Fisher & Paykel Limited

Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited

Neil Gordon Cheyne

Jonathan David Harwood

Adam John Darby

A direct current power supply for a washing appliance powered is disclosed. The power supply includes a switch mode power supply which supplies direct current at a low voltage level from a high direct voltage supply and a pair of commutation devices as a buck converter, an active switching device connected across the input of one of the commutation devices, a latching circuit which controls the active switching device to cause the commutation device to switch off to disable the buck converter, and a push button switch for disabling the latching circuit to cause the active switching device to switch off to allow the one commutation switch to function and thereby enable the buck converter.

Direct current power supply for a washing appliance

A spin tub of a washing machine is driven by an electronically commutated DC motor. The commutation devices are connected to a DC power supply and have free-wheeling diodes connected in parallel therewith. The washing machine includes other components having inductive windings. A controller terminates commutation of power to the motor windings. A voltage threshold detector monitors the voltage of the power supply. Switching structure connects the inductive winding of an unused component in the machine across the power supply when the detector detects that the voltage has exceeded a predetermined value and subsequently disconnects the inductive winding of the unused component from the power supply when the detector detects that the voltage has reduced below the pre-determined value.

Top loading washing machine and method of braking same

A laundry machine which includes a method for adaptively controlling the flow of water into the laundry machine during the rinse phases of a wash cycle. Water is admitted into the machine through a proportional valve and the flow rate with the valve set at a predetermined degree of opening is calculated. This is compared with a desired flow rate and the degree of opening of the valve is incremented, decremented or left unaltered, depending on whether the calculated flow rate is less than, greater than or substantially the same as the desired flow rate.

Laundry machine water flow control

A low voltage power supply which uses a low voltage transistor in conjunction with a winding of an electric motor and the high voltage motor commutation transistors. The motor winding is energised by the commutation transistors for example during use of the motor, and the low voltage transistor is used to divert current from the energised motor winding at desired intervals to provide the low voltage power supply. The low voltage supply may be used in an appliance such as a laundry machine for supplying the motor control circuitry and auxiliary devices for example, a drainage pump and water supply control valves.

Power supply derived from motor winding

The method uses at least one power switch having 'on' and 'off' states for providing, respectively, low and high impedance paths between an inductive load and a source of power and thereby controls current flow through the inductive load during a sequence of regular reoccurring time periods. The at least one power switch is switched, if in the 'off' state, to the 'on' state substantially at the beginning of at least some of the time periods. The method is operative during any one of a plurality of the 'on' duty periods and switches the at least one power switch from the 'on' state to the 'off' state when a predetermined level of current flow has been reached in one of the inductive load and the at least on power switch, and switches the at least one power switch back to the 'on' state independent of the occurrence of the beginning of a time period.

Growing community of inventors

Auckland, New Zealand

Neil Gordon Cheyne