[go: up one dir, main page]

GB1603862A - Means for controlling electric circuits - Google Patents

Means for controlling electric circuits Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB1603862A
GB1603862A GB2384177A GB2384177A GB1603862A GB 1603862 A GB1603862 A GB 1603862A GB 2384177 A GB2384177 A GB 2384177A GB 2384177 A GB2384177 A GB 2384177A GB 1603862 A GB1603862 A GB 1603862A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
circuit
sensing surface
condition
touch
controlling means
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB2384177A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
GUNTON ELECTRONICS Ltd
Original Assignee
GUNTON ELECTRONICS Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by GUNTON ELECTRONICS Ltd filed Critical GUNTON ELECTRONICS Ltd
Priority to GB2384177A priority Critical patent/GB1603862A/en
Publication of GB1603862A publication Critical patent/GB1603862A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • H03K17/94—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
    • H03K17/96—Touch switches
    • H03K17/962—Capacitive touch switches

Landscapes

  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)
  • Switches That Are Operated By Magnetic Or Electric Fields (AREA)

Description

(54) MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS (71) We, GUNTON ELECTRONICS LIMITED, a British Company of 82, Bath Street, Walsall, West Midlands, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: THIS INVENTION relates to an electric circuit-controlling device of the kind which responds to the touch of an operator on a sensing surface of the device. Such a circuit-controlling device is hereinafter referred to as a device of the kind specified.
According to the present invention, there is provided a device of the kind specified having a circuit-controlling means and signalling means, the circuit-controlling means being adapted for connection in an external circuit to control the power supplied to a load therein and being settable in a selected one of opposite conditions corresponding to limiting levels of the power and a plurality of intermediate conditions corresponding to intermediate levels of the power, the signalling means being connected electrically between the sensing surface and the circuitcontrolling means and the arrangement being such that different positions on the sensing surface correspond to respective conditions of the circuit-controlling means and, in use, the level of the power supply to the load of the external circuit can be selected by touching the sensing surface at a corresponding position.
The condition of the circuit-controlling means is preferably variable in a stepless manner. The sensing surface preferably extends without interruption between respective positions on the sensing surface which correspond to said opposite conditions of the circuit-controlling means.
The device preferably includes a store in which a setting of the circuit-controlling means can be stored and from which the setting can be recalled by a touch on a further sensing surface.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a diagram of a device in accordance with the invention, FIGURE 2 shows a sensing surface which may be incorporated in the device of Figure 1, and FIGURE 3 shows a front elevation of a further device having a general circuit arrangement as shown in Figure 1.
The device illustrated in Figure 1 is intended for controlling a lighting circuit or other load 16 to which power can be supplied from an AC source. The device includes circuit-controlling means 17 which, when the device is in use, is connected in series with the AC source and the load 16.
The controlling means 17 functions as a proportional power switch and is capable of limiting the electrical power supplied to the load 16 to a selected proportion of the maximum power which can be supplied to the load. The means 17 comprises a triac or thyristor and a bridge rectifier or two thyristors arranged back to back and can be set in a conducting condition at a selected stage of each cycle of the AC source. The stage at which the means 17 is changed into a conducting condition can be varied by a control signal supplied to the means 17 from a store 18.
The store 18 is capable of storing a signal representing the proportion of maximum power which is to be supplied to the load 16.
This signal may be in the form of an analogue voltage or in the form of a digital quantity.
For feeding to the store 18 a signal which is to be stored, there is provided touchdetecting means including at least one sensing surface 19 and atouch-detecting circuit 20 which responds to a touch on the sensing surface to supply a signal to the store 18.
In Figure 2, there is shown a panel bearing the sensing surface of a device having the general circuit arrangement shown in Figure 1. The sensing surface of Figure 2 comprises two electrically operative areas 21 and 22 respectively. Each of the areas comprises a plurality of tapered limbs between which tapered limbs of the other area lie. The limbs of the area 21 taper in the opposite direction to that in which the limbs of the area 22 taper. The areas 21 and 22 are connected separately to the touch detecting circuit 20 which comprises a bridge circuit or other means for comparing electrical parameters of the areas 21 and 22.
This parameter may be a capacitance which is changed by the touch of an operator on the sensing surface. The dimensions of the limbs of the areas 21 and 22 are such that if a finger of an operator touches the surface, an interaction is established with at least a plurality of limbs of the area 21 and a plurality of limbs of the area 22.
The signal provided by the touch detecting circuit to the store is dependent upon the position at which the operator touches the sensing surface. By touching the surface at an appropriate position, the signal stored in the store 18 can be changed in an appropriate direction to increase or decrease the proportion of the maximum power which is supplied to the load 16. By moving a finger along the limbs of the areas 21 and 22, an operator can change substantially steplessly the signal stored.
The device illustrated in Figure 2 may include a further sensing surface area associated with a further touch-detecting circuit and a bi-stable flip-flop, to enable the supply of power to the load 16 to be turned on and off by setting the circuit-controlling means in a selected one of a fully on condition and an off condition. This further touch-detecting circuit is arranged to respond to a change in an electrical parameter, for example the value of a capacitance, which occurs when an operator touches the further sensing surface area by providing a signal to the flip-flop. The arrangement is such that each successive touch on the further sensing surface area changes the condition of the circuit-controlling means 17 from one of its off and fully on conditions to the other of these conditions.
The device shown in Figure 3 has a pair of sensing surface areas 30 and 31, the first of which can be touched to set the device in a fully conducting condition and the second of which can be touched to set the device in a non-conducting condition. There is further provided in this device a row of sensing surface areas 32 which are connected with touch-detecting means corresponding to the means 20 of Figure 1 arranged to supply to the store a signal, the magnitude of which is dependent upon the particular one of the areas 32 which has been touched. An area at one end of the row causes a signal of maximum value to be entered in the store whilst a touch on an area 32 at the opposite end of the row causes a minimum value of the signal to be entered in the store. It will be noted that the number of sensing surface areas 32 is substantial.The differences between the corresponding levels of the current or other parameter of the external surface controlled by the device will be correspondingly small.
Both of the devices herein described may be so arranged that in the event of a temporary interruption to the power supply, upon a resumption of the power supply, the circuit controlling means will resume the condition to which it was last set. A stand-by power source may be incorporated in the device to achieve this. Alternatively, the circuit can be arranged to assume a nonconducting condition upon a resumption of the power supply.
