FR2501394A1 - CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE ENERGY SUPPLY OF A GAS AND ELECTRICITY APPLIANCE - Google Patents

Abstract

IN AN APPARATUS OPERATING WITH GAS OR ELECTRICITY WILL (POSSIBLY LOW AND HIGH VOLTAGE) AND EQUIPPED WITH A CONTROL VALVE 1 WITH IGNITION PUSH-BUTTON 7 PROVIDED WITH A REST POSITION (THIS SHOWN FOR ITS CONTROL KNOB 8 ANGULARLY FIXED), AS WELL AS A SWITCH 2 ASSOCIATED WITH THE ELECTRIC HEATING CIRCUITS, PROVIDED BETWEEN 1 AND 2 A SAFETY MECHANISM PREVENTING THE GAS AND ELECTRICITY CANNOT BE OPERATED AT THE SAME TIME. THIS MECHANISM INCLUDES A DRUM 17 HOLD ON THE SHAFT 14 OF 2 AND A FINGER 16 WHICH, AS SOON AS IT IS PUSHED BACK 8 FROM ITS CLOSING POSITION OF 1, ENGAGES IN A GROOVE 17A OF 17 WHAT BLOCKS 2 TO THE OPENING WHILE IF 2 IS IN THE CLOSED POSITION, 8 IS LOCKED ON CLOSING OF 1.

Description

The present invention relates to power control systems.

  energy consumption of devices that can work equally well with

  gas (butane or propane for example) or electricity.

  Certain appliances, such as absorption refrigerators, can thus use either combustible gas or electricity. Before starting these devices, the user must therefore choose the power supply (gas or electricity) by avoiding any false operation, for example feeding his device at the same time with

gas and electricity.

  The example of absorption refrigerators will help to better understand the practical concerns that lie at the basis of the

present invention.

  These absorption refrigerators comprise, in a manner known per se: - a thermally insulated compartment, intended for example for the preservation of foodstuffs; - a refrigeration circuit, called in practice "aggregate", ensuring the circulation in closed cycle of a refrigerant mixture (in general water-ammonia-hydrogen), mainly arranged outside and behind the compartment isolated; this circuit includes a boiler at the bottom of the aggregate, an evaporator located inside the compartment

  isolated, and a condenser at the top of the aggregate.

  In the case of mixed refrigerators, i.e. those operating

  nter indifferently with gas or electricity, the boiler is in heat exchange relationship, on the one hand with a gas burner and on the other hand with an electrical resistance. This leads to the existence on the appliance, on the one hand, of a gas circuit, controlled by a so-called control or safety valve, supplying the burner from a separate source and tap and external to the refrigerator. , and on the other hand an electrical circuit, controlled by a switch, supplying the heating resistance from an external source, electrical outlet

220V or 12V battery for example.

  In this case, a control panel is provided on the refrigerator.

  guardian; it combines, but separately, the switch and the control valve. When choosing gas energy, the user puts the electrical switch or checks that it is in a position opening (or interrupting) the electrical supply circuit of the

  resistance, then actuates the safety valve and ignites the burner.

  When he chooses electrical energy, he cuts the gas circuit,

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  general by means of a tap located outside the refrigerator, then it brings the switch to a position closing (or establishing) the

  electrical circuit supplying the resistor.

  By doing all this, the user is not immune to false nanostructures, which can lead to simultaneous heating of the boiler and by the burner and by the electrical resistance. It suffices for this that it omits to put the switch in the open position when it lights the burner, or to cut the gas circuit when it places the

  switch in closed position.

  Such a false maneuver can lead, on the one hand to overheating

  too large of the parts adjacent to the burner, with all the

  corresponding possible deterioration, and on the other hand to an increase

  significant pressure in the aggregate, with a corresponding risk

explosion date.

  In these conditions, it is essential to avoid false maneuvers.

  vres above and this is the technical problem that seeks to solve

the present invention.

  More specifically, the invention aims to solve the problem in question, using control valves with mechanical display, comprising in a manner known per se: - an elastically loaded valve - a seat for the valve; - a thermosensitive element connected to the burner, ensuring the retention of the valve against its elastic load, when this burner is in operation; - a plastically charged valve, temporarily pushing the valve against its elastic load, when the burner is being ignited; and in which the pusher is reset, either in its initial position, under the cumulative effect of its elastic load and that of the valve, or in an intermediate position, under the sole effect of its

elastic load.

  According to the present invention, it has been found that the false maneuvers envisaged above could be avoided, by interposing between the control valve and the switch a safety mechanism having in combination the following functions: a) authorizing the operation of the valve lifter control,

  only when the switch is in the first interrupted position

  pant the electrical circuit of the resistor; b) prohibit the operation of the switch from its first position, towards a second closing the electrical circuit for supplying the resistor, when or as long as the push-button of the control valve is in its intermediate position; c) authorize the maneuver defined above, only when the push-button of the control valve is reset in its initial position. Since there are a wide variety of rotary control, rocker, push button, etc. switches, a large number of different mechanical means can be used to achieve

  combines the three security effects defined above.

