Rotary selector

• US 7,609,138 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Dietrich, Mike, Mucke, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad; Elvin G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rojas; Bernard
• Application Number:
  US11/048,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 324/207.2, 324/207.21, 324/207.25, 324/207.5, 335205-207, 200/561, 200/564, 200/567, 338/32.H
• US Class Current: 335/205
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/30 characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06

Abstract

The invention concerns a rotary selector as control device for switching on and off and automatic control of a number of different program steps of electrical appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and the like. The rotary selector in the invention functions as a control device for switching on and off and automatic control of a number of different program steps of electrical appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and the like. This is done by connecting a pivoted actuator (3) via an operating shaft (4) with a magnetic rotary field sensor (5) in Hall sensor technology. An interface is integrated into the rotary field sensor (5), via which an angle-dependent code is transmitted to an electronic evaluation and control unit. In addition there is a device for positioning the actuator (3) at a precise angle, whereby a particular program cycle is assigned to each setting of the rotary field sensor (5) and each switch position of the actuator (3).

Claims

1. A rotary selector for controlling a household appliance, the selector switching the appliance on and off and controlling multiple program sequences for the appliance, the selector comprising:

a magnetic rotary field sensor;

a pivoted actuator connected to the rotary field sensor in Hall sensor technology;

an interface integrated into the rotary field sensor and transmitting an angle-dependent code;

an electronic evaluation and control unit connected to the interface and receiving the angle-dependent code; and

a positioning device for positioning the actuator at a precise angle in relation to the rotary field sensor representing a setting, a particular program sequence being assigned to each setting of the rotary field sensor and each switch position of the actuator, the Hall technology providing non-contact positions, wherein the assignment of program sequences to the switch positions of the actuator is freely programmable.

2. The rotary selector of claim 1, wherein the rotary field sensor allows the encoding of 256 positions and the positioning device has positions corresponding to the number of program steps required.

3. The rotary selector of claim 1, further comprising a display unit connected to the electronic evaluation and control unit for displaying data.

4. The rotary selector of claim 1, wherein the interface integrated into the rotary field sensor and transmitting an angle-dependent code includes a serial interface.

5. The rotary selector of claim 1, wherein the household appliance has a housing, an operating shaft extending through the housing and connecting the actuator and the rotary field sensor to one another, the actuator and the rotary field sensor being disposed on opposite sides of the housing.

6. The rotary selector of claim 1, wherein the household appliance includes a selected one of a washing machine, a dryer, and a dishwasher.

7. A washing machine comprising:

a housing;

a drum at least partially disposed within the housing and mounted for rotation with respect to the housing;

a rotary selector supported by the housing and for controlling the washing machine, the rotary selector having a magnetic rotary field sensor;

a pivoted actuator connected to the magnetic rotary field sensor in non-contacting Hall sensor technology, the rotary selector having multiple settings representing the position of the actuator in relation to the rotary field sensor;

an interface integrated into the rotary field sensor and transmitting an angle-dependent code indicating the setting;

a control unit connected to the interface and receiving and evaluating the angle-dependent code, the control unit storing multiple pre-set program sequences for controlling operation of the washing machine; and

a positioning device for positioning the actuator at a specific setting, at least one particular program sequence being assigned to at least one corresponding setting of the rotary field sensor, wherein the assignment of the program sequence to the corresponding setting of the rotary field sensor is programmable to permit an assignment of a program sequence assigned to a respective corresponding setting of the rotary field sensor that is different than an earlier assigned program sequence that had been assigned to the respective corresponding setting of the rotary field sensor by the completion of manufacturing of the washing machine.

8. A method of controlling a household appliance having an electronic control unit, the method comprising the following acts:

providing a rotary selector having a pivoted actuator and a magnetic field rotary sensor connected to the pivoted actuator in non-contacting Hall sensor technology;

providing an interface electrically connecting the rotary selector and the control unit for transmitting data;

freely programming the control unit to allocate specific program sequences to corresponding positions of the actuator in the rotary field sensor;

moving the actuator to a desired position;

sensing the position of the actuator in relation to the rotary field sensor with the rotary field sensor;

transmitting a signal to the control unit with the interface indicating the position of the actuator in relation to the rotary field sensor;

determining the specific program sequence corresponding to the signal; and

performing the specific program sequence to control operation of the appliance.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the act of displaying data on a display unit electrically connected to the control unit.

10. A rotary selector for a household appliance, the rotary selector comprising:

a magnetic rotary field sensor having a Hall sensor capability;

an actuator, the actuator being movable about an actuator axis to a plurality of angular setting positions, the actuator being operatively associated with the magnetic rotary field sensor such that the magnetic rotary field sensor senses in a non-contact manner each of the plurality of angular setting positions to which the actuator is moved, and one of the plurality of angular setting positions to which the actuator can be moved is one designated angular setting position and another of the plurality of angular setting positions to which the actuator can be moved is a further designated angular setting position; and

a device for providing a signal, the signal providing device being operable to provide, in response to a sensing by the magnetic rotary field sensor that the actuator is in the one designated angular setting position, a first signal corresponding to a first set of operational parameters for the household appliance and for providing, in response to a sensing by the magnetic rotary field sensor that the actuator is in the one designated angular setting position, a second signal corresponding to a second set of operational parameters for the household appliance different than the first set of operational parameters, the device including an interface integrated into the rotary field sensor and transmitting an angle-dependent code, an electronic evaluation and control unit connected to the interface and receiving the angle-dependent code, a positioning device for positioning the actuator at a precise angle in relation to the magnetic rotary field sensor at each of the plurality of angular setting positions of the actuator, and a component for receiving an input to switch the device from providing the first signal to providing the second signal, the electronic evaluation and control unit being programmable to associate the first signal corresponding to the first set of operational parameters for the household appliance to the one designated angular setting position by the completion of the manufacturing of the household appliance and being programmable to associate the second signal corresponding to the second set of operational parameters for the household appliance to the one designated angular setting position at a time after the completion of the manufacturing of the household appliance.

11. The rotary selector of claim 10, wherein the rotary selector is operable in a household appliance in the form of a clothes washing machine having a housing and a drum at least partially disposed within the housing and mounted for rotation with respect to the housing and the rotary selector is supported by the housing and is operable to control at least some of the operations of the washing machine.

12. The rotary selector of claim 10, wherein the rotary selector has two hundred and fifty six (256) settings.

13. The rotary selector of claim 10 and further comprising a display unit supported by the housing and connected to the control unit for displaying data.

14. The rotary selector of claim 10, wherein the interface integrated into the rotary field sensor and transmitting an angle-dependent code indicating a setting includes a serial interface.

15. The rotary selector of claim 10 and further comprising an operating shaft extending through the housing and connecting the actuator and the rotary field sensor to one another, the actuator and the rotary field sensor being disposed on opposite sides of the housing.

16. The rotary selector of claim 10, wherein the program sequences control movement of the drum.

17. The rotary selector of claim 10, wherein the program sequences control the volume and temperature of a liquid within the drum.

18. The rotary selector of claim 10, wherein the first set of operational parameters and the second set of operational parameters both relate the operation of a selected one of a washing machine, a dryer, and a dishwasher.

19. The rotary selector of claim 18, wherein the electronic evaluation and control unit is operable to implement the respective one of the first set of operational parameters and the second set of operational parameters that is associated with the one designated angular setting position in connection with a disposition of the rotary selector at the one designated angular setting position and is operable to implement of the other of the first set of operational parameters and the second set of operational parameters in connection with a disposition of the rotary selector at the further designated angular setting position.