Dimmer switch system with secondary switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10211015-B2
Application number	US-201715477261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A dimmer switch system electrically connected between a power source and a load includes a primary housing including a primary switch actuatable by a user, a processor structured to change a state of the dimmer switch based on actuation of either the primary switch or the secondary switch, and a secondary switch isolation circuit. The dimmer switch system also includes a secondary housing including a secondary switch actuatable by the user and being electrically connected to the power source. The secondary switch isolation circuit is electrically connected between the secondary switch and the processor, the secondary switch isolation circuit including an optocoupler and being structured to isolate the processor from the power source and to provide a signal to the processor based on a state of the secondary switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dimmer switch system electrically connected between a power source and a load, the dimmer switch system comprising:
a primary housing including:
a primary switch actuatable by a user;
a processor structured to change a state of the dimmer switch based on actuation of either the primary switch or a secondary switch; and
a secondary switch isolation circuit;
a secondary housing including:
the secondary switch actuatable by the user and being electrically connected to the power source,
wherein the secondary switch isolation circuit is electrically connected between the secondary switch and the processor, the secondary switch isolation circuit including an optocoupler and being structured to isolate the processor from the power source and to provide a signal to the processor based on a state of the secondary switch.

2. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , wherein the signal provided to the processor has a high state when the secondary switch is closed and a low state when the secondary switch is opened.

3. The dimmer switch system of claim 2 , wherein in the high state the signal provided to the processor is within a range of about 2.7V to about 3.3V and in the low state the signal provided to the processor is below 1V.

4. The dimmer switch system of claim 3 , wherein the signal provided to the processor reaches the high state within less than 100 ms after the secondary switch is closed and the signal provided to the processor reaches the low state within less than 50 ms after the secondary switch is opened.

5. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , wherein the optocoupler includes an input electrically coupled to the power source and an output electrically coupled to the processor, and wherein the secondary switch isolation circuit includes a resistor and a capacitor electrically connected in series between the output of the optocoupler and ground.

6. The dimmer switch system of claim 5 , wherein the resistor has a resistance of about 100Ω and the capacitor has a capacitance of about 10 μF.

7. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply structured to convert alternating current from the power source to direct current power,
wherein the optocoupler is structured to use the direct current power from the power supply.

8. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , wherein the dimmer switch is electrically connected to the power source via a line conductor and a neutral conductor, and wherein the secondary switch is electrically connected to the neutral conductor.

9. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary switch isolation circuit is structured to receive alternating current power from the power source, and wherein the secondary switch isolation circuit includes a rectifier electrically coupled to an input of the optocoupler that is structured to half-wave rectify the alternating current power.

10. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a relay electrically connected between the power source and the load,
wherein the processor is structured electrically control the relay to open and close, and
wherein electrically controlling the relay to close changes the state of the dimmer switch to an on state and electrically controlling the relay to open changes the state of the dimmer switch to an off state.

11. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dimmer mechanism operable by a user; and
a dimmer control circuit structured to provide a dimming function based on operation of the dimmer mechanism.

12. The dimmer switch system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a zero-crossing isolation circuit including a second optocoupler and being structured to isolate the processor from the power source and to provide a zero-crossing signal to the processor based on power received from the power source.

13. The dimmer switch system of claim 12 , wherein the zero-crossing isolation circuit is structured to receive alternating current power from the power source, and wherein the zero-crossing isolation circuit includes a rectifier electrically coupled to an input of the second optocoupler that is structured to half-wave rectify the alternating current power.

14. The dimmer switch system of claim 13 , wherein the zero-crossing isolation circuit is structured to provide a square-wave corresponding to the half-wave rectified alternating current power.

15. The dimmer switch system of claim 14 , wherein the square-wave has a peak value of about 3.3V.

16. A dimmer switch comprising:
a primary switch actuatable by a user;
an input structured to be electrically connected to a secondary switch actuatable by the user, the secondary switch being electrically connected to the power source;
a processor structured to change a state of the dimmer switch based on actuation of either the primary switch or the secondary switch; and
a secondary switch isolation circuit electrically connected between the secondary switch and the processor, the secondary switch isolation circuit including an optocoupler and being structured to isolate the processor from the power source and to provide a signal to the processor based on a state of the secondary switch.

17. The dimmer switch of claim 16 , wherein the signal provided to the processor has a high state when the secondary switch is closed and a low state when the secondary switch is opened.

18. The dimmer switch of claim 17 , wherein in the high state the signal provided to the processor is within a range of about 2.7V to about 3.3V and in the low state the signal provided to the processor is below 1V.

19. The dimmer switch of claim 16 , wherein the optocoupler includes an input electrically coupled to the power source and an output electrically coupled to the processor, and wherein the secondary switch isolation circuit includes a resistor and a capacitor electrically connected in series between the output of the optocoupler and ground.

20. The dimmer switch of claim 16 , wherein the dimmer switch further comprises:
a zero-crossing isolation circuit including a second optocoupler and being structured to isolate the processor from the power source and to provide a zero-crossing signal to the processor based on power received from the power source.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Zhong Kevin
• Murahari Saivaraprasad
• El-Gayyar Ahmed

Classifications

• H05B39/044 Primary

  continuously (H05B39/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B47/10

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• H01H47/007 Primary

  with galvanic isolation between controlling and controlled circuit, e.g. transformer relay · CPC title

• H05B37/0209

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B20/00

  Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps · CPC title