Applicant has created systems, methods, and apparatuses for controlling the power supply of a vacuum cleaner motor. The systems and apparatuses include pressure taps to detect a pressure differential within a vacuum cleaner, a float that adjusts depending on an amount of liquid stored, and a power switch that toggles based on the pressure differential created by the position of the float. Alternatively, the float can be replaced by an air chamber so that the pressure differential is created by liquid rising above the volume of air trapped in the chamber. The method can include interrupting the current supplied to an electrical circuit of a power switch based upon a pressure differential created within the vacuum. By controlling the power supply to a vacuum cleaner motor based on a pressure differential created by the amount of liquid stored within the vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner can automatically disable the vacuum cleaner's motor as the vacuum approaches its maximum liquid capacity.

An actuation unit for a household appliance, preferably an electrically drivable, household appliance, includes an actuation element, having an actuation element base. The actuation element has a protrusion portion extending from the actuation element base, which is inserted into a recess of an actuation button, such that the actuation element and the actuation button have, in an assembled state, a degree of freedom in a direction corresponding to the extension of the protrusion portion and in a further direction.

A user interface includes a front panel that has an exterior surface and an interior surface. A flange outwardly extends from the exterior surface and defines a notch. A receiving body extends from the interior surface of the front panel that is proximate the flange. A receiving body has an angled edge and defines a drainage channel that extends through a portion of the notch that is defined by the flange.

An electrical switch unit for use in controlling operation of an electrical device, the electrical switch unit including: an electrical switch unit housing for housing at least a pair of electrical switching contacts of the electrical switch unit, said electrical switch unit housing including a first housing member and a second housing member that are configured for attachment together at peripheral regions of the first and second housing members so as to cooperatively form an enclosed space for housing the pair of electrical switching contacts therein; an actuator member operably-connected with at least one of the pair of electrical switching contacts, the actuator being configured for movement relative inwardly and outwardly of an opening in the electrical switch unit housing so as to arrange the pair of electrical switching contacts into at least one of a closed configuration wherein power is able to be supplied from a power source to motor or other electrically-operable element of the electrical device via the pair of electrical switching contacts, and, an opened configuration wherein power is not able to be supplied from the power source to the motor or other electrically-operable element of the electrical device via the pair of electrical switching contacts; and an sealing element including an elastically-resilient polymeric material, said sealing element being configured for location between the first and second housing members and extending about the peripheral regions of the attached first and second housing members so as to occlude passage and ingress of particulates and water into the electrical switch unit housing.

An illumination system and method is disclosed for maintaining a consistent change in illumination value among a group of illumination devices whenever a change command is manually sent from a keypad to those illumination devices. The consistent change results from maintaining a common start illumination value among not only the group, but also the keypad which controls the group. From the start illumination value, the keypad can then compute an end illumination value depending upon the amount of time that the increase or decrease in illumination value button is depressed and held. Since the start change signal can arrive on different illumination devices within the group depending upon where each illumination device is geographically located, a masking time is reserved after the button is released so that enough time is allocated for each of the illumination devices within that group to arrive at a common end illumination value regardless of their disparate location to the keypad, the number of hops or interference therebetween.

An electro-mechanical interface device for an appliance. The device including: a mounting element having a first side and a second side, the mounting element having a mounting aperture from the first side through to the second side; a first selection element in the form of a hollow sleeve that is partially located through the mounting aperture from the first side of mounting element; and a fastening ring engages the first selection element from the second side of mounting element, such that the first selection element is releasably retained from being withdrawn from the mounting aperture, wherein the first selection element is rotatable with respect to the mounting element. The device may further include a hub element is located within the circular-sleeve of the first selection element that restricts separation of the first selection element from the fastening ring.

An activation device for transmitting a user input to a control device has an engaging element that forms a first housing part and a feeding element that forms a second housing part. The engaging element has a push magnet, whose magnetic field extends into the feeding element and the feeding element has a push magnet that can be displaced without contact through exposure to the magnetic field. The engaging push magnet can be displaced in the direction of the feeding element by pressure-activating the activation device, and is set up to exert a magnetic force on a corresponding feeding push magnet. The engaging element and feeding element each have at least one rotating magnet that can be displaced parallel to an intermediate plane running between them. The engaging rotating magnet of the engaging element exerts a magnetic force on a corresponding feeding rotating magnet of the feeding element.

Various arrangements of smart home devices are presented herein. A chassis assembly of a smart home device may define one or more compartments. The chassis assembly may include a plurality of cover fasteners. A rotatable cover assembly may be present and configured to be removably attached with the plurality of cover fasteners to the chassis assembly in any rotational orientation and to at least partially cover a front of the chassis assembly. While the rotatable cover is removably attached with the plurality of cover fasteners, the rotatable cover assembly is configured to block access to the one or more compartments defined by the chassis assembly.

The present invention relates to a switch device for ignition systems and, more particularly, for use in cooking equipment or heating systems in general, such as to obtain the electrical contact necessary to generate the spark for activating the burner. More preferably, the present invention includes innovative functional and technical aspects capable of promoting the electrical contact necessary to activate the burner, but principally to increase the levels of safety in relation to movement of the controls of cooking equipment/heating equipment, principally in connection with the return movement of said control. Therefore, the present switch device comprises a casing formed by a lower structural body and another, upper structural body, which engage with one another in such a manner as to accommodate, within, flexible contact blades and a rotary core, the structural bodies having contact surfaces provided with at least one projecting portion; furthermore, an axially moveable commutator ring is engaged on said rotary core.

An illumination system and method is disclosed for maintaining a consistent change in illumination value among a group of illumination devices whenever a change command is manually sent from a keypad to those illumination devices. The consistent change results from maintaining a common start illumination value among not only the group, but also the keypad which controls the group. From the start illumination value, the keypad can then compute an end illumination value depending upon the amount of time that the increase or decrease in illumination value button is depressed and held. Since the start change signal can arrive on different illumination devices within the group depending upon where each illumination device is geographically located, a masking time is reserved after the button is released so that enough time is allocated for each of the illumination devices within that group to arrive at a common end illumination value regardless of their disparate location to the keypad, the number of hops or interference therebetween.