In a device in accordance with the invention, there may be a sensing surface on which a touch whilst the circuit-controlling means is in an off condition recalls the stored value from the store and sets the circuit-controlling means in a condition corresponding to that stored value.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A device of the kind specified having a circuit-controlling means and signalling means, the circuit-controlling means being adapted for connection in an external circuit to control the power supplied to a load therein and being settable in a selected one of opposite conditions corresponding to limiting levels of the power and a plurality of intermediate conditions corresponding to intermediate levels of the power, the signalling means being connected electrically between the sensing surface and the circuitcontrolling means and the arrangement being such that different positions on the sensing surface correspond to respective conditions of the circuit-controlling means and, in use, the level of the power supply to the load of the external circuit can be selected by touching the sensing surface at a corresponding position.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the condition of the circuitcontrolling means is steplessly variable.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sensing surface extends without interruption between respective positions on the sensing surface which correspond to said opposite conditions of the circuit-controlling means.
4. A device according to any preceding claim including a store in which a setting of the circuit-controlling means can be stored and from which the setting can be recalled by a touch on a further sensing surface.
5. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the sensing surface comprises two electrically responsive areas having tapered limbs interleaved with each other, the limbs of one area tapering in a direction opposite to that in which the limbs of the other area taper.
6. A device according to any preceding
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. opposite direction to that in which the limbs of the area 22 taper. The areas 21 and 22 are connected separately to the touch detecting circuit 20 which comprises a bridge circuit or other means for comparing electrical parameters of the areas 21 and 22. This parameter may be a capacitance which is changed by the touch of an operator on the sensing surface. The dimensions of the limbs of the areas 21 and 22 are such that if a finger of an operator touches the surface, an interaction is established with at least a plurality of limbs of the area 21 and a plurality of limbs of the area 22. The signal provided by the touch detecting circuit to the store is dependent upon the position at which the operator touches the sensing surface. By touching the surface at an appropriate position, the signal stored in the store 18 can be changed in an appropriate direction to increase or decrease the proportion of the maximum power which is supplied to the load 16. By moving a finger along the limbs of the areas 21 and 22, an operator can change substantially steplessly the signal stored. The device illustrated in Figure 2 may include a further sensing surface area associated with a further touch-detecting circuit and a bi-stable flip-flop, to enable the supply of power to the load 16 to be turned on and off by setting the circuit-controlling means in a selected one of a fully on condition and an off condition. This further touch-detecting circuit is arranged to respond to a change in an electrical parameter, for example the value of a capacitance, which occurs when an operator touches the further sensing surface area by providing a signal to the flip-flop. The arrangement is such that each successive touch on the further sensing surface area changes the condition of the circuit-controlling means 17 from one of its off and fully on conditions to the other of these conditions. The device shown in Figure 3 has a pair of sensing surface areas 30 and 31, the first of which can be touched to set the device in a fully conducting condition and the second of which can be touched to set the device in a non-conducting condition. There is further provided in this device a row of sensing surface areas 32 which are connected with touch-detecting means corresponding to the means 20 of Figure 1 arranged to supply to the store a signal, the magnitude of which is dependent upon the particular one of the areas 32 which has been touched. An area at one end of the row causes a signal of maximum value to be entered in the store whilst a touch on an area 32 at the opposite end of the row causes a minimum value of the signal to be entered in the store. It will be noted that the number of sensing surface areas 32 is substantial.The differences between the corresponding levels of the current or other parameter of the external surface controlled by the device will be correspondingly small. Both of the devices herein described may be so arranged that in the event of a temporary interruption to the power supply, upon a resumption of the power supply, the circuit controlling means will resume the condition to which it was last set. A stand-by power source may be incorporated in the device to achieve this. Alternatively, the circuit can be arranged to assume a nonconducting condition upon a resumption of the power supply. In a device in accordance with the invention, there may be a sensing surface on which a touch whilst the circuit-controlling means is in an off condition recalls the stored value from the store and sets the circuit-controlling means in a condition corresponding to that stored value. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. A device of the kind specified having a circuit-controlling means and signalling means, the circuit-controlling means being adapted for connection in an external circuit to control the power supplied to a load therein and being settable in a selected one of opposite conditions corresponding to limiting levels of the power and a plurality of intermediate conditions corresponding to intermediate levels of the power, the signalling means being connected electrically between the sensing surface and the circuitcontrolling means and the arrangement being such that different positions on the sensing surface correspond to respective conditions of the circuit-controlling means and, in use, the level of the power supply to the load of the external circuit can be selected by touching the sensing surface at a corresponding position.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the condition of the circuitcontrolling means is steplessly variable.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sensing surface extends without interruption between respective positions on the sensing surface which correspond to said opposite conditions of the circuit-controlling means.
4. A device according to any preceding claim including a store in which a setting of the circuit-controlling means can be stored and from which the setting can be recalled by a touch on a further sensing surface.
5. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the sensing surface comprises two electrically responsive areas having tapered limbs interleaved with each other, the limbs of one area tapering in a direction opposite to that in which the limbs of the other area taper.
6. A device according to any preceding
claim wherein one of said positions on the sensing surface corresponds to an off condition of the circuit controlling means.
7. A device of the kind specified substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
8. A device according to claim 7 having sensing surfaces substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 or substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.
GB2384177A 1978-05-30 1978-05-30 Means for controlling electric circuits Expired GB1603862A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2384177A GB1603862A (en) 1978-05-30 1978-05-30 Means for controlling electric circuits

