Abstract: A clothes treating apparatus and method for subjecting clothes items to moisture, pressure and heat for refreshing and dewrinkling the clothes items. A cabinet defines an interior region for receiving clothes, the interior region having opposed inner side surfaces. A door is hingedly connected to the cabinet for closing the interior region. An inflatable hanger for supporting shirt-like clothes items is disposed within the interior region. A blower selectively inflates the inflatable hanger for pressing the shirt-like clothes item against the cabinet inner side surfaces. A steam generation means is provided for introducing moist air into the cabinet for humidifying the clothes item disposed therein. A heater and fan supply heated air into the interior region for drying the shirt-like clothes items disposed therein. During the dewrinkling cycle, steam is introduced into the interior region while the inflatable hanger assembly is periodically inflated.

Abstract: Solenoid valves for controlling the gas flow to burners are controlled by an electronic microprocessor card by means of pulse-width modulated signals. The electronic card can receive signals from a timer to be set by the user, and from means by which the user selects the heat output of the burners. The first of said means to be operated by the user after setting the time makes the relative burner dependent on the timer. When the two data (time and heat output) have been set, the card extinguishes the flame of the dependent burner when the set time has expired.

Abstract: An airflow test device designed to be used in a clothes dryer. The device includes a retainer which is mounted to an outlet grate of the dryer drum. A vent card is removably supported a predetermined distance from the outlet grate by a support finger extending from the retainer. The vent card is supported in such a manner that a predetermined rate of airflow through the outlet grate during dryer operation moves the vent card toward the outlet grate. Movement of the vent card toward the outlet grate and off the support finger during clothes dryer operation signals that an adequate rate of airflow is passing through the outlet grate.

Abstract: A refrigerant metering charge board that accurately meters a refrigerant and an associated synthetic compressor oil into a product, preferably a refrigerator, is provided. Metering is accomplished by way of servo motors coupled to ball screws which are in turn connected to hydraulic cylinders. Calibration of the refrigerant, preferably R134a, is maintained using a temperature sensor, a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a density/temperature equation that has been empirically fit to saturation data. The preferred equation is a modified Benedict-Webb-Ruben (MBWR) equation of state. The refrigerant charge amounts are entered into the PLC using either a fixed bar code scanner or a hand-held bar code scanner that reads a bar code on the refrigerator. An operator interface, preferably a touch-screen display is also provided.

Abstract: A microwave oven comprising a number of IR-sensors elements for obtaining temperature information from discrete sensing areas within the cooking zone of the oven and for generating a two-dimensional temperature image of the cooking zone. Based on said temperature image necessary load parameters may be calculated for controlling automatic heating procedures in the oven, thereby facilitating operation of the oven and securing a good cooking result.

Abstract: A refrigerator having a middle fresh food compartment and a relatively large bottom freezer compartment arranged below the fresh food compartment and a relatively small freezer compartment arranged above the fresh food compartment. The bottom freezer compartment preferably supports a drawer including a frame and a removable bin. Cool air can be supplied to the compartments of the refrigerator by employing a two fan control system such that no electro-mechanical baffles are required. Alternatively, cool air can be directed to the compartments of the refrigerator by use of a baffle which requires only a single electro-mechanical device to control air flow into three different compartments. The baffle includes a main rotary damper which can be positioned to provide proportional amounts of chilled air to the three separate compartments based on the degree of cooling required.

Abstract: A microwave oven comprises a microwave radiation source, a microwave-activable bottom heater (4) on which the food is placed, and optionally an IR-radiating top heater, which all can be controlled via the control unit of the oven. Further, the oven comprises one or more sensors for sensing the temperature of the bottom heater (4) and feeding this information back to the control unit. The feedback temperature information makes it possible to impart the desired temperature to the bottom heater (4) by controlling the microwave radiation source and/or the top heater.

Abstract: A method for controlling the microwave feed in a microwave oven, as well as a microwave oven for implementing the method, is disclosed. The power level (P) of the microwaves is controlled by periodic activation or inactivation of the microwave radiation source of the oven during a sequence of control cycles. The oven has a rotary bottom plate carrying the food or dish, and/or a rotary field agitator or aerial. The heating uniformity is improved by adjusting to one another the duration of the control cycle and the revolution time of the bottom plate or of the field agitator or aerial, while taking into consideration the aimed-at power level. In a procedure composed of several steps with different power levels and heating times, the heating times of the different steps are also adjusted to the current control-cycle duration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a temperature reading to a micro-computer without the use of a digital to analog converter. An apparatus and method is provided for measuring the temperature of an environment by comparing the current flow through a thermistor with the current flow through a known resistance. In the preferred embodiment, the temperature of the exhaust air stream of a dryer is measured by alternately supplying current through the thermistor disposed in the exhaust air stream and through the known resister to the inverting input of a comparator, a full wave rectified signal is supplied to the non-inverting input of the comparator and the width of the volt pulse produced at the output of the comparators is monitored for determining the temperature of the exhaust air stream.

Abstract: In a microwave oven, a procedure for cooking or heating food is controlled by means of one or more humidity sensors (11) which sense the humidity emission from the food or dish. The control is based on the sensing of relative humidity variations and require access to an initial humidity value or reference value, which is established through a calculation process eliminating the effect of residual humidity remaining in the oven while saving time when starting the cooking or heating procedure.

