Multiple heater control system with expandable modular functionality

US7932480B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• MKS Instruments, Inc. · US
• WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Youfan Gu · Superior, US
• Jeffrey D. Kiernan · Frederick, US
• Charles C. Lawhead · Boulder, US
• William Bohlinger · Winona, US
• Eric Ellis · Columbia, US
• Curtis Asa Foster · Columbia, US
• James Hentges · Fountain City, US
• Mark Louis-Gilmer Hoven · Onalaska, US
• James H. Kreisel · Winona, US
• Shawn Leininger · Trenton, US
• Robert O. Moran · Conway, US
• Kurt W. Peterson · La Crosse, US
• Jason R. Powell · Columbia, US
• Dale T. Wolfe · Trempealeau, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 5, 2006
• Grant date: Apr 26, 2011
• Expiry date: Jun 23, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D23/22
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A multiple heater control system includes cables, connectors, and junction boxes for user-friendly daisy chain connections of heater controllers and heaters in various configurations or combinations of individually controlled heater series and/or master and slave heater series. The heater controllers include process control of AC power to the heaters and upper-limit safety shutoff that is substantially independent from the process control. The heater controllers also have variable levels of control, adjustment, display, and communications functionality in a base module that is expandable to various levels with expansion modules that are attachable to and detachable from the base module. Connector, cable, and junction configurations, adapters, and latch features enhance user friendliness.