Temperature control apparatus

• US 4,289,272 A
• Filed: 03/23/1979
• Issued: 09/15/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takano, Teruhisa, Fujieda, Hiroshi, Matsumoto, Hidenosuke, Imasu, Kenichiro, Murase, Fujio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANNER, HARRY B
• Application Number:
  US06/023,237
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 62/160, 236/91 R, 236/91 D, 236/91 G, 165/26, 165/28
• US Class Current: 236/91.00D
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/871 by controlling outdoor fans
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/20 with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature G05D23/13 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention is directed to a temperature control apparatus for an air-conditioning apparatus which does not require a manual operation in controlling the temperature of a house room relative to the outdoor temperature. The control apparatus utilizes a micro-computer having a linear function stored thereon. The control of the indoor temperature is carried out by calculating the desired indoor temperature using the linear function of outdoor temperature and controlling the air-conditioning apparatus using the desired indoor temperature.

Claims

1. A temperature control apparatus which comprises, in combination, an outdoor temperature detector for detecting the outdoor temperature of the outside of a space to be air-conditioned, an indoor temperature detector for detecting the indoor temperature in the space to be air-conditioned, a storage device for storing a plurality of desired indoor temperatures each of which is expressed by a linear function of the outdoor temperature and for storing a plurality of desired indoor temperatures each comprised of a fixed value, a comparing means operatively connected to and responsive to said indoor and outdoor temperature detectors and said storage device for comparing the detected indoor temperature with a selected one of said desired indoor temperatures, and a control device operatively connected to and responsive to said comparing means for controlling the operation of an air-conditioning apparatus;

wherein said storage device stores the linear function of (y=ax+b), wherein a represents a coefficient and b represents a constant and x represents the outdoor temperature and y represents the desired indoor temperature, said coefficient and constant being varied by manipulating an indoor temperature adjustment to any one of a plurality of adjustment notches;

and wherein means are provided for switching between any one of said plurality of desired indoor temperatures comprised of a fixed value, corresponding to the indoor temperature adjustment notches, and any one of said plurality of desired indoor temperature expressed by the linear function and corresponding to the indoor temperature adjustment notches.

2. A temperature control apparatus which comprises, in combination, an outdoor temperature detector for detecting the outdoor temperature of the outside of a space to be air-conditioned when the apparatus is operated in one of either a cooling mode and a heating mode, an indoor temperature detector for detecting the indoor temperature in the space to be air-conditioned when the apparatus is operated in one of either said cooling mode and said heating mode, a storage means for storing a plurality of first desired indoor temperatures to be attained during said cooling mode, each of said plurality of first desired indoor temperatures expressed by a primary function proportional to a change in the detected outdoor temperature, and for storing a plurality of second desired indoor temperatures each comprising a fixed absolute value, means operatively connected to and responsive to said outdoor temperature detector and said indoor temperature detector for comparing said detected indoor temperature with a selected one of said first and second desired indoor temperatures, said comparing means responsive to said detected outdoor temperature when comparing said indoor temperature with a selected one of said desired first indoor temperatures, and a control device operatively connected to and responsive to said comparing means for controlling the operation of an air-conditioning apparatus to enable said detected indoor temperature to be equal to said selected one of said plurality of first and second desired indoor temperatures.

3. A temperature control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said storage means stores the linear function of (y=ax+b), wherein "a" represents a coefficient and "b" represents a constant and "x" represents said detected outdoor temperature and "y" represents said selected one of said plurality of first desired indoor temperatures, said coefficient and constant being varied by manipulating an indoor temperature adjustment to any one of a plurality of adjustment notches.

4. A temperature control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein means are provided for switching between one of said first plurality of desired indoor temperatures.

5. A temperature control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein means are provided for switching between one of said first plurality of desired indoor temperatures and one of said second plurality of desired indoor temperatures.

