TWI666971B - Load control device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a load control device that allows an operator to easily adjust the operation level of a load to a desired value. The load control device (10) includes an operation section (20) and a control section (30). The operation section (20) includes an operation surface (200) for the operator to operate the load (60), and a touch sensor (24) for measuring an operator's motion on the operation surface (200). The control unit (30) performs the first control when the action measured by the touch sensor (24) is the first action, and the action measured by the touch sensor (24) is different from the first action The second control is executed when the second action is performed. Both the first control and the second control are controls for changing the operation level of the load (60). The unit of change of the operation level of the load (60) of the second control is larger than the unit of change of the operation level of the load (60) of the first control.

Description

Load control device

This disclosure relates generally to a load control device (Load Control Device), and more specifically, to a load control device that adjusts an operation level of a load.

Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-187920) discloses a switch device having an operation unit and a switch body. The operation unit includes a touch sensor section having three operation areas (upper operation area, middle operation area, and lower operation area) arranged one above the other. The control unit turns on and off the switching elements that supply and cut off the power to the lighting load from the external power source according to the detection result of the touch sensor unit. In particular, when the operation area is touched, the control unit turns on (or turns off) the switching element to turn on (or turn off) the lighting load. When the control section operates the area on the touch operation while the lighting load is lit, the phase control switch element increases the dimming level of the lighting load. When the control section operates the area under a touch operation while the lighting load is on, the phase controls the switching element to reduce the dimming level of the lighting load.

The switching device (load control device) of Document 1 can change the dimming level (the operating level of the load) of the lighting load by touching the upper operation area or the lower operation area with touch. However, in Document 1, when the upper operation area or the lower operation area is touch-operated, the control unit changes the phase angle by only one step. Therefore, in order to adjust the operation level of the load to a desired value, it may be necessary to perform touch operations of the upper operation area or the lower operation area many times.

The subject of the present disclosure is to provide a load control device that allows an operator to easily adjust the operation level of a load to a desired value.

The load control according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an operation unit and a control unit. The operation unit includes: an operation surface on which the operator operates the load; and a touch sensor that measures the movement of the operator on the operation surface. The control unit performs the first control when the motion measured by the touch sensor is a first motion, and the control motion measured by the touch sensor is different from the first motion. The second control is performed during the second action. The first control and the second control are controls for changing the operation level of the load. The unit of the action level change of the load of the second control is larger than the unit of the action level change of the load of the first control.

1. Embodiment 1.1 Structure FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit structure of a load control device (load control switch) 10 according to this embodiment. The load control device 10 controls the load 60 by electric power from the AC power source 50. In particular, the load control device 10 has a function of adjusting the operation level of the load 60. In this embodiment, the AC power source 50 is a commercial AC power source (for example, single-phase 100 [V], 60 [Hz]). The load 60 is a lighting load. For example, the load 60 includes a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) elements and a power supply circuit for lighting the plurality of LED elements. In this embodiment, the operation level of the load 60 is a dimming level corresponding to the light output (brightness) of the load 60.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the load control device 10 includes an operation section 20, a control section 30, and a mounting frame 40.

The mounting frame 40 is used to install the load control device 10 on a building material (such as a wall of a building). As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting frame 40 has a rectangular frame shape with a rectangular opening 41. The mounting frame 40 includes a pair of parallel side panels 42 and 42 and a pair of mounting panels 43 and 43 connecting end portions of the pair of side panels 42 and 42. The pair of side pieces 42 and 42 respectively have a pair of mounting holes 420 and 420 aligned in the longitudinal direction at a central portion in the longitudinal direction. The mounting hole 420 is used to mount the control portion 30 on the mounting frame 40. The mounting frame 40 is fixed to the building material using mounting pieces 43 and 43. Therefore, by mounting the frame 40, the load control device 10 can be installed on the building material.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operation unit 20 includes a circuit block 21 and a main body portion 22 that houses the circuit block 21.

The circuit block 21 includes a substrate 23. The substrate 23 is a rectangular printed wiring board. The substrate 23 has tabs 230 and 230 on both sides in the width direction orthogonal to the long direction (upper and lower directions in FIG. 4). The protruding pieces 230 and 230 are not aligned on a straight line in the width direction of the substrate 23. In addition, the substrate 23 has through holes 231 and 231 penetrating the protruding pieces 230 and 230 in the thickness direction, respectively.

The circuit block 21 includes a touch sensor 24 and a display section 25 (see FIG. 1). The touch sensor 24 is used to measure (detect) an operation of an operator set on the operation surface 200 (see FIG. 2) of the operation unit 20. The touch sensor 24 outputs a position where the operator contacts the operation surface 200. The touch sensor 24 is mounted on the first surface in the thickness direction of the substrate 23 (the front surface in this embodiment). However, the touch sensor 24 is omitted in FIG. 4. Since the touch sensor 24 is a conventionally known touch sensor, its detailed description is omitted. The display section 25 is used to display a display indicating the operation level of the load 60 on the operation surface 200. The display section 25 includes a plurality of (five in this embodiment) light-emitting elements 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255. The five light-emitting elements 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are, for example, light-emitting diodes. As shown in FIG. 4, five light-emitting elements 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are mounted on the first surface in the thickness direction of the substrate 23 (the front surface in this embodiment). In particular, the five light-emitting elements 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are arranged so as to be aligned on a straight line in the center of the substrate 23 in the width direction. In addition, the five light emitting elements 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are sequentially arranged from one end (the lower end in FIG. 4) to the other end (the upper end in FIG. 4) of the substrate 23 in the longitudinal direction.

The circuit block 21 includes a connector 26 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The connector 26 is used to be electrically connected to the operation portion 20 and the control portion 30. More specifically, the connector 26 is used to transmit an output signal from the touch sensor 24 to the control unit 30. The connector 26 is used to transmit a control signal from the control section 30 to the display section 25. In addition, the connector 26 is also used to supply power from the control section 30 to the operation section 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the connector 26 is mounted on the second surface in the thickness direction of the substrate 23 (the rear surface in this embodiment).

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the body portion 22 has a plate shape. More specifically, the body portion 22 has a rectangular plate shape. The main body portion 22 includes a first panel 27 and a second panel 28.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the first panel 27 has a rectangular plate shape. The first panel 27 has a first surface (front surface in this embodiment) 27a and a second surface (back surface in this embodiment) 27b in the thickness direction. In the operation unit 20, as shown in FIG. 6, the operation surface 200 is provided on the first surface 27a. The first panel 27 includes a first portion 270 and a second portion 271. The first portion 270 and the second portion 271 have a rectangular plate shape with the same outer shape. As shown in FIG. 8, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 are overlapped so that their thickness directions coincide with each other. Here, the first surface 27 a is the surface on the opposite side of the first portion 270 from the second portion 271 (the left surface in FIG. 8), and the second surface 27 b is the surface on the opposite side of the second portion 271 from the first portion 270. (Figure 8 right). The first portion 270 is formed of a translucent material, and the second portion 271 is formed of an opaque material. For example, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 may be made of acrylic resin. However, the acrylic resin used in the second portion 271 is mixed with a pigment to an opaque degree. In this way, the first panel 27 includes a first portion 270 having a first surface 27a formed of a light-transmitting material, and a second portion 271 having a second surface 27b formed of an opaque material. Thereby, it is difficult to see the light emitting elements 251 to 255 themselves of the display section 25 housed in the main body section 22 from the side of the first surface 27a, and light from the light emitting elements 251 to 255 is easily transmitted through the first panel 27. In this embodiment, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 are integrally formed by a two-color molding method. Therefore, compared with the case where the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 are joined after forming the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 respectively, the manufacturing cost of the first panel 27 can be reduced. In addition, since the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 appear to be integrated, the appearance of the first panel 27 is good.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first panel 27 includes a peripheral wall portion 272. The peripheral wall portion 272 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the second surface 27 b so as to surround the substrate 23. In the portion corresponding to one of the pair of protruding pieces 230 and 230 of the substrate 23, the peripheral wall portion 272 has cutout portions 273 and 273.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first panel 27 includes protrusions 274 a to 274 g for combining a majority of the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 (seven in this embodiment). Each of the seven protrusions 274a to 274g has a protruding piece 2741 protruding from the second surface 27b toward the second panel 28 side, and a locking piece 2742 protruding outward from the front end of the protruding piece 2741. The protrusions 274a, 274b, and 274c are arranged along the long direction at the first end (right end in FIG. 5) in the width direction of the second surface 27b of the first panel 27. The protrusions 274d, 274e, and 274f are arranged along the long direction at the second end (the left end in FIG. 5) in the width direction of the second surface 27b of the first panel 27. The protrusion 274g is provided at one end (upper end in FIG. 5) in the longitudinal direction of the second surface (27b) of the first panel 27.

In the first panel 27, the peripheral wall portion 272 and the plurality of protrusions 274a to 274g are formed integrally with the second portion 271 from the same material as the second portion 271.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first panel 27 has a plurality of (five in this embodiment) holes 275 a to 275 e. Five holes 275a to 275e are formed in the second surface 27b at positions facing (corresponding to) the five light emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display section 25, respectively. The five holes 275a to 275e are sequentially arranged from the first end (the lower end in FIG. 5) to the second end (the upper end in FIG. 5) of the first panel 27 in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the holes 275 a to 275 e do not penetrate the second portion 271. The depth of each of the holes 275a to 275e is set so that light from the light emitting elements 251 to 255 can pass through the bottom of the holes 275a to 275e of the second portion 271. In the first panel 27, the portion between the bottom surface of the plurality of holes 275a to 275e and the first surface 27a becomes the majority (five in this embodiment) of the light guides 276a through which the light from the plurality of light emitting elements 251 to 255 respectively transmits. To 276e. Thereby, the operation level of the load 60 can be displayed on the operation surface 200. The light guide portions 276 a to 276 e are located in the first panel 27 with the highest light transmittance. Since the light emitting elements 251 to 255 are covered by the light guide portions 276a to 276e, it is difficult to see the light emitting elements 251 to 255 themselves from the first surface 27a of the first panel 27. Therefore, the appearance of the operation portion 20 is good. Specifically, the light from the five light emitting elements 251 to 255 is transmitted through the five light guide portions 276a to 276e, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, since the holes 275 a to 275 e do not penetrate the second portion 271 formed of an opaque material, the light emitting elements 251 to 255 themselves are harder to see from the first surface 27 a side of the first panel 27. Therefore, the appearance of the operation portion 20 is better.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second panel 28 is used to hold the touch sensor 24 (circuit block 21) between the second panel 28 and the second surface 27 b of the first panel 27. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second panel 28 includes a plate portion 280 and a side wall portion 281. The plate portion 280 has a rectangular plate shape. The plate portion 280 has a first surface (front surface in this embodiment) 280a and a second surface (back surface in this embodiment) 280b in the thickness direction. The side wall portion 281 is formed to surround the plate portion 280. The circuit block 21 is housed in a space surrounded by the first surface 280 a of the plate portion 280 and the side wall portion 281.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second panel 28 has a pair of positioning protrusions 282 and 282. The pair of positioning protrusions 282 and 282 are used to position the substrate 23 (circuit block 21) relative to the second panel 28 (body portion 22). A pair of positioning protrusions 282 and 282 are formed in the first surface 280 a of the plate portion 280 corresponding to a pair of through holes 231 of the substrate 23. The front end portion of each positioning protrusion 282 has a tapered shape (in this embodiment, it is a quadrangular spindle shape). Therefore, the positioning protrusion 282 is easily inserted into the through hole 231. However, the larger the amount of the positioning protrusion 282 inserted into the through-hole 231, the larger the space occupied by the positioning protrusion 282 in the through-hole 231. Therefore, the substrate 23 can be positioned relative to the second panel 28 by inserting the pair of positioning protrusions 282 and 282 into the pair of through holes 231 and 231.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second panel 28 has an insertion hole 283. The through hole 283 is provided to expose the connector 26 of the circuit block 21. The insertion hole 283 is formed at the corresponding connector 26 in the plate portion 280 so as to penetrate the plate portion 280 in the thickness direction. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second panel 28 has a plurality of (in this embodiment, seven) hollow holes 284 a to 284 g for combining the first panel 27 and the second panel 28. The plurality of holes 284a to 284g are formed so that corresponding protrusions of the plurality of protrusions 274a to 274g can be fitted, respectively. The seven empty holes 284a to 284g are formed in the plate portion 280 at the through holes corresponding to the seven protrusions 274a to 274g, and penetrate the plate portion 280 in the thickness direction thereof. When seven protrusions 274a to 274g are inserted into the seven empty holes 284a to 284g from the first surface 280a side of the plate portion 280, respectively, the locking pieces 2742 of the seven protrusions 274a to 274g pass through the seven empty holes 284a to 284g. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the locking pieces 2742 of the seven protrusions 274 a to 274 g abut against the edges of the seven hollow holes 284 a to 284 g in the second surface 280 b of the plate portion 280. With the protrusions 274a to 274g thus fitted into the hollow holes 284a to 284g, the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 are combined with each other.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the second panel 28 includes a pair of mounting pieces 285 and 285. The pair of mounting pieces 285 and 285 are used to mount the operation portion 20 on the control portion 30. The pair of mounting pieces 285 and 285 each have a leg piece 2851 protruding from the second surface 280b toward the control portion 30 side and a protruding portion 2852 protruding from the front end of the leg piece 2851 toward the inside. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the second panel 28 includes a plurality of (13 in this embodiment) pressing portions 286. Most of the pressing portions 286 are arranged such that when the circuit block 21 is housed in the main body portion 22, the substrate 23 for pressing the circuit block 21 is on the first panel 27 side. Thereby, in a state where the circuit block 21 is housed in the main body portion 22, the circuit block 21 can be prevented from loosening in the thickness direction of the main body portion 22.

The second panel 28 is integrally formed of the same material: a plate portion 280, a side wall portion 281, a pair of positioning protrusions 282, 282, a pair of mounting pieces 285, 285, and a plurality of pressing portions 286.

