Forced air warming unit
View Patent ↗Both the flow rate and the temperature of the air exiting a forced air warming unit are regulated in response to a single act or operation of a single element of control on a manually-operated remote control.
1. A combination for providing a stream of thermally conditioned air having a temperature T and a velocity V controlled by a user, comprising:
a remote control;
the remote control unit including a single manually-operated control element for adjusting a control signal S having a magnitude;
a device for producing a stream of air having a velocity V and a temperature T;
a temperature control unit in the device coupled to the remote control for establishing the temperature according to the control signal magnitude;
a first control shaping circuit in the temperature control unit for reducing the rate of change (∂T/∂S) of the temperature with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal magnitude; and
a blower control circuit in the device coupled to the remote control and to the blower unit for establishing the velocity according to the control signal magnitude.
2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising:
a second control shaping circuit in the blower control circuit for increasing the rate of change (∂V/∂S) of the velocity with respect to the control signal responsive to an increase in the control signal magnitude.
3. The combination of claim 1 further comprising:
the single manually-operated control element being a manually-adjustable knob whose position determines the control signal magnitude.
4. The combination of claim 3 , in which:
the manually-adjustable knob is further for generating an on/off signal;
further including means for turning the air stream on or off in response to the on/off signal.
5. The combination of claim 1 further comprising:
the single manually-operated control element being a manually-operable switch for changing the control signal magnitude.
6. The combination of claim 1 further comprising:
the single manually-operated control element being a manually-adjustable slider whose position determines the control signal magnitude.
7. The combination of claim 1 further comprising:
the single manually-operated control element being a manually-adjustable lever for changing the control signal magnitude.
8. The combination of claim 1 further comprising:
the single manually-operated control element being a single manually-adjustable knob coupled to two potentiometers each of whose position determines a control signal magnitude.