A sensor is provided that is applicable to new and old clothes dryers, including clothes dryers that have a built-in moisture sensor, because the sensor of the present invention also measures the humidity which has proven to be far more accurate. The retrofit moisture and humidity sensor can be installed in a clothes dryer and can be used to reduce energy consumption for gas and electric clothes dryers. The sensor communicates with a receiver device that shuts off the power to the clothes dryer when the items in the clothes dryer are sufficiently dry as measured by the sensor. An advantage of this inexpensive power saving device is that it does not require any mechanical alterations to the clothes dryer.

A laundry treatment apparatus including a cabinet defining an external appearance, a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet to accommodate laundry, and a door assembly pivotably provided at the cabinet to open or close an opening in the drum. The door assembly includes a door body configured to open or close the cabinet, a control panel provided on an inner surface of the door body to receive an input related to operation from a user and to display operation of the laundry treatment apparatus, and a control panel cover separably provided on a rear surface of the control panel to define a rear surface of the door assembly. The control panel includes an input unit configured to receive the input related to operation from the user, a display unit configured to display the input received from the input unit, and a PCB configured to control the control panel.

A method for selectively restricting movement of an appliance position switch from a closed position to an open position includes positioning the pin within a channel of a body portion of a switch retention device and moving the body of the switch retention device in a first direction into an opening in a face of the appliance within which the pin is moveable from the open position to the closed position. Such movement is carried out to cause movement of the pin in the first direction toward the closed position. The method further includes continuing to move the switch retention device in the first direction such that a cap thereof contacts the face, and a tab extending outwardly from the body engages with the opening to retain the switch retention device in the opening and the pin in the closed position.

A thermal protector includes, in a fixed manner, a first terminal and a second terminal that are respectively connected to external circuits, at lower left/right ends of the longitudinal directions of a base, and a right end at which a movable plate and a bimetal are superimposed is fixed to the right end of the upper surface of the base and is connected to the second terminal. A fixed contact is fixed to an internal end of the first terminal that is exposed in the left end of the base. A movable contact is fixed at a position facing the fixed contact on the lower surface of the left end of the movable plate. A partition wall that encloses the movable contact and the fixed contact from three directions is provided and bent plate planes are formed on both sides of the movable plate in the vicinity of the movable contact. The bent plate planes adjust the flow direction of hot air in cooperation with the partition wall so as to prevent a malfunction of a breaking arc flying to surrounding conductive members.

An illumination system and method are 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 an increase or decrease in illumination value button is depressed and held. Since the change command can arrive at 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.

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.

A switch device and a cooking device having a switch device. The switch device may include a first switch configured to be opened or closed based on contact or non-contact between the first blade and the second blade; a second switch configured to be opened and closed based on contact or non-contact between the third blade and the fourth blade; a housing that accommodates the first switch and the second switch therein; and an actuator disposed in the housing and actuated to selectively open and close the first switch and the second switch. The first switch and the second switch may be fixedly supported by a support structure disposed on a same plane as a mounting plane for the actuator and may be positioned in a single inner space.

A position switch retention device for use with an appliance including a body defining a first end, a cap extending outwardly from a second end of the body opposite the first end, and a first tab extending from a side of the body. The first tab defines a ramp extending away from the body to an edge directed toward and spaced from the cap.

A dual-stroke safety switch of a washing machine has a control switch mounted in a base, and a control rod movably connected to the base. The control switch comprises a first control switch and a second switch. The control rod has two motion strokes respectively for controlling the switch-off of the first control switch and the second switch, and the motion stroke for the switch-off of the first control switch is less than the motion stroke for the switch-off of the second control switch. The different strokes of the control rod substantially reflect different degrees of eccentricity of a water tub. The switch-off of the first control switch indicates that small eccentricity of the water tub takes place, and the switch-off of the second control switch indicates that there is serious eccentricity.

A knob structure for an electromagnetic oven includes a knob switch assembly. The knob switch assembly consists of a sleeve button, a rotary encoder, a bracket of a display screen, and a control assembly. The knob switch assembly is connected to a printed circuit board through a through hole. A guide rib is disposed around a circumference of the through hole. The display screen with a protection assembly disposed outside is integrated with the knob switch assembly. The guide rib effectively prevents water from entering inside of the electromagnetic oven, lengthens a service life of the electromagnetic oven, and facilitates cleaning. The knob switch assembly integrated with the display screen realizes miniaturization and reduces a cost. The protection assembly ensures a display effect of the display screen.