Bath Safety Relay Control Using Fault Detection to Prevent Load Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bath safety control systems fail to immediately turn off the safety relay when the operation relay has a fault of sticking contacts, leading to potential damage to the load or system.
Innovation Solution
A bath safety control system comprising a power source, safety relay, operation relay, processing unit, and detecting unit, where the processing unit determines the fault of the operation relay and controls the safety relay to be turned off immediately to prevent power supply to the load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the safety relay is kept turned on to decrease the number of switchings, then the reliability of the safety relay is improved, but the ability to immediately stop power supply when fault occurs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a detecting unit as an intermediary component that monitors the operational state of the operation relay and communicates this information to the processing unit. This intermediary detection mechanism enables the system to distinguish between normal operational states and fault conditions, allowing the safety relay to be controlled appropriately - remaining on during normal operation to reduce wear, and being quickly turned off when faults are detected through the intermediary detection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the detecting unit continuously monitors the operation relay's state and provides feedback to the processing unit. When the detecting unit detects abnormal conditions (such as sticking contacts), it triggers the processing unit to control the safety relay to turn off. This feedback loop ensures that the safety relay maintains its on-state during normal operation to minimize wear, while being capable of immediate shutdown when fault feedback is received, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and speed of power interruption.
2Ease of operation
If the operation relay is used to control power supply, then the operation control is simplified, but the detection of sticking contacts fault becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The detecting unit serves as an intermediary monitoring component that specifically watches the operational state of the operation relay without interfering with its simple control function. It detects whether the operation relay is in a sticking contacts fault condition by monitoring its electrical state, and communicates this information to the processing unit. This intermediary detection capability allows the system to maintain simple operation relay control while simultaneously enabling fault detection that would otherwise be difficult.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical fault detection methods with an electrical detection system. The detecting unit uses electrical monitoring to detect sticking contacts faults in the operation relay, substituting complex mechanical inspection or manual testing with an automated electrical detection mechanism. This substitution maintains the simplicity of operation relay control while enabling reliable fault detection through electrical state monitoring and processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A bath safety control system and a bath safety control method are disclosed. The bath safety control system is electrically coupled to a load and includes a power source, at least one safety relay, an operation relay, a processing unit, and a detecting unit. The processing unit determines whether the operation relay has a fault according to whether the detecting unit is activated. When the processing unit determines that the operation relay has the fault, the processing unit controls the at least one safety relay to be turned off. The bath safety control system and the bath safety control method can enhance the protection of the load.