In the operation section 20, the circuit block 21 is housed in the main body section 22 as described below. First, the second surface of the substrate 23 is opposed to the first surface 280 a of the second panel 28, and the circuit block 21 is mounted on the first surface 280 a of the two panels 28. At this time, the connector 26 is inserted into the insertion hole 283, and a pair of positioning protrusions 282, 282 are also inserted into the through holes 231, 231 of the pair of protruding pieces 230, 230, respectively. Then, the first panel 27 is disposed so that the second surface 27 b thereof faces the first surface of the substrate 23 of the circuit block 21. Next, the seven protrusions 274a to 274g of the first panel 27 are inserted into the seven hollow holes 284a to 284g of the second panel 28, respectively. Thereby, the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 are combined with each other, and the circuit block 21 is held between the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, the assembling operation of the operation portion 20 can be easily performed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 30 includes a pair of input terminals 31 and 31, a switch unit 32, a processing circuit 33, an input unit 34, and a notification unit 35. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the control unit 30 includes a housing 36.

The housing 36 houses the input terminals 31 and 31, the switch unit 32, the processing circuit 33, the input unit 34, and the notification unit 35. The frame body 36 has a rectangular box shape. As shown in FIG. 3, the frame 36 has an insertion hole 360. The insertion hole 360 is a hole for inserting the connector 26 of the operation portion 20 into the frame body 36. The insertion hole 360 is provided in a surface (hereinafter, referred to as a front face) facing the operation portion 20 and corresponds to the connector 26. As shown in FIG. 3, the frame body 36 has a pair of recessed portions 361 and 361. The pair of recessed portions 361 and 361 are used to mount the operation portion 20 on the control portion 30. Each of the recesses 361 has a locking hole 362 that fits into the protrusion 2852 of the mounting piece 285. Therefore, the protrusion 2852 of the mounting piece 285 is inserted into the locking hole 362 of the pair of recesses 361 and 361 by one of the operating portions 20, so that the operating portion 20 can be mounted on the front surface of the control portion 30. In addition, the frame body 36 has two pairs of mounting claws 363 and 363. The two pairs of mounting claws 363 and 363 are used to mount the control unit 30 on the mounting frame 40. One pair of mounting claws 363 and 363 are provided on both sides of the frame 36. As shown in FIG. 2, the control portion 30 is inserted into the opening 41 of the mounting frame 40, and one pair of mounting claws 363 and 363 are inserted into one pair of mounting holes 420 of one pair of side pieces 42 and 42 of the mounting frame 40 This allows the control unit 30 to be mounted on the mounting frame 40. In addition, the housing 36 includes a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) operating pieces 364 on the front side. Most of the operation pieces 364 are used to operate the input portion 34 housed in the frame 36.

The pair of input terminals 31 and 31 are used to connect the control unit 30 to the AC power source 50 and the load 60. The pair of input terminals 31 and 31 are conventional terminals such as a quick connection terminal and a screw terminal.

The switch section 32 is used to control the load 60. The switch section 32 is connected between the pair of input terminals 31 and 31. The load control device 10 is a two-wire type and is electrically connected between the AC power source 50 and the load 60, and the switch unit 32 is electrically connected in series with the AC power source 50 and the load 60. The switch section 32 is a bidirectional switch. When the switch section 32 is in an ON state (ON state), an AC voltage from the AC power source 50 is applied to the load 60. When the switch section 32 is in a non-conductive state (OFF state), an AC voltage from the AC power source 50 is applied to the processing circuit 33 through a pair of input terminals 31 and 31.

The input section 34 is used for setting the control content in the processing circuit 33 of the load control device 10. The input section 34 is electrically connected to the processing circuit 33. The input unit 34 outputs a signal in response to the input content to the processing circuit 33. The input unit 34 includes, for example, a plurality of switches (for example, tactile switches) corresponding to the plurality of operation pieces 364 of the housing 36, respectively.

The notification section 35 is used to notify the occurrence of a predetermined event. The notification unit 35 is electrically connected to the processing circuit 33. The notification unit 35 is an electric sound converter, for example, a buzzer that generates a beep.

The processing circuit 33 is, for example, a controllable switch section 32, a display section 25, and a notification section 35. In addition, the processing circuit 33 generates power required for the operation of the processing circuit 33 by an AC voltage applied through a pair of input terminals 31 and 31. The processing circuit 33 is, for example, an electrical circuit including a microcontroller, and the microcontroller has a memory and a microprocessor.

The processing circuit 33 has a function of switching the load 60 between an on state and an off state. The processing circuit 33 maintains the switch section 32 in a non-conducting state, so that the load 60 is in an open state. On the other hand, the load unit 60 is turned on by periodically turning the switch unit 32 on. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 controls the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source 50 to the load 60 by the phase of the switching unit 32. The “phase control” herein means a method of controlling an AC voltage supplied (applied) to the load 60 by changing a phase angle (conduction angle) that starts or ends supplying power to the load 60 in each half cycle of the AC voltage.

The processing circuit 33 has a function of adjusting an operation level of the load 60 when the load 60 is in an on state. That is, the processing circuit 33 has a function of adjusting the light output of the load 60 by phase control of the AC voltage of the AC power source 50. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 is configured to adjust the operation level of the load 60 by adjusting the time (on time) during which the switch section 32 is turned on. For example, the light output of the load 60 is set to 128 stages. In this case, the processing circuit 33 selects an operation level corresponding to the light output of the load 60 from a range of 1 to 128. Here, the operation level is set to be proportional to the light output of the load 60. In addition, the processing circuit 33 has a function of setting a lower limit value of the operation level of the load 60. When the lower limit value of the operation level of the load 60 is set, the processing circuit 33 is configured not to select an operation level smaller than the lower limit value. The processing circuit 33 is configured to set a lower limit value of the load 60 based on an input from the input section 34. For example, if the lower limit of the load 60 is set to 6, the processing circuit 33 selects the operation level of the load from a range of 6 to 128. The lower limit of the operation level of the load 60 should be set according to whether the load 60 operates stably. In this embodiment, since the load 60 is a lighting load, the lower limit value is set depending on whether the load 60 is stably lit.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to control the operation of the operation surface 200 according to an operator measured by the touch sensor 24. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 is configured to determine whether the action measured by the touch sensor 24 is equivalent to any one of a plurality of different actions (first to third actions) set in advance, And the control corresponding to the determined action is performed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the operation surface 200 is set on the first surface 27 a of the operation unit 20. The operation surface 200 extends to the full surface of the first surface 27a. A coordinate axis X is set on the operation surface 200 so as to follow the operation surface 200. The coordinate axis X is parallel to the long direction of the first panel 27 (upper and lower directions in FIG. 6). The positive direction of the coordinate axis X is a direction from the first end (the lower end in FIG. 6) to the second end (the upper end in FIG. 6) of the first panel 27 in the longitudinal direction. The negative direction of the coordinate axis X is a direction from the second end (upper end in FIG. 6) in the long direction of the first panel 27 to the first end (lower end in FIG. 6). The operation surface 200 includes three operation regions (first to third operation regions) 201, 202, and 203. The first operation region 201 corresponds to a central region of the first surface 27a. The first operation region 201 has a square shape with the light guide portion 276c as a center, and does not overlap with the light guide portions 276a, 276b, 276d, and 276e other than the light guide portion 276c. The second operation area 202 corresponds to the area between the center of the first surface 27 a of the first panel 27 and the second end (the upper end in FIG. 6), except for the area corresponding to the first operation area 201. The second operation region 202 includes light guide portions 276d and 276e. The third operation area 203 corresponds to the area between the center of the first surface 27 a of the first panel 27 and the first end (the lower end in FIG. 6), except for the area corresponding to the first operation area 201. The third operation region 203 includes light portions 276a and 276b. In addition, in FIG. 6, although the light-emitting elements 251 to 255 are illustrated by a single-dotted dotted line, this means that they are not actually visible.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to perform the first control when the action measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first action. The first control is a control for changing the operation level of the load 60.

