Electronic control circuit for appliances

Claim 2

An electronic control for a washing appliance including a chamber for holding articles to be treated, means for adMitting a fluid into the chamber, and means for circulating the fluid within the chamber, comprising: means including a plurality of flip-flop stages responsive to an alternating reference signal for generating timing signals to establish a timing period; means for sensing a condition in the apparatus; means responsive to said sensing means for generating a signal to initiate a timing period; and means responsive to a timing signal to terminate operation of the appliance.

Claim 3

An electronic control including solid state devices and for a cyclically operated washing apparatus including a liquid chamber for holding articles to be washed, means for admitting liquid into the chamber, means for draining liquid from the chamber, and means for circulating the liquid within the chamber, such control comprising: means for generating timing signals; program circuit means having means to receive input signals, means to provide output signals, and a plurality of sequential stable states representing the functions of the apparatus, said program circuit means including a plurality of serially connected bistable flip-flop circuits; gate circuit means responsive to an output signal provided by said program circuit means, and to said timing signals, for generating signals to initiate and terminate said functions; and means responsive to termination of each function of the apparatus for actuating said program circuit means from one stable state to the next.

Claim 4

An electronic control including solid state devices and for a cyclically operated washing apparatus including a liquid chamber for holding articles to be washed, means for admitting liquid into the chamber, means for draining liquid from the chamber, and means for circulating the liquid within the chamber, such control comprising: means for generating timing signals; program circuit means having means to receive input signals, means to provide output signals, and a plurality of sequential stable states representing the functions of the apparatus, said program circuit means including a plurality of serially connected bistable flip-flop circuits; gate circuit means responsive to an output signal provided by said program circuit means, and to said timing signals, for generating signals to initiate and terminate said functions; and means responsive to termination of each function of the apparatus for actuating said program circuit means from one stable state to the next.

Claim 5

An electronic control for a cyclically operated washing appliance including a chamber for holding articles to be treated, means for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and means for circulating the fluid within the chamber, such control comprising: means including a plurality of flip-flop stages responsive to an alternating reference signal for generating timing signals; program circuit means having means to receive input signals, means to provide output signals, and a plurality of sequential stable states representing the functions of the apparatus, said program circuit means comprising a memory including a plurality of serially connected bistable flip-flop circuits; and gate circuit means responsive to an output signal provided by said program circuit means, and to said timing signals, for generating signals to initiate and terminate said functions.

Claim 6

An electronic control for a cyclically operated washing appliance including a chamber for holding articles to be treated, means for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and means for circulating the fluid within the chamber, such control comprising: means including a plurality of flip-flop stages responsive to an alternating reference signal for generating timing signals; program circuit means having means to receive input signals, means to provide output signals, and a plurality of sequential stable states representing the functions of the apparatus, said program circuit means comprising a memory including a plurality of serially connected bistable flip-flop circuits; and gate circuit means responsive to an output signal provided by said program circuit means, and to said timing signals, for generating signals to initiate and terminate said functions.

Claim 7

An electronic control for a cyclically operated home washing appliance including a chamber for holding articles to be treated, means for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and means for circulating the fluid within the chamber, such control comprising: means responsive to a first electrical input providing a preselected series of electrical impulses for effecting a series of preselected control operations corresponding to operations of the washing appliance; means responsive to the arrangement of said input responsive means for displaying the respective effecting of said control operations as an indication of the corresponding operation of the washing appliance; and means for providing a second electrical input providing said preselected series of electrical impulses at a rate substantially greater than that of said first electrical input for providing expedited testing of the control apparatus.

Claim 8

An electronic control for a cyclically operated home washing appliance including a chamber for holding articles to be treated, means for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and means for circulating the fluid within the chamber, such control comprising: means responsive to a first electrical input providing a preselected series of electrical impulses for effecting a series of preselected control operations corresponding to operations of the washing appliance; means responsive to the arrangement of said input responsive means for displaying the respective effecting of said control operations as an indication of the corresponding operation of the washing appliance; and means for providing a second electrical input providing said preselected series of electrical impulses at a rate substantially greater than that of said first electrical input for providing expedited testing of the control apparatus.

Claim 9

The electronic control apparatus of claim 4 where said second electrical input has a rate over 50 times greater than the rate of said first electrical input.

Claim 10

In a home appliance having means for performing an operating cycle comprising a plurality of sequential functions which are initiated and terminated in accordance with one or the other of time or conditions of the apparatus, a control comprising: a source of timing signals; means for sensing conditions in the apparatus; program circuit means having a plurality of sequential stable states representing the functions of the apparatus; gate circuit means responsive to said program circuit means, to said timing signals, and to said means for sensing conditions of the apparatus for generating signals to initiate and terminate said functions; and means responsive to termination of each function of the apparatus for actuating said program circuit means from one stable state to the next, one of the functions of the operating cycle of the control including the control of a flow of fluid, said appliance having a flow control valve, and said gate circuit means including means for actuating said flow control valve to control said fluid flow.

