TWI698064B - Wireless switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

A wireless switching device includes a circuit board, a first driving module, and a wireless chip. The first driving module includes a first motor and a first pressing plate. The first motor is disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board. The first motor drives the first pressing plate. The shape of the first pressure plate is formed corresponding to the shape of a first switch of a switch set. The wireless chip is disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board. The wireless chip is configured to receive a wireless control signal and activate the first motor according to the wireless control signal.

Description

Wireless switch device

The invention relates to a wireless switch device, in particular, it is installed (covered) on the switch of the original specification product to facilitate the remote switch.

Electrical switches, such as light switches, are usually embedded in the walls of buildings. If the user needs to turn on or off the electrical switch, he must get up and walk near the wall to manually turn it on or off. However, sometimes, it is inconvenient for the user to get up, such as already sitting, going to bed, feeling unwell, or feeling down. At this time, there is a need for remote control of electrical switches.

Although it is possible to completely disassemble the electrical switches of the specifications from the wall and reinstall the electrical switches with remote control function, this is a big project. The user may not understand the electromechanical technology and cannot disassemble the electrical switch, or it is prone to danger when disassembling the electrical switch. Furthermore, if the building is a rented house, the user cannot change the decoration of the rented house without authorization.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a convenient switch device that can assist users to remotely switch electrical appliances.

The present invention aims to provide a wireless switch device for users to remotely control electrical switches ("electrical switches" are referred to as "switches" hereinafter) using mobile phone applications, for example. During installation, the user only needs to disassemble the protective shell of the switch group of the specification product, and then install the wireless switch device of the present invention. Moreover, the user can directly install (cover) the wireless switch device of the present invention without disassembling the switch group of the specification product.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless switch device, which includes a circuit board, a first driving module, and a wireless chip. The first driving module includes a first motor and a first pressing plate. The first motor is arranged on the circuit board and is electrically connected to the circuit board. The first motor drives the first pressing plate. The shape of the first pressing plate matches the shape of the first switch of the switch group. The wireless chip is arranged on the circuit board and is electrically connected to the circuit board. The wireless chip is configured to receive the wireless control signal and activate the first motor according to the wireless control signal.

The wireless switch device of the present invention is particularly suitable for switch groups of standard products. The switch group of the specification product has a plurality of adjacent switches (usually three switches), which are equally spaced from each other, and this distance (especially for motors) is very limited. Therefore, in the present invention, the position distribution of the multiple driving modules is carefully arranged to match the distance and reduce the overall size of the wireless switch device.

On the other hand, the multiple drive modules of the wireless switch device of the present invention are designed to be modularized to increase or decrease. For example, generally speaking, the switch group of the specification product has three adjacent switches, namely the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch. The wireless switch device of the present invention is also provided with three drive modules accordingly. That is, the first drive module, the second drive module, and the third drive module. However, after the decoration, the second switch has been removed from the switch group, the wireless switch device can also remove the second drive module accordingly, and the removed second drive module can be installed in another wireless switch instead The device will not be idle, and it can also prevent users from misunderstanding the existence of the second switch.

In another aspect, the present invention has the advantages of low power consumption and power saving. The standby current of the wireless switch device of the present invention is 2 microamperes (μA), and the operating current is 6 microamperes (μA). Therefore, in an ideal state, if a lithium battery (for example, the voltage is 3.7V and the capacity is 1200mAh) is used as a power source, the wireless switching device of the present invention can stand by for up to 13 years; if a dry battery is used as the power source, the wireless switch device of the present invention The switch device can also stand by for 8 months to 12 months.

The following will cooperate with the drawings and describe in detail to make the other objectives, advantages, and novel features of the present invention more obvious.

1: wireless switch device

10: Circuit board

20: drive module

20-1: The first drive module

20-2: The second drive module

20-3: The third drive module

21: Motor

21-1: The first motor

21-2: The second motor

21-3: The third motor

211: Motor shaft core

22: Linkage plate

221: Linkage Disc

222: side

223: deep groove

224: shallow groove

225: encoder

23: connecting rod

231: first end

232: second end

233: pilot hole

24: pressure plate

24-1: The first pressure plate

24-2: Second pressure plate

24-3: The third pressure plate

241: Center pole

242: protruding rod

26: light sensor

271: module bottom shell

281: Contact button

282: Contact button cap

30: wireless chip

50: upper cover

40: shell

41: first side wall

42: second side wall

80: switch group

81: switch

81-1: First switch

81-2: Second switch

81-3: The third switch

811: first tip

812: second tip

82: Protective shell

9: mobile phone

D: distance

L: total length

L1: length

L2: length

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless switch device of an embodiment of the present invention being installed (covered) on a switch group of a specification product.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a wireless switch device according to an embodiment of the invention.

