Appliance Control Technology, Inc.

Eaton Corporation

Reed Devices, Inc.

William H Jones

Worthy L Chambers

William R Bailey

John R Nelson

David R Decho

Gordon L Astrom

Clayton D Heidorn

Arthur H Hayden

An electronic ballast circuit for two fluorescent lamps connected in parallel. A single switching inverter connected through a common coupling circuit provides high frequency alternating current for operation of both lamps independently of each other insuring operation of one lamp should the other cease operation. A dual toroidal transformer in the inverter insures both lamps receive current of the same frequency.

Dual lamp electronic ballast with independent control means

An electronic ballast for correcting the power factor within a fluorescent lamp system. Use of an inductor in one of the AC power source leads and selected values of capacitance in a voltage divider and starting circuit combine to provide a power factor greater than 94%.

Electronic ballast high power factor for gaseous discharge lamps

A high power factor ballast circuit for use with fluorescent lamps consisting of a power factor correcting inductor periodically saturated to store pulses of direct current energy and periodically discharge same at a regular periodic rate to power the fluorescent lamp. A bistable flip-flop circuit and an associated solid state switching device combine to periodically control the saturation and discharge of the inductor.

Solid state electronic ballast system for fluorescent lamps

An electronic ballast for use with fluorescent lamps including a dimming means consisting of a permanent magnet supported over and in proximity to a dual toroid coil assembly utilized as part of an included inverter circuit included in the ballast. The permanent magnet is movable to control the amount of saturation of the transformers thus determining the width of pulses generated by the transistors included in the inverter circuit and thereby controlling the intensity of light emitted from the fluorescent lamps.

Electronic lamp ballast dimming control means employing pulse width

An electronic ballast for use with fluorescent lamps including an inverter circuit for converting a direct current power source to a high voltage alternating current and starting means to inhibit operation of one of the inverter transistors until such time as fluorescent lamp is turned on. The circuitry taught eliminates substantial drain usually found at start up of inverter circuits due to the large capacitors usually found in such circuitry.

Low power on-off control of electronic ballast

An electronic ballast including a dimming circuit for use with fluorescent lamps. An electromagnet located adjacent to a dual toroid coil transformer employed as part of a inverter circuit is used to control the saturation of the toroid coil to the control the on and off times of transistors included in the inverter circuitry, to limit saturation thereby controlling the intensity of the light emitted from the fluorescent lamps.

Electronic lamp ballast dimming control means

A rotary switch for controlling electrical circuitry in ranges, ovens, etc., to be manually adjusted for control of function cycles. Included with the manually operated function selector are means for determining the position of the function selector providing at the same time via a low voltage DC communication link, with a solid state microprocessor or similar unit as used for control of ranges, ovens, etc.

Multi-position rotary switch with position sensor

A shock-safe fuse holder for a cartridge fuse is provided which can be readily installed in a mating receptacle and removed therefrom for fuse replacement. The fuse holder includes a visual indicator for denoting a blown or missing fuse. The cartridge fuse is substantially enclosed within the holder to limit the access to the electrical contacts of the cartridge fuse to minimize the danger of electrical shock. The holder has a configuration for retaining the holder in a mating fuse receptacle even in the absence of an installed fuse.

Shock safe fuse puller with blown fuse indicator and improved fuse

An electrical terminal block adapted for mounting on a printed circuit board and having integral fuse receptacles for each pair of electrical terminals, and a cover which provides a shock-safe fuse holder and extractor is disclosed. During insertion, the cover loosely retains the fuse while applying pressure only to the end caps. Only when a spent fuse is extracted is any force applied against the body of the fuse. The cover also furnishes visual access of the fuse element while maintaining electrical isolation.

Shock safe fuse holder and puller cover

A terminal block assembly comprising terminals in combination with associated signal indicators is disclosed. The assembly includes one or more rows of terminals and, associated with each row of terminals, a row of signal indicators. The signal indicator typically is a light emitting diode. Each indicator is located in proximity to one or a few terminals, to which it may be connected electrically. Each signal indicator displays the operational status of a load module connected to a terminal on the terminal block assembly. Operational status may include fault detection, output signal, input signalling, or the like. The placement of the signal indicator immediately adjacent to its respective terminal simplifies and speeds up identification and eliminates any question of improper identification of the load modules connected to the terminal blocks.

