Electric heating – Heating devices – With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-03-06
Paschall, Mark (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
C219S506000, C219S494000, C219S483000, C219S413000, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198079
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF USE AND PRIOR ART
The invention relates to a control for an electrical appliance having at least one electrical functional device contained in the appliance, the control containing at least one power switching device. The invention is preferably used in an electrical heating appliance, particularly a domestic electric cooker or oven.
DE-U-296 22 066 proposes a domestic appliance with which is associated in an extension of the conventional type of construction at least one separate control and/or display element. From the operating principle standpoint, the latter can e.g. be likened to a remote control for a television, in which are contained control knobs or switches can be separated out from the actual appliance. Additionally there is here a bidirectional data transmission in order to be able to read off operation-relevant data on a display element separate from the electrical appliance.
In addition, e.g. DE 196 15 357 proposes solutions, in which there are only separate display elements for the operating state of the electrical appliance and which receive in stored form the program parameters set on the appliance and subsequently internally simulate and display the associated program or control sequence.
EP 846 991 describes a domestic appliance system with a central master computer for monitoring purposes. To improve information availability, said central monitoring system is linked with a mobile display device by a unilateral remote control technique.
DE 197 53 345 describes a possibility for the remote diagnosis of appliance defects. A display device supplies data relating to the defect by transmission means and telephone network to a diagnosis station, particularly a computer in a customer service centre or the like.
It is problematical in the prior art that known, separate control units or remote controls are designed in such a way that a specific combination thereof or control possibilities with an associated electrical appliance is fixed.
Problem and Solution
The problem of the invention is to provide an above-described control, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art, improves the operation of the electrical appliances and makes available a multiplicity of applications.
This problem is solved by the features of claim
1
. Advantageous developments of the invention form the subject matter of the subclaims and the following description.
According to the invention, the control has a control unit which is separate and can be removed from the electrical appliance and which is connected in wireless, signal-transmitting manner to the electrical appliance. Such wireless or contactless remote control techniques can e.g. incorporate a link with infrared or by electromagnetic waves. The separate control unit essentially contains the control and regulating part for the electrical appliance, which controls the at least one power switching device, which is preferably incorporated into the electrical appliance. Preferably the entire control and regulating part is located in the control unit with the exception of sensors or the like contained in the electrical appliance and which supply measurement and control quantities. Thus, there is a spatial subdivision of the control into a power switching part located in the electrical appliance and a control and regulating part located in the separate control unit.
It is possible to make the control unit freely manipulatable, so that it can be removed from the electrical appliance. This permits a very simple replacement of the control unit or the control and regulating part, more particularly without opening the electrical appliance or having to carry out complicated work, whilst a control can take place from a random location. The control unit can have a processing device, preferably at least one microprocessor. This processing device can essentially form the control and regulating part for the electrical appliance.
Advantageously with the control unit are associated input means for the inputting of control instructions and the like, particularly switches such as e.g. contact, rotary and/or pressure switches. Preferably the control unit with the input means is housed in a control part which, compared with conventional remote controls, can provide a high-quality remote control.
In addition, the control can have a memory, in which can be stored inter alia various program sequences for the control and/or parameters of evaluation functions of the electrical appliance. Such parameters of evaluation functions can e.g. be established and stored on setting up the electrical appliance. It is also possible to store series-specific data of the electrical appliance. Preferably the memory is located in the control unit or is directly associated with the processing device.
Transmission devices can be located in the electrical appliance and the control unit for the wireless signal transmission for or within the control. Preferably the transmission devices operate bidirectionally, which means that both a transmitting and a receiving device is incorporated both into the control unit and in the control part located in the electrical appliance. It is possible to associate with the control display means for displaying the operating state of the control and/or the electrical appliance and are preferably placed in the separate control unit. Display means can e.g. be simple illuminated, LC and alphanumeric displays.
The electrical appliance can be equipped with sensors for monitoring the operating state, e.g. of one of the functional units. The signals of such sensors can be supplied to the control or control unit and can thus e.g. form control loops for the electrical appliance, or said operating states can be displayed by display means to the control unit for informing a user.
The control and/or electrical appliance can have a position or location determination device for determining the spatial association of the control unit with the electrical appliance. The spatial association can e.g. be predetermined as at least one specific position of the control unit on the basis of direction/distance and this can essentially be a precise location or a limited area. It is possible to detect the control unit e.g. within a specific distance from the electrical appliance. An alternative can be a specific position of the control unit, particularly on the top of the electrical appliance or at a point freely accessible to a user. This specific position can be marked, e.g. optically by a coloured marking or by mechanical stops, notches or catches.
Such a position determination device e.g. makes it possible to only operate the electrical appliance with the control unit when the latter is in the specific position. This avoids wrong manipulations and an operation by an unintended user, e.g. by children playing on a domestic appliance. The control unit can be easily separated from the appliance and stored at a not readily accessible location.
One possibility is a contactless position determination device, particularly in wireless form with a transmitting device and a receiving device, the receiving device preferably being contained in the control unit. Contactless in the present context preferably means that the position determination takes place without any contact being required. The position determination device can e.g. operate in inductive manner.
An alternative to a position determination device can be a station and/or mounting support connected in signal-transmitting manner to the electrical appliance and/or the control and fitted at a predeterminable location and to which the control unit is to be fitted and the control is informed of this. A particularly simple detection of a control unit fitted to the station can take place by operated contacts.
Particularly in the case of a control unit to be fitted to the electrical appliance, holding or fastening means can be provided for toolless, detachable fixing in a specific position. These holding means can preferably have magnetic fastening means and/or magnetic orientation means. These can advantageously be
E. G. O. Elektro-Geratebau GmbH
Paschall Mark
Senterfitt Akerman
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