Whirlpool Corporation

Roque Denis Marcade

Vincent P Gurubatham

Andrew T Tershak

Carl R Offutt

Sandra S Thurlow

Daniel S Query

Donald W Bookout

A control circuit for dispensing detergent and a wetting agent in a dishwasher is provided in which a single triac can be utilized to selectively energize either the detergent dispenser operator or the wetting agent dispenser operator by connecting the two operators, each in series with an oppositely oriented diode, in parallel, and such connection in series with the triac, and then biasing the triac into low impedance at the beginning of either positive or negative half line cycle depending on the operator selected to be energized. If an operator is of low resistance, it is connected in series with the heater which then acts as a current limiter, and if the operator is of high impedance, it is connected in parallel with the heater.

Dispenser control for dishwashers

A motor control for a refrigeration apparatus having a cabinet, a door to the cabinet, a source of ice pieces located in the cabinet, means located in the door for dispensing the ice pieces, a power source having a supply terminal and a ground, a motor and means responsive to operation of the motor for delivering the ice pieces from the source of the ice pieces to the dispensing means, the motor control comprising means for energizing the motor, an actuable ice command switch generating an ice command signal for requesting delivery of the ice pieces from the source to the dispensing means, a processor having an input terminal coupled to the ice command switch and an output terminal, the processor generating a transistor command signal in response to the ice command signal, and a transistor having a control electrode coupled to the output terminal and first and second main current electrodes, wherein the processor output terminal is coupled to the transistor control electrode, and the motor energizing means, the ice command switch and the transistor first and second main current electrodes are coupled in series between the supply terminal and ground such that the transistor is actuated in response to the transistor command signal and current flows through the motor energizing means to energize the motor only upon actuation of both the ice command switch and the transistor.

Motor control for an ice dispensing apparatus

A refrigerator control according to the present invention allows a user to establish one or more set points for controlling the temperature of one or more refrigerated compartments. Means are provided for selecting either a normal mode of operation whereby the set points may be manually established by a user or a priority mode of operation which overrides the normal mode whereby each set point is established at a preselected value so that the refrigerator is optimally operated in anticipation of expected operating conditions. Means are additionally provided for preventing erroneous entry of manually established set points.

Temperature set point control for a refrigerator

A dishwasher dispenser control having a circuit including two single pole, double throw switches for actuating the heater of the dishwasher independently or in combination with dispenser elements of the dishwasher. The operators for the dispenser elements, in the illustrated embodiment, are low resistance, bimetal heater elements and are arranged to be connected in series with the dishwasher heater to effect operation of the dispensers. In one arrangement, a single one of the dispenser operator elements is connected in series with the dishwasher heater, and in another arrangement, each of the dispenser elements is connected in series with the heater element.

Dishwasher dispenser control

A selection acknowledgment system is disclosed for a laundry appliance having a plurality of function selection switches, a plurality of function indicator lights, and an integrated program chip which controls functions during operation of the laundry appliance. The program chip has a plurality of control lines each of which function as both an input and an output. During an input mode, signals generated by the function selection switches are input via the control lines. In an output mode, the same control lines convey output signals to trigger appropriate function indicator lights. In order to acknowledge operator actuation of one or more of the function selection switches during an input mode, an acknowledgment switching circuit is provided which momentarily turns off all of the function indicator lights as long as one of the function selection switches is depressed, thus indicating to the operator that the function he has selected has been entered into the program portion of the system.

Selection acknowledgement system for a laundry appliance

A control for use with a drier appliance arranged to provide maintained operating control voltage across the timer motor notwithstanding the series connection thereof with the electrical components of the heating apparatus of the drier appliance. The timer motor may be connected in series with a control switch and the electrical component of the heating apparatus may be connected in series with a thermostat switch. A capacitor is connected from between the timer motor and control switch to between the electrical component and thermostat switch for connecting the timer motor in series with the electrical component when the control switch is open. The series connection of the capacitor and timer motor is effectively shorted by the thermostat switch when the thermostat switch is closed. The capacitance of the capacitor is preselected to form with the inductance of the timer motor a series resonant circuit condition when the thermostat switch is open whereby the voltage across the timer motor is at least the minimum operating voltage thereof and the voltage across the electrical component of the heating apparatus is less than the minimum operating voltage to cause effective heating operation thereof.

Drier appliance control

A refuse compactor arranged for automatically moving the drawer from a compacting position toward an exposed refuse-receiving position. The movement is effected herein by modified operation of the compacting ram structure. More specifically, the automatic movement of the drawer is effected by the operation of the power drive provided for operating the ram normally between compacting and retracted positions.

Refuse compactor with automatic drawer opener

An appliance, in particular an automatic clothes drying machine, is provided with a regulated power supply having a storage element and circuit elements for delaying the application of power to an integrated circuit machine control circuit until the storage element is almost completely charged and quickly removing power before the storage element is completely discharged in response to the interruption of power to the regulator circuit.

Delayed on quick off regulator circuit for appliance control

A current limiting impedance network for a dryer control in which a controlled conduction device, such as an SCR, is connected to shunt an AC motor to selectively prevent operation of the motor, in which a current limiting, power dissipating resistor is replaced by a lower value and lower power rating resistor and a capacitor connected in series with the resistor. The capacitor has a capacitive reactance of a value approximately twice the inductive reactance of the motor to provide substantially the same magnitude of circuit impedance as with the current limiting power resistor and cause operation of the circuit with a leading rather than a lagging current phase angle.

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Stevensville, MI, United States of America

Roque Denis Marcade