WO2018123400A1

WO2018123400A1 - Load control device

Info

Publication number: WO2018123400A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/042609
Authority: WO
Inventors: 智裕三宅; 工藤　弘行; 豊田　一郎
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2016-12-27
Filing date: 2017-11-28
Publication date: 2018-07-05
Also published as: JP7126178B2; TW201824954A; JP6868815B2; JP2021108288A; JP2018107049A; TWI666971B

Abstract

The present disclosure addresses the problem of providing a load control device whereby an operator can easily perform an operation of adjusting a load operation level to a desired value. A load control device (10) has an operation unit (20) and a control unit (30). The operation unit (20) has an operation surface (200) for an operator to operate a load (60), and a touch sensor (24) that measures an operation on the operation surface (200), said operation being to be performed by the operator. The control unit (30) executes a first control if the operation measured by the touch sensor (24) is a first operation, and executes a second control if the operation measured by the touch sensor (24) is a second operation that is different from the first operation. The first control and the second control are controls for changing the operation level of the load (60). The second control has a larger unit for changing the operation level of the load (60) than the first control.

Description

Load control device

The present disclosure relates generally to a load control device (Load Control Device), and more particularly to a load control device that adjusts the operation level of a load.

Patent Document 1 discloses a switch device including an operation unit and a switch body. The operation unit includes a touch sensor unit having three operation areas (upper operation area, middle operation area, and lower operation area) arranged vertically. The control unit turns on / off the switch element that turns on / off the power supply from the external power source to the illumination load in accordance with the detection result of the touch sensor unit. In particular, when the middle operation area is touched, the control unit turns on (or turns off) the lighting load by turning on (or turning off) the switch element. When the upper operation area is touch-operated while the lighting load is lit, the control unit controls the phase of the switch element to increase the dimming level of the lighting load. When the lower operation area is touch-operated while the lighting load is lit, the control unit controls the phase of the switch element to lower the dimming level of the lighting load.

In the switch device (load control device) of Patent Document 1, the dimming level (load operation level) of the illumination load can be changed by touching the upper operation region or the lower operation region. However, in Patent Document 1, when a touch operation is performed on the upper operation region or the lower operation region, the control unit changes the phase angle by one step. Therefore, in order to adjust the operation level of the load to a desired value, there is a possibility that the touch operation in the upper operation area or the lower operation area must be performed many times.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a load control device that allows an operator to easily perform an operation of adjusting a load operation level to a desired value.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-187920

The load control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an operation unit and a control unit. The operation unit includes an operation surface for an operator to operate a load, and a touch sensor that measures the operation of the operator on the operation surface. The control unit executes the first control if the operation measured by the touch sensor is a first operation, and if the operation measured by the touch sensor is a second operation different from the first operation. The second control is configured to be executed. The first control and the second control are both controls for changing the operation level of the load. In the second control, the unit of change in the operation level of the load is larger than that of the first control.

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 a front exploded perspective view of the operation unit 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 unit. FIG. 7 is a rear view of the operation unit. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

1. Embodiment 1.1 Configuration FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit configuration of a load control device (load control switch) 10 of the present embodiment. The load control device 10 controls the load 60 with electric power from the AC power supply 50. In particular, the load control device 10 has a function of adjusting the operation level of the load 60. In the present embodiment, the AC power supply 50 is a commercial AC power supply (for example, single-phase 100 [V], 60 [Hz]). The load 60 is an illumination load, and includes, for example, a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) elements and a power supply circuit that turns on the plurality of LED elements. In the present 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 unit 20, a control unit 30, and an attachment frame 40.

The mounting frame 40 is used for installing the load control device 10 on a construction material (for example, a wall of a building). As shown in FIG. 3, the attachment frame 40 has a rectangular frame shape having a rectangular opening 41. The attachment frame 40 includes a pair of

long side pieces

42 and 42 that are parallel to each other, and a pair of

attachment pieces

43 and 43 that connect the ends of the pair of

side pieces

42 and 42. Each of the pair of

side pieces

42, 42 has a pair of

mounting holes

420, 420 arranged in the length direction at the center in the length direction. The attachment hole 420 is used for attaching the control unit 30 to the attachment frame 40. The attachment frame 40 is fixed to the construction material using a pair of

attachment pieces

43, 43. Therefore, the load control device 10 can be installed on the construction material by the mounting frame 40.

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

The circuit block 21 has a substrate 23. The substrate 23 is a rectangular printed wiring board. The board | substrate 23 has the

protrusions

230 and 230 on both sides of the width direction orthogonal to a length direction (up-down direction of FIG. 4). The projecting pieces 230 are not aligned on a straight line in the width direction of the substrate 23. The substrate 23 has through

holes

231 and 231 that penetrate the

protrusions

230 and 230 in the thickness direction, respectively.

The circuit block 21 includes a touch sensor 24 and a display unit 25 (see FIG. 1). The touch sensor 24 is used to measure (detect) the operation of the operator on the operation surface 200 (see FIG. 2) set in the operation unit 20. The touch sensor 24 detects and outputs a position touched by the operator on the operation surface 200. The touch sensor 24 is mounted on the first surface in the thickness direction of the substrate 23 (front surface in the present embodiment). However, in FIG. 4, the touch sensor 24 is omitted. Since the touch sensor 24 may be a conventionally known touch sensor, its detailed description is omitted. The display unit 25 is used to display a display indicating the operation level of the load 60 on the operation surface 200. The display unit 25 includes a plurality (five in the present embodiment) of

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, the five

light emitting elements

251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are mounted on the first surface (front surface in the present embodiment) in the thickness direction of the substrate 23. In particular, the five

light emitting elements

251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are arranged at the central portion in the width direction of the substrate 23 so as to be aligned in a straight line along the length direction. The five

light emitting elements

251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 are arranged in this order 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 length direction. .

The circuit block 21 has a connector 26 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The connector 26 is used to electrically connect the operation unit 20 and the control unit 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 for transmitting a control signal from the control unit 30 to the display unit 25. The connector 26 is also used for supplying power from the control unit 30 to the operation unit 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 the present embodiment).

