Temperature control system
First Claim
1. In a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of a zone at a predetermined set point by controlling air flow into the zone comprising a damper assembly remote from the zone and oriented partially in a duct supplying conditioned air to the zone for controlling the air flow into the zone, and a thermostat located in the zone to be controlled, said thermostat including movable means adjusted to said predetermined set point to be maintained in the zone and operatively connected to said remote damper assembly, said damper assembly including a damper blade means movable between open and closed positions in the duct and further including a motor assembly remote from the zone and the duct for driving said damper blade means selectively in either direction between open and closed positions, said motor assembly including an electrical stepper motor, said damper assembly including an actuating arm connected to said damper blade means, and means drivingly connecting said motor to said actuating arm to move said damper blade means in response to actuation of said motor in either direction between open and closed positions, said thermostat including logic means for providing a series of logic pulses to said stepper motor for controlling the operation of said stepper motor and varying the position of said damper blade means to reduce or increase the volume of air flowing through the duct into the zone to be controlled.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A temperature control system used in association with a heating and cooling system supplying warm or cool air to a duct system for maintaining accurate temperature in a zone of multiple zones utilizing a microcomputer based thermostat for modulating a damper assembly in the duct system feeding the zone, thereby controlling the volume of air flow in the duct system to the zone to match the load in each zone. The thermostat has a digital readout display thereon indicating the temperature to be maintained in the zone and which can selectively display the duct temperature of air and/or the zone temperature of the air. The thermostat controls a damper assembly which includes a stepper motor for pivoting the damper blade between open and closed positions with the duct temperature sensor located before the damper blade in the duct. Calibration to provide setting of the zone temperature to conform with an accurate thermometer is provided in the thermostat, as well as selectable stop positions for the damper blade.
254 Citations
33 Claims
- 1. In a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of a zone at a predetermined set point by controlling air flow into the zone comprising a damper assembly remote from the zone and oriented partially in a duct supplying conditioned air to the zone for controlling the air flow into the zone, and a thermostat located in the zone to be controlled, said thermostat including movable means adjusted to said predetermined set point to be maintained in the zone and operatively connected to said remote damper assembly, said damper assembly including a damper blade means movable between open and closed positions in the duct and further including a motor assembly remote from the zone and the duct for driving said damper blade means selectively in either direction between open and closed positions, said motor assembly including an electrical stepper motor, said damper assembly including an actuating arm connected to said damper blade means, and means drivingly connecting said motor to said actuating arm to move said damper blade means in response to actuation of said motor in either direction between open and closed positions, said thermostat including logic means for providing a series of logic pulses to said stepper motor for controlling the operation of said stepper motor and varying the position of said damper blade means to reduce or increase the volume of air flowing through the duct into the zone to be controlled.
- 4. In a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of a zone at a predetermined set point by controlling air flow into the zone comprising a damper assembly remote from the zone and oriented partially in a duct supplying conditioned air to the zone for controlling the air flow into the zone, and a thermostat located in the zone to be controlled and adjusted to said predetermined set point to be maintained in the zone and operatively connected to said remote damper assembly, said damper assembly including a damper blade means movable between open and closed positions in the duct and further including a stepper motor assembly remote from the zone and the duct for driving said damper blade means selectively in either direction between open and closed positions, said thermostat including logic means for providing a series of logic pulses to said stepper motor for controlling the operation of said stepper motor for varying the position of said damper blade means and reducing or increasing the volume of air flowing through the duct into the zone to be controlled, said thermostat further including a digital readout displaying the selected predetermined set point of the desired temperature in the zone, said damper assembly having a first temperature sensor located in the ingress side of the duct for determining the temperature of the air therein and located on the ingress side of said damper blade means, said first sensor being electrically coupled to said logic means of said thermostat to selectively display the actual duct air temperature on said digital readout.
- 9. In a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of a zone at a predetermined set point by controlling air flow into the zone comprising a damper assembly remote from the zone and oriented partially in a duct supplying conditioned air to the zone for controlling the air flow into the zone, and a thermostat located in the zone to be controlled, said thermostat including movable means adjusted to said predetermined set point to be maintained in the zone and operatively connected to said damper assembly, said damper assembly including a damper blade means movable between open and closed positions in the duct and further including a motor assembly remote from the zone and duct having a stepper motor for driving said damper blade means selectively in either direction between open and closed positions, said thermostat including logic means for providing a series of logic pulses to said stepper motor for controlling the operation of said motor assembly for varying the position of said damper blade means and reducing or increasing the volume of air flowing through the duct into the zone to be controlled, said thermostat having adjustment means within the zone for setting the operation limits of said motor assembly from said logic means of said thermostat to provide minimum and maximum damper means opening and closing positions of said damper assembly, said thermostat includes digital readout displaying the selected predetermined set point of the zone temperature, said damper assembly including a first temperature, said damper assembly including a first temperature sensor located in the ingress side of the duct for determining the temperature of the air therein and located on the ingress side of damper blade means, said first sensor being electrically coupled to said thermostat to selectively display the actual air temperature in the duct on said digital readout.
