Air conditioning system for a building

• US 5,161,608 A
• Filed: 04/14/1992
• Issued: 11/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gene W. Osheroff
• Original Assignee: Gene W. Osheroff
• Inventors: Osheroff, Gene W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ford, John K.
• Application Number:
  US07/868,467
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• Field of Search: 165/22, 165/27, 165/16, 236/49.3, 236/1 C, 236/1 B
• US Class Current: 165/208
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/044 Systems in which all treatment is given in the central station, i.e. all-air systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

An air conditioner for a building having a plurality of rooms has heating and cooling modes. A duct system connects the air conditioner to the individual rooms. A plurality of control valves are coupled to the duct mens for individually controlling the flow of air to each room. A first circuit is provided for generating a heating or cooling request signal from each room. A second circuit is provided for summing the number of the heating and cooling requests and providing summation signals of each. A third circuit is provided for sensing the greater of the two summation signals and activating the air conditioners to the mode corresponding to the greater of the summation signals. A fourth circuit is provided for activating the control valves controlling flow to the rooms which do not provide a part of the greater summation signal to the closed position. Additionally, a fifth circuit is provided for sensing changes in the summation signals when said air conditioner is in one of the modes and resetting the third circuit if the lesser of the summation signal becomes the greater summation signal.

Claims

1. In an air conditioning system for a building having a plurality of rooms, said system comprising an air conditioner having heating and cooling means, a system of ducts coupling the air conditioner to individual ones of said rooms, a plurality of control valves each individual to different ones of said rooms for controlling air flow from said ducts to an individual room, a plurality of motors each individual to one of said rooms for individually operating respective ones of said control valves, a plurality of thermostats each individual to one of said rooms and having heat and cool switches operable between open and closed positions for generating heat call and cool call signals in accordance with temperature in respective rooms, and a plurality of motor control means each individual to one of said motors for controlling such motor to operate an associated valve, the improvement comprising:

an electrical line having a heat call wire and a cool call wire, each connected in parallel to the switches of each of said thermostats,

means for energizing said wires to flow electric current in parallel to all of said thermostat switches and to flow current components individually through those of said switches in closed position,

said motor control means respectively being connected in circuit with the switches of individual ones of said rooms for controlling the current components flowing through those of said switches in closed position, whereby current components flow through said heat call and cool call wires from each of said switches in closed position,

means coupled with said cool call wire for generating a cool call signal indicative of the sum of current components in said cool call wire, and

means coupled with said heat call wire for generating a heat call signal indicative of the sum of current components in said heat call wire.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said electric line has a third wire connected in parallel to each of said motor control means for operating an associated valve to open position.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said third wire is connected through said control means to both of the heat and cool switches of each said room.

4. The improvement of claim 2 wherein each of said motor control means comprises a relay coil configured and arranged to control an associated valve, and means responsive to flow of a current component in one of said heat and cool call wires for energizing said relay coil.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said electrical line has fourth and fifth wires connected in parallel to each of said motors for providing power thereto, each of said fourth wires being connected to a set of relay contacts in each said room that are connected to be operated by the relay coil of each such room.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said motor control means of one of said rooms comprises means in said one room responsive to a current component of a switch of said one room for generating an optical signal, and means in said one room responsive to said optical signal for enabling flow of electrical power to the motor of said one room.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the motor control means of one of said rooms comprises first and second electro-optic light generating devices respectively connected to said heat and cool switches to flow one of said current components therethrough, a motor switch in said one room for controlling flow of power to the motor of said one room, coil means in said one room for operating said motor switch, first and second light sensors coupled optically to respective ones of said light generating devices, and means for energizing said coil means in response to either of said sensors.

8. An air conditioning system for a building having a plurality of rooms connected with a heating and cooling air conditioner by a plurality of ducts comprising:

a plurality of separate room control systems each individual to a single room, each said separate room control system comprising;

a thermostat having heat call and cool call switches each operable to a closed condition wherein the switch calls for heating or cooling,

a control valve connected to control air flow to the room from said ducts,

a motor for operating the valve to at least a closed position, and

a motor control for controlling the valve,

means in each room responsive to closed condition of one of the switches in such room for generating a single heat current component or a single cool current component indicative of closed condition of the heat call and cool call switches respectively,

heat call and cool call wires connected to the respective switches of each room and connected in parallel to all rooms,

said heat current components from all rooms being transmitted along said heat call wire and said cool current components from all rooms being transmitted along said cool call wire, and

means coupled with said heat call and cool call wires for generating heat call and cool call signals indicative respectively of the sum of said heat current components and said cool current components.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the motor control of each said room, includes means responsive to one of said current components in such room for energizing the motor to operate the valve of such room to open position.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for energizing the motor comprises a relay having a coil and a set of contacts operated by said coil.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said coil is connected in circuit with both said heat call and cool call wires.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said coil is connected with said switches to flow either of said cool current component and said heat current component through said coil.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for energizing the motor comprises optical means responsive to one of said current components for energizing said motor.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for energizing the motor comprises switch means for controlling energization of the motor, coil means for actuating the switch means, and optical means responsive to either of said current components for energizing said coil means.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for energizing the motor comprises first and second light emitting semi-conductors coupled with said switches to be energized by respective ones of said current components, a motor switch for energizing the motor, coil means for operating the motor switch, and first and second light sensors, each individually responsive to light emitted by a respective one of said semi-conductors for energizing said coil means upon generation of one of said current components.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein said means for generating a single heat or a single cool current component comprises means for weighting said components to provide components of different magnitudes from at least some of said rooms.