Patent attributes
A shredder includes a housing, a shredder mechanism including a motor and cutter elements, a capacitive sensor, and a controller. The capacitive sensor is configured to detect the capacitance of an entity attempting to operate the shredder and thereby detect an appropriate indication of the relative size of the entity because relative size can be an effective indicator of age of the entity. The controller is coupled to the capacitive sensor and is configured to enable/disable operation of the shredder based on the detected capacitance. As a result, the controller and capacitive sensor are configured to cooperate to detect some indication of age, and therefore, maturity, to safely operate the shredder. As a result, a mechanism is provided which results in an increased safety function for the shredder by ensuring that the operator is capable of safely operating the shredder.
