WO2019073223A1

WO2019073223A1 - Remote controllable switch

Info

Publication number: WO2019073223A1
Application number: PCT/GB2018/052891
Authority: WO
Inventors: Malcolm Kimberley; Ian Dera; Graham Keith Lacy; Yasser Khattak
Original assignee: Den Automation Limited
Priority date: 2017-10-10
Filing date: 2018-10-10
Publication date: 2019-04-18
Also published as: GB201716582D0; EP3695429A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a remote controllable switch which can be turned on or off manually and remotely. The remote controllable switch comprises a member configured to be positioned in a first position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in a first state, or a second position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in a second state. The remote controllable switch comprises an actuator unit configured to move the member and whilst the actuator unit is stationary, lost motion between the member and the actuator unit permits manual operation of the member. Additionally or alternatively, the remote controllable switch comprises a force limiter, configured to allow manual operation of the member at the same time as operation of the actuator unit without damaging the actuator unit.

Description

Remote controllable switch

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a remote controllable switch. More particularly, the invention relates to a remote controllable switch which can be controlled remotely and manually.

Background

There are many advantages of using a remote controllable switch. It may be desirable to control a device via a switch from a location away from the switch. For example, when someone is out of the home or in a different room. It may be desirable to turn the switch to an on-state if a user wishes to use a device and it takes a while for the device to start up. It may be preferable to turn a switch to an off-state if a device has been left on accidentally, for example, if an iron has been left plugged in and on. Furthermore, for someone who has movement difficulties, access to the switch may be difficult or impossible or if the switch is in an awkward location or obstructed by an object, e.g. furniture, hindering manual access.

However, there are challenges with providing remote controllable switches. It is beneficial for a user to know from looking at the switch whether it is in the on-state or the off-state. Generally, the switch comprises a member which has a position indicating if it is in an on-state or an off-state. Therefore, it is preferable that even if the remote controllable switch is controlled remotely, that the member is moved to the corresponding position to indicate the state of the switch. Furthermore, it is preferable that the remote controllable switch can also be manually operated. This means that the switch can be turned from an on-state to an off-state (or vice versa) via a remote control and also, manually at the switch itself.

The problem with controlling the member remotely and manually at the switch itself is that the mechanism which provides remove control of the movement of the member may not allow for manual operation as well as remote operation. There is also a further problem, that if a signal has been sent remotely to change the position of the member (e.g. to the off-state), and a user tries to move the member at the same time to the opposite position (e.g. the on-state), then the mechanism used to

l control the member may be damaged. This conflicting action could break the remote controllable switch such that it no longer works.

Summary of the invention

In one aspect, the present invention intends to provide a remote controllable switch which can allow manual operation as well as remote operation. Furthermore, the present invention may provide a remote controllable switch which is unlikely to be damaged by contradictory manual operation and remote controlled operation being applied to the switch at the same time.

The present invention provides a remote controllable switch being configured to be in a first state or a second state, the remote controllable switch may comprise: a member configured to be positioned in a first position, wherein the remote

controllable switch is in the first state, or a second position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the second state; and an actuator unit configured to move the member to the first position or the second position; wherein whilst the actuator unit is stationary , lost motion between the member and the actuator unit permits manual operation of the member to move the member from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position.

Having lost motion between the member and the actuator unit improves manual operation of the remote controllable switch. It allows the member and the actuator unit to move relative to one another without necessarily applying a force to one another. This means that the member may be more easily manually operated even when the actuator unit has previously changed the position of the member. This is beneficial as it improves the overall operability of the remote controllable switch to enable manual and remote operation. It also reduces the likelihood of the actuator unit being damaged by manual operation of the member.

Preferably, the remote controllable switch further comprises a switching component. The member may be in contact with the switching component and the switching component may be electrically conductive and configured to contact to open or close a circuit. The switching component allows the remote controllable switch to connect to a circuit. In particular, the remote controllable switch may be moved by the member or the actuator unit to control the position of the switching component to affect the connection to the circuit. In this way, the state of the switch can be controlled and switched between the first state and the second state.

The remote controllable switch may be configured such that when the member is moved to the first position, the member is configured to move the switching component to a position wherein the circuit is closed and when the member is moved to the second position, the member is configured to move the switching component to a position wherein the circuit is open. In this way, the movement of the member controls the circuit being closed such that the switch is in the first state, or the circuit being opened such that the switch is in the second state.

Preferably, the member comprises a spring plunger. The spring plunger may be configured to contact and move the switching component. The spring plunger beneficially applies a force from the member to the switching component. The spring plunger may be configured to provide the member with bi-stability such that the member is configured to be static in the first position or the second position when there is no manual operation and the actuator unit is stationary. This means that movement of the member can be used to apply a force to move the switching component relative to the circuit. In this way, the member can control the state of the remote controllable switch. Furthermore, the bi-stability of the member means that it can move between defined positions which correspond to different states of the switch.

Preferably, the member comprises a roller, and the roller is configured to be in contact with the switching component. This is beneficial because it reduces friction at the point of contact between the member and the switching component as they move relative to one another. This makes the member easier to move and reduces power required by the remote controllable switch to move the member.

The actuator unit may comprise an actuator component configured to apply a force to the member to move it to the first position or the second position, a leadscrew and a motor. The motor may be configured to rotate the leadscrew to move the actuator component in a linear direction. This type of actuator unit is beneficial in that it is simple and the component parts are readily available. This type of actuator converts rotation of the motor to linear translation of the actuator component which means that a linear force can be applied to the member. The remote controllable switch may comprise a sensor configured to detect the position of the actuator component. This is beneficial in controlling the movement of the actuator component and setting a preferred "neutral" position of the actuator component relative to the motor.

The actuator component may be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member from the first position to the second position, via a first member contact point on the member and a first actuator contact point on the actuator unit, and the member and actuator unit are arranged such that when the member moves to the second position, there is a gap between the first member contact point and the first actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion. Furthermore, the actuator component may be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member from the second position to the first position, via a second member contact point on the member and a second actuator contact point on the actuator unit, and the member and actuator unit are arranged such that when the member moves to the first position there is a gap between the second member contact point and the second actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion.

This is beneficial in that the lost motion is provided by a physical gap. This means that when the member is manually moved from the first position to the second position, the physical gap provides a space in which the member can move relative to the actuator component. This means that the force applied to the actuator component from the member during manual operation (and when the actuator unit is stationary) is limited or possibly even avoided. In other words, the manual operation does not require the actuator component and the member can move freely in manual operation. The same applies to manual movement of the member in the opposite direction, i.e. from the second position to the first position.

The actuator unit may configured to move to a first configuration to move the member to the first position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the member to the second position, and the actuator unit further comprises a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the member when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the member may be in the second position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the member may be in the first position. The force limiter is beneficial because it reduces the likelihood of the actuator unit being damaged or broken when a user tries to manually switch the member at the same time as the actuator unit. Thus, it allows a user to press the member when the actuator unit is operating without breaking the remote controllable switch.

The force limiter may comprise at least one spring and/or magnet. It may be beneficial to use only one spring and/or magnet as this is simple and reduces the need for further components. Furthermore, using a spring and/or magnet is beneficial because the characteristics of the spring and/or the magnet can be predetermined to control how the force limiter will work. This is important depending on the force which might be applied to the member and/or the actuator unit. Thus, the spring and/or magnet can be used to protect the components of the remote controllable switch. Whether a spring and/or magnet is used is a matter of preference and design choice. Using a magnet may be beneficial because it simplifies the design and makes the member/remote controllable switch easier to assemble.

The member may comprise a spring connected to the switching component. The spring may be configured to provide the member with bi-stability such that the member is configured to be static in the first position or the second position when there is no manual operation and the actuator unit is stationary. In this way, the spring may be used to apply a force to the member to keep it in the first or second position. Furthermore, the bi-stability of the member means that the member can move between defined positions which correspond to different states of the switch. The spring may be useful for moving the member from the first position to the second position or vice versa.

The switching component may be configured to pivot about a point of contact between the switching component and the spring of the member between a first switching position wherein the circuit is closed and a second switching position wherein the circuit is open, and the remote controllable switch is arranged such that when the switching component is moved to the first switching position by the actuator unit, the member is urged to the first position by the spring, and when the switching component is moved to the second switching position by the actuator unit, the member is urged to the second position by the spring. This allows control between the member and the switching component to be based on the interaction between the switching component and the movement of the spring. Thus, during manual operation, the member can be used to control the position of the switching component via the spring, and during operation of the actuator unit the switching component can be used to control the position of the member via the spring.

The actuator unit may comprise a first actuator component configured to apply a force to the switching component to move the switching component to the first switching position and a second actuator component configured to apply a force to the switching component to move the switching component to the second switching position; and an actuator wire corresponding to each actuator component, the actuator wire being configured to move the actuator component in a linear direction.

This provides a different method of applying a force to an actuator component to the method using the motor described above. Using the actuator wires may have the advantage that the footprint from above is smaller, such that the remote controllable switch takes up less space. In other words, the cross sectional area of the remote controllable switch where it would be mounted to a support component may be smaller than when a motor is used. This is particularly beneficial when mounted on a circuit board which would likely have limited space. The remote controllable switch using the actuator wire may be longer, i.e. deeper, than the motor version above, but the reduced footprint would likely still provide an advantage when used in various different devices/components. Additionally, the actuator wire configuration may advantageously be quieter than other configurations, e.g. those using a motor.

The remote controllable switch may be configured to control the temperature of at least one actuator wire thereby to contract the actuator wire in the longitudinal direction of the wire to move the corresponding actuator component in a linear direction to apply a force to the switching components such that the switching component can pivot about the point of contact between the switching component and the spring of the member. The linear force provided by each of the actuator components can be used to pivot the switching component to move it to open and close the circuit, and also to move the member (via the spring) to a position to indicate the state of the remote controllable switch.

The actuator unit may be configured to move to a first configuration to move the switching component to the first switching position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the switching component to the second switching position, and the actuator unit further comprises a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the switching component when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the switching component may be in the second switching position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the switching component may be in the first switching position. Although the force limiter is described here as connected to the switching component rather than the member, the same

advantages as described above also apply. The force limiter may comprise at least one spring connected each actuator component.

The actuator unit may comprise a motor and at least one gear. The motor may be configured to rotate the at least one gear, and the gear is configured to rotate the actuator component. This provides yet a further method of controlling the remote controllable switch. The actuator component may be configured to rotate and contact the switching component to pivot the switching component about a point of contact between the switching component and the spring of the member. The actuator unit may thus use a rotational force to apply a force to the switching component to control the state of the remote controllable switch.

advantages as described above also apply. The force limiter may comprise a spring connected to the actuator component.

The actuator component may be configured to apply a force to change the position of the switching component from the first switching position to the second switching position, via a first switch contact point on the switching component and a first actuator contact point on the actuator component, and the switching component and actuator unit are arranged such that when the switching component moves to the second switching position, there is a gap between the first switch contact point and the first actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion, and wherein the actuator component is configured to apply a force to change the position of the switching component from the second position to the first position, via a second switch contact point on the switching component and a second actuator contact point on the actuator component, and the switching component and actuator unit are arranged such that when the switching component moves to the first switching position, there is a gap between the second switch contact point and the second actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion. Providing a gap allows lost motion with the same benefits as described above.

The present invention also provides a remote controllable switch configured to be in an first state or a second state, the remote controllable switch comprising: a member configured to be positioned in a first position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the first state, or a second position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the second state; and an actuator unit configured to move the member to the first position or the second position, wherein the actuator unit is configured to move to a first configuration to move the member to the first position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the member to the second position, the actuator unit further comprising a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the member when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the member may be in the second position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the member may be in the first position. As described above, the force limiter is beneficial because it reduces the likelihood of the actuator unit being damaged or broken when a user tries to manually switch the member at the same time as the actuator unit. Thus, it allows a user to press the member when the actuator unit is operating without breaking the remote controllable switch as described in relation to the force limiter included above.

The present invention also provides a remote controllable switch being configured to be in a first state or a second state, the remote controllable switch comprising: a member configured to be positioned in a first position, wherein the remote

controllable switch is in the first state, or a second position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the second state; a switching component in contact with the member, and the switching component is electrically conductive and is configured to open or close a circuit, the remote controllable switch being configured such that when the member is moved to the first position, the switching component is moved by the member to a position wherein the circuit is closed and when the member is moved to the second position, the switching component is moved by the member to a position wherein the circuit is open; and an actuator unit configured to move to a first configuration to move the switching component to the first switching position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the switching component to the second switching position, and the actuator unit further comprises a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the switching component when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the switching component may be in the second switching position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the switching component may be in the first switching position. As described above, the force limiter is beneficial because it reduces the likelihood of the actuator unit being damaged or broken when a user tries to manually switch the member at the same time as the actuator unit. Thus, it allows a user to press the member when the actuator unit is operating without breaking the remote controllable switch as described in relation to the force limiter included above.

The remote controllable switch may comprise a sensor configured to detect the position of the member. Using a sensor to detect the position of the member is beneficial because it confirms the position of the member. Thus, the user may receive confirmation that the member has been physically moved without having to visually check the remote controllable switch. This is beneficial in terms of simply having confirmation of the state of the switch as well as improving the safety of the switch.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 depicts a side view of a remote controllable switch of a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 depicts the remote controllable switch of figure 1 from a different angle;

Figure 3 depicts a cross-section of the remote controllable switch of figure 1 in an on-state position;

Figure 4 depicts a cross-section of the remote controllable switch of figure 1 in an off-state position;

Figure 5 depicts a variation of the cross-section of Figure 3; Figure 6 depicts a variation of the cross-section of Figure 3;

Figure 7 depicts a variation of the remote controllable switch of the first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 depicts the remote controllable switch of Figure 7 from a different angle;

Figure 9 depicts the remote controllable switch depicted in Figure 7 in a different position; Figure 10 depicts a further variation of the remote controllable switch as shown in Figure 7 from a different angle;

Figure 1 1 depicts a remote controllable switch of a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 12 depicts a partial view of the remote controllable switch of figure 1 1 wherein the remote controllable switch is in a first state position;

Figure 13 depicts a partial view of the remote controllable switch of figure 1 1 wherein the remote controllable switch is in a second state position;

Figure 14 depicts a remote controllable switch of a third embodiment of the invention;

Figure 15 depicts the remote controllable switch of Figure 14 in a first state position; and

Figure 16 depicts the remote controllable of figure 14 in a second state position.

The same references are used for similar features throughout the drawings. The features shown in the figures are not necessarily to scale and the size or

arrangements depicted are not limiting. It will be understood that the figures include optional features which are not essential to the invention. Furthermore, not all of the features of the switch are depicted in each figure and the figures may only show a few of the components relevant for a describing a particular feature.

Detailed description

There are three main embodiments in the present invention. The first embodiment, depicted in figures 1 to 10, comprises an actuator unit configured to apply a linear force using a motor and a leadscrew. The second embodiment, depicted in figures 1 1 to 13, comprises an actuator unit configured to apply a linear force using variation of the length of a wire along the longitudinal direction of the wire. The third embodiment, depicted in figures 14 to 16, comprises an actuator unit configured to apply a rotational force using a motor and gears. These embodiments will be described in further detail below. First embodiment

The present invention provides a remote controllable switch being configured to be in a first state or a second state. As depicted in figure 1 , the remote controllable switch

100 comprises a member 101 . The member may be formed in a variety of ways, for example, the member may be moulded, optionally, moulded plastic. The member

101 may be moved by an actuator unit 120 depicted in figure 1 . There may be relative movement between the actuator unit 120 and the member 101 as will be described in more detail below. Figure 2 shows the remote controllable switch 100 from a different angle to more clearly show the interaction of the actuator unit 120 and the member 101 . Figures 3 and 4 show a cross-section through the remote controllable switch 100 from the same angle as figure 1 . The cross-section is substantially through the centre of the remote controllable switch 100. The first state may be an on-state in which a circuit can be connected and the second state may be an off-state in which the circuit is broken.

The member 101 may be bi-stable, meaning that the member 101 is stable in two different positions. The member may otherwise be referred to as a switch and/or may optionally be a mechanical bi-stable member. The member 101 may be moved between a first position and a second position. The member 101 may pivot about a pivot means. The pivot means may, for example, comprise of protrusion 103 from the member 101 as depicted in Figures 1 and 2. Although not shown, the pivot means may comprise a further protrusion on the other side of the switch not depicted in Figures 1 and 2. The first position and the second position are the positions at which the member 101 is stable, i.e. at rest. The member 101 may be positioned in the first position as depicted in figure 3, wherein the remote controllable switch 100 is in the first state. The member 101 may be positioned in the second position as depicted in figure 4, wherein the remote controllable switch 100 is in the second state. The first position may be at one end of a range of movement of the member 101 and the second position may be at the other end of a range of movement of the member 101 .

The remote controllable switch 100 may further comprise an actuator unit 120 configured to move the member 101 to the first position or the second position.

Thus, the actuator unit 120 may control the position of the member 101 during remote operation of the remote controllable switch 100. Whilst the actuator unit 120 is stationary, lost motion between the member 101 and the actuator unit 120 permits manual operation of the member 101 to move the member 101 from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position. This means that when the actuator unit 120 is not being used (i.e. when remote operation is not being carried out), the member can be manually moved.

As depicted in figures 3 and 4, the remote controllable switch 100 may further comprise a switching component 1 10. As depicted in figures 3 and 4, the member 101 may be in contact with the switching component 1 10. The switching component 1 10 may be electrically conductive (e.g. may be formed using metal) and is configured to open or close a circuit. The switching component 1 10 may be in direct contact with a circuit when the circuit is closed. The remote controllable switch 100 may comprise circuit contacts 1 1 1 A and 1 1 1 B which may be stationary and in a fixed position. The circuit contacts 1 1 1 A and 1 1 1 B may be terminals of the circuit. The switching component 1 10 may move relative to the circuit contacts 1 1 1A and 1 1 1 B. The circuit contacts 1 1 1 A and 1 1 1 B are connected to a circuit, and may be electrical conducting wires held in place, such that movement of the switching component 1 10 relative to the circuit contacts 1 1 1 A and 1 1 1 B can open or close the circuit.

The remote controllable switch 100 may be configured such that when the member 101 is moved to the first position as depicted in figure 3, the switching component 1 10 is moved by the member 101 to a position where the circuit is closed. In other words, in the position depicted in figure 3, the switch in an on-state which may be the first state. The circuit is closed when the switching contact 1 10 connects one side of the circuit to the other, i.e. via the circuit contacts 1 1 1 A and 1 1 1 B. The remote controllable switch 100 may be further configured such that when the member 101 is moved to the second position, the switching component 1 10 is moved by the member 101 to a position where the circuit is open as depicted in figure 4. In other words, in the position depicted in figure 4, the switch is in an off-state which may be the second state. The circuit is open when the switching contact 1 10 does not connect to both of the circuit contacts 1 1 1 A and 1 1 1 B.

The movement of the switching contact 1 10 may be controlled by the member 101 . The member 101 may comprise a spring plunger 102. The spring plunger 102 may be configured to contact and move the switching component 1 10 i.e. the member 101 may be in contact with the switching component 1 10 via the spring plunger. The spring plunger 102 is a component comprising a spring 102a. When in place in the remote controllable switch 100, the spring 102a in the spring plunger 102 is compressed which applies a force to the switching component 102.

The spring plunger 102 may be configured to provide the member 101 with bi- stability such that the member 101 is configured to rest in the first position or the second position as depicted in the figures 3 and 4 respectively. Thus, when there is no manual operation and the actuator unit is stationary, the member 101 is configured to be static in the first position or the second position due to the bi- stability of the spring plunger 102. It will be understood that the member 101 having bi-stability means that the member has two equilibrium states, i.e. two resting states in which the member 101 will remain unless an external force (e.g. via manual operation from a user or the actuator unit) is applied to the member 101 .

The actuator unit 120 may comprise an actuator component 121 configured to apply a force to the member 101 . Thus, the actuator component 121 may interact with the member 101 to move it to the first position or the second position. The actuator unit 120 may further comprise a leadscrew 122 and a motor 123. The motor 123 may be configured to rotate the leadscrew 122 to move the actuator component 121 in a linear direction. The leadscrew 122 and the actuator component 121 may have corresponding threads which may be of any shape. The actuator component may have an actuator thread 124 which fits with a leadscrew thread 125. As the leadscrew 122 rotates, the leadscrew thread 125 and the actuator thread 124 move relative and interact with one another. Thus, the rotation of the leadscrew 122 interacts with the actuator component 121 to generate movement of the actuator component 121 .

Although the leadscrew 122 is rotated by the motor 123, there will be substantially no translation of the leadscrew 122 in the linear direction of movement of the actuator component 121 , i.e. in the direction of the arrows in figures 3 and 4. Furthermore, the actuator component 121 may have guiding means, such as protrusions 126 as depicted in figure 2, which prevent the actuator component from rotating with the leadscrew 122. The guiding means may interact with a component of the remote controllable switch to prevent rotation of the actuator component 120. Other guiding means may be used. The actuator component 121 may move in a linear direction, perpendicular to the rotation of the leadscrew 122, as indicated by the arrows depicted in figures 3 and 4.

The motor 130 may optionally be provided with a motor housing 135 in which at least a part of the motor 123 can fit into. The motor housing 135 is depicted in Figures 3 and 4, and could be provided with the motor 123 in any of the other figures. The motor housing 135 may be configured to support the motor 123. The motor housing 135 may additionally be configured to be mounted to a support component such as a circuit board. The motor housing 135 may otherwise be referred to as a chassis body.

The actuator unit 120 may comprise control unit 129 configured to control the motor 123, and a receiver 130 configured to receive a control signal from a remote control. The receiver 130 may receive the control signal and send it to the control unit 129. The control unit 129 may then control the rotation of the motor 123, if required, to move the actuator component 121 to the appropriate configuration of the actuator unit 120. In this way, the actuator 120 unit may be configured to control movement of the member 101 based on control signal received. Thus, the state of the state of the remote controllable switch 100 can be changed and controlled.

The actuator component 121 may comprise an opening 127 and as depicted in figures 2 to 4, and at least a portion of the member 101 may sit within the opening 127. The opening in the actuator component 121 means that the member 101 can move relative to the actuator component 121 , and within the actuator component 121 .

In the first embodiment, the actuator unit 120 may be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member 101 from the first position in figure 3 to the second position in figure 4. As the member 101 moves from the first position to the second position, the spring 102a in the spring plunger 102 is compressed as the spring plunger 102 travels to a central point between the first and second position (which is indicated by dotted line 150 in figures 3 and 4), and then the spring 102a in the spring plunger 102 is released as the spring plunger moves away from the central point towards the second position (and vice versa). The forces on the member 101 are in equilibrium when in the first and second position. Therefore, to move the member away from the first or second position, an external force (e.g. via manual operation by a user or via the actuator unit 120) must be applied to compress the spring 102a of the spring plunger. If the external force is removed when the member 101 is not in the first position or the second position, the force due to the spring plunger 102 will cause the member 101 to move to the first position or the second position.

Thus to change the position of the member 101 , a force does not need to be applied throughout the whole range of movement of the member 101 from the first position to the second position and vice versa. A force only need be applied until the interaction of the spring plunger 102 and the switching component 1 10 causes the member 101 to move to the other position. For example, to move the member from the first position to the second position, an external force may be applied to move the member 101 over half of the way towards the second position, and even if the external force is released, the spring plunger 102 will move the member 101 to the second position.

The actuator unit 120 may be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member 101 from the first position as depicted in figure 3 to the second position as depicted in figure 4. The actuator unit 120 may be configured to apply a force to move the member 101 via a first member contact point 140A on the member and a first actuator contact point 141 A on the actuator unit 120. The member 101 and the actuator unit 120 are arranged such that when the member 101 moves to the second position, there is gap between the first member contact point 140A and the first actuator contact point 141 A. This is due to the bi-stability of the member 101 as described above. In other words, the member 101 will be moved by the spring plunger 102 to the second position without requiring a force from the actuator unit 120 throughout the entire range of movement of the member 101 . The gap is configured to provide the lost motion. The gap between the first member contact point 140A and the first actuator contact point 141 A when the member is in the second position may be quite small, of the order of a few millimetres or tens of millimetres. The size of the gap will depend on many design choices. The actuator unit 120 may also be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member 101 from the second position as depicted in figure 4 to the first position as depicted in figure 3. The force may be applied via a second member contact point 140B on the member and a second actuator contact point 141 B on the actuator unit 121 and the member 101 and the actuator unit 120 are arranged such that when the member 101 moves to the first position there is a gap between the second member contact point 140B and the second actuator contact point 141 B. This is due to the bi-stability of the member 101 as described above. In other words, the member 101 will be moved by the spring plunger 102 to the second position without requiring a force from the actuator unit 120 throughout the entire range of movement. The gap is configured to provide the lost motion. The gap will be at the same order as described above, i.e. a few millimetres, or tens of millimetres.

The contact points shown in figures 3 and 4 are not pre-defined. They will be determined by the specific shape of the member 101 and the actuator unit 120. As will be described in further detail below, the actuator unit 120 may comprise a force limiter 160. In figures 1 to 4, the actuator contact points are located on the force limiter 160. However, if the force limiter 160 is not included, then the actuator contact points will be on another part of the actuator unit 120, such as the actuator component 121 .

The configuration of the remote controllable switch 100 means that the member 101 can move relative to the actuator unit 121 . More specifically, the gap between the member 101 and the actuator unit 121 means that the member 101 can move relative to the actuator unit 121 . This means that whilst the actuator unit 120 is stationary, the member 101 and the actuator unit 120 can move relative to one another. Thus, there is lost motion between the member 101 and the actuator unit 120 which permits manual operation of the member 101 when the actuator unit 120 is stationary, preferably when the actuator is in its "home" position which can be referred to as a neutral position. This applies when the member 101 is in the first position and the second position. This means that although the actuator unit 120 can be used to control the state of the remote controllable switch 100, the remote controllable switch 100 can also be operated manually without potentially damaging the actuator unit 120. There may also be lost motion between the member 101 and the actuator unit 120 when the member 101 and the actuator unit 120 are moving relative to each other. Thus, the user can apply a force to the member to move the member 101 from the first position depicted in figure 3, and the member 101 will move within the gap between the second member contact point 140B and the second actuator contact point 141 B described above. Similarly, a user can apply a force to the member 101 to move the member 101 from the second position depicted in figure 4, and the member 101 will move within the gap between the first member contact point 140A and the first actuator contact point 141 A described above.

