Traditional-opening dimmer switch having a multi-functional button

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

• a cover plate which contains a rectangular opening therein;
• a support frame supporting a rectangular control button which is coupleable to said electrical system and manually movable for toggling said electrical system on and off in response to operation of said rectangular control button;
• a power control actuator fixed relative to said cover plate and coupleable to and manually operable to control the power applied to said electrical system;
• a linear illumination array disposed along the center of the surface of said rectangular control button and electrically energized from said electrical system to produce a visual output along its length which is related to the amount of power transmitted to said electrical system in response to an actuation of said power control actuator;
• an air-gap switch adapted to be coupled in series with said electrical system and comprising a flexible switch leaf contact movable into and out of engagement with a cooperating contact and biased toward engagement with said cooperating contact;
• an air-gap shaft located behind said cover plate and operable to contact said air-gap switch to open said air-gap switch;
• and
• an air-gap lever located behind said cover plate and coupled for pivotal motion between said rectangular control button and said air-gap shaft;
• wherein said rectangular control button comprises a push pull button slidably mounted with respect to said support frame and operable to be manually pressed in a first direction toward said cover plate to turn said electrical system on and off, and to be manually pulled in a second direction away from said cover plate, said air-gap shaft operable to open said air-gap switch when said rectangular control button is pulled away from said cover plate in said second direction, said first and second directions defining a first axis of travel, said air-gap shaft moving along a second axis of travel parallel to and offset from said first axis to operate said air-gap switch.

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

• a cover plate which contains a rectangular opening therein, said rectangular opening having a length and a width;
• a first rectangular depressible push-pull control button disposed adjacent one side of the length of said rectangular opening in said cover plate, said first button filling said length of said rectangular opening and about one half the width of said rectangular opening in said cover plate, said first button operable to be manually pressed toward said cover plate and pulled away from said cover plate along a first axis of travel to turn said electrical system on and off;
• a second rectangular depressible power-increase button coupled to said electrical system to increase the power applied to said electrical system;
• a third depressible rectangular power-decrease button coupled to said electrical system to decrease the power applied to said electrical system, said second and third buttons being stacked atop one another within the remaining half of the width of said rectangular opening in said cover plate and extending for said length of said rectangular opening, whereby said first, second and third buttons fill the full surface of said rectangular opening in said cover plate;
• a support frame supporting said first, second, and third buttons;
• an air-gap switch connected in series with said electrical system, said air-gap switch comprising a flexible switch leaf contact movable into and out of engagement with a cooperating contact and biased toward engagement with said cooperating contact;
• and
• an operating mechanism located behind said cover plate and connected between said air-gap switch and said first button, said operating mechanism including a shaft operable to travel along a second axis of travel and to contact said air-gap switch to open said air-gap switch, said operating mechanism further comprising a centrally pivoted lever having a first end coupled to said first button and a second end connected to said shaft, whereby the shaft is movable along a second axis of travel to separate said leaf contact from said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pulled out by said user and to permit said leaf contact to press into contact with said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pushed in by the user;
• wherein said second axis of travel is parallel to and offset in an orthogonal direction from said first axis of travel.

An operating mechanism for an air-gap switch in a wall-mounted load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, said load control device comprising a yoke for mounting said load control device to a standard electrical wall-box, said air-gap switch adapted to be coupled in series between said AC power source and said electrical load, said air-gap switch comprising a flexible switch leaf contact movable into and out of engagement with a cooperating contact and biased toward engagement with said cooperating contact, said operating mechanism comprising:

• a push-pull button slidably mounted with respect to said yoke and extending beyond said yoke of said load control device, said push-pull button operable to be pressed inward or pulled outward by a user along a first axis of travel;
• a centrally pivoted lever located behind said yoke and having a first end coupled to said push-pull button and a second end;
• and
• a cam located behind said yoke and connected to said second end of said lever, said cam being movable along a second axis of travel to separate said leaf contact from said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pulled out by said user and to pen it said leaf contact to press into contact with said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pushed in by said user;
• wherein said second axis of travel is parallel to and offset in an orthogonal direction from said first axis of travel.

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

• a toggle button having a rectangular hollow plastic body with a translucent outer top surface;
• a support structure for supporting said toggle button for linear motion between first and second positions related to switch on and switch off positions;
• a light pipe structure supported within said hollow plastic body of said toggle button, said light pipe 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;
• and
• a circuit for energizing said at least one light-emitting diode when said electrical circuit is off;
• wherein said light pipe comprises a plurality of spaced pipes which merge together at said first end surface of said light pipe, each of said pipes merging with one another over a concave curvature selected to increase the uniformity of illumination of said first end surface.

