Automatic door opening induction device and intelligent electric appliance

Abstract

The application relates to an automatic door opening induction device and an intelligent electric appliance. The automatic door opening induction device comprises an air pressure switch and a driving piece. The air pressure switch comprises a shell and a flat plate capacitive sensor arranged in the shell. The shell is used for being mounted on a box body and being communicated with a chamber. The flat plate capacitive sensor can change its capacitance in response to the size of the air pressure in the chamber. The driving piece is mounted on the box body. The driving piece is circuit-connected with the flat plate capacitive sensor. When the capacitance of the flat plate capacitive sensor reaches a preset value, the driving piece can push the door body to be opened. The automatic door opening induction device and the intelligent electric appliance provided by the application have high applicability and good use experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of smart electrical appliance technology, and in particular to an automatic door opening sensor and a smart electrical appliance. Background Technology

[0002] To enhance aesthetics, smart appliances such as refrigerators and sterilizers on the market typically do not have handles on their doors. Instead, they use automatic door opening sensors to open the doors. Common automatic door opening sensors come in several forms.

[0003] One approach involves installing a capacitive touch sensor control board on the door. This board triggers the opening signal by sensing the user's hand on the sensing area. However, this method requires the control board to be installed in a specific sensing area, resulting in a poor user experience. Another approach is to install a voice module on the smart appliance to trigger the opening signal via voice interaction. However, this requires the user to remember specific voice keywords. Yet another approach is to install an accelerometer sensor control board on the door. When the user taps on the door, a slight vibration is generated. The accelerometer on the control board detects this vibration and triggers the opening signal. However, some smart appliances, such as refrigerators, produce vibrations during cooling, which may cause false triggering of the opening signal. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an automatic door opening sensor device and smart appliance that are more applicable and can improve the user's door opening experience.

[0005] An automatic door opening sensor is disclosed for use in a smart appliance. The smart appliance includes a door and a housing. The housing has a compartment, and the door is used to open or close the compartment. The automatic door opening sensor includes a pneumatic switch and a drive unit. The pneumatic switch includes a housing and a flat plate capacitive sensor installed inside the housing. The housing is installed in the housing and communicates with the compartment. The flat plate capacitive sensor can change its capacitance in response to the air pressure inside the compartment. The drive unit is installed in the housing and is electrically connected to the flat plate capacitive sensor. The drive unit is configured to push the door open when the capacitance of the flat plate capacitive sensor reaches a preset value.

[0006] In one embodiment, the planar capacitive sensor includes an electrically connected metal sheet and a capacitive sensing plate, the metal sheet and the capacitive sensing plate being spaced apart, and the metal sheet being able to deform in response to the magnitude of the air pressure in the chamber, thereby changing the distance between the metal sheet and the planar capacitive sensor.

[0007] In one embodiment, the side of the metal sheet away from the capacitive sensing plate is surrounded by the inner wall of the housing to form a first cavity, and the housing is provided with an air guide tube, one end of which is connected to the first cavity and the other end is used to connect to a compartment.

[0008] In one embodiment, the pneumatic switch further includes a support ring, one end of which abuts against a metal sheet and the other end of which abuts against a capacitive sensing plate, so that the metal sheet and the capacitive sensing plate are spaced apart.

[0009] In one embodiment, the pneumatic switch further includes a seal, through which a metal sheet is sealed to the inner wall of the housing.

[0010] In one embodiment, the seal is configured as a sealing ring, and an assembly step is provided on the inner wall of the housing. The sealing ring is installed on the assembly step, and the side of the metal sheet away from the capacitive sensing plate is pressed against the seal.

[0011] In one embodiment, the housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing, which are fitted together and detachably connected.