Claim 11

In a home appliance having means for performing an operating cycle comprising a plurality of sequential functions which are initiated and terminated in accordance with one or the other of time or conditions of the apparatus, a control comprising: a source of timing signals; means for sensing conditions in the apparatus; program circuit means having a plurality of sequential stable states representing the functions of the apparatus; gate circuit means responsive to said program circuit means, to said timing signals, and to said means for sensing conditions of the apparatus for generating signals to initiate and terminate said functions; and means responsive to termination of each function of the apparatus for actuating said program circuit means from one stable state to the next, one of the functions of the operating cycle of the control including the control of a flow of fluid, said appliance having a flow control valve, and said gate circuit means including means for actuating said flow control valve to control said fluid flow.

Claim 12

The structure of claim 6 in which said appliance utilizes water in the operation thereof and has a receptacle in which water is received during performance of the operating cycle, said condition sensing means including means for sensing the level of water in said receptacle to provide an input for said gate circuit means.

Claim 13

In a home appliance having a flow control valve means for performing an operating cycle comprising a plurality of sequential functions which are initiated and terminated in accordance with one or the other of time or conditions of the appliance, an electronic control comprising: clock means having a synchronizing pulse output and plural output timing signals representing different discrete time intervals; means for sensing conditions of the appliance; program circuit means defined by a plurality of different sets of binary control means, the binary control means of said different sets cooperating to provide program signals representing the functions of the appliance; gate circuit means responsive to said program signals, to said timing signals, and to said means for sensing conditions of the appliance for generating signals to control said flow control valve; and means responsive to termination of each function of the appliance for actuating said program circuit means from one arrangement thereof wherein said flow control valve is closed to a next arrangement wherein said flow control valve is open.

Claim 14

In a home appliance having a flow control valve means for performing an operating cycle comprising a plurality of sequential functions which are initiated and terminated in accordance with one or the other of time or conditions of the appliance, an electronic control comprising: clock means having a synchronizing pulse output and plural output timing signals representing different discrete time intervals; means for sensing conditions of the appliance; program circuit means defined by a plurality of different sets of binary control means, the binary control means of said different sets cooperating to provide program signals representing the functions of the appliance; gate circuit means responsive to said program signals, to said timing signals, and to said means for sensing conditions of the appliance for generating signals to control said flow control valve; and means responsive to termination of each function of the appliance for actuating said program circuit means from one arrangement thereof wherein said flow control valve is closed to a next arrangement wherein said flow control valve is open.

Claim 15

The structure of claim 8 in which said appliance utilizes water in the operation thereof and has a receptacle in which water is received during performance of the operating cycle, said condition sensing means including means for sensing the level of water in said receptacle to provide an input for said gate circuit means.

Claim 16

In a home appliance having a flow control valve means for performing an operating cycle comprising a plurality of sequential functions which are initiated and terminated in accordance with one or the other of time or conditions of the appliance, an electronic control comprising: clock means having a synchronizing pulse output and plural output timing signals representing different discrete time intervals; means for sensing conditions of the appliance; program circuit means defined by a plurality of different sets of binary control means, the binary control means of said different sets cooperating to provide program signals representing the functions of the appliance; gate circuit means responsive to said program signals, to said timing signals, and to said means for sensing conditions of the appliance for generating signals to control said flow control valve; means responsive to termination of each function of the appliance for actuating said program circuit means from one arrangement thereof to a next arrangement; and means for speeding up the provision of said pulse output to speed up the provision of said program signals for providing expedited testing of the electronic control.

Claim 17

In a home appliance having a flow control valve means for performing an operating cycle comprising a plurality of sequential functions which are initiated and terminated in accordance with one or the other of time or conditions of the appliance, an electronic control comprising: clock means having a synchronizing pulse output and plural output timing signals representing different discrete time intervals; means for sensing conditions of the appliance; program circuit means defined by a plurality of different sets of binary control means, the binary control means of said different sets cooperating to provide program signals representing the functions of the appliance; gate circuit means responsive to said program signals, to said timing signals, and to said means for sensing conditions of the appliance for generating signals to control said flow control valve; means responsive to termination of each function of the appliance for actuating said program circuit means from one arrangement thereof to a next arrangement; and means for speeding up the provision of said pulse output to speed up the provision of said program signals for providing expedited testing of the electronic control.

Claim 18

The structure of claim 10 wherein said last named means provides said pulse output at a rate over 50 times faster than that provided by said clock means.