Central air conditioning equipment

• US 4,406,397 A
• Filed: 12/31/1981
• Issued: 09/27/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Topre Corporation
• Original Assignee: Topre Corporation
• Inventors: Kamata, Keiji, Suzuki, Hikoshiro, Fukushi, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANNER, HARRY B
• Application Number:
  US06/336,162
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49, 236/1 E, 236/1 B, 236/38, 236/DIG. 9, 165/16, 165/22, 165/47, 165/57
• US Class Current: 236/1.00B
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/75 for maintaining constant air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/30 Velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/048 with temperature control at constant rate of air-flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 236/09 Fan control

Abstract

Central air conditioning equipment which performs air conditioning for a plurality of rooms, comprises a terminal air quantity control unit which is installed in order to communicate with each room and which controls the quantity of the air stream which is distributed to each room through a duct, and an air quantity control device, attached to an air conditioner, which controls a blower to reduce the blown air quantity until at least one of dampers reaches a first position to allow air flow when all of the dampers are not in the first position, which controls the blower to decrease the blown air quantity when an air quantity detected by an air quantity sensor is smaller than an air quantity set by a setter while at least one of the dampers is located in the first position, and which controls the blower to maintain the blown air quantity when the air quantity detected by the air quantity sensor is equal to the air quantity set by the setter.

Claims

1. Central air-conditioning equipment which performs air-conditioning for a plurality of rooms, comprising:

an air-conditioner which includes a heat exchanger and a blower for blowing air, the heat of which is exchanged in said heat exchanger;

a duct which distributes the air blown from said blower to said room;

a plurality of terminal air quantity control units which are installed in order to communicate with the rooms, respectively, and which control the quantities of the air which are distributed to the rooms through said duct, each of said terminals air quantity control unit including a main body through which the air passes, an air quantity sensor which detects a flow rate of the air which passes through said main body, a damper which is disposed in said main body and which is movable between a first position where the main body is open to a maximum state, and a second position where the main body is completely closed, a drive mechanism which drives said damper, a setter which is disposed in a corresponding room and which sets the quantity of the air which is distributed to the corresponding room, and a unit controller which controls said drive mechanism in order to match the quantity of the air which actually passes to the quantity of air which is set based on the air quantity detected by said air quantity sensor and the air quantity set at said setter; and

an air quantity control device, attached to said air conditioner, which controls said blower to reduce the blown air quantity when none of the dampers of the terminal air quantity control units are in the first position until at least one of said dampers reach said first position and then, controls the blower to increase the air flow in the terminal air quantity control unit in which said damper has reached the first position, when the air quantity detected by the air quantity sensor is less than the air quantity set by the setter, and which controls said blower to maintain the blown air quantity when the air quantity detected by said air quantity sensor is equal to the air quantity set by said setter.

2. Central air conditioning equipment according to claim 1, wherein each of said unit controllers includes a first comparator which outputs a signal of first level when the quantity of air which is set is smaller than the detected quantity of air and which outputs a signal of second level when the quantity of air which is set is larger than the detected quantity of air, a second comparator which outputs the signal of first level when the quantity of air which is set is equal to the detected quantity of air and which outputs the signal of second level when the quantity of air which is set is not equal to the detected quantity of air, and first and second output means, respectively, connected to said first and second comparators, which output a signal which is input thereto when said damper is set in the first position and which constantly output the signal of first level when said damper is not set in the first position;

and

said air quantity control device includes a logical operating circuit which receives the signals output from said first and second output means and which outputs an operation signal, and a converting circuit which is connected to said logical operating circuit and which outputs an instruction signal which defines a blow rate of said blower in response to the operation signal,

said logical operating circuit outputting the operation signal for reducing the blow rate when the signal of first level is supplied from said first output means, outputs the operation signal for maintaining the blow rate of said blower when the signal of second level is supplied from said first output means and the signal of first level from said second output means, and outputs the operation signal for increasing the blow rate of said blower when the signal of second level is supplied from said first output means and the signal of second level is supplied from said second output means.

3. Central air conditioning equipment according to claim 2, further comprising a motor mechanism which drives said blower.

4. Central air conditioning equipment according to claim 3, wherein said motor mechanism includes an induction motor and an inverter which regulates a rotational frequency of said induction motor.

5. Central air conditioning equipment according to claim 4, wherein said converting circuit includes an up/down counter which outputs a digital signal in response to the operating signal which is output from said logical operating circuit and a D/A converter which is connected to said up/down counter and which outputs an analog signal corresponding to the digital signal, so that said inverter regulates the rotational frequency of said induction motor in accordance with the analog signal from said D/A converter.

6. Central air conditioning equipment according to claim 5, wherein said air quantity control device includes a power-on reset circuit which is connected to said up/down counter, said power-on reset circuit operating in such a manner that said up/down counter outputs a predetermined digital signal for a predetermined period of time after power is supplied.

7. Central air conditioning equipment according to claim 5 wherein said air quantity control device comprises a count-down limiter circuit and a count-up limiter circuit which are connected to said up/down counter, said count-down limiter circuit defining a lower limit of the digital signal which is output from said up/down counter and said count-up limiter circuit defining an upper limit of the digital signal which is output from said up/down counter.