[0012] In one embodiment, the lower housing has an assembly groove, the flat capacitive sensor is installed in the assembly groove, the outer wall of the lower housing is provided with a buckle, the upper housing is sleeved on the lower housing, and the side wall of the upper housing is provided with a snap hole, the buckle and the snap hole are engaged.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the upper housing is provided with a limiting protrusion, which is located above the planar capacitive sensor along the height direction of the housing and is used to prevent the planar capacitive sensor from disengaging from the assembly slot.

[0014] A smart appliance includes a door, a housing, and an automatic door opening sensor as described in any of the above embodiments. The housing has a compartment, the door is used to open or close the compartment, and the automatic door opening sensor includes a pneumatic switch and a drive component. The pneumatic switch is used to detect the air pressure inside the compartment, and the drive component is installed in the housing and used to push the door open.

[0015] Compared to existing technologies, the automatic door opening sensor and smart appliance provided in this application, through the inclusion of a pneumatic switch and a driving component, utilize a flat-plate capacitive sensor in the pneumatic switch to detect the air pressure within the compartment and convert the air pressure signal into a capacitance signal. The pneumatic switch and driving component are connected in a circuit, enabling the driving component to operate based on the capacitance signal. Specifically, when a user wants to open the door of the smart appliance, they can press the door, causing a change in the air pressure within the compartment. The flat-plate capacitive sensor responds to the change in air pressure by adjusting its capacitance. When the capacitance of the flat-plate capacitive sensor reaches a preset value, the driving component pushes the door open. This preset value can be set according to the user's actual needs. This simplifies the door opening operation and improves the user experience. Furthermore, compared to using a capacitive touch-sensing control board, the pneumatic switch and driving component provided in this application offer greater flexibility in installation location and wider applicability. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 An illustration of the acceptance of smart appliances provided in this application Figure 1 ;

[0018] Figure 2 An illustration of the acceptance of smart appliances provided in this application Figure 2 ;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the pneumatic switch provided in this application;

[0020] Figure 4 Exploded view of the pneumatic switch provided in this application;

[0021] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the pneumatic switch provided in this application;

[0022] Figure 6 for Figure 5 An enlarged view at point A;

[0023] Figure 7 The working frame of the planar capacitive sensor provided in this application;

[0024] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating the opening process of the smart appliance provided in this application.

[0025] Reference numerals: 1. Intelligent appliance; 100. Automatic door opening sensor; 10. Gas pressure switch; 101. First chamber; 102. Air duct; 103. Assembly slot; 110. Housing; 111. Assembly step; 112. Upper housing; 1121. Mounting plate; 1122. Mounting hole; 113. Lower housing; 114. Buckle; 115. Snap hole; 116. Limiting protrusion; 120. Flat plate capacitive sensor; 121. Metal sheet; 122. Capacitive sensing plate; 1221. Capacitive detection module; 1222. Capacitive touch sensing chip; 1223. Communication module; 123. Support ring; 124. Sealing element; 20. Driving element; 200. Box; 210. Chamber; 300. Door. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0031] Please see Figures 1 to 5This application provides an automatic door opening sensor 100 for use in a smart appliance 1. The smart appliance can be a disinfection cabinet, refrigerator, etc. The automatic door opening sensor 100 provided in this application will be described below using a built-in refrigerator as an example of the smart appliance 1.

[0032] The smart appliance 1 includes a door 300 and a cabinet 200. The cabinet 200 has a compartment 210, and the door 300 is used to open or close the compartment 210. The automatic door opening sensor 100 includes a pressure switch 10 and a drive unit 20. The pressure switch 10 includes a housing 110 and a flat plate capacitive sensor 120 installed in the housing 110. The housing 110 is used to install on the cabinet 200 and communicate with the compartment 210. The flat plate capacitive sensor 120 can change its capacitance in response to the magnitude of the air pressure in the compartment 210. The drive unit 20 is installed on the cabinet 200 and is electrically connected to the flat plate capacitive sensor 120. The drive unit 20 is configured to push the door 300 to open when the capacitance of the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 reaches a preset value.

