1. A home appliance fueled at least partially by gas, the home appliance comprising:
a gas control apparatus including:
a pressure regulator for receiving gas from a gas facility and distributing gas within the home appliance as fuel for heating use, the pressure regulator defining a gas conduit having a gas inlet, at least one gas outlet, and a valve disposed intermediate the gas inlet and the at least one gas outlet, the valve including a valve stem configured for movement along an axis to open and close the valve; and
a valve actuator including a drive element disposed remotely from the valve, the drive element being a rotary drive element operatively engaged with the valve stem for moving the valve between an open position and a closed position; and a mechanical link assembly disposed intermediate the valve stem and the drive element for converting rotary movement of the drive element into linear movement of the valve stem.
2. A home appliance according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical link assembly includes:
a first link having a rigid body attached to the drive element for rotational movement therewith; and
a second link having a flexible body portion, the second link being flexibly attached to the first link and flexibly attached to the valve stem for inducing linear movement of the valve stem responsive to movement of the first link, the second link accommodating off-axis movement of the first link while maintaining axial movement of the valve stem during movement of the valve between the open position and the closed position.
3. A home appliance according to claim 1 wherein the regulator is initially configured with an oven gas outlet and a maintop gas outlet with the valve being operatively associated with the oven gas outlet and wherein the regulator is reconfigured with the valve being operatively associated with the maintop gas outlet.
4. A home appliance according to claim 3 wherein the second link is formed as a coil spring.
5. A home appliance according to claim 3 and further comprising a third link flexibly attached to the first link and flexibly attached to the second link.
6. A home appliance according to claim 5 wherein the third link is formed as a rigid arm member.
7. A home appliance according to claim 1 and further comprising a switch operatively associated with the drive element for enabling a signal responsive to valve actuator action.
8. A home appliance according to claim 7 wherein the switch includes a switch body and a switch operator, wherein the switch operator projects outwardly from the switch body and the first link is formed with a camming surface for selective engagement with the switch operator to selectively enable a signal representative of valve position.
9. A home appliance according to claim 1 wherein the drive element is an electric motor configured for partial revolution operation, wherein the motor is configured to turn a partial revolution in a first direction to close the valve and the motor is configured to turn a partial revolution in a second direction different from the first direction to open the valve.
10. A home appliance according to claim 1 and further comprising a controller for generating and transmitting a signal to the drive element to operate the valve.
11. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range comprising:
a range body;
a maintop mounted to the range body, the maintop having at least one gas burner;
an oven mounted within the range body, the oven having at least one gas burner; and
a gas control apparatus including:
a pressure regulator for receiving gas from a gas facility and distributing gas within the home appliance as fuel for heating use, the pressure regulator defining a gas conduit having a gas inlet, at least one gas outlet, and a valve disposed intermediate the gas inlet and the at least one gas outlet, the valve including a valve stem configured for movement along an axis to open and close the valve; and
a valve actuator including a drive element disposed remotely from the valve, the drive element being a rotary drive element operatively engaged with the valve stem for moving the valve between an open position and a closed position; and a mechanical link assembly disposed intermediate the valve stem and the drive element for converting rotary movement of the drive element into linear movement of the valve stem.
12. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 11 wherein the mechanical link assembly includes:
a first link having a rigid body attached to the drive element for rotational movement therewith; and
a second link having a flexible body portion, the second link being flexibly attached to the first link and flexibly attached to the valve stem for inducing linear movement of the valve stem responsive to movement of the first link, the second link accommodating off-axis movement of the first link while maintaining axial movement of the valve stem during movement of the valve between the open position and the closed position.
13. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 11 wherein the regulator is initially configured with an oven gas outlet and a maintop gas outlet with the valve being operatively associated with the oven gas outlet and wherein the regulator is reconfigured with the valve being operatively associated with the maintop gas outlet.
14. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 12 wherein the second link is formed as a coil spring.
15. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 12 and further comprising a third link flexibly attached to the first link and flexibly attached to the second link.
16. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 15 wherein the third link is formed as a rigid arm member.
17. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 11 and further comprising a switch operatively associated with the valve actuator for enabling a signal responsive to valve actuator action.
18. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 17 wherein the switch includes a switch body and a switch operator, wherein the switch operator projects outwardly from the switch body and the first link is formed with a camming surface for selective engagement with the switch operator to selectively enable a signal representative of valve position.
19. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 11 wherein the motor is an electric motor configured for partial revolution operation, wherein the motor is configured to turn a partial revolution in a first direction to close the valve and the motor is configured to turn a partial revolution in a second direction different from the first direction to open the valve.
20. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 11 and further comprising a controller for generating and transmitting a signal to the drive element to operate the valve.
21. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 20 wherein the controller is configured to transmit a signal to the motor to close the valve whenever a self-cleaning mode is entered.
22. A self-cleaning gas-fueled range according to claim 20 wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal enabled by the switch to indicate that the valve is closed and, in response, transmit a signal to illuminate a lamp to indicate to a user that the valve is closed and gas is prevented from reaching the maintop.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A method for copy retouching digital image data that contains a periodic pattern, which comprises:
defining a starting position of a read mark that has a phase position in relation to a periodic pattern;
defining a staring position of a write mark;
calculating a distance vector D1 between the starting position of the read mark and the starting position of the write mark;
copying image data of image points located under the read mark into image points located under the write mark; and
calculating a corrected distance vector D2 such that a phase position of the write mark is equivalent to the phase position of the read mark in relation to the periodic pattern.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the image data is screened color separation data characterized by a screen width w and a screen angle .
3. The method according to claim 2, which comprises:
expressing the distance vector D1 with rectangular components Dx1 and Dy1;
expressing the corrected distance vector D2 with rectangular components Dx2 and Dy2;
determining the rectangular components Dx2 and Dy2 with equations:
Dx2(m)(w)(cos )(n)(w)(sin ),
and
Dy2(m)(w)(sin )(n)(w)(cos ),
where m and n are integers; and
selecting the integers m and n to minimize equations:
Dx2Dx1 and Dy2Dy1.
4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises:
expressing the distance vector D1 with rectangular components Dx1 and Dy1;
expressing the corrected distance vector D2 with rectangular components Dx2 and Dy2;
determining the rectangular components Dx2 and Dy2 with equations:
Dx2(m)(w)(cos )(n)(w)(sin ),
and
Dy2(m)(w)(sin )(n)(w)(cos ),
where m and n are integers; and
selecting the integers m and n to minimize equations:
Dx2Dx1 and Dy2Dy1.