Patent ID: 12232653

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of circuits for switching mode power supply are described in detail herein. In the following description, some specific details, such as example circuits for these circuit components, are included to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc.

The following embodiments and aspects are illustrated in conjunction with circuits and methods that are meant to be exemplary and illustrative. In various embodiments, the above problem has been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.

FIG.1schematically shows a blending system100in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the blending system100is used to stir tomato ketchup. However, one skilled in the art should realize that the blending system100may also be used to stir other sauces.

In the example ofFIG.1, the blending system100comprises: a blender base101and a blender container102. The blender base101includes a button11, a motor12, and a controller13. The blender container102includes a shaft21and a couple of blending strings22. The shaft21is electrically coupled to the motor12and the controller13.

When the blending system is in use, the button11is pressed by an outside pressure (e.g., by fingers) to start up the system. The motor12would be controlled by the controller13, to drive the shaft21and the blending strings22to stir the target sauce. That is, upon an activation at the button11, the shaft21and the blending strings22are driven by the motor12under the control of the controller13. With the movement of the shaft21and the blending strings22, the sauce is stirred.

The shaft21may be made of a material that can be heated. For example, the shaft21may comprise a heating element. In response to a startup of the blending system, the shaft21may be heated under the control of the controller13, so as to transfer the heat to the frozen sauce, to speed up the melt process.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the blending strings22may be replaced by a couple of blending blades, which are made of hard material such as metal, to easily stir the icy sauce.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft21and the blending strings22are assembled on the blender base101. The blender container102may be a cover of the blender base101, to protect the shaft21and the blending strings22from damage. The blender container102can be removable from the blending system during the use, so that the shaft and the blending strings can inserted into a bottle with the target sauce (e.g., a bottle of frozen ketchup), to perform the stirring. For example, the blender base101may have helical shape at its opening, to facilitate the removal of the cover.

FIG.2schematically shows the shaft21and the blending strings22being inserted into a bottle50to stir the target sauce in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG.2, the length of the shaft21is adjustable. That is, the shaft21is stretchable, so that the shaft21can be inserted into deep of the bottle, to control the blending strings to fully stir the sauce when the button11in the blender base101is activated.

The control principle of the controller13will be illustrated below with reference toFIG.3toFIG.7.

FIG.3schematically shows a circuit configuration of the controller13in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the example ofFIG.3, the controller13comprises: a comparator31, a heater32, and a driver33. Upon an activation at the button11, an enable signal EN is delivered to the temperature comparator31to activate the temperature comparator31and the driver33. The comparator31is configured to compare a temperature sense signal Tsenindicative of a temperature of the target sauce with a reference temperature Tref, to generate a comparison signal Tc. The heater32is configured to be enabled by the comparator31when the temperature sense signal Tsenis lower than the reference temperature Tref, to generate a heat signal HT, to control the shaft21to be heated, so that the target sauce is quickly thawed. The driver33is configured to drive the motor12in response to the enable signal EN, to control the blending strings22to stir the target sauce.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the reference temperature Trefmay be set around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e., zero degrees centigrade), to judge whether the sauce is at a frozen state.

FIG.4schematically shows a circuit configuration of the controller13-1in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The controller13-1inFIG.4is similar to the controller13inFIG.3, with a difference that, in the example ofFIG.4, the controller13-1further comprises: a delay circuit34, configured to postpone the enable signal EN with a short time length, to generate a delay signal DLEN. The driver33is enabled by the delay signal DLEN.

The delay circuit34may be realized by a RC circuit, i.e., the delay circuit34may be formed by a resistor and a capacitor. The short time length may be set as 1 second. That is, the driver33may be enabled 1 second later than the comparator31, so that the target sauce is first heated to be unfrozen, and then the driver33is activated to drive the motor12, which drives the blending strings22to start stirring the unfrozen sauce.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the driver33may be enabled when the temperature of the sauce reaches a certain temperature value, which indicates that the sauce is thawed from a frozen state.

FIG.5schematically shows a circuit configuration of the controller13-2in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the example ofFIG.5, the controller13-2comprises: a first temperature comparator31, a heater32, a driver33, and a second temperature comparator35. Upon an activation at the button11, an enable signal EN is delivered to the first temperature comparator31and the second temperature comparator35. The first temperature comparator31is configured to compare a temperature sense signal Tsenindicative of a temperature of the target sauce with a first reference temperature Tref1, to generate a first comparison signal TC1. The second temperature comparator35is configured to compare the temperature sense signal Tsen with a second reference temperature Tref2, to generate a second comparison signal TC2. The heater32is configured to generate a heat signal HT to start to heat the shaft21if the temperature sense signal Tsen is lower than the reference temperature Tref2, to control the target sauce to be quickly thawed from a frozen state; and the heater32is configured to stop to heat the shaft21when the temperature sense signal Tsen is higher than the second reference temperature Tref2, to prevent the target sauce to be further heated. The driver33is configured to start to drive the motor12when the temperature sense signal Tsenis higher than the second reference temperature Tref2, to control the blending strings22to stir the target sauce.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first reference temperature Tref1may be set around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e., zero degree centigrade); and the second reference temperature Tref2may be set around 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e., two degrees centigrade).

