METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE DURING A RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE PERIOD

Abstract

A method for operating an electrical appliance during a religious observance period (e.g., the Sabbath or a holiday). The method includes receiving via a controller a timer command indicative of a start time for operation of the electrical appliance. The method further includes activating via the controller operation of the electrical appliance in response to the timer command. The activating step is carried out independently of a door position of a door of the electrical appliance so that the electrical appliance is not activated using an electrical sensor or button.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for operating an electrical appliance (e.g., dishwasher) during a religious observance period (e.g., the Sabbath and Jewish holidays).

BACKGROUND

The Sabbath and holidays are considered days of rest for practicing or observant religious Jews. During these religious days of observance, various categories of deliberate actions are prohibited. These deliberate actions may include everyday conveniences of life (e.g., cooking, lighting fires, laundry, and writing). Traditional religious interpretation includes several modern categories in these prohibitions (e.g., activating or deactivating electricity, driving automobiles, and connecting with devices via technology).

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electrical appliance during a religious observance period is disclosed. The method includes receiving via a controller a timer command indicative of a start time for operation of the electrical appliance. The method further includes activating via the controller operation of the electrical appliance in response to the timer command. The activating step is carried out independently of a door position of a door of the electrical appliance so that the electrical appliance is not activated, deactivated, or adjusted using an electrical sensor or button.

According to another embodiment, a device for operating an electrical appliance during a religious observance period is disclosed. The device includes a projection mounted on a door of the electrical appliance. The device also includes a recess mounted on a surface of the electrical appliance. The projection and the recess cooperate to form an interlock configured to direct the flow of water from a pump of the electrical appliance to a drain of the electrical appliance when a door position is an open position.

In yet another embodiment, a dishwasher having an operation mode during a religious observance period is disclosed. The dishwasher includes panels forming an internal chamber of the dishwasher. The dishwasher also including a door having an open position to provide access to the internal chamber and a closed position to close the internal chamber. The dishwasher also includes a pump and a drain. The dishwasher further includes a projection mounted on the door of the dishwasher and a recess mounted on an internal surface of one of the panels of the dishwasher. The projection and the recess cooperate to form an interlock configured to direct the flow of water from the pump to the drain when the door is in the open position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a flowchart including steps of a method for operating a dishwasher during a religious observance period (e.g., one or more days).

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic view of a dishwasher including a mechanical recess and a mechanical projection configured to interlock with the mechanical recess.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict schematic views of the operation of a mechanical recess and a mechanical projection when a dishwasher door is in an open position and a closed position, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.

The first definition of an acronym or other abbreviation applies to all subsequent uses herein of the same abbreviation and applies mutatis mutandis to normal grammatical variations of the initially defined abbreviation. Unless expressly stated to the contrary, measurement of a property is determined by the same technique as previously or later referenced for the same property.

It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular form “a,” “an,” and “the” comprise plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, reference to a component in the singular is intended to comprise a plurality of components.

As used herein, the term “substantially,” “generally,” or “about” means that the amount or value in question may be the specific value designated or some other value in its neighborhood. These terms may be used to modify any numeric value disclosed or claimed herein. Generally, the term “about” denoting a certain value is intended to denote a range within +5% of the value. As one example, the phrase “about 100” denotes a range of 100±5, i.e., the range from 95 to 105. Generally, when the term “about” is used, it can be expected that similar results or effects according to the invention can be obtained within a range of +5% of the indicated value. The term “substantially” may modify a value or relative characteristic disclosed or claimed in the present disclosure. In such instances, “substantially” may signify that the value or relative characteristic it modifies is within +0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% or 10% of the value or relative characteristic.

It is also to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and methods described below, as specific components and/or conditions may, of course, vary. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is used only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting in any way.

The term “comprising” is synonymous with “including,” “having,” “containing,” or “characterized by.” These terms are inclusive and open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

The term “one or more” means “at least one” and the term “at least one” means “one or more.” The terms “one or more” and “at least one” include “plurality” as a subset.

The Sabbath and holidays are days of rest for practicing or observant religious Jews. During these days of religious observance, certain deliberate actions are not permitted. To obey these and other religious strictures, several “Sabbath-observant” technologies have been proposed and implemented (e.g., Sabbath-mode ovens to override auto-shutoff features and electrical timers to turn devices on and off).

Dishwashers may present an exceptional challenge during religious days of observance. On Sabbath and holidays, religious Jews traditionally have festive meals, often with a large number of guests, sometimes for up to three consecutive days. These meals may produce many dirty dishes. However, traditional interpretations of Jewish law prohibit pushing electrical buttons (e.g., electrical buttons on a dishwasher), thereby complicating the process of cleaning dishes for additional meals during the period of religious observance. Moreover, hot water from the dishwasher may cook uncooked or undercooked food on the dishes. There may also be concerns of cooking soap used in dishwashers if there are ingredients in the soap that are considered food products.