The first operation includes an operation (displacement operation) in which the operator moves the contact position with the operation surface 200 along the coordinate axis X set along the operation surface 200. The displacement action corresponds to a so-called sliding operation, a swipe operation, and a flick operation. Therefore, the operation level of the load 60 can be changed by an intuitive operation. The processing circuit 33 is configured to perform displacement control as a first control when the motion measured by the touch sensor 24 is a displacement motion. The processing circuit 33 is configured to change the movement level of the load 60 according to the distance (moving distance) between the position before the movement (initial position) and the position after the movement (final position) during the displacement control in the displacement control . The moving distance is the distance between the initial position and the final position, and does not necessarily coincide with the distance of the path from the initial position to the final position. That is, regardless of the path between the initial position and the final position, the movement level change of the load 60 is determined by the moving distance between the initial position and the final position. This makes it easy to adjust the operation level of the load 60. If the coordinate of the coordinate axis X of the final position is larger than the coordinate of the coordinate axis X of the initial position, the processing circuit 33 increases the operating level of the load 60 according to the moving distance. If the coordinate of the coordinate axis X of the final position is smaller than the coordinate of the coordinate axis X of the initial position, the processing circuit 33 reduces the operating level of the load 60 according to the moving distance. In the displacement control (first control), the unit of change in the operating level of the load 60 is 1. When the upper limit value of the operating level of the load 60 is UL and the lower limit value is LL, in the displacement control, the operating level of the load 60 is the "UL-LL + 1" stage. For example, if UL is 128 and LL is 1, the operation level of load 60 is selected from the range of 1 to 128. Here, when the maximum value of the moving distance is D, the upper limit value of the operating level of the load 60 is UL, and the lower limit value is LL. The distance d required to change the operating level by only 1 is expressed by {D / ( UL-LL + 1)}. Therefore, the amount of change in the action level is determined by the moving distance and the distance d. In addition, the maximum value D of the moving distance is set as the distance between the first end and the second end of the first panel 27 (the length of the first panel 27).

In addition, the first motion includes an operation (non-displacement) in which the operator touches the contact area (first contact area) for a predetermined period (first predetermined period) without moving the contact position with the predetermined contact area (first contact area) of the operation surface 200. action). The first contact area includes a second operation area 202 and a third operation area 203 of the operation surface 200. The first predetermined period is longer than a predetermined time. The prescribed time is a relatively short time, such as 0.5 seconds. The non-displacement action corresponds to a so-called long press operation and a long press operation. The processing circuit 33 is configured to perform non-displacement control as the first control when the action measured by the touch sensor 24 is a non-displacement action. The non-displacement control is a control that changes the operation level of the load 60 in the same manner as the displacement control. The processing circuit 33 is configured to change the operation level of the load 60 according to the length of the first predetermined period in the non-displacement control. Here, if the first contact area is the second operation area 202, the processing circuit 33 increases the operation level of the load 60 according to the length of the first predetermined period. If the first contact area is the third operation area 203, the processing circuit 33 reduces the operation level of the load 60 according to the length of the first predetermined period. In the non-displacement control, similar to the displacement control, the minimum change in the operating level of the load 60 is one. Here, when the maximum value of the first predetermined period is T, when the upper limit value of the operation level of the load 60 is UL, and the lower limit value is LL, the time t required to change the operation level by only 1 is given by {T / (UL-LL + 1)}. Therefore, the amount of change in the operating level is determined by the first predetermined period and time t. In addition, the maximum value of the first predetermined period is set to about 3 to 5 seconds in consideration of operability.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to perform the second control when the action measured by the touch sensor 24 is the second action. The second action includes an action in which the operator touches the contact area (second contact area) for a predetermined period (second predetermined period) without moving the contact position with the predetermined contact area (second contact area) of the operation surface 200. In addition, in the second action, the contact position is not required to be not moved in a strict manner, but the operability is allowed to allow a certain degree of contact position movement. The second contact area includes a second operation area 202 and a third operation area 203 of the operation surface 200. The second predetermined period is shorter than a predetermined time. As described above, the predetermined time is a relatively short time, for example, 0.5 seconds. The second action corresponds to a so-called tap operation. This makes it easy to distinguish the first action from the second action, so that the possibility of misoperation of the load control device 10 can be reduced. If the second contact area is the second operation area 202, the processing circuit 33 increases the operation level of the load 60. If the second contact area is the third operation area 203, the processing circuit 33 reduces the operation level of the load 60. Similar to the first control (displacement control and non-displacement control), the second control is a control that changes the operation level of the load. However, the unit of change of the operation level of the load 60 of the second control is larger than the unit of change of the operation level of the load 60 of the first control. For example, in the second control, the minimum change in the operation level of the load 60 is 6. However, due to the setting of the upper and lower limits of the operating level, the unit of change of the operating level may not be 6. In the second control, when the stage of the operating level of the load 60 is N (N is an integer), N ≒ (UL-LL + 1) / 6. For example, if UL is 128 and LL is 1, the operation level of load 60 is 22 stages. In this case, the action level of the load 60 is selected from 1, 7, 13, 19, 25, 31, 37, 43, 49, 55, 61, 67, 73, 79, 85, 91, 97, 103, 109, 115, 121, 128.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to perform the third control when the action measured by the touch sensor 24 is the third action. The third action includes an action in which the operator touches the contact area (third contact area) for a predetermined period (third predetermined period) without moving the contact position with the predetermined contact area (third contact area) of the operation surface 200. In addition, in the third action, it is not required that the contact position is not moved in a strict manner, but the operability is considered to allow a certain degree of contact position movement. The third contact area includes the first operation area 201 of the operation surface 200 and the entire area of the operation surface 200 (first to third operation areas 201 to 203). Here, when the operator touches two or more of the first to third operation areas 201 to 203 at the same time, the processing circuit 33 determines that the operator touches the entire area of the operation surface 200. The third predetermined period is shorter than the prescribed time. As described above, the predetermined time is a relatively short time, for example, 0.5 seconds. The third action corresponds to a so-called click operation. If the third contact area is the entire area of the first operation area 201 or the operation surface 200, the processing circuit 33 switches the on state and the off state of the load 60. In addition, when the load 60 is switched from the open state to the on state, the processing circuit 33 sets the operation level of the load 60 to an initial value. The initial value is, for example, the middle value between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the operation level. The initial value may be a value corresponding to the operating level of the load 60 when the load 60 is switched from the on-state to the off-state.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to cause the display unit 25 to perform a display indicating the current operating level of the load 60. Thereby, the operator can grasp the operation level of the load 60 through the display section 25. The display section 25 includes a plurality (five) of light emitting elements 251 to 255. The processing circuit 33 determines the number of light-emitting elements 251 to 255 that are turned on according to the current level of the load 60. As the current operating level of the load 60 increases, the processing circuit 33 controls the display section 25 so that most of the light-emitting elements 251 to 255 follow the coordinate axis X from the first end to the second end of the operation surface 200 (in this embodiment, (From the first end to the second end of the first panel 27) are sequentially turned on. In addition, as the current operating level of the load 60 decreases, the processing circuit 33 controls the display section 25 so that most of the light-emitting elements 251 to 255 follow the coordinate axis X from the second end to the first end of the operation surface 200 (in this embodiment The middle is sequentially turned off from the second end to the first end of the first panel 27). Here, the direction in which most of the light-emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display section 25 are arranged is the same as the direction in which the contact position is moved during the first operation. Therefore, the operator can grasp the display content of the display section 25 and the first operation in a related manner, and therefore it is easy to perform an operation to change the operation level. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 sets the display section 25 to any one of the first to fifth states according to the current operating level of the load 60. The first state is a state in which the light emitting elements 251 are turned on, and the light emitting elements 252 to 255 are turned off. The second state is a state in which the light emitting elements 251 and 252 are turned on and the light emitting elements 253 to 255 are turned off. The third state is a state in which the light emitting elements 251 to 253 are turned on, and the light emitting elements 254 and 255 are turned off. The fourth state is a state in which the light emitting elements 251 to 254 are turned on and the light emitting element 255 is turned off. The fifth state is a state in which all the light emitting elements 251 to 255 are lit.

