Control System for a Room Air Conditioner and/or Heat Pump
First Claim
1. An electronic control system for communicating with an end user of a room air conditioner and/or heat pump having a compressor, an accumulator, refrigerant/heating fluid, outdoor coil, indoor coil, switching valve, cooling/heating capillary tube, a fan and a blower;
- said electronic control system comprising;
sensor inputs for determining (a) pressure of said refrigerant/heating fluid, (b) temperature of indoor air, (c) temperature of outdoor air, (d) temperature of said outdoor coil, (e) temperature of said indoor coil (f) temperature of air on discharge side of said indoor coil and (g) humidity of indoor air;
outputs for controlling (a) said compressor, (b) said reversing valve, (c) said fan and (d) said blower;
between said sensor inputs and said outputs being located a main control and a user interface connected thereto, said main control including a microcontroller and said user interface including a microcomputer;
said microcontroller performing diagnostic testing to detect faults in said air conditioner/heat pump and, if a fault or faults are detected, provide a fault indication to an end user via said user interface; and
said microcomputer recording a history of said fault or said faults.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A universal control system is provided for a room air conditioner or heat pump that has a number of sensor inputs. An electronic control system with a microcontroller and microcomputer are used to provide a large number of operations that can be performed by (1) manufacturer, (2) end users and (3) maintenance personnel. The manufacturer can load different versions of a software program to match the unit. The end user can program in a large number of different conditions or schedules the end user finds desirable, plus the end user is advised of maintenance requirements or faults. The maintenance personnel may perform diagnostics, determine fault history, upload improved or replacement software, as well as the numerous maintenance functions normally performed by maintenance personnel.
68 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. An electronic control system for communicating with an end user of a room air conditioner and/or heat pump having a compressor, an accumulator, refrigerant/heating fluid, outdoor coil, indoor coil, switching valve, cooling/heating capillary tube, a fan and a blower;
- said electronic control system comprising;
sensor inputs for determining (a) pressure of said refrigerant/heating fluid, (b) temperature of indoor air, (c) temperature of outdoor air, (d) temperature of said outdoor coil, (e) temperature of said indoor coil (f) temperature of air on discharge side of said indoor coil and (g) humidity of indoor air; outputs for controlling (a) said compressor, (b) said reversing valve, (c) said fan and (d) said blower; between said sensor inputs and said outputs being located a main control and a user interface connected thereto, said main control including a microcontroller and said user interface including a microcomputer; said microcontroller performing diagnostic testing to detect faults in said air conditioner/heat pump and, if a fault or faults are detected, provide a fault indication to an end user via said user interface; and said microcomputer recording a history of said fault or said faults. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- said electronic control system comprising;
-
11. A method of operating an HVAC system by an end user for room temperature control, said method including the following steps:
-
sensing various conditions including (a) pressure of a refrigerant/heating fluid, (b) temperature of indoor air, (c) temperature of outdoor air, (d) temperature of an outdoor coil, (e) temperature of an indoor coil, (f) temperature of air on a discharge side of said indoor coil and (g) humidity of said indoor air; continuously providing information from said sensing step into a microcontroller; programming said microcontroller to process said information to send outputs for controlling (a) a compressor, (b) a reversing valve, (c) speed of a blower, (d) speed of a fan, and (e) a heater; communicating with said end user conditions of said HVAC system via a user interface; accepting changes in operating conditions from said end user via said user interface; recording a history of said operating conditions in said microprocessor; said programming step including running of diagnostic routines to monitor the health of said HVAC system and thereafter taking corrective action based upon severity of any detected health problems. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A user interface between an end user and an HVAC system for room temperature control;
- said HVAC system having a refrigerant/heating fluid (a) compressed in a compressor and liquefied in a condenser and (b) expanded through an expansion device and changed to gas in an evaporator;
a switching valve for interchanging said condenser and said evaporator when going from cooling to heating and vice versa;
sensors in said HVAC system for determining (a) temperatures, (b) humidity and (c) head pressure and providing inputs to a microcontroller;
outputs from said microcontroller being determined by a program therein for operating (a) said compressor, (b) said switching valve, (c) speed of a blower, (d) speed of a fan, and (e) a heater;
said user interface comprising;a microcomputer in communication with said microcontroller; operating conditions being set by said end user through a group of switches communicating with said microcomputer; and a white-on-black display providing feedback to said end user of (a) operating conditions of said HVAC system as determined by said sensors and (b) said operating condition being set by said end user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
- said HVAC system having a refrigerant/heating fluid (a) compressed in a compressor and liquefied in a condenser and (b) expanded through an expansion device and changed to gas in an evaporator;
Specification