As described above, pressing an electrical button to start a dishwasher is an activation of an electrical appliance, which is a prohibited activity during days of religious observance. A common workaround is to put the electrical appliance on a timer (e.g., a delayed start). While this may resolve the electrical button activation issue, other issues remain. A loud dishwasher violates the precept of loud machinery operating automatically. This precept is exemplified by the watermill described in the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Sabbath 18a). A common workaround is to use a quiet dishwasher and/or to run the dishwasher strictly at night. When a dishwasher door is open, the safety switch may prevent the dishwasher from turning on. Therefore, the electrical appliance may be activated by closing the dishwasher, which is a prohibited pushing of an electrical button. One workaround is to disable the safety switch, which allows the dishwasher to turn on when the door is in an open position. However, this may create a risk of kitchen flooding with scalding water.

Considering the foregoing, what is needed is an electrical appliance (e.g., a dishwasher) with a mechanical device configured to enable operation on a day of religious observance (e.g., the Sabbath and Jewish holidays) without compromising the religious observance or water flooding from the electrical appliance. In one or more embodiments, an electrical appliance (e.g., a dishwasher or washing machine) is configured to permit use of a Sabbath mode on the Sabbath and holidays according to traditional Jewish law. In one or more embodiments, dishwasher features relating to electrical components (e.g., water heating, pumping, and draining cycles) run independently of whether the dishwasher door is in an open or closed position where the dishwasher includes a mechanical device (e.g., a mechanical interlock) configured to prevent water flooding in the kitchen. The electrical components (e.g., pump, heater, etc.) of the dishwasher may operate the same whether the dishwasher door is in an open or closed position while preventing water flooding using a mechanical device.

FIG. 1 depicts flowchart 10 including steps of a method for operating a dishwasher during a religious observance period (e.g., one or more days). The steps shown in FIG. 1 may be applied to electrical appliances other than dishwashers. The steps shown in FIG. 1 may be modified, rearranged, and/or omitted based on the implementation of the method of operation.

As depicted in step 12 of flowchart 10, a timer is set on a dishwasher. The timer may be set before sunset the day before the religious observance day. For instance, the timer may be set at 1 pm the day before the religious observance day. The timer may be set to run at a late-night start time of the religious observance day. For example, the late-night start time may be 10 μm. The timer may be set by a user of the dishwasher. In one or more embodiments, multiple cycles can be set in advance using the timer. In one or more embodiments, the timer on the dishwasher is set using a smartphone app or the timer on the dishwasher is linked to a smart-home system. In one embodiment, the timer on the dishwasher is set to run once a week (e.g., the Sabbath) or on a set schedule (e.g., during religious holidays).

As depicted in step 14 of flowchart 10, dishes are loaded into the dishwasher on the religious observance day. For instance, the dishes may be loaded into the dishwasher at 8 pm on the religious observance day. In one or more embodiments, the loading time is before the start time set on the timer before the religious observance day. The loading time may be at least 1 hour (e.g., 2 hours) before the start time set by timer.

As depicted in step 16 of flowchart 10, the dishwasher is activated at the start time set by the timer of step 12. As described herein, the dishwasher may be activated independent of the dishwasher door status (e.g., open or closed).

As depicted in step 18 of flowchart 10, a door status determines how a dishwasher operates in connection with a mechanical device. The door status may be open or closed. The mechanical device may be a mechanical interlock.

As depicted in step 20 of flowchart 10, if the dishwasher door status is closed, then a dishwasher pump pumps water to the main chamber of the dishwasher. In this closed mode, the pumping of water to the main chamber of the dishwasher does not create kitchen flooding because the dishwasher door is closed.

As depicted in step 22 of flowchart 10, if the dishwasher door status is open, the dishwasher pump pumps water directly to the drain of the dishwasher. In this open mode, the pumping of water to the drain avoids kitchen flooding when the dishwasher door is closed. This feature may be enabled by a mechanical device (e.g., a mechanical interlock of one or more embodiments). The dishwasher may be further configured with an additional lock that prevents a user from opening a door while the dishwasher is actively running.

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic view of dishwasher 50 including mechanical recess 52 and mechanical projection 54 configured to interlock with mechanical recess 52. Dishwasher 50 includes first and second spaced apart lateral panels 56 and 58, upper and lower spaced apart panels 60 and 62 extending between lateral panels 56 and 58, and rear panel 64 extending between lateral panels 56 and 58. Lateral panels 56 and 58, upper and lower panels 60 and 62, and rear panel 64 form an interior cavity of dishwasher 50.

Dishwasher 50 also includes door 66 hinged at the front edge of lower panel 62. Door 66 is configured to transition from an open position to a closed position. As shown in FIG. 2, door 66 is in an open position, thereby providing access to the interior cavity of dishwasher 50. Door 66 in a closed position closes the interior cavity of dishwasher 50 to a kitchen or other room in which dishwasher 50 is installed.

As shown in FIG. 2, mechanical recess 52 is mounted on the internal surface of lateral panel 56. In other embodiments, mechanical recess 52 is mounted on the internal surface of lateral panel 58. Mechanical recess 52 is sized to not interfere with the internal components (e.g., racks, sprayer, etc.) of dishwasher 50. As shown in FIG. 2, mechanical recess 52 is positioned about one-third (⅓) of the total height from lower panel 62 and is positioned on the front edge of the internal surface of lateral panel 56. Mechanical recess 52 is positioned to not interfere with the internal components of dishwasher 50.

As shown in FIG. 2, mechanical projection 54 is mounted on the internal surface of door 66 of dishwasher 50. Mechanical projection 54 is sized to not interfere with the internal components of dishwasher 50. As shown in FIG. 2, mechanical projection 54 is positioned about one-third (⅓) of the total height from door 66 from lower panel 62 and is positioned on the side edge of the internal surface of door 66 that aligns with lateral panel 56. Mechanical projection 54 is positioned to not interfere with the internal components of dishwasher 50. Mechanical recess 52 and mechanical projection 54 are configured to interlock when door 66 is in a closed position.

At the time when dishwasher 50 starts a cycle, mechanical recess 52 and mechanical projection 54 are configured to cooperatively manage the flow of water so that it does not flood the kitchen of the user. In one or more embodiments, mechanical recess 52 and mechanical projection 54 only include mechanical components and do not include any electrical components. Any mechanical device that manages the flow of water appropriately may be used in one or more embodiments. If the door of the dishwasher is in an open position, the mechanical device redirects the water flow away from the sprayer (e.g., a device configured to spray water into the interior cavity of the dishwasher) directly into the drain of the dishwasher.

The mechanical device may be a mechanical interlock. The mechanical device may be a combination of a mechanical projection and a mechanical recess. The mechanical projection may be disposed on the dishwasher door and the mechanical recess may be disposed on an internal surface of the dishwasher (e.g., a lateral surface). The mechanical device may be a mechanical plug and a mechanical receptacle. The mechanical plug may be disposed on the dishwasher door and the mechanical receptacle may be disposed on an internal surface of the dishwasher (e.g., a lateral surface).

In one embodiment, the mechanical projection is a gasket that interlocks with the mechanical recess. The gasket may be configured to seal a water conduit within the dishwasher to obstruct or redirect the flow of water to a drain or a sprayer. The gasket may be formed of rubber or other material. In another embodiment, the mechanical projection is a cork that interlocks with the mechanical recess. The cork may be configured to obstruct or redirect the flow of water through a water conduit to a drain or a sprayer of a dishwasher. The mechanical recess may be formed in the water conduit of a dishwasher to obstruct or redirect the flow of water when interlocked with a mechanical projection. The mechanical recess may be formed in a valve.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict schematic views of the operation of mechanical recess 100 and mechanical projection 102 when a dishwasher door is in an open position and a closed position, respectively. Dishwasher water system 104 includes pump 106, dishwasher sprayer 108, first conduit 110, second conduit 112, and third conduit 114. Arrow 116 represents the flow of water pumped from pump 106 through first conduit 110. Mechanical recess 100 is situated in third conduit 114 downstream from second conduit 112. Second conduit 112 extends from first conduit 110 to dishwasher sprayer 108. Dishwasher water system 104 may be disposed within the internal cavity of the dishwasher. Mechanical recess 100 may be situated on or near an internal surface of a lateral side of the dishwasher such that it is located to form a mechanical interlock with mechanical projection 102 when the dishwasher door is in a closed position. When the dishwasher door is in the open position (as shown in FIG. 3A), water flows directly from pump 106 into drain 118, thereby avoiding water flooding when the dishwasher door in in the open position.

As shown in FIG. 3B, mechanical projection 102 interlocks with mechanical recess 100 to obstruct the flow of water from first conduit 110 to third conduit 114, thereby diverting the flow of water through second conduit 112 into water sprayer 108. Mechanical projection 102 is mounted on a surface of the dishwasher door such that it aligns and interlocks with mechanical recess 100 when the dishwasher door is in a closed position.

A dishwasher typically has one or more spray arms whose function is to spray water throughout the dishwasher. In one embodiment, the interlock is configured to disable the spray arm's rotation and/or water flow (rather than or in addition to pumping the water to a drain as disclosed in other embodiments herein. For example, the mechanical interlock may be configured so that the rotation of the spray arm is zero when the mechanical interlock is disengaged (e.g., the door is in an open position), but high (e.g., full rotation of 360°) when the interlock is engaged (e.g., the door is closed). This feature may be enabled without changing the electrical behavior of the motors of the spray arm.

Another religious restriction is indirectly heating water on the Sabbath. By putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher, relatively more water is necessary to achieve cleanliness of the dirty dishes. Using this additional water may be a violation of this restriction. In one or more embodiments, the timer (e.g., the timer referred to in FIG. 1) may be configured to simultaneously disable all or a portion of the sensors in the dishwasher. The timer may include a processing device, controller, or computer, which can include an existing programmable electronic control unit or a dedicated electronic control unit. The functionality of the timer may be stored as data and instructions executable by a controller or computer in many forms including permanently stored storage medium. In one embodiment, the timer may be configured to simultaneously disable all sensors of the dishwasher. For example, the wash/heat/dry cycle may be based on a fixed timer instead of a temperature or turbidity sensor. The drying cycle may be set to low heat only to prevent steam from exiting when the dishwasher door is open.

Another concern is that a relatively loud appliance violates the restrictions of loud machinery on the Sabbath. In one or more embodiments, the dishwasher is configured to operate in a “quiet mode” on the Sabbath, which may take more time to run but operates at a lower decibel level than usual operation. In another embodiment, the dishwasher is configured to run only during nighttime hours or during sleeping hours. These functions of the dishwasher may be stored as data and instructions executable by a controller or computer in many forms including permanently stored storage medium.

Yet another concern is food and/or soap not cooked or not completely cooked when placed in the dishwasher may cause indirect cooking when the hot water cleans the dishes where cooking is one of the activities prohibited during the Sabbath. In one or more embodiments, the dishwasher may be configured to first pump the water into a holding tank before it is sprayed into the interior of the dishwasher. In another embodiment, the dishwasher may be configured to pulse the spray of water within the dishwasher interior, so that there is no continuous flow of hot water. In another embodiment, the dishwasher may be configured so that at least one cycle of the dishwasher runs with the heating element off, or at a lower intensity than another cycle of the dishwasher to keep the water temperature below 110° F., 140° F., 160° F., or 180° F. These embodiments may fall under on technical halakhic (i.e., Jewish legal) leniencies known as (1) “pouring from the second vessel,” (“iruy kli sheni”); (2) “unintended inevitable consequence” (“psik reishei delo nicha lei”); (3) “noncontinuous flow” (“nifsak ha-kiluach”); and/or (4) “non-scalding heat” (“ein hayad soledes bo”).

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electrical appliance during a religious observance period, the method comprising:

receiving via a controller a timer command indicative of a start time for operation of the electrical appliance; and

activating via the controller operation of the electrical appliance in response to the timer command,

the activating step is carried out independently of a door position of a door of the electrical appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the door position is an open position or a closed position.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising pumping water into an internal chamber of the electrical appliance after the activating step when the door position is the closed position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pumping step is performed in response to a mechanical interlock condition of a mechanical interlock.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mechanical interlock comprises a projection and a recess.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the projection is a gasket or a cork.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the mechanical interlock is a valve.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising pumping water into a drain of the electrical appliance after the activating step when the door position is the open position.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating step is carried out when a door position sensor of the electrical appliance is disabled.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical appliance is a dishwasher.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating step occurs during the religious observance period.

12. A device for operating an electrical appliance during a religious observance period, the device comprising:

a projection mounted on a door of the electrical appliance;

a recess mounted on a surface of the electrical appliance,

the projection and the recess cooperate to form an interlock configured to direct a flow of water from a pump of the electrical appliance to a drain of the electrical appliance when a door position is an open position.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the projection and the recess are unengaged to direct water from the pump of the electrical appliance to a sprayer of the electrical appliance when the door position is a closed position.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the projection is a cork or a gasket.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the recess is a valve.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the surface is an internal side surface of the electrical appliance.

17. A dishwasher having an operation mode during a religious observance period, the dishwasher comprises:

panels forming an internal chamber of the dishwasher;

a door having an open position to provide access to the internal chamber and a closed position to close the internal chamber;

a pump;

a drain;

a projection mounted on the door of the dishwasher; and

a recess mounted on an internal surface of one of the panels of the dishwasher, the projection and the recess cooperate to form an interlock configured to direct the flow of water from the pump to the drain when the door is in the open position.

18. The dishwasher of claim 17, further comprising a sprayer, and wherein the projection and the recess are unengaged to direct water from the pump to the sprayer when the door is in the closed position.

19. The dishwasher of claim 18, further comprising a first conduit, a second conduit, and a third conduit, the pump configured to pump water through the first conduit, the second conduit extends from the first conduit to the sprayer, the third conduit extends from the first conduit to the drain, and the recess is formed as part of the third conduit.

20. The dishwasher of claim 19, wherein the interlock obstructs water from flowing through the second conduit when the door is in the open position.