Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7188779 | Zone climate control A zone climate control system and method of its operation. A zone can be a single room. A method for determining which zones' vents are to be closed, and which are to be opened, in performing heating or cooling, circulation to heat or cool a zone by mixing its air w... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7093817 | Flow control assemblies having integrally formed shape memory alloy actuators In one embodiment of the present invention, a shape memory alloy (“SMA”)-actuated flow controller comprises a number of grille members, each having a long axis and being slideable relative to one another parallel to that long axis. The SMA-actuated flow controll... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7088160 | Circuit arrangement for regulating a parameter of an electrical signal A circuit arrangement for regulating a parameter (e.g., duty cycle) of an electrical signal, generated by a circuit component. The regulating device includes a first integrator, which is supplied with the output signal from the circuit component, and a second integr... | 08/08/2006 |
| 6986468 | Home comfort control using combined temperature and humidity measurements This thermostat controls to a constant ratio of temperature and humidity to give approximately constant comfort. It is especially suited for residences with air conditioning equipment but without specific humidity lowering equipment. The thermostat significantly red... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6929189 | Thermostat device and temperature control method and system for engine coolant A thermostat configured to control engine coolant temperature, a coolant temperature control method and system, includes a thermoelement, arranged to open a main valve upon reaching a predetermined temperature; a heating element arranged, based on an output signal f... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6820435 | Cooling enhancement device A cooling enhancement device causes rapid cooling of an item placed within a cooling unit. The device includes a temperature simulating arrangement (e.g., including a heat generating element adjacent a temperature sensor of the cooling unit) to simulate an artificia... | 11/23/2004 |
| 6357667 | Method and apparatus optically coupling thermostat to control a fan An electrical circuit for controlling the activation of a fan includes optically coupled isolators. The circuit is electrically connected in series to a thermostat including a bimetal actuated contact with an anticipator across the contact. Power to the c... | 03/19/2002 |
| 6149065 | Modulating thermostat for gas oven burner A modulating thermostat for a gas oven includes a body with supply, main and pilot passages. Feeder passages from the supply passage to the main and pilot passages provide a pilot gas flow for a pilot burner and a minimum combustion bypass flow to a main ... | 11/21/2000 |
| 5655709 | Electrical control system for relay operation responsive to thermostat input having improved efficiency A temperature control system is shown in which a thermostat circuit is combined with a power supply to produce a higher anticipator current for a W1 signal while reducing power consumption and heat generation of the circuit. A first relay power signal is ... | 08/12/1997 |
| 5619860 | Controlling apparatus for an air conditioner A controlling apparatus for an air conditioner includes a relay serving to control the feeding of electricity to a compressor, a semiconductor element including a controlling terminal to control the feeding of electricity to a magnetizing coil of said rel... | 04/15/1997 |
| 5615829 | Air conditioning system thermostat having adjustable cycling rate A thermostat for controlling an air conditioning system has a selectable cycling rate. A manually variable resistor element is connected in parallel with the thermostat's standard anticipator resistor. In a preferred embodiment, the manually variable resi... | 04/01/1997 |
| 5467920 | Thermostat with adjustment for the cycling rate of the heating plant An electromechanical thermostat has a fixed value voltage anticipator resistor and a variable anticipator resistor for series connection with the load. This allows a single thermostat to control either a high efficiency furnace requiring a relatively low ... | 11/21/1995 |
| 5423479 | Thermoelectric actuator for temperature control systems A temperature control system for a building or the like having a plurality of individually-controlled temperature zones wherein temperature variations from a set temperature generate actuating signals for valves, dampers or other regulating devices to var... | 06/13/1995 |
| 5324112 | Detector device for evaluating the thermal comfort conditions in an environment, for example, in the interior of a motor vehicle The device comprises a heat-sensitive element which is heated to a controllable extent so as to keep it at a predetermined temperature, for example, average body temperature. Detector means measure the power or energy required to keep the heat-sensitive e... | 06/28/1994 |
| 5240178 | Active anticipatory control A space temperature control which prevents overshoot and undershoot of a desired space temperature by adjusting a subsequent sensed space temperature as a function of a previous sensed maximum space temperature to deenergize a space conditioning device at... | 08/31/1993 |
| 5102230 | Thermal environment sensor with means to estimate the wind velocity A thermal environment sensor has a single temperature detector for detecting temperature and producing an output representative of the detected temperature, the temperature detector having, when heated by a predetermined constant power, a convective heat ... | 04/07/1992 |
| 5070932 | Thermostat with enhanced outdoor temperature anticipation A thermostat for controlling the temperature within a space to be conditioned includes a system mode selector switch for selecting one of the heating, cooling or off modes of operation and a blower mode selector switch for selecting an automatic (cycling)... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5044768 | Thermal environment sensor with means to estimate the wind velocity A thermal environment sensor has a single temperature detector for detecting temperature and producing an output representative of the detected temperature, the temperature detector having, when heated by a predetermined constant power, a convective heat ... | 09/03/1991 |
| 5039010 | Relay-controlled anticipation in a two switch thermostat A conventional thermostat has separate high and low temperature switches for controlling a reversible motor driving a modulating damper or valve whose position controls the temperature of an enclosure by controlling the injection and removal of heat from ... | 08/13/1991 |
| 5014520 | Control device having a coiled compression shape memory spring, refrigerator system utilizing the control device and methods of making the same A control device, refrigerator system utilizing the control device and methods of making the same are provided, the control device comprising a housing having a valve seat and having an inlet and an outlet interconnected together by the valve seat, a mova... | 05/14/1991 |
| 5002226 | Thermostat with mechanical heat anticipation and droop control An electromechanical thermostat for controlling the on/off cycle of a heating/cooling unit. The thermostat has a temperature sensing element with a variable position according to the sensed temperature. Associated with the sensing element is a switch memb... | 03/26/1991 |
| 4979672 | Shape memory actuator A shape memory actuator for controlling the position of a control member, such as a damper plate in a duct, the actuator including first and second shape memory elements each having an austenite phase transition temperature above which each element assume... | 12/25/1990 |
| 4889179 | Two wire adaptive system for interconnecting a four wire thermostat and a four wire, heating/cooling system An apparatus for interconnecting a four wire control such as a thermostat and a four wire system such as a heating/cooling system with two wires. An encoder encodes signals provided by the thermostat so that four encoded signals may be transmitted over a ... | 12/26/1989 |
| 4886110 | HVAC zone control system An HVAC system for a plurality of zones comprising an air handling unit including a blower, a plurality of heating stages and a plurality of cooling stages. The air handling unit is connected via ducts to each of the zones, each zone having an air outlet ... | 12/12/1989 |
| 4879879 | Apparatus for controlling a thermostatic expansion valve Apparatus for controlling a heating or cooling system of the type that includes an evaporator and a thermostatic expansion valve having a thermostatic bulb. The control apparatus comprises a thermoelectric heat pump device responsive to an electrical cont... | 11/14/1989 |
| 4844117 | Fluid level controller A fluid level controller having a thermal expansion element in the form of cylinder made from polytetrafluoroethylene. The cylinder is located in a container which is connected to a supply of cryogenic fluid by a ball valve. When the cryogenic fluid in th... | 07/04/1989 |
| 4842192 | Microprocessor controlled thermostat for dryer A thermostat controlled circuit for a bias heater located adjacent the thermostat connected to a source of alternating electrical power. The control circuit has a manually operated switch for providing a temperature level signal. A triac having a gate ter... | 06/27/1989 |
| 4775100 | Line voltage setback thermostat A line voltage setback thermostat retrofitable over existing single width electrical wall outlet boxes. A metal deck plate is attached to the box and extends laterally beyond along the wall. The line load switch is mounted to the deck plate back and exten... | 10/04/1988 |
| 4760954 | Auxiliary equipment for the thermostatic valve of a radiator The invention relates to a heating system of the type in which a radiator in a room has the flow of a heated fluid thereto from a central source such as a boiler controlled by a thermostatic valve. The valve normally has a sensor associated therewith to w... | 08/02/1988 |
| 4725713 | Electrically heated hose employing a hose simulator for temperature control A system for electrically heating a hose of the type used to transport one or more fluid components from a remote location to a point of application includes at least one fluid conduit and an electric heating element enclosed within a thermal insulation b... | 02/16/1988 |
| 4703795 | Control system to delay the operation of a refrigeration heat pump apparatus after the operation of a furnace is terminated A multistage space thermostat control system for controlling a refrigeration heat pump and a furnace controls the heat pump from a first stage of a space thermostat and a furnace from a second stage with anticipation circuit means associated with said the... | 11/03/1987 |
| 4681296 | Valve construction and method of making the same A valve construction and method of making the same are provided, the valve construction comprising a housing, a valve seat carried by the housing, a movable lever carried by the housing and having an opening passing through opposed sides thereof, a valve ... | 07/21/1987 |
| 4598764 | Refrigeration heat pump and auxiliary heating apparatus control system with switchover during low outdoor temperature A control system for a refrigeration heat pump apparatus and an auxiliary heating apparatus has a two stage thermostat with the first stage normally controlling the heat pump apparatus and the second stage normally controlling the auxiliary heating appara... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4587403 | Thermostat setback controller sub-base A sub-base for use in conjunction with thermostats for controlling air conditioned spaces includes a false heat device and a radio frequency receiver and control circuit for turning on and off the false heat device to provide temperature setback control f... | 05/06/1986 |
| 4582249 | Zone control system for energy conservation A multizone control system utilizes a series of timers to ensure that all of the heat supplied to the system is utilized. Timers are used to control transfer of heat from the temperature modifying plant to the zones. The timers are further arranged to bri... | 04/15/1986 |
| 4524908 | Set-back thermostat assembly The assembly comprises a heat emitting element located in a thermostat and an electrical circuit for selectively energizing and deenergizing said element by means of local control or remotely activated circuitry. The assembly has means for allowing varyin... | 06/25/1985 |
| 4500036 | Actuating mechanism An actuating mechanism comprises a lower housing portion and an upper housing portion. The lower housing portion is cup-shaped and receives a mounting plate into which a thermostatically working element together with a heating coil are inserted. The lower... | 02/19/1985 |
| 4497437 | Control device with a bimetallic element unilaterally fastened in a housing A control device is proposed having a bimetallic element, one end of which is pressed into a holding groove provided on a metallic holder disposed in a housing. Fixed placement of bimetallic element over the lifetime of the control device is thus ensured.... | 02/05/1985 |
| 4489882 | Variable time constant anticipation thermostat A thermostat uses a source of a signal representing anticipation heat which is transmitted to a circuit to be combined with a signal from a temperature sensing element with a first time constant or delay when the thermostat is "ON", i.e., controlling a he... | 12/25/1984 |
| 4484725 | Bimetal driven control valve A bimetal driven control valve comprises: a main body having an inflow channel, an outflow channel, and an orifice which connects the inflow channel and the outflow channel; a first bimetal which constitutes part of a tubular body, an outer portion of the... | 11/27/1984 |
