TOUCH SENSITIVE ACTUATOR HAVING A UNIFORM ACTUATION FORCE AND A MAXIMUM ACTIVE AREA

摘要

A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to anelectrical load from anAC power source comprises a touch sensitive device having a touch sensitivefront surfaceresponsive to a point actuation. The front surface is adapted to be providedin an opening of afaceplate such that the front surface of the touch sensitive actuator extendsthrough the opening ata distance equal to or greater than the depth of the faceplate. According tothe present invention,the operational area of the front surface is maximized to substantially theentire area of the frontsurface. Further, a minimum magnitude of a force of each of the pointactuations is substantiallyequal at each of the respective positions on the front surface of the touchsensitive actuator, suchthat the front surface provides a substantially uniform force profile.