Control circuits for vehicle rear window heaters

• US 3,973,140 A
• Filed: 01/27/1975
• Issued: 08/03/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Lucas Electrical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: The Lucas Electrical Company Limited
• Inventors: Phillips, Edward Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Jr., Stanley D.
• Application Number:
  US05/544,628
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 219/203, 219/492, 219/501, 317/141 S, 340/234, 307/293, 307/246, 307/247 A, 307/247 R
• US Class Current: 327/385
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/586 including defroster or demisting means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/28 Modifications for introducing a time delay before switching modifications to provide a choice of time-intervals for executing more than one switching action H03K17/296
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0236 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/035 Electrical circuits used in resistive heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields

Abstract

A vehicle rear window heater control comprises a touch switch, a bistable circuit driven between its two states by the touch switch, a relay operated by the bistable circuit so that the heater is controlled by the touch switch and a monostable circuit triggered by the relay for switching off the bistable a predetermined time after the touch switch has been actuated to energize the heater.

Claims

1. A control circuit for a vehicle rear window heater comprising, in combination:

a bistable circuit having first and second states, having means for connection to a supply, and being biased so as to occupy a first state when connected to the supply by said means, switch means operably connected to said bistable circuit and occupying first and second positions when said bistable circuit is in its first and second states, respectively, an output terminal operatively connected to said switch means and for connection to the heater, said switch means providing power to said output terminal when moved to its second position, a normally open switch connected to said bistable circuit for changing the state of the bistable circuit each time it is operated, and a monostable circuit coupled to said switch means so as to be held in its unstable state when said switch means is in its first position, said monostable circuit being coupled to said bistable circuit, so as to switch said bistable circuit to its first state upon reversion of the monostable circuit to its stable state.

2. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which said switch means is a relay having a changeover contact connecting the supply to the heater in one position and to the monostable circuit in the other position.

3. A control circuit according to claim 1, comprising an input transistor, said switch means in its first position connecting the base of said input transistor to said supply to drive the monostable circuit into its unstable state, a circuit connected to the base of said input transistor and including a capacitor connecting the base to ground, whereby the discharge of said capacitor through said base circuit controls the reversion of said monostable circuit.