Control system interface with display for air conditioning apparatus

• US 20090090115A1
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: American Standard Intemational Incorporated
• Inventors: Hugghins, Gordon Jeffrey, Blair, Daniel J., Helt, Robert W., Royoroft, Robert G., Boydstun, Roger L., Garrett, Carl L., Storm, Timothy W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/126
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays

Abstract

A user interface for a control system for an air conditioning apparatus includes a visual display and keys for scrolling menu items and entering commands to the control system. The interface is mounted in the apparatus cabinet and on a rotatable bracket to orient the interface for ease of reading the display and actuating the respective keys.

Claims

1. In an air conditioning apparatus including a cabinet, a motor driven blower disposed in said cabinet, at least one heat exchanger disposed in said cabinet for one of heating and cooling air flowing through said cabinet to an enclosed space, a thermostat including a temperature sensor adapted to be disposed in said enclosed space and means for communicating signals from said thermostat to a control system for said apparatus, said control system including a processor, the improvement comprising:

a user interface disposed on said cabinet and operably connected to said control system for at least one of monitoring and selecting certain operating parameters of said apparatus, said interface including a visual display and plural keys for viewing selected ones of said parameters.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said plural keys are operable to select certain ones of said parameters for controlling operation of said apparatus via a program associated with said control system.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said interface includes a connector for releasably connecting said interface to said control system.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 including:

a support for said interface disposed on said cabinet.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4, wherein:

said support is mounted on an enclosure for said control system.

6. The invention set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said support is disposed on said cabinet for limited movement to facilitate orienting said display with respect to a user of said interface.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein:

said support includes a plate portion for receiving said interface, opposed flanges connected to means disposed in said cabinet for limited rotation of said support and detent means cooperating with said flanges for securing said support and said interface in a selected position.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7 including:

pivot pins interconnecting said support with said means in said cabinet for providing limited rotation of said support.

9. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said plural keys include directional keys for scrolling through menu items on said display including opposed up and down keys and opposed left and right keys.

10. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein:

at least one of said control system and said interface includes means for providing on said display messages selected from a group consisting of a continuous blower operating speed, a blower on delay time period, a blower off delay time period, a heat intensity value output by said heat exchanger, a heating element off delay time period, a blower capacity under cooling conditions, a blower capacity under heating conditions, and identifier information for said apparatus.

11. In an air conditioning apparatus including a cabinet, a motor driven blower disposed in said cabinet, at least one heat exchanger disposed in said cabinet for one of heating and cooling air flowing through said cabinet to an enclosed space, a thermostat including a temperature sensor adapted to be disposed in said enclosed space and means for communicating signals from said thermostat to a control system for said apparatus, said control system including a processor, the improvement comprising:

a user interface disposed on said cabinet and operably connected to said control system for at least one of monitoring and controlling certain operating parameters of said apparatus, said interface including a display for viewing said parameters, and means for selecting certain ones of said parameters for controlling operation of said apparatus; and

a support for said interface disposed on said cabinet.

12. The invention set forth in claim 11 wherein:

said support is mounted on an enclosure for said control system.

13. The invention set forth in claim 11 wherein:

said support is disposed on said cabinet for limited movement to facilitate orienting said display with respect to a user of said interface.

14. The invention set forth in claim 13 wherein:

said support includes a plate portion for receiving said interface, opposed flanges connected to means disposed in said cabinet for limited rotation of said support and detent means cooperating with said flanges for securing said support and said interface in a selected position.

15. The invention set forth in claim 11 wherein:

said means for selecting includes plural keys including directional keys for scrolling through menu items on said display including opposed up and down keys and opposed left and right keys.

16. The invention set forth in claim 11 wherein:

at least one of said control system and said interface includes means for providing on said display messages selected from a group consisting of a continuous blower operating speed, a blower on delay time period, a blower off delay time period, a heat intensity value output by said heat exchanger, a heating element off delay time period, a blower capacity under cooling conditions, a blower capacity under heating conditions, and identifier information for said apparatus.

17. The invention set forth in claim 11 wherein:

said interface includes a housing defining first and second interior spaces, one of said spaces including said display and a desiccant disposed in said one space.

18. The invention set forth in claim 17 wherein:

said housing includes a vent passage formed therein for venting the other of said spaces to ambient atmospheric pressure.

19. In an air conditioning apparatus including a cabinet, a motor driven blower disposed in said cabinet, at least one heat exchanger disposed in said cabinet for one of heating and cooling air flowing through said cabinet to an enclosed space, a thermostat including a temperature sensor adapted to be disposed in said enclosed space and means for communicating signals from said thermostat to a control system for said apparatus, said control system including a processor, the improvement comprising:

a user interface disposed in said cabinet and operably connected to said control system, said interface including a visual display for viewing a parameter selected from the group consisting of a continuous blower operating speed, a blower on delay time period, a blower off delay time period, a heat intensity value output by said heat exchanger, a heating element off delay time period, a blower capacity under cooling conditions, a blower capacity under heating conditions, and identifier information for said apparatus.

20. The invention set forth in claim 19 including:

means operable to select certain ones of said parameters for controlling operation of said apparatus via a program associated with said control system.

21. The invention set forth in claim 20 wherein:

said means operable comprises plural keys including directional keys for scrolling through menu items on said display including opposed up and down keys and opposed left and right keys.

22. The invention set forth in claim 19 including:

a support for said interface disposed on said cabinet for limited movement to facilitate orienting said display with respect to a user of said interface.

23. The invention set forth in claim 22 wherein:

said support includes a plate portion for receiving said interface, opposed flanges connected to means disposed in said cabinet for limited rotation of said support and detent means cooperating with said flanges for securing said support and said interface in a selected position.