Abstract:
A mounting structure enables a portable remote control device, that operates a load control device of a wirelessly controlled lighting system, to be mounted to a vertical surface (e.g., to an opening of an electrical wallbox). The mounting structure comprises a mounting fixture for attaching to the vertical surface, an opening sized to receive the remote control device, and a flexible leaf in the opening that receives the remote control device. The flexible leaf may project upwardly in the opening for receiving a flanged recess of the remote control device disposed on a rear surface of the remote control device, whereby the remote control device can be slidably received on the flexible leaf and when fully received on the leaf is retained in position on the mounting structure such that the remote control device is framed by the opening in the mounting structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a wireless load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from a source of alternating-current (AC) power, and more particularly, to a structure for mounting a remote control for such a radio-frequency (RF) lighting control system to the opening of a standard electrical wallbox. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Control systems for controlling electrical loads, such as lights, motorized window treatments, and fans, are known. Such control systems often use radio-frequency (RF) transmission to provide wireless communication between the control devices of the system. One example of an RF lighting control system is disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,442, issued on May 18, 1999, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND DETERMINING THE STATUS OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES FROM REMOTE LOCATIONS, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0005]    The RF lighting control system of the &#39;442 patent includes wall-mounted load control devices (e.g., dimmers), and a plurality of remote control devices (e.g., table-top and wall-mounted master controls), and car visor controls. The control devices of the RF lighting control system include RF antennas adapted to transmit and receive the RF communication signals that provide for communication between the control devices of the lighting control system. To prevent interference with other nearby RF lighting control systems located in close proximity, the control devices of the RF lighting control system stores in memory and uses an identical house code (i.e., a house address). Each of the control devices is also assigned a unique device address to allow for the transmission of the RF communication signals between specific control devices. The lighting control system also comprises signal repeaters, which help to ensure error-free communication by repeating the RF signals to ensure that every device of the system reliably receives the RF signals. 
         [0006]    Each of the load control devices includes a user interface and an integral dimmer circuit for controlling the intensity of an attached lighting load. The user interface has a pushbutton actuator for providing on/off control of the attached lighting load and a raise/lower actuator for adjusting the intensity of the attached lighting load. The load control devices may be programmed with a preset lighting intensity that may be recalled later in response to an actuation of a button of the user interface or a received RF signal. The table-top and wall-mounted master controls each have a plurality of buttons and are operable to transmit RF signals to the load control devices to control the intensities of the lighting loads. Each of the table-top and wall-mounted master controls may also comprise one or more visual indicators, e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs), for providing feedback to a user in response to a received RF signal. The car visor controls may be clipped to the visor of an automobile and include three buttons for respectively controlling the lighting loads to one of a maximum intensity, a minimum intensity (i.e., off), and a preset lighting level. 
         [0007]    In addition, some lighting control systems may include portable hand-held RF remote controls. It is desirable to mount such a remote control to a vertical surface, such as a wall, in the opening of a faceplate. An example of such a faceplate is described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,343, issued May 30, 1989, entitled TWO-PIECE FACE PLATE FOR WALL BOX MOUNTED DEVICE, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Therefore, there is a need for a structure for mounting the remote control to the wall or to the opening of a standard electrical wallbox, and which could also be ganged into a multigang electrical wallbox, if desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mounting structure for mounting a remote control device to a vertical surface is provided. The remote control device that operates a load control device of a wirelessly controlled lighting control system. The mounting structure comprises a mounting fixture for attaching to the electrical wallbox, an opening sized to receive the remote control device, and a flexible leaf in the opening that receives the remote control device whereby the remote control device is retained in position on the mounting structure such that the remote control device is framed by the opening in the mounting structure. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the flexible leaf projects upwardly in the opening for receiving a flanged recess of the remote control device disposed on a rear surface of the remote control device, whereby the remote control device is slidably received on the flexible leaf and when fully received on the leaf is retained in position on the mounting structure such that the remote control device is framed by the opening in the mounting structure. 
         [0009]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, a control structure comprises: (1) a remote control adapted to operate a load control device of a wirelessly controlled lighting control system; (2) a mounting fixture adapted to be attached to a vertical surface; (3) an opening sized to receive the remote control device; and (4) a flexible leaf in the opening that receives the remote control device whereby the remote control device is retained in position such that the remote control device is framed by the opening in the mounting structure. 