Multiple terminal block indicator light combination

A programmer timer (10) having motor driven cams (61, 64, 62, 66) for operating electrical switching mechanisms (102, 116, 144, 138, 126). The motor comprises a pair of spaced stator plates (24, 26) with a coil (34) and permanent magnet rotor (36) therebetween, received in a walled chamber (28) in the timer housing. Motor reduction gears (44) drive a shaft (48) for driving the ratchet wheels (72, 68) and rotary cams. The motor, gear train cams and electrical switching mechanisms are contained in a single integral housing (12). Separate concentric fast and slow ratchet wheels (72, 68) are driven by a single eccentric driven pawl (14). The center of rotation of the eccentric is positioned so that drive pawl contacts the ratchet wheel at an angle at least 10.degree. greater than a tangent at the contact point, for all eccentric positions, to provide ratchet wheel advance in the event of reverse rotation of the eccentric. A bifurcated anti-reverse pawl (84) is biased against the fast and slow ratchet wheels by a spring arm (88) integral therewith. The center of rotation of the eccentric is spaced from the fast and slow ratchet wheel centers and optionally has a subinterval cam (148) provided thereon for affecting switching. The anti-reverse pawl may optionally be pivoted about the center of rotation of the drive eccentric. The motor stator plates optionally include integrally therewith a striker arm (178, 180) and anvil (176) for cam controlled operation of a buzzer. The ratchet drive pawl alternatively is biased by a spring arm (154) formed integrally therewith. The ratchet wheel may also optionally employ wiper contacts (200) for contacting a stationary printed circuit board.

Programmer/timer for appliances

A thermostat having a low force output, snap-acting thermally responsive bi-metal disc operative through a pushrod to move the blade of an SPDT switch at a pre-selected temperature. The switch has a cantilever blade formed of a unitary thin metal strip having a flexible stem with a first rigid tongue extending therefrom with a heavy current carrying moveable contact thereon for a normally closed contact set. The pushrod contacts the rigid first tongue for switch actuation. A second flexible tongue extends from the stem and has an integral low current normally open contact thereon for a contact set which is closed upon switch blade actuation. Upon further temperature rise, after switch actuation, pushrod over-travel on the first tongue is absorbed by resilient flexing of the stem and second tongue thereby providing a wiping action to the closed low current contact set.

Thermally responsive controller and switch assembly therefor

An appliance control circuit particularly adapted for controlling a washing appliance such as a washing machine or a dishwasher is provided. The invention is comprised of a timer interval selector switch including a program cam defining an operational cycle for operation of the washing appliance. A hybrid timer control circuit including an escapement device and a memory and logic circuit is provided for amending advancement of the program cam during operation of the appliance. The escapement device includes a timer interval selector switch in association with the program cam for generating selective binary coded control signals. A binary-coded-decimal to decimal decoder/driver decodes the binary signals into decimal signals which are operatively connected to a plurality of selected capacitance means and an interval timer. The interval time base interval between advancement steps of the program cam is determined by selection of particular capacitance means. The memory and hybrid timer logic control circuit includes program selector switches which may be compared in the logic circuitry with the program cam for selectively rapidly advancing the program cam in accordance with the particular selected program defined by the selector switch.

Washing appliance control circuitry

An electronic control system to regulate heating and cooling cycle temperatures in a clothes dryer drying program. Operation is controlled according to a preselected combination of a heating schedule and a cooling schedule. Provision is made to sense and control according to the temperature of the air used to dry articles such as clothes in the clothes dryer. Provision is further made to give a visual indication of the drying program selected and to cancel the program selected and indication thereof upon completion of the drying program or selection of an alternative program. The final state of the articles being dried is determined by tumbling the articles in the presence of heated force-convected air until the desired state of dryness is obtained and terminating the application of heat and continuing tumbling and forced-convection until the articles are cooled to a desired temperature whereupon said tumbling is terminated.

Clothes dryer temperature control system

Improved actuating mechanisms are provided in pressure switches controlling water tub fill levels in domestic appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, etc. The mechanisms include a snap blade construction which improves contact point wear characteristics; an orifice molded into the switch's plastic body which averages transient surges in water tub levels during operation; a simplified plunger arrangement utilizing an especially configured actuator for establishing trip and reset levels of the switch; and a snap blade configuration which minimizes 'contact bounce' after the contact moves from one stationary contact to the other.

Growing community of inventors

Villa Park, IL, United States of America

William H Jones