Battery-powered retrofit remote control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10147560-B2
Application number	US-201615386869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2012
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A remote control device may be configured to be mounted over the toggle actuator of a light switch and to control a load control device via wireless communication. The remote control device may include a base portion and a rotating portion supported by the base portion so as to be rotatable about the base portion. The remote control device may include a control circuit and a wireless communication circuit. The control circuit may be operably coupled to the rotating portion and to the wireless communication circuit. The control circuit may be configured to translate a force applied to the rotating portion of the remote control device into a control signal and to cause the communication circuit to transmit the control signal to the load control device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A remote control device configured to be mounted over an installed light switch, the light switch having a mechanical toggle actuator that extends through a faceplate of the light switch, the toggle actuator configured to control whether power is delivered to an electrical load, the remote control device comprising:
a control interface;
a base portion configured to support the control interface, the base portion configured to engage with the toggle actuator when the remote control device is mounted over the light switch;
a wireless communication circuit; and
a control circuit responsive to the control interface and communicatively coupled to the wireless communication circuit, the control circuit configured to, in response to actuation of the control interface, generate a control signal that causes an adjustment of an amount of power delivered to the electrical load, and transmit the control signal via the wireless communication circuit.

2. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the control interface is operably coupled to the base portion and moveable relative to the base portion.

3. The remote control device of claim 2 , wherein the control interface comprises an intensity adjustment actuator.

4. The remote control device of claim 3 , wherein the intensity adjustment actuator comprises a rotatable portion that is rotatable around the base portion.

5. The remote control device of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is configured to translate a force applied to the rotatable portion into the control signal.

6. The remote control device of claim 5 , wherein when the force is a rotational force, the control signal is indicative of changing the amount of power delivered to the electrical load.

7. The remote control device of claim 6 , wherein if the rotational force causes the rotatable portion to rotate a distance that does not exceed a predetermined distance, the control signal is indicative of changing the amount of power delivered to the electrical load by a predetermined amount.

8. The remote control device of claim 6 , wherein if the rotational force causes the rotatable portion to rotate a distance that exceeds a predetermined distance, the control signal is indicative of continuously changing the amount of power delivered to the electrical load.

9. The remote control device of claim 5 , wherein the rotatable portion is further operably coupled to the base portion such that the rotatable portion is resiliently biasable toward the base portion.

10. The remote control device of claim 9 , wherein when the force causes the rotatable portion to be biased toward the base portion, the control signal is indicative of power being applied to, or power being removed from, the electrical load.

11. The remote control device of claim 9 , wherein when the force causes the rotatable portion to be biased toward the base portion, the control signal is indicative of associating the remote control device with a load control device that is configured to control the amount of power delivered to the electrical load.

12. The remote control device of claim 5 , wherein the rotatable portion is configured to return to an idle position after the force is no longer applied to the rotatable portion.

13. The remote control device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a rotary encoder circuit that is configured to translate a rotational force applied to the rotatable portion into an input signal received by the control circuit.

14. The remote control device of claim 4 , wherein the rotatable portion comprises a disc-shaped front portion, and an annular side portion that extends rearward relative to the front portion.

15. The remote control device of claim 14 , wherein the rotatable portion is configured such that the side portion rotates independently from the front portion.

16. The remote control device of claim 15 , wherein the rotatable portion is configured such that the front portion remains in a fixed orientation relative to the base portion when the side portion is rotated around the base portion.

17. The remote control device of claim 15 , wherein the front portion is operably coupled to the base portion such that the front portion is resiliently biasable toward the base portion independently of the side portion.

18. The remote control device of claim 3 , wherein the intensity adjustment actuator comprises a slider that is configured to slide relative to the base portion.

19. The remote control device of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the amount of power delivered to the electrical load in response to an actuation of the intensity adjustment actuator.

20. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the base portion is configured to receive a portion of the toggle actuator.

21. The remote control device of claim 20 , wherein the base portion includes a friction spring that is configured to secure the toggle actuator within the base portion.

22. The remote control device of claim 21 , wherein the friction spring includes a plurality of fingers.

23. The remote control device of claim 20 , wherein the base portion defines a plurality of crush ribs configured to secure the toggle actuator within the base portion.

24. The remote control device of claim 20 , wherein the base portion is configured to attach to the toggle actuator using a mechanical fastener.

25. The remote control device of claim 20 , wherein the base portion is configured to attach to the toggle actuator using a set screw.

26. The remote control device of claim 20 , wherein the base portion is configured to attach to the toggle actuator using a camming clamp.

27. The remote control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply configured to power the wireless communication circuit and the control circuit.

28. The remote control device of claim 27 , wherein the power supply comprises a battery.

29. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the base portion is configured such that the toggle actuator is in an on position when the remote control device is mounted over the light switch.

30. The remote control device of claim 29 , wherein the base portion is configured to, when the remote control device is mounted over the light switch, deter operation of the toggle actuator from the on position.

31. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication circuit comprises a radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to transmit RF signals.

32. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the base portion is configured to deter movement of the toggle actuator when the control interface is actuated.

33. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the electrical load to turn on in response to an actuation of the control interface.

34. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the electrical load to turn off in response to an actuation of the control interface.

35. A remote control device configured to be mounted over an installed light switch, the light switch having a mechanical toggle actuator that extends through a faceplate of the light switch, the toggle actuator configured to control whet

Assignees

• Lutron Electronics Co

Inventors

• Swatsky Matthew J
• Dimberg Chris
• Majewski Timothy S
• Newman Robert C
• Raneri Daniel Curtis

Classifications

• H01H3/02 Primary

  Operating parts, i.e. for operating driving mechanism by a mechanical force external to the switch · CPC title

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B47/10

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• H01H2300/03

  Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring · CPC title

• Y04S20/14

  Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers · CPC title