Two terminal line voltage thermostat

• US 5,304,781 A
• Filed: 11/24/1992
• Issued: 04/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kevin J. Stalsberg
• Original Assignee: Kevin J. Stalsberg
• Inventors: Stalsberg, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US07/980,983
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 219/491, 219/494, 219/497, 219/501, 219/508, 219/510, 219/509, 219/519, 236/46 R, 236/78 R, 236/78 A
• US Class Current: 219/501
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1909 whose output amplitude can only take two discrete values
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor

Abstract

A two terminal line voltage thermostat includes a switch which connects one side of the line voltage to a heater load (that it drives) such as a baseboard heater with the other side of the heater being connected to the other side of the line. Common full wave rectifier components drives both a relay coil and the remaining electronics of the thermostat. In addition, an arc suppressing triac across the switch while necessarily connected to the primary side of a transformer is directly driven from the secondary which is ungrounded; the primary also provides choking for the triac.

Claims

1. A two terminal line voltage thermostat including a switch for connecting said line voltage across a heater load connected to one of its terminals with the other of the two terminals connected to said line voltage said thermostat comprising:

a transformer having voltage and current primary windings and a secondary winding said switch in its closed condition energizing only said current winding and in said open condition energizing both of said primary windings;

a relay coil for actuating said switch and connected to said current winding;

blocking capacitor means connected to said voltage winding for providing a high impedance series circuit to said heater load with said switch open;

triac switch means connected across said switch for arc suppression, said switch being single pole-single throw;

and temperature responsive means receiving power from said secondary winding for actuating said relay coil.

2. A thermostat as in claim 1 including a full wave bridge rectifier having a common d.c. output connected to said secondary winding and providing power via said d.c. output to both said temperature responsive means and said relay coil.

3. A thermostat as in claim 1 where said temperature responsive means includes a bridge circuit having four legs with one leg having a temperature sensing element in series with a resistor in another leg, and the remaining two legs forming a voltage divider network with calibrating potentiometer means in series with a set point potentiometer, said calibrating potentiometer means adjusting for mechanical misalignment of said set point potentiometer and resistor component tolerances.

4. A thermostat as in claim 3 including the process of adjusting said calibrating potentiometer comprising the steps of

a) removing jumpers from the ends of said remaining two legs,

b) centering said set point potentiometer at 68°

F. or some other fixed nominal center temperature,

c) reading with ohmmeter the resistance between the center top of said set point potentiometer and the end of the leg without the calibrating potentiometer, and

d) with said ohmmeter connected to the end of the other leg adjusting said calibrating potentiometer for the same previous read resistance.

5. A thermostat as in claim 2 where said common d.c. output is electrically connected and referenced to said primary current winding to allow direct drive of said triac means.

6. A two terminal line voltage thermostat including a switch for connecting said line voltage across a heater load connected to one of its terminals with the other of the two terminals connected to said line voltage said thermostat comprising:

a transformer having voltage and current primary windings and a secondary winding said switch in its closed condition energizing only said current winding and in said open condition energizing both of said primary windings;

a relay coil for actuating said switch and connected to said current winding;

blocking capacitor means connected to said voltage winding for providing a high impedance series circuit to said heater load with said switch open;

triac switch means connected across said switch for arc suppression and also connected across said blocking capacitor means and said voltage winding for providing choking for said triac means;

temperature responsive means receiving power from said secondary winding for actuating said relay coil;

a full wave bridge rectifier having a common d.c. output connected to said secondary winding and providing power via said d.c. output to both said temperature responsive means and said relay coil, said common d.c. output being electrically connected and referenced to said primary current winding to allow direct drive of said triac means.