The actuator unit 120 may be configured to move to a first configuration to move the member 101 to the first position as depicted in figure 3 and the actuator unit 120 may be configured to move to a second configuration to move the member 101 to the second position as depicted in figure 4. The actuator unit 120 may further comprise a force limiter 160 mentioned above, the force limited 160 having a stiffness and a range of motion. Stiffness of the force limiter 160 may be high enough to allow the actuator unit 120 to move the member 101 when no external force is applied to the member 101 . The stiffness of force limiter 160 may be low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit 120 is in the first configuration, the member 101 may be in the second position and when the actuator unit 120 is in the second configuration, the member 101 may be in the first position.

Thus, the force limiter 160 has a stiffness high enough to allow the actuator unit 120 to control the movement of the member 101 during normal operation, i.e. when the actuator unit 120 is used to move the member 101 , or when a user moves the member 101 to manually operate the remote controllable switch 100. Thus, the force limiter 160 allows operation of the remote controllable switch 100 both manually and remotely.

However, there may be a circumstance in which an external force is applied by a user, e.g. to move the member 101 into the first position, which contradicts the configuration of the actuator unit 120, e.g. which is moving the member 101 to the second position. In this instance, without the force limiter 160, the forces being applied to the remote controllable switch 100 could damage the actuator unit 120. Thus, the stiffness and range of motion of the force limiter 160 are selected to allow the movement of the member 101 relative to the actuator unit 120 such that the member 101 may in a different position to the configuration of the actuator unit 120. In other words, a user may manually push the member 101 to the first position whilst the actuator unit 120 is trying to move the member 101 to the second position and vice versa. This is beneficial because it means that if a force is applied by a user to manually operate the switch when the actuator unit 120 is in operation moving in an opposite way, the force applied to the actuator 120 by the manual operation of the member 101 is reduced or avoided. Thus, in this way, a force being applied to the actuator unit 120 which could impair or break the actuator unit 120 may be prevented or avoided. The stiffness and/or range of motion for the force limiter will depend on various factors, such as the force set by the spring plunger 102. This can be set depending on a preference of how much switching resistance is desired Thus, the force limiter is configured to allow manual operation of the member at the same time as operation of the actuator unit without damaging the actuator unit.

The force limiter 160 may have various configurations. As depicted in figures 1 to 4, the force limiter comprises at least one spring. The force limiter may comprise a body 162 and springs 161 A and 161 B. The body may be a moulded component, for example, made of plastic. The springs may be preloaded, meaning that the body 162 will not move until a force applied to the force limiter 161 reaches the preloaded value.

The body 162 comprises an opening 128 corresponding to the opening 127 of the actuator component 121 . Thus, at least a portion of the member 101 may pass through the opening of the actuator component 121 and the body 162 of the force limiter 160. In this way, the contact points described above may be provided on the body 162 of the force limiter 160 as shown in figures 3 and 4.

The opening 128 in the body 162 and the opening 127 of the actuator component 121 are shown to be of a similar size and shape. This may be preferable because the openings 127 and 128 can be aligned. However, it is not necessary and one of the openings may be smaller than the other. The openings 127 and 128 depicted in figure 2 show that the opening 128 across the body 162 of the force limiter 160 and the opening 127 across the actuator component 121 are across substantially the entire width of body 162 and actuator unit 120 respectively. However, this is not necessary and the openings 127 and 128 may be smaller. Several openings may be provided in each of the actuator component 121 and the body 162 to allow the member 101 to pass through the openings in different locations. For example, the member 101 passes through the openings 127 and 128 in two different locations as most clearly depicted in figure 2. The shape of the openings 127 and 128 are not limiting as long as they are big enough to allow the required relative movement between the member 101 and the actuator unit 120 as described above.

Although two springs 161 A and 161 B are depicted in figures 1 and 2, the force limiter may only comprise one spring, which may, for example, be provided on one side of the body 162. For example, only spring 161 A or spring 161 B may be provided. This may be beneficial because it makes the remote controllable switch 100 simpler as fewer components would be required. Alternatively, additional springs may be used.

In the above description of the first embodiment, the spring plunger 102 is in contact with switching component 1 10 and as shown, the contact may simply be an end point of the spring plunger 102. In addition to any of the other features described in relation to the first embodiment, the member may further comprise a roller 104. The remote controllable switch 100 may be configured such that the roller 104 and the switching component 1 10 are in contact with each other. More specifically, the roller may be configured to be in contact with the switching component as is depicted in Figure 5. The roller 104 may be configured to maintain contact with the switching contact 1 10 as the member moves from the first position to the second position and vice versa. As shown, the roller is provided at the contact point between the member 101 and the switching contact 1 10. This is advantageous because as the member moves from the first position to the second position and vice versa, the roller 104 can roll along the surface of the switching contact 1 10, which reduces friction between the member 101 and the switching contact 1 10. The reduction in friction makes the member 101 easier to move, and easier to switch from the first position to the second position and vice versa. Reducing the friction means that less power is required to move the member 101 from the first position to the second position and vice versa. The roller 104 is shown in Figure 5 as being used with the spring plunger 102. However, the roller 104 may be used in combination with other components which can be used to maintain contact between the member 101 and the switching contact 1 10. In particular, providing the roller 104 may reduce the friction compared to having a simple contact point at the end of the spring plunger as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The roller 104 is depicted in figure 5, but could be used in combination with the features depicted in any of the other figures relating to the first embodiment.

It may be beneficial to use the remote controllable switch described in relation to the first embodiment in a way which allows two way switching. For example, this may be particularly beneficial in a light switch. Thus, the first state may be when a first part of a circuit is connected but not a second part of the circuit, and the second state may be when the second part of the circuit is connected but not the first part of the circuit. Thus, the first state may be an on-state or an off-state, depending on the connection provided by any other switches in the circuit, and the second state may be an on-state or an off-state depending on the connection provided by any other switches in the circuit. Generally, when the remote controllable switch is switched between the first state and the second state or vice versa, this should enable a connected electrical device to be turned on or off. The first embodiment as described in relation to any of the above examples and variations can be adapted for use in a two way switch by providing an additional circuit contact. The additional circuit contact is depicted in Figure 6 which is an updated version of Figure 3. As will be seen, the circuit contact 1 1 1 C is additionally provided and the switching

component 1 10 would come into contact with the circuit contact 1 1 1 C when the member 101 is moved to the position depicted in Figure 4. The circuit contact 1 1 1 C is depicted in figure 6, but could be used in combination with the features depicted in any of the other figures relating to the first embodiment.

In the figures described above, the force limiter 160 comprises at least one spring 161 A and/or 161 B. The springs may be in compression or tension depending on how the body of 162 the force limiter is configured to move relative to the actuator component 121 . The movement of the force limiter 160 with respect to the actuator component 121 may be controlled using different types of spring and/or magnets.

A variation of the actuator unit 120 is depicted in Figure 7, which shows a slightly different version of the remote controllable switch 100 than in the previous figures but has the same features except for as herein described. As shown in Figure 7, the force limiter 160 interacts with the member 101 . The force limiter 160 can slide within the actuator component 121 . The actuator component 121 does not comprise openings in which a part of the member can move. However, the force limiter 160 comprises openings 128 such that at least a portion of the member 101 may pass through the openings 128 of the force limiter 160. The openings 128 may otherwise be referred to as slots. As shown in Figure 7, the member may be moved as indicated by the arrow. The positions shown by the member 101 and the dashed outline of the member 101 may correspond to the position of the member 101 depicted in Figures 3 and 4. The contact point 141 A and 141 B are depicted for one of the openings 128.

The variation depicted in figure 7 could be used with similar springs to those described above. Alternatively, as depicted in Figure 7, a different type of spring may be used. This is more clearly shown in the under view of the same

configuration in Figure 8. In this example, a garter spring 161 C is provided. The garter spring 161 C controls the movement of the force limiter 160 relative to the rest of the actuator unit 120 in a similar manner to the springs previously described above in relation to Figures 3 and 4. The garter spring 161 C can hold the force limiter 160 in place. When the force limiter 160 is moved beyond a pre-load force, the garter spring 161 C stretches into a triangle shape and then returns the force limiter 160 to a neutral position. The neutral position is the position depicted in Figure 8, when the garter spring 161 C is in its most relaxed state.

Additionally or alternatively, magnets may be provided instead of, or in addition to, any of the above described springs. The magnets may be used to preload the force limiter 160. At least one pair of magnets may be provided, i.e. with a first magnet on the force limiter 160 and a second magnet on the actuator component 121 . In Figure 9, two pairs of magnets are provided with two magnets 163A and 163C on the actuator component 121 and two magnets 163B and 163D on the force limiter 160. As described in relation to the features using springs above, this means that the actuator component 121 can be driven backwards or forwards without causing damage to the overall mechanism when the member 101 is held as shown in Figure 9.

In the first embodiment, a sensor may be used to determine the position of the member. For example, sensors 170A and 170B are depicted in Figure 7. Although two sensors are depicted here, only one sensor may be used, or more sensors may be provided, and the sensors herein described may be used in combination with any of the other variations of the first embodiment. At least one sensor may be located to determine if the member 101 is at a specific position. In particular, the sensor may be located to determine if the member is at the end of its range of movement, i.e. when the member is in positions depicted in Figures 3 and 4. The members in Figures 3 and 4 may have the bottom portion extended to be more easily detected by the sensors 170. The extended portion of the member 101 is depicted in Figure 7.

The at least one sensor 170 can electronically verify the position of the member 101 . This is advantageous as it determines the state of the remote controllable switch 100 which can improve the safety of the remote controllable switch 100 and can be used for verification of the location of the member 101 in addition to simply visually looking at the member 101 . This means that a user has confirmation from the sensors 170 that a member 101 has been physically moved even when the remote controllable switch 100 is being operated remotely and/or out of sight.

Various different types of sensor might be used. The sensor may be a position sensor and/or a movement sensor. For example, the sensor 170A may be a radiation sensor, and in particular an optical sensor. Thus, 170A may comprise an emitting device configured to emit radiation and a detecting device configured to detect radiation. In this case, when the member 101 is moved it may pass between the emitting device and the detecting device such that the detection of radiation is blocked. Thus, the position of the member 101 can be determined. Using radiation sensors can be beneficial as they are not intrusive. Other sensors may include a limit switch and/or electromagnetic sensors, e.g. a hall-effect sensor.

The actuator unit 120 may comprise a mechanism configured to stop the motor 123 at a preferred position. The preferred position may be referred to as a "neutral" position or a "home" position. For example, the actuator unit 120 may comprise a slot 1 19 which defines where the actuator component 121 will move to. In other words, the mechanism can be used to define at least one of the end points of the range of movement of the actuator component 121 . Additional mechanisms, such as further slots 1 19 may be provided to further define the range of movement.

Additionally, although a slot is used in this example for use when optical sensors, other methods may be used and other mechanisms may be provided for other types of sensor. For example a magnet, instead of a slot may be used to interact with a magnetic/hall effect sensor.

An example of the force limiter and actuator component in the "home" position is depicted in Figure 10. As depicted in Figure 10, an optical sensor 171 may be provided to determine the location of the slot 1 19 and can be used to define the home position. As the slot 1 19 passes through a sensor 171 , the location of the actuator component 121 can be determined and the motor may be stopped in the home position. Although a slot 1 19 and optical sensor 171 are depicted in this example, other types of sensor may be used. For example magnetic sensors, electro-magnetic sensors, limit switches, etc.. Thus, the mechanism may comprise other features, such as a magnet. Any of the above described components may be supported on a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board. Any of the above described components of the third embodiment may be supported on a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board. For example, any of the sensors, the control unit 129, the receiver 130 and/or the motor 123 may be mounted to a circuit board.

Second embodiment

The second embodiment may be substantially the same as the first embodiment, with the same advantages where relevant, except for as described herein.

The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that the switch is bistable. However, in the second embodiment the bi-stability is provided by a spring rather than the spring plunger 102. Furthermore, as will be described in detail below, in the second mechanism, the actuator unit is configured to contact and move the switching component and the movement of the switching component moves the member. This differs to the first embodiment in which the actuator unit is configured to contact and move the member, which in turn moves the switching component.

In the second embodiment a remote controllable switch 200 is provided, the remote controllable switch 200 being configured to be in a first state or a second state. An example of a remote controllable switch in accordance with the second embodiment is depicted in figure 1 1 . The remote controllable switch 200 is depicted in figure 12 in the first state and is depicted in figure 13 in the second state. The remote controllable switch 200 comprises a member 201 configured to be positioned in a first position, as depicted in figure 12, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the first state. The member 201 is also configured to be in a second position, as depicted in figure 13, wherein the remote controllable switch 200 is in the second state. Figures 12 and 13 depict part of the remote controllable switch 200 to more clearly describe the mechanism controlling the movement of the remote controllable switch 200 in the second embodiment.

The remote controllable switch 200 further comprises an actuator unit 220 configured to move the member 201 to the first position or the second position. The member 201 may pivot about pivoting means. For example, the pivoting means may comprise at least one protrusion 203 from the member 201 as depicted in Figure 1 1 to 13. Although not shown, the pivot means may comprise a further protrusion on the other side of the switch not depicted in Figures 1 1 to 13. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, whilst the actuator unit 220 is stationary or moving the member in a first direction between the first position and the second position, lost motion between the member 201 and the actuator unit 220 permits manual operation of the member 201 to move the member 201 in a second direction between the first position and second position, the second direction being opposite to the first direction.

The remote controllable switch may further comprise a switching component 210. The member 201 may be in contact with the switching component 210 and the switching component 210 may be electrically conductive (e.g. may be formed using metal) and may be configured to open or close a circuit. In other words, the switching component 210 may be positioned such that the circuit is closed when the remote controllable switch 200 is in the first state as depicted in figure 12 and the switching component 210 may be positioned such that the circuit is open when the remote controllable switch 200 in the second state as depicted in figure 13. Although not depicted, the switching component 210 may contact circuit contacts similar to those described and depicted in Figures 3 and 4.

The member 201 may comprise a spring 202 connected to the switch component 210. The spring 202 may be configured to provide the member 201 with bi-stability such that the member 201 is configured to rest in the first position or the second position. In other words, the member 201 may be configured to be static in the first position and the second position when there is no manual operation and the actuator unit 220 is stationary. For example, the spring 202 may be configured to move from the position depicted in figure 12 to the position depicted in figure 13 and vice versa. Thus the range of movement of the spring 202 passes from the position in figure 12 through a central axis 250 in the range of motion of the spring, to the position in figure 13. The spring 202 is stable in the positions shown in figures 12 and 13 even though the spring may still be under tension. The spring 202 uses pre-tension to keep the member 201 in the first position and/or the second position, unless the force applied is higher than the pre-tension force.

Thus, if the member 201 is in the first position, as in figure 12, and is moved toward the second position, but not past the central axis 250 and then released, the spring 202 will return the position in Figure 12 and the member 201 will return to the first position in figure 12. However, if the member 201 is moved such that the spring 202 is pushed up to and past the central axis 250 in figures 12 and 13, the spring will have been compressed to its point of maximum compression and will expand, thus moving past the central axis 250, and will move to the rest position depicted in figure 13. Thus, as with the first embodiment, an external force (via a user or an actuator) does not need to be applied over the entire range of movement of the member 201 in order to move the member from the first position to the second position and vice versa.

The switching component 210 may be configured to pivot about a point of contact 212 between the switching component 210 and the spring 202 of the member 201 . The switching component 210 is configured to pivot between a first switching position wherein the circuit is closed as depicted in figure 12 and a second switching position wherein the circuit is open as depicted in figure 13. When the switching component 210 is moved to the first switching position by the actuator unit 220, the member 201 is urged to the first position by the spring 202 and when the switching component 210 is moved to the second switching position by the actuator unit 220, the member is urged to the second position by the spring 202. In other words, the actuator unit 220 moves the switching component 210 during remote operation. The movement of the switching component 210 moves the spring 202 which in turn causes the member 201 to move between the first and second position or vice versa. As depicted in figure 1 1 , the actuator unit 220 comprises a first actuator component 221 A and a second actuator component 221 B. The actuator unit 220 may further comprise at least one compressed actuator spring 222 corresponding to each of the actuator components 221 A and 221 B. Thus, there may be a first actuator spring 222A corresponding to the first actuator component 221 A and second actuator spring 222B corresponding to the second actuator component 221 B. Furthermore, the actuator unit 220 may comprise at least one actuator wire 223 corresponding to each of the actuator components 221 A and 221 B. Thus, there may be a first actuator wire 223A corresponding to the first actuator component 221 A and second actuator wire 223B corresponding to the second actuator component 221 B. The actuator wires 223A and 223B may be configured to move the respective actuator components 221 A and 221 B in a linear direction.

Each actuator component 221 A and 221 B may be controlled by the forces exerted by the respective actuator spring 222A and 222B, and the respective actuator wires 223A and 223B. The actuator springs 222 may keep the actuator wires 223 under tension. When a current is applied, the actuator wires 223 heat up and contract, which will have a force in opposite direction of the actuator springs 222. The second actuator component 221 B is depicted in figures 12 and 13 as described in further detail below. The second actuator spring 222B may be compressed, such that it applies a force to move the second actuator component 221 B in a longitudinal direction of the second actuator spring 223B. The expansion of the second actuator spring 222B may be prevented by the second actuator wire 223B. Contracting the second actuator wire 223B means that the second actuator component 221 B can move in a linear direction along the longitudinal direction of the second actuator spring 222B.

If the second actuator wire 223B is decreased in longitudinal length (i.e. the second actuator wire 223B is decreased in length along the longitudinal direction of the wire), the second actuator spring 222B would be further compressed and the second actuator component 221 B would move downwards (with respect to the orientation of figures 1 1 to 13) in the longitudinal direction of the second actuator spring 222B. However, if the second actuator wire 223B is increased in longitudinal length (i.e. the second actuator wire 223B is increased in length along the longitudinal direction of the wire), the second actuator spring 222B would be less compressed and the second actuator component 221 B would move upwards (with respect to the orientation of figures 1 1 to 13) in the longitudinal direction of the second actuator spring 222B. The same movement can be achieved with the first actuator component 221 A due to the corresponding first actuator spring 222A and the first actuator wire 223A which function in the same way.

