Patent · US Expired

In-line dimmer switch

US5499930A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
4References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 28, 1994
Grant dateMar 19, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 28, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01R4/2404
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A dimmer switch adapted to be connected in-line with an electrical power cord for selectively varying the power applied by the cord to an electric load, such as an electric lamp or the like. The dimmer switch includes a housing containing a dimming circuit and stab-type terminals for piercing the insulation on a power cord in order to make electrical contact between the power cord's wire conductors and-the dimming circuit. According to the invention, the dimmer switch housing is adapted to receive power cords of different sizes, e.g. SPT-1 and SPT-2, and apparatus is provided for reliably connecting the wire conductors of a received power cord to the stab terminals of the dimming circuit regardless of the power cord size.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.