GB2447430A

GB2447430A - Status indicator for an electrical input device

Info

Publication number: GB2447430A
Application number: GB0705089A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy Daniel Maddison-Ward
Original assignee: COUNTY SECURITY SERVICES Ltd
Current assignee: COUNTY SECURITY SERVICES Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-16
Filing date: 2007-03-16
Publication date: 2008-09-17
Also published as: GB0705089D0

Abstract

A device consists of a square body 10 of transparent plastics which, in use, is sandwiched between a user operated magnetic card operated switch and its mounting box on a door with an electric lock. The body has a through passage 12 in which a circuit board 26 connected to the switch is located. The circuit board 26 carries two red LEDs 28 and two green LEDs 30 which are lit when the door is, respectively, locked and unlocked, as indicated by the card operated switch. The light from the illuminated pair of LEDs is visible around the edge of the body to show the state of the switch to a user.

Description

ILLUMINATION DEVICE

The present invention relates to illumination devices for use in connection with electrical input devices which are switchable between at least two different operative states.

A known type of electrical input device, with which an illumination device of the present invention can be used, is one which receives an input either from a user, for example by way of a magnetic card, or, in some cases, from a remote source by way of an electrical signal, in either case in order to be switched between first and second operative states. The input device may be used, for example, for controlling a door which is arranged to be, respectively, locked and unlocked in the first and second operative states of the input device.

More specific examples of this type of electrical input device are various kinds of access control products, door controllers, card and fob readers and ID devices operated, for example, by cards or fobs, sometimes incorporating a chip.

One particular such device is a PAC OneProx Vandal Reader available from PAC of Stockport, Cheshire 8K6 2SZ, 13K.

A problem which arises with the use of such a device, and often generally with electrical input devices to which the invention relates, is that, in use, there is no clear visual indication of the operative state of the device. This leads to difficulties in use, for example in the case of the particular device described above, that it is not clear whether the door controlled by the device is locked or not.

This is a particular problem when, for example, a user has to pass through the door carrying or pushing something.

With a view to overcoming the stated problem, the present invention provides an illumination device for use in combination with an electrical input device which is switchable in response to an operator stimulus between at least two different operative states, the device comprising: a body which is shaped to interfit with a said electrical input device, and illumination means including source means of visible light and control means for connection to a said electrical input device; wherein at least a portion of the body is formed from light-Lransmitting material; the light source means is positioned to illuminate the light transmitting portion of the body; and the control means is able to produce at least two different modes of illumination of the illumination means in response to input from the electrical input device in response to respective different operative states of the device, whereby the mode of illumination is indicative of the operative state of the electrical input device.

Advantageously, the light-transmitting body portion extends over at least a portion, and preferably substantially all, of the periphery of the body.

The body could be formed from any suitable light-transmitting material but is conveniently formed substantially from transparent plastics material.

Preferably, to provide the shaping to interfit with the electrical input device, the body has first and second interface surfaces for, respectively, mounting of the device and fitting to a mount, for example a wall box, for the device. One or both surfaces may be shaped to interfit with device or the mount, respectively, or may be plain for a flush fit.

Advantageously, the first and second interface surfaces are substantially parallel to each other.

Conveniently, the body has a through-passage extending between the interface surfaces.

Preferably, the body has a planar form of relatively small thickness compared with its surface area perpendicular thereto. The shape in plan is conveniently square or rectangular.

Conveniently, the different modes of illumination are different colours of visible light, for example red and green.

The modes could however be, for example, a steady and a flashing light.

Advantageously, the light source means comprise at least one respective LED for each mode of illumination. Other possible light source means are, for example, incandescent bulbs or photoluminescent or electroluminescent devices.

Preferably, the light source means are located in recesses in the body.

Conveniently, the control means comprise components mounted on a circuit board attached to the body. The control means could alternatively be remote from the device and be connected by wires or otherwise.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the body of the input device is planar and small in thickness compared with its area perpendicular thereto, the body having a through passage around at least part of the periphery of which a circuit board on which components comprising the control means are mounted and in which periphery there are at least two recesses in each of which light source means for respective different colours of visible light are located, the light source means being components of the circuit and extending into the recesses from at least one edge of the circuit board.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an illumination device according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line Il-Il of figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line 111-111 of figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of a circuit board of the device of figure 1, shown separated therefrom; and Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of a control circuit of the device of figure 1.

Figure 1 shows an illumination device body 10 which is formed from a transparent plastics material, for example an acrylic resin. The body 10 is square in shape, except for rounded corners. Its sides are approximately 104 mm long.

The thickness is about 7 mm. The body 10 has a rectangular opening 12 which measures approximately 66 mm by 47 mm. The body 10 further has first and second parallel flat interface surfaces 14, 16. The first interface surface 14 has a continuous groove 18 of 3 mm width 2 mm depth which extends around the periphery of the body 10. Four 9 mm holes 20, the centres of which are located at the corners of a square pass through the body 10 adjacent its corners. The rectangular opening 12 is formed along both its longer sides and one of the shorter sides with a ledge 22 which is 3 mm wide and 2 mm deep, the purpose of which will be described below. In each longer side of the opening 12 there is a pair of U-shaped cut-outs 24 which open into the opening 12. The purpose of these will also be described below.

