Protective circuit for an apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protection circuits for consumer appliances, such as electric irons and heaters, are unreliable due to mechanical corrosion and limited detection capabilities, failing to effectively prevent hazards when appliances are left unattended or in dangerous orientations.
Innovation Solution
A protective circuit incorporating a two-axis MEMS accelerometer and a microcontroller that monitors gravitational values to detect when an appliance is in a hazardous orientation or left unattended for a predetermined period, sending a signal to turn off the power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical switch driven by gravity or acceleration is used to detect dangerous conditions, then the apparatus can be disabled under certain orientations or accelerations, but the reliability deteriorates over time due to mechanical corrosion and limited detection capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical ball-and-track switch with a non-mechanical accelerometer sensor that uses piezoelectric or capacitive elements to detect orientation and acceleration. This eliminates mechanical corrosion while enabling detection of multiple dangerous conditions through electronic sensing, thereby improving reliability and expanding detection versatility simultaneously.
2Reliability
If a mechanical ball switch is used to detect orientation, then the apparatus can be turned off in hazardous positions, but the device complexity increases due to the large angle of rotation required and mechanical components
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical ball switch requiring large rotation angles is replaced with an accelerometer that detects orientation through electrical signals from piezoelectric or capacitive sensing elements. This substitution dramatically simplifies the device structure by eliminating complex mechanical components while maintaining and enhancing the protection function through more sensitive electronic detection.
3Ease of operation
If a pressure-sensitive sensor in the handle is used to detect user presence, then the apparatus can be turned off when not held, but the adaptability decreases as users may not want the apparatus to turn off even if the sensor is not triggered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic detection capabilities by using an accelerometer to monitor multiple parameters including orientation, acceleration patterns, and motion characteristics. This allows the system to adaptively distinguish between legitimate user operations and unattended hazardous conditions, providing flexible response options that can be configured to match different user preferences and application scenarios, thereby maintaining ease of operation while improving adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a reliable and cost-effective method to prevent accidents by accurately detecting and responding to unsafe conditions, ensuring the appliance is turned off when unattended or in a hazardous orientation, thereby enhancing safety.
Implementation Method 1
a two-axis micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer having a first axis in a y-direction and a second axis in an x-direction
Data Source
AI summary
A protective circuit for an apparatus includes an accelerometer having an output and a microcontroller coupled to the output of the accelerometer. The protective circuit also includes a switch for controlling the apparatus coupled to an output of the microcontroller and a load coupled to the switch. A power source is coupled to the load and the switch. In operation the microcontroller is cable of sending a signal to the switch to turn of power to the load when a dangerous condition as detected from the accelerometer data has occurred.