The Holmes Group, Inc.

Sunbeam Products, Inc.

Charles T Thrasher, Jr

Lorens G Hlava

James E DeCobert

David Lo

William Levy

Robert J Livergood

John Rudolph

A programmable slow-cooker appliance uses an application-specific integrated circuit digital controller, in which a user sets a time and temperature for cooking a food item. The digital controller prevents the unit from functioning only as a 'keep warm' appliance, and a unique design allows cooling of the application-specific integrated circuit digital programmable controller during cooking.

Programmable slow-cooker appliance

A programmable slow-cooker appliance, in which a user sets a time and temperature for cooking a food item. A programmable controller prevents the unit from being used solely as a &ldquo;keep warm&rdquo; appliance, and a unique design allows cooling of the controller during cooking.

A ceiling fan assembly includes a fan and a light-sensitive circuit for controlling an illumination level of a light as a function of an ambient illumination level surrounding the ceiling fan assembly by selectively controlling or fixing a conduction phase angle of an AC power signal provided to the light. The light-sensitive circuit includes a photocell, a phase control circuit and a cutoff Circuit which prevents flicker at low illumination levels. The photocell is responsive to the ambient illumination level and has a conduction state. The conduction state changes in response to the ambient illumination level. The phase control circuit selectively varies or fixes a conduction phase angle associated with the AC power signal, which correspondingly determines a variation in the illumination level of the light. In response to the photocell, the phase control circuit selectively varies or fixes the conduction phase angle, and thus the illumination level associated with the light when the photocell exhibits an open circuit, and conversely, prevents the AC power signal from being provided to the light when the photocell exhibits a short circuit.

Ceiling fan with a light-sensitive circuit

A ceiling fan assembly includes a fan and a light-sensitive circuit for controlling an illumination level of a light as a function of an ambient illumination level surrounding the ceiling fan assembly by selectively controlling or fixing a conduction phase angle of an AC power signal provided to the light. The light-sensitive circuit includes a photocell, a phase control circuit and a cutoff circuit which prevents flicker at low illumination levels. The photocell is responsive to the ambient illumination level and has a conduction state. The conduction state changes in response to the ambient illumination level. The phase control circuit selectively varies or fixes a conduction phase angle associated with the AC power signal, which correspondingly determines a variation in the illumination level of the light. In response to the photocell, the phase control circuit selectively varies or fixes the conduction phase angle, and thus the illumination level associated with the light when the photocell exhibits an open circuit, and conversely, prevents the AC power signal from being provided to the light when the photocell exhibits a short circuit.

Growing community of inventors

Clinton, MA, United States of America

Charles T Thrasher, Jr