Electric blanket and system and method for making an electric blanket
AssigneeInotec Incorporated
InventorBarry P. Keane
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electric blankets and methods and systems for making electric blankets are provided. Certain electric blanket embodiments include a laminated scrim blanket with a heating element embedded therein. Other embodiments provide an electric blanket formed from conductive fibers. Another embodiment includes a central circuit that controls the position of electricity to an electric blanket responsively to temperature rate of change. A further embodiment includes a machine for inserting a heating element within passageways of a blanket shell.
Claims24
An electric blanket, said blanket comprising:
- an elongated heating element strand extending through said blanket so that, upon receiving electric current from a power source, said element heats said blanket;
- a regulator circuit in communication with said heating element electrically between said power source and said heating element, wherein said regulator circuit is configured to measure rate of change in said heating element of at least one of said heating element's resistance and said heating element's current and to control delivery of electricity from said power source to said heating element responsively to said rate of change.
An electric blanket, said blanket comprising:
- a heating element extending through said blanket so that, upon receiving electric current from a power source, said element heats said blanket;
- a regulator circuit including
- a resistive element disposed in series between said power source and said heating element, and
- a processor in communication with said power source and said resistive element and configured to measure current through said resistive element, to determine a resistance associated with said heating element responsively to a power source voltage and said resistive element current and to control delivery of electricity from said power source to said heating element responsively to rate of change of at least one of said resistance and said resistive element current.
A method of controlling the flow of electricity from a power source to a heating element in an electric blanket, said method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring rate of change in said heating element of at least one of said heating element's resistance and said heating element's current;
- and
- controlling delivery of electricity from said power source to said heating element responsively to said rate of change.
An electric blanket, said blanket comprising:
- a heating element disposed within said blanket so that, upon receiving electric current from a power source, said element heats said blanket;
- and
- a regulator circuit in communication with said heating element electrically between said power source and said heating element, wherein said regulator circuit is configured to measure rate of change in said heating element of at least one of said heating element's resistance and said heating element's current and to control delivery of electricity from said power source to said heating element responsively to said rate of change.
A method of making an electric blanket, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a blanket;
- disposing within said blanket a heating element configured to generate resistive heat when connected to a power source;
- and
- providing a regulator circuit in communication with said heating element electrically between said power source and said heating element, wherein said regulator circuit is configured to measure rate of change in said heating element of at least one of said heating element's resistance and said heating element's current and to control delivery of electricity from said power source to said heating element responsively to said rate of change.
An electric blanket, said blanket comprising:
- a heating element extending through said blanket so that, upon receiving electric current from a power source, said element heats said blanket;
- and
- a regulator circuit including
- a resistive element disposed in series between said power source and said heating element, and
- a processor in communication with said power source and said resistive element and configured to measure current through said resistive element, to determine a resistance associated with said heating element responsively to a power source voltage and said resistive element current and to control delivery of electricity from said power source to said heating element upon occurrence of at least a predetermined change in at least one of said resistance and said resistive element current over a predetermined increment of said electric current from said power source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.