The processing circuit 33 divides the operation levels of the load 60 into five groups corresponding to the first to fifth states. If the number of light-emitting elements is N, the number of operation levels belonging to one group is obtained by (UL-LL + 1) / N. For example, if the upper limit value UL is 128, the lower limit value is 1, and the number of light emitting elements N is 5, the number of operation levels belonging to one group is set to 26. For example, an action level of 1 (lower limit value) to 27 corresponds to the first state and an action level of 28 to 53 corresponds to the second state. The action levels of 54 to 79 correspond to the third state and the action levels of 80 to 105 correspond to the fourth state. The operation level of 106 to 128 (upper limit value) corresponds to the fifth state. Here, if the lower limit value is set to 14, the number of operation levels belonging to one group is set to 23. In this case, the action levels of 14 (lower limit value) to 37 correspond to the first state and the action levels of 38 to 60 correspond to the second state. The action levels of 61 to 83 correspond to the third state and the action levels of 84 to 106 correspond to the fourth state. The operation level of 107 to 128 (upper limit value) corresponds to the fifth state.

As described above, the processing circuit 33 is configured to cause the display unit 25 to display a relative value indicating a range of the current operating level of the load 60 with respect to a range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the operating level of the load 60. On the other hand, when the processing circuit 33 causes the display unit 25 to display the absolute value of the current operating level of the load 60, the display unit 25 may not be in the first state even when the operating level is a lower limit value. In this case, the operator may be judged that the operation level is not the lower limit value. Therefore, the processing circuit 33 causes the display unit 25 to display a relative value indicating the current operating level of the load 60 relative to the range between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the operating level of the load 60. Thereby, even if the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed, the operation level of the display unit 25 can be appropriately displayed. In addition, when the load 60 is in an open state, all five light-emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display section 25 are turned off.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to notify the occurrence of a predetermined event when the predetermined event occurs. The predetermined event includes, for example, the first to fourth events. The first event is that the load 60 changes from an open state to an on state. When the processing circuit 33 determines that the first event occurs, it controls the notification unit 35 so that the notification sound (for example, a “beep” sound) is generated a first predetermined number of times (for example, once). The second event is that the load 60 changes from the on-state to the off-state. When the processing circuit 33 determines that a second event has occurred, the notification unit 35 is controlled to generate a notification sound (for example, a “beep” sound) for a second predetermined number of times (for example, once). The third event is that the operation level of the load 60 reaches the upper limit. When the processing circuit 33 determines that a third event occurs, the control unit 35 controls the notification unit 35 to generate a notification sound (for example, a “beep” sound) for a third predetermined number of times (for example, three times). Here, the processing circuit 33 stops the generation of the notification sound when the number of times of the notification sound reaches the third predetermined number of times and the operation level does not reach the upper limit. For example, after the notification sound is generated once, the processing circuit 33 stops generating the notification sound when the operating level does not reach the upper limit value. With this, it is possible to suppress the notification that the operation level is the upper limit value, although the operation level has not yet reached the upper limit value. The fourth event is that the operation level of the load 60 reaches the lower limit. When the processing circuit 33 determines that the fourth event occurs, the notification unit 35 is controlled to generate a notification sound (for example, a “beep” sound) for a fourth predetermined number of times (for example, three times). Here, the processing circuit 33 stops the generation of the notification sound when the number of notification sounds reaches the fourth predetermined number of times and the operation level does not reach the lower limit. For example, after the notification sound is generated once, the processing circuit 33 stops the generation of the notification sound when the operating level does not reach the lower limit value. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the notification that the operation level is the lower limit value, although the operation level has not yet become the lower limit value.

1.2 Operation Next, the operation of the load control device 10 will be briefly described. In the initial state, the load 60 is in an open state. In the initial state, the upper limit value of the operating level of the load 60 is 128, the lower limit value is 1 and the initial value is 64. In addition, all the light emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display section 25 are turned off.

In order to change the load 60 from the off state to the on state, the operator should perform a third action. That is, the operator clicks on the first operation area 201 of the operation surface 200, or clicks on the entire area (first to third operation areas 201 to 203) of the operation surface 200 (see FIG. 6). If the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 when the load 60 is judged to be in the open state is the third action, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) controls the switch unit 32 to switch the load 60 from the open state to the on state. At this time, the operation level is set to an initial value (64). As a result, the load 60 lights up at the operation level corresponding to the initial value. In addition, the control unit 30 sets the display unit 25 to the third state, whereby the light emitting elements 251, 252, and 253 are turned on, and the light emitting elements 254 and 255 are turned off (see FIG. 6). Further, the control unit 30 determines that a first event has occurred, and generates a notification sound (for example, a “beep” sound) for a first predetermined number of times (for example, once). Thereby, the operator can grasp that the load 60 is in the ON state.

In order to change the operation level of the load 60, the operator may perform a first action or a second action on the operation surface 200 of the operation portion 20. The minimum value of the action level change of the second control corresponding to the second action is greater than the minimum value of the action level change of the first control corresponding to the first action. Therefore, the second action can be performed when the operation level of the load 60 is to be significantly changed (that is, the operation level of the load 60 is to be changed stepwise). On the other hand, when the operation level of the load 60 is to be slightly changed (that is, the operation level of the load 60 is to be continuously changed), the first action can be performed.

When the operation level is increased in stages, the operator can click the second operation area 202 of the operation surface 200 to bring the operation level of the load 60 close to the desired operation level (see FIG. 6). When the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) determines that the action measured by the touch sensor 24 is the second action and the second contact area is the second operation area 202, the control unit 32 is controlled so that the operation level of the load 60 is only Increase by 6. Therefore, each time the operator clicks the second operation area 202, the action level increases by 6. Accordingly, when the operating level of the load 60 becomes 82, the control unit 30 sets the display unit 25 to the fourth state, whereby the light-emitting elements 251, 252, 253, and 254 are turned on and the remaining light-emitting elements 255 are turned off. When the operation level is further increased to 106, the control unit 30 sets the display unit 25 to the fifth state, whereby all the light emitting elements 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are turned on. In addition, when the operation level reaches the upper limit value, the control unit 30 determines that a third event has occurred, and controls the notification unit 35 to generate a notification sound three times. Thereby, the operator can grasp that the operation level of the load 60 reaches the upper limit value.

