Environmental control system

• US 4,107,941 A
• Filed: 11/28/1975
• Issued: 08/22/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stuart R. Hamilton
• Inventors: Hamilton, Stuart R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwadron, Martin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walton, G. L.
• Application Number:
  US05/636,075
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 62/126, 62/157, 62/132, 62/162, 62/186, 236/1 R, 236/49, 165/13, 165/16, 340/258 A, 340/222, 340/419, 340/261
• US Class Current: 62/186
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/02 combined with lighting fixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/54 Heating and cooling, simultaneously or alternatively
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

An environmental control system for enclosures that accommodate human activities. The system includes an environmental conditioner such as a heating or air conditioning unit for supplying temperature conditioned air to the enclosure and a sensor for detecting the presence of humans occupying the enclosure. In response to an absence of humans within the enclosure, the sensor fails to produce a signal causing a control system to either reduce or terminate the flow of conditioned air into the enclosure and thereby reduce the level of energy consumed by the unoccupied enclosure.

Claims

1. An environmental control system comprising:

an enclosure for accommodating human activities;

an environmental conditioner means for inducing change in the natural environmental temperature conditions within said enclosure;

human presence detector means for distinguishing between the presence or absence of humans within said enclosure; and

thermostatic control means for causing said conditioner means to establish a given temperature in said enclosure in response to detection of any human presence by said detector means and an override control means to establish a substantially different temperature in said enclosure in response to a total evacuation of the enclosure as detected by said detector means.

2. An environmental control system according to claim 1 wherein said conditioner means comprises air conditioner means for supplying temperature conditioned air to said enclosure.

3. An environmental control system according to claim 2 wherein said detector means comprises motion detector means for detecting motion of humans present in said enclosure.

4. An environmental control system according to claim 3 wherein said control means comprises flow control means for reducing the flow of conditioned air into said enclosure in response to the absence of motion therein.

5. An environmental control system according to claim 4 wherein said flow control means increases the flow of conditioned air into said enclosure in response to the presence of motion therein.

6. An environmental control system according to claim 5 wherein said environmental conditioner means comprises heating means for supplying heated air to said enclosure.

7. An environmental control system according to claim 5 wherein said environmental conditioner means comprises cooling means for supplying cooled air to said enclosure.