3A shows a perspective view of a plurality of driving modules of the wireless switch device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3B shows the back of Figure 3A.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a driving module of the wireless switch device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the driving module of FIG. 4 in one direction.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the driving module of FIG. 4 from another direction, wherein the motor is not shown.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the driving module pressing the switch.

Fig. 8 shows the size of the motor of an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 shows the problem caused by the larger size of the stepper motor.

Figure 10 shows the relationship between the motor, the encoder of the linkage plate, and the light sensor.

FIG. 11 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless switch device network according to an embodiment of the invention.

12A to 12C show the arrangement of the touch buttons of the wireless switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Different embodiments of the invention are provided below. These embodiments are used to illustrate the technical content of the present invention, rather than to limit the scope of rights of the present invention. A feature of one embodiment can be applied to other embodiments through suitable modification, substitution, combination, and separation.

It should be noted that in the present invention, the so-called ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are only used to distinguish multiple elements with the same name, and do not mean that there is a hierarchy, level, or execution order among them. , Or process sequence. In addition, a "first" element and a "second" element may appear together in the same component, or may appear in different components separately. Unless otherwise specified, a feature refers to one or more of that feature.

Unless otherwise specified, each component can be implemented as a single circuit or an integrated circuit in a suitable manner, and can include one or more active components, such as transistors or logic gates, or one or more passive components, For example, resistance, capacitance, or inductance, but not limited thereto. The components can be connected to each other in a suitable manner, for example, respectively matching the input signal and the output signal, and using one or more lines to form a series or parallel connection. In addition, each component can allow input and output signals to enter and exit sequentially or in parallel. The above configuration is determined according to the actual application.

(Basic components and structure)

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless switch device 1 of an embodiment of the present invention being installed (covered) on a switch group 80 of a specification product.

The switch group 80 may include a single switch 81 or a plurality of switches 81, namely, a first switch 81-1, a second switch 81-2, and a third switch 81-3. The switch group 80 may include a protective case 82 to house the switch 81.

Please also refer to FIG. 7, which shows a schematic diagram of the driving module pressing the switch 81. The switch 81 of the standard product is usually V-shaped or seesaw-shaped, commonly known as a "boat switch", and has a first tip 811 and a second tip 812. Pressing the first tip 811 will cause the first tip 811 to conceal to the protective shell 82, and the second tip 812 to protrude from the protective shell 82; vice versa. In terms of function, pressing the first tip 811 can turn off the switch 81, and pressing the second tip 812 can turn on the switch 81; the reverse is also possible.

Returning to FIG. 1, the wireless switch device 1 of the present invention is installed (covered) on the switch group 80, and the multiple contact button caps 282 (and the internal drive module 20) of the wireless switch device 1 are respectively aligned with the switch 81-1, 81-2, and 81-3.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the wireless switch device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

The wireless switch device 1 at least includes a circuit board 10, a driving module 20, and a wireless chip 30. The driving module 20 and the wireless chip 30 are arranged on the circuit board 10 and electrically connected to the circuit board 10.

The wireless chip 30 is configured to receive the wireless control signal and activate the motor 21 of the drive module 20 according to the wireless control signal to drive the pressing plate 24 of the drive module 20 to press the switch 81, as shown in FIG. The wireless control signal comes from a terminal device, for example, the user's mobile phone 9 (see Figure 11 for the mobile phone).

The circuit board 10 is empty at least under the pressure plate 24 so that the pressure plate 24 can touch the switch 81. The basket empty is shown in Fig. 3B, exposing the pressing plates 24, namely 24-1, 24-2, and 24-3.

(Modular drive module)

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a plurality of driving modules 20 of the wireless switch device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 3B shows the back of Figure 3A.

The wireless switch device 1 includes a plurality of driving modules 20, namely a first driving module 20-1, a second driving module 20-2, and a third driving module 20-3, which are housed in a housing 40.

