France/scott Fetzer Company

E.m.b. Corporation

Paul R Staples

James D Edwards

David R Whited

The drive train of an appliance timer includes a slip clutch formed of a triangular spring meshing with the outer flat surfaces of a hexagonal drive shaft. The slip clutch is incorporated into a drive pinion in the appliance timer drive train. Excessive torque causes the walls of the triangular spring to resiliently bend outward under rotational pressure from the drive shaft, permitting the drive shaft to rotate without rotating the drive pinion. When used in an icemaker, the slip provided by the clutch alleviates the need for an expensive, stallable motor.

Time switch with clutch mechanism and cam operated contacts

An improved icemaker having a number of features, including: a dual-activated feeler bar switch which combines the motion of two cams to operate a single switch; an adjustable-duration water fill switch which is closed by rotating a connector between two contacts; switches mounted to make wiping contact so as to clean the contact area; a combination deflector which not only deflects ice removed by the ejector from the ice mold, but also supports and lifts a feeler bar to determine whether the ice storage bin is full; a clutch mounted between the motor and ejector bar to permit slip therebetween so as to avoid stalling the motor as the ejector bar presses upon ice in the mold; a manual start button for starting the motor, simplifying installation; and an anti-back mechanism in the icemaker drive train to prevent an installer from damaging the icemaker by rotating it backwards.

Icemaker

The electrical terminals of a plunger switch are held in slots and extend into a housing for the switch substantially along the entire length of the housing. An electrical bridging contact operates between the terminals through movement of a plunger axially movable in the switch. A cap assembly for the housing includes a seal to seal the switch elements from the environment. Spring biased ears extend from the cap of the cup assembly and have notches which engage lugs formed on the housing to secure the cap assembly to the housing. Spring tabs extend from the housing to engage a base member to hold the switch. The spring tabs also trap the ears in their engaged position when the tabs engage the base.

Plunger switch

A snap switch is enclosed in a cup shaped housing with an open end. The open end is closed by a diaphragm. The snap action of the switch is provided through a member which has a reactor member and two reaction members which are formed by providing parallel slots in a contact blade. The switch is actuated by a switch actuator which is mounted on the cup shaped housing to provide circular lever pivoting of the actuator.

Diaphragm type switch

A plunger which opens and closes a switch is actuated by a hollow switch button which is trapped between a switch housing and a post which carries the plunger. An edge of the post bearing against the inside corner of the hollow button and the chamfered ends of the button flanges bearing against the intersection of the open end housing walls and a rim extending from the walls provide the button pivot axis to actuate the plunger. The switch includes two resilient blades one of which is longer than the other. One end of each blade is fixed with their distal ends pointed toward and overlapping each other.

Growing community of inventors

Cub Run, KY, United States of America

Paul R Staples