Water sensing type power breaker circuit

• US 5,142,428 A
• Filed: 08/23/1990
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uchiya Thermostat Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Uchiya Thermostat Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeda, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Howard L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, STEPHEN W
• Application Number:
  US07/572,087
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 361/91, 361/119, 307/118
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/083 responsive to the entry or leakage of a liquid into an electrical appliance moisture alarm G08B21/20

Abstract

A water sensing type power breaker circuit is incorporated into an electric appliance such as a hair dryer or the like and is used to cut off a power supply to prevent an accident due to an electric shock immediately when the electric appliance is dropped into the water.

A water sensing type power breaker circuit includes first and second contacts having one polarity connected to a power supply and the other polarity connected to a load, an impedance element circuit including first and second impedance elements connected in series each other and which is connected in parallel with the load, a water sensing element made of an electrical conductor connected to an intermediate point between both the impedance elements through a conductor, and a relay for detecting a current flowing through the conductor to open the first and second contacts when the current flows through the conductor. The relay is held by itself so that the first and second contacts are opened. The water sensing type power breaker circuit is inexpensive and has a small occupancy volume so that it can be directly incorporated into the electric appliance such as a dryer.

Claims

1. A water sensing type power breaker circuit comprising first and second contacts having one polarity connected to a power supply and the other polarity connected to a load, an impedance element circuit including first and second impedance elements connected in series with each other and which is connected in parallel with the load, a water sensing element made of an electrical conductor connected to an intermediate point between both said impedance elements through a conductor, and a relay for detecting a current flowing through said conductor to open said first and second contacts when the current flows through the conductor, said relay being held by itself so that said first and second contacts are opened, said first impedance element being a resistor and said second impedance element being a condenser.

2. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 1, wherein said relay comprises a first relay including first and second contacts and a second relay including a coil for detecting that a current flows through said water sensing element and a coil of said first relay is cut off by an output contact of said second relay.

3. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 1, wherein said relay comprises a coil for detecting that a current flows through said water sensing element and a relay including first and second contacts.

4. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 1, wherein a coil of said relay includes a series circuit including an operation coil and reset coil, and when a current flows through said water sensing element and a current flows through said operation coil, said first and second contacts are opened and the state of opening both said contacts is maintained mechanically, while when a current flows through said reset coil, both said contacts are closed.

5. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 1, wherein when a leakage current flows trough a coil of the relay, the contacts of the relay are opened and both ends of the coil are connected to the power source to maintain a state in which the current flows through the coil.

6. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 1, wherein said relay is a dc type high-sensitive relay and an ac current flowing through the water sensing element is rectified by a diode bridge to be supplied to a coil of the relay.

7. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 1, wherein said relay, power-side terminals of said relay and a portion connected to the power supply are made watertight.

8. A water sensing type power breaker circuit comprising first and second contacts having one polarity connected to a power supply and the other polarity connected to a load, an impedance element circuit including first and second impedance elements connected in series with each other and which is connected in parallel with the load, a water sensing element made of an electrical conductor connected to an intermediate point between both said impedance elements through a conductor, and a relay for detecting a current flowing through said conductor to open said first and second contacts when the current flows through the conductor, said relay being held by itself so that said first and second contacts are opened, said relay comprising a relay including first and second contacts, a diode for emitting light when a current flows through said water sensing element, a photo-diode for converting a light signal of said light emitting diode into an electrical signal, and an amplifier for amplifying an output of said photo-diode, and output of said amplifier being supplied to a coil of the relay.

9. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 8, wherein said relay comprises a first relay including first and second contacts and a second relay including a coil for detecting that a current flows through said water sensing element and a coil of said first relay is cut off by an output contact of said second relay.

10. A water sensing type power breaker circuit comprising first and second contacts having one polarity connected to a power supply and the other polarity connected to a load, an impedance element circuit including first and second impedance elements connected in series with each other which is connected in parallel with the load, a water sensing element made of an electrical conductor connected to an intermediate point between both said impedance elements through a conductor, and a relay for detecting a current flowing through said conductor to open said first and second contacts when the current flows through the conductor, said relay being held by itself so that said first and second contacts are opened;

said first and second impedance elements being constituted of resistors.

11. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 10, wherein said relay comprises a first relay including first and second contacts and a second relay including a coil for detecting that a current flows through said water sensing element and a coil of said first relay is cut off by an output contact of said second relay.

12. A water sensing type power breaker circuit comprising first and second contacts having one polarity connected to a power supply and the other polarity connected to a load, an impedance element circuit including first and second impedance elements connected in series with each other which is connected in parallel with a load, a water sensing element made of an electrical conductor connected to an intermediate point between both said impedance elements through a conductor, and a relay for detecting a current flowing through said conductor to open said first and second contacts when the current flows through the conductor, said relay being held by itself so that said first and second contacts are opened;

said first impedance element is constituted of a condenser and said second impedance element is constituted of a resistor.

13. A water sensing type power breaker circuit comprising first and second contacts having one polarity connected to a power supply and the other polarity connected to a load, an impedance element circuit including first and second impedance elements connected in series with each other and which is connected in parallel with the load, a water sensing element made of an electrical conductor connected to an intermediate point between both said impedance elements through a conductor, and a relay for detecting a current flowing through said conductor to open said first and second contacts when the current flows through the conductor, said relay being held by itself so that said first and second contacts are opened,

said first and second impedance elements being constituted of condensers.

14. A water sensing type power breaker circuit according to claim 13, wherein said relay comprises a first relay including first and second contacts and a second relay including a coil for detecting that a current flows through said water sensing element and a coil of said first relay is cut off by an output contact of said second relay.