DE8701333U1 - Timer device for electrical household appliances, in particular for washing machines - Google Patents

Description

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Timer device for electrical household appliances, in particular for washing machines

The present innovation relates to a timing device for electrical household appliances, in particular for washing machines. In particular, the innovation relates to a device for regulating the stoppage of a program roller in washing machines, wherein the roller has a group of fast cams and parts for stopping the roller.

In the current state of the art, the washing process of washing machines, i.e. the sequence of all the operations that the machine can perform, consists of various phases of pre-wash, main wash, rinsing and a final spin phase with possible drying.

The washing processes can be set in a finite number and are achieved by dividing the basic process of the machine;

f In particular, however, there is a need, regardless of I

the type of procedure chosen to allow at least one stoppage of the machine.

To meet this need, the known timing devices in the prior art comprise a group of slow cams and corresponding intermediate cams having a plurality of notches which, optionally together with a pin of a rocker arm, stop the machine at a predetermined point in the washing process. This point can be selected by the user from a plurality of different points for a possible stop according to the number of notches; the devices are provided with parts which prevent the pin of the rocker arm from engaging in the subsequent notches of the cam group when the washing process is resumed after the stop.

This has the disadvantage that only one standstill can be set for the washing process; in addition, the implementation

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complicated and expensive, and a large number of notches must be used, which deprives the washing programs of other functions.

The present innovation is based on the task of providing a timer device for regulating the standstill in washing machines, the design and functional features of which avoid the disadvantages occurring in the prior art.

This object is achieved by a device for regulating the stoppage of a program roller in washing machines with a group of fast cams and parts for stopping the roller, which is characterized in that it has a timer gear with an internal toothing which is rotated _by one of the fast cams, a two-armed lever bent substantially at a right angle with a first arm which is in engagement with the toothing of the gear and with a second arm on which a pin is fastened for actuating the parts for stopping the roller, parts for releasing the first arm from the timer gear, and parts for limiting the rotation of the gear. j.

Further features and the associated advantages emerge from the f

following description of an embodiment of the innovation |

device shown in the attached drawing m

is shown. gf Shown are:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view

a timer device in accordance with the innovation, and

Fig. 2 to 5 schematically illustrated individual parts

and associated parts of the device from Fig. 1 in four different operating positions.

With reference to the figures, (1) designates a timer device for the temperature regulation according to the invention and &iacgr;,2) a metal housing of this timer (1).

The device (1) comprises a program roller (3) of conventional type with a first group of so-called slow cams and corresponding intermediate cams, designated (5), and with a second group of so-called fast cams, designated (6). The cam groups (5) and (6) are mounted on a shaft (4) driven in a conventional manner by a motor (not shown) at a certain speed.

Advantageously, the device (1) according to the invention comprises a timer gear (7) with a pawl-shaped tooth profile (9)> on which an involute tooth (10) is formed.

This timing gear (7) is mounted in a free-running manner on a pin (11) which is mounted in the housing (2) in a conventional manner. In this gear (7) and coaxially therewith in the housing (2) there is a continuous groove (12) in a circular shape below the toothing (9), which extends in an arc of approximately 210° from one end near the involute tooth (10).

On the same pin (11) but outside the housing (2), a gear (14) is mounted coaxially to the gear (7) with a pin (13) connected to it and perpendicular to it. The pin (13) also protrudes beyond the groove (12) of the gear (7) in which it can move; it can be received by the inside of the involute tooth (10).

The gear (14) is rotated via another gear (15) coaxial with the handwheel by means of an externally mounted handwheel (not shown) for regulating the time of standstill.

The gear (7) is kinetically connected to parts for transmitting the movement by one of the fast cams (6) and is rotated by these against the resistance of a return spring (16); the

The return spring winds around the pin (Ü) and is attached at one end to a fixed part of the device (1) and at the other end to the gear itself by a return pin (17) firmly connected to the gear (7).