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

The first panel 27 has a rectangular plate shape as shown in FIGS. The first panel 27 has a first surface (front surface in the present embodiment) 27a and a second surface (rear surface in the present embodiment) 27b in the thickness direction. In the operation unit 20, as shown in FIG. 6, an operation surface 200 is provided on the first surface 27a. The first panel 27 has a first part 270 and a second part 271. The 1st site | part 270 and the 2nd site | part 271 are rectangular plate shape of the same external shape. As shown in FIG. 8, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 overlap each other so that their thickness directions coincide with each other. Here, the first surface 27a is a surface opposite to the second portion 271 in the first portion 270 (the left surface in FIG. 8), and the second surface 27b is opposite to the first portion 270 in the second portion 271. It is a surface (right surface of FIG. 8). The first portion 270 is formed of a light transmissive material, and the second portion 271 is formed of an opaque material. For example, the first part 270 and the second part 271 may be formed of an acrylic resin, but the acrylic resin used for the second part 271 is mixed with a pigment so as to be opaque. As described above, the first panel 27 includes the first portion 270 formed of a light transmissive material and having the first surface 27a, and the second portion 271 formed of an opaque material and having the second surface 27b. As a result, the plurality of light emitting elements 251 to 255 themselves of the display unit 25 housed in the main body 22 are not easily seen from the first surface 27a side, and the light from the light emitting elements 251 to 255 is transmitted through the first panel 27. It becomes easy. In the present embodiment, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 are integrally formed by two-color molding. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the first panel 27 can be reduced as compared with the case where the first part 270 and the second part 271 are separately formed and then the first part 270 is joined to the second part 271. Moreover, since the 1st site | part 270 and the 2nd site | part 271 are seen integrally, the external appearance of the 1st panel 27 becomes good.

The first panel 27 has a peripheral wall portion 272 as shown in FIG. 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. The peripheral wall portion 272 has

cutout portions

273 and 273 at portions corresponding to the pair of projecting

pieces

230 and 230 of the substrate 23.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first panel 27 has a plurality (seven in this embodiment) of protrusions 274a to 274g for connecting the first panel 27 and the second panel 28. Each of the seven protrusions 274a to 274g includes a protruding piece 2741 protruding from the second surface 27b toward the second panel 28, and a locking piece 2742 protruding outward from the tip of the protruding piece 2741. The

protrusions

274a, 274b, 274c are arranged along the length direction at the first end (the 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 length direction at the second end (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 in the length direction of the second surface 27b of the first panel 27 (the upper end in FIG. 5).

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

As shown in FIG. 5, the first panel 27 has a plurality of (in this embodiment, five) holes 275a to 275e. The five holes 275a to 275e are formed on the second surface 27b at positions facing (corresponding to) the five light emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display unit 25, respectively. The five holes 275a to 275e are arranged in this order from the first end (the lower end in FIG. 5) in the length direction of the first panel 27 to the second end (the upper end in FIG. 5). Each of the holes 275a to 275e does not penetrate the second portion 271 as shown in FIG. The depth of each of the holes 275a to 275e is set so that the bottoms of the holes 275a to 275e in the second portion 271 can transmit light from the light emitting elements 251 to 255. In the first panel 27, a plurality (five in this embodiment) of light guides that transmit light from the plurality of light emitting elements 251 to 255 at portions between the bottom surfaces of the plurality of holes 275a to 275e and the first surface 27a, respectively. The light portions 276a to 276e are formed. Thereby, the operation level of the load 60 can be displayed on the operation surface 200. The light guide portions 276a to 276e are portions having the highest light transmittance in the first panel 27. Since the light emitting elements 251 to 255 are covered with the light guide portions 276a to 276e, the light emitting elements 251 to 255 themselves are difficult to see from the first surface 27a side of the first panel 27. Therefore, the appearance of the operation unit 20 is improved. In particular, the five light guides 276a to 276e transmit light from the five light emitting elements 251 to 255, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, each of the holes 275a to 275e does not penetrate the second portion 271 formed of an opaque material, so that the light emitting elements 251 to 255 themselves are formed from the first surface 27a side of the first panel 27. It becomes harder to see. Therefore, the appearance of the operation unit 20 is further improved.

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

The second panel 28 has a pair of positioning

protrusions

282 and 282 as shown in FIG. The pair of positioning

protrusions

282 and 282 are used to position the substrate 23 (circuit block 21) with respect to the second panel 28 (main body portion 22). The pair of positioning

protrusions

282 and 282 are formed on the first surface 280 a of the plate portion 280 at locations corresponding to the pair of through holes 231 of the substrate 23. The distal end portion of each positioning projection 282 has a tapered shape (in this embodiment, a quadrangular pyramid shape). Therefore, it is easy to insert the positioning protrusion 282 into the through hole 231. However, as the insertion amount of the positioning protrusion 282 into the through hole 231 increases, the space occupied by the positioning protrusion 282 in the through hole 231 increases. Therefore, the substrate 23 can be positioned with respect to the second panel 28 by inserting the pair of positioning

protrusions

282 and 282 into the pair of through

holes

231 and 231.

The second panel 28 has an insertion hole 283 as shown in FIGS. The insertion hole 283 is provided to expose the connector 26 of the circuit block 21. The insertion hole 283 is formed at a location corresponding to the connector 26 in the plate portion 280 so as to penetrate the plate portion 280 in the thickness direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second panel 28 has a plurality of (seven in this embodiment) cavities 284 a to 284 g for connecting the first panel 27 and the second panel 28. . Each of the plurality of cavities 284a to 284g is formed so that a corresponding protrusion among the plurality of protrusions 274a to 274g is fitted. The seven voids 284a to 284g are through holes that are formed in the plate portion 280 at locations corresponding to the seven protrusions 274a to 274g and penetrate the plate portion 280 in the thickness direction. When the seven protrusions 274a to 274g are inserted into the seven cavities 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 become the seven cavities Pass through 284a-284g. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the locking pieces 2742 of the seven protrusions 274a to 274g hit the edges of the seven cavities 284a to 284g on the second surface 280b of the plate portion 280. In this way, the projections 274a to 274g are fitted into the voids 284a to 284g, so that the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 are coupled to each other.

