Control device for air conditioner

• US 5,647,223 A
• Filed: 12/15/1995
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Tamakoshi, Koichiro, Wada, Kunihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/564,128
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 62/175, 236/51, 165/208, 165/207, 165/209
• US Class Current: 62/175
• 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 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A plurality of remote control groups (GR) each have a plurality of indoor units (20, 20, . . . ) designated as a single master unit (2a) and as slave units (2b) cooperating with the master unit (2a). A central monitor board (30) is provided for communicating control signals with each of the indoor units (20, 20, . . . ). A memory of the central monitor board (30) has a type area (M2) for storing type data representing that each indoor unit is a master unit (2a) or a slave unit (2b). The central monitor board (30) transmits a start signal to the indoor unit (20) as a master unit (2a) in accordance with type data of the type area (M2). In addition, the central monitor board (30) determines that the indoor units (20, 20, . . . ) having begun to operate in response to the start signal belong to one group (GR) and enters the determination result in a group area (M3) of the memory.

Claims

1. A control device for air conditioner comprising:

a plurality of air conditioning units (20, 20, . . . ) which are formed of a plurality of groups (GR) and are designated as a single master unit (2a) and at least one slave unit (2b) operating in association with said master unit (2a) in said each group (GR); and

a central control unit (30) which is connected to all the air conditioning units (20, 20, . . . ) and communicates various kinds of control signals including state signals representing states of said air conditioning units (20, 20, . . . ) with said each air conditioning unit (20, 20, . . . ),

said central control unit (30) comprising;

type memory means (M2) for receiving from said each air conditioning unit (20, 20, . . . ) type data for discriminating between the master unit (2a) and the slave unit (2b) to store the type data in every air conditioning unit (20, 20, . . . );

state changing means (3a) for responding to a process signal for identifying the group to which said each air conditioning unit (20) belongs to transmit, based on the type data of said type memory means (M2), a change signal for changing a state of said each air conditioning unit (20) to said air conditioning unit (20) as a master unit (2a) in the stop modes of all the air conditioning units (20, 20, . . . ); and

group entry means (3b) for receiving a state signal from said each air conditioning units (20, 20, . . . ) to determine that said air conditioning units (20, 20, . . . ) having changed their states in response to the change signal form one of said groups (GR) and executing an entry of the determination result.

2. A control device for air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein

said central control unit (30) includes operation control means (3c) for receiving a control signal for one air conditioning unit (20) to output a control signal to the air conditioning unit (20) as a master unit (2a) of the group (GR) to which said air conditioning unit (20) to be controlled belongs and which has been entered by said group entry means (3b).