         [0010]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention that refers to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a simplified diagram of an RF lighting control system comprising a dimmer switch and a remote control; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A  is a front view of the remote control of the lighting control system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2B  is a right-side view of the remote control of the lighting control system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the remote control of  FIG. 1  mounted on a substantially-flat vertical surface, such as a wall, and disposed in accordance with the invention inside the opening of a standard-sized faceplate; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the remote control of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the remote control of  FIG. 1  and a mounting structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention showing how the mounting structure may be mounted to an opening of a standard electrical wallbox, the wallbox mounted to the vertical surface; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the remote control of  FIG. 1  and the mounting structure of the first embodiment showing how the mounting structure may be mounted directly to the vertical surface; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the remote control of  FIG. 1  and the mounting structure of the first embodiment showing how the remote control is received in an opening of the mounting structure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the remote control and the mounting structure (onto which the remote control is slidably received) according to the first embodiment, showing how a faceplate adaptor and faceplate are connected to the mounting structure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9A  is a front view of the mounting structure of  FIGS. 5-8 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9B  is a right-side cross-sectional view of the mounting structure of  FIG. 9A ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the remote control of  FIG. 1  ganged next to a designer-style dimmer switch and mounted with a standard designer-style two-gang faceplate; 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the remote control of  FIG. 1  mounted with a mounting structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the mounting structure of  FIG. 11  without the remote control installed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings an embodiment that is presently preferred, in which like numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a simple diagram of an RF load control system  100  comprising a remotely-controllable load control device (e.g., a dimmer switch  110 ) and a remote control  120 . The dimmer switch  110  is adapted to be wall-mounted in a standard electrical wallbox. The dimmer switch  110  is coupled in series electrical connection between an AC power source  102  and an electrical lighting load  104  for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load. The dimmer switch  110  comprises a faceplate  112  and a bezel  113  received in an opening of the faceplate. Alternatively, the RF lighting control system  100  may comprise another type of remotely-controllable load control device, for example, a remotely-controllable electronic dimming ballast, a remotely-controllable driver for a light-emitting diode (LED) light source, a dimmer circuit for other types of lighting loads (such as, magnetic low-voltage lighting loads, electronic low-voltage lighting loads, and screw-in compact fluorescent lamps), an electronic switch, a switching circuit including a relay, a controllable plug-in module adapted to be plugged into an electrical receptacle, a controllable screw-in module adapted to be screwed into the electrical socket (e.g., an Edison socket) of a lamp, a motor control device, a motorized window treatment (such as, a roller shade or a drapery), a temperature control device, or an audio/visual control device. 
         [0027]    The dimmer switch  110  comprises a toggle actuator  114  (i.e., a control button) and an intensity adjustment actuator  116  (e.g., a rocker switch). Actuations of the toggle actuator  114  toggle, i.e., alternately turn off and on, the lighting load  104 . The dimmer switch  110  may be programmed with a lighting preset intensity (i.e., a “favorite” intensity level), such that the dimmer switch is operable to control the intensity of the lighting load  104  to the preset intensity when the lighting load is turned on by an actuation of the toggle actuator  114 . Actuations of an upper portion  116 A or a lower portion  116 B of the intensity adjustment actuator  116  respectively increase or decrease the amount of power delivered to the lighting load  104  and thus increase or decrease the intensity of the lighting load  104 . 
         [0028]    A plurality of visual indicators  118 , e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs), are arranged in a linear array on the left-side of the bezel  113 . The visual indicators  118  are illuminated to provide feedback of the present intensity of the lighting load  104 . The dimmer switch  110  illuminates one of the plurality of visual indicators  118 , which is representative of the present light intensity of the lighting load  104 . An example of a dimmer switch having a toggle actuator  114  and an intensity adjustment actuator  116  is described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,919, issued Sep. 29, 1993, entitled LIGHTING CONTROL DEVICE, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0029]      FIG. 2A  is an enlarged front view and  FIG. 2B  is a right-side view of the remote control  120 . The remote control  120  comprises a housing that includes a front enclosure portion  122  and a rear enclosure portion  124  (which has beveled edges  125 ). The remote control  120  further comprises a plurality of actuators (i.e., an on button  130 , an off button  132 , a raise button  134 , a lower button  136 , and a preset button  138 ). The remote control  120  also comprises a visual indicator  140 , which is illuminated in response to the actuation of one of the buttons  130 - 138 . The remote control  120  transmits packets (i.e., messages) via RF signals  106  (i.e., wireless transmissions) to the dimmer switch  110  in response to actuations of any of the actuators. A packet transmitted by the remote control  120  includes, for example, a preamble, a serial number associated with the remote control, and a command (e.g., on, off, or preset), and comprises 72 bits. In order to meet the standards set by the FCC, packets are transmitted such that there is not less than a predetermined time period between two consecutive packets, for example, approximately 100 msec. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the remote control  120  mounted on a substantially flat vertical surface, such as, a wall, and received in an opening  202  of a faceplate  200 . Specifically, the remote control  120  may be held in place by a mounting structure  300  ( FIG. 5 ) according to a first embodiment of the present invention as will be described in greater detail below. The faceplate  200  connects (e.g., snaps) to an adaptor plate  204  (which is attached to the mounting structure  300  as shown in  FIG. 8 ), such that the faceplate has an attractive aesthetic appearance and has no opening for attachments screws. 
