AU2017101192A4 - Method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer - Google Patents
Method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer Download PDFInfo
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- AU2017101192A4 AU2017101192A4 AU2017101192A AU2017101192A AU2017101192A4 AU 2017101192 A4 AU2017101192 A4 AU 2017101192A4 AU 2017101192 A AU2017101192 A AU 2017101192A AU 2017101192 A AU2017101192 A AU 2017101192A AU 2017101192 A4 AU2017101192 A4 AU 2017101192A4
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- dimmer
- mounting plate
- surface mounting
- plate structure
- controller
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Abstract
A method is disclosed of fitting a BluetoothTM wirelessly controllable light dimmer (50) to a wall surface (40) on which is mounted a surface mounting plate structure (10) connected to a non-wireless light controller (38), the controller being connected to a lighting electrical circuit by electric wires (46). The method includes detaching the surface mounting plate structure from the wall, disengaging the controller from that structure, disconnecting the electric wires from the light controller and connecting them to the dimmer, retrofitting the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure, and reattaching the surface mounting plate structure to the wall. 0 -20 20,- 50 26 26.2 28 26.1 52 32-. 26 2 6. 2 54 58 30 28 - - -- 22 16 16-.-3 FIG. 6 - ... - 44 3 8 - 3 0 1 - 5 2 64 56- -103 0 34 -16 -:.. 0,, 44 *.1
Description
1 2017101192 31 Aug 2017
AUSTRALIA
Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent
Invention Title: Method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer
The invention is described in the following statement: 2
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
It is known in recent times to use wireless controls for operating lights in domestic and commercial environments. A known form of wireless protocol is the Bluetooth™ protocol. Many smart phone mobile telephones are adapted to use this protocol. Thus, it would be advantageous if wireless control for operating lights, using the Bluetooth™ protocol, could be achieved using such mobile telephone devices.
However, even if it were possible to effect such wireless controls using such mobile telephone devices with the Bluetooth™ protocol, if it were desired to use such controls in an environment where wired (non-wireless) light control fittings already existed, this would necessitate the replacement of such fittings with suitable wireless fittings, or by passing the existing fittings. Such fittings typically include not just the light controllers (such as switches, dimmer devices, etc) but also wall mounting plates. Thus, the replacement of such entire fittings could involve undesirable costs, and the undesirable need to adapt existing screw-and bolt holes to accommodate new cover plates.
The bypassing of such fittings could result in undesirable redundancy of fittings or undesirable use of wall space by the bypassed fittings.
No reference to prior art in this specification is intended as, or to be construed as, any admission that the prior art constitutes part of the common general knowledge in Australia or anywhere else.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate disadvantages of the prior art or to provide a useful alternative thereto. 3
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer to a support surface on which is mounted a surface mounting plate structure forming part of a light control assembly that is not adapted to be wirelessly controlled, wherein the assembly includes a light controller which is connected to a lighting electrical circuit by electric wires, the light controller having controller engagement formations detachably engaging the light controller with the surface mounting plate structure, the light controller further including a controller actuator that protrudes at least partially through an aperture in the surface mounting plate structure, at least part of the aperture being complementarily shaped relative to the controller actuator, the method including: detaching the surface mounting plate structure from a surface on which the surface mounting plate structure is mounted; disengaging the controller engagement formations from the surface mounting plate structure to detach the light controller from the surface mounting plate structure; disconnecting the electric wires from the light controller; providing the dimmer, wherein the dimmer has dimmer engagement formations; connecting the electric wires to the dimmer; attaching the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure by engaging the dimmer engagement formations with the surface mounting plate structure such that the dimmer extends over the aperture; and reattaching the surface mounting plate structure to the surface.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dimmer includes a dimmer actuator which is shaped complementarily relative to at least a part of the aperture, and wherein the step of attaching the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure includes causing the dimmer actuator to protrude at least partially through the aperture. 4
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the light controller includes at least one of a light on-off switch and a light dimming device.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the step of attaching the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure, the positions of the dimmer engagement formations relative to the surface mounting plate structure correspond to the positions of at least a part of the controller engagement formations relative to the surface mounting plate structure when the controller engagement formations were detachably engaging the light controller with the surface mounting plate structure.,
Preferably, the wirelessly controllable light dimmer is wirelessly controllable via a Bluetooth™ wireless transmission protocol.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is schematic perspective view of a surface mounting plate structure for use in an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic side view, shown partially in section, of a surface mounting plate structure of Figure 1 to which is mounted a light control assembly, the surface mounting plate structure being mounted to a wall surface;
Figure 3 is a schematic front view of a wirelessly controllable dimmer for use in an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a view along line IV-IV in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is schematic perspective view, shown partially exploded, of the surface mounting plate structure of Figure 1, together with the dimmer of Figure 3; and
Figure 6 is schematic side view of the surface mounting plate structure and dimmer of Figure 5, together with a mobile telephone used to control the dimmer. 5
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings, there is shown a surface mounting plate structure 10 which includes an inner plate component 12 and a plate cover component 14.