Each driving module 20 preferably has the same components, and more preferably has the same structure. Their detailed elements and structures will be further explained below, and the necessary elements and structures are listed here. The first drive module 20-1 includes a first motor 21-1 and a first pressing plate 24-1; the second drive module 20-2 includes a second motor 21-2 and a second pressing plate 24-2; and a third drive module Group 20-3 includes a third motor 21-3 and a third pressing plate 24-3. Each motor drives each pressure plate respectively. The shape of each pressing plate is designed to match the shape of the switch 81 of the switch group 80, as shown in FIG. 7.

Here, it should be particularly noted that the position distribution of the drive modules 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3 are carefully arranged to match the distance D of the switch 81 and reduce the overall size of the wireless switch device 1. .

Specifically, the housing 40 includes a first side wall 41 and a second side wall 42 opposite to each other. The first motor 21-1 and the third motor 21-3 are adjacent to the first side wall 41, and the shaft cores of the first motor 21-1 and the third motor 21-3 are parallel to the first side wall 41, such as The upper dashed line of Figure 3A is shown. The second motor 21-2 is adjacent to the second side wall 42, and the shaft core of the second motor 21-2 is parallel to the second side wall 42, as shown by the lower dashed line in FIG. 3A. In particular, the shaft core of the first motor 21-1 is aligned with the shaft core of the third motor 21-3. Appropriately, each motor is a DC motor, and its size is described below in conjunction with FIG. 8.

In addition, observing FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4, the first drive module 20-1, the second drive module 20-2, or the third drive module 20-3 can be assembled and disassembled in a modular manner.壳40。 Housing 40. If the switch group 80 does not have exactly three switches 81, but only two or one switch 81, the redundant drive module can be removed 20. The removed drive module can be installed in another wireless switch device without being left unused, and it can also prevent the user from misunderstanding the existence of the switch 81 under it.

(Drive module)

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the driving module 20 of the wireless switch device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the driving module 20 of FIG. 4 in one direction. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the driving module 20 in FIG. 4 from another direction, wherein the motor 21 is not shown.

Refer to Figures 4 to 6 at the same time. The driving module 20 at least includes a motor 21 and a pressing plate 24. The pressing plate 24 includes a center rod 241.

The motor 21 is arranged on the circuit board 10 (see FIG. 2) and is electrically connected to the circuit board 10. It drives the pressing plate 24 to rotate based on the center rod 241 to press the switch 81 (see FIG. 1). In particular, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the center rod 241 of the pressing plate 24 is embedded and fixed to the groove of the bottom case 271 of the module.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the motor 21 can drive the pressure plate 24 through the interlocking disc 22 and the connecting rod 23. The motor 21 includes a motor shaft core 211, and the motor shaft core 211 is coupled to the center of the linkage disk 22 to rotate the linkage disk 22. The linkage disk 22 includes a linkage disk shaft 221, and the linkage disk shaft 221 is coupled to the opening of the first end 231 of the connecting rod 23. The pressing plate 24 includes a protruding rod 242 coupled to the guide hole 233 of the second end 232 of the connecting rod 23. The guide hole 233 is oval or oblong, as shown in FIG. 6. The aforementioned coupling is, for example, insertion or embedding.

Accordingly, the rotation of the motor 21 can move the protruding rod 242 of the pressure plate 24 so that the pressure plate 24 is rotated based on the center rod 241. Since the guide hole 233 is oval or oblong, the mechanical movement it will produce is that the motor 21 rotates the first half turn to push the pressure plate 24, and the motor 21 rotates the second half turn to pull the pressure plate 24; the reverse is also possible.

As another example, some elements may use electromagnets, which attract and repel each other through magnetic force, so that the motor 21 drives the pressure plate 24.

As shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the pressing plate 24 is designed to match the shape of the switch 81. For the V-shaped switch 81 with a first tip 811 and a second tip 812, the pressing plate 24 can also be designed to have a first convex portion 243 and a second convex portion 244, respectively aligned with the first tip 811 of the switch 81 And the second tip 812. In addition, the pressing plate 24 is not necessarily extremely flat, as long as it can provide sufficient force to press the switch 81. It should be noted that the above-mentioned switch 81 and the corresponding pressing plate 24 are only examples. For the rebound switch (for example, the first pressing is off, the second pressing is on), the pressing plate 24 only needs a convex portion.

Suitably, the motor 21 may be a DC motor. FIG. 8 shows the size of the motor of an embodiment of the present invention. To match the switch 81 of the specification product, the total length L of the motor 21 including the motor shaft 211 is preferably less than 30 millimeters (mm). The length L1 of the motor 21 including the reducer 212 is preferably less than 24 millimeters (mm). The length L2 of the portion of the motor shaft core 211 protruding from the reducer 212 is preferably less than 6 millimeters (mm).

Although a stepping motor can be used, the size of the stepping motor is relatively large. It is not easy for a plurality of stepping motors to align with the plurality of switches 81 of the switch group 80 of the specification product, or it may increase the overall size of the wireless switch device 1. Figure 9 shows the problem caused by the larger size of the stepper motor. In addition, stepping motors are expensive, and the smaller the size, the more expensive. Therefore, according to the present invention, a suitable motor must be selected and matched with a suitable spatial distribution to complete the configuration of multiple drive modules 20 aligned with multiple switches 81.

(Encoder)

FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the motor 21, the encoder 225 of the linkage disk 22, and the optical sensor 26.

Suitably, the action of the motor 21 can be determined by the encoder 225. Here, the encoder refers to a rotary encoder, also called a shaft encoder, which can convert the rotation position or the amount of rotation into an analog signal or a digital signal.

Suitably, the encoder can be an optical encoder, which can reflect light. Typically, its light is invisible light, but it is not limited to this. Of course, other types of encoders are also acceptable.

A deep groove 223 and a shallow groove 224 are formed on the side surface 222 of the linkage plate 22. The deep groove 223 and the shallow groove 224 are the "code" of the encoder 225, which implies the switch state. The deep groove 223 may indicate that the switch is turned on, and the shallow groove 224 may indicate that the switch is turned off; vice versa. The position of the deep groove 223 and the position of the shallow groove 224 depend on the rotation position or the amount of rotation required to open and close the switch, and are determined by the actual switch shape (for example, V-shape).

The light sensor 26 is arranged under the interlocking disk 22 and is aligned with the side 222 of the interlocking disk 22 to emit light and receive the reflected light, as shown by the arrow. When light enters the deep groove 223, the shallow groove 224, or the non-groove, the reflection time is different due to the different reflection distance, which will cause the light sensor 26 to generate different control signals, for example, the signal has been turned on, Close signal, and incomplete signal. At the same time, the light sensor 26 is disposed on the circuit board 10 (see FIG. 2 for the circuit board 10), and is electrically connected to the circuit board 10. The light sensor 26 transmits the control signal generated by sensing the reflected light to the microprocessor (not labeled) of the circuit board 10, and the microprocessor controls the motor 21 according to the control signal.

Typically, referring to FIG. 7, the microprocessor can determine whether to supply power to the motor 21 to rotate it. The on signal and the off signal respectively indicate that the pressing plate 24 has pressed the switch 81 to on or off, and the motor 21 can stop rotating. The incomplete signal indicates that the pressing plate 24 only presses the switch 81 halfway, and has not been turned on or off, and the motor 21 must continue to rotate.

(Wireless chip and application)

Appropriately, the wireless chip 30 in FIG. 2 may be a Bluetooth chip, such as an nRF52832 chip, but it is not limited thereto. It is not necessary for the wireless chip 30 to use a WiFi chip.

The Bluetooth 4.2 specification supports one-to-one pairing, for example, a mobile phone 9 controls a wireless switch device 1 remotely. The Bluetooth 5.0 specification supports many-to-many pairing, for example, multiple mobile phones 9 remotely control multiple wireless switch devices 1. In this regard, the microprocessor (not shown) of the circuit board 10 can be configured to cooperate with the wireless chip 30 to support these specifications.

An application (APP) for remotely controlling the wireless switch device 1 of the present invention can be installed on the user's mobile phone 9 to provide a timer switch or voice control function. In particular, for the remote control of multiple wireless switch devices 1, the application program can be configured to set restrictions, such as distance restrictions or number restrictions, to determine whether a specific wireless switch device 1 can be remotely controlled. Alternatively, the user must obtain permission through e-commerce (clicking on advertisements or paying for purchases) to control more wireless switch devices 1 or their internal drive modules 20.

(Wireless Switch Device Network)

FIG. 11 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless switch device network 100 according to an embodiment of the invention.

A wireless switch device network 100 can be formed between multiple wireless switch devices 1-1 and 1-2. One wireless switch device 1-1 can be used as a "springboard" for another wireless switch device 1-2. It is known that the transmission distance of Bluetooth radio waves is limited. For example, the maximum transmission distance of Bluetooth 4.2 is 50 meters, and the maximum transmission distance of Bluetooth 5.0 is 300 meters. The user's mobile phone 9 cannot remotely control the wireless switch device 1-2 that cannot be reached by Bluetooth radio waves. Therefore, according to the present invention, the user can transmit a signal to a wireless switch device 1-1 located within the transmission distance of the mobile phone 9, and the wireless switch device 1-1 then forwards the signal to another device located outside the transmission distance of the mobile phone 9. A wireless switch device 1-2. The above mechanism can be achieved through the hardware or software configuration of the wireless chip 20.

