Dimmer switch having an illuminated button and slider slot

A method of illuminating a slider slot of a wall-mounted dimmer switch to identify the location of said dimmer switch in a darkened room, said dimmer switch comprising a dimmer slider knob that is moveable between the ends of said slot, said method comprising the steps of:

• coupling said slider knob to a potentiometer contained interiorly of said dimmer switch via a slide member, said potentiometer offset laterally from said slot, such that said slide member is not visible in the portions of said slot which are unoccupied by said slider knob;
• illuminating a light source contained interiorly of said dimmer switch;
• and
• directing said light source towards the rear of said slot;
• wherein illumination is visible in the portions of said slot which are unoccupied by said slider knob.

A wall-mountable electrical load control structure for controlling the power to be applied to an electrical load, said load control structure comprising:

• a support frame having an elongated rectangular opening therein, said rectangular opening having a length which is greater than its width;
• an enclosure secured to and extending from the rear surface of said support frame;
• a cover plate secured to the front surface of said support frame, said cover plate having a centrally disposed rectangular opening;
• an elongated rectangular pushbutton having a translucent surface slidably received with respect to said elongated opening and passing through said rectangular opening in said cover plate and moveable perpendicularly to the plane of said cover plate;
• a switch mechanism supported in said enclosure and coupled to said elongated pushbutton, such that said pushbutton is operable to cause said switch mechanism to turn the power to said electrical load on and off in response to the operation of said pushbutton;
• a source of illumination supported behind said support frame and located adjacent said switch mechanism, said source of illumination electrically energized when the power to said electrical load is turned off;
• an actuator assembly operatively coupled between said pushbutton and said switch mechanism, at least a portion of said actuator assembly operable to transmit light from said source of illumination to said translucent surface portion of said pushbutton;
• a thin shroud extending from said frame and into said rectangular opening in said cover plate, said elongated rectangular pushbutton extending through and at least partly surrounded by said shroud, said shroud preventing the application of binding force to said rectangular pushbutton from the interior edges of said rectangular opening in said cover plate due to a lateral displacement of said cover plate relative to said frame;
• a variable-intensity control circuit coupleable to said electrical load;
• and
• a slider control for varying said intensity control circuit to control the amount of power delivered to said electrical load, said support frame having a vertical slot extending parallel to its said elongated opening and laterally spaced therefrom, said slider control comprising a shaft that extends perpendicularly through said slot and having an operating knob at its outer end and connected to said variable-intensity control circuit at its other end, said operating knob being enclosed on its outer side by a respective portion of said shroud.

A wall-mountable electrical load control structure for controlling the power to be applied to an electrical load, said load control structure comprising:

• a support frame having a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface defining an elongated rectangular opening therein, the rectangular opening having a length which is greater than its width;
• an enclosure secured to and extending from the rear surface of said support frame;
• a generally-flat cover late secured relative to the front surface of said support frame, said cover plate defining a plane and having a centrally disposed rectangular opening;
• an elongated rectangular pushbutton slidably received with respect to said elongated opening of said support frame and passing through said rectangular opening in said cover plate, said pushbutton moveable perpendicularly to the plane of said cover plate;
• a switch mechanism supported in said enclosure and coupled to said elongated pushbutton, such that said pushbutton is operable to cause said switch mechanism to turn the power to said electrical load on and off in response to the operation of said pushbutton;
• a source of illumination supported behind said support frame and located adjacent said switch mechanism, said source of illumination electrically energized when the power to said electrical load is turned off, said pushbutton having at least a translucent surface portion which is positioned to be illuminated by said source of illumination when said source of illumination is energized;
• and
• an actuator assembly operatively coupled between said pushbutton and said switch mechanism, at least a portion of said actuator assembly operable to transmit light from said source of illumination to said translucent surface portion of said pushbutton, said actuator assembly comprising a retainer and a return spring coupled between said retainer and said pushbutton to outwardly bias said pushbutton, said retainer operable to transmit light from said source of illumination to said translucent surface portion of said pushbutton.

A wall-mountable electrical load control structure for controlling the power to be applied to an electrical load, said load control structure comprising:

• a support frame having an elongated rectangular opening therein, said rectangular opening having a length which is greater than its width;
• an enclosure secured to and extending from the rear surface of said support frame;
• a cover plate secured to the front surface of said support frame, said cover plate having a centrally disposed rectangular opening;
• an elongated rectangular pushbutton having a translucent surface slidably received with respect to said elongated opening and passing through said rectangular opening in said cover plate and moveable perpendicularly to the plane of said cover plate;
• a switch mechanism supported in said enclosure and coupled to said elongated pushbutton, such that said pushbutton is operable to cause said switch mechanism to turn the power to said electrical load on and off in response to the operation of said pushbutton;
• a source of illumination supported behind said support frame and located adjacent said switch mechanism, said source of illumination electrically energized when the power to said electrical load is turned off;
• an actuator assembly operatively coupled between said pushbutton and said switch mechanism, at least a portion of said actuator assembly operable to transmit light from said source of illumination to said translucent surface portion of said pushbutton;
• and
• a thin shroud extending from said frame and into said rectangular opening in said cover plate, said elongated rectangular pushbutton extending through and at least partly surrounded by said shroud, said shroud preventing the application of binding force to said rectangular pushbutton from the interior edges of said rectangular opening in said cover plate due to a lateral displacement of said cover plate relative to said frame;
• wherein said actuator assembly comprises a retainer and a return spring coupled between said retainer and said pushbutton to outwardly bias said pushbutton, said retainer operable to transmit light from said source of illumination to said translucent surface portion of said pushbutton.

A control structure for an electrical circuit for controlling the power to be applied from an AC power source to an electrical system, said control structure comprising:

• a toggle button having a flat rectangular hollow plastic body and a translucent outer front surface;
• a support structure for supporting said toggle button for linear motion perpendicular to said front surface;
• an optically-conductive structure supported within said hollow plastic body of said toggle button, said optically-conductive structure having a first end surface facing an interior surface of said translucent outer top surface and a second end surface opposite to said first end surface;
• at least one light-emitting diode facing said second end surface for illuminating said second end surface whereby the light illumination on said second end surface is conducted to said first end surface to illuminate said translucent outer top surface;
• a circuit for energizing said at least one light-emitting diode when said electrical circuit is off;
• a switch mechanism supported in said enclosure and located adjacent said at least one light-emitting diode, said switch mechanism operatively coupled to said toggle button, such that actuations of said toggle button cause said switch mechanism to turn the power to said electrical system on and off;
• and
• an actuator assembly operatively coupled between said toggle button and said switch mechanism, said actuator assembly comprising a lens structure disposed adjacent said at least one light emitting for directing ht through said optically-conductive structure to more uniformly illuminate said translucent outer top surface, said actuator assembly comprising a retainer and a return spring coupled between said retainer and said pushbutton to outwardly bias said pushbutton, said retainer operable to transmit light from said source of illumination to said translucent surface portion of said pushbutton.