  The appended drawing given by way of example will allow a better understanding of the invention, the characteristics which it presents and the advantages which it is capable of providing: FIG. 1 is a plan view with section showing the assembly of the control valve, the switch, their control members and the

  security system interposed between them.

  Fig. 2 and 3 are diagrams reproducing part of FIG. 1 and showing the valve control push button on the one hand to its fully depressed position corresponding to the ignition of the burner, on the other hand to that intermediate corresponding to normal operation with gas. Fig. 4 is a partial front view showing the control panel of the refrigerator with the push-button of the control valve and the steering wheel of the switch. There is shown in I-I the section plane

of fig. 1.

  Fig. 5 is a section along V-V (fig. 4).

  Fig. 6 to 8 are views similar to that of FIG. 5 but

  corresponding to other positions of the parts.

  The control system comprises two members joined and arranged adjacent, with their respective axes substantially parallel, namely on the one hand a control valve 1 (also called safety valve)

  with mechanical display, and on the other hand an electrical switch 2.

  These two organs are fixed on top of an absorption refrigerator,

  behind a control panel 3.

  The control valve 1 is conventional; it is for example that referenced 819-13 sold by the French company MADEC. Without going into the details of its internal arrangement, which has for example been described in the two French patent applications 78 28317 of 27

250 1394

  September 1978 and 80 26988 of December 15, 1980 previously filed by the Applicant, but was also summarized in the introduction to the

  present description, it suffices to recall that this valve comprises

  - A gas inlet 4 connected, for example by a flexible hose, to a valve separate from the refrigerator, which valve is connected to a bottle or to a rigid gas pipe; - A gas outlet 5 connected by a rigid pipe to a burner (not shown) in heat exchange relationship with the boiler of the aggregate; - a thermosensitive element (not shown) connected by an electrical connection 6 to a thermocouple (not shown) in contact with the burner flame - a pusher 7 movable in translation, making it possible to temporarily push the valve, against its load elastic,

  when the burner is lighting.

  The pusher 7 is linked to a control button 8 via a piezoelectric mechanism 9 and a connecting piece 10, all of these elements being aligned along the axis of the control valve. The purpose of the piezoelectric mechanism is to generate an electrical voltage, transmitted by at least one conductive wire to at least one electrode.

  disposed in the vicinity of the burner, which voltage generates a spark

  that of ignition. The connection of the piezoelectric mechanism 9, on one side with the control button 8, and on the other side with the pusher 7, is in accordance with the invention described and claimed in French patent application 80 26988 filed on December 15, 1980 by the Applicant, and

  is outside the scope of the present invention. The command button

  8 has two parts 11 and 12 of different colors; he is

  fixed in rotation; indeed, it is of square section and can move

  cer in translation in an adjusted light 13 of the control panel 3.

  After having been moved, the pusher 7 resets itself, either in its initial position, which corresponds to the emergence outside table 3 of the two parts 11 and 12 of the button 8 and means that the burner is not not lit, either in an intermediate position, which corresponds to the emergence outside Table 3 of Part 11 only of the button and indicates that the burner is lit. The initial position and the intermediate position of the control button 8 are respectively

shown in fig. 1 and 3.

  The switch 2 is rotary-controlled and has a shaft 14 connected to a flywheel 15. This switch control has four

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  possible positions, namely - a first position (fig. 5), identified by the word "GAS", in which the respective electrical supply circuits of two resistors, located in heat exchange relationship with the boiler of the aggregate, one in 220 V AC and the other in 12 V DC, are open and therefore interrupted; - a second position (fig. 6) marked with "220V", in which the 220V circuit is closed and the 12V circuit open; - a third position (fig. 7) marked by 12V in which the 12V circuit is closed and the 220V circuit open; - a fourth position marked with 0 "in which the

  two 12V and 220V circuits are open.

  The safety mechanism according to the invention comprises, on the one hand a finger 16 and on the other hand a recess or groove of complementary shape 17a. More specifically, the finger 16 is integral with the control button 8 and is arranged on the side of the latter. An intermediate piece 17 is

  wedged on the shaft 14 between the flywheel 15 and the body 18 of the switch 2.

  It is this part 17 which has the recess 17a of complementary shape

  to that of finger 16, in this case a trapezoidal shape.

  Referring to fig. 1, 2, 3 and 5, it can be seen that the finger 16 and the recess 17a are in axial coincidence only for the "GAS" position of the electric switch. 0 Starting from the "GAS" position (see fig. 1, 3 and 5) of switch 2, and from the initial position (burner not lit) of pusher 7 or control button 8 of control valve 1, how the

  security mechanism according to the invention can be explained as follows.

