FR2575771A1 - PROBE FOR PROGRAMMERS - Google Patents

Abstract

A.PALPER 3 FOR PROGRAMMERS OF HOME APPLIANCES USING TWO PROGRAM SUPPORTS, ONE FOR "RAPID" MOVEMENTS 4 AND THE OTHER FOR "SLOW" MOVEMENTS 5, ACTING ON PROBE 3 BY CAMS 6 TO OPEN AND CLOSE OF SETS OF CONTACTS 10, 11, 12. B. PULPER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT IS OF DOUBLE CONSTRUCTION AND PRESENTS TWO BEVEL ENDS ON WHICH CAMS 6 ACT SO THAT THE PROBE ACTS ON A SINGLE SET OF CONTACTS 10, 11, 12 , THE PROVISION PROVIDING THAT THE TWO BEVELED ENDS ARE CONNECTED TO THE CAMS OF TWO PROGRAM SUPPORTS 4, 5 COMMANDING THE DRIVE OF THE SAME MECHANISM. C. THE INVENTION APPLIES TO LAUNDRY OR DISH WASHING MACHINES.

Description

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"Probe for programmers"

  The invention relates to a probe for programming

  machines of the type used in household appliances such as washing machines or dishes, this probe being considerably improved to allow

  an important simplification of the structure of the program

  particularly as regards the number of contacts used, without reducing the performance of

programmer operation.

  Program-controlled devices for domestic machines such as those mentioned above, operating according to preset work cycles, generally consist of a series of electrical contacts in the form of either simple switches or switches. driven by sliding probes by two program support elements, generally in the form of a disk or a drum, provided with a number of cams which, at the required time and for a period of time also programmed, determine the opening or closing

  temporary different circuits of the machine.

  One of these program support elements, i.e., one of these cam discs or drums, normally referred to as "slow" program support, generally advances step by step, according to preset time sequences. , so as to remain in each of its positions for different periods of time, while the other program support called "fast" program support, performs either a continuous movement or a

  step by step, remaining in each of his posi-

  for a period of time that is normally constant and generally much shorter than the period of time during which the "slow" program

in its shortest position.

  The different programs of these machines represent the continuous execution of a series of characteristic operations. In the case for example of washing machines, the admission of water, with or without washing products, the heating of the water bath, the mechanical agitation of the laundry inside this bath, the disposal of "dirty" water, etc., constitute some of these characteristic operations. The basic operations are controlled by electrical contacts connected to the disk or "slow" cam drum, while the electrical contacts associated with the "fast" disk or cam drum, properly connected to the various circuits of the machine, in series with certain of those related to the disk or "slow" cam drum, usually control the repetitive

  last less than basic operations and

  do one or more of these basic operations.

  All of this requires a relatively large number of electrical contacts and gives a degree of complexity of the circuits leading to a considerable increase in the cost of the product, its size, and its

risk of breakdowns.

  A programmer of this type corresponds to that of the Registered Model No. 204 785 belonging to the author of the present invention, and the improved probe proposed by the invention can be applied in particular to a programmer such as that of the Model deposited hereinafter. above, bringing a notable simplification to its structure

  and removing or reducing the above disadvantages.

  More precisely, the probe according to the invention has been specially designed to receive indistinctly the drive of the respective cams corresponding to the two "slow" and "fast" program supports, and in particular of the two cams which, according to the different stages of the program , must close the same circuit and act on the same contact because it concerns, as

  it has already been indicated, the same circuit in both cases.

  In this regard, and simply by way of example, it should be noted the case of a motor, a valve or any other element must also, according to a program step present in the "fast" support, be operated during another period of time by the "slow" program support of a programmer such as that described in the Registered Model 204 785, using two probes, one for "slow" support and the other for "fast" support ", acting on respective sets of electrical contacts, also independent but connected to the same element however, so that the latter is actuated by

the two contacts in series.

  The object of the invention is therefore, in particular in the case of functions to be present in given positions of the "slow" support and whose duration must be less than the time during which it remains in these positions, to reduce to the half the number of electrical contacts needed from the programmer to get the

  the same results, while retaining the characteristics

  This is extremely advantageous in practice because it makes it possible to eliminate a large number of electrical contacts with the resulting economic consequences.

  Thus, and more precisely, the program-

  The designer retains its structural characteristics in accordance with the model set forth above, that is to say concerning a flattened body in which the "fast" and "slow" program supports are arranged on one of its sides, and of which the cams touch a number of pushers crossing the flattened body and being perfectly guided, while moving, through partitions on the side

  opposite of the body, these partitions also serving as

  for contact groups embodied by single switches or respective switches. This

  However, the programmer has the characteristic

  the subject of the invention, that probes provided in principle to act on different groups

  corresponding to the power supply circuit

  of a given device, are physically bonded together to form a single piece whose respective ends emerge on the side of the flattened body containing the program supports and whose beveled front edges are placed operationally in front of the cams of the supports. program, while in the zone of the contacts are provided push-buttons which can in principle be reduced to a single pusher constituted more precisely by the one to touch the single group of contacts, but may, alternatively, be constituted by several pushers to be able to choose at will the position of the single group of contacts indicated above, among the multiples

  possibilities offered by the probe.

  From this basic structure, the probe according to the invention may comprise leading edges before bevelled for the adjacent cams, or completely separate leading edges comprising other probes complementary to each other, according to the needs of each particular case and without modifying the principle of the invention. For this purpose, the invention relates to an improved probe for programmers intended for apparatus

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  in particular for programmers using two program supports, one for the "fast" movement and the other for the "slow" movement, these program supports acting on the probe via respective sets of cams, so as to open or close respective sets of contacts, probe characterized in that it has a double construction, so as to have two bevelled ends on which act the respective cams of the program supports, while the probe acts in turn exclusively on a single set of contacts, the provision providing that the two beveled ends of the probe are connected to the cams of two program supports for controlling the drive of the same mechanism of the domestic appliance by steps operating in different time ranges, so that the thrust applied to the probe by one or the other cams connected thereto, i.e. by any one of the two program supports, cause a single group of control contacts of the mechanism, regardless of the program support having moved the probe, for interval

  set for one or the other of the program supports.

