Abstract: In a hand mixer (1) having two mains terminals (10, 11) and having interference suppression means (16) for a motor (27) and having a switching means configuration (130) which includes speed switching means (60) for switching the speed of the motor (27) to different lower speed values and start means (61) for starting the motor (27) at a higher speed, the two mains terminals (10, 11) and the speed switching means (60) and the start means (61) and preferably also the interference suppression means are connected mechanically and electrically to form a module (9), all the electrical connections between said parts of the module (9) being realized on the module (9).

Abstract: In a hand mixer (1) having two mains terminals (10, 11) and having interference suppression means (16) for a motor (27) and having a switching means configuration (130) which includes speed switching means (60) for switching the speed of the motor (27) to different lower speed values and start means (61) for starting the motor (27) at a higher speed, the two mains terminals (10, 11) and the speed switching means (60) and the start means (61) and preferably also the interference suppression means are connected mechanically and electrically to form a module (9), all the electrical connections between said parts of the module (9) being realized on the module (9).

Abstract: In an appliance having an a.c. series motor, which comprises a rotor coil configuration and two stator coils, switching means are provided for switching the a.c. series motor to different speeds or speed characteristics. Both coil ends of each of the two stator coils are accessible from outside of the a.c. series motor and are connected to the switching means. The switching means connects either one stator coil or both stator coils in series or both stator coils in parallel and in series with the rotor coil configuration.

Abstract: In a kitchen appliance (1) comprising a container (2) and a drive unit (9) adapted to be placed onto the container (2) and having a housing (10) which accommodates a motor (21) of the drive unit (9), the housing (10) carries in the area of its housing cover wall an actuator grip (26) for actuating a retaining device (40) arranged in the housing (10) and, by moving the actuator grip (26) from a rest position into an operating position, the retaining device can be set from a disengaged position into a retaining position in which the drive unit (9) and the container (2) are coupled to one another so as to form a firmly coupled assembly with the aid of the retaining device (40).

Abstract: A microcontroller with three-state outputs is coupled to a small LCD via an interface with resistive voltage dividers. The controller has a separate control output to control adapting means for selectively modifying the voltage division, thus rendering a general-type microcontroller suitable for driving an LCD in, e.g., a 1/3 bias triplex mode using conventional low-cost hardware.

Abstract: In a D.C. motor having a position detector for detecting predetermined rotor positions and an electronic commutation circuit for connecting the stator coils to the power supply in a predefined cyclic order (and for disconnecting them) in dependence upon detected predetermined rotor positions, the no-load speed is limited by delaying the connection of a next stator coil in response to a new detection of a next one of the predetermined rotor positions, until a predetermined delay period has elapsed after a previous detection of another rotor position that lies a predetermined distance ahead of the newly detected rotor position.

Abstract: Apparatus for the time controlled charge of a battery includes a switching device to control the supply of charge current to the battery. The switching device is in turn controlled by a control device including a time signal generation stage having a temperature sensitive device responsive to the ambient temperature of the apparatus so as to adjust the time signal generation stage to alter the battery charge time in a sense to prevent overcharging of the battery.

Abstract: An electric toothbrush comprising a toothbrush device (100) and a charge device (200) is operative to provide an accurate determination and an adequate indication of the duty performance of toothbrushing. The toothbrush device (100) comprises a supply unit (110), a control unit (120) and a driving portion (130). The control unit (120) is provided with a time-measuring portion (121) for measuring the duty time during toothbrushing, a pressure-measuring portion (122) for measuring the duty pressure during toothbrushing, a position-determining portion (124) for determining the duty position during toothbrushing and a computing portion (123) to compute a duty performance. An accurate determination of the duty performance is achieved in computing portion (123) which computes the duty performance in response of the duty time, the duty pressure and the duty position. "duty" time, pressure and position being the time, pressure and position during operation of the toothbrush during toothbrushing.

Abstract: A domestic appliance (1) for making ice-cream is provided, comprising a motor (8), a stirring tool (12) drivable by the motor(8), and switching means (69) for starting a first mode of operation of the domestic appliance (1), in which mode the stirring tool (12) can be driven with a speed n (21 r.p.m.) within a speed range, the switching means (69) are adapted to start a further mode of operation of the domestic appliance, in which further mode the stirring tool (12) can be driven with at least one further speed (71 r.p.m.) within a further speed range, and wherein there has been provided a time control device (66) by means of which the drive of the stirring tool (12) with the further speed n (71 r.p.m.) can be limited to a given time interval (T).

Abstract: In an apparatus (1) with at least one battery (12, 13) mounted on a printed circuit board (14) the printed circuit board (14) has mounting portions (23, 24, 25, 26) which can be broken off this printed circuit board, solder lugs (19, 20, 21, 22) which project from terminals (15, 16, 17, 18) of the battery (12, 13) being fixedly connected to said mounting portions by a soldered joint (27) each.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention an arrangement for controlling the heating power for a vessel (10) which can be heated by a cook-top (11), for example a light cook-top, by means of a sensor-controlled electronic device (19) can perform more functions in thatat least one (cooking-substance) sensor (18) is associated with the vessel (10) to detect the temperature of the foodstuffs (17, 15),the vessel (10) only communicates with the ambient air via a measurement tube (13) in which a (steam) sensor (20) and, optionally, a steam sensor (21) are arranged to detect the steam point of a liquid (14) present in the vessel, andall the sensors (18, 20, 21) are connected to the electronic device (19) and can be combined with one another via the electronic device.

Abstract: A power control circuit for at least two ohmic loads includes power semiconductors, switching elements and a control unit for adjusting the power consumption of the loads. In order to comply with international standards to avoid disturbances in mains supply systems when higher loads are switched, a simple and cheap circuit is described which is also suitable for smaller domestic appliances such as light cookers, flat-irons, cooking vessels etc. A control unit controls a switchable power semiconductor unit which can pass current in two directions and connects one or both loads to the single power semiconductor unit via the switching elements in a variety of circuit configurations so as to adjust the power to the loads as required.

Abstract: A device for controlling tension in an elongated article arranged along a path, and a tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus including such a device, in which a control circuit influences the tension in the article, such as a tape, responsive to an electrical signal which is related to a moveable tension sensor. The electrical signal is varied by moving a metal part arranged as a damping element for a single coil only, so as to vary the quality factor (Q) of the coil.