The inner plate component 12 is rectangular in shape with rounded corners, and includes attachment formations 16 at its four corners, each of the attachment formations having an oblong bolt hole 18 extending through it.
The inner plate component 12 has, at its perimeter, plate perimeter walls 20, and a front wall 22 extending between those perimeter walls.
Towards a centre of the front wall 22, there is provided a rectangular inner plate aperture 24 which is surrounded by an inwardly projecting rectangular flange 26.
The flange 26, in each of its two side walls 26.1, defines a recess 28, with a rib, serving as a detent 30 extending across each of the recesses.
Similar recesses 28 and the detents 30 may be provided in upper and lower walls 26.2 and 26.3, respectively, of the flange 26 (these recesses and detents not being shown).
The plate cover component 14 has slightly larger outer dimensions than those of the inner plate component 12, so that when the plate cover component is engaged with the inner plate component, perimeter walls 32 of the plate cover component extend immediately adjacent to, and outside of, the inner plate perimeter walls 20, and so that a front wall 34 of the of the plate cover component is superimposed on the front wall 22 of the inner plate component, as shown, for example, in Figure 2.
Near the centre of the plate cover component front wall 34, there is a plate cover component aperture 36. This is of rectangular or square shape except for rounded corners. The plate cover component aperture 36 is aligned with the 6 inner plate aperture 24 when the plate cover component 14 is engaged with the inner plate component 12.
The plate cover component 14 is removably engaged with the inner plate component 12 by means of resilient engagement formations (not shown) on those two components.
The surface mounting plate structure 10 is used to mount a wired (non-wireless) light controller 38 to a support surface such as a wall 40.
According to one example, the light controller 38 includes an on/off switch for opening and closing an electric circuit (not shown) for controlling the operation of lights connected within that circuit. In particular, the light controller 38, according to this example, includes a housing 38.1, with a leading protrusion 38.2 extending from the housing, a tilt switch 38.3 being mounted on the leading protrusion, and the leading protrusion including controller engagement formations 38.4.
The leading protrusion is 38.2 shaped complementarily with respect to the rectangular inner plate aperture 24 and flange 26, such that the leading protrusion can be inserted as an easy fit, within the flange, so that the tilt switch 38.3 protrudes through the inner plate aperture 24, and plate cover component aperture 36. The tilt switch 38.3 is shaped complementarily relative to the plate cover component aperture 36 so that it substantially extends across the whole of that aperture.
In order for the light controller 38 to be mounted in relation to the wall 40 by means of the surface mounting plate structure 10, the leading protrusion 38.2 is received within the flange 26, with the controller engagement formations 38.4 being engaged with the detents 30 in the recesses 28.
Each of the controller engagement formations 38.4 is connected to the leading protrusion 38.2 by means of a resilient or flexible connection (not shown), so that when the leading protrusion 38.2 is inserted within the flange 26, each of 7 the controller engagement formations engages as a snap fit with the relevant detent 30.
The housing 38.1 is accommodated within a recess 42 within the wall 40, and the inner plate component 12 is attached to the wall by means of screws or bolts (not shown) which pass through the bolt holes 18 and into the wall, at the positions 44 shown in dashed lines in Figure 2.
With the light controller 38 mounted in relation to the wall 40 in this manner, the tilt switch 38.3 protrudes through the aligned inner plate aperture 24 and plate cover component aperture 36 as shown in Figure 2.
Electrical wires 46 are received within wire connection holes (not shown) in the light controller 38, where these wires are connected to contacts (also not shown) of the light controller 38. These wires 46 are connected to, and thus form part of, the electric circuit.
