Abstract: A serpentine conductive path has a plurality of generally parallel wires, a pair of conductive busses running generally parallel to one another and generally perpendicular to the wires, wherein the wires are electrically connected to the conductive busses, and wherein the conductive busses further include a plurality of isolation punches so as to form an electrically conductive serpentine pattern in conjunction with the wires. The wires may be formed of positive temperature coefficient material for sensing and controlling the temperature of a heating fabric.

Abstract: A heating blanket reduces the possibility of electrical arcing by providing a series of individual heating elements each carrying a low current.

Abstract: One or more current sensors are mounted externally of a heating member so as to simplify construction of the heating member. The sensors are particularly useful in safety control circuits for heating members using PTC wire as resistance heating elements.

Abstract: A warming fabric that utilizes a multiplex circuit to provide heat to at least two different zones of the warming fabric. A controller for the warming fabric may alternate power supplied to the separate zones during a duty cycle. For example, the controller may supply power to a first zone of the warming fabric for a specified time based upon the heat setting for the first zone. During this specified time period, a second zone would not be supplied power. When the on time for the first zone is finished, the controller may apply power to the second zone for a specified time. If desired, separate zones may operate at different lengths of time during the duty cycle so that the separate zones would be supplied different levels of heating.

Abstract: Disclosed is a warming blanket system having a fabric comprising a heating element, a data temperature mechanism configured to provide ambient air temperature data, a user input configured to provide user heat output preference data for a given normal ambient temperature, and a control system configured to input said air temperature and user heat output preference data and adjust heat output to said heating element based upon a deviation of a measured ambient temperature from said normal ambient temperature.

Abstract: Heat losses from electric heating pads, blankets and pillows are reduced by aligning heat reflective strips or coatings over the top of a heating wire arranged inside the pads, blankets and pillows. By reducing heat losses, lower wattage can be applied to the heating wire to transfer the same amount of heat to a user as equivalent higher wattage blankets which do not have the heat reflective strips. By lowering the applied wattage, a more efficient blanket results.

Abstract: A warming fabric having temperature compensation controls that vary the heat output of the warming fabric to adjust for changes in ambient temperature. A thermistor or another mechanism that is configured to generate information about the temperature of the location of the blanket is used to generate temperature data. A microcomputer uses the temperature data to determine how the heat output of the warming fabric should be modified due to ambient temperature. To do so, a look up table or an algorithm may be used to calculate the appropriate heat output.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system and method for sensing the presence of ice, particularly applicable in the control of ice thickness in machines employing an ice bank such as a commercial beverage chiller. The chiller may be of the conventional type having a water bath with a cold element at least partially submerged therein. The cold element is cooled by a refrigerant such as freon to the point where ice forms and grows on the element, thereby forming an ice bank in the water bath. A temperature sensor, which preferably is a thermistor-type sensor comprising a bead disposed in a metal housing, is mounted on a carrier to allow the position of the sensor to be adjustable relative to the cold element. Circuitry is provided which is operative to detect the presence of ice by sensing a temperature signal from the temperature sensor and to control the thickness of the ice bank. A method of controlling the thickness of an ice bank is also disclosed.

Abstract: One or more current sensors are mounted externally of a heating member so as to simplify construction of the heating member. The sensors are particularly useful in safety control circuits for heating members using PTC wire as resistance heating elements.

Abstract: A heating blanket, pad or pillow is produced from a continuous roll of substrate material over which a continuous length of resistance heating wire is arranged. Predetermined lengths of the resulting substrate and heating element are cut from the roll to produce individual heating products. PTC wire is preferably used for the resistance wire and facilitates a continuous manufacturing process.

Abstract: Heat losses from electric heating pads, blankets and pillows are reduced by aligning heat reflective strips or coatings over the top of a heating wire arranged inside the pads, blankets and pillows. By reducing heat losses, lower wattage can be applied to the heating wire to transfer the same amount of heat to a user as equivalent higher wattage blankets which do not have the heat reflective strips. By lowering the applied wattage, a more efficient blanket results.

