Abstract: A rotary selector forms a control element for inputting a setting value to an electronic control system, in particular for a control device of an electronic domestic appliance, such as a washing machine, a dishwasher, or the like. The rotary selector has a rotatably mounted control portion and an adapter non-rotatably connected to the control portion. The adapter has a latching section with side faces arranged uniformly about its periphery. Coaxially with the latching section of the adapter is a stationary spring element formed with elastic legs arranged uniformly about a periphery of the latching section and which extend tangentially relative to the side faces of the latching section. The number of the side faces of the latching section is an integral multiple of the number of the elastic legs of the spring element.

Abstract: A push button switch including a piezoelectric element (10) which is arranged between a first electrode (16) and a second electrode (18) in such a manner that, when a pressure is exerted on the piezoelectric element, an electric voltage is generated between the first and the second electrode (16, 18). The voltage generated between the first and the second electrode (16, 18) of the piezoelectric element (10) is amplified via a suitable amplifier circuit (20) and supplied, for example, to a controller of an operating device of an electronic domestic appliance.

Abstract: A circuit configuration for providing a voltage supply for a driver circuit driven by a controller, contains a controller for driving a driver circuit, and an intermediate circuit for providing a DC voltage. The intermediate circuit is connectable to a voltage source. A first voltage regulating circuit is provided for generating an auxiliary voltage from the DC voltage. A second voltage regulating circuit is provided for generating a first supply voltage for the controller from the auxiliary voltage. A third voltage regulating circuit is provided for generating a second supply voltage for the driver circuit from the auxiliary voltage. In this case, the third voltage regulating circuit generates the second supply voltage in a manner dependent on a control signal from the controller.

Abstract: An operator control apparatus of an electronic domestic appliance contains an operator control panel on that side of the operator control apparatus which faces a user, at least one electrically conductive sensor element on that side of the operator control panel which is averted from the user, and a printed circuit board with at least one electrically conductive contact area which is arranged on that side of the printed circuit board which faces the operator control panel so as to be associated with the at least one sensor element. In this case, the at least one sensor element and the at least one contact area of the printed circuit board are connected to one another by an adhesive which is electrically conductive at least in the connection direction.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling automatic defrost of a refrigerator device are provided. The system adaptively moves the defrost cycle to low usage times based on an evaluation of compressor usage in a daily cycle.

Abstract: An internal unit of a washing machine or spin-dryer normally includes a washing container, which has a laundry drum mounted in the container such that it can rotate, and an electric motor for driving the laundry drum via a reduction gear, a transmission, or direct drive. The internal unit is suspended in a machine housing such that it can vibrate and constitutes an overall system which can vibrate in a damped manner and which is subject to unbalance-dependent resonance phenomena in specific regions of the rotational speed of the laundry drum. The causes of these resonance phenomena are vibratory movements due to momentary unbalances in the load in the laundry drum.

Abstract: The invention specifies a method for fault identification when driving a polyphase motor by means of a frequency converter, wherein, in a rest state, the frequency converter controls the phase voltages of the polyphase motor and the phase currents of the polyphase motor are measured. In this case, provision is made for, then in the rest state, the phase currents or current variables derived therefrom to be adjusted by closed-loop control to a predetermined setpoint current variable, for the frequency converter to be controlled so as to output an interference voltage variable for the phase voltages, for the response of the adjustment by closed-loop control to the interference voltage variable to be observed, and for a conclusion to be drawn regarding a fault of the frequency converter and/or the phases of the polyphase motor from the response of the closed-loop control. The cited method allows for largely loss-free detection of faults in the drive system of a polyphase motor.

Abstract: A clothes dryer has a rotatably mounted drying drum for accommodating clothes to be dried and a drive motor for rotary driving of the drying drum. Accordingly, the drive motor for the drying drum is a single-phase or polyphase electric motor, and a frequency converter is provided for activating the electric motor.

Abstract: A drive apparatus for a washing machine includes an electric motor, a drive shaft connected to the electric motor for rotary drive purposes and electronics for controlling operation of the electric motor. In order to achieve a compact construction, the electric motor and the electronics are integrated in a common unit. In order to increase operational reliability of the drive apparatus together with a simple construction, the common unit has a wall which is thermally coupled both to the electric motor and to the electronics and serves to dissipate heat. The electronics have a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the wall. Both the temperature of the electric motor and the temperature of the electronics can be monitored with this one temperature sensor.

Abstract: An appliance with a hazardous device contains a first controller controlled by a first control element which, in turn, is controlled by a second controller by use of a first switching element. An electrically controllable protection device is provided and is controlled by a second control element, it is possible to deactivate the protection device. A storage capacitor is provided between the first and the second control element and supplies the second control element with energy for a control pulse and is charged by the first control element when the first controller is switched off and is discharged by the first switching element when the first controller is switched on. This circuit generates a safe control circuit. In the event of a possible hazardous state, either the first controller is no longer supplied with energy or the protection device cannot be deactivated, and so danger to a user is precluded.

Abstract: A capacitive touch switch which is used, for example, in a control device for an electronic domestic appliance, includes a sensor area as part of a capacitive sensor element having a capacitance which changes when touched. A measuring electrode, which is coupled to the sensor area, is disposed on a printed circuit board and is at a first potential. An additional electrode, which is disposed near the measuring electrode, likewise on the printed circuit board, is electrically insulated from the measuring electrode and is at a second potential, which is different from the first potential. The additional electrode brings about a shielding of the measuring electrode and thus an output signal of an associated sensor circuit that is less sensitive to interference. A circuit configuration for a capacitive touch switch and a control device for an electronic domestic appliance, are also provided.

