Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F34/00—Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
  • D06F34/28—Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F2101/00—User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
  • D06F2101/02—Characteristics of laundry or load
  • D06F2101/06—Type or material
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F2101/00—User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
  • D06F2101/14—Time settings
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F2105/00—Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
  • D06F2105/54—Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a household appliance wherein the key functions are blocked by the key lock being activated while operating the household appliance.
• key lock function which is also named as the child lock, is used in order that the user interface functions such as program cancellation, program pause or new program start can be deactivated.
• the key lock function is activated and deactivated automatically or as a result of using a predefined input combination of the push buttons or of the program selector switch, which are situated on the control panel. For example, the user activates the key lock by pressing more than one push button situated on the control panel, and when he/she presses the same push buttons again, the key lock is deactivated. As long as the key lock is activated, intervention of the user to the household appliance to change the operating program is not possible.
• the operation of the household appliance can be stopped in an emergency situation by disconnecting it from the main supply, for example by unplugging the household appliance or pressing the on/off button, and can be restarted; in other words, the on/off button is made independent of the key lock; however, to deactivate the key lock in a fast manner, there is no method other than the reapplication of the push button input combination, which is defined in the software, by the user.
• a child lock switch provides the operation switches to change from the unlocking mode to the locking mode or from the locking mode to the unlocking mode, and even when the child lock is activated, this does not affect the main power switch, and on - off functions of the machine are performed.
• German Patent No DE4031266 when the rotary selector switch situated in a household appliance is brought to the end mode and kept in this mode for a certain period of time, the washing program is terminated independently of the child lock and can be restarted.
• the aim of the present invention is the realization of a household appliance, the key lock function of which is provided to be easily cancelled by the user when required.
• an on/off switch having on/off function, more than one push button determining the auxiliary functions to be applied, and a start button providing the selected program to be started are located.
• the push button combination which is defined in the software, for example two push buttons simultaneously, the key lock function is activated by the microcontroller and the functions of the push buttons are blocked.
• the key lock function in the period of time between the turning on and off of the household appliance, if the key lock function is activated by the user or automatically in any one of the waiting modes exclusive of the run mode, then in the same waiting mode, the key lock function is provided to be cancelled without using the push button combination defined in the software and only by turning the on/off switch off and on once.
• the household appliance of the present invention is preferably a washing machine, and the on/off switch has the function of selecting the program, such as cotton, synthetic or wool fabric washing program, that will be applied, as well as the on/off option, and when the on/off switch is brought to the on/off position, it provides the energy to be cut off and when it leaves the on/off position and is brought to any position which indicates the washing programs, it provides the household appliance to be energized.
• the program such as cotton, synthetic or wool fabric washing program
• the key lock function in the household appliance, in the period of time between the energizing of the household appliance by bringing the switch to the on position and the de-energizing of the household appliance by bringing the switch to the off position, if the key lock function is activated in any one of the waiting modes such as the idle, end, pause and time delay modes, excluding the run mode, then in the same waiting mode, the key lock function is cancelled without using the push button combination defined in the software and only by bringing the switch to the on/off position and then again to the initial program option.
• the waiting modes such as the idle, end, pause and time delay modes, excluding the run mode
• an on/off switch that only provides the household appliance to be turned on and off and independently of this switch, a program selector switch that provides the program, which will be applied, to be selected are situated.
• the key lock function is activated in any one of the waiting modes of the household appliance exclusive of the run mode, the household appliance is turned off and on only by pressing the on/off switch regardless of the position of the program selector switch, and the key lock function is provided to be cancelled.
• the on/off function also the function of cancelling the key lock is loaded to the on/off switch.
• the microcontroller distinguishes that the household appliance is turned off either by “cutting off the energy from the main supply / unplugging the household appliance” or by “the on/off switch being brought to the off position by the user", and if the microcontroller detects that the household appliance is turned off by being disconnected from the main supply or by being unplugged, it does not cancel the key lock function.
