Abstract Apparatus for measuring and indicating the comfort index of an ambient atmospheric environment subject to variations in dewpoint and dry bulb temperature. A heat source is provided which includes means for maintaining it at a temperature which varies as a substantially linear function of the dewpoint. Thermally coupled both to the heat source and the environment and thermally responsive thereto is means, e.g., a thermistor, for indicating a temperature which is the sum of linear functions of the heat source temperature and dry bulb temperature, this means being approximately 0.122 times as responsive to variations in the heat source temperature as to variations in the dry bulb temperature. The temperature indicated thereby is the measured comfort index.
Inventors
👤 Lyle E Mcbride Jr
👤 Francis P Buiting
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-06 08:14
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01W; G01W1/00; G01W1/17
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for measuring and indicating The comfort index of an ambient atmospheric environment which is subject to variations in dewpoint and to variations in the dry bulb temperature, said apparatus comprising: a heat source including means for maintaining the heat source at a temperature which varies as a function of the dewpoint of said atmospheric environment; and means thermally coupled both to said heat source and to said environment and being thermally responsive thereto for indicating a temperature which is the sum of a linear function of the heat source temperature and a linear function of the dry bulb temperature, whereby the indicated temperature is the measured comfort index, said temperature indicating means comprises a thermistor thermally coupled to said heat source and to said environment to provide a ratio of coefficients of heat transfer with respect to said source and said atmosphere, respectively, of approximately 0.122, said temperature indicating means further comprising means for indicating the comfort index as a function of the resistance of said thermistor, said resistance being proportional to the comfort index.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for measuring and indicating The comfort index of an ambient atmospheric environment which is subject to variations in dewpoint and to variations in the dry bulb temperature, said apparatus comprising: a heat source including means for maintaining the heat source at a temperature which varies as a function of the dewpoint of said atmospheric environment; and means thermally coupled both to said heat source and to said environment and being thermally responsive thereto for indicating a temperature which is the sum of a linear function of the heat source temperature and a linear function of the dry bulb temperature, whereby the indicated temperature is the measured comfort index, said temperature indicating means comprises a thermistor thermally coupled to said heat source and to said environment to provide a ratio of coefficients of heat transfer with respect to said source and said atmosphere, respectively, of approximately 0.122, said temperature indicating means further comprising means for indicating the comfort index as a function of the resistance of said thermistor, said resistance being proportional to the comfort index.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
211 words
Apparatus for measuring and indicating the comfort index of an ambient atmospheric environment which is subject to variations in dewpoint and to variations in the dry bulb temperature, said apparatus comprising: a heat source including means for maintaining the heat source at a temperature which varies as a function of the dewpoint of said atmospheric environment; and means thermally coupled both to said heat source and to said environment and being thermally responsive thereto for indicating a temperature which is the sum of a linear function of the heat source temperature and a linear function of the dry bulb temperature, whereby the indicated temperature is the measured comfort index, said temperature-indicating means comprises: a first thermistor thermally coupled to said heat source to cause the temperature of the thermistor to be substantially equal to the heat source temperature and having a resistance which varies as a linear function of the heat source temperature; a second thermistor thermally coupled to said atmosphere but substantially thermally isolated from said heat source and having a resistance which varies as a linear function of the dry bulb temperature; and means for indicating the comfort index as a function of the sum of the resistances of said thermistors, said sum being proportional to the comfort index.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
211 words
Apparatus for measuring and indicating the comfort index of an ambient atmospheric environment which is subject to variations in dewpoint and to variations in the dry bulb temperature, said apparatus comprising: a heat source including means for maintaining the heat source at a temperature which varies as a function of the dewpoint of said atmospheric environment; and means thermally coupled both to said heat source and to said environment and being thermally responsive thereto for indicating a temperature which is the sum of a linear function of the heat source temperature and a linear function of the dry bulb temperature, whereby the indicated temperature is the measured comfort index, said temperature-indicating means comprises: a first thermistor thermally coupled to said heat source to cause the temperature of the thermistor to be substantially equal to the heat source temperature and having a resistance which varies as a linear function of the heat source temperature; a second thermistor thermally coupled to said atmosphere but substantially thermally isolated from said heat source and having a resistance which varies as a linear function of the dry bulb temperature; and means for indicating the comfort index as a function of the sum of the resistances of said thermistors, said sum being proportional to the comfort index.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said thermistors has a constant temperature coefficient of resistivity, the coefficient of said second thermistor being approximately 0.122 times the coefficient of said first thermistor.