Product category:
Switches and Keyboards
News Release from: Baran Advanced Technologies (1986) | Subject: Everswitch VPM
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 19 April 2005
Piezo switch cooks up successful recipe
for Bosch
Bosch Siemens Household Appliances uses Everswitch VPM piezo switches on a cooking hood and cooking range.
The piezo effect is a well known phenomenon which has been used in switches and control panels in various applications for over 50 years The invention of the Everswitch VPM (versatile piezo module) has allowed the use of piezo switches in smartly designed home appliances
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 17 Feb 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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When a mechanical force is applied to a piezoelectric material, surface charges are induced by the displacement of the dielectric material, building up an electric field that electrodes transform into a voltage.
The signal of 8-20V is the fed to a controller as an input.
Now, a new application in household appliances opens the door to new innovative design and for cutting edge HMI technology.
The VPM piezo technology was first used in household appliances back in 2002.
The patented VPM, manufactured by Baran Advanced Technologies, was introduced to Bosch Siemens Household Appliances, Germany and was designed in and tested on a cooking hood and cooking range.
Since then Bosch Siemens has expanded its use of the piezo VPM to other product ranges, and has introduced additional products incorporating the piezo VPM under its Siemens, Bosch and Neff brands.
The cooking hood and cooking range control panel is a co-operative design between Baran Advanced Technologies, Israel, its subsidiary Barantec USA, and Dyna Systems, Germany.
Each party contributes its core competence to produce a state of the art control panel for household appliances.
The control panel is a slickly designed panel with irremovable printing and marking, manufactured by Dyna System, and a series of piezo switches and custom controller and software manufactured by Baran Advanced Technologies.
The controller is not external to the panel and it is integrated in the panel.
The panel is constructed of metal - anodised aluminium or stainless steel.
The panel is a one piece construction directly mounted on the cooking hood or cooking range, with specialised milled spots at its back side for placing the piezo VPM.
At the spots the metal thickness is 0.4 to 0.7mm depending on the design and the function requirements such as actuation force and the push point sensitivity.
The VPM piezo does not travel.
It is placed on the back side of the panel and is actuated by a force of 2-4N applied to the metal to activate the switch.
A mere touch will not activate the VPM, and so accidental activation is unlikely.
The piezo VPM is electronically designed to control numerous functions such as heat level activation and control, main power on/off, zone control and multiple zone activation, timer setup, and memory set for function recall.
The piezo VPM uses a custom made controller and software from Baran Advanced Technologies.
The versatile piezo elements are produced in various configurations, and the controller and software are customised for each application.
For example, the software in the Siemens project is programmed to distinguish between accidental activation and a signal caused by a deliberate finger press.
The panel has visual and audio feedback, but the audio feedback can be eliminated per user choice.
As the panel itself has no movable switches it is protected against spills of liquid, grease, oil etc, and the controller electronics are all 100% sealed with no possibility of any steam, heat or liquid reaching it.
The use of piezo VPM switches mounted on a panel present the same benefits as other common technologies currently used in household appliances: a sleek, contemporary design; long life, zero maintenance of control components; and a seamless, smooth and easily cleaned surface.
In addition the Piezo VPM control panel offers additional benefits: piezo switches are not affected by spills, liquids and hot temperature; piezo switches can be activated while wearing gloves; and accidental activations are avoided.
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