Automatic fault diagnostic apparatus for a heat pump air conditioning system
First Claim
1. Automatic fault diagnostic apparatus for use with a heat pump air conditioning system of the type having refrigerant system functional operating components including an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a refrigerant compressor and a switchover valve all interconnected by refrigerant lines, said diagnostic apparatus adapted to provide data representative of system faults to a service technician, said apparatus comprising:
- means for sensing temperatures at a plurality of predetermined points on the system'"'"'s functional operating components and for sensing indoor and outdoor air temperatures;
means jointly responsive to at least a pair of the temperature sensing means for performing one or more predetermined comparative temperature measurement tests comparing the sensed temperature to predetermined tolerance limits to derive a measurement based on the temperature differential between said at least a pair of sensors to determine if measured temperature differentials are outside predetermined tolerance limits;
means responsive to the test means for generating a fault signal for each test in which an out-of-tolerance temperature differential is found;
means for storing each fault signal with a distinctive identification representative of the particular test in which the out-of-tolerance temperature differential was found;
and means operable by a service technician to read out from the storage means data including said distinctive identification representative of each stored fault signal whereby the nature of the respective causative fault can then be determined by the service technician.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Microprocessor controlled apparatus is provided for automatically diagnosing faults in a heat pump system. Temperature sensors located at strategic points in the system are read periodically in accordance with a preprogrammed diagnostic routine. Temperature measurements preferably representing comparison of two temperature readings that produce temperature differentials outside pre-established tolerance limits are stored with a fault identification representative of the corresponding fault measurement. A service technician can read the fault data from storage by activation of control means for that purpose whereby the nature of the causative fault or faults can readily be determined.
270 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Automatic fault diagnostic apparatus for use with a heat pump air conditioning system of the type having refrigerant system functional operating components including an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a refrigerant compressor and a switchover valve all interconnected by refrigerant lines, said diagnostic apparatus adapted to provide data representative of system faults to a service technician, said apparatus comprising:
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means for sensing temperatures at a plurality of predetermined points on the system'"'"'s functional operating components and for sensing indoor and outdoor air temperatures; means jointly responsive to at least a pair of the temperature sensing means for performing one or more predetermined comparative temperature measurement tests comparing the sensed temperature to predetermined tolerance limits to derive a measurement based on the temperature differential between said at least a pair of sensors to determine if measured temperature differentials are outside predetermined tolerance limits; means responsive to the test means for generating a fault signal for each test in which an out-of-tolerance temperature differential is found; means for storing each fault signal with a distinctive identification representative of the particular test in which the out-of-tolerance temperature differential was found; and means operable by a service technician to read out from the storage means data including said distinctive identification representative of each stored fault signal whereby the nature of the respective causative fault can then be determined by the service technician. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification