CA1168534A

CA1168534A - Control module

Info

Publication number: CA1168534A
Application number: CA000392843A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Gerald K. Pitcher
Original assignee: Bristol Myers Squibb Co
Current assignee: Remington Products Inc
Priority date: 1981-01-09
Filing date: 1981-12-21
Publication date: 1984-06-05
Also published as: JPS57136451A; BE891740A; JPS5943179B2; ZA819015B

Abstract

III. Abstract:

There is disclosed a control module with a slide switch and a transformer/rectifier, a jack socket for connecting to an appliance and a cord for connecting to another ap-pliance.

Description

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CONTROL MODULE

I. Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENT ION
.

This invention relates to control modules for operating at least two electrical devices such as a vibrator and a heating pad.

Control modules used in combination with a heating pad and a vibrator are known in the prior art.

Taylor, U.S. Patent 3,710,784, issued January 16, 1973 discloses a heating pad with a removable vibrator wherein bo~h the heating pad and vibrator are controlled by a control module. The control module contains adjustable knobs for controlling the speed of the vibrator and the temperature of the heating pad. The circuitry has resistors and field windings. Thermostats are also provided. There is no means for detachably connecting the vibrator to the control module.

The prior art does not teach control modules attached to an appliance, e.g., a heating pad, which control module has a transformer/rectifier and a jack for receiving a plug from a second appliance, e.g., a vibrator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENT ION

This invention provides a control module which can be used with a variety o~ electrical appliances, such as, for examples, heating pads, blankets, foot baths, and the 1 ~8534 like and can be removably attached to a second appliance that is usually, but not necessarily, used in combination with the first appliance, such as, for examples, vibrators, lights, fans, and the like. The control mo~ule is comprised of a housing having therein a combination of a step-dow~
txansformer/rectifier, a multiposition slide switch and optionally a radio frequency filter. Also present is a light which indicates whether or not the switch is on. The housing is hollow and is constructed from an upper housing and a lower housing rigidly attached. The housing is made of impact resistant plastic. There is an electric power cord for supplying power to ~he appliances used with the control module. One cord from the module leads to one appliance and another cord from the module leads to another appliance. One ox both cords can be attached to the module by means of a jack plug, however, at least one should be detachable from the module.

It is an object of this invention to provide a control module which can control two electrical appliances and can be removably connected to one of the appliances.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a control module in combination with an electrically powered portable vibrator ar;d an electric heating pad.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF TH~ DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view in section of the control module;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view in section of the control module; and FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the control module in combination with a heating pad and a vibrator.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The control module 24 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is a combination of a step-down transformer/rectifier 37 and a multi-position slide switch 27 in a single control '' module.

The control module 24 can be connected to one ap-pliance with a three wire cord 53, to a second appliance by means of a jack socket 42 and an outside power source ' with power cord 25. The control module 24 comprises a hollow housing 28 made of-an upper housing 29 and a lower housing 30 held rigidly together by screws 31 and 32.~ The control housing 28 is made from an impact resistan't,plastlc.

G~P ~ , Inside the control housing 28 are located the wlre strain ~e 3~3 around which the ou~side power source cord`25 is placed, the power source cord 25 has one wire lead 34 to a slide switch 27 and another wire lead 36 through a connector 80 to a step-down transformer 37.
The step-down transfarmer 3i can be a full wave center tap rectified 3 watt, 4.5 volt open circuit, and 1.35 volts at 500 milliamperes'when loaded. This transformer 37'reduces and rectifies the incoming 110 volts alternating current to under 20 volts direct current to the second appliance, e.g., a vibrator, by wire 4-3, jack socket 42 'and disconnectable jack pl'u,g 44 through wire 13 as shown in Figure 3. The transformer 37 is also electrically connected by wires 38 around wire strain release 81 to the cord 53-leading to the first appliance. The appliance 'can be any suitable electricaily operated device.
However, for purposes of illustration, a heating pad is described. It is possible moreover to modify the wiring ~so the first as well'as the second applia~ce are attached to the control module 24 by jack plugs.

' The switch 27, a two pole, four pos-ition unit, is electrically connected through a diode 39 and a resistor .

1 1~853~

40 to a neon lamp 41 which indica~es whether the switch is on or off~ The neon lamp 41 is also connected electrically either directly by wire 82 to the transformer 37 and thence to the ja~k socket 42 or indirectly through a capacitor 83 which acts as a radio frequency filter.

The transformer 37 is also electrically connected to a phone type jack socket 42 by wires 43. The jack socket 42 receives a connecting male plug 44 from the second appliance by a cord 13.

The slide switch 27 can ha~e from three to five pole positions depending on the USQ intended. For example, when used with a vibrator 1 and a heating pad 19, as shown in Figure 3, there are four poles, off, low heat, high heat and medium heat. The switch 27 can also be wired to control a vibrator separately from the heating pad. According to one embodiment of the invention, when the heating pad 19 is turned on, the vibrating motor 7 is also turned on. If heat only is desired, the jack plug 44 is unplugged, turning off the vibrator motor 7-.

Inside the hollow housing 28 of the control module 24 are projections 84 of the inside wall of the housing 28 which support and hold the various structures contained therein.

In a preferred embodiment of this in~ention as shown in Figure 3 the control module 24 is electrically connected to a heating pad 19 by cord 53 and electrically connected to a vibrator 1 by cord 13 which is plugged into a jack socket 42 on the control module 24 with jack plug 44.
Electric power is supplied to the control module 24 through cord 25 from an electric outlet, not shown. The vibrator 1, 1 l~B;~3~

which can be of any conventional design can be removably attached to ths heating pad 19 by known means, e.g., velcro hook and loop fasteners 45, tape and snaps. The heating pad 19 can be of the wraparound type which is held in place by a strap 20 and buckle comprising a male locking piece 21 and a female locking member 23.

In other ~mbodiments of this invention, both vibrator and heating pad can be connected to the control module by jack connectors. Also the control module can be connected to two vibrators, two heating pads or other combinations of electric appliances, e.g., a toaster and an electric frying pan, a vibrator and a heated foot bath.
.

Claims

1. A control module for controlling two electrical appliances comprising a hollow housing having therein:
a first main power cord for plugging into an electrical power source;
a step-down transformer/rectifier;
a multi-position slide control switch;
a second power cord for electrically connecting said control module to a first electrical appliance;
a third power cord for electrically connecting said control module to a second electrical appliance;
wherein one electrical lead of said first main power cord is connected within said housing to said slide control switch and another electrical lead of said first main power cord is connected within said housing to an input terminal of said transformer/rectifier;
and wherein said slide control switch is electrically connected within said housing to another input terminal of said transformer/rectifier;
and wherein said second power cord is electrically connected within said housing to an output terminal of said transformer/rectifier;
and wherein said third power cord is electrically connected within said housing to an output terminal of said transformer/rectifier;

Page 2.

and wherein at least one of said second or said third power cords is detachably connected between said control module and said first or said second electrical appliance, respectively, by jack plug and socket means whereby said control module may be electrically detached from one of said first or said second electrical appliances.

2. The control module of claim I having electrically connected thereto through said jack plug and socket means, as said first electrical appliance a vibrator which is detachably adhered to a heating pad, wherein, as said second electrical appliance, said heating pad is electrically connected to said control module.

3. The control module of claim 1 wherein said slide control switch separately controls each of said first and said second electrical appliances simultaneously.