The Workings of a Touch Lamp
Posted by GuestPoster on 02 Apr 2011 at 01:54 am | Tagged as: Home Furnishings
Touch lamps make the practice of turning on or shutting off a light much easier. Touch lamps have no physical switches and are activated through physical touch only. Without any switches or pull strings, users will never burn their hands trying to reach for a switch. When used as a night light next to the bed, a touch lamp offers a stress free way to turn on the light even in the dark.
A touch lamp can come in any number of forms. Floor lamps, desk lights and table lights are most common. Because of the way that they work, touch lights need to have a high degree of exposed metal in order to be activated. Any portion of metal on the lamp can be touched to activate the light fixture.
The function of such a light is easily explained through science. Special sensors within the frame of the light can sense for subtle changes in capacitance. When a person touches a light, the overall capacitance of the light changes, and the sensor picks up on this. Of course, the user must be touching the metal to make this happen.
Despite the need for the frame to be made of metal, touch lamps can feature glass, fabric and plastic accents. Fabric and glass lamp shades with various patterns and colors give the light character. However, many touch lamps are left with bare metal in order to achieve a modern style. Modern styling relies heavily on exposed metal.
Touch lamps require no more electricity than a standard lamp. While the internal sensor must remain on to sense for changes in capacitance, the electricity needed to operate the sensor is minimal. Many touch lamps are capable of providing varying levels of illumination. CFL, incandescent and LED light bulbs can be used on most models.
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