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US 2010/0242548 A1Published application
Self-advancing encoder for appliance control
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsMatthew C. Webster, Thomas A. Mignone, Eric Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides cycle control that may be used among many different appliances. The cycle control provides a standard knob on the shaft that may be rotated and pulled out or pushed into activate the washing machine. The shaft is attached to a high-resolution encoder and a motor allowing software control of the actual movement and cycle definitions provided by the control.
Claims19
An appliance control for indicating different steps in at least one cycle of operation of the appliance, the appliance control comprising:
- a rotatable shaft having at least one set of rotational orientations corresponding to transitions between different steps within each cycle of the appliance;
- a rotary encoder communicating with the shaft to rotate therewith and providing a rotational position signal to indicate an absolute rotational orientation of the shaft at a higher angular resolution than required to detect the transitions between the different steps;
- and
- an electric actuator coupled to the shaft to provide rotation of the shaft among rotational orientations upon receipt of an electrical signal.
1 more element
A washing machine comprising:
- at least one valve for controlling a flow of water to a washtub and a motor for agitating and spinning contents of the washtub during different steps of different cycles of the washing machine;
- an appliance control for indicating different steps in the different cycles of operation of the appliance and comprising:
- (1) a rotatable shaft having a set of rotational orientations corresponding to transitions between different steps within each cycle of the appliance;
- (2) a rotary encoder communicating with the shaft to rotate therewith and providing a rotational position signal indicating the rotational orientation of the shaft, the rotational position signal distinguishing among each cycle and each step within each cycle;
- and
- (3) an electric actuator coupled to the shaft to provide rotation of the shaft among the rotational orientations upon receipt of an electrical signal.
- a controller receiving the rotational position signal and providing the electrical signal and executing a stored program to:
- (1) read the rotational position signal to determine a current step in the cycle of operation of the appliance according to a stored appliance look-up table and to control operation of the valve and motor according to the current step;
- (2) operate an internal timer to time a predetermined interval;
- (3) at a conclusion of the predetermined interval output the electrical signal to move the shaft of the control a predetermined amount;
- and
- (4) repeat steps (1)-(3).
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.