WO2021139930A1

WO2021139930A1 - Simplified input device of a domestic appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2021139930A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/084315
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gloria CUTURA; Vanja HARTER
Original assignee: V-Zug Ag
Priority date: 2020-01-10
Filing date: 2020-12-02
Publication date: 2021-07-15
Also published as: CH715405B1; CH715405A1

Abstract

A domestic appliance, in particular a dishwasher, a washing machine, a tumble dryer or a cooking appliance, is designed to execute only appliance programs from precisely one single group of appliance programs, wherein the single group of appliance programs consists of a first appliance program and at least one further appliance program. The domestic appliance also comprises an appliance control system (1) and an input device (2) for starting the appliance programs. The input device (2) can be operated in a first input mode and the appliance control system (1) is designed to start the first appliance program during operation of the first input mode upon activation of the input device (2) by means of a first form, and to start one of the at least one further appliance programs only upon activation of the input device (2) by means of a form different to the first form. This design serves to reduce the operating complexity of the domestic appliance, while a plurality of appliance programs are still available to the user. The first appliance program can be started in a very simple manner.

Description

Simplified input device of a household appliance

Notice of related registrations

This application claims the priority of the Swiss patent application CH 00027/20, which was filed on January 10, 2020 and the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Field of invention

The invention relates to a household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, a washing machine, a tumble dryer or a cooking appliance, which is designed to only execute appliance programs from exactly one single group of appliance programs, the single group of appliance programs from a first appliance program and at least one other device program consists. The household appliance further comprises a device control (1) and an input device (2) for starting the device programs.

background

Household appliances can be operated with the most varied of appliance programs. The device programs can be precisely defined at the factory, the user can set the operating parameters of individual device programs himself, or the user can also create new device programs himself. If the household appliance has a wide variety of operating parameters which can be combined with one another in the most varied of ways, a large number of appliance programs is possible. In a washing machine, for example, the temperature, amount of water, spin speed or amount of detergent can be set, whereby the parameters should be selected differently depending on the textiles to be washed. If a large number of device programs is available, the situation becomes confusing and the selection of the desired device program is quickly complicated. The selection of the desired device program is difficult, especially for children or for people with disabilities, especially for blind people. A barrier-free access to the household appliance is not given with a high level of operating complexity.

Presentation of the invention

It is the object of the present invention to provide a household appliance in which an appliance program can be started as simply as possible without restricting the possibilities of the household appliance.

This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claim. Accordingly, a household appliance is designed to execute only appliance programs from exactly one single group of appliance programs, the single group of appliance programs from a first appliance program and at least one further, in particular at least two further, in particular at least five others, Device program exists. In other words, the household appliance can only execute appliance programs which are assigned to this single group, ie either the first appliance program or one of the at least one further appliance program. This assignment to a group is used to define the invention. The at least one further device program can comprise any number of device programs. The number of device programs of the at least one further device program can also be adapted by the user by setting device programs himself.

The household appliance can be, for example, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a tumble dryer or a cooking appliance. A cooking device is, for example, an oven, a microwave or a steam cooker.

The household appliance further comprises a device control and an input device for starting the device programs. In particular, the household appliance comprises exactly one input device. “Exactly one” refers to “an input device with which at least one device program can be started”, i.e. the household device can definitely include further input devices, with which, however, no device programs can be started. In other words, device programs can only be started by operating precisely one input device.

The input device can be operated in a first input mode and the device control is designed to operate in the first input mode when the input device is operated to start the first device program when the input device is actuated by means of a first form, and

- only when the input device is actuated by means of a form that differs from the first form

To start the form of the at least one further device program.

That is, a single device program, namely the first device program, can be started with the first form of actuation, while all other device programs that can be operated on the household appliance can only be started by means of a different form of actuation.

This embodiment of the household appliance makes it possible for a single, predefined appliance program to be started in a simple manner without having to do without further appliance programs. The other device programs can then only be activated with a different type of actuation. This considerably reduces the operating complexity of the household appliance.

This first input mode is particularly advantageous in household appliances in which the household appliance is frequently operated with the same appliance program. This is the case, for example, with a dishwasher.

The definition according to the claims that a device program can be started by means of the input device does not exclude that, for example, the door of the household device must first be closed before the device program is actually started.

In a particular embodiment, the actuation of the input device by means of the first form comprises only a single actuation step and the actuation of the input device by means of the form different from the first form comprises at least two, in particular exactly two, actuation steps. This has the advantage that the first device program can be started very easily, namely with just a single actuation step, while at least two actuation steps are necessary to start the further device programs. By executing at least two operating steps, the user has the whole variety of device programs at his disposal, while exactly a single device program can be started very easily. Compared to starting the first device program, starting the other device programs is only possible due to a higher operating complexity.

In particular, the input device is designed as a touch-sensitive display and the only actuation step is a single touching of the touch-sensitive display. In particular, the single touch lasts a maximum of 2 seconds, in particular a maximum of 3 seconds.

A “single touch” on a touch-sensitive display is to be understood as a touch during which the touch is permanently present. If the touch is removed and the touch-sensitive display is touched again, there are two touching steps. These are advantageous the at least two actuation steps of touching the touch-sensitive display at least twice.

In particular, the single actuation step of the first form of actuation can be carried out at a first position on the input device, and the first actuation step of the form of actuation that differs from the first form can be carried out at a second position on the input device, the first Position and the second position on the input device are spaced from one another, in particular by at least 1 cm, in particular by at least 3 cm from one another. This spacing prevents accidental operating errors by the user.

