Circuit Integrity Detection System for Detecting The Integrity of A Sensing Wire in Electrically Heated Textiles
OwnerGabriel Kohn, Leonard Horey +1inventors
InventorsGabriel Kohn, Leonard Horey, William G. McCoy
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Abstract
A circuit integrity detection system for use in detecting the integrity of a sensing wire in a heating pad wherein the integrity of the sensing wire is determined by first driving one end of the sensing wire with a low voltage electrical test signal from a microcontroller, and then checking whether the test signal is present on the other end of the sensing wire, in order to distinguish the test signal from the standard AC line voltage present on the sensing wire, the electrical test signal is preferably of a different frequency than the standard 50-60 Hz AC line voltage. In one embodiment, the test signal frequency is approximately 30 kHz.
Claims19
An electrically heated textile comprising:
- a heating element in communication with an NTC material, wherein a first signal is generated through the heating element at a first frequency;
- a sensing wire for detecting a hotspot created by the heating element;
- a test signal generator electrically connected to the sensing wire for generating a second signal on a first end of the sensing wire, wherein the test signal has a second frequency;
- and
- a signal detector for detecting the second signal on a second end of the sensing wire
A circuit integrity detection system for use in detecting the integrity of a sensing wire in an electrically heated textile, the system comprising:
- a sensing wire for detecting a hotspot created by a heating element of the electrically heated textile, wherein a first signal is generated through the heating element at a first frequency;
- a test signal generator electrically connected to the sensing wire for generating a test signal at a second frequency on a first end of the sensing wire;
- a signal detector for detecting the second frequency on a second end of the sensing wire.
A method for detecting the integrity of a sensing wire in an electrically heated textile having a heating element, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a sensing wire to monitor the electrically heated textile for hot spots;
- applying a first signal having a first frequency to the heating element;
- applying a second signal having a second frequency to a first end of the sensing wire;
- and
- monitoring a second end of the sensing wire for a return signal corresponding to the second signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.