Selection acknowledgement system for a laundry appliance

• US 4,195,232 A
• Filed: 01/26/1978
• Issued: 03/25/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Marcade, Roque D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schreyer, S. D.
• Application Number:
  US05/872,603
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 307/141, 307/130, 307/154, 340/309.1, 340/309.3, 340/309.4
• US Class Current: 307/130
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/04 Quantity, e.g. weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/06 Timing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/08 Control circuits or arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/108 characterised by physical layout of switches; switches co-operating with display; use of switches in a special way

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A selection acknowledgment system for a programmable laundry appliance having a plurality of user-selected functions and associated logic circuitry to implement said functions, said logic circuitry operating such that a delay of a fixed period exists between a time when a user selects and a time when said selected function is initiated by said appliance, said logic circuitry providing indication to the user that said selected function has been entered into the appliance program at the end of said fixed delay, said acknowledgment system comprising:

a plurality of function selection switches;

a plurality of normally on function indicator lights;

program circuit means for controlling functions during operation of the laundry appliance, said program circuit means including a plurality of control lines, at least some of said control lines connecting both to a respective function selection switch and to a respective function indicator light; and

acknowledgment switching means connected to said function selection switches and function indicator lights for immediately extinguishing said function indicator lights when one of said function selection switches is operated by a user, thereby immediately informing the user that a selected function has been entered into said program circuit means.

2. The system of claim 1 in which said acknowledgment switching means extinguishes said function indicator lights only during the time said function selection switches are closed.

3. The system of claim 1 in which said program circuit means includes timing circuit means for initiating indicator drive signals on selected control lines corresponding to programmed functions a predetermined time after an input signal has occurred on at least one control line.

4. A selection acknowledgment system for a programmable laundry appliance having a plurality of user-selected functions and associated logic circuitry to implement said functions, said logic circuitry operating such that a delay of a fixed period exists between a time when a user selects and a time when said selected function is initiated by said appliance, said logic circuitry providing indication to the user that said selected function has been entered into the appliance program at the end of said fixed delay, said acknowledgment system comprising:

a plurality of function selection switches;

a plurality of function indicator lights;

program circuit means for controlling functions during operation of the laundry appliance, said program circuit means having control line means including a plurality of control lines for receiving inputs and transmitting outputs on the same control line, each of said control lines commonly connecting to a respective indicator light and function selection switch;

a source of DC potential; and

switching circuit means connected between the DC source and all of the indicator lights to normally illuminate said lights and having a control input connected to all of the selection switches, said switching circuit means immediately acknowledging to a user the closure of any one of the function selection switches by disconnecting power from the DC source to all of the indicator lights, thereby immediately informing the user that a selected function has been entered into said program circuit means.

5. The system of claim 4 in which the program circuit means includes a timing circuit means for indicator drive signals on selected control lines corresponding to programmed functions a predetermined time after an input signal has occurred on at least one control line.

6. The system of claim 4 in which drive circuits are connected between the program circuit means control lines and respective indicator lights.

7. The system of claim 4 in which said switching circuit means comprises a normally on transistor stage connected between the DC source and all the indicator lights, and a normally off transistor stage connected between all the function selector switches and an input to the normally on transistor stage, said normally on transistor stage turning off when one of said function selection switches is closed.

8. The system of claim 7 in which said normally off transistor stage is connected as a common emitter stage and said normally on transistor stage is a common emitter stage having its base connected to a collector of the normally off stage.

9. The system of claim 8 in which both transistor stages are PNP transistors.

10. The system of claim 4 in which said switching circuit means comprises a common emitter stage and the control input comprises an integrated circuit switching amplifier on an integrated chip which contains at least some of the program circuits, an AND gate also being provided between the control lines of the program circuit and the integrated circuit switching amplifier.

11. A selection acknowledgment system for a programmable laundry appliance having a plurality of user-selected functions and associated logic circuitry to implement said functions, said logic circuitry operating such that a delay of a fixed period exists between a time when a user selects and a time when said selected function is initiated by said appliance, said logic circuitry providing indication to the user that said selected function has been entered into the appliance program at the end of said fixed delay, said acknowledgment system comprising:

a plurality of function selector switches connected in parallel at one end of a first common connecting point;

a plurality of function indicator lights connected in parallel at one end at a second common connection point;

a DC source terminal;

a program circuit means for controlling functions during operation of the laundry appliance, said program circuit means including a plurality of control lines, each of said control lines connecting both to a respective other end of each of the function selector switches and also to a respective other end of each of said functions indicator lights; and

an acknowledgment switching circuit having a first switching terminal connected to the DC source terminal, a second switching terminal connected to said second common connection point to normally illuminate said lights, and a control input connected to said first common connection point,

whereby said acknowledgment switching circuit immediately extinguishes said plurality of function indicator lights upon actuation of one of the function selector switches thereby immediately informing the user that a selected function has been entered into said program circuit means.

12. The system of claim 11 in which the other ends of the indicator lights connect to the control lines via driver circuits and the one end of the indicator lights connect to the second common connection point via current limiting means.

13. The system of claim 11 in which said switching circuit comprises two series connected common emitter stages.

14. A function selection acknowledgment system for a programmable laundry appliance having a plurality of user-selected functions and associated logic circuitry to implement said functions, said logic circuitry including a flip-flop controlled by a delay circuit which resets said flip-flop after a fixed period has elapsed after selection of a function, said flip-flop upon being reset initiating undertaking of said function by said appliance, said logic circuitry providing indication to a user that said selected function has been entered into the appliance program at the end of said fixed period, said acknowledgment system comprising:

a plurality of function selector switches connected in parallel at a first common connection point;

a plurality of function indicator lights corresponding to respective function selector switches connected in parallel at a second common connection point;

a DC source terminal;

a program circuit connected to said DC source for controlling functions during operation of the laundry appliance, said program circuit including a plurality of control lines connecting both to terminals of said function indicator lights not connected at said second common connection point and to terminals of said function selector switches not connected at said first common connection point; and

a switching circuit having a normally on transistor stage connected to said DC source and each function indicator light, and to an input from a normally off transistor stage connected to each function selector switch and to said DC source,

whereby actuation of any function selector switch immediately turns said normally off transistor on which turns said normally on transistor off extinguishing all function indicator lights and immediately acknowledging to said user that said selected function has been entered in said program circuit.