METHOD FOR REALISING AN LED DIMMING ASSEMBLY AND AN LED DIMMING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

Method for realising an LED dimming assembly comprising the steps of providing a dimming unit arranged, providing a holder, positioning said dimming unit in said holder, providing a front plate arranged for connecting to said holder and connecting said front plate to said holder. An LED dimming assembly comprising the dimming unit, holder and front plate.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for installing a Light Emitting Diode (LED) dimming assembly into a flush-mounted wall installation box of a building wiring system, the method comprising the steps of: providing a dimming unit configured to dim an LED based lighting device; providing a holder comprising a receiving space for removably receiving the dimming unit and a receiving opening for allowing the dimming unit to be provided, via the receiving opening, in the receiving space, wherein the holder is configured for being received inside the flush-mounted wall installation box; positioning the dimming unit, via the receiving opening, in the receiving space; providing a front plate for connecting to the holder such that the dimming unit is locked in the receiving space by the holder and the front plate; and connecting the front plate to a wall of the holder surrounding the receiving opening such that the dimming unit is locked in the receiving space by the holder and the front plate.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the holder includes an opening for allowing a wire connecting the dimming unit to the LED based lighting device to enter the receiving space.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the dimming unit comprises an operating element for allowing a user to manually set a dimming level, wherein the dimming unit is attached to the front plate via the operating element.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of: providing the front plate with a fastening arrangement for fastening the LED dimming assembly to the flush-mounted wall installation box.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein, during the step of providing the front plate, different front plates are provided, wherein the different front plates are configured for connecting to the holder, wherein the different front plates are configured for being mounted to different flush-mounted wall installation boxes, the method further comprising the steps of: providing a geographic location of application of the LED dimming assembly; determining, based on the provided geographic location, a connect characteristic of the flush-mounted wall installation box; and selecting a front plate from the provided different front plates according to the determined connect characteristic.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of determining the connect characteristic is according to a standard applicable for the geographical location.

22. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of: providing the flush-mounted wall installation box; positioning the LED dimming assembly inside the flush-mounted wall installation box; and connecting the LED dimming assembly to the flush-mounted wall installation box.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the dimming unit comprises: a switch configured to receive an Alternating Current (AC) main signal and provide a supply signal to the LED based lighting device based on a switch control signal; a controller configured to provide the switch control signal, and comprising a lookup table comprising a relationship between a current range of a preconfigured LED based lighting device and a brightness range of the preconfigured LED based lighting device; and a dimmer configured to provide a dimming level to the controller based on an input dimming range; wherein the controller is further configured to translate the dimming level to the switch control signal such that the brightness range is linear to the input dimming range using said lookup table.

24. A Light Emitting Diode (LED) dimming assembly configured to be provided in, and connected to, a flush-mounted wall installation box of a building wiring system, the LED dimming assembly comprising: a dimming unit configured to dim an LED based lighting device; a holder comprising a receiving space and a receiving opening for allowing the dimming unit to be provided, via the receiving opening, in the receiving space, wherein the dimming unit is removably received in the receiving space and wherein the holder is configured to be received inside the flush-mounted wall installation box; and a front plate releasably connected to a wall of the holder surrounding the receiving opening such that the dimming unit is locked in the receiving space by the holder and the front plate, wherein the front plate is configured to be connected to the flush-mounted wall installation box.

25. The LED dimming assembly according to claim 24, wherein the front plate is selected from a plurality of different front plates, wherein each of the different front plates is configured for connection to a different one of a plurality of flush-mounted wall installation boxes.

26. The LED dimming assembly according to claim 24, wherein the front plate is configured for connection to the flush-mounted wall installation box meeting a standard for a geographical location.

27. The LED dimming assembly according to claim 24, wherein the holder includes an opening for allowing a wire connecting the dimming unit to the LED based lighting device to enter the receiving space.

28. The LED dimming assembly according to claim 24, wherein the dimming unit comprises an operating element for allowing a user to manually set a dimming level, wherein the dimming unit is attached to the front plate via the operating element.

29. The LED dimming assembly according to claim 24, wherein the front plate includes a fastening arrangement for fastening the LED dimming assembly to the flush-mounted wall installation box.

