Broken belt switch control system for clothes dryer

Claim 2

In a clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, heater means for drying clothes in the drum, a motor to rotate the drum, a belt connecting the motor and the drum for rotating the drum, tensioning means including a spring bracket and belt engagement means for applying tension to and held in an energy storing position by the belt, and an electrical circuit for connection to an electrical supply including the motor and the heater means, the improvement comprising: means for preventing damage to the dryer and clothes therein on breaking of the belt, comprising a switch connected in the electrical circuit for controlling the energization of the motor, said switch including a switch actuator mounted spaced from and in the path of movement of the spring bracket for direct contact by the spring bracket upon breaking of the belt and release of the energy stored in the bracket to open the circuit and interrupt energization of the motor.

Claim 3

In a clothes dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit includes control means connecting the motor and the heater means and responsive to deenergization of the motor to open the circuit to the heater means.

Claim 4

In a clothes dryer as claimed in claim 1, comprising means connected to said switch and disposed in an interference relationship with respect to movement of the spring bracket for limiting movement of the bracket toward the switch to prevent damage to the switch.

Claim 5

In a clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, heater means for drying clothes in the drum, a motor to rotate the drum, a belt connected the motor and the drum for rotating the drum, tensioning means including a spring bracket and belt engagement means for applying tension to and held in an energy storing position by the belt, and an electrical circuit for connection to an electrical supply including the motor and the heater means, the improvement comprising: means for preventing damage to the dryer and clothes therein on breaking of the belt, comprising a switch connected in the electrical circuit for controlling a switch actuator mounted spaced from and in the path of movement of the spring bracket for direct contact by the spring bracket upon breaking of the belt and release of the energy stored in the bracket to open the circuit and interrupt energization of the motor, and the dryer including a base and comprising mounting means mounting said switch on said base, said mounting means including a shoulder extending adjacent said switch actuator and in the path of movement of the spring bracket to limit depression of said switch actuator.

Claim 6

In a clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, heater means for drying clothes in the drum, a motor to rotate the drum, a belt connected the motor and the drum for rotating the drum, tensioning means including a spring bracket and belt engagement means for applying tension to and held in an energy storing position by the belt, and an electrical circuit for connection to an electrical supply including the motor and the heater means, the improvement comprising: means for preventing damage to the dryer and clothes therein on breaking of the belt, comprising a switch connected in the electrical circuit for controlling a switch actuator mounted spaced from and in the path of movement of the spring bracket for direct contact by the spring bracket upon breaking of the belt and release of the energy stored in the bracket to open the circuit and interrupt energization of the motor, and the dryer including a base and comprising mounting means mounting said switch on said base, said mounting means including a shoulder extending adjacent said switch actuator and in the path of movement of the spring bracket to limit depression of said switch actuator.

Claim 7

In a clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, heater means for drying clothes in the drum, a motor to rotate the drum, a belt connecting the motor and the drum for rotating the drum, tensioning means including a spring bracket and belt engagement means for applying tension to and held in an energy storing position by the belt, and an electrical circuit for connection to an electrical supply including the motor and the heater means, the improvement comprising: means for preventing damage to the dryer and clothes therein on breaking of the belt, comprising a switch connected in the electrical circuit for controlling the energization of the motor, said switch including a switch actuator mounted spaced from and in the path of movement of the spring bracket for direct contact by the spring bracket upon breaking of the belt and release of the energy stored in the bracket to open the circuit and interrupt energization of the motor, and the dryer including a base and said switch including a switch body, said actuator extending from said switch body, and comprising mounting means mounting said switch on said base, said mounting means including a portion which extends adjacent said switch actuator beyond said switch body and less than the extent of said switch actuator to stop the bracket after contact thereof with and operation of said switch actuator to prevent damage to said switch.

Claim 8

In a clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, heater means for drying clothes in the drum, a motor to rotate the drum, a belt connecting the motor and the drum for rotating the drum, tensioning means including a spring bracket and belt engagement means for applying tension to and held in an energy storing position by the belt, and an electrical circuit for connection to an electrical supply including the motor and the heater means, the improvement comprising: means for preventing damage to the dryer and clothes therein on breaking of the belt, comprising a switch connected in the electrical circuit for controlling the energization of the motor, said switch including a switch actuator mounted spaced from and in the path of movement of the spring bracket for direct contact by the spring bracket upon breaking of the belt and release of the energy stored in the bracket to open the circuit and interrupt energization of the motor, and the dryer including a base and said switch including a switch body, said actuator extending from said switch body, and comprising mounting means mounting said switch on said base, said mounting means including a portion which extends adjacent said switch actuator beyond said switch body and less than the extent of said switch actuator to stop the bracket after contact thereof with and operation of said switch actuator to prevent damage to said switch.

Claim 9

In a clothes dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dryer includes a base and comprising mounting means mounting said switch on said base and securing a portion of the spring bracket to said base.

Claim 10

A clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, heater means to dry clothes in the drum, a motor to rotate the drum, a belt to connect the motor to the drum to rotate the drum, a spring bracket having pulley means mounted thereon for applying tension to the belt, said bracket being held in a flexed position when applying tension to the belt and moving from a flexed position to an unflexed position on release of tension on the belt, an electrical circuit connected to a power source and to said heater means and said motor for energizing said motor and said heater means, said circuit including control means for causing interruption of the energization of said heater means on the interruption of energization of the motor: and means for preventiNg damage to the dryer and clothes therein on breaking of the belt comprising a switch in said circuit for controlling the energization of said motor, said switch having a switch actuator mounted in the movement path of said bracket for direct contact of the switch actuator by the bracket, said switch having means associated therewith to prevent damage to the switch by movement of the bracket, the tension of said belt holding said bracket spaced from said switch actuator, the release of tension on the belt by the breaking of the belt releasing the spring bracket for movement such that it contacts and actuates the switch actuator, opening the circuit and interrupting energization of the motor.

Claim 11

A clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, heater means to dry clothes in the drum, a motor to rotate the drum, a belt to connect the motor to the drum to rotate the drum, a spring bracket having pulley means mounted thereon for applying tension to the belt, said bracket being held in a flexed position when applying tension to the belt and moving from a flexed position to an unflexed position on release of tension on the belt, an electrical circuit connected to a power source and to said heater means and said motor for energizing said motor and said heater means, said circuit including control means for causing interruption of the energization of said heater means on the interruption of energization of the motor: and means for preventiNg damage to the dryer and clothes therein on breaking of the belt comprising a switch in said circuit for controlling the energization of said motor, said switch having a switch actuator mounted in the movement path of said bracket for direct contact of the switch actuator by the bracket, said switch having means associated therewith to prevent damage to the switch by movement of the bracket, the tension of said belt holding said bracket spaced from said switch actuator, the release of tension on the belt by the breaking of the belt releasing the spring bracket for movement such that it contacts and actuates the switch actuator, opening the circuit and interrupting energization of the motor.