Appliance control knob providing illuminated setting indication
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A control for an appliance comprising:
- an electrical switch having contacts for controlling the appliance;
a shaft communicating at a proximal end with the electrical switch to actuate the electrical switch to reversibly open and close the contacts with rotation of the shaft about an axis, the shaft having a light passageway at a distal end;
an LED positioned within the shaft and attached to rotate therewith and aligned with the light passageway to project a beam of light substantially perpendicular to the axis therefrom.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A shaft of a rotary switch, for example, useful as a control for an appliance, such as a washing machine, incorporates an LED at the end of the shaft and projecting light laterally from the shaft to provide an indication of the rotary position of the corresponding knob with respect to printed indicia on a console. The LED may be powered by slip rings incorporated into the rotary switch and communicating directly with line power as controlled by the limiting resistor and the shaft may include a controlled breakage feature providing LED conductors that are recessed within the shaft in the event of shaft breakage to reduce the chance of operator contact with line voltage.
12 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A control for an appliance comprising:
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an electrical switch having contacts for controlling the appliance; a shaft communicating at a proximal end with the electrical switch to actuate the electrical switch to reversibly open and close the contacts with rotation of the shaft about an axis, the shaft having a light passageway at a distal end; an LED positioned within the shaft and attached to rotate therewith and aligned with the light passageway to project a beam of light substantially perpendicular to the axis therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A control for an appliance comprising:
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an electrical switch having contacts for controlling the appliance; a shaft communicating at a proximal end with the electrical switch to actuate the electrical switch with rotation of the shaft about an axis, the shaft having a light passageway at a distal end; an LED positioned within the shaft and aligned with the light passageway to project a beam of light substantially perpendicular to the axis therefrom; further including second contacts communicating with the LED to conduct electricity to the LED with rotation of the shaft; wherein the electrical switch includes terminals receiving line voltage and wherein the second contacts communicate with corresponding contact surfaces connected to the line voltage, wherein the LED communicates with the second contacts by means of electrical conductors preferentially separating into distal and proximal portions at a separation plane crossing the axis and displaced with respect to a fracture plane of the shaft so that in an event of fracturing of the shaft the distal portion remains recessed within the shaft beneath the fracture plane. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An appliance having a console panel including at least one control providing a manually operable control comprising:
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a housing sitting behind the panel and holding an electrical switch having contacts for controlling the washing machine; a shaft rotatably extending through the housing and the panel, the shaft communicating at a proximal end with the electrical switch to actuate the electrical switch to reversibly open and close the contacts with rotation of the shaft about an axis, the shaft having a light passageway at a distal end on an opposite side of the panel as the electrical switch; and an LED positioned within the shaft at the distal end aligned with the light passageway to project a beam of light substantially perpendicular to the axis therefrom and attached to rotate with rotation of the shaft.
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Specification