Electric blanket with digital temperature sensors

• US 7,019,262 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yi-Jen Lu
• Original Assignee: Yi-Jen Lu
• Inventors: Lu, Yi-Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell, Thor S.
• Application Number:
  US11/024,714
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 219/212
• US Class Current: 219/212
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0227 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/035 Electrical circuits used in resistive heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/56 Heating cables

Abstract

An electric blanket includes a substrate made of cotton cloth, a heating member mounted on the substrate, a plurality of digital temperature sensors mounted to the heating member at a plurality of positions for detecting temperature of the heating member at the positions and sending signals relating to the temperature of the heating member at the positions and indicating the positions, a temperature protection switch, an electromagnetic radiation interference filter electrically connected to an AC power source, a DC power supply circuit, a display for displaying at least temperature of the electric blanket, a zero-cross detector, a triac electrically connected to the heating member, and a central processing unit. The central processing unit receives and processes the signals from the digital temperature sensors and a feedback signal from the temperature protection switch to control temperature of the electric blanket.

Claims

1. An electric blanket comprising:

a substrate (11) made of cotton cloth;

a heating member (12) mounted on the substrate (11), the heating member including a fiber (121), a heating wire (122) wound around the fiber, an inner silicon rubber insulating layer (123) covering the fiber and the heating wire, and an outer silicon rubber insulating layer (124) covering the inner silicon rubber insulating layer;

a plurality of digital temperature sensors (15) mounted to the heating member (12) at a plurality of positions for detecting temperature of the heating member (12) at the positions and sending signals relating to the temperature of the heating member at the positions and indicating the positions;

a temperature protection switch (16) electrically connected in series to the heating member (12);

an electromagnetic radiation interference filter (27) electrically connected to an AC power source;

a DC power supply circuit (22) electrically connected to the electromagnetic radiation interference filter (27) for converting AC power source into a DC power supply;

a display (20) for displaying at least temperature of the electric blanket;

a zero-cross detector (R8) electrically connected to the DC power supply circuit;

a triac (23) electrically connected to the heating member (12); and

a central processing unit (21) electrically connected to the digital temperature sensors (15), the electromagnetic radiation interference filter (27), the DC power supply circuit (22), the zero-cross detector (R8), the triac (23), and the display (20);

the central processing unit (21) receiving and processing the signals from the digital temperature sensors and a feedback signal from the temperature protection switch (16) to control temperature of the electric blanket.

2. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 1, with the electric blanket further comprising a key (26) for converting a value of the temperature displayed on the display (20) between centigrade and Fahrenheit.

3. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 1, with the triac (23) being electrically connected in series to a resistor (R11) and a capacitor (C4), with a gate of the triac (23) being activated by pulse waves when a voltage of the AC power source is zero, with the capacitor (C4) effectively isolating DC potential to avoid abnormal heating and to reduce interference from electromagnetic harmonic waves generated during on/off of the triac (23).

4. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 1, with the display (20) being a liquid crystal display comprising an EL-backlight empowered by the AC power source by push-pull control.

5. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 1, with the heating member (12) being arranged in a winding manner uniformly extending through an area of the substrate (11).

6. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 5, with the electric blanket further comprising a cotton strip (13) covering the heating member (12), with the heating member (12) including two longitudinal sides slightly protruding out of two lateral sides of the cotton strip (13).

7. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 6, with the electric blanket further including a plurality of pairs of through-holes (111) provided on the substrate (11) and respectively located on two sides of the heating member (12), with a plastic tightening strip (14) extending through each of said plurality of pairs of through-holes (111) to fix the cotton strip (13) to the heating member (12).

8. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 7, with the electric blanket further including a cotton covering (17) for covering the substrate (11), the heating member (12), and the cotton strips (13), further including an outer covering (18) made of velvet for receiving the cotton covering (17).

9. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 8, with the velvet being processed to provide a hairy structure.

10. The electric blanket as claimed in claim 8, with the cotton cloth of the electric blanket absorbing and storing tiny water molecules floating in the air, with the heating member (12) heating the cotton cloth to generate hot, humid air to warm a user'"'"'s body without causing scalding.