Patent ID: 6838785

Claim:
An operating device for an electrical appliance, wherein: the operating device has an operating unit forming a part of the operating device, said operating unit has a rotary device for the rotary operation of the electrical appliance with position change, the electrical appliance has a cover and said operating unit can be fixed to the cover, signalling means are provided for generating signals as a function of a position change or a position of said rotary device, said operating unit has control means for processing signals for the purpose of influencing the electrical appliance, said signalling means are exclusively contained in said operating unit, said control means are connected to said signalling means, said operating unit has a power supply for supplying power to said operating unit and said control means, said operating device has a signal transmission from said signalling means to said electrical appliance, said signal transmission takes place in contact-free manner, said operating unit has a bearing device for said rotary device, said rotary device is mounted in rotatable manner on said bearing device, and said bearing device is fixable in substantially immovable manner to the cover and is also removable.