Fig. 2 shows in detail the profile of a so-called fast cam (IB), which has a pair of teeth (19) that are close to each other, in which the teeth are one tooth pitch apart * These teeth (19) are intended to engage in the tooth profile of a pinion (20) that is firmly connected to a drive shaft (21) that runs parallel to the camshaft. This shaft (21) runs freely in a hole (22) made in the housing (2); at the level of this hole (22) a gear (23) is pressed on firmly, which engages in the outer tooth profile (8) of the timing gear (7).

On the shaft (21) there is a reading lever or stylus (25) bent substantially at a right angle, the cement (24) of which is articulated on the shaft (21); the end (27) of the first arm (26) engages in the pawl-shaped toothing (9) of the gear wheel (7), while a second arm (28) has an extension or pin (29) in the middle which engages in a notch (30) of several notches (31) which are arranged on an intermediate cam (36) of the cam group (5) at a certain angular distance from one another.

Advantageously, the end (32) of the arm (28) of the lever (25) also acts as a stylus on this intermediate cam (36), which also has a suitable projecting part (35).

The stylus (25) may also be provided with another pin (33) fixed perpendicularly to the end (32) of the second arm (28) which actuates a switch (34) connected in a conventional manner to the electrical resistors (not shown) for heating the air in the drying phase of washing machines.

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The device (1) described above works as follows. The user has the possibility to set a specific washing procedure with the necessary breaks and at the same time a specific time for drying.

The cams and the intermediate cams (5) of the program roller (3) are aligned so that the notches (31) almost reach the pin (29) of the arm (28). At a certain moment in the washing process, the pin (29) engages the notch (30) and causes the group of slow cams (5) to stop in a conventional manner.

The engagement of the pin (29) in the notch (30) results in the rotation of the timing gear (7) which is rotated by the fast cam (18) through the movement transmission parts consisting of the pinion (20), the drive shaft (21) and the gear (23).

The gear (7) rotates until the end of the stylus (26) of the reading lever (25) is received by the involute tooth (10) And the lever (25) itself and its arm (28) rotate with the pin (29), whereby the pin (29) is released from the notch (30) and the slow cams (5) resume their movement.

Advantageously, during the rotation of the arm (28) of the lever (25), the switch (34) for switching the electrical resistances on or off for the drying phase can also be operated.

Based on the washing and drying program logic, the end (32) of the second arm (28) of the lever (25) is lifted by a suitable projecting part (35) of the intermediate cam (36); consequently, the arm (26) of the lever (25) is released, rises over the involute tooth (10) and releases the timer gear (7) which is reset to zero by the return spring (16).

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A first clear advantage of the present innovation is that the timer device acts as the only actual control element of the washing machine, since it controls the stop at a desired point and for a certain time.

The activation of the stop programmed on the basis of the present innovation allows the notches to be used for other purposes, thus extending the functions of the programming roller; in the specific case of using the device in combined washing and drying machines, the drying function can be completed by a single stop, thus eliminating numerous notches or a second timer unit.

In addition, the device can be used to switch on and off the electrical resistances for heating the air.

A further advantage is that the new device can be used in conjunction with conventional and different
Program rollers can be used because they are separated from the slow
Cams that represent the program memory are independent.

Claims (3)

1. Device for controlling the stoppage of a program roller (3) in washing machines with a group of vc-n fast cams (fSll) and with parts for stopping this roller, characterized in that it has a timing gear (7) with an internal toothing (9) which is rotated by one (18) of the fast cams (6), a two-armed lever (25) bent substantially at a right angle with a first arm (26) which is in engagement with the toothing (9) of the gear (7) and with a second arm (28) on which a pin (29) is fastened for actuating the parts for stopping the roller, furthermore parts (28, 32, 35, 36) for releasing the first arm (26) from the timing gear (7), and parts (12, 13, 14) for limiting the rotation of the gear (7). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the parts for releasing the first arm have an intermediate cam (36) with a part (35) projecting beyond the normal profile, which engages in the end (32) of the second arm (28). 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the parts for limiting the rotation of the gear (7) consist of a coaxial gear (14) with a firmly connected pin (13), the pin (13) protruding beyond a ring-shaped groove (12) in the gear (7) and being guided in a circle in this groove (12).