The 2nd panel 28 has a pair of attachment pieces 285,285 as shown in FIG.5 and FIG.7. The pair of

attachment pieces

285 and 285 are used for attaching the operation unit 20 to the control unit 30. Each of the pair of

attachment pieces

285 and 285 includes a leg piece 2851 that protrudes from the second surface 280b toward the control unit 30 and a protrusion 2852 that protrudes inward from the tip of the leg piece 2851. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the second panel 28 includes a plurality of (13 in this embodiment) pressing portions 286. The plurality of pressing portions 286 are provided to press the substrate 23 of the circuit block 21 toward the first panel 27 when the circuit block 21 is accommodated in the main body portion 22. This prevents the circuit block 21 from rattling in the thickness direction of the main body 22 in a state where the circuit block 21 is accommodated in the main body 22.

In the second panel 28, the plate portion 280, the side wall portion 281, the pair of

positioning projections

282, 282, the pair of

attachment pieces

285, 285, and the plurality of pressing portions 286 are integrally formed of the same material. .

In the operation unit 20, the circuit block 21 is accommodated in the main body unit 22 as follows. First, the circuit block 21 is placed on the first surface 280 a of the second panel 28 with the second surface of the substrate 23 facing the first surface 280 a of the second panel 28. At this time, the connector 26 is inserted into the insertion hole 283, and the pair of positioning

protrusions

282 and 282 are also inserted into the through

holes

231 and 231 of the pair of

protrusions

230 and 230, respectively. Thereafter, the first panel 27 is disposed so that the second surface 27 b faces the first surface of the substrate 23 of the circuit block 21. Then, the seven protrusions 274a to 274g of the first panel 27 are fitted into the seven cavities 284a to 284g of the second panel 28, respectively. As a result, the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 are coupled to each other, and the circuit block 21 is held between the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the assembly operation of the operation unit 20 can be easily performed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 30 includes a pair of

input terminals

31, 31, a switch unit 32, a processing circuit 33, an input unit 34, and a notification unit 35. Moreover, the control part 30 is provided with the housing | casing 36, as shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3.

The housing 36 accommodates a pair of

input terminals

31, 31, a switch unit 32, a processing circuit 33, an input unit 34, and a notification unit 35. The housing 36 has a rectangular box shape. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 36 has an insertion hole 360. The insertion hole 360 is a hole for inserting the connector 26 of the operation unit 20 into the housing 36. The insertion hole 360 is provided at a location corresponding to the connector 26 on a surface facing the operation unit 20 (hereinafter referred to as a front surface). Moreover, the housing | casing 36 has a pair of recessed part 361,361, as shown in FIG. The pair of

recesses

361 and 361 are used for attaching the operation unit 20 to the control unit 30. Each recess 361 has a locking hole 362 into which the protrusion 2852 of the mounting piece 285 is fitted. Therefore, the operation part 20 is attached to the front surface of the control part 30 by fitting the protrusions 2852 of the pair of attachment pieces 285 of the operation part 20 into the locking holes 362 of the pair of

recesses

361 and 361. The housing 36 has two pairs of

attachment claws

363 and 363. The two pairs of

attachment claws

363 and 363 are used for attaching the control unit 30 to the attachment frame 40. The two pairs of

attachment claws

363 and 363 are provided on both side surfaces of the housing 36. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 30 is inserted into the opening 41 of the mounting frame 40, and two pairs of mounting

claws

363, 363 are paired with a pair of mounting holes 420 of the pair of

side pieces

42, 42 of the mounting frame 40, The control unit 30 is attached to the attachment frame 40 by being fitted to 420. The housing 36 has a plurality (four in this embodiment) of operation pieces 364 on the front surface. The plurality of operation pieces 364 are used to operate the input unit 34 accommodated in the housing 36.

The pair of

input terminals

31 and 31 are used to connect the control unit 30 to the AC power supply 50 and the load 60. The pair of

input terminals

31, 31 are known terminals such as a quick connection terminal and a screw terminal, for example.

The switch unit 32 is used to control the load 60. The switch unit 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 supply 50 and the load 60 so that the switch unit 32 is electrically connected to the AC power supply 50 in series with the load 60. Connected. The switch unit 32 is a bidirectional switch. If the switch unit 2 is in a conductive state (on state), an AC voltage from the AC power supply 50 is applied to the load 60. If the switch unit 32 is in a non-conduction state (off state), an AC voltage from the AC power supply 50 is applied to the processing circuit 33 via the pair of

input terminals

31 and 31.

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

The notification unit 35 is used to notify that a predetermined event has occurred. The notification unit 35 is electrically connected to the processing circuit 33. The notification unit 35 is an electroacoustic transducer, for example, a buzzer that generates a beep sound.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to control the switch unit 32, the display unit 25, and the notification unit 35, for example. Further, the processing circuit 33 generates electric power necessary for the operation of the processing circuit 33 by an AC voltage applied via the pair of

input terminals

31 and 31. The processing circuit 33 is configured by, for example, an electric circuit including a microcontroller having 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 turns off the load 60 by maintaining the switch unit 2 in the non-conductive state. On the other hand, the processing circuit 33 turns on the load 60 by periodically turning on the switch unit 2. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 controls the phase of the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply 50 to the load 60 by the switch unit 32. The “phase control” here refers to the AC voltage supplied (applied) to the load 60 by changing the phase angle (conduction angle) at which the energization of the load 60 is started or terminated every half cycle of the AC voltage. Means the control method.

