US3725618A - Electric program switch for automatic appliances - Google Patents

Electric program switch for automatic appliances Download PDF

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Publication number
US3725618A
US3725618A US00067377A US3725618DA US3725618A US 3725618 A US3725618 A US 3725618A US 00067377 A US00067377 A US 00067377A US 3725618D A US3725618D A US 3725618DA US 3725618 A US3725618 A US 3725618A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
platter
strip
metal strips
program switch
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00067377A
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English (en)
Inventor
D Voland
E Scheer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kieninger and Obergfell GmbH and Co
Original Assignee
Kieninger and Obergfell GmbH and Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kieninger and Obergfell GmbH and Co filed Critical Kieninger and Obergfell GmbH and Co
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Publication of US3725618A publication Critical patent/US3725618A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H43/00—Time or time-programme switches providing a choice of time-intervals for executing one or more switching actions and automatically terminating their operations after the programme is completed
    • H01H43/10—Time or time-programme switches providing a choice of time-intervals for executing one or more switching actions and automatically terminating their operations after the programme is completed with timing of actuation of contacts due to a part rotating at substantially constant speed
    • H01H43/12—Time or time-programme switches providing a choice of time-intervals for executing one or more switching actions and automatically terminating their operations after the programme is completed with timing of actuation of contacts due to a part rotating at substantially constant speed stopping automatically after a single cycle of operation
    • H01H43/124—Time or time-programme switches providing a choice of time-intervals for executing one or more switching actions and automatically terminating their operations after the programme is completed with timing of actuation of contacts due to a part rotating at substantially constant speed stopping automatically after a single cycle of operation using a disc
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H43/00—Time or time-programme switches providing a choice of time-intervals for executing one or more switching actions and automatically terminating their operations after the programme is completed
    • H01H43/10—Time or time-programme switches providing a choice of time-intervals for executing one or more switching actions and automatically terminating their operations after the programme is completed with timing of actuation of contacts due to a part rotating at substantially constant speed
    • H01H43/101—Driving mechanisms