- 16. In the system for accurately maintaining a set temperature in a controlled zone supplied conditioned air from a source through a duct provided with a damper remote from the zone for controlling air flow therethrough comprising a selectively settable thermostat disposable in the controlled zone by which a set temperature controls said damper to control the volume of conditioned air flowing into the zone and matching the zone load, said damper including a blade in the duct and a first temperature sensor located on the air ingress side of said blade in the duct for sensing the air temperature thereof, said thermostat including a second temperature sensor for sensing the air temperature of the controlled zone, said thermostat including means for receiving information from said first and second sensors and varying said damper blade depending on said set temperature on said thermostat and said information received from said first and second sensors, said damper including a motor assembly for driving said damper blade selectively in either direction between its open and closed positions, said thermostat having adjustment means within the controlled zone for setting the operational limits of said motor assembly from said thermostat to provide minimum and maximum damper blade opening and closing positions of said damper.
- 20. In a microprocessor based damper system including a thermostat having a selectable set temperature set point and disposable in a controlled zone to be supplied with conditioned air from a source through a duct comprising damper means for varying the volume of air passing through the duct into the zone, and a microprocessor means for receiving input data from a duct temperature sensor located in the duct and a zone temperature sensor located in the zone for controlling said damper means to vary the volume of air passing through said damper means to maintain the temperature in the zone at the selected set temperature set point on said thermostat, said microprocessor means including means for comparing said duct and zone temperature data respectively from said duct and zone sensors and, when said duct temperature data is higher than said zone temperature data, said microprocessor means operates said damper means in the heating mode with said damper means continuing to operate in the automatically selected heating mode in response to the comparison of said duct and zone temperature data, and when said duct temperature data is lower than said zone temperature data, said microprocessor means operates said damper means in the cooling mode with said damper means continuing to operate in the automatically selected cooling mode in response to the comparison of said duct and zone temperature data.
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29. In a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of a zone at a predetermined set point by controlling air flow into the zone comprising a damper assembly oriented in a duct supplying conditioned air to the zone for controlling the air flow into the zone, and a thermostat located in the zone to be controlled and adjusted to said predetermined set point to be maintained in the zone and operatively connected to said damper assembly, said damper assembly including a damper blade means movable between open and closed positions and further including a motor assembly for driving said damper blade means selectively in either direction between open and closed positions, said thermostat including means controlling the operation of said motor assembly for varying the position of said damper blade means and reducing or increasing the volume of air flowing through the duct into the zone to be controlled, said damper assembly having a first temperature sensor located in the duct for determining the temperature of the air therein, said first sensor being electrically coupled to said thermostat, a second temperature sensor for sensing the zone temperature and electrically coupled to said thermostat, means for comparing said duct and zone temperatures respectively from said first and second sensors and, when said duct temperature is higher than said zone temperature, said thermostat operates said damper assembly in the heating mode with said damper assembly continuing to operate in the automatically selected heating mode in response to the comparison of said duct and zone temperatures, and when said duct temperature is lower than said zone temperature, said thermostat operates said damper assembly in the cooling mode with said damper assembly continuing to operate in the automatically selected cooling mode in response to the comparison of said duct and zone temperatures.
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30. A method of automatically determining the heating or cooling mode of a zone thermostat which controls a zone duct damper being fed by a single air supply duct providing heated or cooled conditioned air comprising the steps of:
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A. determining the zone temperature, B. determining the duct temperature of the air in the supply duct, and C. comparing the zone temperature to the duct temperature and (a) when the duct temperature is warmer than the zone temperature, the thermostat operates the zone duct damper in the heating mode and substantially opens the zone duct damper upon the thermostat sending a zone demand for heat when the zone temperature is a predetermined amount below set point and substantially closes the zone duct damper upon the thermostat sensing no zone demand or a zone demand for cooling, and (b) when the duct temperature is cooler than the zone temperature, the thermostat operates the zone duct damper in the cooling mode and substantially opens the zone duct damper upon the thermostat sensing a zone demand for cooling when the zone temperature is a predetermined amount above set point and substantially closes the zone duct damper upon the thermostat sensing no zone demand or zone demand for heat. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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Specification