Membrane touch dimmer
OwnerMichael Ostrovsky, Yun Wu +3inventors
InventorsMichael Ostrovsky, Yun Wu, Jenkin Hua, Alfred Lombardi, William Ross
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Abstract
There is disclosed a two wire touch operated dimmer controlled by a membrane potentiometer. Adjusting the DC potential on the membrane potentiometer changes the output potential to a load. In many prior art touch operated dimmers controlled by membrane potentiometers, there is no isolation between the line power and the DC voltage on the membrane potentiometer. Thus, if the membrane is damaged, a user will be exposed to a ground current and possible shock when the membrane is touched. This invention avoids the above noted unsafe condition by employing a high frequency generator and a ground fault current limiting circuit which includes resistors.
Claims15
A touch operated dimmer for controlling the voltage to a load comprising:
- a high frequency generator;
- a resonant circuit including the potentiometer of a membrane potentiometer wherein the resonant circuit is tuned to the same frequency as the high frequency generator when a ground leakage current above a defined level is not present on the membrane potentiometer and wherein the voltage passed by said resonant circuit from said membrane potentiometer is determined by the position on the membrane of the membrane potentiometer touched by a user and the frequency to which the resonant circuit is tuned.
The touch operated dimmer for controlling the voltage to a load of claim 10 wherein the dimmer is a two-wire dimmer.
A touch operated dimmer for controlling the voltage to a load comprising a membrane potentiometer having a potentiometer;
- one end of said potentiometer is coupled to a first resistor;
- the other end of said potentiometer is coupled to a second resistor;
- the junction of said first resistor and said potentiometer is coupled to a controller through a third resistor
- wherein said first and second resistors limit the ground leakage current on the membrane potentiometer.
A touch operated dimmer for controlling the voltage to a load comprising a membrane potentiometer having a potentiometer;
- one end of said potentiometer is adapted to be coupled to a source of DC potential through a first diode in series with a first resistor;
- the other end of said potentiometer is coupled through a second diode in series with a second resistor to a ground;
- the junction of said first diode and said first resistor is coupled to a controller through a third diode in series with a third resistor
- wherein said first and second resistors limit the ground leakage current on the membrane potentiometer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.