FR3013890A1 - SWITCH FOR FLEXIBLE CABLES THAT CAN BE OPERATED EITHER BY HAND, FOOT OR BY ANY OTHER DIRECT OR DIRECT HUMAN PHYSICAL ACTION - Google Patents

Abstract

A switch for flexible cables (200) in a separate envelope for mounting on a flexible power cable and comprising at least one physical actuator and a radio communication module (211), the switching state of said switch being controlled by actuating the physical actuator or receiving remote control signals (213) via the radio communication module (211).

Description

The invention relates to a flexible cable switch (also known as a "cord switch") which can be operated by hand, foot or any other direct human action or remote action. either by hand, by foot or by any other direct human physical action or at a distance. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, intended for home automation applications. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Home automation is an industry that is rapidly growing. Wireless home automation solutions are increasingly sought after, because they have the major advantage of being able to be implemented without having to carry out major renovation work and that, moreover, they have now reached a stage where they are both reliable and affordable. The control and control of lighting is one of the main areas of application of home automation. Home automation is also applicable to other types of control and control of residential technical functions, such as heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning, control of openings (doors, windows, blinds and shutters), presence detection or other alarm detections (smoke, fire, flood, etc.). In addition, home automation can be used to control and control other residential equipment such as audiovisual systems, watering the garden or houseplants or feeding pets. Home appliance manufacturers already offer quite a number of lighting-related equipment such as single or multiple remote-controlled pull-outs, wireless wall switches, switch inserts and remotely controlled bulb holders. . Many electrical equipment (lighting or other) are equipped with a switch attached to their power cord: this is called a switch on flexible cables or switch cord. Flexible cable switches are commonly used to turn on and off non-fixed lamps, such as bedside lamps or table lamps. Their use has become so widespread that the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has drafted and implemented additional specifications specifically for flexible cable switches. This is the additional standard NF EN 61058-2-1 which defines the special requirements that supplement or modify the provisions of the general standard applicable to all switches for household appliances (NF EN 61058-1).

A problem arises, however, as soon as one seeks to integrate in a domotized system a lamp equipped with a switch cord. Indeed, if said switch is left in place and one of the domotic lighting control devices currently available on the market, such as a remote-controlled pull-out socket, the lamp will be controlled and controlled by the home automation system. only as long as the cord switch is in the "on" position. If the cord switch is in the "off" position, the electrical power to the lamp will then be controlled by the home automation system only to the cord switch, but not beyond it to the lamp bulb.

It is therefore desirable to invent an affordable solution that solves this problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is provided a switch for flexible cables in a separate envelope intended to be mounted on a flexible power supply cable, comprising at least one physical actuator and a radio communication module, the state of said switch being controlled either by actuating the physical actuator or receiving remote control signals via the radio communication module.

In a preferred embodiment, the physical actuator is adapted to be actuated by hand, foot or by any other human physical action. According to a complementary aspect, the switch for flexible cables concerned comprises an electric relay switch which can on receipt of a control signal enable or disable the supply of flexible output cables by means of an electrical control signal. The flexible cable switch concerned may further comprise a power supply module connected to at least one input power cable, the power of said input cable making it possible both to power an electrical appliance attached to a power supply. output power cable, as well as directly or indirectly supplying at least one of the following modules belonging to the switch: a monitoring and control module, a signal generator, a radio transceiver and the relay switch mentioned above.

