A programmer for a household appliance, such as a washing machine or a dishwasher, comprises a disk-shaped carrier 41 and a position indicator 43 synchronized therewith, the indicator working into a comparator 36 also receiving a signal pattern from a read-only memory 35 addressed by a counter 30 which advances under the control of a timing circuit. The latter comprises a frequency divider 20, driven by alternating current from a utility network, certain of whose stages work into a set of AND gates 22-24 that are unblocked by signals read out from the memory in various program phases. The incrementation of the program may be temporarily inhibited by additional logical circuitry 80-83 responsive to external parametric conditions, such as the temperature of the liquid level in the controlled appliance. Unwanted phases of a maximum program recorded on the program carrier 41 may be skipped under the control of a plug-in key card 64 or a selector switch 95.
A cam switch mechanism comprises a drive source, such as a motor, a cam driven by the drive source, a switching device responsive to contacting the cam surface of the cam for switching its electrically conducting state and a control unit, such as a microcomputer, for controlling the drive source. Control of the drive source by the control unit makes it possible to set positions of the cam as desired and permits the electrically conducting state of the switching means to be freely set. The control unit controls the drive direction, stopping and drive speed of the drive source.
A timer controls equipment with electrical drivers, in which timer is combined an electromechanical device and an electronic circuit. The timer includes an electromechanical device (1) in conjunction with an electronic circuit (2). The electromechanical device (1) includes a surface (9) on which is printed, in encoded form, the states in which the equipment may be and a sensor (8), or a set of sensors (8), which move in relation to the printed surface (9) by means of an electromechanical transducer (3), detecting the printed codes. The electronic circuit (2) receives signals from reading sensors (8) of the state codes, and transducer signals (3), which exist in the equipment, and command the electrical drivers (4), as well as the movement of the reading sensors (8) of the electromechanical device (1).
A programmer for an appliance having a line power switch and a plurality of program switches sequentially actuated by a cyclic cam mechanism. The program switches are latched to the actuated condition and uplatched independently of the cyclic mechanism by electrically energized release mechanisms, individually controlled by an electronic controller having a microcomputer which employs a user selected programmed sequence.
A microcomputer-based electronic controller for a dishwasher utilizes a motor driven timing cam for selectively energizing the electromechanical components of the dishwasher. An internal diagnostic routine in the microcomputer insures that the timing cam is advanced when the microcomputer calls for power to be applied to the motor.
