INTEGRATED DAMPER CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20120282557A1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Field Controls LLC
• Original Assignee: Field Controls LLC
• Inventors: Hokanson, Eric Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,240,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 431/6
• CPC Class Codes: F23L 13/02 pivoted about a single axis but having not other movement formed as linked slats each pivoted about an axis F23L13/08
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2231/28 preventing flash-back or blow-back
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2235/04 in stacks
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 3/042 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/242 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

An integrated damper control system is used with a gas fired appliance including a gas burner, a flue and a damper for selectively opening the flue. The damper control system comprises an appliance control including a programmed processor for controlling the gas burner and a communication interface device. A damper control comprises a programmed processor for controlling the damper and a communication interface device for communication with the appliance control communication interface device. The damper control programmed processor is programmed to selectively open or close the damper responsive to status of a damper request register and to control status of a lockout register to indicate status of the damper. The appliance control programmed processor is programmed to control status of the damper request register responsive to a call for operation of the gas burner and to operate the gas burner only if the lockout register is set to unlock.

Claims

1. A damper control system for use with a gas fired appliance including a gas burner, a flue and a damper for selectively opening the flue, the damper control system comprising:

an appliance control comprising a programmed processor for controlling the gas burner and a communication interface device; and

a damper control comprising a programmed processor for controlling the damper and a communication interface device for communication with the appliance control communication interface device;

the damper control programmed processor being programmed to selectively open or close the damper responsive to status of a damper request register and to control status of a lockout register to indicate status of the damper, and the appliance control programmed processor being programmed to control status of the damper request register responsive to a call for operation of the gas burner and to operate the gas burner only if the lockout register is set to unlock.

2. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface devices comprise UART circuits to implement a serial interface.

3. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface devices comprise wireless devices.

4. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the appliance control programmed processor waits for the lockout register to be set to unlock after a call for operation of the gas burner.

5. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the appliance control programmed processor writes an open status to the damper request register responsive to a call for operation of the gas burner and writes a close status to the damper request register responsive to termination of a call for operation of the gas burner.

6. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the damper control programmed processor sets the lockout register to lock responsive to the damper being commanded to close and sets the lockout register to unlock responsive to the damper being open.

7. The damper control system of claim 6 wherein the damper control programmed processor verifies the lock status of the lockout register before closing the damper.

8. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the damper control programmed processor terminates the call for operation of the gas burner in the absence of a request to open the damper after the call for operation of the gas burner.

9. The damper control system of claim 8 wherein the damper control programmed processor lowers a temperature set point of the appliance control programmed processor to effectively terminate the call for operation of the gas burner.

10. The damper control system of claim 1 wherein the damper control programmed processor is programmed to open the damper responsive to a high temperature condition indicated in the appliance control programmed processor.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing communications between the appliance control programmed processor and the damper control programmed processor comprises providing UART circuits to implement a serial interface.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications between the appliance control programmed processor and the damper control programmed processor comprises wireless communications.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the appliance control programmed processor waits for the lockout register to be set to unlock after a call for operation of the gas burner.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the appliance control programmed processor writes an open status to the damper request register responsive to a call for operation of the gas burner and writes a close status to the damper request register responsive to termination of a call for operation of the gas burner.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the damper control programmed processor sets the lockout register to lock responsive to the damper being commanded to close and sets the lockout register to unlock responsive to the damper being open.

17. The method of claim 6 wherein the damper control programmed processor verifies the lock status of the lockout register before closing the damper.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the damper control programmed processor terminates the call for operation of the gas burner in the absence of a request to open the damper after the call for operation of the gas burner.

19. The method of claim 8 wherein the damper control programmed processor lowers a temperature set point of the appliance control programmed processor to effectively terminate the call for operation of the gas burner.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the damper control programmed processor is programmed to open the damper responsive to a high temperature condition indicated in the appliance control programmed processor.

11. A method of controlling a damper used with a gas fired appliance including a gas burner and a flue, the damper for selectively opening the flue, the method comprising:

providing an appliance control programmed processor for controlling the gas burner; and

providing a damper control programmed processor for controlling the damper;

providing communications between the appliance control programmed processor and the damper control programmed processor;

the damper control programmed processor selectively opening or closing the damper responsive to status of a damper request register and controlling status of a lockout register to indicate status of the damper, and the appliance control programmed processor controlling status of the damper request register responsive to a call for operation of the gas burner and operating the gas burner only if the lockout register is in an unlock status.