The connected market continues to expand, now including home appliances that integrate impressive features such as wireless connectivity and sensing capabilities. Designing and manufacturing intelligent home appliances for today’s fast-paced market requires highly functional technology able to stand the test of time. TE Connectivity (TE) is the ultimate resource for the connectivity and sensing technology behind home appliances in an evolving industry that continuously introduces new connected capabilities and features.
Home appliances are an essential part of day-to-day living, and when you are designing and building an appliance like a stove, you want to build it to last. When entrepreneurs and designers want to create a reliable appliance, it all starts with stable connections. TE’s Economy Power (EP) II connectors are widely used for power circuit applications requiring a large current carrying capacity and are a great starting point for building the dependable stove all homeowners want and need.
These wire-to-board connectors allow you create a more reliable stove in two ways: the true locking latch helps prevent the plug housing and post header from vibrating apart while a Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) device helps ensure proper terminal seating. EP II connectors are rated for 600VAC at up to 11A, making them excellent connectivity solutions for a large appliance like a stove, and you can take advantage of up to 12 positions for your design. Finally, polarization tabs help prevent post misalignment while asymmetrical terminals prevent mis-mating, helping to ensure the connection is there to stay.
Of course, the home appliance space goes beyond the kitchen. Designers and manufactures rely on sensing and connecting solutions from TE to create new smart devices like robotic vacuum cleaners. Once considered a luxury item, robotic vacuum cleaners have begun to showcase immense practicality. Realizing that smaller applications like smart vacuum cleaners require smaller connectors, TE offers a number of connectivity solutions you can use for your end product.
Requiring less than 4.7mm in vertical height, TE’s low profile Micro MATE-N-LOK connectors meet connectivity demands in tight spaces, typical of robotic vacuum cleaners. These wire-to-board connectors, with a 3mm centerline and current ratings up to 5 Amps max, are offered in 2, 3 and 4 positions. Additionally, standard height Micro MATE-N-LOK connectors, still relatively small, are flexible and dynamic solutions with single row and double row configurations and 2 through 24 positions for wire-to-wire or wire-to-board applications. Either low profile or standard height types can provide your robotic vacuum with a versatile connection solution.
Sensors are another critical part of countless smart home appliances, especially appliances that cater to a particular hobby or interest. Take smart home brewing systems as an example – today’s beer enthusiasts are showing increased interest in automated home systems, which simplifies a complex and time-consuming process. TE sensors make these smart systems possible, adding intelligence to the appliance and giving it the functionality to carry out its required tasks.
Take a look at TE’s MS8607 PHT combination sensor, integrating pressure, humidity, and temperature sensing into one small package. This combination sensor leverages a small-form factor, making it convenient for tight spaces and offers the advanced capabilities necessary for an intelligent smart home brewing system. When integrated into a brewing machine, combination sensors help guide the entire process, helping to ensure the optimum temperature throughout the brewing cycle for a fresh and flavorful end result. By integrating thermocouples, thermistors, resistance temperature detectors, and combination sensors from TE, you give your customers the ability to effectively carry out the brewing process with ease.
Another common household appliance getting an update with sensing and connectivity is the air conditioner. While earlier air conditioners simply needed to perform their task and make living spaces cooler, today’s consumers expect a little more from air conditioning units. Smart air conditioners integrate sensors and antennas to intelligently moderate our environment and improve efficiency to reduce operating costs while leveraging a functional, non-intrusive design to fit seamlessly into consumers’ living spaces.
Cost-effective Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) connectors offer a low-profile solution for miniaturized applications, making them perfect for smaller air conditioning units. They are able to accommodate FPC/FFC cables, and feature 0.25mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 1.0m, and 1.25mm centerline spacing options for increased design flexibility to help you create an air conditioning unit to your desired specification.
When you are designing intelligent home appliances, you have to start with the most innovative technology available. As the official connectivity and sensor technology provider for the Arrow Certification Program, TE Connectivity has solutions that empower you to design intelligence into all your home appliances, small and large. They can provide sensor and connector solutions for any project such as a smart stove, something up-and-coming like a smart home brewing system, or the as-of-yet unimagined home appliance to completely transform the home living space.
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