Comments on: Rubegoldbergian light-switch cover

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:36:00 +0000

The one on the right is what ours look like in the US (albeit with a bigger cover plate), at least for those of us who have replaced them in the last 15 years.

By: jackie31337

jackie31337 — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:22:00 +0000

In Finland (and I suspect much of Europe), our light switches look like this: http://www.rakentaja.fi/kuvat/esitykset/936/310630095_2008520142823.jpg

I’d love to see a design that would work with this type of switch.

By: Alpacaman

Alpacaman — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:18:00 +0000

Yes, that is how it is for your smaller neighbour too. Down being on just makes sense! Unless it is a rocker style switch, in which case, the depressed top is on. I am going to spend the rest of my day noticing light switch inconsistencies.

By: enyap_ynot

enyap_ynot — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 02:56:00 +0000

Here in Australia, and maybe other places (New Zealand I think), down is on and up is off. One for us would be great!.

By: Ben Burger

Ben Burger — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:19:00 +0000

That’s cool, I want it!

By: Uthor

Uthor — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:50:00 +0000

I’m not sure a level directly conencted to a switch through a simple linkage counts as “Rubegoldbergian”.

By: Uthor

Uthor — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:50:00 +0000

lever != level

By: Gutierrez

Gutierrez — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:54:00 +0000

http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail45.html

They made that light switch so you could turn the lights on and off. Not so that you could throw light switch raves, gadgetphile.

By: Jerry Vandesic

Jerry Vandesic — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:46:00 +0000

Especially since copyright doesn’t apply to something like this. A design patent would be the way to go.

By: gadgetphile

gadgetphile — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:25:00 +0000

Flip it upside down so your short kids can flick the lights on and off repeatedly…

Or maybe don’t do that.

By: Roy Trumbull

Roy Trumbull — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:55:00 +0000

My favorite switch plate was in a patient room at my urologist. It was a naked fat man and the switch was his penis.

By: IronEdithKidd

IronEdithKidd — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:53:00 +0000

It would be much more attractive without the copyright burned conspicuously into the front of it.

By: Just_Ok

Just_Ok — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:50:00 +0000

It would have to involved wood burning too. And an egg.

By: dragonfrog

dragonfrog — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:47:00 +0000

Then you need a more complex mechanism – switching one switch will move the arrow above that switch, and swap the on/off labels over the other switch.

By: theophrastvs

theophrastvs — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:22:00 +0000

very nice! now for version-2 the primary handle ought to be in the form of huge Frankenstein knife switch …which pivots a linkage, which annoys a monkey, who turns on a fan, which starts up an OK-go vid…

By: Nylund

Nylund — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:15:00 +0000

When you have multiple switches connected to the same light, whether or not “down” represents on or off can change (depending on the position of the other switches). That nice “on/off” label might not always be correct. I think they have to add even more gizmos to correct for that.

By: Just_Ok

Just_Ok — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:15:00 +0000

What if it’s a 2-switch circuit?