Self-Charging Sensor Module for Rotating Drum State Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is difficult to detect the washing state or cleanliness state of laundry or clothes in real time in home appliances with a rotation tub structure, such as washing machines or dryers, due to the challenge of securing electric wiring for sensors inside the rotating components.
Innovation Solution
A sensor module is integrated with an energy harvester that includes a stator fixed inside the housing and a rotor mounted on the rotation body, generating an induced current to power a sensor for detecting internal environmental and operation state information without separate wiring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a sensor module is mounted on a display assembly, then the sensor module can be integrated into the electronic device, but the sensor module consumes power from the main battery which reduces overall battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor module is equipped with its own power generation unit (piezoelectric element) and power management unit, allowing it to generate and store its own power through user interactions such as screen touches or button presses. This self-powered operation eliminates the need to draw power from the main battery, resolving the contradiction between integration and battery consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor module integrates multiple functions including sensing operations, power generation, and power storage within a single unit. The power generation unit can harvest energy from various user interactions (touches, presses), and the power management unit manages both the generated power and communication with the controller, creating a multi-functional component that addresses both integration and power independence.
2Reliability
If the sensor module is made waterproof, then the sensor module can operate in wet environments, but the structure becomes more complex requiring additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor module uses a flexible waterproof film as the protective layer instead of rigid waterproof structures. This flexible film maintains waterproof capability while allowing the sensor module to remain thin and simple in structure, resolving the contradiction between waterproof reliability and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The power generation unit and power management unit are integrated within the sensor module structure in a nested arrangement. The piezoelectric element is positioned between the flexible waterproof film and the sensor chip, with the power management unit coordinating these components. This nested integration achieves waterproofing and power generation without adding external complexity.
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 sensor module can detect internal information of the rotation body, enabling the appliance to adjust its operating mode or intensity based on the detected data, without the need for external power supply.
Implementation Method 1
a power generation unit comprising a piezoelectric element configured to generate the electrical energy in response to a user input
Data Source
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AI summary
A sensor module according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document is mounted, for example, in an electronic device including a rotating body rotatably arranged inside a housing, the sensor module comprising: a stator fixed in the housing; an energy harvester including a rotor mounted in the rotating body, at a position to at least partially face the stator; and a sensor arranged inside the rotating body together with the rotor, wherein, as the rotating body rotates, the rotor may be configured to rotate about the stator and generate an induced current and supply same to the sensor, and the sensor may be configured to detect, by using power based on the induced current, environmental information of the inside of the rotating body or operating state information of the rotating body. Various other embodiments are possible.