How Does a Touch Lamp Work?
- All touch lamps have touch-sense circuitry and antennae. These two components are the fundamental reason why touch lamps are able to detect your touch and then turn the lamp on or off accordingly. Similar to a piece of metal, your hand acts as a conductor of energy. Because the touch-sense circuitry is wired to detect changes in electricity, your hand can set off or communicate, if you will, changes in the electric property of the lamp with just one swipe of the wrist. The metal shell of the lamp cover is what detects the changes in electric current as caused by the addition of the energy in your body (transferred through the touch of your hand). As soon as the flow of electric current changes or is interrupted, a sensor is triggered and the lamp will then kick off or turn on.
- The basic function of a touch lamp is simple. Light is produced when the changes in electric charge are detected in the surface of the lamp. The flow of electricity is actually housed in the lamp's wiring, but the high frequency of the current travels throughout the surface of the lamp. Any changes in the electric properties of the lamp, as experienced with a single touch to the surface of the lamp, will cause it to alert the sensor housed within the lamp. Lamps of a more significant size will hold a greater charge and more easily recognize and detect touch.
- Because an electric current flows throughout the surface of the lamp, starting from the wiring and traveling to the bulb, a rate of capacitance is determined (e. g. the ability to collect energy). Smaller lamps will assuredly have a lower rate of capacitance than larger lamps and vice versa. When a person extends his hand to touch the lamp, the electric current found in his body will change the electric property of the lamp. In short, the change in electric current, as motivated by the touch of the user's hand will cause the lamp to turn on or off. Touch lamps can be turned on and off by touching the base, lamp cord or waving the hand near the lamp.
