The ripening rate of produce is predomi- - nately a function of the temperature of the produce and the ripening process is carriedout by placing ^" the produce in enclosures in which the temperature is controlled to give the desired rate. The ripening rate of produce such as bananas changes greatly for a temperature change as little as one degree and, if the produce temperature goes outside rather narrow limits, the produce may be ruined. Inaccurate tem¬ perature control, or a failure of the temperature control means, can thereby lead to substantial economic loss.

Previous temperature control devices have had the drawback of insufficient accuracy of tempera¬ ture control and of insufficient accuracy in selection of the temperature, requiring a trial and error process dependent upon the skill of the operator.

The temperature control device must also provide a warning when the actual temperature of the produce goes outside of allowable limits. It is necessary for the warning to operate when there is a failure of power to the device.

As there are usually a minimum of personnel to monitor the ripening processes, it is necessary to give effective warning of a temperature error or power failure. It is also necessary to be able to add or disconnect enclosures from the warning without major modifications.

It is necessary to place the temperature control device in contact with the produce to ac¬ curately monitor the produce temperature. This re¬ quires that personnel handling the produce be pro- tected from dangerous voltages existing in control equipments connected to the temperature control device.

Introduction This invention provides a thermostat for monitoring and controlling the temperature of pro¬ duce within an enclosure. It features simple and ac¬ curate temperature selection, accurate temperature error detection, and control of the allowable limits on temperature error. It also features an improved alarm system and protection of personnel from dangerou voltages.

Summary of the Invention For sensing an error between the actual and desired temperatures of the produce, the thermostat features a novel conductance bridge arrangement. A temperature sensing network is in a first leg of the bridge, a digital set point selector network is in a second leg of the bridge. The temperature sensing network includes a thermistor sensor &nd a plurality of resistors, arranged in the network with the ther¬ mistor to cause the conductance of the sensing network to be substantially linear over a selected temperature range of about 40°F. The set point network includes a set of switchable conductances in parallel with one another, and a further conductance in parallel with the set of switchable conductances and having a value to establish a bridge balance point at one end of said selected temperature range. By progressive selection of the switchable conductances into the selector net- work, respective bridge balance points are established preferably in decimal units of degrees.

The temperature error is detected by a bridge amplifier which according to another feature has a feedback connection between its output and its comparison input which maintains the bridge in electrical balance despite differences between the conductances of the first and second legs. This feature allows the temperature error to be detected while avoiding errors arising from changes in the self heating of the bridge components due to electri- cal imbalance of the bridge.

In accordance with another feature, pre¬ determined allowable temperature error limits are controlled by a novel error detection circuit that features an error amplifier having a selectable gain and the error signal from the bridge amplifier as its input. The error signal is preferably at the midpoint of its range when there is no error and deviates from this midpoint by an amount proportionate to the error. The error amplifier output is also at the midpoint of its range when there is no error and deviates from this midpoint by an amount proportionate to the error signal deviation. A selectable gain network controls the amount by which the output deviates for a given temperature error. Upper and lower limits detectors base their operation on the bridge reference signal and indicate when the error ampli¬ fier output goes above or below fixed upper and lower limit amounts. The output can be selected to equal the upper and lower limits for any given temperature error and, when the error goes beyond

these limits, an indication will be produced. The error limits are thereby established by the single gain control, are centered on the desired temperature, and are independent on the direction of temperature error. In a preferred embodiment, the gain selection network is comprised of a plurality of conductances in parallel with each conductance having a switch element in series with it. These switch elements are mechanically coupled to a selector to open and close in a predetermined pattern as the selector is moved through its possible positions. _. The patterns are chosen to determine the amplifier gain in regular increments of error limits selected in decimal units of degrees. The alarm circuit is another feature of the thermostat and indicates when a temperature error has exceeded the selected limits or there is a- failure of power to the thermostat. This circuit has a pair of wires extending from a remote location to the thermo- stat. A current source and an alarm indicator are connected in parallel between the wires at the remote location and another indicator and a switch are each connected in series with the wires at the thermostat. The error detection circuit allows the switch to open when there is a temperature error or power failure, so that the current flow in the alarm circuit is inter rupted and the indicators are activated. A feature of this circuit is that a number of thermostats may be connected in series with the wires so that there will be a general alarm at the remote location and an individual alarm at each thermostat. In a preferred embodiment, the current source generates a slowly alternating output and the indicators, which are activated only for one direction of current flow, are arranged so that they are activated only during

one half of the current cycle.