The flexible cable switch concerned may therefore comprise a signal generator providing a signal each time the physical actuator is actuated. The flexible cable switch concerned may further comprise a monitoring and control module controlling the state of the electrical relay switch and generating a control signal, said control signal being generated either following the physical actuation of the actuator is the reception of the remote control signal. The radio transceiver may be configured to receive, and demodulate radio signals transmitted from a remote device operating in the same radio frequency, the radio transceiver may also be configured to transmit, modulate and transmit received signals from the radio transceiver. monitoring and control module to the remote device. The monitoring and control module is preferably configured to be reprogrammed remotely from a remote device (remote control or control terminal) belonging to the same radio network and to be able to receive and send signals under the radio communication protocol used by the monitoring and control module. According to another aspect of the invention, a different control signal is generated according to the specific manner in which the physical actuator of the switch has been actuated in terms of maneuvering and repetition time (as the first telegraphs electric). According to an additional aspect of the invention, one or more messages are generated by the monitoring and control module and transmitted to the radio transceiver for transmission to one or more remote devices when said module receives one or more control signals. predefined. A message may be used to trigger a specific change in the status of a predetermined set of real or virtual remote devices with which the relevant soft-wire switch has been paired or associated. Remote commands can be implemented using a radio communication protocol, such as WiFi®, ZWave® or ZigBee °.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A better understanding of the embodiments of the present invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and from the following drawings, in which: Figure 1a is an exterior view from above the soft-wire switch object of the invention, which can be either manually operated or remotely controlled by radio; - Figure 1b is an external view of the underside of the switch for 5 flexible cables object of the invention; FIG. 2 gives an example of an electro-electrical architecture for implementing the switch for flexible cables that is the subject of the invention; Figures 3a, 3b and 3c illustrate different ways of controlling the soft-wire switches object of the invention that have been paired or associated in a radio network using the same communication protocol under the same radio frequency. DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1a and 1b provide exterior views from above and below of an example of a switch 100 for flexible cables object of the invention. In the example which is described below, said cord switch can be either manually operated or remotely controlled. The invention relates to a switch for flexible cables, namely a switch which is - or is intended to be - mounted directly cut-off on a power cord of an electrical appliance to be controlled. In this description, a "switch for flexible cables" designates a device that corresponds to the definition given for this term in article 3.3.101 of standard NF EN 61058-2-1: 2011. The definition in the NF standard is "a switch in a separate envelope for connection to an [electrical] power supply and / or to an apparatus or equipment by means of a flexible cable (s)". This definition is supplemented by a note which states that "the flexible cable (s) may enter the switch envelope in any direction and may be aligned with the envelope." It is understood that the terms "for flexible cable (s)" and "on cord" used above are interchangeable. The invention relates to both detachable and non-removable flexible cable switches, as provided for in articles 3.5.101 and 3.5.102 of the current NF EN 610582-1 Standard: 2011. In a preferred embodiment of the invention , the cord switch 100 is removable and comprises a two-part insulating outer shell (or shell) 106, 107. In this example, said two parts can be assembled by means of a screw inserted in a hole 104. Two terminals fasteners 102 and 103 are used for connection of an incoming power supply cable 201 and an outgoing power supply cable 220, said cables being for example AC dual-wire power cables. In a preferred embodiment, the shell is dimensioned such that the cord switch 100 can be held in the hand when connected to power cables. The dimensions of the cord switch according to the invention can be chosen small enough so that its appearance is consistent with that of an ordinary cord switch. The cord switch 100 comprises a physical actuating member 101 for manually operating safely at least one switching element forming part of the electronic circuit of the switch. The electronic circuit mentioned above is inside the insulating envelope and is therefore not shown in Figures la and 1b.

The physical actuator 101 may be used both for on / off switching of the apparatus powered by the electrical cable on which the cord switch is attached and for actuating one or more other radio-controlled devices to which it has been matched or associated. In one embodiment of the invention, the physical actuator is a push button.

A key feature of the invention is that the cord switch 100 can be operated either manually, such as a conventional pull cord switch, or by radio remote control. The flexible cable switch subject of the invention can be substituted for the conventional cord switch found on many existing lighting fixtures, such as table lamps, desk lamps or bedside lamps. The switch for flexible cables object of the invention can be installed in exactly the same way a switch on conventional cord, which is within the reach of all DIYers because requiring no special tools and no specific training. Similarly, a detachable flexible cable switch object of the invention can easily replace a conventional cord switch in terms of size and ease of physical use (for example manual) while being remotely controllable by radio.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the size and shape of the affected cord switch and the type of physical actuator may be altered so that the switch can be actuated by other human physical means, such as example by being placed on the ground and operated by the foot.

FIG. 2 presents an example of an electro-electrical architecture for implementing the switch for flexible cables that is the subject of the invention. The architecture illustrated 200 comprises several functional modules, namely a power supply module 202, a signal generator 203 connected to the physical actuator 101, a monitoring and control module 204, an electrical relay switch 205 and a radio transceiver 211 connected to an antenna 212. Physically, these different functional modules can be combined into one or more electronic subassemblies.

