Defrost timer for indicating refrigerator warranty

Claim 2

A refrigerator defrost timer switch for indicating And recording the elapsed time during which a refrigerator has been in operation comprising, a housing enclosing a plurality of switch contact means, switch cam means rotatably mounted in said housing, timer motive means for driving said switch cam means, said switch cam means coacting with said switch contact means for causing electrical contact between the contact means to initiate a defrost cycle of the refrigerator, a plurality of ratchet wheels coaxially mounted in said housing for independent rotation on a common axis, pawl means operated by said switch cam means for engagement with the primary one of said plurality of ratchet wheels whereby partial rotation is imparted thereto in a toothby-tooth manner upon each defrost cycle of said switch cam means, driving means interconnecting said plurality of ratchet wheels whereby a final secondary ratchet wheel is advanced one tooth segment upon a predetermined rotation of said primary ratchet wheel, gear means on said secondary ratchet wheel meshing with an indicator gear wheel revolvably supported on said housing, said indicator wheel having a plurality of arcuate segments positioned on one surface thereof, said indicator wheel being rotated by said gear means through a succession of said arcuate segments upon the completion of a predetermined number of defrost cycles of said defrost timer, each of said arcuate segments having a coded marking thereon associated with different elapsed time intervals of the refrigerator warranty, window means on said housing for viewing the sequential advancement of said segments to provide a visual indication of the elapsed time of the refrigerator warranty, and means for stopping the rotation of said indicator wheel upon the final coded segment being rotated into view through said window means indicating and recording the expiration of the refrigerator warranty periods.

Claim 3

A refrigerator defrost timer switch for indicating and recording the elapsed time during which a refrigerator has been in operation comprising, a housing enclosing a plurality of switch contact means, spiral cam means rotatably mounted in said housing, timer motive means for driving said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means coacting with said switch contact means for causing sequential electrical contact between the contact means to initiate a defrost cycle of the refrigerator, dual primary and secondary ratchet wheels coaxially mounted in said housing for independent rotation on a common axis, pawl means operated by said spiral cam means for engagement with said primary ratchet wheel whereby partial rotation is imparted thereto in a tooth-by-tooth manner upon each defrost cycle of said spiral cam means, an eccentric cam on said primary ratchet wheel and a cam follower intermediate said ratchet wheels mounted on said eccentric cam drivingly interconnecting said ratchet wheels whereby the secondary ratchet wheel is advanced one tooth segment upon a predetermined rotation of said primary ratchet wheel, gear means on said secondary ratchet wheel meshing with an indicator gear wheel revolvably supported on said housing, said indicator wheel having a plurality of arcuate segments positioned on one surface thereof, said indicator wheel being rotated by said gear means through a succession of said arcuate segments upon the completion of a predetermined number of defrost cycles of said defrost timer, each of said arcuate segments having a coded marking thereon associated with different time intervals of the refrigerator warranty, window means on said housing for viewing the sequential advancement of said segments to provide a visual indication of the elapsed time of the refrigeration warranty, and means for stopping the rotation of said indicator wheel upon the final coded segment being rotated into view through said window means indicating and recording the expiration of the refrigerator warranty periods.

Claim 4

A refrigerator defrost timer switch for indicating and recording the elapsed time during which a refrigerator has been in operation comprising, a housing enclosing a plurality of switch contact means, spiral cam means rotatably mounted in said housing, timer motive means for driving said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means coacting with said switch contact means for causing sequential electrical contact between the contact means to initiate a defrost cycle of the refrigerator, dual primary and secondary ratchet wheels coaxially mounted in said housing for independent rotation on a common axis, pawl means operated by said spiral cam means for engagement with said primary ratchet wheel whereby partial rotation is imparted thereto in a tooth-by-tooth manner upon each defrost cycle of said spiral cam means, an eccentric cam on said primary ratchet wheel and a cam follower intermediate said ratchet wheels mounted on said eccentric cam drivingly interconnecting said ratchet wheels whereby the secondary ratchet wheel is advanced one tooth segment upon a predetermined rotation of said primary ratchet wheel, gear means on said secondary ratchet wheel meshing with an indicator gear wheel revolvably supported on said housing, said indicator wheel having a plurality of arcuate segments positioned on one surface thereof, said indicator wheel being rotated by said gear means through a succession of said arcuate segments upon the completion of a predetermined number of defrost cycles of said defrost timer, each of said arcuate segments having a coded marking thereon associated with different time intervals of the refrigerator warranty, window means on said housing for viewing the sequential advancement of said segments to provide a visual indication of the elapsed time of the refrigeration warranty, and means for stopping the rotation of said indicator wheel upon the final coded segment being rotated into view through said window means indicating and recording the expiration of the refrigerator warranty periods.

Claim 5

In a refrigerator defrost control system including a compressor element, a defrosting heater, a cold control thermostat, and a timer operated electrical switch means for providing a defrost cycle, said switch means including a housing enclosing a switch cam driven by said timer, said switch including a first contact blade operatively connected to said compressor element, a second contact blade operatively connected to said heater, a third contact blade operatively connected to a power supply means and biased toward contact with said first contact means, said switch cam coacting with the contact means for causing contact between said third contact means and said second contact means; the improvement comprising primary and secondary ratchet wheels having identically pitched teeth mounted for independent rotation on a common spindle extending vertically from the base wall of said housing, an actuating arm on said first contact blade, said actuating arm having a pawl thereon disposed in peripheral engagement with said primary ratchet wheel teeth to advance said primary wheel in a counterclockwise direction one tooth upon each complete rotation of said switch cam, said primary wheel having a hub cam fixed on its inner surface eccentric from the common axis of rotation of said ratchet wheels, a cam follower intermediate said lower and upper wheels mounted in contact with said hub cam, an operating bar positioned on said cam follower for engagement with the teeth of said secondary wheel, said cam follower bar being operable by said eccentric hub cam such that upon each complete rotation of said primary ratchet wheel said secondary ratchet wheel is advanced in a counterclockwise direction one tooth by said operating bar, a leaf spring mounted in said housing biasing said cam follower bar into engagement with the teeth of said secondary ratchet wheel, spring finger means on said housing preventing counterclockwise rotation of said primary and secondary ratchet wheels, a pinion gear fixed concentrically on the outer surface of said secondary ratchet wheel meshing with peripheral teeth of an indicator gear wheel, said indicator wheel revolvably supported on said housing for rotation in a clockwise direction, said indicator wheel having a first radial color segment visible through window means in said housing indicating the appliance is operating during the first period of its warranty, a second radial color segment being rotated into view by said pinion gear indicating that a second period of warranty is in effect, and a third radial color segment on said indicator wheel being rotated into view after a final rotational advance of said indicator wheel operative to be permanently visible indicating that the total warranty time period has expired.

Claim 6

In a refrigerator defrost control system including a compressor element, a defrosting heater, a cold control thermostat, and a timer operated electrical switch means for providing a defrost cycle, said switch means including a housing enclosing a switch cam driven by said timer, said switch including a first contact blade operatively connected to said compressor element, a second contact blade operatively connected to said heater, a third contact blade operatively connected to a power supply means and biased toward contact with said first contact means, said switch cam coacting with the contact means for causing contact between said third contact means and said second contact means; the improvement comprising primary and secondary ratchet wheels having identically pitched teeth mounted for independent rotation on a common spindle extending vertically from the base wall of said housing, an actuating arm on said first contact blade, said actuating arm having a pawl thereon disposed in peripheral engagement with said primary ratchet wheel teeth to advance said primary wheel in a counterclockwise direction one tooth upon each complete rotation of said switch cam, said primary wheel having a hub cam fixed on its inner surface eccentric from the common axis of rotation of said ratchet wheels, a cam follower intermediate said lower and upper wheels mounted in contact with said hub cam, an operating bar positioned on said cam follower for engagement with the teeth of said secondary wheel, said cam follower bar being operable by said eccentric hub cam such that upon each complete rotation of said primary ratchet wheel said secondary ratchet wheel is advanced in a counterclockwise direction one tooth by said operating bar, a leaf spring mounted in said housing biasing said cam follower bar into engagement with the teeth of said secondary ratchet wheel, spring finger means on said housing preventing counterclockwise rotation of said primary and secondary ratchet wheels, a pinion gear fixed concentrically on the outer surface of said secondary ratchet wheel meshing with peripheral teeth of an indicator gear wheel, said indicator wheel revolvably supported on said housing for rotation in a clockwise direction, said indicator wheel having a first radial color segment visible through window means in said housing indicating the appliance is operating during the first period of its warranty, a second radial color segment being rotated into view by said pinion gear indicating that a second period of warranty is in effect, and a third radial color segment on said indicator wheel being rotated into view after a final rotational advance of said indicator wheel operative to be permanently visible indicating that the total warranty time period has expired.

