Appliance control system

• US 6,112,135 A
• Filed: 03/13/1998
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Sheahan, Thomas A., Peterson, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Palys, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US09/042,303
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 700/211, 700/219, 700/274, 700/293, 700/71, 700/79, 126/19, 126/20, 126/21, 126/22, 219/391, 219/392, 236/46, 432/90, 432/91, 714/1, 714/2
• US Class Current: 700/293
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/05 with means for increasing reliability, e.g. redundancy arrangements for logic circuits H03K19/003
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0263 Ovens

Abstract

A control system for preventing the occurrence of unsafe operating conditions on an appliance load comprises first and second switch elements coupled to said appliance load; first controller means coupled to said first switch element for detecting a first predetermined fault condition and producing a first fault detection signal in response to said detection of said predetermined fault condition, said first fault detection signal deactivating said first switch element and de-energizing said load; and second controller means coupled to said second switch element for detecting a second predetermined fault condition and producing a second fault detection signal in response to said detection of said predetermined fault condition, said second fault detection signal deactivating said second switch element and de-energizing said load.

Claims

1. A control system for preventing the occurrence of unsafe operating conditions on an appliance load comprising:

first and second switch elements coupled to said appliance load;

first controller means coupled to said first switch element for detecting a first predetermined fault condition and producing a first fault detection signal in response to said detection of said predetermined fault condition, said first fault detection signal deactivating said first switch element and de-energizing said load; and

second controller means coupled to said second switch element for detecting a second predetermined fault condition and producing a second fault detection signal in response to said detection of said predetermined fault condition, said second fault detection signal deactivating said second switch element and de-energizing said load.

2. The control system of claim 1 where said first and second controller means are microprocessors.

3. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a keyboard, said keyboard coupled to said first controller means, wherein said first controller means senses the occurrence of a keyboard fault.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein said first controller means activates said first switch element and wherein second controller means activates said second switch element whenever the voltage across said load is below a predetermined value.

5. The control system of claim 1 wherein said load is the heater unit of an oven.

6. A control system for detecting unsafe operating conditions in an appliance comprising:

first and second switches coupled to said load such that the deactivation of one switch de-energizes said load;

a memory containing predetermined unsafe operating conditions relating to said oven;

a first controller coupled to said first switch and to said memory, said first controller sensing predetermined unsafe conditions in said appliance load and deactivating said first switch in response thereto; and

a second controller coupled to said second switch and to said memory, said second controller sensing predetermined unsafe conditions in said appliance load and deactivating said second switch in response thereto.

7. The control system of claim 6 where said first and second controllers are microprocessors.

8. The control system of claim 6 further comprising a keyboard, said keyboard coupled to said first controller, wherein said first controller senses the occurrence of a keyboard fault.

9. The control system of claim 6 wherein said first controller activates said first switch and wherein second controller activates said second switch whenever the voltage across said load is below a predetermined value.

10. The control system of claim 6 wherein said load is the heater unit of an oven.

11. A method for preventing the occurrence of unsafe operating conditions on an appliance load comprising the steps of:

coupling first and second switch elements to said appliance load,

detecting a predetermined fault condition in a first controller;

deactivating said first switch element and de-energizing said load in response to said detection;

detecting a predetermined fault condition in a second controller; and

deactivating said second switch element and de-energizing said load in response to said detection.

12. The method of claim 11 where said first and second controllers are microprocessors.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of coupling a controller to said first controller sensing the occurrence of a keyboard fault using the first controller.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of activating the first and second switch elements whenever the voltage across said load is below a predetermined value.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said load is the heater unit of an oven.

16. A control system for use in a microwave oven comprising:

a keyboard for receiving commands from a user;

a first switch coupled to said load;

a second switch coupled to said load;

a memory for storing a plurality of predetermined voltage values;

a first microprocessor coupled to said first switch, said memory, and said keyboard, said microprocessor detecting keyboard faults and processing user commands and opening said switch is response thereto and activating the first switch whenever the voltage across said load is below a selected one of said plurality of predetermined value; and

a second microprocessor coupled to said second switch and said memory, said microprocessor senses whether the voltage level driving the load is below a threshold, said second microprocessor opening said switch is response thereto, said second microprocessor activating said second switch elements whenever the voltage across said load is below a predetermined value.