The power supply module 202 is connected to a power supply, for example a two-wire electrical cable for alternating currents 201, and indirectly to the output cable 220. In a preferred embodiment, the current supplied by the power supply can be used. simultaneously to power the output cable and the other modules. The power supply module 202 transmits the alternating current via the connections 222 to the electrical relay switch 205 and separately generates the various power supplies 206, 207, 208, 221 in order to power the other modules 203, 204, 205, 211. At this point, Indeed, converters such as AC / DC rectifiers and / or voltage converters may be necessary. The electrical relay switch 205 switches the input power provided by the cable 201 and the connections 222 and turns on or off the power of the output cable 220 as a result of receiving the control signal 210 generated by the monitoring module and Alternatively, other energy sources such as batteries, can be used to power the other modules 203, 204, 205, 211.

As previously mentioned, the switch for flexible cables object of the invention can be operated manually or by remote control. When the physical actuator 101 is actuated, the signal generator 203 emits a signal 209 for the module for monitoring and control Module 204. The monitoring and control module 204 is primarily intended to control the electrical relay switch 205 by generating the control signal 210 which controls the starting or stopping of the current flowing through the electrical relay switch 205 to the output cable 220. To do this, it takes into account either the control signals 209 (physically triggered ) or the radio control signals 213 that it receives indirectly from one or more remote organs (remote controls or control terminals). The radio control signals 213 are received and demodulated by the radio transceiver 211, which transmits them to the monitoring and control module 204 which in turn decodes and processes them. To do this, the monitoring and control module 204 must have been embedded (have been programmed to use them) one or more radio communication protocols, which include for example protocols such as WiFi®, ZWave® or ZigBee ®.

The remote control signals 213 are radiofrequency signals transmitted by a remote device (remote control or control terminal) which operates on the same radio frequency as the radio transceiver 211 and uses the same communication protocol as that which the monitoring and control module 204 is able to encode and decode. A signal from the remote control is a binary signal that can be decoded to indicate for example whether a remote user wants to enable or disable the switch for flexible cables object of the invention. The radio transceiver 211 may also be responsible for modulating and transmitting signals transmitted and encoded by the monitoring and control module 204 (using one of the on-board radio communication protocols) to one or more remote devices (remote controls or control terminals) which are part of the same radio network as the cord switch 100 and which are capable of decoding at least one of the radio communication protocols used by the monitoring and control module 204. To return to the manual operation of the physical actuator 101, different signals 209 are generated and sent to the monitoring and control module 204 depending on how the physical actuator has been actuated physically. The simplest example is the distinction to be made between a short press (for example less than 0.5 seconds) and a long press (greater than 0.5 seconds) on the pushbutton connected to the operating member. In general, the monitoring and control module 204 has been programmed so that upon receiving a signal 209, it generates a signal 210 toggle the electrical relay switch 205 to turn on or off the relay. current passing to the output cables 3013 890 10 220. Thus, if the state of the electric relay switch 205 is "on", it will switch to "off" upon receipt of a signal 210 and vice versa. it was on "off" before receiving a signal 210. According to a complementary aspect, when the monitoring and control module 204 receives a signal 209 following the actuation of the physical actuator, said module can be programmed so that a me ssage 223 is also generated and transmitted for modulation and transmission to the radio transceiver 211, so that it can be received by one or more remote devices (including other string switches object of the invention) which have been programmed for this purpose. In one embodiment of the invention, the monitoring and control module 204 may be programmed in such a way that the various signals 209 it receives cause the generation, transmission and transmission of different messages 223. In the previous example of short support and long press, a short press may cause the message 223 resulting in a change of status of a set of remote devices with which the cord switch object of the invention would have been matched or otherwise associated; while a long press would have a similar effect but on a different set of remote devices or even a different effect on the (even) first set of remote devices or any combination of these alternatives. The monitoring and control module 204 comprises a microprocessor 230 which can be programmed and, if necessary, reprogrammed. In one embodiment of the invention, the reprogramming of the microprocessor 230 can be implemented remotely by radio. Figures 3a, 3b and 3c illustrate different possibilities for remote control of switches on cords paired with each other. Figure 3a shows a network configuration in which three cord switches 300, 301 and 302 objects of the invention were paired or associated. In such a configuration, if the physical actuator of one of the given cord switches is manipulated in a certain manner, said cord switch will send a signal which will cause a change in the state of one and / or the other of the two other switches. It should be noted that once set up, this configuration does not need to operate any additional device, such as a remote control or a control terminal, since the manually operated cord switch acts indeed. as a remote control vis-à-vis the other two switches. The term "remote control" as used to describe Figures 3b and 3c means a mobile remote control device - generally hand held - remote control devices as opposed to fixed remote control devices for remote control. which will be used the term "control terminal", in particular with reference to Figure 3c. Figure 3b shows a network configuration, wherein three cord switches 300, 301 and 302 objects of the invention as well as a separate radio remote control 303 have been paired or associated. The ability to manually actuate a cord switch in a specific manner results in a change not only in its own state, but also in the state of either of the other two cord switches. remains unchanged. However, in addition, the remote device (remote control or control terminal) may send one or more radio frequency signals to one or more of the three cord switches 300, 301 and 302 so as to change their state individually (and in various ways) or collectively. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many variations exist to implement this aspect of the invention. Figure 3c shows a network configuration that includes three corded switches 300, 301 and 302 objects of the invention, a separate radio remote control 303 and a control terminal 304. The control terminal 303 is a device that can be used to configure and remotely controlling a plurality of devices in a radio communication network (such as a home automation network), operable over one or more radio frequencies using a variety of communication protocols and which can be included in a local computer network and thereby access - and be accessible through - the Internet. Several corded switches 300, 301 and 302 of the invention can be controlled and / or reconfigured directly from such a control terminal 304. As indicated above, the various configurations described are only examples and the man It will be appreciated by the art that many variations exist to implement the various aspects of the invention.

