Touch control arrangement for an electrical appliance

• US 4,633,067 A
• Filed: 08/22/1984
• Issued: 12/30/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Schneider, David A., Payne, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCHALL, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US06/643,251
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 219/483, 219/486, 219/411, 219/413, 219/494, 219/506, 219/10.55 B, 219/497, 307/39-41, 364/900, 340/365 R, 340/365 E
• US Class Current: 219/483
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/083 on tops, hot plates
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

An improved touch control circuit arrangement for electrical appliances having one or more electrical loads to be individually controlled in accordance with user selected power settings. Each load has associated with it a power relay for coupling the load to an external power supply. Each relay is coupled to a latch circuit operative when set to close the relay and when reset to open the relay. The touch control arrangement includes a matrix array of touch keys having an input line for each row and an output line for each column to facilitate the multiplexing of touch key information to the microprocessor in conventional fashion. However, the OFF keys are continuously enabled and coupled to the reset input of the associated latch circuit such that user actuation of an OFF key directly resets the relay control circuit for the associated load. This enables the user to turn off the load independent of the microprocessor. Each ON key is coupled to the set input of its associated latch circuit such that both actuation of the ON key and an enable signal from the microprocessor are required to set the latch circuit. This prevents the inadvertent closure of the relays such as might otherwise result from microprocessor failure.

Claims

1. A control circuit for an appliance of the type incorporating an electrical load adapted for energization by an external power supply said circuit comprising:

input means comprising a plurality of user actuable switch means including a first condition selection switch means and a second condition selection switch means;

an electronic controller for controlling energization of said electrical load in accordance with user actuation of said input means, said controller including scanning means operative to periodically enable at least some of said switch means including said first condition selection switch means to detect user actuation thereof;

means for constantly enabling said second condition selection switch means;

a power control relay operative in a first state to enable energization of the electrical load by the external power supply and in a second state to prevent energization of the load;

electronic latch circuit means switchable between a first state and a second state, said latch circuit means being effective in its first state to establish said first state for said relay and in its second state to establish said second state for said relay;

said first condition selection switch means being operative when actuated and enabled to switch said latch means to its first state;

said second condition selection switch means being operative when actuated to switch said latch circuit means in its second state independent of said scanning means.

2. A control circuit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller further comprises means for selectively generating a reset signal operative to switch said latch circuit means to its second state independent of said second condition selection switch means.

3. A control circuit arrangement for an appliance of the type having a plurality of electrical loads selectively energized in accordance with user inputs, said circuit arrangement comprising:

an electronic controller for controlling energization of the plurality of electrical loads in accordance with user inputs;

input means comprising a plurality of user actuable switch members including a switch member for selecting a first appliance operating condition and a switch member for selecting a second appliance operating condition for each of the electrical loads, said switch members disposed in a matrix array having a plurality of input scan lines and a plurality of output lines, at least some of said switch members including said first condition selection switch members, being operative to produce an output signal on an associated output line when user actuated and an associated input line is enabled, and at least some of said switch members including said second condition selection members, being operative when actuated to produce an output signal on an associated output line when user actuated regardless of the state of its associated input scan line;

said controller including scanner circuit means connected to said plurality of matrix input lines operative to periodically sequentially enable said input lines;

circuit means connected to said second condition selection switch members operative to continuously enable said second condition selection switch members;

logic circuit means responsive to input and output lines associated with said second condition selection switch members and operative to provide a representative signal to a common input of said controller when any of said second condition selection members is actuated and its associated input line is enabled, whereby the state of each of said second condition selection switch members is input to said controller in multiplex fashion;

one or more power relays, each relay being associated with one of said loads, each of said relays being operative in a first state to enable energization of its associated load by an external power supply and in a second state to prevent energization of its associated load;

a plurality of electronic latch circuit means each having first and second inputs for switching said latch means to first and second states respectively in response to signals applied to said first and second inputs respectively, each of said latch circuit means being operatively coupled with an associated one of said relays effective to establish said first state for its associated relay in its first state and said second state for its associated relay in its second state;

said matrix output line associated with each first condition selection switch member being coupled to said first input of its associated latch circuit means, and said output line associated with each second condition selection switch member being coupled to said second input of its associated latch circuit means;

whereby each of said latch circuit means is switched to its first state when its associated first condition selection switch member is actuated and the associated input scan line is enabled, and switched to its second state whenever its associated second condition selection switch member is actuated, said second condition selection switch members by this arrangement being effective when actuated to interrupt energization of associated loads independently of said controller.

4. The control circuit of claim 3 wherein said matrix array further comprises switch members for selecting a third operating condition, and wherein said circuit means is connected to said third condition selection switch member and operative to continuously enable said third condition selection switch member;

said third condition selection switch member being thereby operative when actuated to produce an output signal on an associated output line when user actuated regardless of the state of its associated input line;

said output line associated with said third condition selection switch member being coupled to said second input of each of said latch circuit means whereby user actuation of said third condition selection switch member switches each of the latch circuit means to its second state thereby interrupting energization of all of the loads independently of said controller.

5. The control circuit of claim 4 wherein said first, second and third operating conditions comprise ON, OFF and LOCK operating conditions respectively.