The device control is advantageously designed in such a way that the first device program can be selected from the device programs that can be operated by the household device.

The user can thus determine himself which of the multiple device programs that the household device can operate can be activated in a simple manner. This setting can be made permanent and is then given until the user cancels it again.

In particular, the device control can be set in such a way that the input device is always operated in the first input mode when the household device is switched on.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further refinements, advantages and applications of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and from the description that now follows on the basis of the figures. Show:

1 shows a household appliance in the form of a dishwasher with an input device;

2 shows the household appliance with a schematic representation of its components;

3 shows the input device in the first input mode according to a first embodiment; 4a to 4c the input device in the second input mode for setting the specific device program; and

Way of carrying out the invention

1 shows a household appliance in the form of a dishwasher with which several appliance programs can be executed. Device programs are, for example, an eco program, an everyday program, an automatic program or an intensive program. The dishwasher comprises an appliance control 1 and a single input device 2, which is arranged on the upper side of the user door marked with the arrow. If the user opens the user door at a small angle, he has a direct view of the input device 2.

FIG. 2 schematically shows some of the components of the dishwasher. The device control consists of a computing unit la and a memory 1b. It controls the dishwasher process, i.e. it controls, for example, valves 3a for the water inlet, heating elements 3b or circulation pumps 3c. In addition, the device control 1 and the input device 2 communicate with one another. The input device 2 comprises a plurality of input elements, for example the input elements 2a and 2b.

FIG. 3 shows the input device 2 with a view as shown in FIG. 1 with the arrow. In the present case, the input device 2 is designed as a touch-sensitive display. For example, it can also be designed with push buttons arranged in a distributed manner. The display according to FIG. 3 appears after the user has switched on the dishwasher, in other words it is the start display. The start display shown can be set at the factory or by the user.

In the present case, the input device 2 comprises three input elements in the start display, a first input element 4, a second input element 5 and a third input element 6. By briefly touching the first input element 4, the automatic program of the dishwasher is started immediately after the door of the Dishwasher has been closed by the user. The starting of an individual device program, namely the present automatic program, is thus carried out in a simple manner Briefly pressing the input element 4 once possible.

The automatic program can be assigned to the first input element 4 at the factory or by the user.

The word "automatic" indicates to the user that the automatic program can be started immediately by actuating the first input element 4. Below the word "automatic" the user is also shown operating parameters so that he can see the conditions under which the dishes is cleaned when the automatic program is selected.

If, on the other hand, the user presses the second input element 5 or the third input element 6 once, no device program is started. That is to say, in order to start a device program that differs from the automatic program, the user must actuate the input device 2 at least twice.

If the user presses the third input element 6, the operating options open to him, as shown in

4a. The input elements 7a to 7d represent different appliance programs which can be executed by the dishwasher. The eco program can be started by briefly pressing the input element 7a, the everyday program by briefly pressing the input element 7b, the automatic program by briefly pressing the input element 7c and the intensive program by briefly pressing the input element 7d.

In other words, by operating the display according to FIG. 3, the operating complexity is greatly reduced and a preset device program can be started very easily. However, this reduction in operating complexity is only temporary. The user can quickly restore a higher operating complexity by switching to the display according to FIG. 4a and starting any other device programs there. If the user presses one of the device programs displayed in FIG. 4a for a longer period of time, a further submenu opens, as shown in FIG. 4b. In the present case, the submenu of FIG. 4b has opened after the user has pressed the input element 7c of the automatic program for a long time. In the submenu of Fig.

4b it is possible for the user, by pressing the input element 8, to define the automatic program as that device program which the user can trigger by pressing the first input element 4 in the start display, ie the first device program. After the user has pressed the input element 8, the question “Set duration of program selection?” Appears on the display, as shown in FIG triggerable device program is to be defined.

While preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the present application, it should be clearly pointed out that the invention is not restricted to these and can also be carried out in other ways within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

io claims

1. Household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer or cooking appliance,

- Designed to execute only device programs from exactly one single group of device programs, the single group of device programs consisting of a first device program and at least one further device program, and

- Comprising a device control (1) and one, in particular exactly one, input device (2) for starting the device programs, characterized in that the input device (2) can be operated in a first input mode and the device control (1) is designed at Operation of the first input mode

- when the input device (2) is actuated, the first device program is started by means of a first form, and

- to start one of the at least one further device program only when the input device (2) is actuated by means of a form that differs from the first form.

2. Household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the actuation of the input device (2) by means of the first form comprises only a single actuation step and the actuation of the input device (2) by means of the form different from the first form comprises at least two actuation steps, in particular exactly two actuation steps steps, includes.

3. Household appliance according to claim 2, wherein the input device is a touch-sensitive display and the only actuation step is a single touching of the touch-sensitive display.

4. Household appliance according to claim 3, wherein the at least two actuation steps are at least two-time touching of the touch-sensitive display.

5. Household appliance according to one of claims 2 to

4, where

- the only actuation step of the first form of actuation can be carried out at a first position on the input device (2),

- The first actuation step of the form of actuation differing from the first form can be carried out at a second position on the input device, and the first position and the second position on the input device are spaced apart, in particular by at least 1 cm, in particular by at least - are at least 3 cm apart.

6. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the appliance controller (1) is designed so that the first appliance program can be selected from the appliance programs that can be operated by the household appliance.

7. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the appliance control (1) can be set so that the input device (2) is always operated in the first input mode when the household appliance is switched on.

8. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one further appliance program comprises at least two, in particular at least three, in particular at least five appliance programs.