Patent ID: 6856841
Filing Date: 2005-02-15
Classification: D06F,G05B,H01H

Abstract:
1. A solid state appliance controller comprising: a processor; circuitry formed on a circuit board, said circuitry defining a voltage trace in communication with a voltage source, a first state trace, and a second state trace, said first state trace in communication with said processor and said second state trace in communication with said processor, said first trace forming a first zigzag pattern and said second trace forming a second zigzag pattern, said first and second zigzag patterns configured to be in mutually opposing, mutually adjacent, and alternating mutually opposing and mutually adjacent relationship to each other; a user selection knob operative to allow a user to select an operating mode of the appliance by rotating said user selection knob; and a wiper assembly coupled to said user selection knob for rotation therewith, said wiper assembly having a voltage finger operative to be in contact with said voltage trace to continuously receive a voltage therefrom during rotation of said selection knob, a first finger operative to intermittently contact said first trace in accordance with said first zigzag pattern wherein contact provides said voltage to said first trace during rotation of said selection knob, and a second finger operative to intermittently contact said second trace in accordance with said second zigzag pattern wherein contact provide said voltage to said second trace during rotation of said selection knob; said processor operative to receive voltages from said first and second traces in accordance with the intermittent contact of said first and second fingers with said intermittent voltages from the first and second traces respectively defining a plurality of state changes.