An Improved Forced-Air Zone Climate Control system for Existing Residential Houses
First Claim
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1. A zone climate control system for installation in an existing forced air HVAC system in a residential building comprising:
- 1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside the air vents in the rooms of said building, and 2) a first means for independently controlling each said airflow control device, said first means mounted on the discharge plenum of said HVAC system such that said first means is accessible from the inside of said plenum, 3) a second means for connecting each said airflow control device to said controlling means such that said second means is entirely inside said plenum and said air ducts, and such that said first means controls each said airflow control device through said second means, whereby said first means, said second means, and each said airflow control device of said control system are installed by accessing only said plenum and accessing only said air vents in said rooms, and whereby said air ducts are unmodified in any other way, and whereby said air ducts remain assembled throughout said installation, and whereby said installation is simplified.
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Abstract
A low cost and easy to install zone climate control system for retrofit to existing residential forced air HVAC system that provides independent minute-by-minute, day-by-day, and room-by-room climate control, including easy to use methods for specify temperature schedules and providing local temperature control, and providing detailed energy use information of so occupants can make informed cost versus comfort decisions.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A zone climate control system for installation in an existing forced air HVAC system in a residential building comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside the air vents in the rooms of said building, and 2) a first means for independently controlling each said airflow control device, said first means mounted on the discharge plenum of said HVAC system such that said first means is accessible from the inside of said plenum, 3) a second means for connecting each said airflow control device to said controlling means such that said second means is entirely inside said plenum and said air ducts, and such that said first means controls each said airflow control device through said second means, whereby said first means, said second means, and each said airflow control device of said control system are installed by accessing only said plenum and accessing only said air vents in said rooms, and whereby said air ducts are unmodified in any other way, and whereby said air ducts remain assembled throughout said installation, and whereby said installation is simplified. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A zone climate control system for installation in an existing forced air HVAC system in a residential building comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside the air vents in the rooms of said building, said airflow control devices controlled and actuated by connections passing entirely through the air ducts from said air vents in said rooms to the discharge plenum of said HVAC system, and 2) a plurality of battery powered wireless thermometer devices located in a plurality of said rooms, each said wireless thermometer device associated with at least one of said airflow control devices and located such that the air temperature at said wireless thermometer device is affected more by the airflow from associated said air vent than any other said air vent, said wireless thermometer device transmitting temperature data and unique identification data such that said temperature data can be associated with corresponding said wireless thermometer device, and 3) a first means for receiving said temperature data and said unique identification data from each of said wireless thermometer devices, the receiving means located proximally to said plenum, and 4) a second means for processing said temperature data and said unique identification data and for generating control commands through said connections passing entirely through said air ducts that control said airflow control devices and for generating control commands that control said HVAC system such that the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is maintained within a predetermined temperature range, said second means located proximally to said plenum, whereby said airflow control devices of said control system are installed by accessing only said plenum and accessing only said air vents in said rooms, and said air ducts are otherwise unmodified and remain assembled throughout installation, and whereby said wireless thermometer are installed without wiring between said rooms and, whereby said first means and said second means are located proximally to said plenum, and whereby installation of said control system in said building is simplified and non-obtrusive. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A zone climate control system for a residential HVAC system comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside the air vents in the rooms of said building, said airflow control devices controlled and actuated by connections passing entirely through the air ducts from said air vents in said rooms to the discharge plenum of said HVAC system, and 2) a plurality of battery powered wireless thermometer devices located in a plurality of said rooms, each said wireless thermometer device associated with at least one of said airflow control devices and located such that the temperature at said wireless thermometer device is affected more by the airflow from associated said air vent then by any other said air vent, each said wireless thermometer device having at least one pushbutton for making at least one pushbutton command, said wireless thermometer devices transmitting temperature data, pushbutton command data, and unique identification data such that said temperature data and said pushbutton command data can be associated with corresponding said wireless thermometer device, and 3) a first means for receiving said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, and said identification data from each of said wireless thermometer devices, and said first means located proximally to said plenum, and 4) a second means for specifying a plurality of temperature schedules and associating one of said temperature schedules with each said wireless thermometer device for each day of a 7-day cycle, and 5) a third means for processing said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, and said identification data received by the first means, and for processing said temperature schedules from said second means, and for generating control commands that control said airflow control devices and for generating control commands that control said HVAC system such that the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is maintained according to respective said temperature schedules, whereby the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is controlled according to the respective assignment of one of a plurality of said temperature schedules for each day of said 7-day cycle. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A zone climate control system for a residential HVAC system comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside the air vents in the rooms of said building, said airflow control devices controlled and actuated by connections passing entirely through the air ducts from said air vents in said rooms to the discharge plenum of said HVAC system, and 2) a first means for airflow bypass from said plenum to the air return of said HVAC system, said fourth means comprising an air duct and a bypass airflow control, and 3) a second means for sensing air pressure in said plenum, and 4) a third means for sensing the air temperature in said plenum, 5) a plurality of battery powered wireless thermometer devices located in a plurality of said rooms, each said wireless thermometer device associated with at least one of said airflow control devices and located such that the temperature at said wireless thermometer device is affected more by the airflow from associated said air vents in said room then by any other said air vent, each said wireless thermometer device having at least one pushbutton for making at least one pushbutton command, said wireless thermometer devices transmitting temperature data, pushbutton command data, and unique identification data such that said temperature data and said pushbutton command data can be associated with corresponding said wireless thermometer device, and 6) a forth means for receiving said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, and said identification data from each of said wireless thermometer devices, and said forth means located proximally to said plenum, and 7) a fifth means for specifying a plurality of temperature schedules and associating one of said temperature schedules with each said wireless thermometer device for each day of a 7-day cycle, and 8) a sixth means for processing the plenum pressure from said second means, the plenum temperature from said third means, said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, and said identification data received by the fourth means, and the said temperature schedules from said fifth means, and for generating control commands that control said airflow control devices is said air vents and said first means and for generating control commands that control said HVAC system such that the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is maintained according to respective said temperature schedules, and whereby the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is controlled according to the respective assignment of one of a plurality of said temperature schedules for each day of said 7-day cycle. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for providing zone climate control for and existing HVAC system for a residential building comprising:
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1) providing a first means for connecting from each of a plurality of air vents in said building through the air ducts of said HVAC system into the conditioned air discharge plenum of said HVAC system, and 2) providing an airflow control device at each said air duct, and 3) connecting said first means to each said airflow device in each said air vent, and 4) providing a second means for controlling located on said plenum, said second means providing controls for each said airflow control device and means for providing controls for each controllable device of said HVAC system, and 5) connecting each said first means inside said plenum to the corresponding airflow control means provided by said second means, and 6) connecting each said controllable device of said HVAC system to the HVAC controls provided by said second means, and 7) providing a plurality of wireless thermometer devices for transmitting temperature data and unique identification data, said wireless thermometer device located in each of said rooms with said air vents with said airflow control devices, 8) providing a third means for receiving said temperature data and identification data from said wireless thermometer devices, said third means located proximately to said plenum, and 9) providing a communicating connection between said second means and said third means such that said second means receives said temperature data and said identification data, and 10) providing a software program executed by said second means such that said second means controls said airflow control devices and said controllable devices of said HVAC system such that the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is maintained to be within a predetermined temperature range, whereby said air ducts are unmodified in any other way, and whereby said air ducts remain assembled throughout said installation, and whereby said installation is simplified. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. In a forced air HVAC system having a network of air ducts connecting a central discharge plenum to a plurality of air of air vents, a method for installing an air tube from said plenum to at least one of said air vents, comprising:
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1) sealing all said air vents except said one of air vents, and 2) providing a blower, and 3) connecting said blower to said plenum such that the only substantial airflow path is from said one of air vents through said air ducts to said plenum and to said blower, and 4) providing a flexible and expandable air flow restricting device adapted for passing through said air ducts and substantially restricting airflow at any location in said air ducts. 5) providing a string connecting to said restricting device, said string sufficiently long to connect from said one of air ducts to said plenum, and sufficiently flexible to easily follow the path through said air ducts, and sufficiently strong so as not to break when used to pull said air tube through said air duct, and 6) inserting said restricting device into said one of air vents, and 7) running said blower such that air flows at a rate sufficiently fast to pull said restricting device and said string from said one of air vents to said plenum, and 8) providing tension on said string while letting out said string such that said restricting device moves through said air ducts at a practical and reasonable speed until said restricting device reaches said plenum, and 9) stopping said blower when said restricting device arrives at said plenum, and 10) connecting said air tube to said string at said one of air vents, and 11) accessing said string at said plenum, and 12) pulling said string at said plenum such that said air tube is pulled from said one of air vents through said air ducts to said plenum, whereby said air tube is installed from said one of air vents to side plenum by accessing said air ducts only at said one of air vents and at said plenum. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification