US 11,935,709 B2
Control devices having independently suspended buttons for controlled actuation
Nikhil Vithal Bhate, East Norriton, PA (US); Rich Destremps, Allentown, PA (US); James Harrison, Bernville, PA (US); Jason Edward Jennings, Macungie, PA (US); Eric Jonathan Mace, Allentown, PA (US); and Stephen Phillips, Bethlehem, PA (US)
Assigned to Lutron Technology Company LLC, Coopersburg, PA (US)
Filed by Lutron Technology Company LLC, Coopersburg, PA (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/980,636.
Application 17/980,636 is a continuation of application No. 17/403,509, filed on Aug. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,495,422.
Application 17/403,509 is a continuation of application No. 16/223,507, filed on Dec. 18, 2018, granted, now 11,094,482, issued on Aug. 17, 2021.
Application 16/223,507 is a continuation of application No. 15/134,299, filed on Apr. 20, 2016, granted, now 10,181,385, issued on Jan. 15, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/150,227, filed on Apr. 20, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0066815 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01H 13/83 (2006.01); H01H 13/70 (2006.01); H01H 13/84 (2006.01)
CPC H01H 13/83 (2013.01) [H01H 13/70 (2013.01); H01H 13/84 (2013.01); H01H 2209/006 (2013.01); H01H 2215/006 (2013.01); H01H 2215/012 (2013.01); H01H 2215/018 (2013.01); H01H 2219/002 (2013.01); H01H 2219/04 (2013.01); H01H 2219/06 (2013.01); H01H 2219/062 (2013.01); H01H 2221/05 (2013.01); H01H 2223/0345 (2013.01); H01H 2227/018 (2013.01); H01H 2227/026 (2013.01); H01H 2229/022 (2013.01); H01H 2231/052 (2013.01); H01H 2233/04 (2013.01); H01H 2235/018 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wallbox-mountable electrical load control apparatus, comprising:
a housing couplable to a wallbox;
a button assembly including a plurality of buttons, each of the plurality of buttons having a front surface and a rear surface;
a light guide layer disposed adjacent the button assembly, the light guide layer including a plurality of light dispersion regions, each of the plurality of light dispersion regions adjacent a rear surface of a respective one of the plurality of buttons;
a control module, including:
at least one printed circuit board (PCB) having a front surface and a rear surface, the PCB including a plurality of electrical contact pairs disposed on the front surface of the PCB;
a plurality of lighting element pairs, each of the lighting element pairs to backlight a respective one of the plurality of buttons, each of the lighting element pairs including a first lighting element and a second lighting element disposed on opposing sides of the respective button;
a first reflector strip disposed along at least a portion of a first edge of the light guide layer, the first edge of the light guide layer disposed proximate the first lighting element included in each of the plurality of lighting element pairs;
a second reflector strip disposed along at least a portion of a second edge of the light guide layer, the second edge of the light guide layer disposed proximate the second lighting element included in each of the plurality of lighting element pairs, the second edge of the light guide layer transversely opposed across a width of the light guide layer from the first edge of the light guide layer;
a plurality of electrical shorting pads, each of the plurality of electrical shorting pads corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of buttons;
a plurality of force concentrators, each of the plurality of force concentrators disposed between the rear surface of respective ones of the plurality of buttons and respective ones of the plurality of electrical shorting pads such that upon actuation of one of the plurality of buttons, the force concentrator between the respective button and the electrical shorting pad displaces the electrical shorting pad a sufficient distance to contact the electrical contact pair; and
a faceplate having a front surface and a rear surface, the faceplate couplable to the housing and including at least one aperture to accommodate passage of at least one of the plurality of buttons.