Dimmer

Abstract

The invention relates to a dimmer having a housing (10) in which a dimmer controller is located, wherein an actuating element (14) and a rotary actuator (20) are provided on a front side of the housing. The dimmer controller can be used to set a minimum or maximum possible degree of dimming.

Description

[0001] dimmer

[0002] The present invention relates to a dimmer according to the preamble of claim 1, comprising a housing in which a dimmer control is located, wherein an actuating element is arranged on a front side of the housing with which a desired dimming level of the dimmer control can be set. A rotary control is also provided on the front side of the housing with which a minimum and maximum possible dimming level can be set.

[0003] Such a dimmer is known from the prior art and serves to dim a load connected to the dimmer, for example, a light source. The operating element can be, for example, a rotary control or a rocker switch with a push button; capacitive push buttons or other operating elements are also possible. In all cases, the operating element has two end positions, corresponding to a minimum and a maximum dimming level. In the case of a push button, for example, the end position of the minimum possible dimming level is reached when the button is pressed until the brightness no longer changes. Similarly, the end position of the maximum possible dimming level is reached when the maximum brightness is reached after pressing the button. Between these two end positions, the operating element can therefore be used to adjust between minimum brightness ("left stop") and maximum brightness ("right stop").

[0004] The operating element can also switch the dimmer on and off, for example, via a built-in push button or by briefly pressing a momentary switch. Since malfunctions can occur with lamps from different manufacturers near their respective end positions, i.e., near maximum or minimum brightness, a rotary control, such as a potentiometer, is provided on the front of the housing to adjust the minimum and maximum dimming levels. Prior art designs use an additional component, such as a microswitch, for setting the minimum and maximum dimming levels, which increases the dimmer's manufacturing costs.

[0005] It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop a dimmer according to the preamble of claim 1 in such a way that its manufacturing costs are reduced while maintaining the same functionality.

[0006] This problem is solved by the features of claim 1 and in particular by the fact that the dimmer control is designed such that activation of the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level requires that the actuating element is in an end position.

[0007] According to the invention, an additional component can be dispensed with, since the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level is not activated by actuating an additional component, but by the actuating element being moved to an end position (left stop or right stop).

[0008] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the description, the drawing and the dependent claims.

[0009] According to a first advantageous embodiment, activating the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level may additionally require that the rotary control has been rotated by a predetermined angle. In order to set a minimum or maximum possible dimming level in this embodiment, the actuating element must first be moved to one of its two end positions, after which the rotary control must be rotated by a predetermined angle. This activates the setting of a minimum or maximum possible brightness value, so that this value can be selected as desired by turning the rotary control.By looking at the connected light source, the user has direct control and can set a desired minimum or maximum brightness level without needing or having to operate any further operating element (button, switch or the like).

[0010] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the dimmer control can be designed such that the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level by the rotary control is terminated after a predetermined time has elapsed, once the position of the rotary control has no longer been changed. In this embodiment, the ability to adjust the minimum or maximum possible dimming level is therefore deactivated if the rotary control has not been moved for a certain period of time (for example, a few seconds) (timeout).

[0011] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the dimmer control can alternatively or additionally be designed such that the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level by the rotary control is terminated when the actuating element has been moved away from its end position.

[0012] According to a further aspect of the present invention, this relates to a method for setting a minimum or maximum possible dimming level with a dimmer of the type described above, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) switching on the dimmer, b) moving the actuating element to an end position, c) rotating the rotary control by a predetermined angle of rotation, d) setting the desired minimum or maximum possible dimming level with the rotary control, e) saving the set dimming level in the dimmer control.

[0013] In this method, saving can again be achieved by moving the actuating element away from its end position, and / or by not changing the rotary control for a predetermined time.

[0014] The present invention is described below by way of example with reference to an advantageous embodiment and the accompanying drawings. These show:

[0015] Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a dimmer; and

[0016] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the front of a dimmer.

[0017] Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a dimmer with a housing 10 containing a dimmer control (not shown in detail). The housing 10 is provided with a front panel 12 in a manner known per se, wherein an actuating element 14 is arranged on the front of the housing 10 and thus also on the front of the front panel 12, with which a desired dimming level of the dimmer control can be set. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuating element 14 is a rotary knob that can be attached to a shaft of a potentiometer, which is part of the dimmer control.

[0018] As further shown in Fig. 1, a trim frame 16 and a cover 18 can be provided between the actuating element 14 and the front panel 12 or the housing 10. The housing 10 can be anchored in a wall opening, masonry opening, flush-mounted box, or the like. A rotary control 20 (Fig. 2), for example in the form of a potentiometer, is also provided on the front of the housing 10 or on the front of the front panel 12, with which a minimum and maximum possible dimming level of the dimmer control can be set.

[0019] Fig. 2 shows a top view of a dimmer of the type described above, showing only the cover 18 in front of which the actuating element 14 is located. The rotary control 20 is shown in Fig. 2 for illustrative purposes; however, in the illustrated embodiment, it is located behind the cover 18 and is thus situated on the front of the housing 10 or the front panel 12, and is concealed by the cover 18. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotary control 20 can only be operated by removing the cover 18.

[0020] The actuating element 14 shown in Fig. 2 is again a rotary knob which has a left end position L and a right end position M, these two end positions corresponding to a minimum and a maximum brightness or a minimum or maximum dimming level.

[0021] To set a desired minimum dimming level using the rotary control 20, the actuator 14 must first be moved to its left end position L. The rotary control 20 must then be turned by a predetermined angle (for example, 2 to 3 degrees). This activates the setting for the minimum possible dimming level, and the desired minimum brightness can be set by turning the rotary control 20. The user can simultaneously monitor this brightness via the connected light source. When the actuator 14 is subsequently moved away from its left end position L, the previously set dimming level is saved and temporarily stored in a buffer within the dimmer control.To set the maximum possible dimming level, the actuating element 14 is moved to its right end position M, whereupon the rotary control 20 must again be rotated by a predetermined angle so that the desired maximum possible dimming level can be set. The adjustment can also be ended by either moving the actuating element 14 or by leaving the rotary control 20 in a position where it is not moved for a predetermined period of time.

Claims

Claims 1. Dimmer with a housing (10) in which a dimmer control is located, wherein an actuating element (14) is arranged on a front of the housing (10) with which a desired dimming level of the dimmer control can be set, wherein a rotary control (20) is provided on the front of the housing (10) with which a minimum and maximum possible dimming level can be set, characterized in that the dimmer control is designed such that activation of the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level requires that the actuating element (14) is in an end position (L, M).

2. Dimmer according to claim 1, characterized in that activation of the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level requires that the rotary control (20) has been adjusted by a predetermined rotation angle.

3. Dimmer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dimmer control is designed such that the setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level by the rotary control (20) is terminated after a predetermined time has elapsed, after the rotary control has no longer been changed.

4. Dimmer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dimmer control is designed such that a setting of a minimum or maximum possible dimming level by the rotary control (20) is terminated when the actuating element (14) has been moved away from its end position.

5. Dimmer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a single rotary control (20) and no microswitch is provided on the front of the housing (10).

6. Method for setting a minimum or maximum possible dimming level with a dimmer according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps: a) switching on the dimmer, b) moving the actuating element (14) to an end position, c) rotating the rotary control (20) by a predetermined angle of rotation, d) setting the desired minimum or maximum possible dimming level with the rotary control (20), e) saving the set dimming level in the dimmer control.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the saving is carried out by moving the actuating element (14) away from its end position (L, M).

8. Method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the saving is carried out by not changing the rotary controller (20) for a predetermined time.

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