         [0031]    The faceplate  200  may be a standard, “off-the-shelf” faceplate, i.e., the opening  202  defines standard dimensions. For example, the faceplate  200  may comprise a designer-style faceplate defining a standard-sized opening. Per standards set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the opening of a designer-style faceplate has a length of 2.630″ and a width of 1.310″ (NEMA Standards Publication No. WD6, 2001, p. 5). Accordingly, the front enclosure portion  122  and the rear enclosure portion  124  of the remote control  120  are dimensioned such that the remote control  120  is adapted to fit snugly within the opening  202  of the faceplate  200 . The outer periphery of the housing (i.e., the front enclosure portion  122  and the rear enclosure portion  124 ) has a length and a width slightly smaller than the length and the width of the opening  202  of the faceplate  200 , such that the outer periphery of the housing is easily received within the opening of the faceplate. For example, the remote control  120  may have a length of approximately 2.605″ and a width of approximately 1.280″. 
         [0032]    Further, the remote control  120  has a depth d (as shown in  FIG. 2B ), which is sized such that the front surface of the remote control is flush with or does not protrude very far past the front surface of the faceplate  200 . Therefore, the depth d is approximately equal to the distance between the front surface of the faceplate  200  and the wall, e.g., less than approximately 0.5″, or specifically, equal to approximately 0.3029″. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the remote control  120 . The rear enclosure portion  124  of the remote control  120  comprises a slide-receiving portion  210 , which includes two parallel flanges  220 . The slide-receiving portion  210  enables the remote control  120  to be coupled to the mounting structure  300  of the present invention as will be described in greater detail below. In addition, the slide-receiving portion  210  also enables the remote control  120  to be coupled to a plurality of alternative mounting structures (e.g., a clip or a table-top base support) as described in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/399,126, filed Mar. 6, 2009, entitled BATTERY POWERED REMOTE CONTROL HAVING MULTIPLE MOUNTING MEANS, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 5-8  show details of the mounting structure  300  according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The mounting structure  300  may be mounted to an electrical wallbox  350  that is connected into a building wall structure by conventional means. The electrical wallbox  350  includes typical ears  352  that receive screws that fasten to the mounting structure  300  to the wallbox (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). The mounting structure  300  includes a mounting fixture in the form of openings  310  through which mounting screws  312  extend to secure the mounting structure to the ears  352  of the electrical wallbox  350 . Alternatively, the mounting structure  300  could be mounted to a flat surface, such as a wall, via mounting screws  314  received through anchors  316  (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0035]    The mounting structure  300  includes a flexible integrally-formed leaf  320  in an opening  322  on which the slide-receiving portion  210  of the rear enclosure portion  124  of the remote control  120  is slidably fastenable as shown in  FIG. 6 . In particular, the two parallel flanges  220  of the slide-receiving portion  210  of the remote control  120  form channels for slidably receiving two vertical edges  324  of the leaf  320 . The flexible leaf  320  is reduced in thickness at the vertical edges  324  so as to receive the channels of the slide-receiving portion  210  of the remote control  120 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9A  is a front view and  FIG. 9B  is a right-side cross-sectional view of the mounting structure  300  showing the leaf  320  in greater detail. The leaf  320  of the mounting structure  300  is preferably formed with a bias towards a rear surface  325  of the mounting structure (e.g., towards the electrical wallbox  350  when mounted as shown in  FIG. 5  or the wall when mounted as shown in  FIG. 6 ). Specifically, the leaf  320  has a reverse-oriented slant (i.e., a gentle curve) toward the rear surface  325  of the mounting structure, such that the leaf curves slightly toward the rear of the mounting structure. The reason for this bias is so that the remote control  120 , when slidably received by the leaf  320  and received in the opening  322  of the mounting structure  300 , is retained with a spring bias holding the remote control  120  securely in the opening in the mounting structure. In addition, the bias ensures that the front surface of the front enclosure portion  122  of the remote control  120  is substantially parallel with the front surface of the faceplate  200  when the faceplate is installed (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). The mounting structure  300  with its integral flexible leaf  320  is preferably molded out of a high strength plastic with the required flexibility imparted into the leaf, such as, for example, polycarbinate. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the opening  322  is sized slightly larger than the external dimensions of the remote control  120 , and has recessed flanges  326  bordering the opening  322  and projecting into the opening. The recessed flanges  326  receive the beveled edges  125  ( FIG. 2B ) of the rear enclosure potion  124  of the remote control  120  when the remote control is fully slid into and received in the opening. Accordingly, the recessed flanges  326  abut against the beveled edges  125  of the remote control  120  to seat the remote control in the opening  322  in the mounting structure  300 . 
