Driving control device for air conditioner

• US 5,592,824 A
• Filed: 02/27/1995
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Sumida, Hisashi, Sogabe, Masaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US08/360,846
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 62/125, 62/126, 62/127, 62/129, 62/175, 62/510, 62/115, 165/12, 165/22, 236/51
• US Class Current: 62/127
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

An ON-OFF controller (5B) connected to a plurality of indoor units (3, 3, . . . ) specifies a range of address settings of each of the indoor units (3, 3, . . . ) managed by the ON-OFF controller (5B), and outputs a signal showing the range of address settings to the respective indoor units (3, 3, . . . ) based on the range of address settings. When receiving the signal showing the range of address settings from the ON-OFF controller (5B), each of the indoor units (3, 3, . . . ) outputs to a remote control (4) a signal allowing an address setting, and stores an address for itself inputted from the remote control (4). The remote control (4) indicates the range of address settings when receiving the signal allowing an address setting from the indoor unit (3, 3, . . . ), and has an input button (4c) by which an address of the indoor unit (3, 3, . . . ) is inputted.

Claims

1. A driving control device for an air conditioner in which an integral controller (5B) is connected to a plurality of air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) so that control signals are transmitted and received between each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) and the integral controller (5B), said driving control device comprising:

setting range specifying means (52) provided in the integral controller (5B) for specifying a range of address settings within which an address can be set to each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) managed by the integral controller (5B);

signal transmitting means (53) provided in the integral controller (5B) for outputting a signal showing the range of address settings to each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) based on the range of address settings which has been specified by the setting range specifying means (52); and

setting allowing means (32) provided in each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) for outputting a signal allowing an address setting when receiving the signal showing the range of address settings which has been outputted from the signal transmitting means (53) of the integral controller (5B).

2. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

address setting means (4) having:

indicating means (4b) for indicating the range of address settings when receiving the signal allowing an address setting which has been outputted from the setting allowing means (32) of the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ); and

input means (4c) from which an address of the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ) is inputted based on the indication of the indicating means (4b),

wherein each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) is provided with address storing means (38) for storing a set address inputted from the input means (4c) of the address setting means (4).

3. A driving control unit for an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein

each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) is provided with signal transmitting means (70) for outputting an address signal of the set address inputted from the input means (4c) of the address setting means (4), and

the integral controller (5B) is provided with address storing means (60) for storing each address in each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) when receiving the address signal outputted from the signal transmitting means (70) of each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ).

4. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein

each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) is provided with error judging means (34) for judging whether a communication error is generated between the air conditioning unit (3) and the integral controller (5B) or not based on the signal showing the range of address settings when receiving the signal outputted from the signal transmitting means (53) of the integral controller (5B).

10. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to any of claims 2-9, wherein

the address setting means (4) is composed of a remote control.

11. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to any of claims 2-4 or 6-9, wherein

the input means (4c) of the address setting means (4) is composed of an input button provided in a remote control.

12. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to any of claims 2-4 or 6-9, wherein

the indicating means (4b) of the address setting means (4) is composed so as to indicate the range of address settings by turning on an address setting button (4d) provided in the address setting means (4).

5. A driving control device for an air conditioner in which an integral controller (5B) is connected to a plurality of air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) and each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) is connected to address setting means (4) for setting an address of the air conditioning unit (3) so that control signals are transmitted and received between each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) and the integral controller (5B) based on the address set by the address setting means (4), said driving control device comprising:

data output means (35) provided in each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) for, when the set address is changed by the address setting means (4), outputting changed data together with the changed address; and

address canceling means (54) provided in the integral controller (5B) for, when receiving the changed data outputted from the data output means (35) of the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ), canceling an address registered therein with respect to the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ) having the changed address and storing the changed address.

6. A driving control device for an air conditioner in which an integral controller (5B) is connected to a plurality of air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) so that control signals are transmitted and received between each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) and the integral controller (5B), said driving control device comprising:

setting range specifying means (52) provided in the integral controller (5B) for specifying a range of address settings within which an address can be set to each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) managed by the integral controller (5B);

signal transmitting means (53) provided in the integral controller (5B) for outputting a signal showing the range of address settings to each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) based on the range of address settings which has been specified by the setting range specifying means (52);

setting allowing means (32) provided in each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) for outputting a signal allowing an address setting when receiving the signal showing the range of address settings which has been outputted from the signal transmitting means (53) of the integral controller (5B);

address setting means (4) having indicating means (4b) for indicating the range of address settings when receiving the signal allowing an address setting which has been outputted from the setting allowing means (32) of the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ), and input means (4c) from which an address of the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ) is inputted based on the indication of the indicating means (4b);

signal transmitting means (70) provided in each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) for outputting an address signal of the set address inputted from the input means (4c) of the address setting means (4); and

address deleting means (80) provided in the integral controller (5B) for deleting the set address from the range of address settings in the setting range specifying means (52) when receiving the address signal outputted from the signal transmitting means (70) of each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ).

7. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein

each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) is provided with address storing means (33) for storing the set address address of the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ) is inputted based on the indication of the indicating means (4b);

signal transmitting means (70) provided in each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) for outputting an address conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) when receiving the address signal outputted from the signal transmitting means (70) of each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ).

8. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to claim 6, further comprising:

address changing means (82) provided in each of the air conditioning units (3, 3, . . . ) for, when the set address is canceled by the address setting means (4), outputting canceling data together with the canceled address; and

address adding means (81) provided in the integral controller (5B) for adding the canceled address to the range of address settings when receiving the canceling data outputted from the address changing means (82) of the air conditioning unit (3, 3, . . . ).

9. A driving control device for an air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein

the address setting means (4) is provided with an address canceling button (4e) with which a canceling signal for canceling an address is inputted.