On the other hand, if the operation level is to be gradually reduced, the operator can click the third operation part 203 of the operation surface 200 to bring the operation level of the load 60 close to the desired operation level (see FIG. 6). When the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) determines that the action measured by the touch sensor 24 is the second action and the second contact region is the third operation region 203, the control unit 32 is controlled so that the operation level of the load 60 is only Decrease by 6. Therefore, each time the operator clicks the third operation area 203, the action level decreases by 6. Thereby, when the operation level of the load 60 becomes 52, the control unit 30 sets the display unit 25 to the second state, whereby the light emitting elements 251 and 252 are turned on and the remaining light emitting elements 253, 254 and 255 are turned off. When the operating level is further reduced to 22, the control unit 30 sets the display unit 25 to the first state, whereby the light-emitting element 251 is turned on and the remaining light-emitting elements 252, 253, 254, and 255 are turned off. In addition, when the operation level reaches the lower limit value, the control unit 30 determines that a fourth event has occurred, and controls the notification unit 35 to generate a notification sound three times. Thereby, the operator can grasp that the operation level of the load 60 reaches the lower limit value.

To continuously increase the operation level, the operator can scroll the operation surface 200 in the positive direction of the coordinate axis X (see FIG. 6). If the motion measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first motion (displacement motion) and the coordinate axis X coordinate of the final position is larger than the coordinate axis X coordinate of the initial position, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) according to the initial position and the final The distance (moving distance) of the position increases the operating level of the load 60. On the other hand, if the operation level is to be reduced, the operator can scroll the operation surface 200 in the negative direction of the coordinate axis X (see FIG. 6). If the motion measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first motion (displacement motion) and the coordinate axis X coordinate of the final position is smaller than the coordinate axis X coordinate of the initial position, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) according to the initial position and the final The distance (moving distance) of the position reduces the operating level of the load 60. In the first control, since the unit of change of the operation level of the load 60 is 1, by adjusting the moving distance, the operation level of the load 60 can be set to a desired operation level.

When the action level is to be continuously increased or decreased, the operator may perform a non-displacement action instead of a displacement action as the first action. To continuously increase the action level, the operator can long tap the second operation area 202 of the operation surface 200 until the action level of the load 60 becomes the desired action level (see FIG. 6). When the control section 30 (processing circuit 33) determines that the motion measured by the touch sensor 24 is a non-displacement motion and the first contact area is the second operation area 202, the control section 32 controls the switch section 32 to The predetermined period) increases the operation level of the load 60. On the other hand, if the operation level is to be continuously reduced, the operator may press and hold the third operation area 203 of the operation surface 200 until the operation level of the load 60 becomes the desired operation level. When the control section 30 (processing circuit 33) determines that the motion measured by the touch sensor 24 is a non-displacement motion and the first contact area is the third operation area 203, the control section 32 controls the switch section 32 to (Predetermined period) The operation level of the load 60 is reduced. In the first control, since the unit of change of the operation level of the load 60 is 1, the operation level of the load 60 can be set to a desired operation level by adjusting the long-pressing time (first predetermined period).

In order to change the load 60 from the on state to the off state, the operator should perform a third action. That is, the operator clicks on the first operation area 201 of the operation surface 200, or clicks on the entire area (first to third operation areas 201 to 203) of the operation surface 200 (see FIG. 6). If the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 when the load 60 is judged to be in the on state is the third action, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) controls the switch unit 32 to switch the load 60 from the on state to the open state. Thereby, the load 60 goes out. In addition, the control unit 30 controls the display unit 25 so that all the light emitting elements 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are turned off. Further, the control unit 30 determines that a second event has occurred, and generates a notification sound (for example, a “beep” sound) for a second predetermined number of times (for example, once). Thereby, the operator can grasp that the load 60 is in an open state.

1.3 Summary In the load control device 10 of this embodiment described above, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) performs the first control when the operator's action measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first action. On the other hand, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) performs the second control when the operator's action measured by the touch sensor 24 is a second action different from the first action. Both the first control and the second control change the operating level of the load 60, and the unit of change of the operating level of the load 60 of the second control is larger than the unit of change of the operating level of the load 60 of the first control. Therefore, when the operator wants to relatively change the operation level of the load 60, the operator may not perform the first action corresponding to the first control but perform the second action corresponding to the second control through the operation surface 200. On the other hand, when the operator wants to change the action level of the load 60 relatively small, he may not perform the second action corresponding to the second control but perform the first action corresponding to the first control through the operation surface 200. In this way, considering the difference between the current action level of the load 60 and the desired action level, the first action and the second action can be distinguished. Therefore, the load control device 10 of this embodiment has an effect that an operator can easily perform an operation of adjusting the operation level of the load 60 to a desired value.

2. Modifications The above-mentioned embodiment described above is only one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, as long as the above embodiment can achieve the purpose of cost disclosure, various changes can be made according to the design and the like. Hereinafter, modified examples of the above-mentioned embodiments will be listed.

For example, the shapes of the operation section 20 and the control section 30 are examples, and are not limited to the above-described embodiments. The shapes of the operation section 20 and the control section 30 can be changed according to design and the like. In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the load control device 10 includes the mounting frame 40, the mounting frame 40 is not necessary.

In the above embodiment, the first panel 27 integrally forms the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 by a two-color molding method. In a modified example, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 may be joined after the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 are respectively formed. In addition, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 may be formed of the same material (light-transmitting material or opaque material).

In the above embodiment, although the first panel 27 has a plurality of protrusions 274a to 274g (seven in the above embodiment) for combining the first panel 27 and the second panel 28, the number of protrusions is not particularly limited. Further, although the second panel 28 has a plurality of holes (284 in the above embodiment) for combining the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 (the number is seven), the number of holes is not particularly limited. In addition, the second panel 28 may have one or more protrusions, and the first panel 27 may have one or more holes into which the one or more protrusions can fit. That is, one of the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 may have a protrusion, and the other panel may have a hole into which the protrusion can be inserted. Thereby, the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 can be combined with each other by inserting the protrusions into the hollow holes, and the touch sensor 24 can be held between the first panel 27 and the second panel 28. Therefore, the assembling operation of the operation portion is easy.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the first panel 27 has a large number (five in the above-mentioned embodiment) of the light guide portions 276a to 276e, the number of the light guide portions is not particularly limited. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the light guide portion is the most transmissive portion of the first panel 27, it may be a hole penetrating the first panel 27.

In the modified example, the operation surface 200 may not be the entirety of the first surface 27a but be a part.

In a modified example, the coordinate axis X may be set parallel to the width direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 6) of the first panel 27. The coordinate axis X may also be set relative to the operation surface 200 in consideration of the operability of the load control device 10.