The processing circuit 33 has a function of adjusting the operation level of the load 60 when the load 60 is on. That is, the processing circuit 33 has a function of adjusting the magnitude of the light output of the load 60 by controlling the phase of the AC voltage of the AC power supply 50. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 is configured to adjust the operation level of the load 60 by adjusting the time during which the switch unit 2 is in a conduction state (conduction time). For example, the light output of the load 60 is set to 128 levels. 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. Further, 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 less than the lower limit value. The processing circuit 33 is configured to set a lower limit value of the load 60 in accordance with an input from the input unit 34. For example, if the lower limit value of the load 60 is set to 6, the processing circuit 33 selects the operation level of the load from the range of 6 to 128. The lower limit value of the operation level of the load 60 is preferably set based on whether the load 60 operates stably. In the present embodiment, since the load 60 is an illumination load, the lower limit value is set based on whether the load 60 is stably lit.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to perform control according to the operation of the operator with respect to the operation surface 200 measured by the touch sensor 24. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 determines whether the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 corresponds to a plurality of different operations (first to third operations) set in advance, and the determined operation It is comprised so that the control corresponding to may be 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 over the entire first surface 27a. A coordinate axis X is set on the operation surface 200 along the operation surface 200. The coordinate axis X is parallel to the length direction of the first panel 27 (vertical direction in FIG. 6). The positive direction of the coordinate axis X is a direction from the first end (lower end in FIG. 6) in the length direction of the first panel 27 toward the second end (upper end in FIG. 6). The negative direction of the coordinate axis X is a direction from the second end (upper end in FIG. 6) in the length direction of the first panel 27 toward the first end (lower end in FIG. 6). The operation surface 200 includes three operation areas (first to third operation areas) 201, 202, and 203. The first operation area 201 corresponds to the center area of the first surface 27a. The first operation area 201 has a square shape centered on the light guide 276c and does not overlap with the light guides 276a, 276b, 276d, 276e other than the light guide 276c. The second operation area 202 corresponds to an area between the center of the first surface 27a of the first panel 27 and the second end (the upper end in FIG. 6) excluding the area corresponding to the first operation area 201. The second operation area 202 includes

light guide portions

276d and 276e. The third operation region 203 corresponds to a region between the center of the first surface 27a of the first panel 27 and the first end (lower end in FIG. 6) excluding the region corresponding to the first operation region 201. The third operation region 203 includes

light guide portions

276a and 276b. In FIG. 6, the light emitting elements 251 to 255 are illustrated by alternate long and short dash lines, but this indicates that they are not actually visible.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to execute the first control if the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first operation. The first control is 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 operation corresponds to so-called slide operation, swipe operation, and flick operation. Therefore, the operation level of the load 60 can be changed by an intuitive operation. The processing circuit 33 is configured to execute the displacement control as the first control if the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is a displacement operation. In the displacement control, the processing circuit 33 changes the operation level of the load 60 according to the distance (movement distance) between the position before movement of the contact position on the coordinate axis X (initial position) and the position after movement (final position). Configured to let The movement distance is a distance between the initial position and the final position, and does not necessarily match the distance of the route from the initial position to the final position. That is, the change in the operation level of the load 60 is determined by the moving distance between the initial position and the final position regardless of the path between the initial position and the final position. This makes it easy to adjust the operation level of the load 60. The processing circuit 33 increases the operation level of the load 60 according to the movement distance if the coordinate of the coordinate axis X is larger in the final position than in the initial position. The processing circuit 33 reduces the operation level of the load 60 according to the moving distance if the coordinate of the coordinate axis X is smaller in the final position than in the initial position. In the displacement control (first control), the unit of change in the operation level of the load 60 is 1. When the upper limit value of the operation level of the load 60 is UL and the lower limit value is LL, the operation level of the load 60 is in the “UL-LL + 1” stage in the displacement control. For example, if UL is 128 and LL is 1, the operation level of the load 60 is selected from a range of 1 to 128. Here, if the maximum value of the movement distance is D, the upper limit value of the operation level of the load 60 is UL, and the lower limit value is LL, the distance d required to change the operation level by 1 is {D / (UL− LL + 1)}. Therefore, the change amount of the operation level is determined by the movement distance and the distance d. The maximum value D of the movement distance is set to the distance between the first end and the second end of the first panel 27 (the length of the first panel 27).

Further, the first operation is performed in a predetermined period (first predetermined period) in the contact area (first contact area) without moving the contact position of the operation surface 200 with the predetermined contact area (first contact area). Includes touching motion (non-displacement motion). The first contact area includes a second operation area 202 and a third operation area 203 on the operation surface 200. The first predetermined period is longer than the specified time. The specified time is a relatively short time, for example, 0.5 seconds. The non-displacement operation corresponds to so-called long press operation and long tap operation. The processing circuit 33 is configured to execute non-displacement control as the first control if the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is a non-displacement operation. The non-displacement control is a control for changing the operation level of the load 60 as in the displacement control. In the non-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. 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, the minimum value of the change in the operation level of the load 60 is 1 as in the displacement control. Here, when the maximum value of the first predetermined period is T, 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 1 is {T / ( UL-LL + 1)}. Therefore, the change amount of the operation level is determined by the first predetermined period and the time t. The maximum value T for the first predetermined period is set to about 3 to 5 seconds in consideration of operability.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to execute the second control if the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the second operation. The second operation is an operation in which the operator touches the contact area (second contact area) for a predetermined period (second predetermined period) without moving the contact position of the operation surface 200 with the predetermined contact area (second contact area). including. In the second operation, it is not required that the contact position does not move in a strict sense, and a certain amount of movement of the contact position can be allowed in consideration of operability. The second contact area includes a second operation area 202 and a third operation area 203 on the operation surface 200. The second predetermined period is shorter than the specified time. As described above, the specified time is a relatively short time, for example, 0.5 seconds. The second operation corresponds to a so-called tap operation. As a result, the first operation and the second operation can be easily distinguished from each other, so that the possibility of erroneous operation 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. The second control is control for changing the operation level of the load, similarly to the first control (displacement control, non-displacement control). However, in the second control, the unit of change in the operation level of the load 60 is larger than that of the first control. For example, in the second control, the minimum value of the change in the operation level of the load 60 is 6. However, depending on the setting of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the operation level, the unit of change in the operation level may not be 6. In the second control, when the stage of the operation 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 the load 60 is 22 levels. In this case, the operation level of the load 60 is 1, 7, 13, 19, 25, 31, 37, 43, 49, 55, 61, 67, 73, 79, 85, 91, 97, 103, 109, 115, 121. , 128 is selected.