  The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a plan view of the main body of a programmer for domestic applications according to the invention, to see why this body is similar to that used in a conventional programmer such as that in Registered Design 204 785; FIG. 2 is a detail view, in section, of the body of FIG. 1, at one of the housings of a group of contacts, in which this group of contacts

  appears, as well as the associated probe and the cam

  of the latter, corresponding to the program support, all these elements being made according to the conventional technique according to which each feeler constitutes

  an independent element involving the corresponding analogue group

  laying of contacts; FIG. 3 is a detailed plan view of the assembly illustrated in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a similar illustration

  to that of Figure 3, but corresponding to a program

  the actuator according to the invention, wherein the probe is multiple and, to be more precise, double;

  - Figure 5 is a detail view in pers-

  perspective of the probe of Figure 4 represented individually

  dually ;. FIG. 6 is another illustration, similar to that of FIG. 4, but corresponding to another practical embodiment of the probe, in the case where two non-adjacent cams act on it; and - the figure. 7 is a perspective view of the probe corresponding to a practical embodiment of FIG. 6, in a representation similar to that

of Figure 5.

  In light of these figures, it can be seen that the programmer according to the invention has a flattened body 1, similar to that of a conventional programmer, and comprises, for the above purpose, a set of small median windows 2 arranged in longitudinal alignment, through which emerge beveled ends 3 of the respective feelers intended to be driven by the cams placed in the program supports 4 and 5 shown in broken lines in Figure 1, the reference 4 corresponding to the program support " fast "while reference 5 corresponds to" slow "program support. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the unitary structure corresponding to each contact, according to

  conventional technology, so that the cam 6 corre-

  laying on a given program support 4, 5, acts on a feeler 3 emerging on the side of the body 1 opposite to that shown in FIG. 1, and sliding in the body I by a groove 7 and a transverse extension 8 formed in this latter, this cam 6 having a lateral projection 9 which, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, comes into contact with the moving contact of a switch, so as to bring it into its inactive position represented on this Figure, or so as to close a circuit via the lower contact 11, or a second circuit via the contact

higher 12.

  According to this conventional arrangement, each program step provided on the supports 4 and 5, is associated with a probe 3 by means of the multiple cams 6 of these supports, and consequently to a set

  of electrical contacts 10, 11, 12.

  According to the invention, two feelers 3 'and 3 "intended to receive the drive of the cams corresponding to the two" fast "and" slow "program supports 4 and 5 linked to the same operating step, that is to say to a given drive of the same element of the domestic appliance, are connected together, so as to form a single piece, by an intermediate connecting sector 13, which allows them to be driven simultaneously by the cam of one or the other of the program supports, because we want to obtain the same effect in each case, although with values of

different times.

  The probes connected together in a single piece, can occupy adjacent positions, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, or different alternating positions, as in the example shown in Figures 6 and 7, the configuration and dimensions of these probes can vary in each case as needed, without

  that this modifies the principle of the invention.

  In all cases, and as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the double probe is intended to act on a single group of contacts 10 'because, as the two probes are connected in one piece, the second group of contacts is useless and must be deleted. Although the dual probe shown in the figures is also provided with two pushers 9 'and 9 ", it is obvious that only one of them is

  used, and more precisely the one corresponding to the

  seems to 10 'contacts, so the other can be

  deleted; however, in this preferred example of

  The second pusher has been retained because, on the one hand, it increases the cost of the probe only slightly, and on the other hand it makes it possible to choose. between two possible receiving elements to place the set - of contacts, and to use the one that is the most practical, provided to keep the number of conventional housing, because it is obviously possible to adapt also the structure of the body principal to the final number of dwellings that come to be necessary to implement the invention, this

  number being significantly smaller than the number of programs

classics of this type.

  It should also be mentioned that the practical solutions illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, 7 are given only as a simple example, and that the probes can take any configuration, according to the needs of each case. , without modifying the principle of the invention characterized exclusively by the fact that the probes for two sets of contacts corresponding in turn to the cams of two supports, and having to act in the same way on the supply circuit of the same element, are connected together in one piece

  to form a double probe that can be indis-

  by a cam or the other, and causing his

turn a single group of contacts.

  Many variations can be made to the materials, shape, size and layout

  elements, as will be evident from the

  specialists, provided that this does not alter the essential nature of the features of the invention.

R E V E N D I CAT I ON

  Advanced probe (3) for programmers intended for household appliances, and in particular for programmers using two program supports (4, 5), one (4) for the "fast" movement and the other (5) for the "slow" movement, these program supports acting on the probe (3) via respective sets of cams (6), so as to open or close respective sets of contacts (10, 11, 12), probe characterized in that it has a double construction, so as to comprise two bevelled ends on which act the respective cams (6) of the program supports (4, 5), while the probe acts in turn exclusively on a single set of contacts (10, 11, 12), the arrangement providing that the two bevelled ends of the probe (3) are connected to the cams of two program supports (4, 5) for controlling the drive of the same mechanism of the domestic appliance by operating steps being in different time ranges, so that the thrust applied to the feeler (3) by one or other of the cams (6) connected thereto, i.e. any one of the two program supports (4, 5), drives a single group of control contacts (10, 11, 12) of the mechanism, regardless of the program support having moved the probe, during the interval of time

  set for one or the other of the program supports.