Light controllable electrical switch

Claim 2

A controllable electrical switch comprising: first and second terminals; and actuating means for making electrical connection between said terminals when closing said switch and for breaking said electrical connection when opening said switch; said actuating means including: a. first and second sources of optical energy; b. a bistable electromechanical relay having an input electrode coupled to said first terminal and an output electrode coupled to said second terminal and conditionable to one of a low and high impedance state between its input and output electrodes as a function of current flow therein; c. a pair of semiconductor control devices, each having an input circuit respectively responsive to the energy radiations from said first and second optical sources and each having an output circuit respectively coupled to said electromechanical relay such that a conductivity condition in one of said devices produces a current flow in said relay as to place it in its low impedance state and such that a conductivity condition in the other of said devices produces a current flow in said relay as to place it in its high impedance state; and d. regulator means for controlling the radiations of optical energy from each of said first and second sources to change the conductivity condition of said semiconductor control devices as a function of the radiations of optical energy from said sources with the imput circuits thereof, with said change in conductivity condition serving to change the current flow through the output circuit of said control devices to change the impedance state of said bistable relay in actuating said electrical switch from a make to a break condition and vice versa.

Claim 3

The controllable switch of claim 1 wherein the input circuits of each of said pair of semiconductor control devices includes an illumination detector for determining which of said optical sources is illuminating at any one time in establishing the conductivity condition of said control devices.

Claim 4

The controllable switch of claim 2 wherein said illumination detector comprises a photocell exhibiting a resistance characteristic which varies inversely with the amount of illumination impinging thereon.

Claim 5

The controllable switch of claim 3 wherein said bistable electromechanical relay includes a first relay coil responsive to current flow through the output circuit of said one semiconductor control device to place said relay in its low impedance state and a second relay coil responsive to current flow through the output circuit of said other semiconductor control device to place said relay in its high impedance state.

Claim 6

The controllable switch of claim 4 wherein there is also included means responsive to the current flow in said second relay coil to provide an indication of the impedance state of said bistable electromechanical relay and the conditioning of said electrical switch to make and break electrical connections.

Claim 7

A controllable electrical switch comprising: first and second terminals; and actuating means for making electrical connection between said terminals when closing said switch and for breaking said electrical connection when opening said switch; said actuating means including: a. first, second, third and fourth sources of optical energy; b. a bistable electromechanical relay having an input electrode coupled to said first terminal and an output electrode coupled to said second terminal and conditionable to One of a low and high impedance state between its input and output electrodes as a function of current flow therein; c. a pair of semiconductor control devices, each having an input circuit respectively responsive to the relative energy radiations from said first and second optical sources and from said third and fourth energy sources and each having an output circuit respectively coupled to said electromechanical relay such that a conductivity condition in one of said devices produces a current flow in said relay as to place it in its low impedance state and such that a conductivity condition in the other of said devices produces a current flow in said relay as to place it in its high impedance state; and d. regulator means for controlling the radiations of optical energy from each of said first, second, third and fourth sources to change the conductivity conditions of said semiconductor control devices as a function of the relative radiations of optical energy from said sources with the input circuits thereof, with said change in conductivity condition serving to change the current flow through the output circuit of said control devices to change the impedance state of said bistable relay in actuating said electrical switch from a make to a break condition and vice versa.

Claim 8

A controllable electrical switch comprising: first and second terminals; and actuating means for making electrical connection between said terminals when closing said switch and for breaking said electrical connection when opening said switch; said actuating means including: a. first, second, third and fourth sources of optical energy; b. a bistable electromechanical relay having an input electrode coupled to said first terminal and an output electrode coupled to said second terminal and conditionable to One of a low and high impedance state between its input and output electrodes as a function of current flow therein; c. a pair of semiconductor control devices, each having an input circuit respectively responsive to the relative energy radiations from said first and second optical sources and from said third and fourth energy sources and each having an output circuit respectively coupled to said electromechanical relay such that a conductivity condition in one of said devices produces a current flow in said relay as to place it in its low impedance state and such that a conductivity condition in the other of said devices produces a current flow in said relay as to place it in its high impedance state; and d. regulator means for controlling the radiations of optical energy from each of said first, second, third and fourth sources to change the conductivity conditions of said semiconductor control devices as a function of the relative radiations of optical energy from said sources with the input circuits thereof, with said change in conductivity condition serving to change the current flow through the output circuit of said control devices to change the impedance state of said bistable relay in actuating said electrical switch from a make to a break condition and vice versa.