# US 5,347,610 A · Safety control system for a clothes washer incorporating primary, secondary, and tertiary temperature sensors

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- Number: US 5,347,610 A
- Document ID: US5347610A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/990,242
- Filed: 1992-12-14
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1992-07-09
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hong Y. Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5347610A

## CPC

- D06F 33/47: Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of pumps (safety arrangements D06F37/42)
- D06F 34/24: Liquid temperature
- D06F 39/04: Heating arrangements
- D06F 2103/16: Washing liquid temperature
- H01H 37/002: {combined with protective means}
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)

## Abstract

The boiling water washing machine provides a safety control device for a heater. The safety control device comprises a metal bracket sealingly mounted on a tub. On the top of the bracket the heater is contactedly mounted. On the inner of the bracket the thermistor is installed for initially detecting the temperature of the heater, and the thermostat is installed for controlling the heater when the thermistor cannot operate properly. At the brim of the metal bracket a fuse assembly is mounted. The fuse cuts off the electrical supply when excessive heat is transmitted through the metal bracket.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A boiling water clothes washing machine comprising:
a tub having a bottom surface therein,
a metallic support plate mounted adjacent said bottom surface,
a heater mounted in direct contact with an upper side of said support plate, and
control means for controlling the temperature of said heater, comprising:
a primary heater temperature detecting means comprising a thermistor mounted to an underside of said support plate for detecting the heater temperature conducted through said support plate,
a secondary heater temperature detecting means comprising a thermostat mounted to said underside for detecting the heater temperature conducted through said support plate, and
a third heater temperature detecting means comprising a fuse mounted to said underside for detecting the heater temperature conducted through said support plate,
said control means constituting means for controlling the temperature of said heater in response to a heater temperature detected by said thermostat in the event of a malfunction of said thermistor, and controlling the temperature of said heater in response to a heater temperature detected by said fuse in the event of a malfunction of both said thermistor and said thermostat.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A boiling clothes washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said thermostat and said fuse each include downwardly projecting plug-in prongs, said plug-in prongs of said thermostat extending parallel to said prongs of said fuse to enable said thermostat and said fuse to be plugged-in in response to a downward motion of said support plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A boiling water clothes washing machine according to claim 2, wherein said support plate is hat shaped and includes a top wall, a substantially vertical wall depending downwardly from an outer edge of said top wall and a brim wall extending substantially horizontally from a lower edge of said substantially vertical wall, said thermistor and said thermostat situated beneath said top wall, and said fuse situated beneath said brim wall.