The processing circuit 33 is configured to execute the third control if the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the third operation. The third operation is an operation in which the operator touches the contact area (third contact area) for a predetermined period (third predetermined period) without moving the contact position of the operation surface 200 with the predetermined contact area (third contact area). including. In the third operation, it is not required that the contact position does not move in a strict sense, and a certain amount of movement of the contact position can be allowed in consideration of operability. 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 has touched the entire area of the operation surface 200. The third predetermined period is shorter than the specified time. As described above, the specified time is a relatively short time, for example, 0.5 seconds. The third operation corresponds to a so-called tap operation. If the third contact area is the first operation area 201 or the entire area of the operation surface 200, the processing circuit 33 switches the load 60 between the on state and the off state. The processing circuit 33 sets the operation level of the load 60 to an initial value when switching the load 60 from the off state to the on state. The initial value is, for example, a central 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 operation 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 display the current operation level of the load 60. Thereby, the operator can grasp the operation level of the load 60 by the display unit 25. The display unit 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 to be lit according to the current level of the load 60. As the current operation level of the load 60 increases, the processing circuit 33 causes the plurality of light emitting elements 251 to 255 to move along the coordinate axis X from the first end to the second end (in the present embodiment, the first end). The display unit 25 is controlled to light up in order from the first end to the second end of the panel 27. Further, the processing circuit 33 causes the plurality of light emitting elements 251 to 255 to move along the coordinate axis X from the second end to the first end (in this embodiment, as the current operation level of the load 60 decreases. The display unit 25 is controlled to turn off in turn from the second end to the first end of the first panel 27. Here, the direction in which the light emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display unit 25 are arranged is the same as the direction in which the contact position is moved in the first operation. Therefore, the operator can grasp the display content of the display unit 25 and the first action in association with each other, so that the operation of changing the action level can be easily performed. More specifically, the processing circuit 33 sets the display unit 25 to any one of the first to fifth states according to the current operation level of the load 60. The first state is a state in which the light emitting element 251 is 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 classifies the operation level of the load 60 into five groups corresponding to the first to fifth states. The number of operation levels belonging to one group can be obtained by (UL−LL + 1) / N, where N is the number of light emitting elements. For example, if the upper limit value UL is 128, the lower limit value LL is 1, and the number N of light emitting elements is 5, the number of operation levels belonging to one group is set to 26. For example, operation levels of 1 (lower limit value) to 27 are associated with the first state, and operation levels of 28 to 53 are associated with the second state. The operation levels 54 to 79 are associated with the third state, and the operation levels 80 to 105 are associated with the fourth state. The operation levels 106 to 128 (upper limit value) are associated with the fifth state. Here, if the lower limit LL is set to 14, the number of operation levels belonging to one group is set to 23. In this case, operation levels 14 (lower limit value) to 37 are associated with the first state, and operation levels 38 to 60 are associated with the second state. The operation levels 61 to 83 are associated with the third state, and the operation levels 84 to 106 are associated with the fourth state. The operation levels 107 to 128 (upper limit value) are associated with the fifth state.

In this way, the processing circuit 33 causes the display unit 25 to display the relative value of the current operation level of the load 60 with respect to the range between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the operation level of the load 60. Composed. On the other hand, when the processing circuit 33 causes the display unit 25 to display the absolute value of the current operation level of the load 60, the display unit 25 is in the first state even when the operation level is the lower limit value. It may not be. In this case, the operator may determine that the operation level is not the lower limit value. Therefore, the processing circuit 33 causes the display unit 25 to display the relative value of the current operation level of the load 60 with respect to the range between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the operation level of the load 60. Thereby, even when the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed, the display of the operation level by the display unit 25 can be appropriately performed. Note that the processing circuit 33 turns off all the five light emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display unit 25 when the load 60 is in an off state.

When the predetermined event occurs, the processing circuit 33 is configured to control the notification unit 35 to notify that the predetermined event has occurred. The predetermined event includes, for example, first to fourth events. The first event is that the load 60 has changed from the off state to the on state. When determining that the first event has occurred, the processing circuit 33 controls the notification unit 35 to generate a notification sound (for example, a “pi” sound) for the first specified number of times (for example, once). The second event is that the load 60 has changed from the on state to the off state. When determining that the second event has occurred, the processing circuit 33 controls the notification unit 35 to generate a notification sound (for example, a sound of “pi”) for the second specified number of times (for example, once). The third event is that the operation level of the load 60 has reached the upper limit value. When determining that the third event has occurred, the processing circuit 33 controls the notification unit 35 to generate a notification sound (for example, a “pi” sound) for the third specified number of times (for example, three times). Here, when the operation level is not the upper limit before the number of times that the notification sound is generated reaches the third specified number of times, the processing circuit 33 stops the generation of the notification sound. For example, after generating the notification sound once, when the operation level is not the upper limit value, the processing circuit 33 stops generating the notification sound. This suppresses the notification that the operation level is the upper limit value from being continued even though the operation level is no longer the upper limit value. The fourth event is that the operation level of the load 60 has reached the lower limit value. When determining that the fourth event has occurred, the processing circuit 33 controls the notification unit 35 to generate a notification sound (for example, a sound of “pi”) for the fourth specified number of times (for example, three times). Here, when the operation level is not the lower limit before the number of times that the notification sound is generated reaches the fourth specified number of times, the processing circuit 33 stops the generation of the notification sound. For example, after generating the notification sound once, when the operation level is not the lower limit value, the processing circuit 33 stops generating the notification sound. This suppresses the notification that the operation level is the lower limit value from being continued even though the operation level is no longer 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 off state. In the initial state, the upper limit value of the operation level of the load 60 is 128, the lower limit value is 1, and the initial value is 64. Further, all of the light emitting elements 251 to 255 of the display unit 25 are turned off.