Abstract: An automatic washer having an enclosure surrounding an imperforate tub including an access opening and a perforate wash basket rotatably disposed within the tub about a horizontal axis wherein the tub access opening is provided with a flexible tub door for selectively closing the tub access opening. The flexible tub door is slidably supported by the tub for selectively closing the access opening wherein the tub door is positionable in a closed position and an open position. A spring is interconnected with the tub door for biasing the tub door toward an open position. A door catch is provided for engaging the tub door in a fully closed position against the biasing force of the spring and means are provided for selectively actuating the door catch such that the tub door may be selectively engaged in the closed position or released for movement to a fully open position. During the tub door closing operation, the rotatable wash basket is coupled to the tub door.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring validity of a volatile memory of a microcomputer in an electrical circuit supplied with electrical power. Loss of electrical power is sensed and upon sensing loss of power, counter is initialized. Data is obtained from a first critical memory location in the volatile memory and is stored in a second non-critical memory location in the volatile memory which is used for operating data storage during normal powered operation of the circuit. The circuit is then sensed for return of electrical power. Upon resumption of power, the data in the first memory location is compared with the data stored in the second memory location. If detection of a variance of data contents occurs between the first memory location and the second memory location, volatile memory is reset from a preset instruction. If no variance is detected, operation of the circuit is resumed utilizing the data stored in the first memory location.

Abstract: An automatic washing machine having an automatic washing liquid level control system including an ultrasonic apparatus for detecting the height of the clothes load in the washing machine and generating a signal representative of the clothes height, a control panel means for allowing user selection of the agitator speed, and means for generating a signal representative of the desired agitator speed. A control unit is provided including a fuzzy control which performs fuzzy inference on the basis of the signal representative of the clothes height and the signal representative of the agitator speed such that the optimum washing liquid level is achieved. In particular, membership functions according to fuzzy theory are defined for the clothes height and the agitator speed. Rules are defined for the height and agitator speed conditions such as for very high clothes height and low agitator speed, or medium high clothes height and high agitator speed, and so on.

Abstract: A defrost cycle controller for modifying the total length of time a compressor operates before a defrost cycle is initiated, wherein the time the compressor is on between defrost cycles is referred to herein as a frost accumulation period. A microprocessor includes means for deenergizing the compressor and coupling the defrost heater to a power supply when a continuous compressor run time exceeds a predetermined demand defrost time. The microprocessor further includes means for determining the time required to actually defrost the evaporator during a defrost operation, referred to herein as a defrost time, and means for modifying the frost accumulation period in response to the time to complete the defrost operation.

Abstract: In an automatic washer, a system of automatically positioning and holding a cylindrical basket having an opening provided with door flaps within a tub having a tub access opening such that the basket doors and tub access opening are aligned for loading and unloading clothes to and from the basket. The basket includes a stop opening disposed on the periphery wall of the basket. A motor is drivingly connected to a pulley which is drivingly connected to the wash basket such that the wash basket may be rotated about its horizontal axis. A control shaft is provided rotatably supported by the tub and having a main portion disposed adjacent the basket and an end extending external of the tub. A holding arm is supported adjacent the basket by the main portion of the control rod such that rotation of the control shaft moves the holding arm into the outer surface of the wash basket for engagement with the stop opening for rotationally positioning and holding the wash basket.

Abstract: A refrigeration appliance having at least two refrigeration compartments, each compartment having its own access door, is provided wherein there is a first evaporator for the first compartment, the first evaporator operating at a first pressure level and a second evaporator for the second compartment, the second evaporator operating at a pressure level higher than the first pressure level. There is a single condenser, a single compressor, a refrigerant circuit having a series of conduits with different flow control capabilities for providing a flow of refrigerant sequentially, that is, not simultaneously, to the first and second evaporators, the condenser and compressor, and various valves in the refrigerant circuit for directing refrigerant to a selected one of the evaporators from the condenser and for preventing a flow of refrigerant into the first evaporator when refrigerant is being directed into the second evaporator to cool the second compartment.

Abstract: A system for automatically opening basket doors of an automatic washer. The automatic washer includes an enclosure having an opening provided with a lid hingedly connected to the enclosure for selectively covering the enclosure opening. An imperforate tub disposed within the enclosure surrounds a rotatable perforate wash basket having an opening for accessing the interior of the basket. A first door flap having an engagement opening and a second door flap having a catch portion extending therefrom are provided being hingedly mounted on opposite rims of the basket opening and being biased toward their open position and further being adapted to partially overlap one another in a closed position such that the catch portion engages the engagement opening for locking the first door flap and the second door flap in a closed position. A tab extends from the second door flap generally opposite the main portion of the second door flap beyond the hinged connection with the basket.

Abstract: An electronic control mounting system for a refrigerator. In the refrigerator, a freezer compartment is defined by a freezer liner, a fresh food compartment is defined by a fresh food liner and a partition wall is disposed between the compartments. A mounting plate is disposed between the freezer liner and fresh food liner within the partition wall and includes a mounting boss and a conduit boss. The conduit boss joins a first opening provided in the freezer liner and a second opening provided in the fresh food liner such that a channel is formed between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. A housing member, supporting a control printed circuit board (PC board), is secured to the bottom surface of the partition wall by attachment to the mounting boss provided on the mounting plate. The PC board further includes a first temperature sensor having a pair of extending electrical leads directly soldered or mounted onto the PC board.