For protecting personnel from dangerous voltages existing in the heating, cooling and fan equipments, the thermostat features a novel circuit for controlling these equipments. This circuit contains a single electrically isolating interface, interposed between the temperature monitoring circuitry and the equipment control circuitry, through which control is accomplished. The error signal output from the ^' bridge amplifier is quantized into a single signal indicating the direction of an error and coupled through the interface to a switch in the control circuitry. This switch selects which of the equipments will be energized by the quantized error signal and the selection is made in anticipation of temperature control requirements. In an embodiment, the isolation interface is comprised of a light emitting diode activated by the quantized signal and a photo-sensitive transistor detecting the emission and generating an output to the switch. Description of the Preferred Embodiment

We turn now to drawings and a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Drawings

Figure 1 is a block diagram"of the pre- ferred embodiment.

Figure 2 shows the operation of the tem¬ perature sensing circuitry.

Figure 3 shows the operation of the tem¬ perature selection switches. Figure 4 shows the operation of the electrical isolation interface, the control cir- cuitry and the heating, cooling and fan equipments. Figure 5 shows the operation of the tem¬ perature error sensing circuitry. Figure 6 shows the operation of the alarm circuitry.

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Figures 7-9 are detailed schematics of the circuitry shown in block diagram form in Figures 1-6; conventional electrical symbols are used. Points electrically in common are indicated by letters en- closed in circles, and the reference designation num- ^■ bers used in Figures 1-6 and the description are repeated in Figures 7-9. Description

Referring to Figure 1, temperature sensing circuitry 10 cooperates with temperature sensing probe 12- and temperature selection switches 14 and 16 to detect the temperature of the produce, compare this temperature to the selected temperature, and generate signals used to control the temperature of the produce. Referring to Figure 2, temperature sensing circuitry 10 is comprised of conductance bridge 18, bridge amplifier 20, and quantizer 22. Temperature sensing probe 12 and temperature selection switches 14 and 16 cooperate with these elements as shown. Probe 12 contains a thermistor, an electrical element whose conductance is a function of temperature; the conductance of probe 12 is compensated, by re¬ sistors 11 and 13, to be linear over the temperature range of interest. Probe 12 is placed in contact with the produce whose temperature is to be sensed or in contact with the air surrounding the produce.

Probe 12 forms one leg of conductance bridge 18 and, together with conductance network 24 and switches 14 and 16, which form another leg of bridge 18, supplies input 26 to bridge amplifier 20. Input 28 to amplifier 20 is a reference input supplied by the two remaining legs of bridge 18, formed by fixed conductances 30 and 32.

The conductance of the leg formed by con- ductance network 24 and switches 14 and 16 is se-

lectable to be proportional to that of the thermistor of probe 12 when the sensed temperature, equals that selected through switches 14 and 16.

Referring to Figure 3, conductance net- work 24 is comprised of two conductances, 34 and 36, and two groups, 38 and 40, of conductances. Each conductance in groups 38 and 40 has a switch element from switches 14 and 16 in series with it. The switch elements of switches 14 and 16 are mechanically coupled so as to be opened and closed in a prede¬ termined pattern as control selectors for switches 14 ^■ and 16 are moved among the possible positions which each selector may take. If the operator wishes the produce to be held at a temperature of, e.g., 57 degrees, the operator would place the selector for switch 14 in position "50" and the selector for switch 16 in position "7". The switch elements would then assume the open and closed pattern shown for them in Figure 3 and the total conductance of groups 38 and 40 would be: 40x+10x+4x+2x+lx = 57x. The con¬ ductance values of conductances 34 and 36 and of x are selected so that at 57 degrees, or at any other selected temperature, the conductance of network 24 is proportionate to that of probe 12 at that selected temperature. The use of network 24 and switches 14 and 16 allows the operator to select the temperatures desired for the produce, to within 1 degree, by directly setting into bridge 18 the number of degrees desired. Returning to Figure 2, bridge amplifier 20 compares reference input 28 to input 26 and, when the conductance of probe 12 is not proportional to that of conductance network 24, generates output 42 which is proportionate to the difference and therefore pro- portionate to the temperature error. Output 42 is

