Load control device having an illuminated rotary knob

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11515827-B2
Application number	US-202017071532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2020
Priority date	Oct 15, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A wall-mountable load control device may include an illuminated rotary knob for providing a nightlight feature. The load control device may be configured to control an intensity of a lighting load. The load control device may include a yoke adapted to be mounted to an electrical wall box, an enclosure attached to the yoke, a faceplate attached to the yoke and having an opening, a mounting member attached to the yoke, and/or a potentiometer located within the enclosure and having a shaft extending through an opening in the yoke and the opening of the faceplate. The load control device may include a collar attached to the boss of the mounting member and surrounding the shaft of the potentiometer. The mounting member may be configured to conduct light from at least one light source housed within the enclosure to illuminate the faceplate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wall-mountable load control device configured to control an intensity of a lighting load, the load control device comprising:
a yoke adapted to be mounted to an electrical wall box;
an enclosure attached to the yoke;
a faceplate attached to the yoke and having an opening;
a mounting member attached to the yoke and having an attachment portion extending through the opening of the faceplate;
a potentiometer located within the enclosure and having a shaft extending through an opening in the yoke and the opening of the faceplate;
a rotary knob having a planar surface and a circular sidewall extending from a periphery of the planar surface to form a cavity in the rotary knob, the rotary knob comprising a shaft-attachment member located within the cavity and attached to the shaft of the potentiometer;
a collar attached to the attachment portion of the mounting member and surrounding the shaft of the potentiometer; and
at least one light source configured to illuminate at least a portion of the collar,
wherein the collar is received in the cavity of the rotary knob when the rotary knob is attached to the shaft of the potentiometer, and
wherein light emitted by the at least one light source is directed through a gap between the rotary knob and a front surface of the faceplate.

2. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion comprises at least one boss extending through the opening of the faceplate.

3. The load control device of claim 2 , wherein the collar is configured to be attached to the at least one boss via a screw received through an opening in a tab of the collar and an opening in the boss of the mounting member.

4. The load control device of claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board located within the enclosure, wherein the at least one light source is mounted to the printed circuit board.

5. The load control device of claim 4 , wherein the potentiometer extends from a middle portion of the printed circuit board.

6. The load control device of claim 5 , wherein the mounting member comprises a light pipe structure that extends proximate to a top and bottom of the potentiometer to the at least one light source mounted to the printed circuit board.

7. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion comprises compliant members that extend through the opening of the faceplate, each of the compliant members comprising a ratcheting surface.

8. The load control device of claim 7 , wherein the ratcheting surface of the compliant members comprises a plurality of teeth and the collar comprises a pair of tabs extending from an inner surface of the collar, the tabs configured to engage adjacent teeth of the plurality of teeth of a respective compliant member to attach the collar to the mounting member.

9. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the mounting member is configured to conduct the light emitted by the at least one light source to illuminate at least the portion of the collar.

10. The load control device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one light source is housed within the enclosure, and wherein the mounting member further comprises a light pipe structure configured to extend proximate to a top and bottom of the potentiometer to the at least one light source to conduct light emitted by the at least one light source to illuminate at least the portion of the collar.

11. The load control device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one light source is mounted to a printed circuit board located within the enclosure.

12. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the rotary knob comprises a visible indicator configured to be illuminated by the light emitted by the at least one light source.

13. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the collar comprises an opaque portion and a translucent portion, the mounting member configured to conduct the light emitted by the at least one light source housed within the enclosure to illuminate the translucent portion of the collar.

14. The load control device of claim 13 , wherein the light emitted by the at least one light source is configured to illuminate the front surface of the faceplate.

15. A wall-mountable load control device configured to control an intensity of a lighting load, the load control device comprising:
a yoke adapted to be mounted to an electrical wall box;
an enclosure attached to the yoke;
a faceplate attached to the yoke and having an opening;
a mounting member attached to the yoke and having an attachment portion extending through the opening of the faceplate;
a potentiometer located within the enclosure and having a shaft extending through an opening in the yoke and the opening of the faceplate;
a rotary knob having a planar surface and a circular sidewall extending from a periphery of the planar surface to form a cavity in the rotary knob, the rotary knob comprising a shaft-attachment member located within the cavity and attached to the shaft of the potentiometer; and
a collar attached to the attachment portion of the mounting member and surrounding the shaft of the potentiometer,
wherein the collar is received in the cavity of the rotary knob when the rotary knob is attached to the shaft of the potentiometer.

16. The load control device of claim 15 , wherein the attachment portion comprises at least one boss extending through the opening of the faceplate.

17. The load control device of claim 16 , wherein the collar is configured to be attached to the at least one boss via a screw received through an opening in a tab of the collar and an opening in the boss of the mounting member.

18. The load control device of claim 15 , wherein the attachment portion comprises compliant members that extend through the opening of the faceplate, each of the compliant members comprising a ratcheting surface.

19. The load control device of claim 18 , wherein the ratcheting surface of the compliant members comprises a plurality of teeth and the collar comprises a pair of tabs extending from an inner surface of the collar, the tabs configured to engage adjacent teeth of the plurality of teeth of a respective compliant member to attach the collar to the mounting member.

20. The load control device of claim 15 , wherein the mounting member is configured to conduct light from at least one light source housed within the enclosure to illuminate one or more of the rotary knob or the faceplate.

21. The load control device of claim 20 , wherein the mounting member further comprises a light pipe structure configured to extend proximate to a top and bottom of the potentiometer to the at least one light source to conduct the light from the at least one light source to illuminate the faceplate.

22. The load control device of claim 21 , wherein the light pipe structure is configured to direct the light through a gap between the rotary knob and the faceplate.

23. The load control device of claim 20 , wherein the rotary knob comprises a visible indicator configured to be illuminated by the light from the at least one light source.

24. The load control device of claim 15 , wherein the collar comprises an opaque portion and a translucent portion, the mounting member configured to conduct light from at least one light source housed within the enclosure to illuminate the translucent portion of the collar.

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Altonen Gregory S
• Dimberg Chris
• Mcdonald Matthew P
• Bhate Nikhil V
• Michalski Rebecca

Classifications

• H02P27/08 Primary

  with pulse width modulation · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H02P25/184

  wherein the motor speed is changed by switching from a delta to a star, e.g. wye, connection of its windings, or vice versa · CPC title

• H01H19/115

  using molded elastic parts only · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title