Weighing device

Abstract

The utility model provides a weighing device, which comprises a weighing module, a pressure sensor and a control circuit, and is characterized in that the weighing module can be connected with a battery to obtain power supply, and the control circuit is connected with the battery, the pressure sensor and a scale body; the resistance value of the pressure sensor can change along with the change of the weight borne by the weighing module, and reaches a threshold value when the weighing module does not bear the weight; the control circuit is used for connecting the battery and the weighing module when the resistance value of the pressure sensor does not reach a threshold value, and disconnecting the battery and the weighing module when the resistance value of the pressure sensor reaches the threshold value. The power supply connection between the battery and the weighing module is automatically disconnected when the weighing module does not bear the weight, so that the static power consumption is remarkably reduced, the service life of the battery is prolonged, and the standby time of the device is prolonged.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of circuit design, and in particular, to a weighing device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the design of a conventional weighing device, a battery is usually required to supply power to a weighing module at all times, even in an off-screen state. The battery needs to provide a certain amount of power to ensure that the weighing device is always available. However, this design ignores the energy consumption during no-load periods, resulting in a large static power consumption of the device even when no weighing operation is being performed. In the long term, the accumulation of such static power consumption will have a significant impact on the battery life, significantly shortening the standby time of the device and requiring frequent battery replacement. Frequent battery replacement not only affects the user experience of the device, but also brings additional economic costs and may have a negative impact on the environment. SUMMARY

[0003] To overcome the problems in the related art, the present disclosure provides a weighing device.

[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a weighing device is provided, comprising a weighing module, a pressure sensor, and a control circuit, the weighing module being connectable to a battery to obtain power supply, and the control circuit being connected to the pressure sensor and the weighing module, respectively;

[0005] The resistance of the pressure sensor can change with the weight carried by the weighing module, and reaches a threshold value when the weighing module does not carry a weight.

[0006] The control circuit is configured to turn on the connection between the battery and the weighing module when the resistance of the pressure sensor does not reach the threshold value, and turn off the connection between the battery and the weighing module when the resistance of the pressure sensor reaches the threshold value.

[0007] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can include the following beneficial effects:

[0008] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by adding a pressure sensor and a control circuit in the weighing device, it can be identified whether the weighing module carries a weight by using the pressure sensor, and further the connection between the battery and the weighing module is automatically controlled by the control circuit. The automatic power supply connection management function of automatically turning off the battery power supply when the weighing module does not carry a weight and automatically turning on the battery power supply when the weighing module carries a weight is realized, which effectively reduces the static power consumption of the weighing device, prolongs the standby time of the device, reduces the frequency of battery replacement, and optimizes the user experience.

[0009] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a weighing device in the related art;

[0011] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of a weighing device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of another weighing device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of another weighing device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of another weighing device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 2 is a structural diagram of another weighing device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0017] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0018] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0019] like Figure 1As shown in the figure, in traditional weighing device designs, the battery remains connected to the weighing module, which is responsible for weighing. Even when weighing is not in progress, the connection between the battery and the weighing module is not interrupted. This is usually manifested only by the display screen or LED turning off, giving the illusion of power outage. In reality, the internal circuitry remains connected, equivalent to the system simply switching to standby mode rather than completely disconnecting the battery from the weighing module. This connection method causes the battery to continue consuming power even in standby mode, leading to the technical problem of high static power consumption. In the long term, the accumulation of this static power consumption will significantly affect the battery lifespan, significantly shortening the device's standby time and requiring frequent battery replacement. Frequent battery replacement not only affects the user experience of the device, but also incurs additional financial costs and may have a negative impact on the environment.

[0020] To address the issues of high static power consumption, short battery life, and short standby time in related-art weighing devices, the present invention provides a weighing device. The weighing device of the present invention can be any device with a weight-bearing weighing function, such as a body weight scale or an industrial weighing system. By adding a control circuit to the weighing device, the present invention automatically disconnects the battery from the weighing module when no weight is being loaded, significantly reducing static power consumption, extending battery life, and increasing the device's standby time.

[0021] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a weighing device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the weighing device 10 includes a weighing module 101 , a pressure sensor 102 and a control circuit 103 .

[0022] The weighing module 101 is the main component of the weighing device 10 for measuring weight. It can support the object to be measured and obtain power when connected to a battery to achieve the function of weight measurement.

[0023] The pressure sensor 102 is a component in the weighing device 10 used to detect whether the weighing module 101 is carrying a weight. For example, it can be a strain gauge sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a piezoelectric sensor. In this embodiment, the resistance of the pressure sensor 102 can change with the weight carried by the weighing module 101. The resistance is negatively correlated with the weight carried by the weighing module and reaches a preset threshold when the weighing module 101 is not carrying a weight. Taking a strain gauge sensor as an example, it is compressed when the weighing module 101 is carrying a weight, causing its resistance to decrease. When the weighing module 101 is not carrying a weight, the sensor returns to its original state, and the resistance increases, reaching the preset threshold. Therefore, by monitoring whether the resistance of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the threshold, it is possible to effectively identify whether the weighing module 101 is carrying a weight.