[0033] It is understood that by setting up the pneumatic switch 10 and the drive unit 20, the flat capacitive sensor 120 of the pneumatic switch 10 can detect the air pressure in the compartment 210 and convert the air pressure signal into a capacitance signal. Through the circuit connection between the pneumatic switch 10 and the drive unit 20, the drive unit 20 can operate according to the capacitance signal. Specifically, when a user uses the smart appliance and wants to open the door, they can press the door 300 of the smart appliance 1, causing a change in the air pressure in the compartment 210. The flat capacitive sensor 120 responds to the change in air pressure in the compartment 210 by changing its capacitance. When the capacitance of the flat capacitive sensor 120 reaches a preset value, the drive unit 20 can push the door 300 open. The preset value can be set according to the user's actual needs. This simplifies the door-opening operation and improves the user experience. Furthermore, compared to using a capacitive touch-sensing control board, the pneumatic switch 10 and drive unit 20 provided in this application offer more flexible installation positions and greater applicability.

[0034] The drive component 20 is configured as a push rod motor, which is fixedly installed on the top of the housing 200.

[0035] The flat plate capacitive sensor 120 includes a metal sheet 121 and a capacitive sensing plate 122 that are electrically connected. The metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122 are spaced apart, and the metal sheet 121 can deform in response to the air pressure in the chamber 210 to change the distance between the metal sheet 121 and the flat plate capacitive sensor 120.

[0036] It is understandable that the capacitance of the parallel plate capacitor is related to the distance between the metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122. When the metal sheet 121 deforms to change the distance between the metal sheet 121 and the parallel plate capacitive sensor 120, the capacitance of the parallel plate capacitive sensor 120 changes accordingly. Specifically, as... Figure 6 As shown, the capacitance of the flat-plate capacitive sensor 120 is C. ,in, It is the absolute permittivity of vacuum. Let S be the relative permittivity, S be the relative area of ​​the metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122, and d be the distance between the metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122. When the user presses the door 300, the gas in the chamber 210 is compressed, causing the air pressure to increase. This causes the metal sheet 121 in the pneumatic switch assembly to deform. After the metal sheet 121 deforms, the distance d between the metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122 changes, as shown by the formula... It can be seen that the capacitance C of the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 changes.

[0037] The side of the metal sheet 121 facing away from the capacitive sensing plate 122 is formed by the inner wall of the housing 110 to form a first cavity 101. The housing 110 is provided with an air guide tube 102, one end of which is connected to the first cavity 101 and the other end is used to connect to the chamber 210.

[0038] Thus, the pneumatic switch 10 can be installed on the outer wall of the housing 200, for example, on the top wall of the housing 200. The pneumatic switch 10 connects the first chamber 101 to the chamber 210 by inserting the air guide tube 102 into the chamber 210. When the user presses the door 300, the gas in the chamber 210 is compressed, causing the air pressure to increase. This causes the metal piece 121 in the pneumatic switch assembly to deform towards the side closer to the capacitive sensing plate 122, reducing the distance d between the metal piece 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122. The capacitance C of the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 increases. When the capacitance C of the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 increases to a preset value, the drive member 20 pushes the door 300 to open.

[0039] Please see Figure 7 At least a portion of the surface of the capacitive sensing plate 122 is coated with copper for electrical connection of metal sheets to form a flat capacitive sensor 120. The capacitive sensing plate 122 is provided with a capacitive touch sensing chip 1222. The capacitive touch sensing chip 1222 has a capacitance detection module 1221 and a communication module 1223. When the capacitance detection module 1221 is electrically connected to the copper-coated plate and is used to detect the capacitance C of the flat capacitive sensor 120, the capacitive touch sensing chip 1222 transmits the capacitance C signal to the control circuit through the communication module 1223. The control circuit controls the re-drive unit 20 to perform the door opening action.

