Circuit for driving an appliance for treating laundry

• US 7,420,345 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Company KG
• Inventors: Menniger, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro; Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US11/524,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 318/437, 318445-446, 318471-474, 388/907.2, 388/917, 307/112, 307/126, 307/139, 307/140, 307/141.8, 292/99, 68/121.6, 200/43.11, 200/43.12, 701/74, 704/42
• US Class Current: 318/437
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/08 Control circuits or arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/42 Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 49/003 Doors or covers; Safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 388/917 Thyristor or scr
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5611 For control and machine elements

Abstract

A circuit for driving an appliance for treating laundry, includes a motor circuit having an AC motor, and a door-locking circuit. The motor circuit and the door-locking circuit may be driven by a single common electronic switching element.

Claims

1. A circuit for driving an appliance for treating laundry, the circuit comprising:

a motor circuit having an AC motor;

a door-locking circuit connected in parallel to said motor circuit; and

a single common electronic switching element for driving said motor circuit and said door-locking circuit.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said single common electronic switching element switches on said door-locking circuit when driven, and at least one electromechanical switch interrupts said motor circuit at the same time.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said single electronic switching element is a triac or a thyristor.

4. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said door-locking circuit has at least one of a switch or a mechanism for locking an appliance door, and said at least one of a switch or a mechanism are to be driven by a FTC bimetallic element.

5. The circuit according to claim 1, which further comprises two electromechanical switches to be used in said motor circuit and connected to a rotor winding of said AC motor or to a field winding of said AC motor for interrupting said motor circuit in a first switching state and bringing about a reversal of direction of rotation of said AC motor in a second switching state.

6. The circuit according to claim 5, wherein said motor circuit additionally includes a further electromechanical switch relay for field reversal, said further electromechanical switch relay being connected to a winding of said AC motor not connected to said two electromechanical switches.

7. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said door-locking circuit remains active to keep a door locked when said motor circuit switches off said motor.