In order to change the load 60 from the off state to the on state, the operator may perform the third operation. That is, the operator may tap the first operation area 201 on the operation surface 200 or tap all the areas (first to third operation areas 201 to 203) on the operation surface 200 (see FIG. 6). If the control unit 30 (the processing circuit 33) determines that the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the third operation when the load 60 is in the off state, the control unit 30 (control circuit 33) controls the switch unit 32 to remove the load 60 from the off state. Switch on. At this time, the operation level is set to the initial value (64). As a result, the load 60 is lit at an 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 the first event has occurred, and generates a notification sound (for example, a sound of “pi”) for the first specified number of times (for example, once). As a result, the operator can grasp that the load 60 is turned on.

In order to change the operation level of the load 60, the operator may perform the first operation or the second operation on the operation surface 200 of the operation unit 20. In the second control corresponding to the second operation, the minimum value of the change in the operation level is larger than that in the first control corresponding to the first operation. Therefore, when it is desired to greatly change the operation level of the load 60 (that is, when the operation level of the load 60 is to be changed stepwise), the second operation may be performed. On the other hand, when it is desired to change the operation level of the load 60 to be small (that is, when the operation level of the load 60 is to be changed continuously), the first operation may be performed.

When it is desired to increase the operation level step by step, the operator may tap the second operation area 202 of the operation surface 200 until the operation level of the load 60 approaches a desired operation level (see FIG. 6). When determining that the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the second operation and the second contact area is the second operation area 202, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) controls the switch unit 32 and loads 60 Is increased by 6. Therefore, every time the operator taps the second operation area 202, the operation level increases by 6. As a result, when the operation level of the load 60 reaches 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. Goes off. When the operation level further increases 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. When the operation level reaches the upper limit value, the control unit 30 determines that the third event has occurred and controls the notification unit 35 to generate the notification sound three times. Thus, the operator can grasp that the operation level of the load 60 has reached the upper limit value.

On the other hand, when it is desired to decrease the operation level step by step, the operator may tap the third operation area 203 of the operation surface 200 until the operation level of the load 60 approaches a desired operation level (see FIG. 6). When the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) determines that the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the second operation and the second contact region is the third operation region 203, the control unit 30 (control circuit 33) controls the switch unit 32 and loads 60 Is reduced by 6. Therefore, every time the operator taps the third operation area 203, the operation level decreases by 6. Thus, when the operation level of the load 60 reaches 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 on. Goes off. When the operation level further decreases 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. To do. When the operation level reaches the lower limit value, the control unit 30 determines that the fourth event has occurred and controls the notification unit 35 to generate the notification sound three times. Thus, the operator can grasp that the operation level of the load 60 has reached the lower limit value.

If the operation level is to be increased continuously, the operator can swipe the operation surface 200 in the positive direction of the coordinate axis X (see FIG. 6). If the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first operation (displacement operation) and the coordinate of the coordinate axis X of the final position is larger than the initial position, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) sets the initial position and the final position. The operation level of the load 60 is increased according to the distance (movement distance). On the other hand, when it is desired to decrease the operation level, the operator may swipe the operation surface 200 in the negative direction of the coordinate axis X (see FIG. 6). If the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first operation (displacement operation) and the coordinate of the coordinate axis X of the final position is smaller than the initial position, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) sets the initial position and the final position. The operation level of the load 60 is decreased according to the distance (movement distance). In the first control, since the unit of change in 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 movement distance.

When it is desired to continuously increase or decrease the operation level, the operator may perform a non-displacement operation instead of the displacement operation as the first operation. When it is desired to increase the operation level continuously, the operator may simply tap the second operation area 202 of the operation surface 200 until the operation level of the load 60 reaches a desired operation level (see FIG. 6). If the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) determines that the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is a non-displacement operation and the first contact region is the second operation region 202, the control unit 30 controls the switch unit 32 and performs a long tap. The operation level of the load 60 is increased according to the time (first predetermined period). On the other hand, when it is desired to continuously decrease the operation level, the operator may simply tap the third operation area 203 of the operation surface 200 until the operation level of the load 60 reaches a desired operation level. If the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) determines that the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is a non-displacement operation and the first contact region is the third operation region 203, the control unit 30 (control circuit 33) controls the switch unit 32 and performs a long tap. The operation level of the load 60 is decreased according to the time (first predetermined period). 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 tap time (first predetermined period).

To change the load 60 from the on state to the off state, the operator may perform the third operation. That is, the operator may tap the first operation area 201 on the operation surface 200 or tap all the areas (first to third operation areas 201 to 203) on the operation surface 200 (see FIG. 6). When the control unit 30 (the processing circuit 33) determines that the operation measured by the touch sensor 24 is the third operation when the load 60 is in the on state, the control unit 30 (control circuit 33) controls the switch unit 32 to change the load 60 from the on state. Switch to off state. As a result, the load 60 is turned off. In addition, the control unit 30 controls the display unit 25 to turn off all the

light emitting elements

251, 252, 253, 254, and 255. Furthermore, the control unit 30 determines that the second event has occurred, and generates a notification sound (for example, a sound of “pi”) for the second specified number of times (for example, once). As a result, the operator can grasp that the load 60 has been turned off.

1.3 Summary In the load control device 10 of the present embodiment described above, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) executes the first control if the operation of the operator measured by the touch sensor 24 is the first operation. To do. On the other hand, if the operation of the operator measured by the touch sensor 24 is a second operation different from the first operation, the control unit 30 (processing circuit 33) executes the second control. The first control and the second control are both controls for changing the operation level of the load 60. In the second control, the unit of change in the operation level of the load 60 is larger than that of the first control. Therefore, when the operator wants to change the operation level of the load 60 relatively large, the operator may perform the second operation corresponding to the second control on the operation surface 200 instead of the first operation corresponding to the first control. On the other hand, when the operator wants to change the operation level of the load 60 to be relatively small, the operator may perform the first operation corresponding to the first control on the operation surface 200 instead of the second operation corresponding to the second control. Thus, the operator can use the first operation and the second operation properly in consideration of the difference between the current operation level of the load 60 and the desired operation level. Therefore, the load control device 10 of the present embodiment has an effect that the operator can easily perform the operation of adjusting the operation level of the load 60 to a desired value.

2. Modification The above-described embodiment described above is only one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the above-described embodiment can be variously changed according to the design or the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Below, the modification of the said embodiment is enumerated.

