Electric heating – Heating devices – With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2001-06-26
Paschall, Mark (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
C219S202000, C219S481000, C219S505000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252208
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and a circuit, respectively, for controlling the heating current of seat heaters as a function of temperature type, in which the sensor element is positioned separately from a logic circuit and the temperature measurement and seat heating take place simultaneously, are already known described in german Patent No. 197 08 867.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The method according to the present invention and the circuit according to the present invention have the advantage over the conventional methods and circuits in that a greater integration of individual components into the seat heating system achieves a more economical system design, in particular lowering costs by simplifying the assembly procedure and thus reducing the number of system components to be assembled. The method according to the present invention improves the seat temperature measurement, in particular by positioning the sensor element for measuring the seat temperature in the direct vicinity of the circuit-breaker that switches the heating current. The high level of integration results in a miniaturized circuit such that it can be built into any area of the seat surface without disturbing the vehicle passenger's comfort while seated, thus providing an optimum temperature measurement of the seat surface. The reduced number of connections between the system components also increases system reliability. One particular advantage is the ability to adjust the heating phase duration to the temperature just measured, thereby providing a heating method that saves time and energy costs.
One simple implementation of the method is to store an assignment between heating phase durations and specific temperatures provided in an H-table in an (EE)PROM memory or ROM memory.
Varying the temperature comparison value as a function of the duration of the previous heating phase further improves the temperature measurement by more accurately taking into account the excess temperature of the sensor element compared to the overall seat, due to its close proximity to the circuit-breaker.
Positioning the circuit-breaker on a second chip that is separate from a first chip containing the sensor element and the logic circuit further reduces temperature measurement errors resulting from the spatial proximity between the sensor element and the circuit breaker, while continuing to guarantee miniaturization.
The temperature measurement method described above is further improved by connecting the (first) chip to a copper braid integrated into the seat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4002882 (1977-01-01), McCutchen
patent: 4167663 (1979-09-01), Granzow, Jr. et al.
patent: 5075537 (1991-12-01), Rothenberg et al.
patent: 5105067 (1992-04-01), Brekkestran et al.
patent: 41 41 224 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 43 18 432 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 197 08 867 (1998-09-01), None
Kenyon & Kenyon
Paschall Mark
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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