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2384177A GB1603862A (en) 1978-05-30 1978-05-30 Means for controlling electric circuits

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB1603862A true GB1603862A (en) 1981-12-02

Family

ID=10202182

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB2384177A Expired GB1603862A (en) 1978-05-30 1978-05-30 Means for controlling electric circuits

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB1603862A (en)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2154745A (en) * 1984-01-04 1985-09-11 Oculus Optikgeraete Gmbh Handle for medical examination instrument
GB2166552A (en) * 1984-10-17 1986-05-08 Honda Motor Co Ltd Proximity switch
GB2221345A (en) * 1988-07-28 1990-01-31 Lutron Electronics Co Wall-mountable switch and dimmer
US5403648A (en) * 1992-04-30 1995-04-04 Varintelligent (Bvi) Limited Contact sensitive substrate
DE102004038872A1 (en) * 2004-08-05 2006-03-16 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Capacitive touch switch for an operating device of an electrical appliance, operating device and method for evaluation
DE102005004337A1 (en) * 2005-01-25 2006-07-27 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Big household appliance`s e.g. stove, operator control operating method, involves activating control function by touching master-touch sensor and then one of auxiliary-touch sensors within predetermined time period by operator
DE102005018298A1 (en) * 2005-04-15 2006-10-19 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Oblong sensor unit controlling and/or evaluating method for contact switch, involves detecting point-like operation in operating mode, so that operating functions determined in predetermined position of sensor unit are triggered
DE102005041114A1 (en) * 2005-08-30 2007-03-01 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Capacitive control strip for use in household appliance e.g. hob, has transverse strips that are galvanically isolated from one another, where strips overlap sensor surface in its extension transverse to strip
DE102006054764A1 (en) * 2006-11-14 2008-05-15 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Control device for e.g. hob, has control unit positioned on support, generators and sensor surfaces, which are arranged along concentric circles on support and control unit, where set of sensor surfaces are provided as generators
US7969330B2 (en) 2003-10-08 2011-06-28 Atmel Corporation Touch sensitive control panel