For example, the shapes of the operation unit 20 and the control unit 30 are examples, and are not limited to the shapes of the above embodiment. The shapes of the operation unit 20 and the control unit 30 can be changed according to the design or the like. In the above embodiment, the load control device 10 includes the mounting frame 40, but the mounting frame 40 is not essential.

In the above embodiment, in the first panel 27, the first portion 270 and the second portion 271 are integrally formed by two-color molding. In the modification, the first part 270 may be joined to the second part 271 after the first part 270 and the second part 271 are formed separately. Moreover, the 1st site | part 270 and the 2nd site | part 271 may be formed with the same material (light transmissive material or an opaque material).

In the above embodiment, the first panel 27 includes a plurality of (seven in the above embodiment) protrusions 274a to 274g for connecting the first panel 27 and the second panel 28, but the number of protrusions is particularly limited. Not. The second panel 28 includes a plurality of (seven in the above embodiment) cavities 284a to 284g for connecting the first panel 27 and the second panel 28, but the number of cavities is not limited. The second panel 28 may have one or more protrusions, and the first panel 27 may have one or more voids into which the one or more protrusions fit. That is, one of the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 may have a protrusion, and the other may have a void in which the protrusion fits. Accordingly, the first panel 27 and the second panel 28 can be coupled to each other by fitting the protrusions in the voids, and the touch sensor 24 is held between the first panel 27 and the second panel 28. Therefore, the assembling operation of the operation unit is facilitated.

In the above embodiment, the first panel 27 includes a plurality (five in the above embodiment) of light guides 276a to 276e, but the number of light guides is not particularly limited. In the above-described embodiment, the light guide unit is a portion having the highest light transmittance in the first panel 27, but may be a hole penetrating the first panel 27.

In a modification, the operation surface 200 may be a part of the first surface 27a instead of the entire surface.

In a modification, the coordinate axis X may be set to be parallel to the width direction of the first panel 27 (the left-right direction in FIG. 6). The coordinate axis X may be set with respect 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 include three operation areas (first to third operation areas) 201, 202, and 203, and may include one or more operation areas.

In the modification, the first operation may not include the displacement operation, and may not correspond to the slide operation, the swipe operation, and the flick operation. Further, the first operation may not include a non-displacement operation and may not correspond to the long tap operation. The first operation may correspond to a tap operation. The second operation and the third operation may not correspond to the tap operation, and may correspond to the slide operation, the swipe operation, the flick operation, and the long tap operation. In short, the first operation and the second operation may be different from each other.

Further, the first state to the fifth state of the display unit 25 are not limited to the above embodiment. The first state to the fifth state may be a state in which only the corresponding light emitting element among the light emitting elements 251 to 255 is lit. In the above embodiment, the display unit 25 includes five light emitting elements 251 to 255, but the number of light emitting elements is not particularly limited. In the modification, the display unit 25 may be configured to indicate a numerical value corresponding to the operation level of the load 60. In the modification, the load control device 10 may not include the display unit 25.

In a modification, the notification unit 35 may output a sound corresponding to a predetermined event. Further, 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 part 30 should just be able to change the light output (operation level) of the load 60 by conventionally well-known dimming control (for example, dimming control using PWM). The control unit 30 may be configured to output a signal indicating the operation level. Here, the load 60 is not necessarily limited to the illumination load. The load 60 may be an electric motor capable of adjusting an operation level (speed level). In short, the control unit 30 only needs to have a function of adjusting the operation level of the load 60.

3. Aspect As is apparent from the embodiments and modifications described above, the load control device (10) of the first aspect includes an operation unit (20) and a control unit (30). The operation unit (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). Have. The controller (30) executes a first control if the operation measured by the touch sensor (24) is a first operation, and the operation measured by the touch sensor (24) is the first operation. If the second operation is different from the operation, the second control is executed. The first control and the second control are both controls for changing the operation level of the load (60), and the second control is a unit of change in the operation level of the load (60). Greater than one control. According to the first aspect, the operator can easily perform the operation of adjusting 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) for displaying a display indicating the operation level of the load (60) on the operation surface (200). The control unit (30) is configured to cause the display unit (25) to display a current operation level of the load (60). According to the 2nd aspect, the operator can grasp | ascertain the operation level of load (60) by a display part (25).

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

The load control device (10) of the fourth aspect can be realized by a combination with the second or third aspect. In the fourth aspect, the first operation is an operation in which the operator moves a contact position with the operation surface (200) along a coordinate axis (X) set along the operation surface (200). including. The display unit (25) includes a plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255) arranged along the coordinate axis (X). In the first control, the control unit (30) changes the operation level of the load (60) according to the distance between the position before the movement of the contact position on the coordinate axis (X) and the position after the movement. Configured to let The control unit (30) causes the plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255) to move along the coordinate axis (X) of the operation surface (200) as the current operation level of the load (60) increases. The display unit (25) is configured to be lit in order from the first end toward the second end. The controller (30) causes the plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255) to move along the coordinate axis (X) of the operation surface (200) as the current operation level of the load (60) decreases. The display unit (25) is configured to be turned off in order from the second end toward the first end. According to the fourth aspect, since the operator can grasp the display content of the display unit (25) and the first action in association with each other, it is easy to perform the operation of changing the action level.

The load control device (10) of the fifth aspect can be realized by a combination with the first aspect. In the fifth aspect, the first operation is an operation in which the operator moves a contact position with the operation surface (200) along a coordinate axis (X) set along the operation surface (200). including. According to the fifth aspect, the operation 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 the sixth aspect, in the first control, the control unit (30) changes the operation level of the load (60) according to the distance between the position before the movement of the contact position and the position after the movement. Configured to let 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 the seventh aspect, the second operation is performed in the contact area (202, 203) for a predetermined period without moving the contact position of the operation surface (200) with the contact area (202, 203). Includes touching action. According to the seventh aspect, since it becomes easy to distinguish the first operation and the second operation, the possibility of erroneous operation of the load control device (10) can be reduced.