[0024] The control circuit 103 is the main control part in the weighing device 10, which is connected with the battery, the pressure sensor 102 and the weighing module 101 respectively; for turning on the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 when the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 does not reach the threshold value, and turning off the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 when the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the threshold value. Among them, when the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 does not reach the threshold value, it indicates that the weighing module 101 carries a weight, the control circuit 103 turns on the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101, so that the weighing module 101 can obtain power to realize the weight measurement function; when the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the threshold value, it indicates that the weighing module 101 does not carry a weight, the control circuit 103 turns off the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101, and interrupts the power supply of the battery to the weighing module in time, reducing the static power consumption of the device in the idle state.

[0025] In the embodiment, by adding the pressure sensor 102 and the control circuit 103 in the weighing device 10, it can identify whether the weighing module 101 carries a weight by using the pressure sensor 102, and further automatically control the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 by the control circuit 103, realizing the automatic power supply connection management function of automatically turning off the battery power supply when the weighing module 101 does not carry a weight, and automatically turning on the battery power supply when the weighing module 101 carries a weight, effectively reducing the static power consumption of the weighing device, prolonging the standby time of the device, reducing the frequency of battery replacement, and optimizing the user experience.

[0026] Based on the above embodiment, through the cooperative work of the pressure sensor 102 and the control circuit 103, the mechanism of intelligently controlling the power supply according to whether the weighing module 101 carries a weight is realized. However, this instant power supply mechanism may cause a problem: once the object leaves the weighing module 101, the control circuit will immediately interrupt the power supply of the battery to the weighing module 101. This may cause the user not to have enough time to read and record the weighing result after the object leaves the weighing module 101, especially in the fast weighing scene.

[0027] Therefore, in order to solve this problem and optimize the user experience, in some embodiments, a single-chip microcomputer 104 can also be added to the weighing device, which is connected with the control circuit 103 and the pressure sensor 102 respectively, as shown in Figure 3 After the weighing module 101 obtains power, the single-chip microcomputer 104 can output a first control signal to the control circuit 103 to control the control circuit 103 to turn on the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 through the first control signal. In this way, even if the object leaves the weighing module, the weighing module 101 can still maintain the power supply state, ensuring that the user has enough time to read and record the weighing result.

[0028] Further, in some embodiments, the single-chip microcomputer 104 can also output a second control signal to the control circuit 103 to control the control circuit 103 to disconnect the battery from the weighing module 101 when the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the threshold value for a duration exceeding a preset duration, so as to interrupt the battery power supply after the object has been away from the weighing module for a long time, thereby reducing unnecessary static consumption. In specific operations, the single-chip microcomputer 104 can determine whether the object has left the weighing module 101 by monitoring the change of the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102, and start an internal timer. If the object returns to the weighing module 101 within the preset time, the single-chip microcomputer 104 will reset the timer; if the timer expires and the object still does not return, the single-chip microcomputer 104 outputs the second control signal to instruct the control circuit 103 to disconnect the battery from the weighing module 101.

[0029] Through this embodiment, a more flexible battery power supply control mode can be provided, so that the weighing device can maintain power supply for a period of time in the case of no load on the weighing module 101, thereby allowing the user to have sufficient buffer time to read and record the weighing result. This buffer time can be adjusted by the single-chip microcomputer 104 according to the application scenario and user demand, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0030] In addition, in the above embodiment, if the pressure sensor 102 is abnormal, the entire weighing device will not work normally. In order to avoid this situation, in some embodiments, the weighing device 10 can further include a switching unit 105 connected with the control circuit 103, as shown in Figure 4 The switching unit 105 can control the control circuit 103 to turn on or off the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 according to the user's switching operation.

[0031] In this embodiment, the introduction of the switching unit 105 provides an additional manual control mode, enriches the operation mode of the weighing device 10, and meets the needs and preferences of different users. Moreover, when the pressure sensor 102 is abnormal, it can serve as an effective backup emergency means to ensure that the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 can be safely and reliably controlled in various situations, thereby improving the user experience and enhancing the overall performance and practicality of the device. Specifically, the switching unit 105 can take various different forms, such as physical switches, keys, buttons, or touch screen controls, to adapt to different user needs and operation habits.