As the first and second actuator components 221 A and 221 B are moved in the direction described above, they may each apply a force to the switching component 210. Each of the first and second actuator components 221 A and 221 B may be configured to apply a downwards force (with respect to the orientation in figures 1 1 to 13), i.e. in the direction opposite to the force applied to the switching components 221 A and 221 B by the actuator springs 222A and 222B respectively.

As the switching component 210 is configured to pivot, each of the first actuator component 221 A and the second actuator component 221 B can apply a downward force to pivot the switching component 210. The first actuator component 221 A may be configured to apply a force to the switching component 210 to move the switching component 210 to the first switching position. The second actuator component 221 B may be configured to apply a force to the switching component 210 to move the switching component 210 to the second switching position. Thus, each actuator component is configured to apply a force to the switching component 210 to move it to either the first position or the second position.

The remote controllable switch 200 may be configured to control the longitudinal length of the actuator wire 223A and 223B by controlling the temperature of each of the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B. As the temperature of the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B is varied, the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B may contract in the longitudinal direction of the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B to move each of the first and second actuator components 221 A and 221 B respectively in a linear direction. Technically, the temperature of the wire can be altered to contract the wire and then, when the temperature of the wire is changed i.e. when the current is changed to cool the wire, the at least one actuator wire may return to its original length. This may be referred to as the wire expanding. In other words, the wire may increase in length from its contracted state and then expands back to its original length. Thus, as the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B are heated, the length of the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B may decrease and as the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B are cooled, or returned to their original temperature, the length of the actuator wire 223A and 223B may increase or return to its original length respectively. It will be understood that the type of wire used will alter whether or not expansion or contraction occurs on heating. The wire may be made from shape - memory material. Thus, the wire is configured to contract when heated up, due to electrical current through the wire.

In order to change and control the temperature of the actuator wire 223A and 223B, a current may be passed through the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B. The two wires are not connected to each other such that they can be operated individually. The actuator wire 223A and 223B may therefore be electrically insulated for safety. The first actuator wire 223A and the second actuator wire 223B may be controlled, and thus heated, separately. The first actuator wire 223A may be heated to apply a force to the first component 221 A independently of the control of the second actuator wire 223B, and vice versa.

As the components 221 are moved in a linear direction (i.e. in the direction of the arrows shown in figures 12 and 13), they may each apply a force to the switching component 210 such that the switching component 210 may pivot about the point of contact 212 between the switching component 210 and the spring 202 of the member 201 . As depicted in figures 1 1 to 13, the actuator unit 220 may comprise control unit 229 configured to control the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B, and a receiver 230 configured to receive a control signal from a remote control.

The receiver 230 may receive the control signal and send it to the control unit 229. The control unit 229 is configured to apply a current to at least one of the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B. The current passed through the first and/or second actuator wires 223A and/or 223B may affect the contraction of the actuator wire 223 in the longitudinal direction and also the return of the actuator 223 wire is to their original state. The control unit 129 controls current being applied to at least one of the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B, such that at least one of the first and second actuator wires 223A and 223B is heated and the corresponding first and/or second actuator component 221 A and/or 221 B is moved to the appropriate configuration of the actuator unit 220. In this way, the first and second actuator units 220A and 220B may be configured to control movement of the member 201 based on control signal received. Thus, the position of the switching contact 210 may be controlled and the state of the state of the remote controllable switch 200 can be changed and controlled.

The first actuator unit 220A may be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member 201 from the first position as depicted in figure 12 to the second position as depicted in figure 13. The first actuator unit 220A may be configured to apply a force to move the member 201 via a first switching contact point 240A on the switching member 210 and a first actuator contact point 241 A on the actuator unit 220. The contact points on the respective components are the point at which those components come into contact with each other. The member 201 and the actuator unit 220 are arranged such that when the member 201 moves to the second position, there is gap between the first switching contact point 240A and the first actuator contact point 241 A. This is due to the bi-stability of the member 201 as described above. In other words, the member 201 will be moved by the spring 202 to the second position without requiring a force from the actuator unit 220 throughout the entire range of movement. The gap is configured to provide the lost motion.

The second actuator unit 220B may also be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member 201 from the second position as depicted in figure 13 to the first position as depicted in figure 12. The force may be applied via a second switching contact point on the switching component 210 and a second actuator contact point on the actuator unit 220. Although the contact points are not shown on figures 1 1 to 13, the switching contact points on the member 201 and the second actuator unit 220B are in the same positions on the second actuator unit 220B as are shown on the first actuator unit 220A in figure 1 1 . The member 201 and the actuator unit 220 are arranged such that when the member 201 moves to the first position there is a gap between the second member contact point and the second actuator contact point. This is due to the bi-stability of the member 201 as described above. In other words, the member 201 will be moved by second actuator component 221 B to the second position without requiring a force from the first actuator component 221 B throughout the entire range of movement. The gap is configured to provide the lost motion.

The contact points shown in figures 1 1 to 13 are not pre-defined. They will be determined by the specific shape of the switching component 210 and the first and second actuator units 220A and 220B. As will be described in further detail below, the actuator unit 220 may comprise a force limiter 260. In figures 1 1 to 13, the actuator contact points are located on the force limiter 260. The actuator contact points are the points of the actuator unit 120 which contact the switching component 210. However, if the force limiter 260 is not included, then the actuator contact points will be on another part of the actuator unit 220, such as the actuator component 221 .

The first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B of the second embodiment may be configured to move to a first configuration to move the member 201 to the first position as depicted in figure 12 and the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B may be configured to move to a second configuration to move the member 201 to the second position as depicted in figure 13. The first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B may further comprise a force limiter 260A, 260B having a stiffness and a range of motion.

Stiffness of the force limiter 260A, 260B may be high enough to allow the actuator unit 220 to move the member 201 when no external force is applied to the member 201 . The stiffness of the force limiter 260A, 260B may be low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B is in the first configuration, the member 201 may be in the second position and when the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B is in the second configuration, the member 201 may be in the first position.

There may be a force limiter for each respective actuator unit. Thus, there may be a first force limiter 260A configured to allow the first actuator unit 220A to control the movement of the member 201 during normal operation, i.e. when the actuator unit 220A is used to move the member 201 , or when a user manually operates the remote controllable switch 200. Furthermore, there may be a second force limiter 260B configured to allow the second actuator unit 220B to control the movement of the member 201 during normal operation, i.e. when the actuator unit 220B is used to move the member 201 , or when a user manually operates the remote controllable switch 200. However, an external force may be applied by a user to the member 201 , e.g. to move the member 201 into the first position, which contradicts the configuration of the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B, e.g. which is moving the member 201 to the first or second position. In this instance, the forces being applied to the remote controllable switch 200 could damage the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B.

Thus, the stiffness and range of motion of the first and second force limiters 260A and 260B are selected to allow the movement of the member 201 relative to the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B such that the member 201 may be in a different position to the configuration of the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B. In other words, a user may manually push the member 201 to the first position whilst the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B is trying to move the member 201 to the second position and vice versa. This is beneficial because it means that if a force is applied by a user to manually operate the remote controllable switch 200 when the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B is in operation, the force applied to the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B is reduced or avoided. Thus, in this way, a force being applied to the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B which could impair or break the first actuator unit 220A and/or the second actuator unit 220B may be prevented or avoided.

The force limiter 260A, 260B may have various configurations. As depicted in figures 1 1 to 13, each of the force limiters 260A, 260B comprises at least one spring. Each of the first and second force limiters 260A and 260B may comprise a body 262A, 262B and a corresponding spring 261 A, 261 B respectively. The body 262A, 262B may be a moulded component, for example, made of plastic. The spring 261A, 261 B may be preloaded so that the body 262A, 262B will not move until a force applied to the spring 261 A, 261 B reaches the preloaded value.

The first component 221 A may comprise a first opening 228A in which the first force limiter 260A is positioned. The first force limiter 260A may be connected to the actuator component 221 A and the may contact the switching component 210. In this way, the contact points described above may be provided on the first body 262A of the first force limiter 260 as shown in figure 1 1 . The second force limiter 260B is configured in the same way, as depicted in Figure 12 and 13 in which corresponding features which are shown have been labelled.

The shapes of the first opening 228A and the second opening 228B are not limiting as long as they are big enough to allow the required relative movement between the switching component 210 and the first actuator component 221 A and/or the second actuator component 221 B as described above.

The sensors described in relation to the first embodiment may be used to determine the position of the member 201 of the second embodiment. The member 201 may optionally comprise a protrusion not depicted in the figures such that a sensor can more easily determine the position of the member 201 .

Any of the above described components of the third embodiment may be supported on a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board. For example, a sensor, the control unit 229, and/or the receiver 230 may be mounted to a circuit board.

Third embodiment

The third embodiment may be substantially the same as the second embodiment, with the same advantages where relevant, except for as described herein.

The third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment in that the switch is bistable and is provided by a spring. Furthermore, as will be described in detail below, in the third mechanism, the actuator unit is configured to contact and move the switching component and the movement of the switching component moves the member. This differs to the first embodiment in which the actuator unit is configured to contact and move the member, which in turn moves the switching component.