Figure 4 shows a U-shaped circuit board 26 which, in the assembled device, is seated on the ledge 22 formed around the three sides of the opening 12. The components mounted on the circuit board 26 include two red LEDs 28 and two green LEDs 30. Each of these LEDs projects from an edge of the circuit board 26 to be located in a respective one of the four cut-outs 24 in the longer sides of the rectangular opening 12.

Three flyleads 32 are connected to the circuit board in order to provide an electrical connection to the electrical device with which the illumination device is to be used.

The electrical components mounted on the printed circuit board 20 form a circuit which is shown in figure 5 of the drawings. The mode of operation of this circuit is as follows.

The control circuit of figure 5 includes the red LEDs 28 and the green LEDs 30 which visually indicate the operative state of the electrical device. The three flyleads 32 connect to the circuit as shown. A signal indicating the status of the card reader is delivered to the circuit 36 via the lead 32b. The lead 32a forms a 12V input line 32a and the lead 32c a OV input line.

The LED pairs 28, 30 connect to the OV supply line 32c through field effect transistors Qi and Q2 respectively. The gate of Ql is connected to the control input 32b through resistor R5, and the gate can be pulled high (l2V) through resistor RB. The gate of Q2 is connected to the drain of Q2 through resistor R6, and the gate can be pulled high (l2V) through resistor R7. In this arrangement only one of the transistors can be saturated at a time, meaning that only one pair of LEDs can be illuminated at once.

Use of the illumination device will now be described.

This description will be in the context of an electrically-operated door which is controlled by an electrical input device which is operable by a magnetic ID card or fob. A standard mounting box for mounting of the electrical input device may be provided adjacent the door, for example in a wall. The device may he located between the standard mounting box and the electrical device. Alternatively, the illumination device may be a flush fit with the wall surface, as the electrical device would itself be in the absence of the illumination device. In either case, the groove 18 in the illumination device provides a recess to receive the walls of the magnetic input device. The holes 20 are positioned to receive the standard mounting bolts passing between the input device and the mounting box. The flyleads 32 are first connected appropriately to the input device. The magnetic input device is then mounted on the mounting box, when provided, with the illumination device 10 sandwiched between the input device and the mounting box, by use of the standard mounting bolts which pass through the holes 20 in the device 10. The illumination device will now protrude about 3 mm beyond the periphery of the electrical device, all around the periphery. This need not be the case however and the protrusion could be more, less or zero. In operation, the input device is switched between a "locked" condition and an "unlocked" condition when the door or other entry means which it controls is respectively locked and unlocked. When in the unlocked condition, the green LEDs 30 will be illuminated signifying that, in this condition, the transparent plastic body of the device will be illuminated with green light which will show as a halo around the periphery of the device. Upon switching of the device into its other condition, the red LEDs 28 will be illuminated and the device will display red light around its periphery thus leading much more readily to identification of the respective state of the device.

These effects are achieved by operation of the control circuit as follows. In the steady state, the control input is held at logic 1 (l2V), indicating that the door is locked. In this condition the gate of Ql is held high so that Ql is on and such that the gate of Q2 is held low, thereby illuminating red LED pair 28 only. When the input device is activated, the door lock is released and the control input 32b changes state to logic 0 (OV). In this condition the gate of Ql is held low thereby turning Qi off and so the gate of Q2 is held high turning Q2 on and thereby illuminating green LED pair 30 only.

Of course, the LEDs may be replaced by any suitable form of electrical illumination device, and the transistors Ql, Q2 could be replaced by any other suitable electrically controlled switching device.

Claims

B

ClAIMS: 1. An illumination device for use in combination with an electrical input device which is switchable in response to an operator stimulus between at least two different operative states, the device comprising: a body which is shaped to interfit with a said electrical input device, and illumination means including source means of visible light and control means for connection to a said electrical input device; wherein at least a portion of the body is formed from light-transmitting material; the light source means is positioned to illuminate the light transmitting portion of the body; and the control means is able to produce at least two different modes of illumination of the illumination means in response to input from the electrical input device in response to respective different operative states of the device, whereby the mode of illumination is indicative of the operative state of the electrical input device.
2. An illumination device according to claim 1, in which the light-transmitting body portion extends over at least a portion of the periphery of the body.
3. An illumination device according to claim 2, in which the light-transmitting portion extends over substantially all of the periphery of the body.
4. An illumination device according to any preceding claim, in which the body is formed substantially from transparent plastics material.
5. An illumination device according to any preceding claim, in which the body has first and second interface surfaces for, respectively, mounting of a said input device and fitting to a mount for the device.
6. An illumination device according to claim 5, in which the first and second interface surfaces are substantially parallel to each other.
7. An illumination device according to claim 5 or 6, in which the body has a through-passage extending between the interface surfaces.
8. An illumination device according to any of claims to 7, in which the body has a planar form of relatively small thickness compared with its surface area perpendicular thereto.
9. An illumination device according to any preceding claim, in which the different modes of illumination are different colours of visible light.
10. An illumination device according to claim 9, in which the light source means comprise at least one respective LED for each mode of illumination.
11. An illumination device according to claim 9, in which the light source means are located in recesses in the body.
12. An illumination device according to any preceding claim, in which the control means comprise components mounted on a circuit board attached to the body.
13. An illumination device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.