Definitions

  • Such program switches generally include a rotatable platter carried on a usually vertical shaft which, in the course of an operating cycle of the appliance, performs 1 revolution or a fraction thereof and which carries a number of cam tracks coacting with associated switch contacts in different angular positions.
  • our invention aims at providing a .compact and self-contained unit including all the necessary contact elements and associated conductors for establishing the desired circuits between a common voltage source and a large number of freely accessible terminals to be selectively energized and de-energized.
  • At least one pair of flat stationary contact carriers each including a plate-shaped body of insulating material, preferably a synthetic resin; having an array of coplanar metal strips imbedded therein, each body having at least one cutout exposing portions of the imbedded strips for the establishment of conductive contact with similar strips projecting into an aligned cutout on the other contact carrier upon close juxtaposition of the two insulating bodies.
  • the aligned cutouts of the two bodies contain conductive elements together constituting a number of pairs of coacting switch contacts,'one element of each contact pair being a resilient leaf which carries an extension preferably of non-conductive (e.g.
  • the two juxtaposed contact carriers may be permanently bonded to each other, e.g. by thermal fusion if their insulating bodies consist of thermoplastic material.
  • all the conductor strips of either contact carrier are originally part of a continuous metal foil to which the surrounding insulation is applied by any conventional technique such as spraying or molding.
  • the covering insulating layer is omitted so that the links can be readily severed by a cutting tool.
  • the tool may be a die with a number of cutting edges registering with all the locations where such severance is to be carried out, the use of such a tool positively eliminating any error in the positioning and the interconnection of the conductor strips.
  • some or all of the conductor strips may be left permanently interconnected for energization in parallel from a supply lead connected to the foil, the strips of the other contact carrier then terminating in respective tabs which project marginally from its insulating body for engagement by wire clips, binding posts or similar connectors.
  • the junction between the foil of the first body, serving as a live bus bar, and its supply lead may be in the form of a slit in that foil bounded by two resilient tongues integral therewith, these tongues being adapted to grip a plug inserted into a slit through a hole in the insulating body.
  • Such a slit in a strip of one carrier may also be used for a semipermanent conductive connection with an aligned strip in the other carrier,
  • a semipermanent connection may be useful, for example, if not all the necessary terminal tabs can be accommodated on the carrier confronting the live bus bar so that one or more strips in the last-mentioned carrier, insulated from the remaining strips, are utilized for an output connection.
  • the slit may be formed by a complete transverse separation of the strip into two portions with confronting ends bent out of the plane of the strip to form the tongues.
  • FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of a contact assembly representing a program switch embodying our invention
  • FIG. 2 is a top plan view, with parts broken away, of the assembly of FIG. 1;
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views, generally similar to FIG. 2, drawn to a smaller scale and showing two possible extensions of the arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • FIG. 1 we have shown a shaft 1 which is driven from a nonillustrated motor, either continuously or intermittently under the control of a timer, to cause the programmed closing and opening of circuits serving an associated washing machine or similar appliance.
  • Shaft 1 carries a platter 2 and is journaled in bearings 3 and 4 of the cover 6 and the bottom 5 of a housing 7 of nonconductive material.
  • Each side of platter 2 is provided with a series of cam tracks which may be in the form of arcuate grooves centered on the shaft 1, parts of such grooves being visible at 31 on the upper platter surface and at 131 on its lower surface.
  • Each of these surfaces confronts a respective pair of juxtaposed contact carriers 8, 9 and 10, 11 separated by a small clearance from the platter,
  • each contact carrier being a flat dielectric plate of rectangular shape as particularly illustrated for the uppermost plate 8 in FIG. 2.
  • Imbedded in the insulating bodies of carriers 8 11 are metallic strips 12, 13, 14 and 15, respectively, of good electrical conductivity.
  • Each set of strips is initially part of a continuous foil of grid-like structure; the original contours of matrix 13 of plate 9' are visible in dotted lines in FIG. 2.
  • the pattern of this matrix is seen to be formed by a multiplicity of perforations 17, most of them rectangular, which subdivide the foil into two mutually orthogonal groups of generally parallel strip zones partly indicated at 19 and 20.
  • These strip zones are interconnected by integral cross-links 18 so as to form, initially, an electrically continuous network whose constituents are then separated from one another by a severance of these links.
  • the upper insulating layer of plate 9 may be omitted at areas 51 overlying the links 18 whereby the latter may be cut, as indicated at 18', to interrupt the current path between adjoining strip zones.
  • Extensions 21 28 of these strip zones form part of a connection between the contact strips proper and a set of terminal tabs 29 projecting from an edge of plate 9; similar terminal tabs, not shown, are integral with the conductor array of the bottom plate 11 of the lower stack.
  • Each of the four plates 8 11 is formed with a set of generally rectangular cutouts 46, 47, 48 and 49 accominodating projecting ends 16, 33, 38 and 39 of conductor strips 12 15, respectively.
  • Strip portions 33 and 39 are passive contacts and may be relatively rigid.
  • Strip portions 16 and 38 are active contacts of a highly elastic metal and are resiliently movable in their cutouts under the control of associated cam tracks 31, 131 which they engage by means of wedge-shaped lugs 30, 130 of insulating material molded onto their tips; The interengaging extremities of the strips may be provided with conventional blobs of contact material applied thereto mechanically or by thermal bonding.
  • each cutout 46 of plate 8 accommodates three parallel contactsprings 16 which are extensions of the imbedded conductor array and are separated from one another by bar-shaped dividers 37 of insulating material integral with the body of the plate.
  • FIG. 1 shows that these dividers rise to the level of the lid 6 while similar dividers 137 of plate 11 extend to the housing bottom 5, thereby contributing to the mechanical stability of the assembly.
  • a strip 16 is cammed out of engagement with its countercontact 33 by the edge of a groove 31 acting upon the lug 30, a knee 32 of that strip rises above the top of plate 8 into the space separating it from lid 6.
  • the presence of the dividers in that space prevents undesirable contact between adjacent'strips 16 simultaneously deflected into this open-circuit position.