[0032] In some embodiments, the control circuit 103 comprises a driving unit and a switching unit, the driving unit is configured to drive the switching unit to be turned on when the resistance of the pressure sensor 102 does not reach the threshold value, so as to turn on the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101, and the driving unit is configured to drive the switching unit to be turned off when the resistance of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the threshold value, so as to turn off the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101.

[0033] In some embodiments, the driving unit can comprise a first switching transistor, and the switching unit can comprise a second switching transistor.

[0034] For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the first switching transistor can be an NMOS transistor 1031, and the second switching transistor can be a PMOS transistor 1032. Figure 5

[0035] The source of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the positive pole of the battery, the drain of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the weighing module 101, and the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor 1031.

[0036] The gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 is connected to the pressure sensor 102, and the source of the NMOS transistor 1031 is connected to the ground.

[0037] In this embodiment, in the initial state, since the weighing module 101 has not yet carried the weight of the object, the resistance of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the preset threshold value. At this time, the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 connected to the pressure sensor 102 is pulled down to the low level, causing the NMOS transistor 1031 to be turned off. Correspondingly, since the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor 1031, the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 remains at the high level, causing the PMOS transistor 1032 to be turned off, thereby disconnecting the battery from the weighing module 101, so as to automatically interrupt the battery power supply when the weighing module 101 does not carry the weight.

[0038] On the contrary, when the weighing device 10 is in use, the weighing module 101 carries the weight of the object, and the resistance of the pressure sensor 102 decreases accordingly. This causes the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 to be pulled up to the high level, so that the NMOS transistor 1031 is turned on. Since the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor 1031, and the source of the NMOS transistor 1031 is connected to the ground, the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 becomes low, causing the PMOS transistor 1032 to be turned on, thereby automatically turning on the battery power supply when the weighing module 101 carries the weight.

[0039] ​In the case that the weighing device 10 is provided with the single-chip microcomputer 104, the single-chip microcomputer 104 can also be connected with the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031. After the weighing module 101 obtains power supply, the single-chip microcomputer 104 outputs a high-level signal to the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 to control the NMOS transistor 1031 to be turned on, so as to control the PMOS transistor 1032 to be turned on, and then control the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 to be turned on, so as to realize the battery power supply; and in the case that the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the threshold value for more than a preset time length, a low-level signal is output to the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 to control the NMOS transistor 1031 to be turned off, so as to control the PMOS transistor 1032 to be turned off, and then control the connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 to be turned off, so as to interrupt the battery power supply.

[0040] In some embodiments, in order to finely control the gate voltage of the NMOS transistor 1031, the driving unit can further include a voltage dividing resistor 1033. The voltage dividing resistor 1033 is connected in parallel with the NMOS transistor 1031, for adjusting the voltage at the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031. By selecting a voltage dividing resistor 1033 with an appropriate resistance value, it can be ensured that the gate voltage of the NMOS transistor 1031 in different working states is maintained within a desired range, thereby optimizing its turn-on and turn-off characteristics, and improving the response speed and efficiency of the control circuit 103.

[0041] In addition, in some embodiments, in order to further stabilize the gate voltage of the NMOS transistor 1031, the driving unit can further include a capacitor 1034. The capacitor 1034 is connected in parallel with the voltage dividing resistor 1033, for stabilizing the voltage at the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031. The introduction of the capacitor 1034 can effectively filter out high-frequency noise in the gate voltage, ensuring the stability of the NMOS transistor 1031 when switching states, thereby improving the overall reliability and response speed of the weighing device.

[0042] In addition, in order to ensure that the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 changes significantly enough when the weighing module 101 carries a weight and when it does not carry a weight, so as to facilitate accurate control by the control circuit 103, and to adapt to a wider range of use scenarios and requirements, in some embodiments, the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 can vary in the range of kilo-ohms to mega-ohms. This approach can also maintain the resistance value threshold of the pressure sensor at a relatively high level, thereby minimizing the inevitable static loss and further improving the standby time of the weighing device 10.

[0043] In order to enable a clearer understanding of the present disclosure, a specific application example is provided below.

[0044] As Figure 6As shown, the weighing device 10 comprises a weighing module 101, a pressure sensor 102, a control circuit 103, a single-chip microcomputer 104 and a switching unit 105;

[0045] The control circuit 103 comprises an NMOS transistor 1031, a PMOS transistor 1032, a voltage dividing resistor 1033 and a capacitor 1034.

[0046] The source of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the positive pole of the battery, the drain of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the weighing module 101, and the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor 1031.

[0047] The gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 is connected to the pressure sensor 102, the single-chip microcomputer 104 and the switching unit 105 respectively, and the source of the NMOS transistor 1031 is connected to the ground.

[0048] The voltage dividing resistor 1033 is connected to the NMOS transistor 1031 in parallel, and the capacitor 1034 is connected to the voltage dividing resistor 1033 in parallel.

