Inductively powered kitchen appliance and control method thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inductively powered cordless kitchen appliances face safety risks due to unintentional activation of components, leading to potential user injury and device damage, as initial energy transfer can activate elements unexpectedly.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen appliance with a secondary coil, wireless communication module, control unit, and a normally open relay that controls power to the food processing element, ensuring it is only activated when a predetermined condition is met, such as a stable connection with the power source and user input, preventing uncontrolled operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If initial energy is transferred from the power source to activate the wireless communication means, then the appliance can be coupled to the power source, but unintentional activation of food processing elements may occur causing safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The power delivery system is segmented into multiple independent coils: a first secondary coil for powering communication means and a second secondary coil for powering the food processing element. This segmentation allows independent control of power delivery to different components, enabling safe coupling without unintentional activation of food processing elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary power transfer to the first secondary coil to activate communication means and establish coupling with the power source before enabling power delivery to the second secondary coil and food processing element. This preliminary action ensures that safety protocols are in place before the food processing element can be activated.
2Reliability
If a relay is added to control power provision to the food processing element, then unintentional operation is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control functions for multiple secondary coils are merged into a single control unit that manages both the first and second secondary coils. This integration allows the system to maintain improved safety through controlled power provision while minimizing device complexity by consolidating control logic rather than adding separate control mechanisms for each coil.
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
This solution effectively prevents unintentional operation of the food processing unit, ensuring safe and reliable functioning by delivering power only when specific conditions are met, thereby enhancing user safety and appliance performance.
Implementation Method 1
a secondary coil for receiving electrical power from a primary coil of an inductive power source
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to an inductively powered kitchen appliance (1) comprising a secondary coil (2) for receiving electrical power from a primary coil of an inductive power source, a wireless communication module (3) for wirelessly communicating with a communication unit of the inductive power source, a control unit (4), input means (5) for receiving user input, and a food processing element (6) for processing food placed in the kitchen appliance (1). The invention also relates to a method of controlling the inductively powered kitchen appliance (1).