  • the metal foils 12 and 13 originally imbedded in carriers 8 and 9 are cut away along a marginal zone 36 around each cutout 46 (except at the points where these foils connect with the corresponding contact elements 16 and 33) to guard against accidental contact between the mobile springs and the imbedded conductors.
  • the movable contact springs 16 of plate 8 are shown bent toward companion plate 9 whose cutouts 47 are traversed by their lugs 30, a different arrangement is adopted for the stack 10, 11 whose upper plate 10, proximal to the platter 2, carries the mobile or active contacts 38 whereas the remote plate 11 holds the passive contacts 39. These latter contacts have been shown partly dropped into the space separating plate 11 from housing bottom 5 so as to increase the spacing between the free ends of elements 38 and 39 in the illustrated open-circuit position inwhich the lug on the rectilinear spring 38 enters a track groove 131.
  • a part of the downwardly bent portion of strip 39 is reinforced by a sheath of insulating coating 40 integral with the body of plate 1 1.
  • conductors 16, 33 may serve as contacts for a control circuit of relatively low voltage whereas conductors 38, 39 may act as circuit breakers for the highvoltage power supply feeding the drive motor of the appliance.
  • the imbedded extension of each spring 16 is shown traversed by a slit bounded by two upturned, resilient tongues 32 integral with confronting strip portions to act as gripper jaws for a bridge piece 34 also engaged by the jaws 132 of an aligned slit in a juxtaposed conductor strip 13.
  • the resulting coupling between the two strips constitutes a semipermanent connection for the continuous energization of this particular conductor 13 from the source of voltage connected to the network 12.
  • the connection between the network 12 and its voltage source is shown traversed by a slit bounded by two upturned, resilient tongues 32 integral with confronting strip portions to act as gripper jaws for a bridge piece 34 also engaged by the jaws 132 of an aligned slit in a juxtaposed conductor strip 13.
  • the conductor array 14 of plate 10 may be connected to its power supply with the aid of a plug gripped by a pairof upwardly converging tongues or jaws.
  • a similar slit is formed in one of the conductors 15 of plate 11, the jaws 232 of this slit gripping a downwardly bent extremity 41 of contact spring 38.
  • the tongues or gripper jaws 32, 132, 232 may be produced concurrently with the gaps 18' (FIG. 2) by means of punching tools on the Harbore which severs the links 18.
  • the spacing of the tongues may be sufficient to insulate adjoining strips in the absence of an interposed connector.
  • a rotary switch member 44 (coplanar with platter 2) underlies the stack 8,9 to coact with two sets of contact pairs 43', 43" forming part of a reversing switch.
  • the construction of switch contacts 43, 43" may be generally similar to that of elements 16, 33 described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, these switch contacts being included in the conductive arrays of carrier plates 8 and 9 by internal connections not shown.
  • FIG. '3 also shows more clearly than FIG. 2 the relative orientation of the several sets of contact springs 16 with reference to platter 2, the corresponding rectangular cutouts 46 being peripherally arrayed about the shaft 1 so that their major edges (and therefore also their springs 16) are tangent to an imaginary circle drawn about the shaft axis. All the contact springs 16 may be energized in parallel through their residual connections with matrix 12.
  • FlG. 4 shows a more elaborate arrangement including a second platter 45 coacting with a further set of contact springs 16'.
  • a program switch comprising a rotatable platter provided on at least one surface with a set of cam tracks; and two flat stationary contact carriers parallel to said platter permanently joined together and closely juxtaposed on the side of said surface, each of said contact carriers including a plate-shaped body of insulating material with at least one cutout and with an imbedded array of coplanar metal strips projecting into said cutout, the cutouts of said contact carriers registering with each other to enable conductive interengagement of exposed portions of pairs of coacting metal strips, the exposed portion of one strip of each coacting pair being a resilient leaf provided with a formation projecting through at least one of the aligned cutouts into contact with a corresponding cam track on said surface for alternate engagement with and disengagement from the other strip of the pair, the metal strips of one of said contact carriers terminating in tabs projecting marginally from the body thereof, the metal strips of the other of said contact carriers being part of a continuous foil, said foil being provided with an intermediate slit bounded by two resilient tongues integral with the foil, the body
  • a program switch as defined in claim 1 wherein the strip carrying said formation is part of the contact carrier remote from said platter and is bent at said leaf toward said platter into a cutout of the contact carrier proximal to the platter.
  • a program switch as defined in claim 6 wherein metal strips in said offset portions connected in circuit 1 with at least some metal strips controlled by the cam tracks of said platter.
  • a program switch comprising a rotatable platter provided on at least one surface with a set of cam tracks; and two flat stationary contact carriers parallel to said platter permanently joined together and closely juxtaposed on the side of said surface, each of said contact carriers including a plate-shaped body of insulating material with at least one cutout and with an imbedded array of coplanar metal strips projecting into said cutout, the cutouts of said contact carriers registering with each other to enable conductive interengagement of exposed portions of pairs of coacting metal strips, the exposed portion of one strip of each coacting pair being a resilient leaf provided with a formation projecting through at least one of the aligned cutouts into contact with a corresponding cam track on said surface for alternate engagement with and disengagement from the other strip of the pair, a metal strip of one contact carrier having an extremity bent toward the other contact carrier, the latter having an overlying strip formed with an intermediate slit penetrated with frictional engagement by said extremity.
  • a program switch comprising a rotatable platter provided on at least one surface with a set of cam tracks; and two flat stationary contact carriers parallel to said platter permanently joined together and closely juxtaposed on the side of said surface, each of said contact carriers including a plate-shaped body of insulating material with at least one cutout and with an imbedded array of coplanar metal strips projecting into said cutout, the cutouts of said contact carriers registering with each other to enable conductive interengagement of exposed portions of pairs of coacting metal strips, the exposed portion of one strip of each coacting pair being a resilient leaf provided with a formation projecting through at least one of the aligned cutouts into contact with a corresponding cam track on said surface for alternate engagement with and disengagement from the other strip of the pair, two metal strips in said contact carriers being provided with aligned intermediate slits, further comprising a conductive bridge piece frictionally received in both said slits.

