Control system and device for use in controlling operation of an electrical appliance

A control knob for use in controlling operation of an electrical appliance, the electrical appliance including a housing and a processor module having at least one contactless-type sensor operably-connected thereto disposed inside the housing, the control knob including:

• an attachment element configured for releasably attaching the control knob to an outer surface of the housing;
• and
• at least one sensor-readable element configured for contactless-interaction with the contactless-type sensor;
• the at least one sensor-readable element of the control knob being configured for movement into a plurality of different positions relative to the at least one contactless-type sensor of the processor module disposed inside the housing, whereby responsive to the movement of the at least one sensor-readable element into the plurality of different positions relative to the at least one contactless-type sensor, the contactless-type sensor is configured to sense a plurality of different readings from the sensor-readable element, and, the processor module is configured for controlling the electrical appliance to operate in a plurality of different operational modes by reference to the plurality of different readings sensed by the contactless-type sensor;
• wherein the input control module further includes a first member and a second member that are rotatably connected together and wherein a detent mechanism is disposed between the first and second members to provide controlled incremental rotatable movement of the first member about the second member, and, the at least one contact-less type sensor being communicably-connected with the processor module so as to provide the processor module with readings indicative of the plurality of rotational positions of the first member relative to the second member.

An electrical appliance operably-controllable by an input control module:

• the electrical appliance including a housing and a processor module having at least one contactless-type sensor operably-connected thereto disposed inside the housing;
• the input control module, including:
• an attachment element configured for releasably attaching the input control module to an outer surface of the housing;
• and
• at least one sensor-readable element configured for interaction with the contactless-type sensor;
• the at least one sensor-readable element of the input control module being configured for movement into a plurality of different positions relative to the at least one contactless-type sensor of the processor module disposed inside the housing, whereby responsive to the movement of the at least one sensor-readable element into the plurality of different positions relative to the at least one contactless-type sensor, the contactless-type sensor is configured to sense a plurality of different readings, and, the processor module is configured for controlling the electrical appliance to operate in a plurality of different operational modes by reference to the plurality of different readings sensed by the contactless-type sensor;
• wherein the input control module further includes a first member and a second member that are rotatably connected together and wherein a detent mechanism is disposed between the first and second members to provide controlled incremental rotatable movement of the first member about the second member, and, the at least one contact-less type sensor being communicably-connected with the processor module so as to provide the processor module with readings indicative of the plurality of rotational positions of the first member relative to the second member.