Abstract: A capacitive touch switch, for a control panel of a domestic electrical appliance, includes a touch panel having an upper side and an underside. A printed circuit board is disposed at a distance below the underside of the touch panel. A sensor element is disposed between the underside of the touch panel and the printed circuit board and is in electrically conductive contact with the printed circuit board. The capacitive sensor element has a compression spring formed of an electrically conductive material and a contact element formed of an electrically conductive material, which is disposed on that side of the compression spring which faces the touch panel and which is in electrically conductive contact with the compression spring.

Abstract: A method is specified for fault identification when operating a rotating-field motor by means of a pulse-controlled inverter, wherein electromagnetic state variables of the rotating-field motor are determined by means of a mathematical model in space-vector form, and wherein the pulse-controlled inverter is operated electronically using space-vector variables. In this case, the invention provides that, during the operation of the rotating-field motor, the space vector of an uncontrolled state variable of the rotating-field motor is formed, in that the space vector that is formed is analyzed for a spectral component at twice the frequency of the rotating field, and in that, if the spectral component at twice the frequency is present, a partial turns short is deduced in the stator windings.

Abstract: A solar module includes a solar generator for converting incident radiation into electrical power and a solar inverter for feeding the power generated by the solar generator into a power supply system or a load. A variable bias load is connected in parallel with the solar generator and a control device, which drives the variable bias load, detects a presently available power of the solar generator as well as a present no-load loss of the solar inverter, compares the detected power of the solar generator and the detected no-load loss of the solar inverter and enables the power of the solar generator to be fed into the power supply system or the load by the solar inverter only when the detected power of the solar generator exceeds the detected no-load loss of the solar inverter. A method of controlling operation of a solar module is also provided.

Abstract: An electrical power supply apparatus has at least one electrical load connection to which an electrical load can be connected. A first electrical power supply connection can be connected to a mains supply network. A second electrical power supply connection is connected to an autonomous electrical power supply, such as a photovoltaic system. A switching apparatus switches the connection of the at least one electrical load connection to the first electrical power supply connection in mains operation or to the second electrical power supply connection in island operation. In order to improve the energy management during island operation, the at least one electrical load connection has at least one associated evaluation and control apparatus, which identifies the island operation of the electrical power supply apparatus and switches the at least one electrical load connection on or off, at least during island operation, as a function of preset criteria.

Abstract: A solar inverter assembly has a first housing part, which is used as a heat sink, and a second housing part for holding electronic components of the solar inverter. The first housing part has a first air inlet opening, a first air outlet opening and a first air channel connecting the air inlet and air outlet openings. Air flows on the basis of natural convection through the first air channel. The second housing part has a second air inlet opening, a second air outlet opening, and a second air channel which connects the second air inlet opening to the second air outlet opening. Air flows on the basis of natural convection through the second air channel. At least one electronic component, which is insensitive to dust, of the solar converter, for example a transformer or an inductor, is mounted in the second housing part in direct thermal contact with the first housing part and within the second air channel.

Abstract: An optical sensor for a touch-sensitive push button of a control mechanism for an electronic household appliance has a transmitter, which emits electromagnetic radiation, and a receiver, which receives reflected electromagnetic radiation. A cover is at least partly transparent to the electromagnetic radiation and the transmitter and the receiver are arranged behind the cover. A radiation guide mechanism, for example a diaphragm frame, is provided between the transmitter and the receiver, on the one hand, and the cover, on the other hand, for guiding the radiation emitted from the transmitter towards the cover and to guide the reflected radiation penetrating the cover to the receiver. The diaphragm frame broadens the emission characteristic of the transmitter outward from the cover and/or the reception characteristic of the receiver inward into the cover.

Abstract: A touch-sensitive momentary-contact switch includes an infrared-radiation-emitting transmitter, an infrared-radiation-receiving receiver and at least one visible-light-emitting signal element. The transmitter, receiver and signal element radiate into a single light-guiding element. Due to optical beam guidance, a separation of a transmission channel and a reception channel in the light-guiding element is effected in such a way that at a top-side area of the light-guiding element remote from the transmitter and the receiver, a superimposition of a region that can be irradiated by the transmitter and a region that can be detected by the receiver is produced only on a small portion of the area. An operating device for a domestic appliance including at least one touch-sensitive momentary-contact switch, is also provided.

Abstract: An operator control apparatus has at least one pushbutton switch, and can be used, for example, in an operator control panel for an electronic domestic appliance. The operator control apparatus further has a support element, a pressure-sensitive transmission element with at least one sensor area which corresponds to the at least one pushbutton switch and is connected to the support element by a first adhesive layer, and a covering layer which faces the user side. The covering layer is connected to the transmission element by a second adhesive layer, with the second adhesive layer being soft and having an adhesive layer region in the region of the at least one sensor area of the transmission element. The adhesive layer region is smaller than the sensor area and is at least partially separated from the rest of the second adhesive layer by at least one cutout.

Abstract: A solar module has a solar generator for generating electrical power, and an inverter for feeding the electrical power produced by the solar generator into a power supply system or to one or more loads. An input load is connected in parallel with the solar generator. A control apparatus controls the operation of the inverter such that it measures a difference voltage between the loaded and the unloaded solar generator, weights this difference voltage with a factor, and operates the inverter only when the weighted difference voltage corresponds at most to a threshold voltage.