Claims
- 1. A heater controller for monitoring and controlling the operation of a heater, comprising:
an AC power inlet for connecting the heater controller to an AC power source to receive AC power; an electronic temperature controller having a temperature sensor adjacent a heater surface of the heater for sensing the temperature of the heater surface and in response transmitting a signal and an electronic switch connected to the heater element and the temperature sensor, wherein the electronic switch operates to receive and process the signal from the temperature sensor and to selectively apply the received AC power to the heater element in response to the signal to control the temperature of the heater surface within a temperature range about a temperature set point; and a power supply connected to the AC power inlet and the electronic temperature controller adapted for supplying the received AC power to the electronic temperature controller in an acceptable power form for use in operating the temperature sensor and the electronic switch of the electronic temperature controller.
- 2. The heater controller of claim 1, further including an AC power outlet connected to the electronic switch and the AC power inlet adapted for outputting AC power to a second heater controller connected to the AC power outlet.
- 3. The heater controller of claim 1, wherein the acceptable power form for the electronic temperature controller is DC power and the power supply includes an AC to DC converting device.
- 4. The heater controller of claim 1, wherein the electronic switch includes a temperature input for setting the temperature set point.
- 5. The heater controller of claim 4, wherein the temperature input is an 8-position dip switch.
- 6. The heater controller of claim 1, wherein the temperature range is less than about 5° C. on either side of the temperature set point.
- 7. The heater controller of claim 1, further including a housing configured to contain the AC power inlet, the power supply, and the electronic temperature controller and further including an operational status display connected to the temperature sensor adapted for providing a heater surface temperature indication based on the signal from the temperature sensor on an external surface of the housing.
- 8. The heater controller of claim 7, wherein the operational status display includes a first LED corresponding to a heater surface temperature under the temperature range, a second LED corresponding to a heater surface temperature within the temperature range, and a third LED corresponding to a heater surface temperature over the temperature range.
- 9. The heater controller of claim 7, further including wherein the housing has a width of less than about 64 millimeters, a height of less that about 32 millimeters, and a length of less than about 70 millimeters.
- 10. The heater controller of claim 1, further including a transmitter connected to the temperature sensor for transmitting temperature information based on the signal to a remote monitoring location.
- 11. The heater controller of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a zero voltage switch.
- 12. A heater control system for monitoring and controlling operation of a plurality of heaters, comprising:
a heater controller attached to each of the heaters, wherein each heater controller includes an electronic temperature sensing and control system for sensing the temperature of a heater surface of the attached heater and for controlling operation of the heater based on the sensed temperature and further includes a DC power inlet and outlet, a communication inlet and outlet, and an AC power inlet and outlet; and a base station connected to a first of the heater controllers, the base station being configured for communicating with each of the heater controllers and providing AC and DC power to each of the heater controllers through the first heater controller.
- 13. The heater control system of claim 12, wherein the heater controllers are communicatively and electrically connected to adjacent heater controllers through the DC power inlets and outlets, the communication inlets and outlets, and the AC power inlets and outlets of the heater controllers.
- 14. The heater control system of claim 13, wherein the electronic temperature sensing and control system is connected to the DC power inlet and the communication inlet and the heater is connected to the AC power inlet.
- 15. The heater control system of claim 13, wherein the communication connection and the electrical connection between adjacent heater controllers comprises a single cable having a coiled configuration, whereby distances measured between the adjacent heater controllers can vary within a predetermined range.
- 16. The heater control system of claim 12, wherein the electronic temperature sensing and control system includes a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater surface and in response transmitting a signal, an electric switch in contact with a heater element of the heater and the AC power outlet, and a processor for processing the signal and operating the electronic switch based on the processed signal to operate the heater element.
- 17. The heater control system of claim 16, wherein the electronic temperature sensing and control system further includes a temperature input communicatively linked to the processor for setting a temperature set point, the processor being configured to compare the processed signal with the temperature set point to operate the electronic switch to maintain the heater surface in a temperature range about the temperature set point.
- 18. The heater control system of claim 17, wherein the temperature input is an 8-position dip switch.
- 19. The heater control system of claim 17, wherein the temperature range is less than about 5° C.
- 20. The heater control system of claim 17, wherein the electronic temperature sensing and control system includes an operation status display connected to the processor for visually displaying at the heater controller a first state corresponding to a sensed temperature under the temperature range, a second state corresponding to a sensed temperature within the temperature range, and a third state corresponding to a sensed temperature above the temperature range.
- 21. The heater control system of claim 17, wherein the base station includes an input and output device for communicating operating information to and from the heater controllers, the operating information including sensed temperatures and temperature set point commands whereby the base station is operable to remotely set the temperature set point of each of the heaters.
- 22. The heater control system of claim 21, further including a second base station connected to a heater controller, not linked to the first heater controller, and a monitoring station communicatively linked to the base stations, the monitoring station being configured for receiving and transmitting the operating information to and from each of the base stations.
- 23. The heater control system of claim 12, wherein the base station includes an AC power inlet for receiving AC power from an AC power source and includes a DC power supply for converting the received AC power to DC power and for transmitting the DC power to the heater controllers.
- 24. A method of controlling operation of a series of heaters, comprising:
coupling a heater controller to each of the heaters, each heater controller being positioned with a temperature sensor of the heater controller adjacent a heater surface of the coupled heater and including an AC power inlet and outlet and an electronic switch electrically connected to the temperature sensor and electrically contacting the heater surface during the coupling; connecting an AC power source to the AC power inlet of a first of the heater controllers; providing AC power to each of the other heater controllers via the AC power outlet of the first heater controller by electrically connecting adjacent ones of the heater controllers at the AC power inlets and outlets, respectively, of the adjacent heater controllers; setting a temperature set point for each of the heater controllers; sensing a temperature of each of the heater surfaces of the heaters with the temperature sensors; and operating the electronic switch of each of the heater controllers in response to the sensed heater surface temperature to maintain each of the sensed heater surface temperatures within a temperature range about the temperature set point of the corresponding heater controller.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the temperature setting is completed manually at each heater controller by operating a temperature input.
- 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the temperature setting is completed remotely by transmitting operating information to each heater controller from a base station, the heater controllers being communicatively linked with the base station.
- 27. The method of claim 24, further including converting within each heater controller the received AC power to DC power and supplying the DC power to the temperature sensor and the electronic switch.
- 28. The method of claim 24, further including displaying at each heater controller an operational state of the heater coupled to the heater controller.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the operational states are selected from the group consisting of under the temperature range, within the temperature range, and over the temperature range.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the temperature range is less than about 5° C.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/553,416, filed Apr. 20, 2000.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09553416 |
Apr 2000 |
US |
Child |
09907494 |
Jul 2001 |
US |