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  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Nozzles For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)
  • Electrostatic Separation (AREA)
US00067377A 1969-09-03 1970-08-27 Electric program switch for automatic appliances Expired - Lifetime US3725618A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19691944648 DE1944648A1 (de) 1969-09-03 1969-09-03 Elektrisches Programmsteuergeraet fuer Wasch- oder Geschirrspuelmaschinen u.dgl.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3725618A true US3725618A (en) 1973-04-03

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ID=5744488

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00067377A Expired - Lifetime US3725618A (en) 1969-09-03 1970-08-27 Electric program switch for automatic appliances

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Country Link
US (1) US3725618A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1944648A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2060385B3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1301550A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4060702A (en) * 1976-01-09 1977-11-29 Wallace Leon Linn Timer switch assembly having escapement mechanism
US5637843A (en) * 1995-09-28 1997-06-10 Eaton Corporation Electromechanical programmer/timer
WO1999034052A3 (en) * 1997-12-31 1999-08-19 Arcel & Idot Cam component with program indicator
US6483052B2 (en) * 2001-03-20 2002-11-19 Ranco Incorporated Of Delaware Electromechanical appliance programmer/timer

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3003097A (en) * 1958-07-17 1961-10-03 Gen Electric Sequence control system for timing motor
US3154645A (en) * 1962-09-17 1964-10-27 Parlato Philip Cam operated sequential switching device
US3239629A (en) * 1963-10-15 1966-03-08 Lesser Norton Contact operator
US3330917A (en) * 1965-01-18 1967-07-11 Sealectro Corp Rotary drum programming apparatus
US3339033A (en) * 1964-04-16 1967-08-29 Ledex Inc Rotary selector switch with cam operated contacts

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3003097A (en) * 1958-07-17 1961-10-03 Gen Electric Sequence control system for timing motor
US3154645A (en) * 1962-09-17 1964-10-27 Parlato Philip Cam operated sequential switching device
US3239629A (en) * 1963-10-15 1966-03-08 Lesser Norton Contact operator
US3339033A (en) * 1964-04-16 1967-08-29 Ledex Inc Rotary selector switch with cam operated contacts
US3330917A (en) * 1965-01-18 1967-07-11 Sealectro Corp Rotary drum programming apparatus

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4060702A (en) * 1976-01-09 1977-11-29 Wallace Leon Linn Timer switch assembly having escapement mechanism
US5637843A (en) * 1995-09-28 1997-06-10 Eaton Corporation Electromechanical programmer/timer
WO1999034052A3 (en) * 1997-12-31 1999-08-19 Arcel & Idot Cam component with program indicator
US6483052B2 (en) * 2001-03-20 2002-11-19 Ranco Incorporated Of Delaware Electromechanical appliance programmer/timer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2060385B3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1977-01-21
DE1944648A1 (de) 1971-03-11
GB1301550A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-12-29
FR2060385A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-06-18

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