A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, said load control device comprising:

• a yoke for mounting said load control device to a standard electrical wall-box;
• a controllably conductive device operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between said AC power source and said electrical load, said controllably conductive device having a control input for controlling said controllably conductive device between a non-conductive state and a conductive state;
• an air-gap switch coupled in series electrical connection with said controllably conductive device, said air-gap switch operable to electrically connect said AC power source and said electrical load through said controllably conductive device when said air-gap switch is in a closed state and operable to provide an air-gap break between said AC power source and said electrical load when said air-gap switch is in an open state;
• said air-gap switch comprising a flexible switch leaf contact movable into and out of engagement with a cooperating contact and biased toward engagement with said cooperating contact;
• a controller operatively coupled to said control input of said controllably conductive device for controlling said controllably conductive device between said non-conductive state and said conductive state;
• a control actuator adapted to be provided in an opening of a traditional-style faceplate and to extend beyond a front surface of said faceplate, said controller operable to control the amount of power delivered to said electrical load in response to an actuation of said control actuator, said control actuator further coupled to said air-gap switch to control said air-gap switch between said closed state and said open state;
• a visual display provided on a front surface of said actuator, said controller operable to control said visual display to display a representation of the amount of power being delivered to said electrical load;
• and
• said control actuator comprising a push-pull button slidably mounted with respect to said yoke and extending beyond said yoke of said load control device, said push-pull button operable to be pressed inward or pulled outward by a user along a first axis of travel;
• further comprising:
• a centrally pivoted lever located behind said yoke and having a first end coupled to said push-pull button and a second end;
• and
• a cam located behind said yoke and connected to said second end of said lever, said cam being movable along a second axis of travel to separate said leaf contact from said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pulled out by said user and to permit said leaf contact to press into contact with said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pushed in by said user;
• wherein said second axis of travel is parallel to and offset in an orthogonal direction from said first axis of travel.

A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, said load control device comprising:

• an actuator having a front surface and adapted to be provided in an opening of a traditional-style faceplate;
• and
• a status indicator lens provided on said front surface of said actuator, said status indicator lens providing a linear array of status indicators located on said front surface of said actuator;
• a plurality of spaced light sources mounted inside said load control device;
• and
• a plurality of light pipes received within said actuator and forming a light pipe structure, said light pipe structure having a first end surface facing an interior surface of said front surface of said actuator and a second end surface opposite to said first end surface;
• said light pipes operable to conduct the light from each of said plurality of light sources to said front surface of said actuator, said light pipes coupled to said status indicator lens via a plurality of concave curvatures;
• wherein said plurality of spaced light pipes merge together at said first end surface, each of said pipes merging with one another over a concave curvature selected to increase the uniformity of illumination of said first end surface;
• wherein said load control device is operable to control the amount of power delivered to said load in response to an actuation of said actuator.

A light pipe structure for conducting light from a plurality of discrete sources, said light pipe structure comprising:

• a continuous front surface;
• a plurality of spaced light pipes coupled to said continuous front surface, such that said light pipes are each operable to conduct the light from one of said discrete sources to the front surface;
• said light pipes form a light pipe structure having a first end surface facing an interior surface of said front surface and a second end surface opposite to said first end surface,
• wherein said light pipes are coupled to said front surface via a plurality of concave structures and said light pipe structure provides optical coupling between said light pipes to provide a diffusion of the light from said discrete sources at said front surface;
• wherein said plurality of spaced light pipes merge together at said first end surface of said light pipe structure, each of said pipes merging with one another over a concave curvature selected to increase the uniformity of illumination of said first end surface.

A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, said load control device comprising:

• a yoke for mounting said load control device to a standard electrical wall box,
• a controllably conductive device operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between said AC power source and the electrical load, said controllably conductive device having a control input for controlling said controllably conductive device between a non-conductive state and a conductive state;
• an air-gap switch coupled in series electrical connection with said controllably conductive device and operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between said AC power source and said electrical load, said air-gap switch operable to electrically connect said AC power source and said electrical load through said controllably conductive device when said air-gap switch is in a closed state and operable to provide an air-gap break between said AC power source and said electrical load when said air-gap switch is in an open state;
• said air-gap switch comprising a flexible switch leaf contact movable into and out of engagement with a cooperating contact and biased toward engagement with said cooperating contact;
• a controller operatively coupled to said control input of said controllably conductive device for controlling said controllably conductive device between said non-conductive state and said conductive state;
• and
• a control actuator adapted to be provided in an opening of a traditional-style faceplate and to extend beyond a front surface of said faceplate, said control actuator comprising a push-pull button slidably mounted with respect to said yoke and extending beyond said yoke of said load control device, said push-pull button operable to be pressed inward or pulled outward by a user along a first axis of travel;
• said controller operable to control the amount of power delivered to said electrical load in response to a first inward actuation of said control actuator, said control actuator further coupled to said air-gap switch to control said air-gap switch between said closed state and said open state in response to a second outward actuation of said control actuator, said second actuation characterized by a greater force and a greater displacement of said control actuator than said first actuation;
• said load control device further comprising:
• a centrally pivoted lever located behind said yoke and having a first end coupled to said push-pull button and a second end;
• and
• a cam located behind said yoke and connected to said second end of said lever, said cam being movable along a second axis of travel to separate said leaf contact from said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pulled out by said user and to permit said leaf contact to press into contact with said cooperating contact when said push-pull button is pushed in by said user;
• wherein said second axis of travel is parallel to and offset in an orthogonal direction from said first axis of travel.