• the microcontroller If the microcontroller detects that the household appliance in the waiting mode is turned off without cutting off the energy from the main supply and by the switch being brought to the off position by the user, the microcontroller cancels the key lock function. Thus, cancellation of the key lock function without user request is prevented.
• Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a household appliance.
• Figure 2 - is the schematic view of a control panel and a microcontroller in an embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 3 - is the schematic view of a control panel and a microcontroller in another embodiment of the present invention.
• the household appliance (1) comprises a control panel (2), a switch (3, 103) which is located on the control panel (2) and which has an on/off function, more than one push button (4) which determines the auxiliary functions (F), that will be applied, according to the preference of the user, a start button (5) which provides the selected program (P) to be started and when desired, which provides the program (P) to be paused by being pressed again, and a microcontroller (6) which has a non-volatile memory and a processor, and which activates the key lock function (KL) automatically or when the push button (4) input combination that is predefined by the producer and that is preferably indicated on the control panel (2) is applied by the user, and which blocks the functions of the push buttons (4) and the start button (5).
• KL key lock function
• the household appliance (1) is set in the run mode (I) and in the waiting modes (II) in the period of time elapsing between the energizing of the household appliance (1) by bringing the switch (3, 103) to the on position and the de-energizing of the household appliance (1) by bringing the switch (3, 103) to the off position.
• the household appliance (1) changes to the run mode (I) when the program (P) is selected and the start button (5) is pressed after the switch (3, 103) is brought to the on position, and the household appliance (1) remains in the run mode (I) until the selected program (P) ends.
• the household appliance (1) is set in the waiting mode (II) in the periods of time excluding the run mode (I), for example in the period of time elapsing after the switch (3, 103) is brought to the on position at the beginning and until the start button (5) is pressed, or in the periods of time elapsing after the applied program (P) ends and until the switch (3, 103) is brought to the off position by the user.
• the household appliance (1) When the user presses the start button (5) while the household appliance (1) is in the run mode (I), the household appliance (1) changes to the waiting mode (II) from the run mode (I) and when the user presses the start button (5) again, the household appliance (1) changes to the run mode (I) from the waiting mode (II).
• the household appliance (1) of the present invention (1) has a microcontroller (6) which provides the key lock function (KL) to be cancelled without applying the defined push button (4) combination and only by turning the switch (3, 103) off and on in the waiting mode (II) if the key lock function (KL) is activated by the user or automatically in any waiting mode (II) wherein no program (P) is applied and in the period of time between the energizing of the household appliance (1) by bringing the switch (3, 103) to the on position for the operation of the household appliance (1) and the de-energizing of the household appliance (1) by bringing the switch (3, 103) to the off position in order that the household appliance (1) is turned off after the applied program (P) ends.
• KL key lock function
• the key lock function (KL) is preferred to be activated while the household appliance (1) is in the run mode (I)
• the microcontroller (6) does not allow the key lock function (KL) to be passivated by turning the switch (3, 103) off and on in the run mode (I).
• the switch (3, 103) is turned off and on while the household appliance (1 ) is in the run mode (I)
• only the operation of the household appliance (1) is cut and then resumed, and the active state of the key lock function (KL) does not change.
• the key lock function (KL) can be cancelled only by applying the predefined push button (4) input combination, as in the state of the art.
• the household appliance (1) has the feature of washing laundry, and comprises a rotary switch (3) which serves to turn the household appliance (1) on and off and beside the on/off option, which has the function of selecting the program (P), such as cotton, synthetic or wool fabric washing program (P), that will be applied, and which provides the energy to be cut off when brought to the on/off position, and which provides the household appliance (1) to be energized when brought to any position indicating the washing programs (P) by leaving the on/off position ( Figure 2).
• the household appliance (1) is either in the run mode (I) or in the waiting modes (II) such as the idle mode, end mode, pause mode or time delay mode.