Certain embodiments of the invention can be used in a wide variety of applications and contexts, where remote switching of an electrical apparatus equipped with a cord switch is desired.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS1- Switch for flexible cables in a separate envelope (100, 200) intended to be mounted on a flexible power cable, characterized in that it comprises at least one physical actuator (101) and a radio communication module (211), the state of said switch being controlled either by actuating the physical actuator or receiving remote control signals (213) through the radio communication module (211). 2- switch for flexible cables according to claim 1, wherein the physical actuator (101) is adapted to be operated by hand, foot or by any other human physical action. A flexible cable switch according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an electrical relay switch (205) which can turn on or off the supply of flexible output cables (201) by means of an electrical control signal ( 210). The flexible cable switch according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a power supply module (202) connected to at least one input power cable (201), the power of said input cable (201) for supplying an electrical apparatus connected to the flexible output cables (201) as well as supplying directly or indirectly at least one of the following modules belonging to the switch: a monitoring and control module (204), a signal generator (203), an electrical relay switch (205) and a radio transceiver (211). A flexible cable switch according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a signal generator (203) providing a control signal (209) whenever the physical actuator (101) is actuated. The flexible cable switch according to claim 5, comprising a monitoring and control module (204) controlling the state of the electrical relay switch (205) by generating an electrical control signal (210), said electrical control signal (210) being generated either as a result of the control signal (209) or when receiving the remote control signal (213). The flexible cable switch according to claim 4, wherein the radio transceiver (211) is configured to receive and demodulate radio signals transmitted by a remote device operating in the same radio frequency, the transceiver. radio (211) is also configured to transmit, modulate and transmit signals received from the monitoring and control module (204) to the remote device. The flexible cable switch according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the monitoring and control module (204) is configured to be remotely reprogrammed from a remote device, such as a remote control terminal or a remote control, forming part of the same radio network and capable of receiving and sending signals using the same communication protocol as that of the monitoring and control module (204). The flexible cable switch of claim 5, wherein a different control signal (209) is generated depending on the specific manner in which the physical actuator has been actuated in terms of maneuvering and repetition time. The soft-wire switch of claim 9, wherein one or more messages (223) are generated by the monitoring and control module (204) and transmitted to the radio transceiver (211) for transmission to one or more a plurality of remote devices when said module receives one or more predefined control signals (209). The soft-cable switch of claim 10, wherein a message (223) is used to remotely trigger a specific change in the status of a specific set of real or virtual devices with which said switch has been paired or associated. 12-switch for flexible cables according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote controls are implemented using a radio communication protocol, such as Wi-Fi®, Z-Wave® or ZigBee® .