(Touch button)

12A to 12C show the arrangement of the touch button 281 of the wireless switch device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In particular, in this article, "switch" refers to an electrical switch 81 usually embedded in the wall of a building, such as a light switch; and "button" refers to the touch button 281 of the wireless switch device 1 of the present invention. The contact button 281 can control the electrical switch 81 in a mechanical, electrical, or magnetic manner.

Although the wireless switch device 1 of the present invention is used to add (cover) the switch 81 of the switch group 80 of the original specification product, in order to cope with the lack of remote control by the mobile phone 9, a touch button 281 must still be provided. Alternatively, when the user is near the switch 81, the touch button 281 can be used to turn the switch 81 on or off; but when the user is far away from the switch 81, the switch 81 can be turned on or off by remote control instead.

FIG. 12B shows that a module top case 272 and a touch button 281 are added to the driving module 20 of FIG. 12A, wherein the touch button 281 is coupled to the pressing plate 24. FIG. 12C shows that a contact button cap 282 is added to the drive module 20 of FIG. 12A to make the contact button 281 easier to press. The shape of the contact button cap 282 is just like the shape of the switch 81 of the switch group 80 of the original specification product, all presenting a V-shape, which has been enlarged to the same proportion. However, the shape of the touch button cap 282 is not limited to this, as long as it is easy to press.

In other embodiments, the contact button 281 and the contact button cap 282 can be replaced with a touch panel (not shown), or the upper cover 50 (see Figure 1) of the entire wireless switch device 1 can be replaced with a touch panel panel. The touch panel is electrically connected to the circuit board 10 to determine whether to rotate the motor 21 and then drive the pressing plate 24 to press the switch 81 of the switch group 80.

Although the present invention has been illustrated through its preferred embodiments, it should be understood that many other possible modifications and changes can be made as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention and those claimed in the scope of the patent application.

1: wireless switch device

10: Circuit board

20: drive module

21: Motor

24: pressure plate

30: wireless chip

Claims (8)

A wireless switch device includes: a circuit board; a first drive module, including: a first motor, including a motor shaft core, the motor shaft core is coupled to a center of a linkage disk, and the first motor is arranged On the circuit board, and electrically connected to the circuit board; and a first pressure plate, the first motor drives the first pressure plate, the shape of the first pressure plate is matched with the shape of a first switch of a switch group; Wherein, the interlocking disc includes a interlocking disc shaft, the interlocking disc is coupled to a first end of a first connecting rod, a second end of the first connecting rod forms a guide hole, and the guide hole is coupled to the first A protruding rod of the pressure plate; and a wireless chip arranged on the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board; the wireless chip is configured to receive a wireless control signal, and activate the first wireless chip according to the wireless control signal One motor. The wireless switch device according to claim 1, wherein the linkage plate includes an encoder. The wireless switch device according to claim 1, wherein a deep groove and a shallow groove are formed on the side of the interlocking disk. The wireless switch device according to claim 1, wherein the first driving module further includes a light sensor disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board; the light sensor is arranged Below the interlocking disk, aim at the side of the interlocking disk to emit light and receive reflected light. The wireless switch device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second drive module, including a second motor and a second pressing plate, the second motor drives the second pressing plate, and the shape of the second pressing plate is matched The shape of a second switch of the switch group; A third drive module includes a third motor and a third pressure plate, the third motor drives the third pressure plate, the shape of the third pressure plate is matched with the shape of a third switch of the switch group; and a housing , Including a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to each other; the first motor and the third motor are adjacent to the first side wall, and the shaft core of the first motor and the shaft core of the third motor are parallel On the first side wall; and the second motor is adjacent to the second side wall, and the shaft core of the second motor is parallel to the second side wall. The wireless switch device according to claim 5, wherein the shaft core of the first motor is aligned with the shaft core of the third motor. The wireless switch device according to claim 6, wherein the first drive module, the second drive module, or the third drive module can be assembled and disassembled to the housing in a modular manner. The wireless switch device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless chip is configured to forward the wireless control signal to another wireless switch device.

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