         [0038]    The mounting structure  300  includes two recesses  328  in the recessed flanges  326  in the areas of a most-upwardly disposed portion  329  of the flexible leaf  320  as shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B . The recesses  328  are provided so that when the remote control  120  is initially inserted in the opening  322 , the two flanges  220  of the slide-receiving portion  210  of the remote control  120  are able to receive the edges  324  of the leaf  320 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . Specifically, the remote control  120  can be inserted into the opening  322  at an angle to the mounting structure  300  so that the edges  324  of the leaf  320  can be received in the channels formed by the flanges  220 . 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , the mounting structure  300  can receive the adaptor plate  204 , which is fastened to the mounting structure by suitable screws  330  disposed through openings  332  and received in threaded openings  334  in the mounting structure. The adaptor plate  204  includes snap fastener recesses  336  which receive projections (not shown) formed on the rear of the faceplate  200 . An opening  338  in the adaptor plate  204  is sized substantially the same as the front opening  202  in the faceplate  200 , such that the opening  338  suitably frames the remote control  120  when the remote control is fastened to the mounting structure  300 . The faceplate  200  provides a finished appearance for the mounting structure  300  so that no mounting screws are shown. Alternatively, another faceplate could be provided, without the faceplate adaptor  204 , that mounts directly to the mounting structure  300  via screws which mount into the threaded openings  334  of the mounting structure. 
         [0040]    During installation, the remote control  120  is disposed at an angle to the mounting structure  300  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ), so that the bottom of the remote control is received in the recesses  328  and the flanges  220  of the slide-receiving portion  210  receive the edges  324  of the leaf  320  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ). The remote control  120  is then further slid onto the leaf  320  and pushed firmly downwardly completely onto the leaf  320  until the remote control sits in the opening  322  on the flanges  326  in the mounting structure  300  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). At this time, the adapter plate  204  may be connected to the mounting structure  300  and the faceplate  200  may be snapped on the adapter plate, such that the remote control  120  is framed in the opening  202  of the faceplate (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). Once the remote control  120  is recessed in the opening  202  the faceplate  200 , the remote control cannot be easily removed because the remote control is retained firmly in place by the reverse bias of the leaf  320 . However, the remote control  120  can be removed by first removing the faceplate  200  and the adaptor plate  202  and then suitably grasping the top of the remote control  120  with one&#39;s fingernails in order to move the remote control forward against the bias of the flexible leaf  320 . The remote control  120  may then be slide off of the flexible leaf  320 . 
         [0041]    The remote control  120  may be ganged next to a designer-style load control device (e.g., the dimmer switch  110 ) with a standard designer-style multigang faceplate (e.g., a two-gang faceplate  250 ) as shown in  FIG. 10 . The dimmer switch  110  is mounted to a standard multigang electrical wallbox (not shown) that is provided in the wall. The remote control  120  is mounted in the wallbox space immediately adjacent the dimmer switch  110  using the mounting structure  300 . The two-gang faceplate  250  has first and second designer-style openings  202 A,  202 B and is mounted such that the bezel  113  of the dimmer switch  110  is provided in the first opening  202 A and the remote control  120  is provided in the second opening  202 B. The bezel  113  of the dimmer switch  110  has a length and a width slightly smaller than the length and the width of the first opening  202 A of the faceplate  250 . A two gang wallbox mounted faceplate is shown in  FIG. 10 , but larger multigang faceplates are also usable with the invention. 
         [0042]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the remote control  120  mounted with a mounting structure  400  according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The mounting structure  400  comprises a small frame  405  that surrounds the remote control  120 .  FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the mounting structure  400  without the remote control  120  installed. The mounting structure  400  comprises openings  410  through which mounting screws (not shown) extend to secure the mounting structure to a surface (e.g., using anchors  316  as shown in  FIG. 6 ). The mounting structure  400  includes a flexible integrally-formed leaf  420  in an opening  422 . The flanges  220  of the slide-receiving portion  210  of the remote control  120  receive edges  424  of the leaf  420 , such that the remote control may be slidably fastened to the leaf. The leaf  420  is preferably biased towards the rear of the mounting structure  400  (in a similar manner as the leaf  320  of the mounting structure  300  of the first embodiment). The mounting structure  400  has recessed flanges  426  and two recesses  428  in the flanges that allow the remote control to be inserted into the opening  422  of the mounting structure  400 , such that the leaf  420  may be received in the slide-receiving portion  210  of the remote control  120 . 
         [0043]    Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.