Abstract: A heating blanket reduces the possibility of electrical arcing by providing a series of individual heating elements each carrying a low current.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system and method for sensing the presence of ice, particularly applicable in the control of ice thickness in machines employing an ice bank such as a commercial beverage chiller. The chiller may be of the conventional type having a water bath with a cold element at least partially submerged therein. The cold element is cooled by a refrigerant such as freon to the point where ice forms and grows on the element, thereby forming an ice bank in the water bath. A temperature sensor, which preferably is a thermistor-type sensor comprising a bead disposed in a metal housing, is mounted on a carrier to allow the position of the sensor to be adjustable relative to the cold element. Circuitry is provided which is operative to detect the presence of ice by sensing a temperature signal from the temperature sensor and to control the thickness of the ice bank. A method of controlling the thickness of an ice bank is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system and method for sensing of ice, particularly applicable in the control of ice thickness in automatic ice-making machines. The ice-making machine may be of the conventional type using a cold plate with water flowing over it. A thermistor bead temperature sensor is encapsulated in a metal housing, which is in turn mounted on a carrier. The position of the carrier is adjustable relative to the cold plate. The control system has several variable delays or time durations which optimize system performance: 1. Minimum harvest time delay, relative to the start of the ice-making cycle; 2. Threshold persistence time delay, requires that the signal sensor persists above the harvest threshold value for a certain amount of time (referenced to when the threshold is first exceeded), before harvesting may begin; 3. Harvesting delay is an optional delay provided give the option of making sure the ice is sufficiently “cured.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system and method for sensing of ice, particularly applicable in the control of ice thickness in automatic ice-making machines. The ice-making machine may be of the conventional type using a cold plate with water flowing over it. A thermistor bead temperature sensor is encapsulated in a metal housing, which is in turn mounted on a carrier. The position of the carrier is adjustable relative to the cold plate. The control system has several variable delays or time durations which optimize system performance: 1. Minimum harvest time delay, relative to the start of the ice-making cycle; 2. Threshold persistence time delay, requires that the signal sensor persists above the harvest threshold value for a certain amount of time (referenced to when the threshold is first exceeded), before harvesting may begin; 3. Harvesting delay is an optional delay provided give the option of making sure the ice is sufficiently “cured.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system and method for sensing of ice, particularly applicable in the control of ice thickness in automatic ice-making machines. The ice-making machine may be of the conventional type using a cold plate with water flowing over it. A thermistor bead temperature sensor is encapsulated in a metal housing, which is in turn mounted on a carrier. The position of the carrier is adjustable relative to the cold plate. The control system has several variable delays or time durations which optimize system performance: 1. Minimum harvest time delay, relative to the start of the ice-making cycle; 2. Threshold persistence time delay, requires that the signal sensor persists above the harvest threshold value for a certain amount of time (referenced to when the threshold is first exceeded), before harvesting may begin; 3. Harvesting delay is an optional delay provided give the option of making sure the ice is sufficiently “cured.

Abstract: An electrical appliance, such as a pressing iron (10), includes a user proximity sensor for removing electrical power from the appliance after a period of non-use. When a user's hand is in close proximity to, or is in a grasping relationship with, a handle (28) of the pressing iron, an antenna (44) that is disposed within the handle is capacitively coupled to the user through a dielectric material that forms the handle wall. When so coupled to the user, a displacement current having a frequency equal to the AC line electrical power frequency signal (50 Hz or 60 Hz) is capacitively coupled between the user's body and the antenna. The displacement current is detected and amplified by circuitry (60) that is connected to the antenna by a conductor (46). This circuitry outputs a signal that indicates the proximity of the user to the handle of the pressing iron. The output signal is in turn employed to disable the operation of a time-out circuit (70).

Abstract: In an electronically controlled sewing machine which has the capability of accepting plug-in modules consisting of read only memories, a method is provided for checking the integrity of the module memory and the means for coupling the memory to the sewing machine controller. The controller reads the first two locations in the memory to check for the presence of alternating patterns of ones and zeros which indicate that shorted or open data lines are unlikely. Another location in the memory contains the number referred to as a checksum. The controller adds the contents of all the other locations of the module memory to this checksum. If the module is undamaged, this sum will be zero. If the sum is not zero, the controller recognizes that a faulty module has been inserted and advises the operator accordingly.

Abstract: An electronically controlled household sewing machine includes an arrangement for needle positioning. The machine responds to a tap of the foot controller for stopping the sewing machine at the next change of state of the armshaft timing signal.

Abstract: A microcomputer controlled electronic sewing machine wherein the microcomputer operates in two modes of execution: a background mode for performing non-critical functions and an interrupt mode for performing functions dependent on the operational state of the sewing machine.