Abstract:
A heating assembly comprising of a defined space fitting a temperature sensor. The placement of the temperature sensor in the space would reduce environmental influences on it.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a heating assembly, more particularly to a heating assembly that has a temperature sensor that has reduced thermal influence from the environment. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Humans are endotherms, organisms capable of maintaining a certain body temperature despite environmental stress. Yet the homeostasis ability of the human body is limited; if a person is exposed to an overly cold environment, he/she may experience frostbite and hypothermia. Thus people wear warm clothing to protect themselves from the cold. Yet warm clothing merely traps heat from the wearer rather than producing heat itself, and is therefore unable to protect a person from extreme cold conditions. Hence a market for heat generating appliances has been thriving to fulfill this need. 
         [0005]    In U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,081, the applicant proposed a heating suit that produced heat by using a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction takes place in a phase change fiber that produces heat by absorbing moisture. Supposedly, this suit provides suitable warmth and flexibility for the user. Yet there are many flaws to this invention. The moisture used in the chemical reaction is provided from the sweat of the wearer, which means that the heating process is slow and unstable. Furthermore it is illogical to use human sweat to regulate the heating system due to the inherent positive feedback loop; a hot person would sweat and be heated from the suit, while a cold person would not sweat and not receive any heating from the suit. Hence this heating suit is highly impractical. 
         [0006]    In other inventions, people have used a Joule heating assembly (passing electricity through a heating wire to generate heat) to heat a suit. However if this heating assembly is allowed to run on its own, the electrical resistors would heat to a point that the user would be burned. Thus producers of this type of heating assembly often place a temperature sensor within it that would measure the temperature of the heating assembly and send signals to reduce heating once the heating assembly reaches a certain temperature. But in many of these heating assemblies, the temperature sensor is simply placed in contact with the heating wire, thus exposing the temperature sensor to environmental influences and having the temperature sensor miscalculate the heat of the heating system. For example, if a person wears this suit under extreme cold conditions, the temperature sensor would be influenced by the cold surroundings and send out readings lower than the actual temperature of the heating wire, and thus the heating wire might overheat and burn the user. 
         [0007]    Therefore, it is desired to provide an electrical heating assembly with a temperature sensor that has increased accuracy due to reduced environmental thermal influence. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A primary objective of the present invention is to reduce the environmental thermal influence on the temperature sensor of a heating assembly and thus improve the accuracy of the temperature sensor. 
         [0009]    A secondary objective of the present invention is to increase the safety range of the temperature released by the heating assembly by using the increased accuracy of the temperature sensor. 
         [0010]    A third objective of the present invention is to increase the highest safety temperature released by the heating assembly by using the increased safety range of the temperature released by the heating assembly. 
         [0011]    A fourth objective of the present invention is to improve the safety of a heating assembly by being able to accurately measure when the heating assembly is overheating by using the increased accuracy of the temperature sensor. 
         [0012]    The present invention is a heating assembly adapted to be driven by a power system including a power device and a control device for controlling the power device, the heating assembly comprising: a heating device having a heating wire and defining a space; and a temperature sensor sized to fit within the space and outputting temperature readings to the control device. The space is defined to be an area under substantial thermal influence from the heating wire. The placement of the temperature sensor in the space would reduce the environmental thermal influences on the temperature sensor and thus increase the accuracy of the temperature sensor. The increased accuracy of the temperature sensor would allow two things: one, an increased safety range of temperature given off by the heating assembly that would allow an increased maximum safety temperature released by the heating assembly; two, an improved safety of the heating assembly by being able to accurately measure when the heating assembly is overheating. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description f a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a relationship diagram of the components of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of the first preferred embodiment 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the second preferred embodiment 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of the third preferred embodiment 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the first preferred embodiment of the heating assembly  1  defines a space  12  within a spiraled bent wire section  111  of the heating wire  14  of the heating device  11 , and the temperature sensor  13  is placed within the space  12 . In this embodiment, when the electrical source  5  passes electricity through heating wire  14 , the electrical resistivity of heating wire  14  would transform the electrical energy into heat energy, thus heating the heating wire  14 . The temperature sensor  13  held within the heating device  11  would then measure the temperature of heating wire  14  accurately due to its placement in space  12  and send the temperature readings to control device  4 . Control device  4  would then take these readings and adjust the temperature of heating wire  14  accordingly by altering the electrical output of the electrical source  5  according to some predetermined control mechanisms. An insulating material  15  encloses both the heating device  11  and the temperature sensor  13 , thus decreasing the error of the temperature readings of temperature sensor  13  caused by the environmental temperature. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates the second preferred embodiment of this invention, where the heating device  21  of heating assembly  2  has a section of the heating wire  24  that forms a “U” shape by being placed from one end  231  of the temperature sensor  23 , along the surface of temperature sensor  23 , to the other end  232  of the temperature sensor  23 , and then back along another side of temperature sensor  23 . Thus the curved section  211  of heating wire  24  forms a space  22  wherein temperature sensor  23  is placed. The temperature sensor  23  is sized to fit within space  22 . Furthermore an insulating material  25  could enclose both the heating device  21  and temperature sensor  23 , thus reducing the effects the environmental temperature has on temperature sensor  23 . Once heating wire  24  starts to give off heat, temperature sensor  23  would accurately measure the temperature released by heating device  21  and send these temperature readings to control device  4 . Control device  4  would then take these readings and adjust the temperature of heating wire  24  accordingly by altering the electrical output of the electrical source  5  according to some predetermined control mechanisms. The increased accuracy of the temperature sensor  23  decreases the need to restrict the range of heat released by the heating wire  24  to account for errors in the temperature readings from temperature sensor  23 , thus maximizing the range of temperature which the heating device  21  could run and offering the user with safety from overheating the heating device  21  and comfort. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  illustrates the third preferred embodiment of this invention heating assembly  3 , where a heat conducting material  36  thermally connects a section of heating wire  34  with temperature sensor  33  in order to allow temperature sensor  33  to accurately measure the temperature of heating wire  34  and to reduce the effects of the environmental temperature on temperature sensor  33 . 
         [0022]    Those skilled in the art would recognize the fact that the control device does not necessarily have to control the electrical output of the power source in order to alter the temperature of the heating wire. In essence, the control device is responsible for controlling the temperature of the heating wire; the means which the control device controls the temperature of the heating wire is not limited. 
         [0023]    In summary of the descriptions above, this invention is a heating assembly that encloses a temperature sensor in close contact with a heating device, thus reducing environmental thermal influence on the temperature sensor and thus increasing the accuracy of the temperature sensor, hence accomplishing the goals of this invention. 
         [0024]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most preferred and practical embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.