Control arrangement for a washing machine

Claim 2

In a washing machine having a plurality of electrical components, an electrical timer motor means, and switch means responsive to the motor means such that the machine is adapted to be automatically conducted sequentially through an operational cycle including at least a wash step, a rinse step and a liquid removal step, means in combination therewith for selectively extending the duration of one or more of the steps, comprising: a. at least two normally closed thermally responsive switches in series in an energizing circuit for said motor means, b. means for selectively operatively connecting each of said thermally responsive switches to effect a particular one of the steps in the operational cycle, c. electric heating means adjacent said thermally responsive switches and connected thereto whereby opening of said thermally responsive switches is effective to deenergize said heating means, and d. each of said thermally responsive switches being adapted to repeatedly sequentially react to heat generated by said electric heating means so as to deenergize said motor means energizing circuit and an adjacent one one of said electric heating means and increase the time duration of said particular one of the steps effected thereby.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 including manual control means associated with a first of said thermally responsive means permitting selective variance of its reaction time.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 2 including a normally closed switches in series with said first thermally responsive switch and operable whereby it may be opened by the same one of Said manual control means for selectively varying the reaction time of said first thermally responsive switch.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein at least a first of said thermally responsive switch is provided with manual means for selectively preventing it from opening in response to energization of the one of said heating means adjacent thereto.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 1 further comprising control means associated with each of said thermally responsive switches, and each of said control means including a manually rotatable shaft having a cam formed to control the thermally responsive switch associated therewith.

Claim 7

In a machine: a. a plurality of electrical components adapted to be sequentially energized during operation of the machine, b. electric timer motor means for causing the sequential operation of said components, c. a first circuit for energizing said motor means, d. a plurality of normally closed contact means in series with said first circuit and each other, e. each of said contact means having thermally responsive means therewith for opening said contact means upon sensing a predetermined amount of heat and for closing said contact means when cool, f. electric heating means adjacent each of said thermally responsive means, g. each of said heating means being in series with the contact means opened by its thermally responsive means whereby opening of said contact means will allow said electric heating means in series therewith to cool, h. means to selectively prevent any one of said thermally responsive means from opening its contact means and to selectively permit one or more of said thermally responsive means to open its contact means, i. each of said heating means being in a parallel circuit to said first circuit, j. switch means connected in series with said first circuit, and k. switch operating means driven by said motor means and controlling closing of said switch means, said switch operating means being adapted to maintain said switch means closed for a predetermined period of motor means operation during which, when any one of said heating means is energized to heat its adjacent thermally responsive means, said adjacent thermally responsive means will repeatedly open its contact means to thereby interrupt said first circuit and said circuit to said energized heating means and then cool and reclose its contact means so long as said switch means remains closed.

Claim 8

In a machine: a. a plurality of electrical components adapted to be sequentially energized during operation of the machine, b. electric timer motor means for causing the sequential operation of said components, c. a first circuit for energizing said motor means, d. a plurality of normally closed contact means in series with said first circuit and each other, e. each of said contact means having thermally responsive means therewith for opening said contact means upon sensing a predetermined amount of heat and for closing said contact means when cool, f. electric heating means adjacent each of said thermally responsive means, g. each of said heating means being in series with the contact means opened by its thermally responsive means whereby opening of said contact means will allow said electric heating means in series therewith to cool, h. means to selectively prevent any one of said thermally responsive means from opening its contact means and to selectively permit one or more of said thermally responsive means to open its contact means, i. each of said heating means being in a parallel circuit to said first circuit, j. switch means connected in series with said first circuit, and k. switch operating means driven by said motor means and controlling closing of said switch means, said switch operating means being adapted to maintain said switch means closed for a predetermined period of motor means operation during which, when any one of said heating means is energized to heat its adjacent thermally responsive means, said adjacent thermally responsive means will repeatedly open its contact means to thereby interrupt said first circuit and said circuit to said energized heating means and then cool and reclose its contact means so long as said switch means remains closed.

Claim 9

In combination with a machine: a. electric timer motor means for causing a sequential operation of the machine, b. a first circuit for energizing said motor means, c. a first normally closed contact means in series with said first circuit, d. a first thermally responsive means effective to open said first contact means upon sensing a predetermined amount of heat and to close said first contact means when cool, e. a first electric heating means adjacent said first thermally responsive means and in series with said first contact means and in a second circuit in parallel with said first circuit, f. a second normally closed contact means in series with said first circuit, g. a second thermally responsive means effective to open said second contact means upon sensing a predetermined amount of heat and to close said second contact means when cool, h. a second electric heating means adjacent said second thermally responsive means and in series with said first contact means and in a third circuit in parallel with said first circuit, i. first switch means in said second circuit in series with said first heating means, j. second switch means in said third circuit in series with said second heating means, k. switch operating means driven by said motor means and controlling said first and second switch means, and l. said switch operating means being adapted to maintain a selected one of said switching means closed for a predetermined period of motor means operation During which one of said heating means when energized heats the adjacent of said thermally responsive means to open its contact means so as to open said first and second circuits until the thermally responsive means cools enough for its contact means to close, whereby the length of time of the sequential operation is prolonged as compared to the duration of such sequential operation when said first circuit remains closed throughout the sequential operation.

Claim 10

In combination with a machine: a. electric timer motor means for causing a sequential operation of the machine, b. a first circuit for energizing said motor means, c. a first normally closed contact means in series with said first circuit, d. a first thermally responsive means effective to open said first contact means upon sensing a predetermined amount of heat and to close said first contact means when cool, e. a first electric heating means adjacent said first thermally responsive means and in series with said first contact means and in a second circuit in parallel with said first circuit, f. a second normally closed contact means in series with said first circuit, g. a second thermally responsive means effective to open said second contact means upon sensing a predetermined amount of heat and to close said second contact means when cool, h. a second electric heating means adjacent said second thermally responsive means and in series with said first contact means and in a third circuit in parallel with said first circuit, i. first switch means in said second circuit in series with said first heating means, j. second switch means in said third circuit in series with said second heating means, k. switch operating means driven by said motor means and controlling said first and second switch means, and l. said switch operating means being adapted to maintain a selected one of said switching means closed for a predetermined period of motor means operation During which one of said heating means when energized heats the adjacent of said thermally responsive means to open its contact means so as to open said first and second circuits until the thermally responsive means cools enough for its contact means to close, whereby the length of time of the sequential operation is prolonged as compared to the duration of such sequential operation when said first circuit remains closed throughout the sequential operation.