  Firstly, in the GAS position ", when the control button 8, and therefore the pusher 7 of the control valve 1 is pushed back, the first is able to move over its entire travel, to fully depress the pusher, since the finger 16 can move in the recess 17a, and is limited in its travel only by the body 18 of the switch 2, which is located behind the end of travel of the pusher 7 (cf. fig. 2). This coupling and this displacement relative to each other of the finger 16 and the recess 17a make it possible to push the valve of the valve 1 against its elastic load and to switch on the

  burner thanks to the piezoelectric mechanism 9, the latter being triggered

  after the end of stroke 7 has arrived.

  Second, when the burner is lit, and when released

  the control button 8, the latter returns to an intermediate position

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  diary shown in fig. 3. In this position, the finger 16 remains coupled

  plé at the recess 17a. It is then impossible to operate the switch

  tor from the GAS position to the "220V or" 12V "position,

  since the shaft 14 is blocked in rotation, due to the coupling-

  ment 16-17a but also the rotation lock of the control button 8. Third, if you want to switch to electric power, it is necessary to cut off the gas supply to the refrigerator, whereby the burner goes out and push-button 7 of the control valve returns to its initial position (see fig. 1). As soon as the finger 16 and the recess 17a are uncoupled, the switch can be placed in the position

  "220V 'or" 12V ", or' 0"; this last position corresponds to the opening

  of electrical circuits "12V" and 220V ', and the impossibility

  actuate the control valve 1.

  In the three aforementioned positions (cf. FIGS. 6 to 8) there is no longer an axial coincidence between the elements 16 and 17a and when the control button 8 is pressed, the finger 16 immediately comes into abutment on

  the intermediate piece 17, so that it is no longer possible to action-

ner control valve 1.

  It should also be understood that the above description has not

  has been given only by way of example and that it in no way limits the field of the invention from which one would not depart by replacing the

  execution details described by all other equivalents.

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Claims (9)

R E V E N D I C A T I 0 N S   1. Control system for the supply of energy to an appliance working either with a gas burner or with at least one electrical resistance, comprising: - a control valve (1) with mechanical display, comprising a valve elastically loaded, a seat for said valve, a heat-sensitive element connected to the burner ensuring the retention of the valve   against its elastic load when the burner is in operation-   In addition, an elastically loaded pusher (7) making it possible to temporarily push the valve against its elastic load when the burner is in the process of lighting, said pusher being reset, ie in its initial position under the cumulative effect of its elastic load and that of the valve, either in an intermediate position under the sole effect of its elastic load; - an electrical switch (2), used to establish or   interrupt the resistance circuit; -   characterized in that between the control valve (1) and the switch   (2) is interposed a safety mechanism which allows, on the one hand   Only operate the valve plunger when the switch   tor is in a first position interrupting the electrical circuit of the resistor, and secondly to prohibit the operation of the switch from the first position, when the valve lifter is in its intermediate position, but to authorize said maneuver   when said pusher is reset to its initial position.   2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety mechanism comprises two complementary elements the first (16) subject to the push-button of the control valve (1), the second (11a) subject to the switch (2), these two elements: - being in coincidence with one another in the first position of the switch; - mating and moving relative to each other, in their coincidence position, during the operation of the pusher (7) of the control valve (1); - remaining coupled as long as the pusher (7) is in its intermediate position, which coupling prohibits the operation of the switch (2) from its first position; - being uncoupled in the initial position of the pusher 250 139 4   (7), which uncoupling allows the operation of the switch (2) from its first position, while keeping the pusher (7) blocked. 3. System according to claim 2, according to which the switch is with rotary control, characterized in that one of the elements has the shape of a finger (16) and the other that of a recess (17a), the recess and finger: - being in axial coincidence in the first position of the switch - moving one inside the other, in their axial coincidence position, when operating the push-button of the control valve. 4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the finger (.16) is integral with a control button (8) connected to the pusher (7) of the control valve.   5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the   control button (8) is fixed in rotation and movable in translation.   6. System according to claim 3, characterized in that a part   intermediate (17) is subjected in rotation to the shaft (19) of the commutator   and is arranged between the control wheel (15) and the body (18)   of said switch, this part comprising a recess (17a) complementary   keep silent with the finger (16) of the safety mechanism.   7. System according to any one of claims 4 to 6,   characterized in that the switch (2) and the control valve (1) are arranged adjacent to each other, their respective axes being substantially parallel, in that the recess (17a) of the intermediate piece (17) has the shape of a notch, and in that the finger (16) is arranged on one side of the control button (8) of the pusher (7) and has a shape   complementary to that of said notch.   8. System according to any one of the preceding claims,   characterized in that the switch (2) has a second and a third position corresponding to the selective closing of two   electrical circuits of different electrical voltages.   9. System according to claim 9, characterized in that the switch (2) has a fourth position or rest position corresponding to the opening of the two electrical circuits - and preventing   the operation of the pusher (7) of the control valve (1).