IJUREAI O PI _ / . WIPO

fed back, through feedback loop 44, to the -junction of probe 12 and conductance network 24 at input 26 to maintain the voltage level at this point constant. This feedback allows the determination of the sensed temperature to avoid variations in the voltages acros probe 12 and network 24 arising from differences in conductances of these two legs when there is a tem¬ perature error.

Output 42 goes to quantizer 22 and, as shown in Figure 1, to temperature error sensing circuitr 46 which will be discussed later.

Quantizer 22 quantizes output 42, which is proportionate to temperature error, into too high/ too low error output 48. Quantizer 22 is a Schmitt - trigger circuit having the property that once output 42 passes a given level, determined by reference in¬ put 43 from bridge 18, output 48 changes.from one level to another and remains at the new level until output 42 returns to and past the level which caused output 48 to change. The difference in input levels required to cause output 48 to change is referred to as hysteresis and is used here to reduce the possibil ty of temperature hunting by requiring the temperatur to go past the set temperature by a small amount befo allowing the heating or cooling equipments to be turn off.

As shown in Figure 1, output 48 from tem¬ perature sensing circuitry 10 goes to electrical isolation interface 50. Electrical isolation inter- face 50 isolates temperature sensing circuitry 10, which draws its power from power supply 52, from control circuitry 54 and heating 56, cooling 58 and fan 60 equipments which draw their power from line voltage 62.

Referring to Figure 4, isolation interface 50 is shown as an optical device comprised of light emitting diode 64 and photo-sensitive transistor 66. Too high/too low error signal 48 causes diode 64 to emit light which in turn is detected by transistor 66 to generate output 68. Output 68 then goes to temperature control switch 70 which, with power amplifiers 72, comprise control circuitry 54. Switch 70 is a multiple position switch and the position of this switch, as selected by the operator, determines which of heating 76, cooling 78 and fan 80 control signals become active to energize their respective equipments. This approach allows temperature sensing circuitry 10 to be electrically isolated from heating 56, cooling 58 and fan 60 equipments, which operate at a different voltage potential, with control achieved through a- single interface.

Returning to Figure 1, output 42 of tem¬ perature sensing circuitry 10 is, as previously discussed in regard to Figure 2, supplied to tem¬ perature error sensing circuitry 46. Output 42 comes from bridge amplifier 20.

Referring to Figure 5, temperature error sensing circuitry 46 uses output 42 to detect when- ever the actual sensed temperature of the produce goes outside of selected limits centered about the desired temperature. Output 42 goes to amplifier 82 which has a selectable gain circuit comprised of conductance network 84 and error limit selection switch 86. Output 88 from amplifier 82 goes to level detectors 90 and 92. Output 42 is at the mid¬ point of its range when there is no temperature error and deviates from this midpoint when there is an error by an amount proportionate to the error. Likewise, output 88 is at the midpoint of its range when out-

