IDENTIFICATION OF ELECTRIC HEATER CAPACITY

• US 20050207741A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Shah, Rajendra K., Mills, Eugene L. Jr., Ryan, Jerry D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/360
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/20 characterised by control inputs
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/345 Control of fans, e.g. on-off control control of fans of heat pump units F24H15/375
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/421 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0405 using electric energy supply, e.g. the heating medium being a resistive element; Heating by direct contact, i.e. with resistive elements, electrodes and fins being bonded together without additional element in-between F24H3/06, F24H3/08, F24H3/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2071 using electrical energy supply
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0286 Heat storages

Abstract

An electric heater is provided with an identifying resistor associated with a connection between the heater and a fan control. When the electric heater is connected to the control, the identifying resistor provides information with regard to the capacity of the particular electric heater that is being attached to the control. The control then utilizes this particular capacity to control both the electric heater and an associated fan motor.

Claims

1. An electric heater and fan combination comprising:

an electric heater having any one of several available capacities, and having an identifying characteristic to be automatically reported to a control, said identifying characteristic being associated by said control with said one of said available capacities;

a fan for delivering air over said electric heater, said fan also being under the control of said control; and

said control receiving said identifying characteristic from said electric heater, and associating said identifying characteristic with said one capacity, and using said one capacity to provide control over said heater and said fan.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identifying characteristic is an electrical signal.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identifying characteristic is provided by an identifying resistor, with distinct resistances being provided to associate each of said several available capacities to said control.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein said control provides a voltage source through a voltage divider to said identifying resistor, and said control evaluates a voltage across said voltage divider to determine the resistance of said identifying resistor.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said control compares said identifying characteristic to a look-up table of potential values.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control is provided with a signal to instruct an operator to manually enter said capacity of said electric heater if said control cannot associate said identifying characteristic with one of said available capacities.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control further receives a signal from a thermostat to provide a demand, and said control determining operation levels for said fan and said heater based upon said demand.

8. A method of providing heated air into an environment comprising the steps of:

providing an electric heater, and a fan for delivering air over said electric heater, and then into an environment to be heated, and providing a control to control said electric heater and said fan;

connecting said electric heater to said fan, and providing information from said electric heater to said fan of a capacity of said electric heater; and

utilizing said control to control said fan based upon said determined capacity.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said provision of information in said connecting step occurs by electrically connecting said electric heater to said control, and sending an electric signal from said electric heater to said control.

10. An electric heater comprising:

electric heating elements for delivering heat; and

a connection to be connected to a control for said electric heater, said electric heater having an identifying characteristic provided to a control when said electrical connection between said electric heater and a control is made, said identifying characteristic providing information with regard to a capacity of said electric heater.

11. An electric heater as set forth in claim 10, wherein said identifying characteristic is provided by an identifying resistor, with distinct identifying resistances being associated with different levels of capacity for said electric heater.

12. An electric heater as set forth in claim 11, wherein said identifying resistor is positioned within a wire harness for connecting said electric heater to a control.

13. A heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, comprising:

a utility device having any one of several available capacities, and having an identifying characteristic to be reported to a control without manual intervention, said identifying characteristic being associated by said control with said one of said available capacities; and

said control receiving said identifying characteristic from said utility device, and associating said identifying characteristic with said one capacity, and using said one capacity to provide control over said utility device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said identifying characteristic is provided by an identifying resistor, with distinct resistances being provided to associate each of said several available capacities to said control.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said control provides a voltage source through a voltage divider to said identifying resistor, and said control evaluates a voltage across said voltage divider to determine the resistance of said identifying resistor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said control compares said identifying characteristic to a look-up table of potential values.