6. The control circuit of claim 3 wherein said controller further comprises a plurality of reset output lines each coupled to said second input of an associated one of said latch circuit means permitting said controller to open said power relays independently of said second condition selection switch member.

7. The control circuit of claim 6 wherein said logic circuit means comprises AND logic means operative to logically AND second function selection switch associated output lines with second function selection switch associated input lines to provide the output on an associated logic line when a second function selection switch member is actuated and its associated input line is enabled;

and OR logic means operative to logically OR each of said logic lines to provide said representative signal.

8. A control circuit for a cooking appliance of the type having a pluraltiy of electrical surface units energized by an external power supply in accordance with user selected power setting, said circuit comprising:

a power relay for each surface unit, each relay comprising a set of contacts for coupling its associated surface unit to the external power supply and a relay coil adapted for energization by an external power supply;

a voltage supply for energizing said relay coils;

a control circuit for each of said relay coils each of said circuits including electronic latch circuit means operatively coupling its associated relay coil to said voltage supply;

each of said latch circuit means being operative in a first and a second state to establish first and second operating conditions respectively for its associated relay coil;

said first and second operating conditions for each of said relay coils respectively enabling and preventing energization of its associated sruface unit;

input means comprising a plurality of user actuable switch means including an ON switch means and OFF switch means associated with each of the surface units;

an electronic controller for controlling energization of the surface units in accordance with user inputs entered via said input means, said controller comprising scanning means operative to periodically apply scan signals to at least some of said pluraltiy of switch means;

said input means being operatively coupled to each of said latch circuit means such that user actuation of one of said ON switch means couples said scan signal when applied to said one ON switch to the associated one of said latch circuit means effective to switch said latch circuit means to its first state;

means for constantly enabling each of said OFF switch means such that each of said OFF switch means is operative in response to user actuation thereof to apply an OFF signal to its associated latch circuit means effective to switch said associated latch means to its second independently of said scan signal;

whereby energization of each of said surface units may be prevented by user actuation of its associated OFF switch means independently of said electronic controller.

9. The control circuit of claim 8 wherein each of said ON switch means is coupled to a first common input to said controller and operative when actuated to couple a scan signal applied thereto to said first common controller input and wherein a scan signal is periodically sequentially applied to each of said ON switches whereby the state of said ON switches is input to said controller in multiplex fashion.

10. The control circuit of claim 8 wherein each of said OFF switch means includes an output coupled to a second common input to said controller, said circuit further comprising means for logically ANDing said periodic scan signals sequentially with said OFF signal from each of said OFF switch means whereby the state of said OFF switches is input to said controller in multiplex fashion.

11. The control circuit of claim 9 wherein each of said OFF switch means includes an output coupled to a second common input to said controller, said circuit further comprising means for logically ANDing said periodic scan signals sequentially with said OFF signal from each of said OFF switch means whereby the state of said OFF switches is input to said controller in multiplex fashion.

12. A control circuit for an electric cooking appliance of the type incorporating a plurality of surface heating units and enabling the user to select from a plurality of power settings for each surface unit, said circuit comprising:

a plurality of power relays, each being associated with a particular one of the plurality of appliance surface heating units, each of said relays including contacts operative when closed to enable energization of its associated surface unit by an external power supply, and a relay coil operative in a first operating condition to close its relay contacts and in a second operating condition to open its contacts;

a plurality of electronic latch circuit means each operatively coupled to an associated one of said relay coils and effective in a first state and a second state to establish said first and second operating conditions respectively for its associated relay coil;

input means comprising a plurality of user actuable switch means including an ON switch means and an OFF switch means for each of the surface heating units;

electronic control means for controlling energization of the surface units in accordance with user inputs, said control means including means for periodically applying a scan signal sequentially to at least some of said plurality of user actuable switch means to detect user actuation thereof;

means for coupling each of said plurality of said ON switch means to a first common input to said controller and means for coupling said plurality of OFF switch means to a second common input to said controller;

said means for coupling said pluraltiy of ON switch means being effective to couple a scan signal applied to any one of said ON switches to said first common input when said one ON switch is actuated thereby enabling the controller to detect actuation of each of said plurality of ON switch means in multiplex fashion;

means for constantly enabling said OFF switch means such that each of said OFF switch means is operative when actuated to generate an OFF signal, which signal is coupled to the associated one of said latch circuit means, said OFF signal being effective to place its associated latch circuit means in its second state;

said means for coupling said plurality of OFF switch means to said second common controller input including means for logically ANDing the OFF signal generated by any one of said OFF switch means with the scan signal applied to said one OFF switch means, the output of said AND means signifying actuation of said one OFF switch means thereby enabling the controller to detect actuation of each of said plurality of OFF switch means in multiplex fashion;

whereby the state of each of said ON and OFF switch means is input to said controller in multiplex fashion and each of said OFF switch means is directly coupled to its associated latch circuit to prevent energization of the surface units in direct response to user actuation of said OFF switch means independently of said controller.

13. The circuit of claim 12 wherein said power relay comprises a normally open relay, said coil being energized in its first operating condition and de-energized in its second operating condition.