Heat control device for an incubator for infants, incubator and method for the heat control of an incubator

An infant incubator comprising:

• an incubator chamber for accommodating an infant, the incubator chamber being in contact with a surrounding area in an open state and the incubator chamber being at least partially thermally insulated against the surrounding area in a closed state;
• an incubator status-detecting device configured to detect the open state or the closed state of the incubator chamber;
• a heater for heating the air in the incubator chamber, the heater comprising an air inflow sensor, which detects an air temperature of the air flowing from the heater into the incubator chamber, the air inflow sensor being arranged between the heater and discharge openings for delivering the air to the incubator chamber;
• and
• an infant incubator heat control device configured to control the heater such that the air temperature, measured by the air inflow sensor of the air flowing from the heater into the incubator chamber corresponds to a preset set value, when the incubator status-detecting be device detects that the incubator chamber is in the open state.

A method for a heat control of an incubator for infants, the method comprising:

• detecting an open state or closed state of an incubator chamber of an incubator for an infant;
• performing a cascade control first mode of operation or second mode of operation via a control device as a function of the open state or closed state of the incubator chamber, wherein a heater of the incubator is operated in the first mode of operation in the closed state and in the second mode of operation in the open state;
• detecting with a temperature-detecting device at least one first temperature measured value of a temperature in an interior of the incubator chamber and detecting at least one second temperature measured value of a temperature of the heater of the incubator, wherein the first mode of operation comprises:
• a first mode first control step calculating a heater temperature calculated set value as a function of a preset interior set value for a temperature in the interior of the incubator chamber and as a function of the at least one first temperature measured value;
• a first mode second control step calculating a controlled variable for the heater as a function of the heater temperature calculated set value and as a function of the at least one second temperature measured value;
• and
• the second mode of operation comprises:
• a second mode first control step calculating a set value for the temperature of the heater independently of the at least one first temperature measured value;
• and
• a second mode second control step calculating a controlled variable for the heater as a function of the set value for the temperature of the heater and as a function of the at least one second temperature measured value.