[0049] In this application example, in the initial state, since the weighing module 101 has not yet carried the weight of the object, the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the preset threshold value. At this time, the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 connected to the pressure sensor 102 is pulled down to the low level, causing the NMOS transistor 1031 to be turned off. Correspondingly, since the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor 1031, the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 remains at the high level, causing the PMOS transistor 1032 to be turned off, thereby disconnecting the battery and the weighing module 101, to automatically interrupt the battery power supply when the weighing module 101 is not carrying the weight.

[0050] When the weighing device 10 is in use, the weighing module 101 carries the weight of the object, and the resistance value of the pressure sensor 102 decreases accordingly. This causes the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031 to be pulled up to the high level, causing the NMOS transistor 1031 to be turned on. Again, since the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor 1031, and the source of the NMOS transistor 1031 is connected to the ground, the gate of the PMOS transistor 1032 becomes low, causing the PMOS transistor 1032 to be turned on, thereby automatically turning on the battery power supply when the weighing module 101 carries the weight.

[0051] After the weighing module 101 receives power, the microcontroller 104 starts up and outputs a high-level signal to the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031, turning on the NMOS transistor 1031 and, in turn, the PMOS transistor 1032, maintaining the power connection between the battery and the weighing module 101. Whether the object leaves the weighing module 101 at this point has no effect on the power supply status, ensuring that the user has sufficient time to read and record the weighing result.

[0052] When the resistance of the pressure sensor 102 reaches the threshold value for a period of time exceeding a preset period of time, the microcontroller 104 outputs a low-level signal to the gate of the NMOS transistor 1031, controls the NMOS transistor 1031 to be disconnected, and then controls the PMOS transistor 1032 to be disconnected, thereby completely interrupting the power supply connection between the battery and the weighing module 101 and reducing unnecessary static consumption.

[0053] The various technical features in the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily as long as there is no conflict or contradiction between the combinations of features. However, due to space limitations, they are not described one by one. Therefore, the arbitrary combination of the various technical features in the above embodiments also falls within the scope of disclosure of this specification.

[0054] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the utility model disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

[0055] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

[0056] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A weighing device, characterized in that: It includes a weighing module, a pressure sensor and a control circuit, wherein the weighing module can be connected to a battery to obtain power, and the control circuit is connected to the battery, the pressure sensor and the weighing module respectively; The resistance of the pressure sensor can change with the weight carried by the weighing module, the resistance is negatively correlated with the weight carried by the weighing module, and reaches a threshold value when the weighing module is not carrying any weight; The control circuit is used to connect the battery to the weighing module when the resistance value of the pressure sensor does not reach a threshold value, and to disconnect the battery from the weighing module when the resistance value of the pressure sensor reaches a threshold value.

2. The weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a single chip microcomputer connected to the control circuit and the pressure sensor respectively; The single chip microcomputer is used to output a first control signal to the control circuit after the weighing module obtains power, so as to control the control circuit to conduct the connection between the battery and the weighing module through the first control signal.

3. The weighing device according to claim 2, characterized in that The single chip microcomputer is also used to output a second control signal to the control circuit when the time duration when the resistance value of the pressure sensor reaches the threshold exceeds a preset time duration, so as to control the control circuit to disconnect the battery from the weighing module through the second control signal.

4. The weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a switching unit connected to the control circuit, which is used to control the control circuit to connect or disconnect the battery and the weighing module according to the user's switching operation.

5. The weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control circuit includes a drive unit and a switch unit. The drive unit is used to drive the switch unit to turn on when the resistance value of the pressure sensor does not reach a threshold value, so as to conduct the connection between the battery and the weighing module, and to drive the switch unit to turn off when the resistance value of the pressure sensor reaches a threshold value, so as to disconnect the connection between the battery and the weighing module.

6. The weighing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driving unit includes a first switching transistor, and the switching unit includes a second switching transistor.

7. The weighing device according to claim 6, characterized in that The first switch transistor is an NMOS transistor, and the second switch transistor is a PMOS transistor; The source of the PMOS transistor is connected to the positive electrode of the battery, the drain of the PMOS transistor is connected to the weighing module, and the gate of the PMOS transistor is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor; A gate of the NMOS transistor is connected to the pressure sensor, and a source of the NMOS transistor is connected to the ground.

8. The weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving unit further includes a voltage dividing resistor, which is connected in parallel with the NMOS transistor and is used to adjust the voltage of the gate of the NMOS transistor.

9. The weighing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The driving unit further includes a capacitor, which is connected in parallel with the voltage-dividing resistor and is used to stabilize the voltage of the gate of the NMOS transistor.

10. The weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The resistance of the pressure sensor varies from kilo-ohm to mega-ohm.

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