Bistable Relay Standby Power Reduction in Household Appliances
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for reducing standby-mode energy consumption in electric household appliances fail to meet energy standards as they still maintain partial power to the main electronic control unit, leading to non-zero energy consumption even in idle states.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a bistable relay and low-voltage capacitive power unit, which uses pulse signals to switch between active and inactive states, ensuring zero energy consumption during standby mode by utilizing predominantly reactive power and eliminating the need for continuous power to internal electronic circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the main electronic control unit is kept powered with low voltage in standby mode to detect control signals and reactivate quickly, then the appliance can respond quickly to user input, but energy consumption remains above 1 watt which fails to meet energy standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by using a bistable relay that can be triggered by periodic pulse signals (e.g., from a remote control or timer) to switch between active and standby states. This allows the system to remain in low-power standby mode until a periodic signal triggers reactivation, achieving both energy savings and timely response without continuous power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the power consumption function from the main electronic control unit by introducing a separate bistable relay that can maintain its state without continuous power. The relay is triggered only when needed, separating the always-on control capability from the power-consuming operation, thus enabling the main unit to be completely powered down in standby mode.
2Ease of operation
If the low-voltage main power unit remains partly active in idle state to detect control signal state changes and reactivate low voltage supply, then quick reactivation is achieved, but energy consumption of the power unit itself cannot be zeroed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using a bistable relay that maintains its own state without external power. Once triggered into the active state, the relay latches and maintains power supply to the main electronic control unit without requiring continuous control signals or power to the power unit itself. The system serves itself by maintaining state through the relay's inherent bistability rather than continuous power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic pulse signals to trigger the bistable relay into its active state, after which the relay maintains power independently. This periodic triggering mechanism allows the power unit to consume energy only momentarily during state transitions rather than continuously, achieving near-zero standby power consumption while maintaining quick reactivation capability.
3Loss of energy
If monostable relays are used to disconnect electric loads from power mains in standby mode, then energy consumption is reduced compared to continuous operation, but the main electronic control unit still requires continuous low voltage power resulting in overall consumption above 1 watt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power consumption function from the main electronic control unit by using a bistable relay that can maintain its state without continuous power. This separates the control signal detection capability from continuous power consumption, allowing the main unit to be completely powered down while still enabling quick reactivation through the relay's latched state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic pulse signals to trigger the bistable relay, which then maintains power supply independently through its latched state. This periodic triggering replaces continuous power consumption with momentary energy input, achieving total standby power consumption below 1 watt while maintaining full functionality upon reactivation.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric household appliance (1) has an electronic control unit (5) powered by a low-voltage power unit (6), and a device (7) for reducing energy consumption of the electric household appliance in standby mode. The device includes: a bistable relay (21) which is switched by a low-voltage enabling signal (S2) to a closed position to turn on the low-voltage power unit (6), or is switched by a disabling signal (S3) to an open position to turn off the low-voltage power unit (6); a low-voltage capacitive power unit (10) designed to generate the low-voltage enabling signal (S2); and a hand-operated control device (11) interposed between the low-voltage capacitive power unit (10) and the bistable relay (21) to supply the low-voltage enabling signal (S2) to the bistable relay.