Micro-current sensing auto-adjusting heater system for eye-shield

• US 9,072,591 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abominable Labs, LLC (Abom, Inc.), Tempest Optics LLC
• Original Assignee: Abominable Labs, LLC (Abom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cornelius, Jack C., O'Malley, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tejash
• Application Number:
  US14/556,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20150121610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 220 Days
• Field of Search: 2 1/5, 2/63, 242/5, 242/6, 242/7, 243/2, 243/5, 219/203, 219/211, 351/41, 351/62, 351/158, 359/512
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/245 using means for heating, e.g. electric heating of the visor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/022 Use of special optical filters, e.g. multiple layers, filters for protection against laser light or light from nuclear explosions, screens with different filter properties on different parts of the screen; Rotating slit-discs optical filters per se G02B5/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/028 Ventilation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/029 Additional functions or features, e.g. protection for other parts of the face such as ears, nose or mouth; Screen wipers or cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/04 Eye-masks ; Devices to be worn on the face, not intended for looking through; Eye-pads for sunbathing eye-bandages A61F13/12; protective face-masks A41D13/11; protectors for shampooing A45D
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/12 Diving masks
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/28 Heating, e.g. of divers' suits, of breathing air
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/08 Anti-misting means, e.g. ventilating, heating H05B3/84 takes precedence; Wipers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/00 Details of electric heating devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/02 Automatic switching arrangements specially adapted to apparatus ; Control of heating devices thermally-actuated switches H01H37/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0227 Applications
• 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

Eye-shield condensation prevention system for use in a ski goggle, dive mask, medical or testing face shield or the like, that prevents undesirable hot spots on the eye-shield and maintains constant heat, with the ability to compensate for variations in resistance encountered from one eye-shield region to another, and/or one eye-shield to another, comprising a power source, a pulse-width modulator, a microcomputer, a heating element, and a sensing circuit. The microcomputer uses the sensing circuit to sense voltage and determine a value of resistance of the heating element. The microcomputer then uses this value to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulator, and may employ a two-dimensional table in assisting calculation. Multiple pulse-width modulators may be employed that correspond to a plurality of eye-shield regions and a corresponding plurality of heating elements.

Claims

1. An eye-shield condensation prevention system comprising:

an eye-shield adapted for protecting a user'"'"'s eyes, said eye-shield having a surface area divisible into at least one region for facilitating region heating of said eye-shield to a desired temperature;

a power source;

at least one pulse-width modulator;

at least one microcomputer;

at least one heating element on and corresponding with the at least one region for facilitating region heating of said eye-shield, said at least one heating element operatively connected to and corresponding with said at least one pulse-width modulator;

a sensing circuit for comparing voltage sensed from said power source and heating element resistance voltage;

and at least one circuit interconnecting said power source, said at least one pulse-width modulator, said at least one microcomputer, said at least one corresponding heating element for heating said eye-shield and said sensing circuit, wherein said at least one microcomputer relays information to said at least one pulse-width modulator that controls current to maintain the temperature of said at least one heating element region to a temperature above an anticipated dew point of an operating environment, said microcomputer determining heating element resistance from said sensing circuit and adjusting said pulse-width modulator'"'"'s control of current to said heater to compensate for variations in resistance that might otherwise be encountered from at least one of one eye-shield region to another eye-shield region and one eye-shield to another eye-shield.

2. The eye-shield condensation prevention system of claim 1, wherein said eye-shield condensation prevention system comprises a plurality of pulse-width modulators corresponding to a plurality of eye-shield regions and a corresponding plurality of heating elements of a goggle lens, and wherein said eye-shield condensation prevention system is used to adjust at least one of said pulse-width modulators'"'"' control of current to a corresponding eye-shield region and heating element.

3. The eye-shield condensation prevention system of claim 1, wherein said eye-shield condensation system further comprises a look-up table of heating element resistance values each associated with a corresponding plurality of pulse-width adjustment factors to facilitate calculation by said microcomputer of an appropriate adjustment to be applied to said at least one pulse-width modulator to compensate for variations in resistance encountered.

4. The eye-shield condensation prevention system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of eye-shield condensation prevention systems in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first of said eye-shield condensation prevention systems is used to enable pulse-width modulator duty cycle adjustments to maintain constant heat from at least one heating element of said first of said plurality of eye-shield condensation prevention systems relative to the at least one heating element of a second of said plurality of eye-shield condensation prevention systems, despite variations of heater resistance values from said first eye-shield condensation prevention system and said second eye-shield condensation prevention system.