Claim 7

In a refrigerator defrost control system including a compressor element, a defrosting heater, a cold control thermostat, and a timer operated electrical switch for providing a defrost cycle, said switch including a housing having one open side closed by a cover member for enclosing a spiral cam driven by said timer, said switch housing including a first blade contact operatively connected to said compressor element, a second blade contact operatively connected to said heater, a third blade contact operatively connected to a power supply means and biased toward contact with said first blade contact, said spiral cam coacting with said blade contacts for causing contact between said third blade contact and said second blade contact; the improvement comprisinsg lower and upper ratchet wheels having identically pitched teeth, said ratchet wheels mounted for independent rotation on a common spindle extending vertically from the base wall of said housing, an actuating arm extending from said first blade contact, said actuating arm having a pawl thereon disposed in peripheral engagement with said lower ratchet wheel teeth to move said lower wheel in a counterclockwise direction one tooth by means of said first blade contact dropping off a notch of said spiral cam upon each 360*rotation thereof, said lower wheel having a hub cam fixed on its inner surface eccentriC from the common spindle axis of rotation of said ratchet wheels, a cam follower intermediate said lower and upper wheels having an elongated aperture mounted in contact with said hub cam, an operating bar positioned on said cam follower for engagement with the teeth of said upper wheel, spring means connected to said cam follower radially biasing said bar into peripheral engagement with the teeth of said upper ratchet wheel, said bar being operable by said eccentric cam such that upon each complete rotation of said primary ratchet wheel said secondary ratchet wheel is advanced in a counterclockwise direction one tooth by said operating bar, a pinion gear fixed concentrically on the outer surface of said secondary ratchet wheel meshing with peripheral teeth of an indicator wheel, said indicator wheel rotatably mounted on the underside of said cover for clockwise movement by said pinion gear, a window in said cover for viewing a portion of said indicator wheel upper surface, said indicator wheel having a plurality of pie-shaped color segments thereon, said first radial color segment being partially visible through said window indicating the appliance is operating within the first time period of its warranty, said indicator wheel having a second radial color segment being rotated into view through said window by said pinion gear after a predetermined further rotational movement of said ratchet wheels indicating that a second period warranty time is in effect, and said indicator wheel having a third radial color segment being rotated into view through said window by said pinion gear after a final rotational movement of said indicator wheel so as to be permanently visible through said window providing visual indication that the total warranty time period of said refrigerator has elapsed.

Claim 8

In a refrigerator defrost control system including a compressor element, a defrosting heater, a cold control thermostat, and a timer operated electrical switch for providing a defrost cycle, said switch including a housing having one open side closed by a cover member for enclosing a spiral cam driven by said timer, said switch housing including a first blade contact operatively connected to said compressor element, a second blade contact operatively connected to said heater, a third blade contact operatively connected to a power supply means and biased toward contact with said first blade contact, said spiral cam coacting with said blade contacts for causing contact between said third blade contact and said second blade contact; the improvement comprisinsg lower and upper ratchet wheels having identically pitched teeth, said ratchet wheels mounted for independent rotation on a common spindle extending vertically from the base wall of said housing, an actuating arm extending from said first blade contact, said actuating arm having a pawl thereon disposed in peripheral engagement with said lower ratchet wheel teeth to move said lower wheel in a counterclockwise direction one tooth by means of said first blade contact dropping off a notch of said spiral cam upon each 360*rotation thereof, said lower wheel having a hub cam fixed on its inner surface eccentriC from the common spindle axis of rotation of said ratchet wheels, a cam follower intermediate said lower and upper wheels having an elongated aperture mounted in contact with said hub cam, an operating bar positioned on said cam follower for engagement with the teeth of said upper wheel, spring means connected to said cam follower radially biasing said bar into peripheral engagement with the teeth of said upper ratchet wheel, said bar being operable by said eccentric cam such that upon each complete rotation of said primary ratchet wheel said secondary ratchet wheel is advanced in a counterclockwise direction one tooth by said operating bar, a pinion gear fixed concentrically on the outer surface of said secondary ratchet wheel meshing with peripheral teeth of an indicator wheel, said indicator wheel rotatably mounted on the underside of said cover for clockwise movement by said pinion gear, a window in said cover for viewing a portion of said indicator wheel upper surface, said indicator wheel having a plurality of pie-shaped color segments thereon, said first radial color segment being partially visible through said window indicating the appliance is operating within the first time period of its warranty, said indicator wheel having a second radial color segment being rotated into view through said window by said pinion gear after a predetermined further rotational movement of said ratchet wheels indicating that a second period warranty time is in effect, and said indicator wheel having a third radial color segment being rotated into view through said window by said pinion gear after a final rotational movement of said indicator wheel so as to be permanently visible through said window providing visual indication that the total warranty time period of said refrigerator has elapsed.