Domestic appliance comprising a differential pressure sensor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door opening aids in household appliances often incorrectly activate due to external pressure fluctuations and inability to distinguish between intentional and accidental door opening attempts, leading to false triggering.
Innovation Solution
A differential pressure sensor monitors pressure curves over a predetermined time interval to detect a pressure profile corridor, activating the door opening aid only when the pressure curve falls within predefined limits, and using a pressure throttle chamber to dampen external fluctuations, ensuring accurate detection of user intent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a differential pressure sensor is used to detect door opening requests, then the door opening aid can be activated to support door opening, but external pressure fluctuations cause false activations
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static single-pressure-value detection to dynamic pressure profile monitoring over time. The control unit evaluates the temporal development of pressure values to distinguish intentional door opening from accidental pressure fluctuations, thereby reducing false activations while maintaining door opening support functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-defines valid pressure profile corridors and evaluation criteria before operation. By establishing predetermined pressure increase thresholds and time-based patterns, the system prepares the decision-making framework in advance, enabling reliable differentiation between intentional and accidental pressure changes without requiring complex real-time analysis.
2Device complexity
If a single pressure value is used for detection, then the system is simple, but it cannot distinguish between intentional and accidental door opening attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds the time dimension to pressure detection by monitoring pressure profiles over predetermined time intervals. Instead of evaluating a single pressure value, the control unit analyzes the temporal sequence of pressure changes, transforming the detection from a one-dimensional snapshot to a two-dimensional time-pressure profile, thereby enabling accurate intent recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-defines valid pressure profile corridors and evaluation criteria before operation. By establishing predetermined pressure increase thresholds and time-based patterns, the system prepares the decision-making framework in advance, enabling reliable differentiation between intentional and accidental pressure changes without requiring complex real-time analysis.
3Ease of operation
If the door opening aid is activated frequently, then user convenience is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring pressure profiles and adjusting door opening aid activation based on detected patterns. By evaluating whether pressure changes match intentional opening profiles, the system provides feedback-driven activation only when needed, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption from frequent activations while maintaining user convenience for legitimate door opening requests.
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 effectively reduces false activations by considering the shape of the pressure curve rather than individual values, enhancing the reliability of door opening aids and preventing erroneous triggering.
Implementation Method 1
a differential pressure sensor with a sensor membrane for detecting a pressure difference between an internal air pressure in the interior space and an external air pressure in an exterior space
Implementation Method 2
By reducing the external pressure supplied to the differential pressure sensor, such fluctuations can be dampened or reduced
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic appliance (100) comprising a carcass (101), a door (103) for closing an inner space (105), a differential pressure sensor (106) comprising a sensor membrane (109) for identifying a difference in pressure between an interior air pressure in the inner space (105) and an exterior air pressure in an outer space, a door opening aid (107) for assisting the door opening process, and a control unit for said door opening aid (107) which is dependent on the detected difference in pressure, the control unit being designed to detect a pressure curve (201) of the difference in pressure and to control the door opening aid (107) depending on the pressure curve (201) that has been detected.