Electronic cooker time switch

Details Electronic cooker time switch Electronic cooker time switch

2000-01-27

2002-02-26

Paschall, Mark (Department: 3742)

Electric heating

Heating devices

With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...

C219S493000, C219S508000, C219S494000, C219S719000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06350966

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The innovation concerns an electronic cooker time switch having a display panel, input elements for time data and switching times, a control circuit, a relay for automatically switching an electric load on and off, and a change-over switching device for switching over from an automatic to a manual mode.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Electronic cooker time switches of that kind have long been known; thus for example reference may be made to the cooker time switch produced by the applicants, with the trademark name “Orbitron”, which is described for example in DE 33 20 128 C3.
In the case of conventional electronic cooker time switches of the specified kind the display panel and the input elements are respectively arranged in a common module while it was only earlier that the power control system for the connected electric load or loads was disposed separately, in individual cases. The display panel is generally similar in time switches which are fitted in various types of cookers or by various cooker manufacturers. In contrast the wishes of the cooker manufacturers in terms of the design configuration of the input elements of time switches in different types of cookers vary markedly. With the conventional cooker time switches the module containing the input elements and the display panel now have to be re-designed and freshly produced as a respective unit, even if the display panel always remains the same. That represents an unnecessary construction and production complication and expenditure.
Therefore, taking the above-indicated state of the art as its basic starting point, the object of the present invention is to provide an electronic cooker time switches in which the construction and production complication and expenditure is markedly reduced with different configurations for the input elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the innovation that object is attained in that, in an electronic cooker time switch of the specified kind, there are provided a display portion which has a time switch with digital display and a circuit board with mains unit and control electronics, and an operating portion which is arranged separately therefrom and which has input elements.
The separation of the display portion and the operating portion means that, when there are wishes for modification in the design of the input elements, only the operating portion has to be re-designed and produced afresh. The display portion which contains the time switch with digital display and the circuit board with mains unit and control electronics can remain unchanged and used for a large number of cooker time switches of different design configurations. That means that it can be produced in larger numbers and thus more rationally and less expensively.
A variety of different embodiments can be envisaged for the operating portion. In that way it is possible specifically to meet the wishes of the cooker manufacturers. Thus, it is possible to provide push buttons or rotary switches, the arrangement of which can be implemented as desired, for setting the functions of the time switch (for example short time, operating period, ending operation and automatic-manual change-over). The rotary switch is preferably a rotatable pulse generator.
In a preferred embodiment the display portion is such that the circuit board carrying the mains unit and the control electronics is arranged perpendicularly to the display in the time switch, wherein connecting pins disposed on one longitudinal side of the display engage into bores disposed on a longitudinal side of the circuit board and are there soldered to the conductor tracks of the circuit board.
The operating portion in turn is preferably connected by way of a flat ribbon cable to the control electronics on the circuit board in the display portion, with data transmission between the operating portion and the control electronics being effected in encoded form. In that way various operating portions can be detected by the control electronics and used together with same.
This modular structure means that the number of printed circuit boards or complete display portions produced can be markedly increased whereby production is made more rational and more advantageous. In regard to the operating portions, there is no need for equipping them with electrical or electronic components and soldering thereof. That means that they are simple to produce and can be quickly and advantageously adapted to varying design wishes.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4409662 (1983-10-01), Rao
patent: 4713528 (1987-12-01), Hirata
patent: 4914277 (1990-04-01), Guerin et al.
patent: 5398597 (1995-03-01), Jones et al.
patent: 33 20 128 (1984-12-01), None
patent: 2205177 (1988-11-01), None

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