Smart smoke unit
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A smoke generating unit for a model train that varies the rate of smoke produce in response to changes in the load on the model train. The smoke generating unit includes a housing, a smoke element and a motor driven fan. The housing can be formed of two sub-housings. The first sub-housing can contain the smoke generating element and the second housing can contain the fan. The smoke element can be a nickel chromium wire. An insulating gasket can be positioned between the sub-housings to thermally insulate the motorized fan from the heat generating element. The motorized fan is controlled by a microprocessor that can monitor the load on the train and control rotation of the fan to correspond to the load on the engine. The load on the train can be the voltage across the engine of the train or the speed at which the train is moving.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1-22. -22. (Canceled)
-
23. A smoke generator for a model toy train, the model toy train having an electric motor, the electric motor operative in moving the train, the smoke generator comprising:
-
a smoke generating element to generate smoke;
a fan and a fan motor driven by an electric current, the fan positioned proximate to the smoke generating element such that an airstream generated by the fan moves the smoke; and
a controller for receiving a signal corresponding to a load on the electric motor, the controller operative to adjust the airstream in response to the signal, wherein the controller is operative to stop the fan motor by reversing current applied to the fan motor. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification