Automatic switching apparatus for an electric appliance

• US 4,745,260 A
• Filed: 08/27/1987
• Issued: 05/17/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albinger, Harry Jr., Balchunas, Charles A., O'Loughlin, Thomas M., Ryckman, William D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, M. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, H. L.
• Application Number:
  US07/090,389
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• Field of Search: 219/240, 219/241, 219/245, 219/246, 219/247, 219/248, 219/249, 219/250, 219/251, 219/252, 219/253, 219/254, 219/255, 219/256, 219/257, 219/518, 219/492, 34/1 C, 34/1 D, 34/74, 307/116, 307/119, 307/132 M, 307/141, 307/141.4, 307/142, 335/173, 335/174, 335/175, 340/635, 340/640, 340/655, 361/195, 361/196, 361/203
• US Class Current: 219/250
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 75/26 Temperature control or indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/50 with indexing or locating means, e.g. indexing by ball and spring

Abstract

Automatic switching apparatus for a hand held electrically operated appliance such as a pressing iron. A motion sensor and an electronic timer cooperate to automatically shut off the iron if the iron remains stationary for a predetermined period of time. A simplified mechanism is manually operable in the event the user desires to reactivate the iron. A circuit board mounting simplified electronic circuitry is located within the handle of the iron. An appropriate indicator informs the user whether the iron is in the active mode or in the inactive mode.

Claims

1. Automatic switching apparatus for a hand held electrically operated appliance comprising:

switch means convertible between a power mode for electrically connecting the appliance to a source of electrical power and a dormant mode for electrically disconnecting the appliance from the source of electrical power;

electromechanical means which is normally deenergized but operable when energized for converting said switch means to the dormant mode;

a motion sensor responsive to movement of the appliance for generating a signal;

timer means timing a preset period time responsive to the signal from said motion sensor for re-setting the preset period of time and energizing said electromechanical means upon lapse of said preset period of time; and

manually operable mechanical reset means to selectively convert said switch means to the source of electrical power independent of movement of the appliance.

2. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said timer means is responsive to the latest in a series of signals from said motion sensor for re-initiating a timing sequence before completion of said preset period of time and for energizing said electromechanical means upon uninterrupted completion of said preset period of time.

3. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said timer means includes an electronic timing circuit.

4. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reset means includes:

latch means maintaining said switch means in the power mode.

5. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said switch means includes:

first and second mutually engageable contacts; and

blade means biasing said second contact away from engagement with said first contact; and

wherein said reset means includes;

latch means releasably engageable with said blade means for holding said first and second contacts mutually engaged.

6. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said electromechanical means includes:

an actuating member movable between a retracted position distant from said latch means and an advanced position engaged with said latch means and effective to move said latch means to a position disengaged from said blade means thereby causing said first and second contacts to disengage; and

an electromagnetically driven armature for moving said actuating member to said advanced position, said armature being movable between a retracted position and an advanced position in engagement with and holding said actuating member in said advanced position.

7. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said armature is a solenoid plunger and said actuating member a rod coaxially aligned therewith.

8. Automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including:

indicator means electrically connected to said switch means for indicating when said appliance is in the power mode.

9. Automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said indicator means is a lamp.

10. Automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electromechanical means is momentarily operable.

11. Automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein mementarily operable is intended to mean operation for a duration of up to one second in time.

12. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reset means includes:

latch means operable in one condition for maintaining said switch means in the power mode and operable in another condition for allowing said switch means to assume the dormant mode; and

wherein said electromechanical means includes;

a momentarily operable release means engageable with said latch means to move said latch means from said one condition to said other condition.

13. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said release means includes:

a solenoid; and

an armature operably associated with said solenoid being movable between a retracted position and, upon momentary actuation of said solenoid, an advanced position in engagement with said latch means.

14. An automatic switching apparatus for a hand held electrically operated appliance comprising:

switch means including first and second mutually engageable contacts movable between a closed position for electrically connecting the appliance to a source of electrical power and an open position for electrically disconnecting the appliance from the source of electrical power, said switch means including blade means biasing said second contact away from engagement with said first contact;

manually operable mechanical reset means to selectively re-connect the appliance to the source of electrical power independent of movement of the appliance including a latch member releasably engageable with said blade means for holding said first and second contacts mutually engaged; and

electromechanical means which is normally deenergized but operable when energized for moving said first and second contacts to the open position including an actuating rod movable between a retracted position distant from said latch member and an advanced position engaged with said latch member and effective in the advanced position to move said latch member to a position disengaged from said blade means thereby causing said first and second contacts to disengage, and an armature for moving said actuating rod to the advanced position, said armature being movable between a retracted position and an advanced position in engagement with and holding said actuating rod in said advanced position.

15. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said armature and said actuating rod are coaxially aligned.

16. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said reset means includes:

a button member having a head portion with an outer press surface and an integral sidewall defining an inner cavity with an elongated depression formed in an inner surface of said head portion;

said latch member including first and second transversely extending legs intersecting at an outwardly projecting bight portion, said first leg positioned within said head portion and extending generally parallel to said inner surface and contiguous therewith, said bight portion pivotally received within said elongated depression, and said second leg extending away from said button member and terminating at a transversely extending foot biased into engagement with said blade means;

and

resilient means engageable with said first leg urging said latch member and said button member in a direction such that said foot, in engagement with said blade means, causes said first and second contacts to move to the closed position.

17. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said blade means includes:

a flexible arm and an upturned nose element at an extremity thereof, said foot being engageable with said flexible arm to hold said first and second contacts in the closed position;

said actuating rod in said advanced position being engaged with said second leg to move said foot out of engagement with said flexible arm and into engagement with said upturned nose element to allow said first and second contacts to be held in the open position until said button member is pressed against the bias of said resilient means to move said latch until said foot again moves into engagement with said flexible arm and said resilient means acting through said latch member and against the bias of said flexible arm again moves said contacts into mutual engagement.

18. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said reset means includes:

a button assembly including a reset button having an outer press surface extending through an opening in a handle of the appliance and restrained against outward movement;

said latch member including;

a latch release spring mounted within the handle aft of the opening and extending forward so as to underlie said button assembly;

a circuit board mounted within the handle supporting said electromagnetic means thereon and having an undersurface and an edge at a forward end thereof;

a stationary contact fixed on said circuit board;

said blade means including a flexible blade having one end fixed on said circuit board and having a movable contact fixed on a movable portion thereof, said movable contact being aligned for engagement with said stationary contact, said flexible blade being normally biased such that said movable contact is spaced from said stationary contact but movable to cause engagement of said movable contact with said stationary contact;

a latch lever pivotally mounted to said latch release spring and depending therefrom, said latch lever having a rearwardly extending foot at its lowermost end, said foot having a cam surface selectively engageable with said forward edge of said circuit board and terminating at a locking shoulder engageable with said undersurface of said circuit board, said latch lever being movable on said latch release spring between a raised position whereat said foot is raised above said circuit board and a lowered position whereat said locking shoulder is engaged with said undersurface of said circuit board;

a downwardly extending latch spring integral with said latch release spring engageable with said latch lever to urge said latch lever to pivot rearwardly;

said button assembly including a resilient support urging said reset button toward an inactive position but being movable downwardly against the bias of said support to an active position whereat said button assembly is engaged with said latch release spring, continued downward movement of said button assembly causing said cam surface to engage said forward edge of said circuit board until said shoulder engages said undersurface of said circuit board, with said latch spring urging said latch lever rearwardly into engagement with said edge at said forward end of said circuit board.

19. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 18 wherein said resilient support includes:

a retainer spring mounted within the handle distant from the opening and underlying the opening and supporting said reset button thereon.

20. An automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 18 wherein said latch lever includes an integral laterally extending lobe thereon spaced above said foot and engageable with said flexible blade to hold said movable and stationary contacts in engagement when said shoulder engages said undersurface of said circuit board.

21. Automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 14 including:

indicator means electrically connected to said switch means for indicating when said appliance is in the power mode.

22. Automatic switching apparatus as set forth in claim 21 wherein indicator means is a lamp.

23. An electric pressing iron comprising:

a sole plate;

a handle;

a heating element for heating said sole plate;

an electrical circuit for connecting said heating element to a source of electrical power;

said circuit including;

switch means convertible between a power mode for electrically connecting said heating element to a source of electrical power and a dormant mode for electrically disconnecting said heating element from the source of electrical power;

electromechanical means which is normally deenergized but operable when energized for converting said switch means to the dormant mode;

a motion sensor responsive to movement of the appliance for generating a signal;

timer means timing a preset period of time responsive to the signal from said motion sensor for resetting the preset period of time and for energizing said electromechanical means upon lapse of said preset period of time; and

manually operable mechanical reset means to selectively convert said switch means to the source of electrical power independent of movement of the appliance.