Heater/blower unit with load control
First Claim
1. A heater comprising:
- a first heater, to continuously heat a medium to a first temperature; and
a second heater, to intermittently heat the medium, in combination with said first heater, to a second temperature, greater than the first temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A substantially constant load impedance electrical heater has been provided. The heater is comprised of two sections, a first heater and a second heater. The first heater is continuously “on” to provide the bulk of the heat. A second heater is selectively engaged to provide slightly more heat to the medium, heating the medium to the desired temperature. The output temperature of the heated medium is maintained by controlling the duty cycle of the second heater. More drastic changes in temperature are accomplished by changing the power continuously dissipated by the first heater. The greatest heating control is obtained by defining the first and second heaters as subsets from a bank of selectable heater elements. A method of minimizing fluctuations in the loading of a high-wattage electrical device is also provided.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A heater comprising:
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a first heater, to continuously heat a medium to a first temperature; and
a second heater, to intermittently heat the medium, in combination with said first heater, to a second temperature, greater than the first temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for heating a medium comprising:
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continuously dissipating a first peak power into the medium; and
intermittently dissipating an additional peak power, in combination with the first peak power, into the medium. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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34. A method for minimizing fluctuations in power consumption comprising:
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dissipating a variable peak power into a medium at a first duty cycle; and
in response to dissipating a variable peak power, heating a medium to a constant temperature.
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38. A method for programmably controlling a heater comprising:
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generating a digital word including a first part and a second part;
selecting a peak power dissipation in response to the digital word first part; and
selecting the peak power time duration in response to the digital word second part.
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Specification