The present invention relates to a method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer 50 in relation to the wall 40, by retrofitting the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure 10. An important feature of the present invention, is that the dimmer 50 is wirelessly controllable via the Bluetooth™ protocol or similar wireless communication protocol.
The dimmer 50 includes a dimmer housing 52, a dimmer leading protrusion 54, a dimmer actuator in the form of a button 56, and wire holes 58.
The dimmer 50 further includes dimmer engagement formations 60 similar to the controller engagement formations 38.4 of the light controller 38.
As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, each of the dimmer engagement formations 60 includes a head 60.1 having a chamfered face 60.2, the head being joined to a resilient arm 60.3, with an open space 60.4 adjacent to the arm. 8
The spaces 60.4 adjacent to the dimmer engagement formations 60 allow each of the heads 60.1 to be urged inwardly towards the respective space 60.4, against the resilient bias of the relevant resilient arm 60.3.
In order to mount the dimmer 50 in relation to the wall 40, it is necessary to first remove the light controller 38. In order to achieve this, the surface mounting plate structure 10 is to be removed from the wall. Firstly, the plate cover component 14 is detached from the inner plate component 12, by pulling it off that component. This may be achieved with the assistance of a suitable tool such as a screwdriver, which can be slid between the edges of the plate cover component perimeter walls 32 and the wall 40.
Once the plate cover component 14 has been removed, the bolts or screws (not shown) holding the inner plate component 12 to the wall 40, as indicated at the positions 44, can be unscrewed from the wall.
This allows the assembly constituted by the inner plate component 12 and light controller 38 to be withdrawn from the wall 40. As this occurs, it will be appreciated that the electric wires 46 will be pulled by the light controller, so as to extend from the wall recess 42. Those wires 46 can then be disconnected from the light controller 38. The method of disconnection depends on the nature of connection between those wires 46 and the controller.
The light controller 38 itself can be pulled apart from the inner plate component 12. This will involve releasing the controller engagement formations 38.4 from the flange 26, by causing those formations to ride over the detents 30.
The wires 46 that have been removed from the light controller 38 can then be connected to the dimmer 50, by inserting the wires into the wire holes 58, and connecting the wires to the contacts (not shown) of the dimmer, within those holes. The method of connection depends on the nature of those contacts. For example, the contacts may be in the form of spring-loaded clips which are adapted to grip the wires 46, or may involve the presence of grub screws, which may be used to tighten the wires into engagement with the contacts. 9
Once the wires 46 are connected to the dimmer 50, the dimmer leading protrusion 54 can be inserted into the flange 26 in a similar manner to that in which the leading protrusion 38.2 of the light controller 38 was inserted within the flange, before being removed.
As the dimmer leading protrusion 54 is inserted within the flange 26, the heads 60.1 of the dimmer engagement formations 60 will come into contact with the detents 30 within the recesses 28 in the flange 26, and the chamfered faces 60.2 of those heads will ride over the detents, and then snap back into place, so as to snap-engaged within those recesses.
Resilient inward deflection of those heads 60.1 as the chamfered faces 60.2 ride over the detents 30 is permitted as a result of the spaces 60.4, as the resilient arms 60.3 can bend into those spaces.
Once the dimmer 50 has been attached to the inner plate component 12 as described, the inner plate component can be reattached to the wall 40, by means of the screws or bolts (not shown) that previously attached the inner plate component to the wall when the light controller 38 was mounted onto the inner plate component.
When the inner plate component 12, with the dimmer 50 attached to it, is reattached to the wall 40, the dimmer is accommodated within the wall recess 42 in the same manner in which the light controller 38 had been accommodated within that recess.
Once the inner plate component 12 is secured to the wall 40, the plate cover component 14 can be reattached to the inner plate component by pressing it onto that component.
As was the case with the tilt switch 38.3 of the light controller 38, the dimmer button 56 is shaped complementarily relative to the cover component aperture 36. Thus, when the dimmer 50 is engaged with the flange 26 and hence with the inner plate component 12 and the plate cover component 12 is attached to 10 the inner plate component as described, the dimmer button 56 protrudes through the inner plate aperture 24, and partially through the plate cover component aperture 36, and because of the complementary shapes of that button and latter aperture, the button extends across that aperture.
An important feature of the present invention is that it enables the retrofitting of a Bluetooth™ controllable wireless dimmer 50 on the existing surface mounting plate structure 10, where that mounting plate structure had been used to mount, to a wall, a light control, which was incapable of being wirelessly controlled, such as a light switch or dimmer.
The Bluetooth™ controllable dimmer 50, according to a preferred embodiment, is adapted to be controlled by means of a portable device such as a mobile telephone 62 on which is installed suitable software and hardware for sending Bluetooth™ signals 64 to the dimmer, which signals are detected by the dimmer, and which control the operation of the dimmer to enable it to adjust the brightness of lights connected to the electric circuit to which that dimmer is connected via the wires 46, as described above. The mobile telephone may even be used to send Bluetooth™ signals for fully breaking (opening) the circuit so as to cause the lights to be extinguished, or for closing the circuit to enable the lights to be eliminated.
The ability to retrofit the dimmer 50 to an existing surface mounting plate structure 10 is particularly advantageous, because, if it is desired to replace an existing non-wirelessly controllable light control with a Bluetooth™ controllable dimmer, it is only necessary to obtain the dimmer itself, and avoids the need to obtain or purchase a replacement surface mounting plate structure, or to adapt a newly obtained surface mounting plate structure to existing screw/bolt holes in a wall surface. This can save costs, which can be significant especially where it is desired to replace multiple existing light controllers with such Bluetooth™ controllable dimmers. It also avoids the need to dispose of surface mounting plate structures, which would be required if these are original ones that are no longer required after being replaced by new ones. 2017101192 31 Aug 2017 11
Although the invention is described with reference to particular embodiments above, it is not limited to those embodiments but may be embodied in other forms falling within the scope of the claims.
Claims (5)
1. A method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer to a support surface on which is mounted a surface mounting plate structure forming part of a light control assembly that is not adapted to be wirelessly controlled, wherein the assembly includes a light controller which is connected to a lighting electrical circuit by electric wires, the light controller having controller engagement formations detachably engaging the light controller with the surface mounting plate structure, the light controller further including a controller actuator that protrudes at least partially through an aperture in the surface mounting plate structure, at least part of the aperture being complementarily shaped relative to the controller actuator, the method including: detaching the surface mounting plate structure from a surface on which the surface mounting plate structure is mounted; disengaging the controller engagement formations from the surface mounting plate structure to detach the light controller from the surface mounting plate structure; disconnecting the electric wires from the light controller; providing the dimmer, wherein the dimmer has dimmer engagement formations; connecting the electric wires to the dimmer; attaching the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure by engaging the dimmer engagement formations with the surface mounting plate structure such that the dimmer extends over the aperture; and reattaching the surface mounting plate structure to the surface.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the dimmer includes a dimmer actuator which is shaped complementarily relative to at least a part of the aperture, and wherein the step of attaching the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure includes causing the dimmer actuator to protrude at least partially through the aperture.
3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the light controller includes at least one of a light on-off switch and a light dimming device.
4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, in the step of attaching the dimmer to the surface mounting plate structure, the positions of the dimmer engagement formations relative to the surface mounting plate structure correspond to the positions of at least a part of the controller engagement formations relative to the surface mounting plate structure when the controller engagement formations were detachably engaging the light controller with the surface mounting plate structure,
5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, the wirelessly controllable light dimmer is wirelessly controllable via a Bluetooth™ wireless transmission protocol.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2017101192A AU2017101192A4 (en) | 2017-08-31 | 2017-08-31 | Method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2017101192A AU2017101192A4 (en) | 2017-08-31 | 2017-08-31 | Method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2017101192A4 true AU2017101192A4 (en) | 2017-10-05 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2017101192A Active AU2017101192A4 (en) | 2017-08-31 | 2017-08-31 | Method of fitting a wirelessly controllable light dimmer |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2017101192A4 (en) |
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2017
- 2017-08-31 AU AU2017101192A patent/AU2017101192A4/en active Active
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FGI | Letters patent sealed or granted (innovation patent) | ||
| MK22 | Patent ceased section 143a(d), or expired - non payment of renewal fee or expiry | ||
| NA | Applications received for extensions of time, section 223 |
Free format text: AN APPLICATION TO EXTEND THE TIME FROM 31 AUG 2019 TO 30 APR 2020 IN WHICH TO PAY A RENEWAL FEE HAS BEEN FILED |
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| NB | Applications allowed - extensions of time section 223(2) |
Free format text: THE TIME IN WHICH TO PAY A RENEWAL FEE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 30 APR 2020 |