6. A temperature control apparatus which comprises a control for controlling an air-conditioning apparatus to operate in one of either a cooling mode and a ventilating mode by detecting the indoor temperature in a space to be air-conditioned in comparison to the outdoor temperature outside of said space to be air-conditioned;

wherein said control comprises an outdoor temperature detector for detecting the outdoor temperature of the outside of the space to be air-conditioned when an air-conditioning apparatus is operated in one of either said cooling mode and said ventilating mode, an indoor temperature detector for detecting the indoor temperature when the air-conditioning apparatus is operated in one of either said cooling mode and said ventilating mode, a storage means for storing a plurality of first desired indoor temperatures to be attained during one of either said cooling mode and said ventilating mode, each of said first desired indoor temperatures being expressed by a linear function proportional to a change in said outdoor temperature, a comparing means responsive to said outdoor temperature detector for comparing the detected indoor temperature with the desired indoor temperature relative to said detected outdoor temperature, and a control unit responsive to said comparing means to control the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus in one of either said cooling mode and said ventilating mode to enable said detected indoor temperature to be equal to a selected one of said plurality of first desired indoor temperatures.

8. A temperature control apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a predetermined range of outdoor temperatures includes a predetermined range required for said air-conditioning apparatus to be operated in a heating mode, said air-conditioning apparatus operating in the heating mode when said control detects an indoor temperature falling within a predetermined range required for the air-conditioning apparatus to be operated in said heating mode.

7. A temperature control apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein means are provided for switching between one of said plurality of first desired indoor temperatures and one of a plurality of fixed second desired indoor temperatures respectively corresponding to one of a plurality of adjustment notches of a manual indoor temperature adjustment.

9. A temperature control apparatus which comprises a control for controlling an air-conditioning apparatus to operate in one of either a cooling mode and a ventilating mode by detecting the indoor temperature in a space to be air-conditioned in comparison to the outdoor temperature outside of said space to be air-conditioned;

further comprising in combination;

an outdoor temperature detector for detecting the outdoor temperature of the outside of a space to be air-conditioned during one of either a cooling mode, a ventilating mode, and a heating mode of operation of said air-conditioning apparatus;

an indoor temperature detector for detecting the indoor temperature in the space to be air-conditioned during one of either the cooling mode, the ventilating mode, and the heating mode of operation of said air-conditioning apparatus;

a storage means for storing a plurality of first desired indoor temperatures to be attained during the cooling mode of operation of the air-conditioning apparatus, each of said first desired indoor temperatures expressed by a linear function which is proportional to at least a change in said outdoor temperature, and for storing a plurality of second desired indoor temperatures to be attained during the heating mode of operation of said air-conditioning apparatus and each comprised of a fixed value;

a comparing means operatively connected to and responsive to said storage means for comparing said detected indoor temperature with a selected one of said desired indoor temperatures; and

a control means for controlling the operational mode of said air-conditioning apparatus in response to said comparing means to enable said detected indoor temperature to be equal to said selected one of said desired indoor temperatures.

10. A temperature control apparatus which comprises, in combination:

a control unit for selectively operating an air-conditioning apparatus in one of either a heating mode and a cooling mode until the indoor temperature in a space to be air-conditioned attains a predetermined desired indoor temperature;

a storage means for storing a first critical temperature at which said control unit operates said air-conditioning apparatus in a heating mode and a second critical temperature at which said control unit operates said air-conditioning apparatus in a cooling mode;

means for detecting the outdoor temperature outside of the space to be air-conditioned and the indoor temperature in said space;

means for comparing the indoor temperature detected by said detecting means with one of either the first critical temperature and the second critical temperature;

means for controlling the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the result of comparison made by said comparing means;

each of said first and second critical temperatures stored in said storage means being respectively comprised of a plurality of desired indoor temperature values, the plurality of desired indoor temperature values of said first critical temperature being fixed values, and the plurality of desired indoor temperature values of said second critical temperature being, when the indoor temperature is within a predetermined range required for the air-conditioning apparatus to operate in the cooling mode, of a value expressed by a linear function proportional to a change in said outdoor temperature; and

said control unit including an indoor temperature adjustment having a plurality of adjustment notches for varying the desired indoor temperature to which the space is to be air-conditioned.