HEATING CIRCULATOR

• US 20160209077A1
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Anova Applied Electronics, Inc. (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Jeff Wu
• Inventors: WU, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US14/907,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20160209077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/10 Cooking-vessels with water-bath arrangements for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/18 heated by water-bath , e.g. pasta-cookers
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/321 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/082 Handling hazardous material
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/027 Digital display, e.g. LCD, LED
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/02 Water baths; Sand baths; Air baths
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/06 Portable or mobile, e.g. collapsible
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/101 using electric energy supply
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/132 Preventing the operation of water heaters with low water levels, e.g. dry-firing
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/144 Measuring or calculating energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/174 Supplying heated water with desired temperature or desired range of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/20 characterised by control inputs
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/212 Temperature of the water
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/265 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/335 Control of pumps, e.g. on-off control control of compressors of heat pumps F24H15/38
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/355 Control of heat-generating means in heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/414 : using electronic processing, e.g. computer-based
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/45 : remotely accessible
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 4/02 : Water heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/12 : by creating turbulence, e.g. by stirring, by increasing the force of circulation F28F13/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/80 : Portable immersion heaters

Abstract

A fluidic temperature control device (100) for lab, industry, home and commercial use is disclosed. The fluidic temperature control device (100) can contain a motion tracking to modulate a display (114) of the device (100). The device (100) also includes a multi adapter pump tube outlet that can interface with multiple styles of connectors. The display (114) of the device (110) can change background color based on temperature and can synchronize with other nearby systems for control. The device (100) can utilize a wireless infrared thermometer (124) to take temperature readings of an apparatus (132) that the device (100) is controlling. The device (100) can record and track heat used or evolved from an apparatus (132) the device (100) is controlling.

Claims

1. A fluidic temperature control device (100) comprising:

at least one processor (102);

at least one temperature sensor (104), at least one float sensor (106), and at least one dry sensor (108), coupled to the processor (102);

at least one heater (110), at least one pump motor (112) and at least one liquid crystal display (LCD) (114), coupled to the processor (102);

at least one pump (116) connected to the pump motor (112); and

at least one input unit (118) coupled to the processor (102), the input unit (118) configured to receive control instructions,

wherein the processor (102) is configured to receive and process data from the temperature sensor (104), the float sensor (106) and the dry sensor (108), and output the processed temperature data, float sensor data and dry sensor data to the LCD (114);

the processor (102) is configurable to interface with, and receive and process data from, at least one motion sensor (120), at least one wireless radio transmitter (122), and at least one infrared thermometer (124), and output the processed motion data, radio data, and infrared thermometer data to the LCD (114);

the processor (102) is further configured to control the heater (110) and the pump motor (112) in accordance with the received control instructions; and

the LCD (114) is configured to display information corresponding to processed data output from the processor (102).

2. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 1, wherein the motor driven pump (116), the processor (102), and the LCD (114) and associated electronics (126) are housed in an enclosure (136).

3. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 2, wherein the heater (110), the temperature sensor (104), the float sensor (106) and the pump (116) are positioned within a chamber (128) configured to hold a fluid bath (130).

4. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one heater (110) is configured to heat the fluid bath (130) to a specific temperature modulated by the temperature sensor (104) and the processor (102).

5. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 4, wherein the motor driven pump (116) is configured to circulate the fluid bath (130) in order to insure temperature uniformity of fluid bath (130).

6. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 5, wherein the motor driven pump (116) is further configured to pump fluid from the fluid bath (130) to at least one external apparatus (132).

7. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 6, wherein a temperature (134) of the fluid bath (130) is readable by the temperature sensor (104) and displayable on the LCD (114).

8. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 7, wherein the device (100) is further configurable such that if a temperature of the fluid bath (130) deviates from a set temperature due to at least one external factor, the processor (102) will activate the at least one heater (110) to modulate the temperature of fluid bath (130) to the set temperature.

9. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 8, the device (100) further configurable to receive at least one input to change the set temperature via the input unit (118).

10. The fluidic temperature control device (100) recited in claim 8, the device (100) further configured to receive parameters sent from at least one externally located electronic device (134), and the processor (102) further configured to control the heater (110) and motor (112) in accordance with the parameters.

11. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 1, wherein LCD (114) is configured to display different colors in accordance with the temperature of the fluid bath (130).

12. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor (120) is located on the LCD (114) or on the enclosure (136), the motion sensor (120) being configurable to activate the LCD (114) display if motion is detected near the device (100) and deactivate the LCD (114) upon detecting periods of inactivity.

13. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 1, wherein the fluidic temperature control device (100) is configurable to communicate wirelessly with at least one of a personal computer (138), a tablet computer (140), and a telephone (142) in order to control, send feedback or be controlled by them.

14. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 1, wherein the non-contact infrared thermometer (124) interfaces with the fluidic temperature control device (100) and can be pointed in a direction of an apparatus (132) to which the device (100) is pumping temperature controlled fluid, in order to take temperature readings of the apparatus (132),

wherein the external temperature reading can override the internal system temperature sensor (104) and can act as the primary temperature sensor (104) that the processor (102) is reading, thereby enabling the device (100) to adjust bath temperature to account for convective heat loss.

15. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 1, the device (100) being configurable to calculate total energy released and used by an apparatus (132) using heat compensation or other methods while also tracking heat evolution/absorption over time.

16. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 2, the device (100) being configurable to calculate total energy released and used by an apparatus (132) using heat compensation or other methods while also tracking heat evolution/absorption over time.

17. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 1, wherein the motor driven pump (116) includes and external outlet (146) and inlet (148) having an integrated connector or additional adapter that can interface with multiple connector types.

18. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of claim 2, wherein the motor driven pump (116) includes an external outlet (146) and inlet (148) having at least one of an integrated connector (150) and an adapter (152) that can interface with multiple connector types.

19. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the LCD (114) is configured to receive inputs, the inputs corresponding to commands for controlling the processor (102).

20. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the input unit (118) is configured to receive voice commands.

21. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein enclosure (136) is configured to produce audio information corresponding to the operations of the device (100).

22. The fluidic temperature control device (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein motion sensor (120) is configured to receive non-contact inputs to control the device (100).