put 42 indicates no error and deviates from its mid¬ point by an amount proportionate to the deviation of output 42 from its midpoint. The deviations from midpoint of outputs 42 and "88 represent the difference between the sensed and desired temperature so that the midpoints of these outputs always represent the desired temperature, regardless of what desired tem¬ perature- is actually selected, and the deviations represent error with respect to that desired te - perature. Level detector 90 compares output 88 to upper, detection level 98 and output 94 indicates when output 88 goes above detection level 98 while level detector 92 compares output 88 to lower de¬ tection level 100 and output 96 indicates when output 88 goes below lower detection level 100. Detection levels 98 and 100 are, respectively, located equal amounts above and below the midpoint of output 88, which is determined by reference input 99 to ampli¬ fier 82, and are therefore centered about the de- sired temperature. The selectable gain network of amplifier 82 determines the amount by which output 88 deviates from its midpoint for a given deviation from midpoint of output 42. The gain of amplifier 82 can be selected so that, for a given temperature error, output 88 will equal detection levels 98 or 100. This causes detection levels 98 and 100 to appear as if they were selectable error limits centered about the desired temperature. For example, if the midpoint of output 42 were 3 volts, that of output 88 were 3 volts, the upper and lower detection levels were, respectively, 3.1 and 2.9 volts and output 42 deviated from 3 volts by 0.1 volt per degree of temperature error, choosing the gain of amplifier 82 to be 1 would cause output 88 to equal 2.9 or 3.1 volts for a 0.1 volt deviation in output

42. This would cause the upper and lower error limits

to appear to be 1.0 degree above and below the desired temperature. Likewise, choosing the gain of amplifier 82 to be 0.2 would cause the error limits to appear to be 5.0 degrees above and ^" below the desired tempera- ture. By using two fixed detection levels, centered about the desired temperature, and selecting the amount of deviation in output 88 for a given error, both er¬ ror limits may be established simultaneously through a single control and a temperature error is detected regardless of the direction of the error with respect to the desired temperature.

Conductance network 84 and'error limit se¬ lection switch 86 are similar to conductance group 38 and switch 14 shown in Figure 3. Network 84 is com- . prised of four conductances in parallel with each conductance having a switch element of switch 86 in series with it. The switch elements of switch 86 are mechanically coupled to a selector and open and close in a predetermined pattern as this selector is moved among the possible position it may take. The conductances of network 84 and the opening and closing pattern of the switch elements are chosen so that the selector establishes the positions of the upper and lower error limits relative to the de- sired temperature in terms of decimal units of degrees of temperature.

As shown in Figure 1, outputs 94 and 96 of error sensing circuitry 46 go to alarm circuitry 102. Referring to Figure 6, outputs 94 and 96 go to relay 104 at thermostat location 106 and control the operation of relay 104. When there is no tem¬ perature error, outputs 94 and 96 hold relay 104 in the closed, or conducting, position. If there is a temperature error, outputs 94 and 96 will cause relay 104 to open. Likewise, a failure of power to

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the thermostat will cause relay 104 to open since power is required for outputs 94 and 96 to hold re¬ lay 104 in the closed position. Diodes 108 and 110 are connected in series between terminals 112 and 114 of relay 104 and the circuit comprised of diodes 108 and 110 and terminals 112 and 114 of relay 104 is connected in series with wires 116 and 118. Wires 116 and 118 extend from remote location 120 where current source 122 and remote alarm circuit 124 are connected between wires 116 and 118. Current source 122 generates an alternating current which flows in the loop comprised of wires 116 and 118 and terminals 112 and 114 in opposite directions on alternate half cycles. When relay 104 is closed, relay 104 presents a short circuit between terminals 112 and 114 and aro diodes 108 and 110 and current from source 122 can flo freely in both.directions around the loop. When rela 104 is open, the current in the loop is forced to flo through diodes 108 and 110. Diode 108 is a light emitting diode which emits light when current flows through it in one direction and which blocks the flow of current in the other direction; diode 110 is place in the circuit to protect diode 108 from excessive vol age when diodes 108 and 110 are blocking the flow of current. When source 122 generates a current flowing in one direction on one half cycle, diodes 108 and 110 will conduct and allow the current to flow around the loop and diode 108 will emit light, indicating the presence of a fault. When source 122 generates a current to flow in the other direction on the other half cycle, diodes 108 and 110 will block the flow of current and a voltage will appear between wires 116 and 118. This voltage between wires 116 and 118 will be detected by remote alarm circuit 124, which will then generate an alarm indication at reihote

location 120. Remote alarm circuit 124 provides a time delay between the appearance of the voltage between wires 116 and 118 and the generation of the alarm indication to reduce the possibility of false alarms. Alarm circuit 102 allows a number of thermo- . stats at different locations to be connected in series with wires 116 and 118, in the same manner as at thermostat location 106, so that there will be an individual alarm indication at each thermostat lo- cation and a general alarm indication at the remote location. The alarm at the remote location will indicate if there is a failure or error at any of the thermostat locations and the alarms at the thermo¬ stats will indicate which thermostats are experiencing an error or failure.