The load control device (10) of the eighth aspect can be realized by a combination with any one of the first, fifth to seventh aspects. In the eighth aspect, the operation section (20) includes a plate-shaped main body section (22) that houses the touch sensor (24). The main body (22) has a first panel (27) and a second panel (28). The first panel (27) has a first surface (27a) and a second surface (27b) in the 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 has a space (284a to 284g) into which the protrusions (274a to 274g) fit. The first panel (27) and the second panel (28) are coupled to each other by fitting the protrusions (274a to 274g) into the spaces (284a to 284g). According to the 8th aspect, the assembly operation of the operation part (20) becomes easy.

The load control device (10) of the ninth aspect can be realized by a combination with the eighth aspect. In the ninth aspect, the operation unit (20) includes a display unit (25) for displaying 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 display a current operation level of the load (60). According to the 9th aspect, the operator can grasp | ascertain the operation level of load (60) by the load control apparatus (10).

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

The load control device (10) of the eleventh aspect can be realized by a combination with the ninth or tenth aspect. In the eleventh aspect, the display section (25) has a plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255), and the plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255) are arranged on the second surface of the first panel (27). (27b) so as to be opposed to the main body (22). The first panel (27) includes a plurality of light guides (276a to 276e) that transmit light from the plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255), respectively. According to the eleventh aspect, the operation 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 the twelfth aspect, the first panel (27) includes a first portion (270) formed of a light transmissive material and having the first surface (27a), and an opaque material formed of the second surface (270). A second portion (271) having 27b). According to the twelfth aspect, the plurality of light emitting elements (251 to 255) of the display unit (25) housed in the main body (22) are not easily seen from the first surface (27a) side, and the light emitting elements ( The first panel (27) can easily transmit light from 251 to 255).

The load control device (10) of the thirteenth aspect can be realized by a combination with the twelfth aspect. In the thirteenth aspect, the first part (270) and the second part (271) are integrally formed by two-color molding. Each of the plurality of light guides (276a to 276e) has the highest light transmittance in the first panel (27). According to the thirteenth aspect, the appearance of the operation unit (20) is improved.

The load control device (10) of the fourteenth aspect can be realized by a combination with the thirteenth aspect. In the fourteenth aspect, each of the plurality of light guide portions (276a to 276e) does not penetrate the second portion (271) formed in the second surface (27b) of the first panel (27). This is a portion between the bottom surface of the hole (275a to 275e) and the first surface (27a). According to the fourteenth aspect, the appearance of the operation unit (20) is further improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Load control apparatus 20 Operation part 200 Operation surface 22 Main body part 24 Touch sensor 25 Display part 27 1st panel 27a 1st surface 27b 2nd surface 270 1st site | part 271 2nd site | part 274a-274g Protrusion 275a-275e Hole 276a-276e Light guide part 28 Second panel 284a to 284g Empty part 30 Control part 50 AC power supply 60 Load

Claims

An operation surface for an operator to operate a load, and an operation unit having a touch sensor that measures the operation of the operator on the operation surface;
If the action measured by the touch sensor is the first action, the first control is executed. If the action measured by the touch sensor is a second action different from the first action, the second control is executed. A control unit,
With
The first control and the second control are both controls for changing the operation level of the load,
In the second control, the unit of change in the operation level of the load is larger than the first control.
Load control device.
The operation unit includes a display unit that displays a display indicating an operation level of the load on the operation surface.
The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display a current operation level of the load.
The load control device according to claim 1.
The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display a relative value of the current operation level of the load with respect to a range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the operation level of the load.
The load control device according to claim 2.
The first operation includes an operation in which the operator moves a contact position with the operation surface along a coordinate axis set along the operation surface,
The display unit includes a plurality of light emitting elements arranged along the coordinate axis,
In the first control, the control unit is configured to change an operation level of the load according to a distance between a position before the movement of the contact position on the coordinate axis and a position after the movement.
The control unit is configured to turn on the light emitting elements in order from the first end to the second end of the operation surface along the coordinate axis as the current operation level of the load increases. Configured to control the display,
The controller is configured to turn off the light emitting elements in order from the second end to the first end of the operation surface along the coordinate axis as the current operation level of the load decreases. Configured to control the display,
The load control device according to claim 2 or 3.
The first operation includes an operation in which the operator moves a contact position with the operation surface along a coordinate axis set along the operation surface.
The load control device according to claim 1.
In the first control, the control unit is configured to change an operation level of the load according to a distance between a position before the movement of the contact position and a position after the movement.
The load control device according to claim 5.
The second operation includes an operation in which the operator touches the contact area for a predetermined period without moving a contact position with the contact area of the operation surface.
The load control device according to claim 5 or 6.
The operation unit includes a plate-shaped main body that houses the touch sensor,
The main body is
A first panel having a first surface and a second surface in the thickness direction and having the operation surface on the first surface;
A second panel for holding the touch sensor between the second surface of the first panel;
Have
One of the first panel and the second panel has a protrusion, and the other has a space in which the protrusion fits,
The first panel and the second panel are coupled to each other by fitting the protrusion into the space.
The load control device according to any one of claims 1, 5 to 7.
The operation unit includes a display unit that displays a display indicating an operation level of the load on the operation surface.
The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display a current operation level of the load.
The load control device according to claim 8.
The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display a relative value of the current operation level of the load with respect to a range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the operation level of the load.
The load control device according to claim 9.
The display unit includes a plurality of light emitting elements, and the plurality of light emitting elements are accommodated in the main body unit so as to face the second surface of the first panel.
The first panel has a plurality of light guide portions that transmit light from the plurality of light emitting elements, respectively.
The load control device according to claim 9 or 10.
The first panel includes a first portion formed of a light-transmitting material and having the first surface, and a second portion formed of an opaque material and having the second surface.
The load control device according to claim 11.
The first part and the second part are integrally formed by two-color molding,
Each of the light guides has the highest light transmittance in the first panel.
The load control device according to claim 12.
Each of the plurality of light guide portions is a portion between a bottom surface of a hole that does not penetrate the second portion formed in the second surface of the first panel and the first surface.
The load control device according to claim 13.