Electric control apparatus with undervoltage protection

Claim 2

An electric apparatus having a heater control circuit to provide undervoltage protection, comprising: an A.C. source adapted to receive A.C. power; a heater switch; at least one heater which is connected across said A.C. source through said heater switch; a pair of control lines coupled to said A.C. source through a rectifying element; at least one capacitor connected between said control lines; first control means, connected between said control lines, for controlling said heater switch; and second control means, connected between said control lines, for supplying at least one first control signal to said first control means, said second control means comprising: an oscillator for issuing clock pulses having a prescribed frequency, a reset pulse generator for emitting reset pulses synchronized with the frequency of said A.C. source, a counter which counts said clock pulses and produces a count value therefrom, and is reset by said reset pulses, first control signal means for producing said first control signal, second control signal means for producing a second control signal when said count value produced by said counter reaches a predetermined level due to a momentary failure of said A.C. power, and gating means, responsive to said second control signal, for preventing said first control signal from being supplied to said first control means by said second control means, thereby causing said first control means to control said heater switch so as to interrupt power to said heater, power from said at least one capacitor being applied only to said second control means during said momentary power failure.

Claim 3

An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said second control signal means comprises a constant data memory for producing constant data defining said predetermined level, and a comparator which compares said constant data from said constant data memory with said count value from said counter and thereby produces said second control signal.

Claim 4

An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said at least one capacitor includes a capacitor connected between said control lines at a rear stage of said rectifying element.

Claim 5

An apparatus as in claim 1, further including a safety switch connected in series between said heater and said A.C. source; first synchronizing signal generator means, connected between an output terminal of said safety switch and an end of said A.C. source, for producing first synchronizing signals synchronized with said frequency of said A.C. source only when said safety switch is rendered conductive; and second synchronizing signal generator means, connected between said control lines, for receiving said first synchronizing signals and producing second synchronizing signals synchronized with said frequency of said A.C. source, said second synchronizing signals being supplied to an input terminal of said reset pulse generator, and wherein said heater switch comprises a normally-open switch which is electrically cut off from said A.C. source when said safety switch is rendered nonconductive.

Claim 6

An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said first and second synchronizing signal generators jointly define a photocoupler.

Claim 7

An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said heater comprises a rice-cooking heater element connected in series with said A.C. source between a safety switch and a first normally-opened switch constituting said heater switch; and said apparatus further includes a kettle temperature-preserving heater connected in series with said A.C. source between said safety switch and a second normally-opened switch; wherein said second control means supplies a plurality of differentiated said first control signals; said first control means comprises a first drive coil operative to render said first normally-opened switch conductive only when receiving one of said first control signals from said second control means, and a second drive coil operative to render said second normally-opened switch conductive only when receiving another of said first control signals from said second control means; and said apparatus further includes first synchronizing signal generator means, connected between an output terminal of said safety switch and an end of said A.C. source, for producing first synchronizing signals synchronized with said frequency of said A.C. source only when said safety switch is rendered conductive; second synchronizing signal generator means connected between said control lines, for receiving said first synchronizing signals synchronized with said frequency of said A.C. source, said second synchronizing signals being supplied to an input terminal of said reset pulse generator; and a temperature sensor for providing an apparatus temperature feedback signal to said first control signal-producing means included in said second control means to thereby define a temperature feedback control loop for both of said heaters.

Claim 8

An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a stepdown transformer connected to its primary side to said A.C. source and on its secondary side to said control lines through said rectifying element.