That is, when the temperature of the target sauce is lower than a freezing point, e.g., 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which means the target sauce is probably at a frozen state, the blending system first heats the target sauce with no stirring action, so as to protect the blending strings. When the temperature of the target sauce is higher than a certain value, e.g., 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which means the target sauce is no longer at the frozen state, the blending system stops the heating to maintain an icy taste and starts to drive the blending strings, so as to quick stir the target sauce.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the driver33is configured to drive the motor12with a first drive capability for a first time length at first, so as to control the blending strings22to stir the target sauce with a first stirring speed; and the driver33is configured to drive the motor12with a second drive capability for a second time length when the first time length is over, so as to control the blending strings22to stir the target sauce with a second stirring speed. The first drive capability is lower than the second drive capability, so that the first stirring speed is lower than the second stirring speed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the driver33may be configured to drive the motor12with the first drive capability for the first time length when the temperature sense signal Tsenis higher than the second reference temperature Tref2, as shown with reference toFIG.6. In other embodiments of the present invention, the driver33may be configured to drive the motor12with the first drive capability for the first time length in response to the delay signal DLEN(i.e., when the enable signal is delayed for the short time length), as shown with reference toFIG.7.

FIG.6schematically shows a circuit configuration of the controller13-3with a circuit configuration of the driver33in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the example ofFIG.6, the driver33comprises: a first drive circuit301, a second drive circuit302, a first timer36, and a second timer37. The first drive circuit301is configured to provide the first drive capability VDR1to the motor12for the first time length when the temperature sense signal Tsen is higher than the second reference temperature Tref2. The first timer36is configured to start to timing the first time length when the temperature sense signal Tsen is higher than the second reference temperature Tref2. The second drive circuit302is configured to provide the second drive capability VDR2to the motor12when the first time length is over. The second timer37is configured to start to timing the second time length when the first time length is over, and to generate a time over signal TOwhen the second time length is over. The time over signal TOis configured to pull low the enable signal EN, to deactivate (i.e. disable) the blending system and stop the stirring.

FIG.7schematically shows a circuit configuration of the controller13-4with a circuit configuration of the driver33in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the example ofFIG.7, the driver33comprises: a first drive circuit301, a second drive circuit302, a first timer36, and a second timer37. The first drive circuit301is configured to provide the first drive capability VDR1to the motor12for the first time length in response to the delay signal DLEN. The first timer36is configured to start to timing the first time length in response to the delay signal DLEN. The second drive circuit302is configured to provide the second drive capability VDR2to the motor12when the first time length is over. The second timer37is configured to start to timing the second time length when the first time length is over, and to generate a time over signal TOwhen the second time length is over. The time over signal TOis configured to pull low the enable signal EN, to deactivate (i.e. disable) the blending system and stop the stirring.

FIG.8schematically shows a flowchart800of a blending method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The method comprises:

Step801, inserting a shaft and blending strings into a bottle with a target sauce. The target sauce may comprise tomato ketchup or other sauces.

Step802, pressing a button to activate a blending system. Upon an activation at the button, the blending system is started up. Then a controller is operable to control a motor, which drives a shaft and blending strings to stir the target sauce.

Step803, monitoring a temperature of the target sauce, if the temperature is lower than a first reference temperature, turning to step804; if the temperature is not lower than the first reference temperature, turning to step805. The first reference temperature may be for example set around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e., zero degree centigrade), to judge whether the target sauce is at a frozen state.

Step804, starting to heat the shaft until the temperature reaches a second reference temperature. The second reference temperature Tref2may be set around 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e., two degrees centigrade). In this step, the target sauce is at the frozen state. By heating of the shaft, the heat would be transferred to the sauce to quickly unfreeze the sauce, to have the temperature of the target sauce rise to be higher than zero degree centigrade, i.e., to have the target sauce be thawed from the frozen state.

Step805, starting the blending system to drive a motor to control the blending strings to stir the target sauce. In this step, the target sauce is not at the frozen state. The blending system starts to power the controller and the motor, to drive the blending systems to stir the sauce.

Step806, stirring the target sauce with a first stirring speed for a first time length. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first stirring speed is relatively low. Some of the sauce may still be icy at the beginning of the stirring process. Thus, controlling the blending system to attempt to start the stirring with a relatively low speed would ensure the safety of the stirring, to prevent the blending strings from being damaged. And

Step807, stirring the target sauce with a second stirring speed for a second time length, wherein the second stirring speed is higher than the first stirring speed. That is, the second stirring speed is relatively high. Because the sauce has been stirred with the first stirring speed for the first time length, no icy sauce would be in the bottle. Then, stirring the sauce with the second stirring speed which is relatively high would have the sauce be fully stirred.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first time length and the second time length are programmable.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: deactivating the blending system to stop stirring when the second time length is over.

It is to be understood in these letters patent that the meaning of “A” is coupled to “B” is that either A and B are connected to each other as described below, or that, although A and B may not be connected to each other as described above, there is nevertheless a device or circuit that is connected to both A and B. This device or circuit may include active or passive circuit elements, where the passive circuit elements may be distributed or lumped-parameter in nature. For example, A may be connected to a circuit element that in turn is connected to B.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art.