In the modification, the operation surface 200 does not necessarily need to include three operation regions (first to third operation regions) 201, 202, and 203, and may also include one or more operation regions.

In a modified example, the first motion may not include a displacement motion, and may not correspond to a sliding operation, a scrolling operation, or a quick drag operation. In addition, the first motion may not include a non-displacement motion, and may not correspond to a long-press operation. The first action may correspond to a click operation. In addition, the second and third actions may not correspond to a click operation, and may also correspond to a slide operation, a scroll operation, a quick drag operation, and a long-press operation. In short, the first action and the second action may be different from each other.

The first to fifth states of the display section 25 are not limited to the above-described embodiment. The first to fifth states may be states in which only the corresponding light-emitting element among the light-emitting elements 251 to 255 is lit. In addition, in the embodiment described above, although the display section 25 includes five light-emitting elements 251 to 255, the number of light-emitting elements is not particularly limited. In a modified example, the display section 25 may be assembled to indicate a value corresponding to the operation level of the load 60. In the modification, the load control device 10 may not include the display portion 25.

In a modification, the notification section 35 may output a sound corresponding to a predetermined event. The load control device 10 may not include the notification unit 35.

In the modified example, the control unit 30 may not necessarily be configured to adjust the light output of the load 60 by phase control. For example, the control unit 30 may change the light output of the load 60 by a conventionally known dimming control (for example, a dimming control using PWM). In addition, the control unit 30 may be configured to output a signal indicating an operation level. Here, the load 60 is not limited to a lighting load. The load 60 may be an electric motor or the like with an adjustable operation level (speed level). In short, the control unit 30 may have a function of adjusting the operation level of the load 60.

3. Aspect As can be seen from the above embodiments and modifications, the load control device (10) of the first aspect includes an operation section (20) and a control section (30). The operation part (20) includes an operation surface (200) for the operator to operate the load (60), and a touch sensor (24) for measuring the operation of the operator on the operation surface (200). The aforementioned control unit (30) is configured to perform a first control when the aforementioned action measured by the aforementioned touch sensor (24) is the first action, and to measure when measured by the aforementioned touch sensor (24). When the aforementioned action is a second action different from the aforementioned first action, the second control is performed. The first control and the second control are controls for changing the operation level of the load (60). The unit of change of the operation level of the load (60) of the second control is larger than the unit of change of the operation level of the load (60) of the first control. According to the first aspect, the operator can easily adjust the operation level of the load (60) to a desired value.

The load control device (10) of the second aspect can be realized by a combination with the first aspect. In the second aspect, the operation unit (20) includes a display unit (25), and the display unit (25) displays a display indicating an operation level of the load (60) on the operation surface (200). The control unit (30) is configured to cause the display unit (25) to perform a display indicating a current operating level of the load (60). According to the second aspect, the operator can grasp the operation level of the load (60) through the display section (25).

The third aspect of the load control device (10) can be realized by a combination with the second aspect. In a third aspect, the control unit (30) is configured to cause the display unit (25) to perform an upper limit value indicating the current operating level of the load (60) relative to the operating level of the load (60). (UL) and the lower limit (LL) range relative value display. According to the third aspect, even when the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed, the operation level of the display section (25) can be appropriately displayed.

The load control device (10) of the fourth aspect can be realized by a combination with the second or third aspect. In a fourth aspect, the first motion includes an operation of moving a contact position between the operator and the operation surface (200) along a coordinate axis (X) set along the operation surface (200). The display section (25) includes a plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255) arranged along the coordinate axis (X). The control unit (30) is configured to change the operation level of the load (60) according to the distance between the position before the movement and the position after the movement of the contact position in the coordinate axis (X) in the first control. The control section (30) is configured to increase the current operating level of the load (60), and control the display section (25) so that the majority of the light-emitting elements (251 to 255) are along the coordinate axis (X). The first end to the second end of the operation surface (200) are sequentially lit. The control section (30) is configured to control the display section (25) as the current operating level of the load (60) decreases, so that the majority of the light-emitting elements (251 to 255) follow the coordinate axis (X). The second end of the operation surface (200) is sequentially turned off toward the first end. According to the fourth aspect, the operator can grasp the display content of the display section (25) and the first action in a related manner, and therefore it is easy to perform the operation of changing the operation level.

The load control device (10) of the fifth aspect can be realized by a combination with the first aspect. In a fifth aspect, the first motion includes an operation of moving a contact position between the operator and the operation surface (200) along a coordinate axis (X) set along the operation surface (200). According to the fifth aspect, the action level of the load (60) can be changed by an intuitive operation.

The load control device (10) of the sixth aspect can be realized by a combination with the fifth aspect. In a sixth aspect, the control unit (30) is configured to change the operation level of the load (60) according to the distance between the position before the movement and the position after the movement in the first control. . According to the sixth aspect, the operation level of the load (60) can be easily adjusted.

The load control device (10) of the seventh aspect can be realized by a combination with the fifth or sixth aspect. In a seventh aspect, the second action includes not moving the contact position between the operator and the operation surface (200) and contacting the contact area (202, 203) for a predetermined period. According to the seventh aspect, the first action can be easily distinguished from the second action, so the possibility of misoperation of the load control device (10) can be reduced.

The load control device (10) of the eighth aspect can be realized by combination with any one of the first, fifth to seventh aspects. In an eighth aspect, the operation portion (20) includes a plate-shaped body portion (22) that houses the touch sensor (24). The body portion (22) includes a first panel (27) and a second panel (28). The first panel (27) has a first surface (27a) and a second surface (27b) in a thickness direction, and has the operation surface (200) on the first surface (27a). The second panel (28) holds the touch sensor (24) between the second panel (28) and the second surface (27b) of the first panel (27). One of the first panel (27) and the second panel (28) has protrusions (274a to 274g), and the other panel has holes (284a to 284g) into which the aforementioned protrusions (274a to 274g) can be inserted. By inserting the protrusions (274a to 274g) into the hollow holes (284a to 284g), the first panel (27) and the second panel (28) are combined with each other. According to the eighth aspect, the assembling operation of the operation portion (20) is easy.

The load control device (10) of the ninth aspect can be realized by a combination with the eighth aspect. In a ninth aspect, the operation unit (20) includes a display unit (25) that displays a display indicating an operation level of the load (60) on the operation surface (200). The control unit (30) is configured to cause the display unit (25) to perform a display indicating a current operating level of the load (60). According to the ninth aspect, the operator can grasp the movement of the load (60) through the load control device (10).

The load control device (10) of the tenth aspect can be realized by a combination with the ninth aspect. In a tenth aspect, the control unit (30) is configured to cause the display unit (25) to perform an upper limit value indicating the current operating level of the load (60) relative to the operating level of the load (60). (UL) and the lower limit (LL) range relative value display. According to the tenth aspect, even when the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed, the operation level of the display section (25) can be appropriately displayed.

The load control device (10) of the eleventh aspect can be realized by a combination with the ninth or tenth aspect. In an eleventh aspect, the display portion (25) has a plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255), and the plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255) are connected to the second surface of the first panel (27) ( 27b) Confronted in the main body (22). The first panel (27) includes a plurality of light guide portions (276a to 276e) that respectively transmit light from the plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255). According to the eleventh aspect, the operating level of the load (60) can be displayed on the operation surface (200).

