Touch control lamp socket interior

Abstract

An electronic touch control light socket used to convert a lamp to touch-sensitive use which includes a circuit housing and a light bulb insertion socket mounted thereto which together are adapted for installation within a standard light socket shell of a lamp in place of a standard light socket. A touch sensing circuit in the circuit housing has a self-compensating subcircuit to eliminate the effects of slower changing ambient capacitance of the lamp in order to detect touching of the lamp by monitoring rapid changes in lamp capacitance. A spring contact connected to the circuit is attached to the circuit housing and projects along a side thereof for placement between the circuit housing exterior and the interior surface of the light socket shell and in electrical contact with a conductive portion of the light socket shell when the circuit housing and insertion socket are installed within the light socket shell. The spring contact thereby is inaccessible from the exterior of the lamp and is adapted to convey to the circuit an electrical touch-responsive input signal generated when a person touches a conductive exterior portion of the lamp connected to the conductive portion of the light socket shell. The circuit has an operating mode control subcircuit actuatable by a manually-operable control knob for selecting the operating mode of the circuit, e.g. ON/OFF, 4-Level, or 5-Level dimmer sequences.