Motion sensor momentary switch control

Thread Starter

DMP

Joined Oct 5, 2020
8
I have no experience with electronics and I need help. I would like to shoot silly string from an inflatable spider. I have a Glade automatic air freshener that I want to use. It has a momentary switch built in to it. I want to use a motion sensor to activate the spray for a second or so so the silly string sprays then spots and the actuator resets. I was able to get it to work with a remote control but I want to automate it. Does anyone know how I can accomplish this? Thanks from a crazy Halloween interactive fan.
 

Thread Starter

DMP

Joined Oct 5, 2020
8
Can you intercept a signal from the Glade automatic air freshener? If so, is it enough to operate a relay to power your actuator?
The actuator is driven by a small electric motor. The motor rotates moving the actuator then the voltage is reversed to reset the actuator. The momentary push button does the same.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
Bypass the momentary switch with the relay. You'll get about a half second pulse through the relay. It's likely your air freshener sees about that long a push when you manually set it off. The relay will need a voltage. A small 12V SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) battery should do just fine. The PIR (this one) can be powered from a 12V battery and can actuate the circuit as drawn below from the signal line on to the relay.
1601992766237.png
 

sghioto

Joined Dec 31, 2017
5,380
Tony's circuit should work just fine but using the PIR listed the minimum time between activations is 15 seconds due to the delay timer on the PIR. Just a heads up if that might be an issue.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
15 second reset would prevent kids from depleting your silly string can in short order. Imagine a child comes up and discovers the web slinger. Keeps jumping around to keep squirting string. Your can may be empty in 5 minutes. With a 15 second reset delay it would shoot string four times a minute, meaning the can may last as little as 25 minutes (assuming once every 15 seconds and a can spraying 100 shots) or as long as - depending on how frequently it shoots, hours.

Personally, I think it's a great idea. Provided parents don't assume you are intending to make it seem like spiders poop on their kids.
 

Thread Starter

DMP

Joined Oct 5, 2020
8
You assume I understand all of this
15 second reset would prevent kids from depleting your silly string can in short order. Imagine a child comes up and discovers the web slinger. Keeps jumping around to keep squirting string. Your can may be empty in 5 minutes. With a 15 second reset delay it would shoot string four times a minute, meaning the can may last as little as 25 minutes (assuming once every 15 seconds and a can spraying 100 shots) or as long as - depending on how frequently it shoots, hours.

Personally, I think it's a great idea. Provided parents don't assume you are intending to make it seem like spiders poop on their kids.
I currently use a bubble machine with a fog machine and the kids love the smoke filled bubbles. I want to add a little adrenaline rush to it. My problem is I am stupid in electronics and I don't understand what I am looking at in the diagram. The other problem is I am scavenging parts from things I have, the Glade sprayer and I have a battery operated light that has a motion detector.
 

DNA Robotics

Joined Jun 13, 2014
647
The battery operated light may have a relay in it that you can use.

Some motion detecting security lights have an auxiliary wire, (usually red) that can power any 120 volt, (240 volt) relay, bulb, actuator etc. But then you are using household power. That should work with the bulbs removed if you don’t want the light.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
My problem is I am stupid in electronics
No, the problem is you have not been exposed to electronics or have any formal training in it. But you're not stupid. In fact, the idea of a spider shooting a web - I love the idea. This year we're not doing Halloween, but next year I hope I remember your idea.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
The first picture is the mode switch (timing) as can be seen in the third picture. The second picture is the back side. The picture I get a kick out of is the fifth picture. Shows B+ with a black wire to it and B- with the red wire to it. But on the battery pack it looks like the red wire is going to the negative terminal of the battery pack - so - - - electrically it's correct. I'm wondering which wires run the motor to press the dispenser spray. That'd be a useful picture as well.
 

sghioto

Joined Dec 31, 2017
5,380
The first picture is the mode switch (timing) as can be seen in the third picture.
I see that now. The fifth photo of the motion detector pcb shows Q1 switching a load which I assume is the light or could be a relay. Need to see where the black wire connected to "OUT" goes to.
 
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Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
[edit #1] This portion of my comment has been deleted to prevent confusion [end edit #1]

@DMP; you said you don't have any electrical or electronic experience. OK, understood. You can set your motion detector light to test mode and see how long it takes from the time it goes on to the time it shuts off. If in TEST MODE it operates for 15 seconds (just picking a number out of thin air) then you can [edit] connect the light output to the relay shown in post #18. [end edit #2]
 
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Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
[edit] post #15 has been edited [end edit]. I'm guessing here, but I think MAYBE your blue wire is the OUT+ terminal that goes to the motion detector lights. Instead of running them to lights, connect them to the diode (1N4148), the 470µF cap, the two resistors and a six volt relay. The three circles in the relay represent connections. The top is the Common and the bottom two are NO (Normally Open) and NC (Normally Closed). "Normally" means the connections as shown when the relay is NOT active. The relay is unenergized and in the "Normal" condition. But when you power it the C and the NO become closed and will act like the momentary switch is being pushed. All you have to do is connect wires to that part of the switch. The capacitor will keep the relay from staying on longer than 1 second. If it holds too long you can up the 47Ω resistor to a 100Ω resistor.
1602096148749.png
I hope that this explanation does not make you feel like you're being spoken down to. You said you have no experience with electronics so I'm trying to cover all bases just in case there's something you don't fully understand. I mean no disrespect.
 

Thread Starter

DMP

Joined Oct 5, 2020
8
The first picture is of the spray control circuit board. The second is the backside of the sprayer circuit board. The third is the spray batteries (and the motor and gears not shown). The fourth is the PIR that is on the circuit board for the motion controlled light. The fifth is a side of the motion circuit board. I am including another picture of the power to the circuit board to the led lights. I hope this helps.
 

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