Two coil relay for dryer with integrated circuit control
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorDonald Edward Janke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fabric treating appliance, such as a clothes dryer, has four different modes of machine operation which are controlled by an integrated circuit having two outputs in conjunction with a moisture sensing means and a sensor circuit; and relay circuitry is provided to interface between the integrated circuit and the power circuit of the machine. This relay circuitry includes two coils operably associated with switching apparatus so as to achieve four distinct control states corresponding to the four different modes of machine operation. A like relay circuit may be adapted for use on a machine having a three-output integrated circuit control.
Claims29
In a clothes drying machine having different modes of machine operation, means for selectively obtaining the operative mode desired, said means comprising:
- a power circuit for connection to a power source,
- power loads selectively energized by the power circuit for effecting operation of the machine, said power loads including a motor, heater means, and a master control circuit, said master control circuit having an integrated circuit with a first and a second output for emitting control signals, and
- relay circuit means interfacing between the power circuit and the master control circuit and responsive only to the control signals from the first and the second integrated circuit outputs for controlling selective energization of the power loads to provide four distinct modes of machine operation.
A control for an appliance having different operative modes of operation and a first, a second and a third power load for effecting said different operative modes;
- said control comprising:
- a power circuit for connection to a power source, said power circuit including a first, a second and a third load lead, for electrical connection respectively to the first, the second, and the third power loads;
- a master control circuit electrically connected to the second load lead, said master control circuit including an integrated circuit with a first and a second output for emitting control signals;
- and
- relay circuit means interfacing between the power circuit and the master control circuit for providing four distinct modes of appliance operation in response only to the control signals from the first and the second integrated circuit outputs.
A device for controlling an appliance having different operative modes of appliance operation and a first, a second, and a third power load for effecting said different operative modes, said device comprising:
- a power circuit for connection to a power source, said power circuit including a first, a second, and a third load lead, for electrical connection respectively to the first, the second, and the third power loads;
- a master control circuit electrically connected to the second load lead, said master control circuit including an integrated circuit with a first, a second, and a third output for emitting control signals;
- and
- relay circuit means interfacing between the power circuit and the master control circuit and including a first and a second coil responsive to the control signals from the first, the second and the third integrated circuit outputs for selectively controlling the power circuit to provide four distinct modes of appliance operation by employing only the two coils.
In a clothes drying machine having different modes of machine operation, means for selectively obtaining the desired operative mode, said means comprising:
- a power circuit for connection to a power source;
- power loads energized by said power circuit to effect operation of the machine;
- one of said power loads including a master control circuit operable in accordance with the drying program to provide a sequence of combinations of two control signals representing operative modes;
- interface means for connecting said power circuit to said power loads, said interface means including relay means having a plurality of interconnected contacts connected between said power circuit and said power loads and operated in unique combinations in response to corresponding combinations of only said two control signals to provide four distinct modes of machine operation.
In a clothes drying machine of the type wherein a plurality of power loads, including a master control circuit which operates to provide a sequence of unique combinations of output signals, are selectively connected to a power circuit via an interface in accordance with a drying program, the improvement wherein:
- the master control circuit includes two outputs and operates to provide a sequence of combinations of only two output signals;
- and
- the interface comprises first and second sets of interconnected contacts connected between the power loads and the power circuit, and a pair of relay coils connected to respective ones of said outputs and operatively coupled to respective ones of said first and second sets of interconnected contacts, said relay coils operable to provide operation of the power loads in accordance with the drying program.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.