Light dimmer switch having remote load current switching

摘要

A light dimmer switch is shown that appears as an ordinary snap switch, but will handle high wattage loads. A controller unit is mounted in a switch box and a remote unit which includes a load switching triac is remotely mounted on a heat sink. Current flowing through the triac to the load is varied by the controller unit. Filtering networks and/or shielding reduce radiated noise along lead lines between the remote unit and the controller unit, plus the filtering prevents noise from being conducted internally along the lead lines. Heat conducted along the lead lines from the remote unit is reduced to more than acceptable levels by connecting the lead lines through a terminal to a thin electrically insulating, thermally conductive strip. In turn, the insulating strip is fixed to the heat sink to transmit heat received from the lead lines to the heat sink.