[0040] The pneumatic switch 10 also includes a support ring 123, one end of which abuts against a metal sheet 121 and the other end against a capacitive sensing plate 122, so that the metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122 are spaced apart. By setting the support ring 123, the metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122 are spaced apart, thereby reserving space for the metal sheet 121 to deform toward the capacitive sensing plate 122.

[0041] Specifically, both the metal sheet 121 and the capacitive sensing plate 122 are circular plates. The support ring 123, the metal sheet 121, and the capacitive sensing plate 122 are coaxially arranged, and their outer edges are flush and abut against the inner wall of the housing 110. Optionally, the support ring 123 is configured as a rubber ring.

[0042] The pneumatic switch 10 also includes a seal 124, through which the metal sheet 121 is sealed to the inner wall of the housing 110. This improves the sealing performance of the seal 124 and the inner wall of the housing 110, allowing the first chamber 101 to be connected to the compartment 210 in a closed environment. This enables the metal sheet 121 to respond more sensitively to changes in air pressure within the first chamber 101 and the compartment 210, and to deform under the pressure difference between the two sides.

[0043] Specifically, the seal 124 is configured as a sealing ring, and an assembly step 111 is provided on the inner wall of the housing 110. The sealing ring is installed on the assembly step 111, and the side of the metal sheet 121 away from the capacitive sensing plate 122 is pressed against the seal 124. In this way, not only is the assembly of the sealing ring convenient, but the sealing ring is also deformed under the pressure of the flat plate capacitive sensor 120, thereby improving the sealing performance of the seal 124 and the inner wall of the housing 110.

[0044] The housing 110 includes an upper housing 112 and a lower housing 113, which are fitted together and detachably connected. This facilitates the installation of structures such as the flat panel capacitive sensor 120, the support ring 123, and the seal 124 into the housing 110.

[0045] In one embodiment, for example, the lower housing 113 has a mounting groove 103, in which the planar capacitive sensor 120 is mounted. A buckle 114 is provided on the outer wall of the lower housing 113. The upper housing 112 is fitted onto the lower housing 113, and a locking hole 115 is provided on the side wall of the upper housing 112. The buckle 114 engages with the locking hole 115. By engaging the buckle 114 with the locking hole 115, the upper housing 112 and the lower housing 113 can be connected together. Of course, in other embodiments, the upper housing 112 and the lower housing 113 can also be connected by screws.

[0046] Furthermore, the inner wall of the upper housing 112 is provided with a limiting protrusion 116, which is located above the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 along the height direction of the housing 110 and is used to prevent the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 from disengaging from the assembly slot 103. By providing the limiting protrusion 116, the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 can be more securely installed in the assembly slot 103.

[0047] In one embodiment, for example, the air duct 102 is located at the bottom of the lower housing 113, and the upper housing 112 is also provided with a mounting plate 1121. The mounting plate 1121 extends circumferentially along the lower housing 113, and a mounting hole 1122 is provided on the mounting plate 1121. The mounting plate 1121 is attached to the outer surface of the housing 200 and is installed in the housing 200 by screws and mounting holes 1122. The air duct 102 extends into the compartment 210 and communicates with the compartment 210.

[0048] This application also provides a smart appliance 1, which includes a door 300, a housing 200, and an automatic door opening sensor 100 as described in any of the above embodiments. The housing 200 has a compartment 210, and the door 300 is used to open or close the compartment 210. The automatic door opening sensor 100 includes a pressure switch 10 and a drive unit 20. The pressure switch 10 is used to detect the air pressure in the compartment 210, and the drive unit 20 is installed in the housing 200 and is used to push the door 300 to open.