The load control device (10) of the twelfth aspect can be realized by a combination with the eleventh aspect. In a twelfth aspect, the first panel (27) includes: a first portion (270) having the first surface (27a) formed of a light-transmitting material; and a second portion (271) It has the aforementioned second surface (27b) formed of an opaque material. According to the twelfth aspect, it is difficult to see most light-emitting elements (251 to 255) of the display portion (25) housed in the main body portion (22) from the first surface (27a) side, and the light-emitting elements (251 to 255) ) Light is easily transmitted through the first panel (27).

The load control device (10) of the thirteenth aspect can be realized by a combination with the twelfth aspect. In a thirteenth aspect, the first portion (270) and the second portion (271) are integrally formed by a two-color molding method. The plurality of light guide portions (276a to 276e) have the highest light transmittance in the first panel (27), respectively. According to the thirteenth aspect, the appearance of the operation portion (20) is good.

The load control device (10) of the fourteenth aspect can be realized by a combination with the thirteenth aspect. In a fourteenth aspect, the majority of the light guides (276a to 276e) are respectively located between the bottom surface of the holes (275a to 275e) and the first surface (27a), and the holes (275a to 275e) are not penetrated The second portion (271) formed in the second surface (27b) of the first panel (27). According to the fourteenth aspect, the appearance of the operation portion (20) is good.

10‧‧‧Load control device

20‧‧‧Operation Department

21‧‧‧Circuit Block

22‧‧‧Body

23‧‧‧ substrate

24‧‧‧ Touch Sensor

25‧‧‧Display

26‧‧‧ Connector

27‧‧‧First Panel

27a‧‧‧First

27b‧‧‧Second Side

28‧‧‧Second Panel

30‧‧‧Control Department

31‧‧‧input terminal

32‧‧‧Switch Department

33‧‧‧Processing circuit

34‧‧‧Input Department

35‧‧‧Notification Department

36‧‧‧Frame

40‧‧‧Mounting frame

41‧‧‧ opening

42‧‧‧ Side piece

43‧‧‧Mounting piece

50‧‧‧AC Power

60‧‧‧Load

200‧‧‧operation surface

201‧‧‧ the first operating area

202‧‧‧Second operating area

203‧‧‧third operation area

230‧‧‧ protrusion

231‧‧‧through hole

251‧‧‧Light-emitting element

252‧‧‧Light-emitting element

253‧‧‧Light-emitting element

254‧‧‧Light-emitting element

255‧‧‧Light-emitting element

270‧‧‧ the first part

271‧‧‧Second Part

272‧‧‧Zhou Bibei

273‧‧‧ gap

274a ~ 274g‧‧‧‧protrusion

275a ~ 275e‧‧‧hole

276a ~ 276e‧‧‧Light guide

280‧‧‧ Board

280a‧‧‧First side

280b‧Second Side

281‧‧‧ sidewall

282‧‧‧ positioning protrusion

283‧‧‧Punch

284a ~ 284g‧‧‧Hole

285‧‧‧Mounting piece

286‧‧‧Pressing section

360‧‧‧ Insert hole

361‧‧‧ recess

362‧‧‧lock hole

363‧‧‧Mounting claws

364‧‧‧operation film

420‧‧‧Mounting hole

2741‧‧‧prominent

2742‧‧‧Stopper

2851‧‧‧foot

2852‧‧‧ protrusion

X‧‧‧ coordinate axis

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit configuration of a load control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the load control device. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the load control device. Fig. 4 is an exploded front perspective view of an operation portion of the load control device. FIG. 5 is a rear exploded perspective view of the operation unit. Fig. 6 is a front view of the operation portion. Fig. 7 is a rear view of the operation unit. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 6.

Claims (14)

A load control device includes: an operation section having an operation surface for an operator to operate a load and a touch sensor for measuring the operator's motion on the operation surface; and a control section for using the touch sensor The first control is performed when the action measured by the sensor is the first action, and the second control is performed when the action measured by the touch sensor is a second action different from the first action. The first control and the second control are both controls that change the action level of the load. The unit of the action level change of the load of the second control is larger than the unit of the action level change of the load of the first control. . For example, the load control device of the scope of application for a patent, wherein the operation section has a display section, and the display section displays a display indicating an operation level of the load on the operation surface, and the control section causes the display section to indicate the load The load's current action level is displayed. For example, the load control device of the second scope of the patent application, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to perform a comparison of a range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the current operating level of the load relative to the operating level of the load. Display of values. For example, the load control device according to item 2 or 3 of the patent application scope, wherein the first action includes an action of moving a contact position between the operator and the operation surface along a coordinate axis set along the operation surface. The display section has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged along the coordinate axis. In the first control, the control section changes the action level of the load according to the distance between the position before the movement and the position after the contact in the coordinate axis. The control section controls the display section so that the majority of the light-emitting elements are sequentially lit along the coordinate axis from the first end to the second end of the operation surface along with the current operation level of the load. The control section The display section is controlled so as to decrease the current operating level of the load, so that the plurality of light emitting elements are sequentially turned off from the second end to the first end of the operation surface along the coordinate axis. For example, the load control device according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the first action includes an action of moving a contact position between the operator and the operation surface along a coordinate axis set along the operation surface. For example, in the load control device under the scope of the patent application, in the first control, the control section changes the operation level of the load according to the distance between the contact position before the movement and the position after the movement. For example, the load control device according to item 5 of the patent application, wherein the second action includes an action that does not move the contact position between the operator and the operation surface and contacts the contact area for a predetermined period. For example, the load control device according to any one of claims 1, 5 to 7, wherein: the operation portion has a plate-shaped body portion accommodating the touch sensor, and the body portion includes: a first panel; Having a first surface and a second surface in a thickness direction, and having the operation surface on the first surface; and a second panel holding the touch sensor between the touch panel and the second surface of the first panel , One of the first panel and the second panel has a protrusion, and the other panel has a hole through which the protrusion can be inserted, and the first panel and the first panel are made by inserting the protrusion into the hole. The two panels are combined with each other. For example, the load control device of the eighth patent application scope, wherein the operation section has a display section, and the display section displays a display indicating the operation level of the load on the operation surface, and the control section causes the display section to indicate the load The load's current action level is displayed. For example, the load control device of the scope of application for patent No. 9 wherein: the control section causes the display section to perform a comparison of a range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the current operating level of the load relative to the operating level of the load Display of values. For example, the load control device of the ninth scope of the patent application, wherein the display portion has a plurality of light emitting elements, and the plurality of light emitting elements are housed in the body portion in a manner facing the second face of the first panel, The first panel includes a plurality of light guide portions that respectively transmit light from the plurality of light emitting elements. For example, the load control device according to item 11 of the patent application scope, wherein the first panel has: a first part having the first surface formed of a light-transmitting material; and a second part having a The second side. For example, the load control device according to item 12 of the application, wherein the first portion and the second portion are integrally formed by a two-color molding method, and the plurality of light guiding portions have the highest light transmittance in the first panel, respectively. For example, the load control device according to item 13 of the patent application, wherein the majority of the light guiding portions are respectively between the bottom surface of the hole of the second portion and the first surface which is not formed in the second surface of the first panel. The location.