30. The LED dimming assembly according to claim 24, wherein the dimming unit comprises: a switch configured to receive an Alternating Current (AC) main signal and provide a supply signal to the LED based lighting device based on a switch control signal; a controller configured to provide the switch control signal, and comprising a lookup table comprising a relationship between a current range of a preconfigured LED based lighting device and a brightness range of the preconfigured LED based lighting device; and a dimmer configured to provide a dimming level to the controller based on an input dimming range; wherein the controller is further configured to translate the dimming level to the switch control signal such that the brightness range is linear to the input dimming range using the lookup table.

Description

[0069] The present invention will now be explained by means of a description of method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure and an LED dimming assembly according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, in which reference is made to the following schematic figures, in which:

[0070] FIG. 1: an LED dimming assembly according to the second aspect is shown;

[0071] FIG. 2: an element of an LED dimming assembly according to the second aspect is shown;

[0072] FIG. 3: a further element of an LED dimming assembly according to the second aspect is shown;

[0073] FIG. 4: a yet further element of an LED dimming assembly according to the second aspect is shown;

[0074] FIG. 5: an assembly of an LED dimming assembly according to the second aspect and a flush-mounted wall installation box is shown;

[0075] FIG. 6: a method according to the first aspect is shown;

[0076] FIG. 7: a further method according to the first aspect is shown;

[0077] FIG. 8: a schematic diagram of an electric circuit illustrating components comprised by the dimming unit;

[0078] FIG. 9: discloses a schematic flow diagram of a method of operating the dimming unit from FIG. 8.

[0079] Light Emitting Diode, LED, dimming assembly 1 comprises a dimming unit 3, a holder 5 and a front plate 7. The holder 5 comprises a receiving space 9 and a receiving opening 11 for receiving said dimming unit 3, via said receiving opening 11 in said receiving space 9. For allowing said dimming unit 3 to be received via said receiving opening 11 in said receiving space 9, dimensions of said receiving opening 11 and said receiving space 9 are larger than outer dimensions of said dimming unit 3. In an embodiment dimensions of the receiving space correspond to outer dimensions of the dimming unit such that the dimming unit may be clamped in said holder. The dimming unit 3 is removably received in said receiving space 9 and may be removed, via said receiving opening 11, from said receiving space 9. The holder 5 comprises a polymer and may be manufactured by injection moulding. The outer dimensions of the holder 5 are such that the holder 5 may be received in a flush-mounted wall installation box of a home wiring system. The holder 5 is further provided with an opening (not shown) for allowing a wire connecting said dimming unit 3 to said LED lamp (not shown) to enter said receiving space 9.

[0080] The dimming unit 3 is locked in said receiving space 9 by connecting said front plate 7 to said holder 5. The front plate 7 is releasably connected to a wall 13 of said holder 5 using fastening organs 15 such as screws. The screws 15 are provided in through holes 17 of said front plate 7, wherein said screws 15 cooperate with a screw thread (not shown) provided in a wall surrounding screw holes 19 provided in said holder 5. The front plate 7 is further provided with an operating opening 21 that is arranged for allowing an operating element 23 of said dimming unit 3 to pass through said front plate 7. The front plate 7 further comprises a fastening arrangement 25 that is arranged for fastening said LED dimming assembly 1 to a flush-mounted wall installation box 27 provided in a wall 29.

[0081] The LED dimming assembly 1 may be provided with different front plates 7a, 7b. The different front plates 7a, 7b are identical as regards the provision of the through holes 17 and the operating opening 21 but differ as regards the fastening arrangement 25a, 25b. The fastening arrangements 25, 25a, 25b are comprises openings 26 that are arranged for connection to different flush-mounted wall installation boxes meeting a standard for a geographical location.

[0082] FIG. 8 discloses a schematic diagram 1001 of an electric circuit illustrating components comprised by the dimming unit 3. In accordance with the present disclosure, the dimming unit 3 may comprise a plurality of components.

[0083] In this particular example, the dimming unit 3 comprises two switches as indicated with reference numerals 1002 and 1003. A first 1002 of the switches is arranged for allowing a positive half of the received Alternating Current, AC, mains signal to pass to the LED based lighting device 1009, and a second 1003 of the switches is arranged for allowing a negative half of the received AC mains signal to pass to the LED based lighting device 1009. The switches are controlled based on a switch control signals, which switch control signals are fed to the gates of the switches.

[0084] In this particular scenario, the switches 1002, 1003 are power Metal Oxide Semiconductor, MOS, Field Effect Transistors, FETS. It may be noted that the switches may also comprise transistors, relays, or anything alike.

[0085] A controller 1005 is provided in the form of a block. The controller 1005 may, for example, be an Integrated Controller, IC, an Application Specific IC, ASIC, a Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA, analogue electronica, or anything alike.

[0086] The controller 1005 comprises a lookup table comprising a relationship between a current range of a preconfigured LED based lighting device 1009 and a brightness range of said preconfigured LED based lighting device 1009. The lookup table may thus comprises a particular brightness, for example Lumen, for a particular current that flows through the LED based lighting device 1009.

[0087] The dimming unit 3 may further comprise a dimmer 1004 arranged for providing a dimming level to said controller 1005 based on an input dimming range. The dimmer 1004 is, for example, a potentiometer. The potentiometer has a sliding or rotating contact which the user is able to manipulate to select the desired dimming range.

[0088] The controller 1005 is arranged for translating said dimming level to said switch control signal such that said brightness range is linear to said input dimming range using said lookup table. The end result is thus that the user perceives as if the brightness that originates from the LED based lighting device 1009 is linearly depending on the input dimming range.

[0089] The switch control signals, provided by the controller 1005, may be a PWM signal, i.e. a Pulse Width Modulation, signal. The PWM signal to the first switch may be inverted compared to the PWM signal to the second switch.

[0090] Further, a power unit 1006 is provided for converting the AC mains supply 1010 a low voltage power for empowering the controller 1005. The power unit 1006 may comprise a switched power supply or a transformer or anything alike.

[0091] It is noted that the controller may further be arranged for measuring a current of said supply signal to said LED based lighting device and/or wherein said controller is arranged for calibrating said translating by measuring said current of said supply signal over said full input dimming range. The current flowing to the LED based lighting device 1009 may be measured using a low Ohmic resistor in the current path to the LED based lighting device.

[0092] The dimming unit 3 may further comprise a minimum threshold setter 1007, for example also a potentiometer, for setting a minimum threshold of said dimming level of said dimmer.

[0093] Finally, a safety mechanism may be provided in the form of a Negative Temperature Coefficient, NTC, resistor 1008. The resistor may indicate to the controller 1005 if the temperature rises too high. That particular input may be used by the controller to shut things down, or to take other adequate measures.

[0094] Method 101 comprises the step 103 of providing the dimming unit 3 and the step 105 of providing the holder 5. During step 107 of the method 101, said dimming unit 3 is positioned, via said receiving opening 11, in said receiving space 9.

[0095] Method 101 further comprises the step 109 of providing the front plate 5. Step 109 may be executed before or after said step 107. After said step 107 and said step 109, said front plate 7 is connected to said holder 5 during a step 111 such that said dimming unit 3 is locked in said receiving space 9 by said holder 5 and said front plate 7. Optionally, method 101 may comprise step 113 during which said dimming unit 3 is attached to said front plate 7 via said operating element 23.

[0096] Method 201 differs mainly from method 101 in that during said step 209 of providing different front plates 7, 7a, 7b are provided, and in that method 201 further comprises a step 215 of providing a geographic location of application of said LED dimming assembly 1, a step 217 of determining, based on said geographic location, a connect characteristic of said flush-mounted wall installation box 27 and a step 219 of selecting a front plate 7, 7a, 7b from said provided different front plates 7, 7a, 7b taking into account said determined connect characteristic. A step of method 201 corresponding to a step of method 101 is provided with a reference numeral of the step of method 101 increased by 100.

[0097] FIG. 9 discloses a schematic flow diagram of a method 1050 of operating a dimming unit 3. The method 1050 is directed to operating a dimming unit in accordance with any of the examples as provided above, wherein said method comprises the steps of: [0098] receiving 1051, by said switch, said AC mains signals and providing said supply signal to said LED based lighting device based on said switch control signal; [0099] receiving 1052, by said controller, from said dimmer, said dimming level based on said input dimming range; [0100] providing 1053, by said controller, said switch control signal to said switch by translating said dimming level to said switch control signal such that said brightness range is linear to said input dimming range using said lookup table.