[0049] like Figure 8 As shown, the automatic door opening sensor 100 of the smart appliance 1 provided in this application operates as follows: First, the push rod motor is powered on, reset, and initialized; then, a calibration reference threshold is read, where the calibration reference threshold corresponds to the initial capacitance of the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 when the metal sheet 121 has not deformed; next, it is determined whether the smart appliance 1 is in a closed state. If the smart appliance 1 is in an open state, the process returns to the previous step; if the smart appliance 1 is in a closed state, it is further determined whether a trigger threshold is met, where the trigger threshold refers to the flat plate capacitive sensor 120 reaching a preset value. If the trigger threshold is met, an opening command is sent, and the push rod motor pushes open the door 300; otherwise, the process returns to the previous step, that is, it continues to determine whether the smart appliance 1 is in a closed state.

[0050] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0051] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic door opening sensor for use in a smart appliance (1), the smart appliance (1) comprising a door (300) and a cabinet (200), the cabinet (200) having a compartment (210), the door (300) being used to open or close the compartment (210). Its features are, The automatic door opening sensor (100) includes a pneumatic switch (10) and a drive unit (20). The pneumatic switch (10) includes a housing (110) and a flat plate capacitive sensor (120) installed in the housing (110). The housing (110) is used to install on the box (200) and connect to the compartment (210). The flat plate capacitive sensor (120) can change its capacitance in response to the magnitude of the air pressure in the compartment (210). The drive unit (20) is installed on the housing (200). The drive unit (20) is connected to the flat plate capacitive sensor (120) in a circuit. The drive unit (20) is configured to push the door (300) open when the capacitance of the flat plate capacitive sensor (120) reaches a preset value.

2. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The planar capacitive sensor (120) includes an electrically connected metal sheet (121) and a capacitive sensing plate (122), the metal sheet (121) and the capacitive sensing plate (122) are spaced apart, and the metal sheet (121) can deform in response to the air pressure in the chamber (210) to change the distance between the metal sheet (121) and the planar capacitive sensor (120).

3. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The metal sheet (121) is arranged with the inner wall of the housing (110) on the side away from the capacitive sensing plate (122) to form a first cavity (101), and the housing (110) is provided with an air guide pipe (102), one end of the air guide pipe (102) is connected to the first cavity (101), and the other end is used to connect to the compartment (210).

4. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pneumatic switch (10) also includes a support ring (123), one end of which abuts against the metal sheet (121) and the other end of which abuts against the capacitive sensing plate (122) so that the metal sheet (121) and the capacitive sensing plate (122) are spaced apart.

5. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pneumatic switch (10) also includes a seal (124), through which the metal sheet (121) is sealed to the inner wall of the housing (110).

6. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sealing element (124) is configured as a sealing ring, and an assembly step (111) is provided on the inner wall of the housing (110). The sealing ring is installed on the assembly step (111), and the metal sheet (121) is pressed against the sealing element (124) on the side away from the capacitive sensing plate (122).

7. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (110) includes an upper housing (112) and a lower housing (113), wherein the upper housing (112) and the lower housing (113) are fitted together and detachably connected.

8. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lower housing (113) has an assembly groove (103), the flat plate capacitive sensor (120) is installed in the assembly groove (103), the outer wall of the lower housing (113) is provided with a buckle (114), the upper housing (112) is sleeved on the lower housing (113), and the side wall of the upper housing (112) is provided with a snap hole (115), the buckle (114) and the snap hole (115) are engaged.

9. The automatic door opening sensor device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The inner wall of the upper housing (112) is provided with a limiting protrusion (116). The limiting protrusion (116) is located above the flat plate capacitive sensor (120) along the height direction of the housing (110) and is used to restrict the flat plate capacitive sensor (120) from disengaging from the assembly groove (103).

10. A smart appliance, characterized in that, The smart appliance includes a door (300), a housing (200), and an automatic door opening sensor (100) as described in any one of claims 1-9. The housing (200) has a compartment (210), and the door (300) is used to open or close the compartment (210). The automatic door opening sensor (100) includes a pressure switch (10) and a drive (20). The pressure switch (10) is used to detect the air pressure in the compartment (210), and the drive (20) is installed in the housing (200) and used to push the door (300) to open.

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