Cost improved intelligent sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021123176-A1
Application number	US-202017077607-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Oct 23, 2019
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor for integration into a domestic washing machine or dishwasher includes a sensor housing and an electronic assembly accommodated in the sensor housing with sensor components for a plurality of different measurement functions. The measurement functions include at least an optical measurement function as well as at least one non-optical measurement function. The electronic assembly has a plug-in interface for an electrical connection plug where the plug-in interface has a plurality of electrical interface contacts for the electrical supply of the electronic assembly and for conducting away measurement information obtained by means of the measurement functions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensor for cable connection to a main control unit of an electrical domestic appliance, the sensor comprising an electrical sensor circuit accommodated in a sensor housing with a plurality of at least two measuring sensors arranged in different branch circuits, each of which measuring sensors is designed to provide an electrical measuring signal, wherein the sensor circuit has a first electrical contact element for plug connection to a cable plug and is able to output measurement information obtained via the first contact element from the measuring signals of each of the plurality of measuring sensors.

2 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a first of the measuring sensors is designed for an optical measurement function and a second of the measuring sensors is designed for a non-optical measurement function.

3 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein one of the measuring sensors is designed to measure the optical transmission along a light measurement path running partially outside of the sensor housing and/or to detect the nature of an external medium adjacent to an outside measuring surface of the sensor housing by means of a measuring light beam aimed in the direction of the measuring surface.

4 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein one of the measuring sensors provides a temperature measurement function and/or a measurement function for determining the electrical conductance along a conductance measuring section running outside of the sensor housing.

5 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuit is adapted to control the sensor depending on control information received via the first contact element.

6 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor circuit comprises an electrical resistor element, which is connected on an output side to the first contact element and on an input side to a signal line of the sensor circuit, wherein the sensor circuit is adapted to output the measurement information by means of a voltage signal via the signal line.

7 . The sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the sensor circuit is adapted to determine the control information from a comparison between a voltage present on the input side of the resistor element and a voltage simultaneously present on the output side of the resistor element.

8 . The sensor according to claim 7 , wherein the comparison comprises determination of one or more time sections in which only one of the voltage present on the input side of the resistor element and the voltage present on the output side of the resistor element exceeds a predetermined limit value.

9 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuit has a second electrical contact element for plug connection to the cable plug and is designed to obtain an electrical supply direct voltage via the second contact element.

10 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuit has a third electrical contact element for plug connection to the cable plug and parts of the sensor circuit to be put to a reference potential are connected to the third contact element.

11 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuit has a plug-in interface for an electrical connection plug, wherein the plug-in interface has a plurality of electrical contact elements for the electrical supply of the sensor circuit and to conduct away measurement information, wherein the plurality of electrical contact elements comprises the first electrical contact element, wherein the total number of contact elements of the plug-in interface is two or three.

12 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuit comprises an integrated circuit with separate signal inputs for an electrical measuring signal of a first of the measuring sensors and an electrical measuring signal of a second of the measuring sensors and with a common signal output for measurement information derived from the measuring signals.

13 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor housing has a housing base configured to be pot-shaped and two housing fingers protruding with regard to the housing base.

14 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuit comprises at least one other measuring sensor, and conducts away all measurement information obtained by means of the measuring sensors of the sensor circuit via a common contact element.

15 . A water-using domestic cleaning appliance with a working wet chamber that can be closed by a door, the water-using domestic cleaning appliance comprising:
a sensor according to claim 1 for performing measurements on a working medium present in the working wet chamber; and an electronic main control unit connected to the sensor via a cable connection, which unit controls the operation of the domestic cleaning appliance on the basis of the measurements performed by the sensor.

Assignees

• Emz Hanauer Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Sygnat Daniel
• Baumer Johannes

Classifications

• A47L15/4274

  Arrangement of electrical components, e.g. control units or cables (A47L15/4293 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47L15/4297

  Arrangements for detecting or measuring the condition of the washing water, e.g. turbidity · CPC title

• D06F34/04

  Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements · CPC title

• G01S17/88

  Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• A47L15/4287 Primary

  Temperature measuring or regulating arrangements · CPC title