Improvements in heat responsive control circuit

摘要

970,632. Control systems for heating resistors. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. March 21, 1962 [April 5, 1961], No. 10857/62. Heading H2H. An electrically heated device 24a, such as an electrically heated bedcover, having a heating resistor element 24 normally energized over a cyclically operated energy regulator 23 from alternating current mains 12, 13 is provided with a safety control device 31 which comprises two signal wires 32, 33 wound together but separated by a material such as nylon having a negative temperature coefficient of resistance, the safety device being physically associated with the heater 24, the control circuit including a relay 17 provided with a copper " slug " 51 so as to be responsive to rectified A.C. but unresponsive to unrectified A.C. Closure of contacts 18, 43 by push-button 44 energizes relay 17 over a rectifier 36 connected between the ends of the two signal wires 32, 33 to bridge contacts 14, 26 of the relay which are in the supply circuit to the heater 24 and to the signal wires. Should the bedcover 24a become overheated the nylon material 34 decreases in resistance, thus permitting a flow of alternating current between signal wires 32, 33. If this flow reaches a significant value, the relay 17 drops out removing the supply from the heater 24. The bedcover is normally switched off by operation of a push-button 47 which causes A.C. to be applied to the relay 17 which then drops out to open contacts 14, 26. Other embodiments are described in which the " slugging " of the relay 17 is effected by means of a capacitor or a half wave rectifier connected across the relay energizing winding. The energy regulator is of the thermal type and is ambient temperature compensated. It is adjustable by means of a screw 62.