In the third embodiment a remote controllable switch 300 is provided, the remote controllable switch 300 being configured to be in a first state or a second state. An example of a remote controllable switch in accordance with the third embodiment is depicted in figure 14. The remote controllable switch 300 is depicted in figure 15 in the first state and is depicted in figure 16 in the second state. The remote

controllable switch 300 comprises a member 301 configured to be positioned in a first position, as depicted in figure 15, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the first state. The member 301 is also configured to be in a second position, as depicted in figure 16, wherein the remote controllable switch 300 is in the second state.

The remote controllable switch 300 further comprises an actuator unit 320 configured to move the member 301 to the first position or the second position. The member 301 may pivot about pivoting means. For example, the pivoting means may comprise at least one protrusion 303 from the member 301 as depicted in Figures 14 to 16. Although not shown, the pivot means may comprise a further protrusion on the other side of the switch not depicted in Figures 14 to 16. In the third

embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, whilst the actuator unit 320 is stationary or moving the member in a first direction between the first position and the second position, lost motion between the member 301 and the actuator unit 320 permits manual operation of the member 301 to move the member 301 in a second direction between the first position and second position, the second direction being opposite to the first direction.

The remote controllable switch may further comprise a switching component 310. The member 301 may be in contact with the switching component 310 and the switching component 310 may be electrically conductive (e.g. may be formed using metal) and may be configured to open or close a circuit. In other words, the switching component 310 may be positioned such that the circuit is closed when the remote controllable switch 300 is in the first state as depicted in figure 15 and the switching component 310 may be positioned such that the circuit is open when the remote controllable switch 300 in the second state as depicted in figure 16. Although not depicted, the switching component 310 may contact circuit contacts similar to those described and depicted in Figures 3 and 4.

The member 301 may comprise a spring 302 connected to the switch component 310. The spring 302 may be configured to provide the member 301 with bi-stability such that the member 301 is configured to rest in the first position or the second position. In other words, the member 301 may be configured to be static in the first position and the second position when there is no manual operation and the actuator unit 320 is stationary. For example, the spring 302 may be configured to move from the position depicted in figure 15 to the position depicted in figure 16 and vice versa. Thus the range of movement of the spring 302 passes from the position in figure 15 through a central axis 350 in the range of motion of the spring, to the position in figure 16. The spring 302 is stable in the positions shown in figures 15 and 16 even though the spring is still under tension. The spring 302 uses pre-tension to keep the member 301 in the first position and the second position, unless a force is applied higher than the pre-tension.

Thus, if the member 301 is in the first position, as in figure 15, and is moved toward the second position, but not past the central axis 350 and then released, the spring 302 will return the position in Figure 15 and the member 301 will return to the first position in figure 15. However, if the member 301 is moved such that the spring 302 is pushed up to and past the central axis 350 in figures 15 and 16, the spring will have been compressed to its point of maximum compression and will expand, thus moving past the central axis 350, and will move to the rest position depicted in figure 16. Thus, as with the first embodiment, an external force (via a user or an actuator) does not need to be applied over the entire range of movement of the member 301 in order to move the member 301 from the first position to the second position and vice versa.

The switching component 310 may be configured to pivot about a point of contact 312 between the switching component 310 and the spring 302 of the member 301 . The switching component 310 is configured to pivot between a first switching position wherein the circuit is closed as depicted in figure 15 and a second switching position wherein the circuit is open as depicted in figure 16. When the switching component 310 is moved to the first switching position by the actuator unit 320, the member 301 is urged to the first position by the spring 302 and when the switching component 310 is moved to the second switching position by the actuator unit 320, the member is urged to the second position by the spring 302. In other words, the actuator unit 320 moves the switching component 310 during remote operation. The movement of the switching component 310 moves the spring 302 which in turn causes the member 301 to move between the first and second position or vice versa.

In the third embodiment, the actuator unit 330 comprises a motor 323 and at least one gear 322. The motor 323 is configured to rotate the at least one gear 322 and the gear 322 is configured to rotate the actuator component 321 . Various different types of motor 323 may be used, for example the motor 323 may be a direct current micromotor. Different types and numbers of gear 322 may be used depending on the force required by the actuator component 321 configured to move the switching component 310 from the first position to the second position (i.e. the at least one gear 322 may be a gear system).

As the motor 323 rotates, the at least one gear 322 is rotated. The rotation of the at least one gear 322 is configured to rotate the actuator component 321 , for example via a shaft (not depicted). Thus, the actuator component 321 is moved by the at least one gear 322 and can contact the switching component 321 as depicted in figures 15 and 16. The actuator component 321 is configured to rotate and contact the switching component 310 to pivot the switching component about the point of contact between the switching component 310 and the spring 302 of the member 301 . The actuator component 321 may be configured to apply a force to the switching component 310 to move the switching component 310 to either the first position or the second position.

The actuator unit 320 may comprise control unit 329 configured to control the motor 323, and a receiver 330 configured to receive a control signal from a remote control. The receiver 330 may receive the control signal and send it to the control unit 329. The control unit 329 may then control the rotation of the motor 323, if required, to move the actuator component 321 to the appropriate configuration of the actuator unit 320. In this way, the actuator unit 320 may be configured to control movement of the member 301 based on control signal received. Thus, the state of the state of the remote controllable switch 300 can be changed and controlled.

The actuator unit 320 may be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member 301 from the first position as depicted in figure 15 to the second position as depicted in figure 16. The actuator unit 320 may be configured to apply a force to move the member 301 via a first switching contact point 340A on the switching member 310 and a first actuator contact point 341 A on the actuator unit 320. The contact points of the respective components are the points on those components at which they contact each other. The member 301 and the actuator unit 320 are arranged such that when the member 301 moves to the second position, there is gap between the first switching contact point 340A and the first actuator contact point 341 A. Although not depicted, a gap can be provided in figure 16 between the switching component 310 and the actuator component 321 . This is due to the bi- stability of the member 301 as described above. In other words, the member 301 will be moved by the actuator component 321 to the second position without requiring a force from the actuator unit 320 during the entire range of movement because once this actuator unit 320 has moved the switching component 310 such that the spring 302 is past the central position, it will push the member 301 to the second position. In other words, once the spring tension has been overcome, and the spring 302 is past the central position it will move to the other position. The gap is configured to provide the lost motion.

The actuator unit 320 may also be configured to apply a force to change the position of the member 301 from the second position as depicted in figure 16 to the first position as depicted in figure 15. The force may be applied via a second switching contact point 340B on the switching component 310 and a second actuator contact point 341 B on the actuator unit 320. The contact points of the respective

components are the point on those components at which they contact each other. The member 301 and the actuator unit 320 are arranged such that when the member 301 moves to the first position there is a gap between the second member contact point 340B and the second actuator contact point 341 B. Although not depicted, a gap can be provided in figure 15 between the switching component 210 and the actuator component 320. This is due to the bi-stability of the member 301 as described above. In other words, the member 301 will be moved by the actuator component 320 to the second position without requiring a force from the actuator unit 320 throughout the entire range of movement as described above for the opposite direction of movement. The gap is configured to provide the lost motion.

The contact points shown in figures 15 and 16 are not pre-defined. They will be determined by the specific shape of the switching component 310 and component 320. As will be described in further detail below, the actuator unit 320 may comprise an optional force limiter 360.

The actuator unit 320 of the third embodiment may be configured to move to a first configuration to move the member 301 to the first position as depicted in figure 15 and the actuator unit 320 may be configured to move to a second configuration to move the member 301 to the second position as depicted in figure 16. The actuator unit 320 may further comprise a force limiter 360 having a stiffness and a range of motion. Stiffness of the force limiter 360 may be high enough to allow the actuator unit 320 to move the member 301 when no external force is applied to the member 301 . The stiffness of the force limiter 360 may be low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit 320 is in the first configuration, the member 301 may be in the second position and when the actuator unit 320 is in the second configuration, the member 301 may be in the first position.

The force limiter 360 may be configured to allow the actuator unit 320A to control the movement of the member 301 during normal operation, i.e. when the actuator unit 320A is used to move the member 301 , or when a user manually operates the remote controllable switch 300. However, an external force may be applied by a user to the member 301 , e.g. to move the member 301 into the first position, which contradicts the configuration of the actuator unit 320, e.g. which is moving the member 301 to the first or second position. In this instance, the forces being applied to the remote controllable switch 300 could damage the actuator unit 320.

Thus, the stiffness and range of motion of the force limiter are selected to allow the movement of the member 301 relative to the actuator unit 320 such that the member 301 may be in a different position to the configuration of the actuator unit 320. In other words, a user may manually push the member 301 to the first position whilst the actuator unit 320 is trying to move the member 301 to the second position and vice versa. This is beneficial because it means that if a force is applied by a user to manually operate the remote controllable switch 300 when the actuator unit 320 is in operation, the force applied to the actuator unit 320 is reduced or avoided. Thus, in this way, a force being applied to the actuator unit 320 which could impair or break the actuator unit 320 may be prevented or avoided.

