The Holmes Group, Inc.

Sunbeam Products, Inc.

Helen of Troy Limited

William Levy

Robert A Sherwood

Lorens G Hlava

Charles T Thrasher, Jr

Yinon Barzilai

James E DeCobert

Gabriel S Kohn

James Tracy

Mikhail Mitelman

John C Polonchak

The present disclosure is directed to a safety circuit for use in textile heating devices, such as heating pads, heating blankets, and the like. The safety circuit provides a system for checking/verifying the integrity of the controller, which can shut off power to the textile heating device if the controller has lost integrity.

Safety circuit for heating device

A programmable slow-cooker appliance uses an application-specific integrated circuit digital controller, in which a user sets a time and temperature for cooking a food item. The digital controller prevents the unit from functioning only as a 'keep warm' appliance, and a unique design allows cooling of the application-specific integrated circuit digital programmable controller during cooking.

Programmable slow-cooker appliance

An electronic control circuit for use with a heater, a fan, a humidifier, a cooking apparatus, or any device utilizing a power mode switch and a condition sensor, and optionally time-automated switching of modes of operation. The circuit includes a single control switch to switch between operational modes and to select a level of operation. The circuit preferably includes an application-specific integrated circuit, to provide circuit logic. The single control switch, preferably a push-button switch, selects a mode of operation for a household appliance controlling a local environment, e.g., a humidifier or a heater, and the level of operation. The unit operates in the selected operational mode at the selected level, as indicated by either an energized light-emitting diode or a digital display. Operational modes may include a timed mode, a manual mode, and/or automatic mode for regulation of the environmental condition with a sensor included in the circuit.

Electronic control circuit for household appliances including humidifiers

An electronic control circuit for use with a heater, a fan, a humidifier, a cooking apparatus, or any device utilizing a power mode switch and a condition sensor, and time-automated switching of modes of operation. The circuit includes a single control switch to manually set power output, to set a value for automatically comparing and responding to a sensed condition, and to set a time-automated sequence of operational modes. The circuit includes a microprocessor, preferably an application-specific integrated circuit, to provide circuit logic. The single control switch, preferably a push-button switch, selects a mode of operation. The circuit includes a thermistor or humidity sensor. The unit responds to the sensed condition, in accordance with the temperature/humidity value set by the control switch. The unit bypasses sensor operation in manual mode. In timed mode, a manual or automatic mode operates for selected time, followed by an automatic mode or powering off.

Control circuit for kitchen appliances

An electronic control circuit for use with a heater, a fan, a humidifier or any device utilizing a power mode switch and a condition sensor, the electronic control circuit including a single control switch for controlling both power output and responding to a sensed condition. The electronic circuit includes a microprocessor, preferably in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit to provide the circuit logic. The single control switch is preferably a push-button switch which places the unit in the selected mode of operation. The electronic control circuit also includes a thermistor or humidity sensor to sense conditions and, depending upon the set temperature/humidity by the control switch and the sensed condition the unit will operate accordingly. The unit can also operate in a manual mode, thereby bypassing the sensor operation.

Electronic control circuit

A heater, humidifier or fan has a control circuit including a microcontroller having an algorithm for controlling power to the appliance. The power to the appliance is varied in accordance with a target temperature/humidity signal and an actual temperature/humidity signal. Preferably, a sensor electrically connected to a clock oscillator input of the microcontroller is used to vary the clock oscillator frequency in response to changes in ambient temperature/humidity. The frequency of the clock oscillator varies in response to changes in temperature/humidity and the microcontroller in response to the frequency of the clock oscillator variably controls the power to the appliance.

Heater, humidifier or fan including a circuit for controlling the output thereof

A hair dryer has an electric heating element adapted to produce any desired intensity of heat output within a continuous range of heat intensities and an electric blower adapted to produce any desired speed of air flow within a continuous range of air flow speeds which is then heated by intensity of the heat output of the heating element to produce any desired heated air flow output. The hair dryer also has a control circuit electrically connected to the heating element and blower and being operable upon actuation by a pair of momentary switches to simultaneously regulate operation of the heater element and blower to produce a continuously variable heated air flow output. The continuously variable simultaneous regulation of the heat output intensity and air flow output speed is driven or powered in opposite directions by a user manually manipulating the pair of momentary switches respectively labelled 'Up' and 'Down'. The longer the period of time that the 'Up' momentary switch is pressed by the user, the more the intensity of heat output and the speed of air flow output are increased. The longer the period of time that the 'Down' momentary switch is pressed by the user, the more the intensity of heat output and the speed of air flow output are decreased.

Hair dryer with continuously variable heat intensity and air flow speed

A low cost heater element is disclosed which is formed of a wire wound mica paper substrate and a mica paper cover and a low cost diode acting as a negative temperature coefficient of resistance NTC temperature sensor. A control circuit provides power to the heater element in proportion to the line voltage. As a result, a light weight, low cost heater element is employed for various line voltages available throughout the world. The system employs digital logic to achieve temperature sensing, power sensing and indication that the system is on and operating at the correct temperature.

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Hopedale, MA, United States of America

William Levy