• the run mode (I) is the mode wherein, after the program (P) is selected and the auxiliary function (F) adjustments are made, the selected program (P) and the auxiliary function (F) are applied by the user pressing the start button (5).
• the household appliance (1) for example, receives water from the outside, washes and rinses the laundry and finishes the program by spinning the laundry.
• the idle mode being one of the waiting modes (II)
• the idle mode is the mode wherein no program (P) is operated at the beginning in the household appliance (1) and wherein, by the user, the program (P) selection is performed by means of the switch (3) and the selection of the auxiliary functions (F) is performed by means of the push buttons (4) and thus, for example, the operating temperature and the spin speed are adjusted.
• the end mode being one of the waiting modes (II) is the mode, which is set after the run mode (I) ends.
• the household appliance (1) can be turned off by bringing the switch (3) to the off position or a new program (P) can be started by changing the switch (3) to the idle mode. For example, the washed laundry is unloaded and other laundry is loaded, and after the program (P) is selected, the run mode (I) is set by pressing the start button (5).
• the pause mode being one of the waiting modes (II), is the mode which is set by the user pressing the start button (5) with pause function for the second time after the run mode (I) is started by pressing the start button (5).
• the run mode (I) is reset.
• the time delay mode being one of the waiting modes (II), is the mode wherein the program (P), which is selected in the idle mode, stands by to be started later when desired.
• the user has to define the time delay selection and period by means of the push buttons (4) after performing the program (P) selection.
• the microcontroller (6) provides that the key lock function (KL) is cancelled only by the switch (3) being brought to the on/off option and then again to the program (P) option ( Figure 2).
• the household appliance (1) comprises a switch (103) that only provides the household appliance (1) to be turned on and off, and independently of this switch (103), a program selector switch (7) that provides the program (P), which will be applied, to be selected.
• the microcontroller (6) if the key lock function (KL) is activated in any one of the waiting modes (II) exclusive of the run mode (I), the microcontroller (6) provides the key lock function (KL) to be cancelled by the household appliance (1) being turned off and on once only by the switch (103) being pressed regardless of the position of the program selector switch (7) ( Figure 3).
• the key lock function (KL) is not cancelled. According to whether it receives an off signal from the switch (3, 103) or not, the microcontroller (6) distinguishes that the household appliance (1) is turned off either by "cutting off the energy from the main supply” or by "the switch (3, 103) being brought to the off position by the user", and if the microcontroller (6) detects that the household appliance (1) is turned off not by the user but by being disconnected from the main supply or by being unplugged, it does not cancel the key lock function (KL), and if the microcontroller (6) detects that the user turned the household appliance (1) off by bringing the switch (3, 103) to the off position in the waiting mode (II), it cancels the key lock function (KL).
• the microcontroller (6) takes only the intervention of the user into consideration to cancel the key lock function (KL) in a practical manner and does not take the turning off of the household appliance (1), which happens as a result of the power failure originating from the main supply, into consideration, and thus, prevents the key lock function (KL) from being cancelled without user request.
• the key lock function (KL) instead of applying the push button (4) input combination, which is present in the software, only turning the switch (3, 103) off and on once is sufficient and thus, the user can cancel the key lock function (KL) in a fast and practical manner when required.
• the key lock function (KL) is cancelled only by the intervention of the user and in an unexpected situation such as a power failure originating from the main supply, the microcontroller (6) detects that the household appliance (1) is not turned off by the intervention of the user and thus, does not cancel the key lock function (KL).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Control Of Washing Machine And Dryer (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=41728284

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (3)

• 2009
  • 2009-12-09 ES ES09771344T patent/ES2400412T3/es active Active
  • 2009-12-09 WO PCT/EP2009/066713 patent/WO2010076138A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2009-12-09 EP EP09771344A patent/EP2379789B1/de active Active
  • 2009-12-09 PL PL09771344T patent/PL2379789T3/pl unknown

Patent Citations (3)

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