The force limiter 360 may have various configurations. As depicted in figures 14 to 16, the force limiter may be formed using at least one spring. The spring 360 may be preloaded, meaning that the actuator unit 320 will not move until a force applied to the spring 360 reaches the preloaded value. Thus, the actuator unit 320 can move all it wants, without necessarily having an effect on the member 301 or the switching component 310. The sensors described in relation to the first embodiment may be used to determine the position of the member 301 of the third embodiment. The member 301 may optionally comprise a protrusion not depicted in the figures such that a sensor can more easily determine the position of the member 301 .

Any of the above described components of the third embodiment may be supported on a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board. For example, a sensor, the control unit 329, the receiver 330 and/or the motor 323 may be mounted to a circuit board.

Further features and variations

As will be clear from the first to third embodiments, the force limiter may be provided in various locations depending on the contact point between the member, switching component and actuator component. The force limiter may be in contact with the member as in embodiment 1 , the switching component as in embodiment 2, or the force limiter may be in contact with the actuator component as in embodiment 3.

In any of the first to third embodiment, the force limiter may not be provided. Thus these embodiments may allow lost motion without the inclusion of the force limiter. If a force limiter is not provided, the actuator unit contact points described above may be on the actuator component rather than the force limiter as in embodiments 1 and 2.

Furthermore, a remote controllable switch may be provided as described in any of the above embodiments, without the lost motion being provided, but with the force limiter. For example, the remote controllable switch may be configured to comprise any of the actuator units described above comprising a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move a member or a switching component when no external force is applied to the respective member or switching component, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the respective member or switching component may be in the second position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the respective member or switching component may be in the first position. However, for example, the force limiter may be provided with a different member than the members described above in relation to the first, second and third embodiment. For example, the member may not have bi-directional stability. Thus, the actuator unit may be configured to be in contact with the switching component or the member over the full range of movement such that no gap is provided.

The remote controllable switch described above may be part of socket or a device, e.g. as part of a domestic appliance. The socket or device may comprise a housing. The remote controllable switch of any of the above embodiments may be at least partially positioned within the housing, wherein at least part of the member is within the housing and at least a part of the member is exposed outside the housing to allow manual operation of the member.

Claims

1 . A remote controllable switch being configured to be in a first state or a

second state, the remote controllable switch comprising: a member configured to be positioned in a first position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the first state, or a second position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the second state; and an actuator unit configured to move the member to the first position or the second position; wherein, whilst the actuator unit is stationary , lost motion between the member and the actuator unit permits manual operation of the member to move the member from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position.

2. The remote controllable switch of claim 1 , further comprising a switching component, wherein the member is in contact with the switching component and the switching component is electrically conductive and is configured to open or close a circuit.

3. The remote controllable switch of claim 2, wherein the remote controllable switch is configured such that when the member is moved to the first position, the member is configured to move the switching component to a position wherein the circuit is closed and when the member is moved to the second position, the member is configured to move the switching component to a position wherein the circuit is open.

4. The remote controllable switch of either of claims 2 or 3, wherein the member comprises a spring plunger configured to contact and move the switching

component, wherein the spring plunger is configured to provide the member with bi- stability such that the member is configured to be static in the first position or the second position when there is no manual operation and the actuator unit is stationary.

5. The remote controllable switch of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the member comprises a roller, and the roller is configured to be in contact with the switching component.

6. The remote controllable switch of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the actuator unit comprises: an actuator component configured to apply a force to the member to move it to the first position or the second position;

a leadscrew;

and

a motor configured to rotate the leadscrew to move the actuator component in a linear direction.

7. The remote controllable switch of claim 6, further comprising a sensor configured to detect the position of the actuator component.

8. The remote controllable switch of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the actuator unit is configured to apply a force to change the position of the member from the first position to the second position, via a first member contact point on the member and a first actuator contact point on the actuator unit, and the member and actuator unit are arranged such that when the member moves to the second position, there is a gap between the first member contact point and the first actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion, and the actuator component is configured to apply a force to change the position of the member from the second position to the first position, via a second member contact point on the member and a second actuator contact point on the actuator unit, and the member and actuator unit are arranged such that when the member moves to the first position there is a gap between the second member contact point and the second actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion.

9. The remote controllable switch of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the actuator unit is configured to move to a first configuration to move the member to the first position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the member to the second position, and the actuator unit further comprises a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the member when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the member may be in the second position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the member may be in the first position.

10. The remote controllable switch of claim 9, wherein the force limiter comprises at least one spring and/or magnet.

1 1 . The remote controllable switch of claim 2, wherein the member comprises a spring connected to the switching component and the spring is configured to provide the member with bi-stability such that the member is configured to be static in the first position or the second position when there is no manual operation and the actuator unit is stationary.

12. The remote controllable switch of claim 1 1 , wherein the switching component is configured to pivot about a point of contact between the switching component and the spring of the member between a first switching position wherein the circuit is closed and a second switching position wherein the circuit is open, and the remote controllable switch is arranged such that when the switching component is moved to the first switching position by the actuator unit, the member is urged to the first position by the spring, and when the switching component is moved to the second switching position by the actuator unit, the member is urged to the second position by the spring.

13. The remote controllable switch of either of claims 1 1 or 12, wherein the actuator unit comprises: a first actuator component configured to apply a force to the switching component to move the switching component to the first switching position and a second actuator component configured to apply a force to the switching component to move the switching component to the second switching position; and an actuator wire corresponding to each actuator component, the actuator wire being configured to move the actuator component in a linear direction.

14. The remote controllable switch of claim 13, wherein the remote controllable switch is configured to control the temperature of at least one actuator wire thereby to contract the actuator wire in the longitudinal direction of the wire to move the corresponding actuator component in a linear direction to apply a force to the switching component such that the switching component can pivot about the point of contact between the switching component and the spring of the member.

15. The remote controllable switch of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the actuator unit is configured to move to a first configuration to move the switching component to the first switching position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the switching component to the second switching position, and the actuator unit further comprises a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the switching component when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the switching component may be in the second switching position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the switching component may be in the first switching position.

16. The remote controllable switch of claim 15, wherein the force limiter comprises at least one spring connected to each actuator component.

17. The remote controllable switch of claim 12, wherein the actuator unit comprises a motor and at least one gear, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the at least one gear, and the gear is configured to rotate the actuator component.

18. The remote controllable switch of claim 17, wherein the actuator component is configured to rotate and contact the switching component to pivot the switching component about the point of contact between the switching component and the spring of the member.

19. The remote controllable switch of either of claims 17 or 18, wherein the actuator unit is configured to move to a first configuration to move the switching component to the first switching position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the switching component to the second switching position, and the actuator unit further comprises a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the switching component when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the switching component may be in the second switching position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the switching component may be in the first switching position.

20. The remote controllable switch of claim 19, wherein the force limiter comprises a spring connected to the actuator component.

21 . The remote controllable switch of any of claims 1 1 to 20, wherein the actuator component is configured to apply a force to change the position of the switching component from the first switching position to the second switching position, via a first switch contact point on the switching component and a first actuator contact point on the actuator component, and the switching component and actuator unit are arranged such that when the switching component moves to the second switching position, there is a gap between the first switch contact point and the first actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion, and wherein the actuator component is configured to apply a force to change the position of the switching component from the second position to the first position, via a second switch contact point on the switching component and a second actuator contact point on the actuator component, and the switching component and actuator unit are arranged such that when the switching component moves to the first switching position, there is a gap between the second switch contact point and the second actuator contact point, wherein the gap is configured to provide the lost motion.

22. A remote controllable switch being configured to be in a first state or a second state, the remote controllable switch comprising: a member configured to be positioned in a first position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the first state, or a second position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the second state; and

an actuator unit configured to move the member to the first position or the second position, wherein the actuator unit is configured to move to a first

configuration to move the member to the first position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the member to the second position,

the actuator unit further comprising a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the member when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the member may be in the second position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the member may be in the first position.

23. A remote controllable switch being configured to be in a first state or an second state, the remote controllable switch comprising: a member configured to be positioned in a first position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the first state, or a second position, wherein the remote controllable switch is in the second state;

a switching component in contact with the member, and the switching component is electrically conductive and is configured to open or close a circuit, the remote controllable switch being configured such that when the member is moved to the first position, the switching component is moved by the member to a position wherein the circuit is closed and when the member is moved to the second position, the switching component is moved by the member to a position wherein the circuit is open; and an actuator unit configured to move to a first configuration to move the switching component to the first switching position and the actuator unit is configured to move to a second configuration to move the switching component to the second switching position, and the actuator unit further comprises a force limiter having a stiffness and a range of motion, and the stiffness of the force limiter is high enough to allow the actuator unit to move the switching component when no external force is applied to the member, and the stiffness of the force limiter is low enough and the range of motion large enough such that when the actuator unit is in the first configuration the switching component may be in the second switching position and when the actuator unit is in the second configuration the switching component may be in the first switching position.

24. The remote controllable switch of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sensor configured to detect the position of the member.