Duct type air conditioning system

• US 4,811,897 A
• Filed: 02/20/1987
• Issued: 03/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Toyohiro, Otsuka, Nobuo, Thompson, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US07/016,823
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49, 236/1 B, 236/51, 165/22, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.08, 340/310 R, 340/310 A, 340/310 CP
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/00 Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems room units F24F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/0442 with volume control at a constant temperature

Abstract

An air conditioning system provided with a variable capability blower and heat source unit is configured such that individual room dampers 9 and controllers 14 can be subsequently added to a central control device as options to convert from an all room simultaneous air conditioning mode to a variable air volume mode with separate temperature control for each room. The utilization of existing power lines to transmit the various information and control signals simplifies the conversion and reduces its cost.

Claims

1. A duct type air conditioning system for performing air conditioning by distributing temperature adjusted air to a plurality of rooms through an air duct, comprising:

(a) an indoor control device for performing lump and simultaneous air conditioning of said rooms;

(b) a plurality of room controllers adapted to be added as options to said indoor control device after the installation thereof for individually setting and detecting the temperature of each room; and

(c) a variable air volume (VAV) control unit selectively connected to said indoor control device after the installation thereof for transmitting temperature information and room information from said room controllers to said indoor control device, and for adjusting the degree of opening of a damper provided at an air distributing end of the duct of each room in accordance with said temperature information and said room information,

wherein information transmission between said indoor control device and said VAV control unit, and between said VAV control unit and said room controllers, is carried out by digital transmission circuits, and wherein signals transmitted by said transmission circuits comprise serial bit signals and include identification signals for establishing data links between control devices communicating with each other, each of said identification signals including self address signals representing the control device sending the serial bit signals, and including opponent address signals representing the control device receiving the serial bit signals.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a common transmission line connects said transmission circuits of said indoor control device, said variable control unit, and said room controllers.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said transmission line also serves as an electric power distribution line.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said transmission line comprises a commercial electric power distribution line extending through the inside and outside of a house.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein each room controller is provided with means for setting heating load information.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said indoor control device is adapted to control the capability of a blower and a heat source unit based on room information and the temperature information transmitted from said VAV control unit.