality of combinations. In the device body, a signal processor transmits a transmission signal including operation information due to the manipulation of the operation switch, and the address of the manipulated operation switch to a signal line is received. A face cover that covers the entire front surface is detachably attached to the front surface of the device surface.

Claims

1. An operation switch wiring mechanism used in a remote monitoring and control system in which the operation switch wiring mechanism for monitoring ON/OFF of operation switches assigned with individual addresses and a remote control wiring mechanism for controlling ON/OFF of relays assigned with individual addresses are connected to each other through a signal line, the operation switch wiring mechanism outputs a transmission signal including address information and operation information due to the manipulation of the operation switches, and the remote control wiring mechanism turns on/off the relay having the address corresponding to the address of the operation switch, comprising:

a device body having a substantially same size as a size of three wiring mechanisms of unit size which are arranged in a short width direction and can be attached to a series of mounting frames standardized for a flush type wiring mechanism, and recessed in a construction surface such that a front surface of the device body is exposed,

wherein a plurality of operation switches, which are individually assigned with addresses corresponding to the addresses of the relays and an address setting unit which alternatively selects a combination of the addresses of the operation switches, are disposed at the front surface of the device body, a signal processing unit, which transmits the transmission signal including the operation information due to the manipulation of the operation switch and the address information of the manipulated operation switch to the signal line, is received in the device body, and an openable and closable face cover for covering at least the address setting unit and exposing at least one of the plurality of operation switches when the face cover is closed is detachably attached to the front surface of the device body.

2. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a display that displays an address setting content due to the address setting unit is mounted on the front surface of the device body.

3. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver that receives address information of the relay, which is transmitted by the transmission signal through the signal line, connected to the remote control wiring mechanism; and

a comparator that compares the received address information of the relay with the addresses of the plurality of operation switches set by the address setting unit and displays a setting error when the relay having the address corresponding to the set address does not exist.

4. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the operation switch is assigned with the address corresponding to the addresses of the plurality of relays in one-to-multiple correspondence, and the face cover includes an operation handle for manipulating the operation switch.

5. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the address setting unit alternatively selects a combination of a first address, a last address, and at least one address which exists between the first address and the last address among the addresses of the relays, and the first address and the last address are individually and manually set.

6. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the address setting unit manually sets correspondence between the addresses of the operation switches and all the addresses of the relays.

7. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising:

a receiver that receives address information of the relay, which is transmitted by the transmission signal through the signal line, connected to the remote control wiring mechanism; and

a comparator that compares the received address information of the relay with the addresses of the plurality of operation switches set by the address setting unit and displays a setting error when the relay having the address corresponding to the set address does not exist.

8. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the address setting unit alternatively selects a combination of a first address, a last address, and at least one address which exists between the first address and the last address among the addresses of the relays, and the first address and the last address are individually and manually set.

9. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the address setting unit alternatively selects a combination of a first address, a last address, and at least one address which exists between the first address and the last address among the addresses of the relays, and the first address and the last address are individually and manually set.

10. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the address setting unit alternatively selects a combination of a first address, a last address, and at least one address which exists between the first address and the last address among the addresses of the relays, and the first address and the last address are individually and manually set.

11. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the address setting unit comprises a single unit that is operated by an operator.

12. The operation switch wiring mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the address setting unit is provided separately from the plurality of operation switches.