Temperature control systems with programmed dead-band ramp and drift features
First Claim
1. Temperature sensing apparatus for modulating air heating and cooling apparatus connected to a space within a building, including sensor means sensitive to air temperature in said space and connected through a thermal condition measuring means having an output to a control means and proportional to said air temperature, said control means comprising:
- a power source;
a cycle selector assembly including a temperature sensor unit, a logic unit assembly, and a series of electrical units each sensitive to the output of said temperature sensor unit;
a temperature control assembly including a resistor bank assembly, a resistor control unit, and a temperature range control unit, the temperature range control unit being a 555 integrated circuit timer, said resistor bank assembly including a series of resistor unit assemblies, each of said resistor unit assemblies including electric resistors having a different value of electrical resistance than other resistor unit assemblies in the resistor bank assembly, said resistor control unit including a drive means for providing progressive changes of resistance values of said resistor unit assemblies, different portions of each of said resistor unit assemblies connected between different pairs of resistor terminal wires connected to an input of the temperature range control unit;
first programming means to actuate said heating and cooling apparatus to bring said air in said space to thermal comfort conditions and maintain said air at said thermal comfort conditions; and
second programming means to progressively change at a predetermined ramp rate conditions to which said control means reacts for permitting the temperature in said space to change at a controlled rate and in an energy conserving direction from said thermal comfort conditions within a preselected dead-band range.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Energy saving temperature and humidity sensing and control processes, system and apparatuses operate effectively in response to signals received from occupants and to dynamic responses of building and its heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. The disclosed processes, apparatuses and system utilize thermostats equipped with a drift ramping and hold time to save energy; the thermostats only need resetting to a neutral/comfort set point which is accomplished by means of a push button or touch plate.
The disclosed systems are pre-programmed and set so that occupants will be confortable although the temperature within the building drifts because the rate of drift is controlled to a gradual and normally unnoticed change.
123 Citations
53 Claims
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1. Temperature sensing apparatus for modulating air heating and cooling apparatus connected to a space within a building, including sensor means sensitive to air temperature in said space and connected through a thermal condition measuring means having an output to a control means and proportional to said air temperature, said control means comprising:
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a power source; a cycle selector assembly including a temperature sensor unit, a logic unit assembly, and a series of electrical units each sensitive to the output of said temperature sensor unit; a temperature control assembly including a resistor bank assembly, a resistor control unit, and a temperature range control unit, the temperature range control unit being a 555 integrated circuit timer, said resistor bank assembly including a series of resistor unit assemblies, each of said resistor unit assemblies including electric resistors having a different value of electrical resistance than other resistor unit assemblies in the resistor bank assembly, said resistor control unit including a drive means for providing progressive changes of resistance values of said resistor unit assemblies, different portions of each of said resistor unit assemblies connected between different pairs of resistor terminal wires connected to an input of the temperature range control unit; first programming means to actuate said heating and cooling apparatus to bring said air in said space to thermal comfort conditions and maintain said air at said thermal comfort conditions; and second programming means to progressively change at a predetermined ramp rate conditions to which said control means reacts for permitting the temperature in said space to change at a controlled rate and in an energy conserving direction from said thermal comfort conditions within a preselected dead-band range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. Temperature and humidity sensing apparatus for modulating air heating and cooling apparatus connected to a space within a building, including sensor means sensitive to air temperature and to humidity in said space and connected through a thermal condition measuring means having an output to a control means and proportional to said air temperature and humidity, said control means comprising:
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a power source; a cycle selector assembly including a temperature sensor unit, a logic unit assembly, and a series of electrical units each sensitive to the output of said temperature sensor unit; a temperature control assembly including a resistor bank assembly, a resistor control unit, a temperature range control unit, the temperature range control unit being a 555 integrated circuit timer, said resistor bank assembly including a series of resistor unit assemblies, each of said resistor unit assemblies comprising electric resistors having a different value of electrical resistance than other resistor unit assemblies in the resistor bank assembly, said resistor control unit including a drive means for providing progressive changes of resistance values of said resistor unit assemblies, different portions of each of said resistor unit assemblies connected between different pairs of resistor terminal wires connected to an input of the temperature range control unit; first programming means to actuate said heating and cooling apparatus to bring said air in said space to thermal comfort conditions and maintain said air at said thermal comfort conditions; and second programming means to progressively change at a predetermined ramp rate conditions to which said control unit reacts for permitting the temperature in said space to change at a controlled rate and in an energy conservation direction from said thermal comfort conditions within a preselected dead-band range. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for temperature control of an inhabited space including heating means, cooling means, fan means, temperature sensing means operatively connected to said space, and control means operatively connected to said heating means, said cooling means, said fan means, and said temperature sensing means, said control means comprising:
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temperature setting means for setting temperature variation limits at which one of said heating and cooling means is activated and deactivated, time setting means for setting a time period during which one of said heating and cooling means is automatically activated for maintaining temperature within said space within said variation limits; limit change means for automatically changing said variation limits at which one of said heating and cooling means is activated and deactivated, said changing of said variation limits being in an energy conserving direction and said changing being at a rate of no more than approximately 1 deg. F. per hour; and control means controlling said upper and lower limits in response to the length of time since said temperature setting means is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A sensing and control unit for a system for temperature control of an inhabited space, including heating means, cooling means, fan means, and temperature sensing means operatively connected to said space, said sensing and control unit operatively connected to said heating means, said cooling means, said fan means, and said temperature sensing means, said sensing and control unit comprising:
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a support assembly adapted to be fixed to a habitation enclosure wall; a control and programming unit including a thermally sensitive element; temperature setting means for setting temperature variations limits at which signals are sent to one of said heating and cooling means for activation and deactivation thereof; time setting means for setting a time period during which said control signals are sent by said control and programming unit to one of said heating and cooling means; limit change means for automatically changing said variation limits at which signals are sent to one of said heating and cooling means, said changing of said variation limits being in an energy conserving direction and at a predetermined rate; and control means for automatically controlling said upper and lower limits in response to the length of time since said control unit sends control signals to said one of heating and cooling means. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A temperature control process for controlling space temperature within an occupied building uitilizing heating and/or cooling units, comprising:
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selectively setting a desired initial comfort temperature setting and a desired final comfort temperature setting for said space temperature; sensing said space temperature and providing an output signal functionally related to dry bulb temperature, ambient mean radiant temperature, and air velocity; automatically activating said heating and/or cooling units in response to said output signal and said initial comfort temperature setting to maintain said space temperature at approximately said desired initial comfort temperature setting during at least a predetermined first period of time; thereafter repeatedly and automatically altering desired temperature settings as a function of time in an energy conserving direction during a second period of time of a duration of at least several hours and at a predetermined temperature ramp rate equal to or less than approximately 1°
F. per hour;automaticaly activating said heating and/or cooling units in response to said output signal and said altered temperature settings to maintain said space temperature at approximately said altered temperature settings during at least said second period of time; automatically prohibiting alteration of said space temperature settings beyond said desired final comfort temperature setting; and thereafter automatically actuating said heating and/or cooling units in response to said output signal and said final comfort temperature setting to maintain said space temperature at approximately said desired final comfort temperature setting. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Temperature control apparatus for controlling space temperature for occupants within a building utilizing heating and/or cooling units, comprising:
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temperature setting means responsive to occupant interaction for selectively setting a desired initial comfort temperature setting and a desired final comfort temperature setting; thermal sensing means for sensing said space temperature and providing an output signal functionally related to dry bulb temperature, ambient mean radiant temperature, and air velocity; control means for automatically activating said heating and/or cooling units in response to said output signal to maintain said space temperature at approximately said desired initial comfort temperature setting during at least a predetermined first period of time; programming means for repeatedly and automatically altering desired temperature settings as a function of time in an energy conserving direction during a second period of time of a duration of at least several hours and at a predetermined temperature ramp rate equal to or less than approximately 1°
F. per hour;limit means for automatically prohibiting alteration of said space temperature settings beyond said desired final comfort temperature setting; and said control means automatically activating said heating and/or cooling units in response to said output signal and said altered temperature settings to maintain said space temperature at approximately said altered temperature settings during at least said second period of time. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. Apparatus for space temperature control of an occupied building including heating means and control means for actuating said heating means, said control means comprising:
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thermal sensing means operatively connected to said space to provide an output signal functionally related to dry bulb temperature, ambient mean radiant temperature, and air velocity; temperature setting means for setting a desired initial comfort temperature setting and a desired final comfort temperature setting at which said heating means is activated and deactivated; setting change means for automatically changing temperature settings at which said heating means is activated and deactivated during a period of time of at least several hours, said changing of said temperature settings from said desired initial comfort temperature setting being in an energy conserving direction and said changing being at a temperature ramp rate of no more than approximately 1°
F. per hour;limit means for limiting said changing temperature settings to a value representative of said desired final comfort temperature setting; and said control means automatically activating said heating means in response to said thermal sensing means ouput signal and said temperature settings. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification