Temperature control for vehicle cabin
AssigneeKysor Industrial Corporation
InventorsDavid R. Ward, William E. Zieske
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The specification discloses a vehicle cabin temperature control including a thermostat and a power circuit responsive thereto for selectively applying electrical power to a heating/cooling device. The control further includes a protection circuit coupled to the power circuit for interrupting the power applied to the heating/cooling device when a short-circuit is detected.
Claims6
A vehicle cabin temperature control comprising:
- temperature selector means for selecting a reference temperature within the vehicle cabin;
- temperature comparison means responsive to the temperature selector means for outputting a control signal indicative of the relationship of the reference temperature and the actual temperature within the vehicle cabin;
- controllable switching means to be coupled between a power source and heating/cooling means, said switching means being responsive to the temperature comparison means for applying electrical power to the heating/cooling means when the control signal has a certain value;
- and
- short-circuit protection means coupled to said swithing means, said protection means including current detection means for monitoring the electrical current applied to the heating/cooling means, said protection means further including current interrupting means responsive to said current detection means for interrupting the current to the heating/cooling means when the current exceeds a preselected parameter, said current interrupting means including means for selectively forcing the control signal to a value other than the certain value, whereby said switching means does not apply power to the heating/cooling means.
An improved vehicle cabin temperature control including thermostat means for emitting a thermostat signal responsive to a comparison of the desired cabin temperature and the actual cabin temperature, power supply means responsive to said thermostat means for selectively applying electrical power to a vehicle heating/cooling device when the thermostat signal is indicative of a need for heating/cooling, the improvement comprising short-circuit protection means comprising:
- current monitoring means responsive to the amount of electrical current applied to the heating/cooling device for producing a control signal indicative of the amount of current;
- and
- power interruption means responsive to said current monitoring means for interrupting the electrical power applied to the heating/cooling device when the control signal assumes an undesired value indicative of a short-circuit condition through the heating/cooling device, said power interruption means including means for causing the thermostat signal to assume a value indicative of no need for heating/cooling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.