Occupancy sensor powerbase

• US 7,800,498 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Engel, John B., Leonard, Thomas W., Leinen, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US11/692,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20070229297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.2, 340/539.22, 340/539.23, 340/540, 340/541
• US Class Current: 340/568.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow

Abstract

The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for converting a low voltage occupancy sensor to a powered stand-alone unit. The invention uses a low voltage occupancy sensor mounted in an upper portion of a housing with its associated low voltage wiring terminating in a terminal block. An attachable corresponding lower housing is provided with a power pack adapted to connect with the low voltage terminal block wherein once combined the upper and lower housing portions combine to form an integral powered stand-alone sensor unit.

Claims

1. A housing for mounting an electronic wiring device comprising:

an upper portion comprising a sensor;

said sensor further comprising low voltage control wiring; and

a lower portion shaped to fixedly attach to said upper portion to form a singular unit and comprising a power pack wherein when said upper and lower portions are combined the combination comprises a self-powered sensor, where the lower portion is adapted to be mounted to a structure surface and said lower portion of said housing further comprises;

at least one input conductor adapted to be electrically connected to line voltage, and

at least one output conductor adapted to supply said upper portion with low voltage,

where said lower portion is structured to reduce said line voltage to said low voltage and supply said low voltage to said upper portion,

where said power pack reduces said line voltage to said low voltage, and

where said power pack further comprises a switching mode power supply.

2. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is an occupancy sensor.

3. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device according to claim 1 wherein said upper portion attaches to said lower portion with a harmonic wheel.

4. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device according to claim 1 further comprising a terminal block.

5. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device of claim 4, where said terminal block is adapted to connect to terminals located in a terminal cavity of said lower portion.

6. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device of claim 1 where said power pack further comprises a transformer.

7. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device of claim 4, where said control wiring of said upper portion terminates in said terminal block.

8. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device of claim 1, where said power pack further comprises power electronics to operate said sensor in said upper portion.

9. The housing for mounting an electronic wiring device of claim 1, where said singular unit is adapted to be mounted in an octagonal electrical box.

10. An occupancy sensor housing, comprising:

an upper portion including a low voltage occupancy sensor and wiring terminals; and

a lower portion including;

a power pack and terminals, where the terminals are located in a terminal cavity of the lower portion, adapted to receive the wiring terminals of the upper portion, the power pack including power electronics to operate the low voltage occupancy sensor;

at least one input conductor adapted to be electrically connected to line voltage; and

at least one output conductor adapted to supply the upper portion with a low voltage,

where the upper portion engages the lower portion to form a singular unit, and the power pack reduces the line voltage to the low voltage.

11. The occupancy sensor housing of claim 10, further comprising:

a harmonic wheel to cooperatively engage the upper portion to the lower portion to form the singular unit.

12. The occupancy sensor housing of claim 10 where the lower portion is adapted to be mounted on a surface.

13. The occupancy sensor housing of claim 10, where the wiring terminals terminate in a terminal block of the upper portion, and the terminals of the lower portion are adapted to receive the terminal block.

14. A method comprising:

engaging a base to a low-voltage occupancy sensor to form a singular unit;

coupling power electronics in the base to the low-voltage occupancy sensor, thereby converting the low-voltage occupancy sensor to a stand-alone unit; and

engaging the base to a standard building electrical box,

where the building electrical box comprises a 4 inch octagonal building electrical box.

15. A housing for mounting an electronic device comprising:

an upper portion comprising a sensor;

said sensor further comprising low voltage control wiring; and

a lower portion shaped to fixedly attach to said upper portion to form a singular unit and comprising a power pack wherein when said upper and lower portions are combined the combination comprises a self-powered sensor,

where said upper portion attaches to said lower portion with a harmonic wheel.

16. The housing for mounting an electronic device of claim 15 where the lower portion is adapted to be mounted on a structure surface and said lower portion of said housing further comprises:

at least one input conductor adapted to be electrically connected to line voltage, and

at least one output conductor adapted to supply said upper portion with a low voltage,

where said power pack reduces said line voltage to said low voltage.

17. A housing for mounting an electronic device comprising:

an upper portion comprising a sensor;

said sensor further comprising low voltage control wiring; and

a lower portion shaped to fixedly attach to said upper portion to form a singular unit and comprising a power pack wherein when said upper and lower portions are combined the combination comprises a self-powered sensor,

where said upper portion further comprises a terminal block adapted to connect to terminals located in a terminal cavity of said lower portion.

18. A housing for mounting an electronic device comprising:

an upper portion comprising a sensor;

said sensor further comprising low voltage control wiring; and

a lower portion shaped to fixedly attach to said upper portion to form a singular unit and comprising a power pack wherein when said upper and lower portions are combined the combination comprises a self-powered sensor,

where said upper portion further comprises a terminal block; and

said control wiring of said upper portion terminates in said terminal block.

19. A housing for mounting an electronic device comprising:

an upper portion comprising a sensor;

said sensor further comprising low voltage control wiring; and

a lower portion shaped to fixedly attach to said upper portion to form a singular unit and comprising a power pack wherein when said upper and lower portions are combined the combination comprises a self-powered sensor,

where said singular unit is adapted to be mounted in an octagonal electrical box.

20. A housing for mounting an electronic wiring device comprising:

an upper portion comprising a sensor;

said sensor further comprising low voltage control wiring; and

a lower portion shaped to fixedly attach to said upper portion to form a singular unit and comprising a power pack wherein when said upper and lower portions are combined the combination comprises a self-powered sensor,

where said lower portion is structured to reduce line voltage to a low voltage and supply said low voltage to said upper portion, and

where said singular unit is adapted to be mounted in an octagonal electrical box.

21. An occupancy sensor housing, comprising:

an upper portion including a low voltage occupancy sensor and wiring terminals; and

a lower portion including;

a power pack and terminals adapted to receive the terminals of the upper portion, the power pack including power electronics to operate the low voltage occupancy sensor;

at least one input conductor adapted to be electrically connected to line voltage; and

at least one output conductor adapted to supply the upper portion with a low voltage,

where the upper portion engages the lower portion to form a singular unit, and the power pack reduces the line voltage to the low voltage, and

where the wiring terminals terminate in a terminal block of the upper portion, and the terminals of the lower portion are adapted to receive the terminal block.