Referring to Figures 7-9, the following table contains the circuit components used in the circuitry of Figures 7-9.

COMPONENT TABLE

Resistors

R101 200Ω cceerrmet potentiometer

R102 1.5K 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R103 100Ω 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R104 100Ω 1%,, metal film, 1/8" watt R R110055 1 1..55KK 1 1%%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R106 ^(a) 8.06K 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

Rl07 ^(a) 51.IK 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R107A ^{( )} 51.IK 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R108 ^(a) 51.IK 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R R110099AA ^((aa)) 5 511..IIKK 1 1%%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R109B ^{( )} 12.7K 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R110 127K 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

Rill 255K 1%,, metal film, 1/8 watt

R112 510K 5%,, carbon film, 1/4 watt R R111133 6 62200 5 5%%,, carbon film, 1/4 watt

Resistors

R114 56.2K 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R115 3. OIK 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R116 15.8K 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R117 20K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R118 2OK 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R119 1.3M 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R120 130 5%, carbon film, 1/2 watt

R121 tthheerrmm:istor, YSI #44004 : 2,253Ωατ 25°C

R122 100Ω 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R123 510K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R124 510K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R125 1.5K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R126 1.3M 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R127 5.9K 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R128 1.5K 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R129 3.01K 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R130 5.9K 1%, metal film, 1/8 watt

R131 12K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R132 22Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R133 620Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R134 3K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R135 3K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R136 3K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R137 10Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R138 330Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/2 watt

R139 100Ω metal oxide, flameproof, 1/2 watt

R140 10Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R141 330Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/2 watt

R142 100Ω metal oxide, flameproof, 1/2 watt

R143 150K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R144 3K 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R145 100Ω metal oxide, flameproof, 1/2 watt

R146 620Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/4 watt

R147 270Ω 5%, carbon film, 1/2 watt

(a) matched to + 1/3%

(b) selected values, 70-130Ω, for 2 probe 12 interchangeability.

Capacitors

C101A 4 _ 7mf, lOv, aluminum electrolytic

C101B 47mf, lOv, aluminum electrolytic

C102 O 1 .lmf, 16v, ceramic

C103 O1 .lmf, 16v, ceramic

C104 470mf, 25v, aluminum electrolytic

C105 .0033mf, 50v, ceramic C106 .02mf, 600v, ceramic CΪ07 .02mf, 600v, ceramic C108 .02mf, 600v, ceramic C109 470mf, 25v, aluminum electrolytic

D101 IN5236B, 7.5v zener, 1/2 watt

D102- 105 IN4001, 50v, 1A, rectifier

D106 Fairchild MV-5054-1, red led

D107- 109 IN4148

D110 H ] ewlett-Packard #5082-4557, yellow led

Dill- 114 IN4001, 50v, 1A, rectifier

Q101-102 2N4401

Q103-105 General Electric #SC136D,3A, ^" 400v(260vRMS) , Triac

V101-A,B,C,D (c) LM 324N Quad Operational Amplifier V102 (c) LM 301A Quad Operational Amplifier V103 Fairchild Semiconductor #FCD820 Optical

Isolator

(c) - power connections (+7.5vdc, ground) not shown

S101,102 BCD, 0-9, Thumbwheel Switches S103-A,B Binary Coded, 16 position (0-15) Double Pole Thumbwheel Switch (A true; B complement)

S104-A,B Two Pole, Thumbwheel Switch (special order with logic as shown)

T101 Power Transformer,- 110/220 VAC to Dva/(A&B) 10 VAC, 220 ma Secondaries; Signal Trans¬ former Co. #DPC-20-220

1101,102 14v, 80ma, T 1-3/4 lamp

1103 Green glow lamp

K101 Reed Relay, SPST NO 5v 700 coil (35mw)

. A,

^'