WIRELESS THERMOSTATIC CONTROLLER ELECTRIC HEATING SYSTEM

• US 20130213952A1
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Beland, Stephane Joseph Pierre, Boutin, Vincent, Boutin, Dominic, Gelinas, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/494
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electric heating system controlled with a remote thermostat. The system may incorporate wireless technology and a line voltage equipment interface sub-system. The sub-system may have a line voltage relay and an antenna. The relay may be mounted within an electric heater enclosure. The antenna may be mounted directly on the enclosure. The antenna may receive temperature control signals from a transmitter of the thermostat. The signals may be processed to control a connection of the heater to power with a relay receiving the processed control signals. The control of power to the heater may maintain a temperature approximately equal to a thermostat temperature setting. The antenna and relay electronics may provide a backup control of the heater in the event of, for example, a loss of signals from the thermostat. The backup control may prevent the temperature proximate to equipment interface sub-system from approaching a freezing point.

Claims

1. A wireless thermostat system for an electric heater, comprising:

a thermostat;

an antenna sub-system; and

a relay sub-system connected to the antenna sub-system; and

wherein;

the thermostat comprises a wireless transmitter;

the antenna sub-system comprises;

an antenna for detecting signals from the wireless transmitter; and

a first electronic circuit having an input connected to the antenna;

the relay sub-system comprises;

a second electronic circuit having an input connected to an output of the first electronic circuit; and

a relay with an input connected to an output of the second electronic circuit, and having an output for connecting power to an input of an electric heater.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic circuit comprises:

a temperature sensor; and

a low limit circuit connected to the temperature sensor; and

wherein if a signal from the temperature sensor to the low limit circuit indicates a temperature below a predetermined temperature, then the low limit circuit provides a signal via the second electronic circuit to the relay for connecting power to the electric heater.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined temperature is set above freezing.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the low limit circuit can selectively be activated or deactivated.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat further comprises:

a temperature setting mechanism; and

a third electronic circuit connected to the temperature setting mechanism and the wireless transmitter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the transmitter transmits one or more signals which are received by the antenna sub-system;

the one or more signals indicate a temperature setting on the temperature setting mechanism; and

the first electronic circuit provides a signal to the second electronic circuit to have the relay connect power to the electric heater to maintain a temperature at the temperature setting on the temperature setting mechanism.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a thermostat remote control device; and

wherein the remote control device can wirelessly make one or more selections from a group consisting of a temperature setting on the temperature setting mechanism and activation or deactivation of a low limit circuit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the relay sub-system is situated within a housing of the electric heater; and

the antenna sub-system is situated on an external panel of the housing of the electric heater.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the antenna sub-system is fixed outside of the external panel through a knockout found on the external panel; and

wire connections between the antenna sub-system and the relay sub-system are through the knockout.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the relay sub-system is situated within a junction box;

the antenna sub-system is situated on the junction box with connections to the relay sub-system made through a knockout on a side of the junction box; and

the relay sub-system is further wired between electric power and the heater.

11. A method for implementing a wireless thermostat system for an electric heater, comprising:

providing a wireless thermostat;

providing an antenna sub-system comprising an antenna and a first electronic circuit connected to the antenna;

providing a relay sub-system comprising a relay and a second electronic circuit connected to the relay;

mounting the relay sub-system in a housing of an electric heater;

connecting an output of the relay to an input of the electric heater;

mounting the antenna sub-system on a surface of a side of the housing; and

connecting an input of the relay sub-system to the antenna sub-system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

punching out a knockout on the surface of the side of the housing; and

running wires for connecting the antenna sub-system to the relay sub-system through a hole resulting from punching out the knockout on the surface of the side; and

wherein;

the hole is used for securing the antenna sub-system to the side of the housing; and

the surface is an external surface.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

a temperature setting on the wireless thermostat is transmitted by the thermostat with signals through a wireless medium;

the signals are received by the antenna and processed by the first electronic circuit into drive signals;

the thermostat comprises a temperature indicator; and

the drive signals are conveyed to the second electronic circuit to be provided to the relay which provides an electric power connection to the electric heater as indicated by the drive signals to bring the temperature on the temperature indicator to a magnitude that matches the temperature setting within a predetermined delta of difference.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first electronic circuit comprises:

a temperature limit circuit;

a temperature sensor connected to the temperature limit circuit; and

a temperature limit setting input device connected to the temperature limit circuit; and

wherein if a temperature indication from the temperature sensor is less than a temperature limit set on the temperature setting input device, then a limit drive signal is conveyed to the second electronic circuit to be provided to the relay which connects the electric heater to power as indicated by the limit drive signal to bring the temperature indication from the temperature sensor within a predetermined delta to the temperature limit set on the temperature setting input device.

15. A wireless thermostatic mechanism for electric heating, comprising:

an antenna sub-system;

a thermostat having a wireless connection to the antenna sub-system; and

a relay sub-system having a wired connection to the antenna sub-system; and

wherein the relay sub-system connects electrical power to an electric heater.

16. The mechanism of claim 15, further comprising:

a temperature sensor connected to the antenna sub-system; and

wherein if the wireless connection is lost between the thermostat and the antenna sub-system, then the antenna sub-system provides a signal to the relay to connect electrical power to the electric heater sufficient to maintain a predetermined temperature in a space where the antenna sub-system is situated.

17. The mechanism of claim 15, wherein:

the relay sub-system is situated inside of a housing of the electric heater; and

the antenna sub-system is attached to a surface on the housing of the electric heater.

18. The mechanism of claim 15, wherein the relay sub-system comprises an overload switch which disengages electrical power to the heater in the event that the power usage of the electric heater exceeds a predetermined amount.

19. The mechanism of claim 15, wherein:

the antenna sub-system comprises;

an antenna;

a transceiver connected to the antenna; and

a microcontroller connected to the transceiver; and

the relay sub-system comprises;

a power supply; and

a power switch having an input terminal connected to the power supply and an output connected to the transceiver and the microcontroller.

20. The mechanism of claim 19, wherein:

the antenna sub-system further comprises a temperature sensor connected to the microcontroller for detecting a near-freeze condition; and

the microcontroller provides a drive signal to the relay sub-system to connect the electric heater to power to prevent a freeze condition.