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2154745A (en) * 1984-01-04 1985-09-11 Oculus Optikgeraete Gmbh Handle for medical examination instrument
GB2166552A (en) * 1984-10-17 1986-05-08 Honda Motor Co Ltd Proximity switch
GB2166552B (en) * 1984-10-17 1989-07-05 Honda Motor Co Ltd Proximity switch
GB2221345A (en) * 1988-07-28 1990-01-31 Lutron Electronics Co Wall-mountable switch and dimmer
GB2221345B (en) * 1988-07-28 1993-03-24 Lutron Electronics Co Wall-mountable switch and dimmer
AU665069B2 (en) * 1992-04-30 1995-12-14 Varintelligent (Bvi) Limited A contact sensitive substrate
US5403648A (en) * 1992-04-30 1995-04-04 Varintelligent (Bvi) Limited Contact sensitive substrate
US7969330B2 (en) 2003-10-08 2011-06-28 Atmel Corporation Touch sensitive control panel
DE102004038872A1 (en) * 2004-08-05 2006-03-16 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Capacitive touch switch for an operating device of an electrical appliance, operating device and method for evaluation
DE102005004337A1 (en) * 2005-01-25 2006-07-27 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Big household appliance`s e.g. stove, operator control operating method, involves activating control function by touching master-touch sensor and then one of auxiliary-touch sensors within predetermined time period by operator
DE102005004337B4 (en) * 2005-01-25 2015-03-26 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Method for operating an operating device of a household large appliance and operating device for carrying out the method
DE102005018298A1 (en) * 2005-04-15 2006-10-19 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Oblong sensor unit controlling and/or evaluating method for contact switch, involves detecting point-like operation in operating mode, so that operating functions determined in predetermined position of sensor unit are triggered
DE102005041114A1 (en) * 2005-08-30 2007-03-01 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Capacitive control strip for use in household appliance e.g. hob, has transverse strips that are galvanically isolated from one another, where strips overlap sensor surface in its extension transverse to strip
DE102006054764A1 (en) * 2006-11-14 2008-05-15 E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH Control device for e.g. hob, has control unit positioned on support, generators and sensor surfaces, which are arranged along concentric circles on support and control unit, where set of sensor surfaces are provided as generators
US7564150B2 (en) 2006-11-14 2009-07-21 E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau Gmbh Control device for an electrical appliance and control method

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3697821A (en) Light dimming system having multiple control units
EP0262909A3 (en) Touch controlled switching circuit
GB1603862A (en) Means for controlling electric circuits
DK514980A (en) ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRODE CONTROL OF AN ELECTRIC OVEN
GB1108964A (en) Electrical power transfer system
CN110320952A (en) A kind of thermal-shutdown circuit and system
EP0415490A3 (en) Circuit arrangement for power supply to a load
ATE21596T1 (en) ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT FOR POWER SUPPLY CONTROL OF ELECTROMAGNETS, ELECTRIC MOTORS, RESISTANCES, IN SINGLE-PHASE OR THREE-PHASE SYSTEMS.
GB1529862A (en) Proximity switch
NO772103L (en) ELECTRONIC TOUCH SWITCH.
US3737761A (en) Voltage adaptor circuit
GB2154322A (en) Switches for standard and table lamps
US3309594A (en) Power control circuit for series motors
GB1213091A (en) Load responsive power control circuits
JPS54147594A (en) Wire-cutting electric discharge processing control device
JPS5730908A (en) Capacity type displacement conversion device
JPS5468146A (en) Logic circuit
EP0120103A1 (en) Circuit for preventing two or more ac switches from conducting simultaneously
JPS5510267A (en) Switching circuit
GB1410807A (en) Ac power control apparatus with demand responsive driver circuit
JPS5785578A (en) Control circuit for transistor chopper
ATE82449T1 (en) METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LIMITING CURRENT PEAKS.
SU907620A1 (en) Timer
SU1758903A1 (en) Voltage regulator
GB1485159A (en) Static switch controller

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PS Patent sealed
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee