Non-contact dead front actuation system

Abstract

A dead front actuating assembly actuates a device in standard ambient light conditions. The dead front actuating assembly includes a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume. A cover plate is fixedly secured to the housing at the periphery. The cover plate defines an inboard surface facing the interior volume and an outboard surface opposite the inboard surface. The outboard surface is opaque in standard ambient light conditions. The dead front actuating assembly also includes a switch that is operatively connected to the inboard surface of the cover plate at a defined location for toggling the device between on and off conditions. The dead front actuating assembly also includes a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent the cover plate. A back light inside the housing illuminates the cover plate such that light passes through the cover plate and out the outboard surface to illuminate the switch for the operator.

1 . A dead front actuating assembly for actuating a device in standard ambient light conditions, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
 a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;   a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface forming a dead front surface which is opaque in the standard ambient light conditions and transparent during back lighting conditions;   a switch operatively connected to said inboard surface of said cover plate at a defined location for toggling the device between on and off conditions, said defined location of said switch being hidden by said dead front surface in standard ambient light conditions;   a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent said cover plate; and   a back light inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate in response to a signal from said presence sensor such that light passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said defined location of said switch for the operator.   
   
   
       2 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , including a graphics template fixedly secured to said inboard surface to graphically identify said switch when said back light is on. 
   
   
       3 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said presence sensor is a touch sensor. 
   
   
       4 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said switch and said graphics template are not visible when said back light is off. 
   
   
       5 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said housing includes a reflective surface to reflect most of the light emitted from said back light at said cover plate. 
   
   
       6 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said back light is a light emitting diode. 
   
   
       7 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , including a plurality of switches. 
   
   
       8 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said back light includes a plurality of light emitting diodes. 
   
   
       9 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein said touch sensor extends across an area defined by said periphery of said housing. 
   
   
       10 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said cover plate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of: lexan, lucite, ABS, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, mixture blends and copolymers thereof, a metallized film or material, glass, an electrochromic film or material, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A dead front actuating assembly for actuating a device in standard ambient light conditions, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
 a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;   a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface being forming a dead front surface which is opaque in the standard ambient light conditions and transparent during back lighting conditions;   a switch operatively connected to said cover plate for toggling the device between on and off conditions, said switch being connected to said cover plate such that said switch is hidden by said dead front surface in standard ambient lighting conditions;   a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent said cover plate; and   a plurality of light emitting diodes inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate in response to a signal from said presence sensor such that light emitted by said plurality of light emitting diodes passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said switch, making said switch visible to the operator.   
   
   
       19 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein said housing includes a reflective surface to reflect most of the light emitted from said plurality of light emitting diodes toward said cover plate. 
   
   
       20 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein said switch and said graphics template are not visible when said plurality of light emitting diodes is off. 
   
   
       21 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein said presence sensor is a touch sensor. 
   
   
       22 . A dead front actuating assembly as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein said cover plate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of: lexan, lucite, ABS, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, mixture blends and copolymers thereof, a metallized film or material, glass, an electrochromic film or material, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       23 . A dead front actuating assembly for actuating a device in standard ambient light conditions, said dead front actuating assembly comprising:
 a housing defining a periphery and an interior volume;   a cover plate fixedly secured to said housing at said periphery, said cover plate defining an inboard surface facing said interior volume and an outboard surface opposite said inboard surface, said outboard surface forming a dead front surface which is opaque in the standard ambient light conditions and transparent during back lighting conditions;   a switch operatively connected to said inboard surface of said cover plate for toggling the device between on and off conditions, said switch being connected to said inboard surface such that said switch is hidden by said dead front surface in standard ambient light conditions;   a presence sensor identifying when an operator is disposed adjacent said cover plate; and   a back light inside said housing to illuminate said cover plate in response to a signal from said presence sensor such that light passes through said cover plate and out said outboard surface to illuminate said switch, making said switch visible to the operator to press and select said switch.