Pulse width modulated defroster
AssigneeExatec LLC
InventorsRobert Schwenke, Keith Weiss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A window defroster system that includes a heater grid and a controller. The controller includes a pulse width modulator configured to provide a driving signal to the heater grid. The driving signal has an initial heating portion and a pulsed portion. The initial heating portion provides an initial voltage that is greater than an optimal operating voltage of the heater grid, the pulsed portion provides a pulsed signal with a pulsed high voltage that is greater than the optimal operating voltage.
Claims15
A system for defrosting a plastic window in a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a heater grid attached to a transparent plastic panel;
- a controller in electrical communication with the heater grid, the controller including a pulse width modulator configured to provide a pulse width modulated driving signal to the heater grid.
A system for defrosting a vehicle window, the system comprising:
- a heater grid attached to a plastic window;
- a controller in electrical communication with the heater grid, the controller being configured to provide a driving signal to the heater grid, the driving signal including a heating portion and a pulsed portion, the heating portion providing an initial voltage across the heater grid that is greater than an optimal operating voltage of the heater grid.
A method for defrosting a plastic window having a heater grid attached thereto, the method comprising:
- generating a driving signal having a pulsed portion, a high voltage of the pulsed portion being greater than the optimal operating voltage of the heater grid, and an effective voltage of the pulsed portion being substantially equal to the optimal operating voltage;
- and
- applying the driving signal to the heater grid.
The method according to claim 16, further comprising:
- generating an initial voltage across the heater grid greater than the optimal operating voltage of the heater grid for a time period longer than a pulse width of the pulsed portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.