Actuator assembly for a wallbox dimmer
View Patent ↗A wall-mounted dimmer may include an actuator assembly configured to translate a touch interaction with the dimmer into a desired dimming level. The actuator assembly may include a control interface having a resilient, deflectable membrane, a plurality of force-sensitive impedance members supported by the membrane, and an actuator configured to transfer a touch along the actuator to the membrane, causing the membrane to actuate one or more corresponding force-sensitive impedance members. The force-sensitive impedance members may be configured to make contact with corresponding ones of a plurality of open circuit pads supported by a printed circuit board. Each of the plurality of open circuit pads may correspond to a predetermined dimming level applied to a lighting load electrically connected to the dimmer. The control interface may be configured such that contact between the force-sensitive impedance members and corresponding ones of the open circuit pads is pressure sensitive.
1. A load control device configured to control an amount of power delivered to an electrical load, the load control device comprising:
a plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members; and
an actuator that is operatively coupled to the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members,
wherein application of a force to the actuator causes actuation of at least one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members, and a control signal indicative of the amount of power delivered to the electrical load is generated.
2. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members comprise a plurality of activated carbon structures.
3. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members are arranged in a liner array.
4. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is elongate between a first end and an opposed second end, and
wherein applying the force along the actuator between the first and second ends corresponds to a continuous variation in the amount of power delivered to the electrical load by the load control device.
5. The load control device of claim 1 , further comprising a resilient, deformable membrane configured to support the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members.
6. The load control device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members are supported in a linear array by the deformable membrane.
7. The load control device of claim 5 , further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) supporting a plurality of electrical traces that define a plurality of open circuits, wherein each open circuit is configured to be closed by a corresponding one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members.
8. The load control device of claim 7 , wherein each open circuit corresponds to a power level delivered to the electrical load by the load control device.
9. The load control device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members are arranged in a first liner array and the plurality of open circuits are arranged in a second linear array that corresponds to the first linear array.
10. The load control device of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the deformable membrane is disposed between the actuator and the PCB.
11. The load control device of claim 7 , wherein the deformable membrane is configured to receive at least a portion of the PCB.
12. The load control device of claim 11 , wherein the deformable membrane is configured to surround at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the PCB.
13. The load control device of claim 11 , wherein when the at least a portion of the PCB is received in the deformable membrane, the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members are spaced from corresponding ones of the plurality of open circuits.
14. The load control device of claim 11 , wherein the actuator comprises a plurality of posts spaced apart from each other along a length of the actuator, such that each post is configured to make contact with a location on the deformable membrane that corresponds to one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members.
15. The load control device of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of posts is configured to cause a corresponding discrete force-sensitive impedance member to close a corresponding one of the plurality of open circuits.
16. The load control device of claim 15 , wherein when a corresponding one of the plurality of open circuits is closed, an output of the closed circuit is used to generate the control signal.
17. The load control device of claim 15 , wherein when respective first and second ones of the plurality of open circuits are closed substantially concurrently, closure of the first open circuit generates a first impedance and closure of the second open circuit generates a second impedance.
18. The load control device of claim 17 , wherein the magnitude of the control signal is based upon the first and second impedances.
19. The load control device of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of visual indicators, each visual indicator configured to illuminate in accordance with actuation of one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members.
20. The load control device of claim 19 , wherein each visual indicator corresponds to a power level delivered to the electrical load by the load control device.
21. The load control device of claim 19 , wherein the deformable membrane defines a plurality of lenses, each lens configured to focus light generated by a corresponding one of the plurality of visual indicators.
22. The load control device of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of visual indicators are oriented in a linear array, such that adjacent visual indicators are spaced apart from each other with at least one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members located there between.
23. A control interface configured for use with a load control device, the load control device configured to control an amount of power delivered to an electrical load, the control interface comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) having a plurality of open circuit pads thereon, each open circuit pad corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined power levels of the load control device;
a plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members spaced apart from each other; and
a resilient membrane configured to support the plurality of force-sensitive impedance members such that each of the plurality of force-sensitive impedance members is aligned with, and spaced from, a corresponding one of the plurality of open circuit pads,
wherein the membrane is configured to be selectively deformable such that when a force is applied to the membrane at a location between respective first and second ones of the plurality of force-sensitive impedance members, a control signal is generated that is indicative of a power level in between a first power level associated with a first open circuit pad and a second power level associated with a second open circuit pad.
24. The control interface of claim 23 , wherein the membrane is configured to support the plurality of force-sensitive impedance members in a linear array.
25. The control interface of claim 23 , further comprising an actuator configured to selectively deform the membrane.
26. The control interface of claim 25 , wherein the actuator comprises a plurality of posts, each of the plurality of posts configured to selectively deform a select location of the membrane that corresponds with one of the plurality of force-sensitive impedance members.
27. The control interface of claim 26 , further comprising a cradle configured to support the membrane and the actuator such that the plurality of posts are spaced from, and substantially aligned with, corresponding select locations of the membrane that correspond with the plurality of force-sensitive impedance members.
28. The control interface of claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of visual indicators, each visual indicator configured to illuminate in accordance with contact between one of the plurality of open circuit pads and a corresponding one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members.
29. The control interface of claim 28 , wherein each visual indicator corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined power levels of the load control device.
30. The control interface of claim 28 , wherein the membrane defines a plurality of lenses, each lens configured to amplify an amount of light generated by a corresponding one of the plurality of visual indicators.
31. The control interface of claim 30 , wherein the plurality of visual indicators are oriented in a linear array, such that adjacent visual indicators are spaced apart from each other with at least one of the plurality of discrete force-sensitive impedance members located there between.
32. A method of determining an amount of power to be delivered to an electrical load by a load control device, the method comprising:
receiving, at a controller of the load control device, a control signal indicative of an open circuit pad being contacted by a force-sensitive impedance member; and
determining, by the controller, the amount of power based upon the control signal.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the control signal is further indicative of a second open circuit pad being contacted by a second force-sensitive impedance member.