GB2320587A

GB2320587A - Automatic starting of a household appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2320587A
Application number: GB9726400A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harald Moschuetz; Gundula Czyzewski
Original assignee: Bosch Siemens Hausgerate GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 1996-12-19
Filing date: 1997-12-12
Publication date: 1998-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-12
Also published as: GB9726400D0; DE19653202B4; FR2757648A1; IT1296882B1; GB2320587B; ITMI972797A1; DE19653202A1; FR2757648B1

Abstract

A household appliance, e.g. a cooker or washing machine includes a control device provided with a plurality of selectable operating programs having respective time periods for performance thereof, and a real time clock at which a desired end time for a selected program can be set. The control device is operable to automatically determine, in dependence on the respective performance time period of a selected program, a program start time allowing performance of the selected program to end at the set end time and to automatically switch on the appliance at that start time to perform the selected program. To compensate for unplanned stoppages which might extend the program beyond the end time, predetermined delay periods can be included. If no stoppages occur, these delay periods can be used to extend program cycles or include performance-enhancing operations.

Description

1 2320587 AUTOMATIC PROGRAM PERFORMANCE IN A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE The

present invention relates to a household appliance and has particular reference to automatic performance of programs by the appliance.

A cooker control method for automatic roasting of meat is known from DE-A23 57 041, in which method different settings must be undertaken by the user. If the food being roasted has to be ready for consumption at a specific time, then the switch-on time of the cooker must be calculated by the user from this predetermined time according to tabular prescriptions. This is time-consuming and easily leads to errors due to the fact that the calculation is not carried out in the decimal system.

There is thus a need for a method of controlling a household appliance, in which a start time calculation by the user of the appliance is no longer necessary for the attainment of a specific end time of an operating program to be performed.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a household appliance including control means provided with a plurality of selectable operating programs having respective time periods for performance thereof, and a real time clock at which a desired end time for a selected program is settable, the control means being operable to automatically determine, in dependence on the respective performance time period of a selected program, a program start time allowing performance of the selected program to end substantially at the set end time and to automatically switch on the appliance at the determined start time to perform the selected program.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of controlling a household appliance which includes a control device having different operating programs and a real time clock at which an end time for an operating program to be performed is settable, in which method the start time necessary for attainment of the set program end time is established by the control device in dependence on the respective performance time of an operating program and the household appliance switched on automatically.

In such a method the user only has to set the desired program end time at the real time clock of the appliance. The start time necessary for attainment of this program end time is 2 then determined by the control device itself. Thus, erroneous calculations by the user are excluded.

It is of advantage if the establishing of the start time is additionally carried out in dependence on the quantity andlor kind of the stock to be treated during the selected operating program. Thus, a satisfactory operating result can be achieved especially in the case of different loading of the appliance, for example in the case of a washing machine with a different quantity andlor kind of laundry.

As unforseeable or incalculable disturbances can arise during performance of a program, which then lead to a delay during the program sequence, it is expedient if, in establishing the start time, delay time periods which result from disturbances arising during the course of the program and which lead to prolongation of the performance time of the selected program are taken into consideration. Thus, a good treatment result is guaranteed despite the occurrence of such disturbances.

So that the preset program end time is actually maintained in all cases, it can be provided that, in the absence of disturbances, the delay time periods provided for compensation are utilised for the introduction of additional operating procedures, which are intended to improve the operating result, in the course of the program.

In the case of the described method the user of the appliance, as already mentioned, only has to set the desired program end time. An inconvenient and also error-prone calculation of the start time, i.e. the time of switching-on of the appliance, enabling the desired program end time to be achieved is no longer necessary. This start time is established by the control device itself on the basis of the selected operating program, thus in the case of a washing machine on the basis of the washing program set in accordance with the kind of load placed in the machine. As such washing programs each have a specific performance time, the start time can be determined by the control device in simple manner on the basis of the preset program end time.

In order to always maintain a sufficient operating time, the performance time for individual operating programs can be preset for a maximum loading of the washing machine by the operating programs contained in the control device. There is also the possibility of 3 detecting the actual load quantity by means of appropriate sensor elements and then establishing the performance time corresponding to this quantity.

In the case of washing machines which perform spinning operations, delays can arise due to imbalance stoppages on initiation of such a spinning operation. Moreover, additional rinsing phases can be required in the case of excess feed of washing agent, which similarly leads to a delay in the performance of the complete operating program. In order to also achieve a satisfactory operating result notwithstanding the occurrence of such disturbances, i.e. to achieve cleanly washed laundry at the program end time in the case of a washing machine, it is expedient to prolong the performance time for the selected program in correspondence with the delay times caused by the mentioned possible disturbances.

In order, in the absence of disturbances of that kind, to avoid switchingoff of the appliance before reaching the program end time, additional operating procedures, by which an improvement of the operating result may be able to be effected, can be undertaken in the remaining time.

Thus, in the case of a washing machine it is possible, when no delays have arisen due to imbalance stoppages, to use the saved time for switching over of the normal spinning operation to a special periodic spinning operation which is gentle on the laundry. If no excess feed of washing agent has occurred, then the individual rinsing phases can be prolonged by optionally possible reduction in the rinsing water quantity without the quality of the rinsing suffering as a result.

Moreover, for attainment of a set program end time in the case of a washing machine, time-compensating program sections are possible, for example by rotating the laundry drum of the machine at low rotational speeds in the last rinsing phase leading up to the rinsing stop position andlor in the loosening up of the laundry after the spinning operation. In this manner the actual end time of the program performance can always be brought into agreement with the set program end time.

4

Claims

1. A household appliance including control means provided with a plurality of selectable operating programs having respective time periods for performance thereof, and a real time clock at which a desired end time for a selected program is settable, the control means being operable to automatically determine, in dependence on the respective performance time period of a selected program, a program start time allowing performance of the selected program to end substantially at the set end time and to automatically switch on the appliance at the determined start time to perform the selected program.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, the control means being operable to determine the start time additionally in dependence on at least one of the quantity and kind of article or material to be processed by the appliance during performance of the selected program.

3. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, the control means being operable to determine the start time additionally in dependence on predictable delay time periods prolonging the respective performance time period of the selected program.

4. An appliance as claimed in claim 3, the control means being operable to so vary operation of the appliance in the absence of any such delay time periods as to cause the appliance to perform at least one additional operating procedure for improving the result of performance of the selected program.

5. An appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the appliance being a washing machine.

6. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

7. A method of controlling a household appliance which includes control means provided with a plurality of selectable operating programs having respective time periods for performance thereof, and a real time clock at which a desired end time for a selected program is settable, the method comprising the steps of selecting a desired one of the programs by means of the control device and setting a desired end time for the selected program by means of the clock, whereafter the control means automatically determines, in dependence on the respective performance time period of the selected program, a program start time allowing performance of the selected program to end substantially at the set end time and automatically switches on the appliance at the determined start time to perform the selected program.