US3883708A - Timer switch assembly with independently controlled manual and motor driven cams - Google Patents

Abstract

The timer motor drives the multi-lobe cam to periodically actuate the switch to ''''closed'''' and intermittently run (pulse) the separate appliance motor. When the knob is manually turned 90*, the lobe of the outer manually actuated mask or actuator rotates to actuate the switch to closed position continuously so the appliance motor runs continuously. The actuator is journaled in the plate and journals the end of the driven cam which is fixed in the timer motor output shaft.

Description

United States Patent Gebel et a1. May 13, 1975 [5 TIMER SWITCH ASSEMBLY WITH 3,293,769 12/1966 Graham 200/38 B x INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED MANUAL 3,588,391 6/1971 Banathy et al. 200/38 B X AND MOTOR DRIVEN CAMS 3,742,159 6/1973 Brown 200/38 B X 3,790,726 2/1974 Brown 200/38 B Inventors: Irving Gebel, Skolcie; Michael H.

Enger, Schaumburg, both of 111.

Assignee: Controls Company of America,

Schiller Park, 111.

Filed: Jan. 14, 1974 Appl. No.: 432,852

US. Cl 200/38 R Int. Cl. H0lh 43/10 Field of Search... 200/37 R, 37 A, 38 R, 38 A, 200/38 F, 38 FA, 38 PB, 38 B, 38 BA, 38 C, 38 CA, 153 L, 153 LB, 291, 327

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1966 Rulseh et a1. 200/38 FB Primary Examiner-James R. Scott Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael, Best & Friedrich ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures TIMER SWITCH ASSEMBLY WITH INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED MANUAL AND MOTOR DRIVEN. CAMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the blender/food mixer art it is recognized. that certain ingredients are processed faster if the mixer is pulsed i.e., run intermittently. For this purpose a simple timer is used to control the power supply to the mixer motor and energization of the timer motor is controlled by a push button switch. Since continuous operation of the appliance motor must also be provided for, it is customary to provide a selector switch to remove the timer from the circuit and directly energize the appliance motor. This entails a selector switch, mounting for the switch, and additional wiring.

This invention is directed to simplification of the control arrangement with consequent cost savings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the construction and wiring arrangement described above, the functions are provided at a considerable saving. The selector switch is eliminated and thus the mounting and wiring therefor are eliminated. Simple manual means as easily actuated as the prior selector switch control the timer switch to override the pulsing of the switch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a combination wiring diagram and schematic showing of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the timer.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED- EMBODIMENT wardly against the plunger 22 of snap switch 24 and In order to place the timer in its environment, it is drives a multi-lobe cam 18 which actuates a pivoted follower 20 which, in turn, actuates the plunger 22 of normally open switch 24 so as to periodically close the moving contact or blade 26 on the stationary contact 28 to thereby connect the blender motor 30 across the llO- volt lines 12 and 14. This will obtain a pulsing or intermittent operation of the motor 30. If the manually actuatable knob 32 is rotated to the proper position, the single lobe actuator 34 will act on follower 20 to hold it in the depressed position in which the switch 24 is closed continuously, thus bypassing the pulse operation and obtaining continuous operation of the motor 30. It will be understood that the switch 24 is normally open with spring biasing blade 26 away from the fixed contact 28.

Now referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the motor 10 has drive shaft 38 journaled in the motor cover 40 and the multi-lobe cam 18 is fixed on the drive shaft 38 by any suitable means. Thus the cam 18 rotates with the drive shaft 38 with its lobes, therefore, periodically actuating the pivoted follower 20 to move upthereby actuate the snap switch to the closed position.

The 3-lobe cam 18 is provided with a stub shaft 42 which is journaled in the manually actuated actuator 34 which has an integral shaft 44 journaled in bracket or plate 46. Shaft 44 has a flat 48 permitting accurate registered mounting of the knob 32 on the shaft. Thus the actuator is journaled in plate 46 and journals the shaft 42 ofcam 18;

The bracket or plate 46 is secured to the assembly by staking the turned-down end legs 52,52 to the bracket and motor cover with the switch 24 captured between the bracket and cover and located by semi-perfs 50,50 projecting from the bracket and cover into holes in the switch housing. A tab 54 is turned down from the bracket to be engaged by either of the two limit stops 56,58 carried by the actuator. In the illustrated position the stop 56 is against the tab 54 and if the actuator 34 is rotated the stop 58 will abut the other side of tab 54 while the lobe 60 of the cam 34 is brought under the follower 20 to move the plunger 22 to the switch closed position and retain it in that position. The actuator has a square cross-sectional hub 62. A generally U-shaped spring 64 is mounted in the bracket to engage opposed sides of the square hub and give a detent action to the positioning of the actuator. Thus as the cam is rotated 90 the legs of spring 64 are spread and then close again on the hub to give definite feel to either of the two positions. The ends of the bracket 46 turn down and are staked to the motor cover. The spring is retained with the closed end of the spring captured over a hook 53 on the adjacent turned-down end of the bracket while the legs of the spring project through the other turned-down end of the bracket. Thus the spring can go nowhere except for a slight axial movement of the spring which is not of any significance and cannot lose the spring. If desired, the ends of the spring can be turned over to positively capture the spring. The completed assembly is readily mounted as a unit in the blender and then only requires connection of the knob and the timer leads to the push button switch. It should be understood that while the present arrangement shows a single multi-lobe cam, additional cams could be included on the drive of the timer motor, in which case the override provided by the actuator could selectively disable control of the switch by a selected one (or more) of the cams.

It is interesting to note in this arrangement the control system is greatly simplified by doing the unobvious. Normally if one wanted to obtain continuous operation of the blender motor, the obvious thing to do would be to provide a separate switch as in the past. Here the separate switch is eliminated and the timer motor is continuously energized even though pulsing (the reason for the timer) is not required at all times. By departing from the prior straightforward approach, a substantial cost reduction has been achieved.

We claim:

1. A timer comprising,

an electric motor including a housing and a drive shaft projecting from and normal to the housing,

a cam mounted on and driven by the motor drive shaft,

normally open switch means periodically actuated to closed position by said cam as the cam rotates,

a bracket mounted on and parallel to the housing,

means includes a follower engageable by said cam and by said actuator, said follower actuating a switch.

3. A timer according to claim 1 including means limiting motion of the manually operated actuator between said operative and inoperative positions,

and means for detenting the actuator to one or the other of said positions.

Claims (3)

1. A timer comprising, an electric motor including a housing and a drive shaft projecting from and normal to the housing, a cam mounted on and driven by the motor drive shaft, normally open switch means periodically actuated to closed position by said cam as the cam rotates, a bracket mounted on and parallel to the housing, a manually operated actuator journaled in the bracket and rotatable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which it actuates said switch means to closed position and keeps the switch means closed independently of the cam, said actuator including a shaft one end of which journals said cam and the other end of which projects through the bracket for manual operation.

2. A timer according to claim 1 in which thE switch means includes a follower engageable by said cam and by said actuator, said follower actuating a switch.

3. A timer according to claim 1 including means limiting motion of the manually operated actuator between said operative and inoperative positions, and means for detenting the actuator to one or the other of said positions.

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