Electrical control system

• US 8,542,089 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Fair, James, Malkowski, Mariusz, Goyal, Rahul
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/372,142
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.5, 340/12.3, 340/12.22, 340/2.26
• US Class Current: 340/5.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

An electrical control system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wall-mounted electrical switch comprising;

a housing comprising;

a front side comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge opposite the first longitudinal edge;

an opposing back side comprising a third longitudinal edge and a fourth longitudinal edge opposite the fourth longitudinal edge;

a first exterior side extending from the first longitudinal edge to the third longitudinal edge; and

a second exterior side extending from the second longitudinal edge to the fourth longitudinal edge;

wherein the front side, back side, first exterior side and second exterior side define a cavity in the housing;

a first tab coupled to and extending out orthogonally from the first exterior side;

a second tab coupled to and extending out orthogonally from the second exterior side;

a first slot aperture disposed within the first exterior side, the first slot aperture having a shape substantially complementary to the second tab;

a second slot aperture disposed within the second exterior side, the second slot aperture having a shape substantially complementary to the first tab; and

a manually operated switch at least partially disposed within the cavity of the housing, wherein the manually operated switch is capable of being manually adjusted to a plurality of positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first tab is disposed generally along an upper portion of the first exterior side and wherein the second tab is disposed generally along a lower portion of the second exterior side.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first slot aperture is disposed generally along a lower portion of the first exterior side and wherein the second slot aperture is disposed generally along an upper portion of the second exterior side.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first slot aperture receives a third tab from a second wall-mounted electrical switch to couple the wall-mounted electrical switch and the second wall-mounted electrical switch.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second slot aperture receives a fourth tab from a third wall-mounted electrical switch to couple the wall-mounted electrical switch and the third wall-mounted electrical switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises:

a front housing section comprising;

the front side;

at least a first portion of the first and second exterior sides;

the first tab; and

the second tab;

a back housing section comprising;

the back side;

at least a second portion of the first and second exterior sides.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the front housing section comprises a first portion of the first slot aperture and wherein the back housing section comprises a second portion of the first slot aperture.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the front housing section comprises a first portion of the second slot aperture and wherein the back housing section comprises a second portion of the second slot aperture.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board disposed within the cavity of the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front side of the housing comprises a switch aperture, wherein the manually operated switch at least partially extends out from the front side through the switch aperture.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a dimmer button at least partially disposed within the cavity of the housing;

and

wherein the front side of the housing further comprises a dimmer button aperture, wherein the dimmer button at least partially extends out from the front side through the dimmer button aperture.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a wall-mounted electrical switch comprising;

a housing comprising;

a front housing section comprising;

a front side comprising a switch aperture;

a first exterior side coupled to the front side along a first edge of the front side;

a second exterior side coupled to the front side along a second edge of the front side, wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge;

a first tab extending orthogonally out from the first exterior side away from a cavity of the housing; and

a first slot aperture disposed in the first exterior side, wherein the first slot aperture is configured to receive another tab from a second wall-mounted electrical switch;

a back housing section coupled to the front housing section;

wherein the front housing section and back housing section define the cavity of the housing;

a manually operated switch having a first portion disposed within the cavity of the housing and a second portion extending out from the front housing section through the switch aperture, wherein the manually operated switch is capable of being manually adjusted to a plurality of positions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a second tab extending orthogonally out from the second exterior side away from the cavity of the housing; and

a second slot aperture disposed on the second exterior side.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second tab is disposed generally along a lower half of the second exterior side and wherein the second slot aperture is disposed generally along an upper half of the second exterior side.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first tab is disposed generally along an upper half of the first exterior side and wherein the first slot aperture is disposed generally along a lower half of the first exterior side.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a circuit board disposed within the cavity of the housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a dimmer button at least partially disposed within the cavity of the housing;

and

wherein the front side of the housing further comprises a dimmer button aperture, wherein the dimmer button at least partially extends out from the front side through the dimmer button aperture.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first slot aperture receives the another tab from the second wall-mounted electrical switch to couple the wall-mounted electrical switch to the second wall-mounted electrical switch.

19. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a first wall-mounted electrical switch comprising;

a first housing comprising;

a front side;

a first exterior side coupled to the front side along a first edge of the front side;

a second exterior side coupled to the front side along a second edge of the front side, wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge;

a first tab extending orthogonally out from the first exterior side away from a first cavity of the housing; and

a back side, wherein the front side, back side, first exterior side and second exterior side of the first housing define the first cavity in the first housing;

a first manually operated switch at least partially disposed with the first cavity of the first housing;

providing a second wall-mounted electrical switch comprising;

a second housing comprising;

a second front side;

a third exterior side coupled to the second front side along a first edge of the second front side;

a fourth exterior side coupled to the second front side along a second edge of the second front side, wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge; and

a first slot aperture disposed in the fourth exterior side of the second housing and configured to receive the first tab; and

a second back side, wherein the second front side, second back side, third exterior side and fourth exterior side of the second housing define a second cavity in the second housing;

a second manually operated switch at least partially disposed with the second cavity of the second housing;

positioning the first wall-mounted electrical switch adjacent to the second wall-mounted electrical switch; and

inserting the first tab into the first slot aperture to couple the first wall-mounted electrical switch to the second wall-mounted electrical switch.