Zone control for HVAC system

• US 5,944,098 A
• Filed: 07/17/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald E. Jackson
• Original Assignee: Ronald E. Jackson
• Inventors: Jackson, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANDLER, LANCE W
• Application Number:
  US08/896,133
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 165/208, 165/209, 165/217, 165/201
• US Class Current: 165/217
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A control assembly for a HVAC system serving a plurality of zones within a structure, having ducting including a damper situated in an outlet of the ducting leading to each zone, a biasing element biasing the damper in a normally open position, and a motor coupled to each damper for closing each damper. A standard manual or automatic change-over thermostat is situated in each of the zones which includes at least a heating signal output and a cooling signal output. The control assembly formed by a collection of diodes and relays includes a pair of relays having a set of normally open contacts coupled between the damper motors and a source of power, one of the pair of relays having a coil coupled to the heating signal outputs of all of the thermostats and another of the pair of relays having a coil coupled to the cooling signal outputs of all of the thermostats so that, upon initiation of a heating or cooling signal from any of the thermostats, power is applied to the motor coupled to each damper for closing each damper. The control assembly includes individual zone controls each of which are formed by a collection of diodes and relays including a first additional relay which has a set of normally closed contacts coupled between the damper motor in the zone and the source of power, and a coil coupled to the heating and cooling signal outputs of the thermostat in the zone so that the initiation of a heating or cooling signal by the zone thermostat opens the normally closed contacts of the first additional relay thus preventing power from being applied to the damper motor leading to the zone thereby permitting the damper to remain open under influence of the biasing element. A second additional relay has a set of normally closed contacts coupled between the cooling signal output of all the thermostats and a control unit controlling the application of power to the cooling unit, and a coil coupled to the heating signal output of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a heating signal output of any of the thermostats prevents the application of power to the cooling unit thus achieving automatic change-over between heating and cooling.

Claims

1. A control assembly for controlling a forced air system including a heating unit, a cooling unit, a fan, and ducting connected thereto for delivering air, which may be heated or cooled, to a plurality of zones within a structure, the control assembly comprising a plurality of zone controls, each zone control comprising:

a thermostat situated in each of said zones including at least a heating signal output and a cooling signal output,

a damper situated in an outlet of said ducting leading to each zone, and a motor coupled to each damper for changing the position of each damper, and

a first relay including a set of contacts coupled to the damper motor and to a source of power sufficient to change the position of the damper, the first relay also including a coil coupled to the heating and cooling signal outputs of the thermostat in said zone so that the initiation of a heating or cooling signal by the thermostat in the selected zone affects the delivery of power to the damper motor,

the control assembly also comprising;

at least one second relay including a set of contacts coupled between all the cooling signal outputs and a control unit controlling the application of power to the cooling unit, said at least one second relays also including a coil coupled to the heating signal output of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a heating signal output of any of the thermostats prevents the application of power to the cooling unit.

2. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein another of said at least one second relays includes a set of contacts coupled between all the heating signal outputs and a control unit controlling the application of power to the heating unit, and also includes a coil coupled to the cooling signal output of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a cooling signal output of any of the thermostats prevents the application of power to the heating unit, and a switch for exclusively selecting which of said at least one second relays is to be operative.

3. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein the zone controls for at least one zone further comprises a biasing element biasing the damper toward a first selected position controlling air flow from the ducting into each zone, said motor coupled to said damper acting against the influence of the biasing element.

4. The control assembly of claim 3 wherein said set of contacts of the first relay in said at least one zone comprises a set of normally closed contacts whereby power from said source of power maintains said damper in a second selected position, and so that the initiation of a heating or cooling signal by the thermostat in the selected zone opens the normally closed contacts of the first relay removing power from the motor coupled to the damper leading to the selected zone thereby permitting the damper to change position under influence of the biasing element.

5. The control assembly of claim 4 wherein said biasing element biases said damper toward an open position permitting air to flow from the ducting into said at least one zone.

6. The control assembly of claim 1 further comprising a third relay including a set of normally open contacts coupled between said source of power and said set of contacts on at least some of the first relays, the third relay also including a coil coupled to the heating signal output of a plurality of the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a heating signal output of any of said plurality of the thermostats applies power from said source of power to said set of contacts on said at least some of the first relays.

7. The control assembly of claim 6 wherein said third relay further comprises a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power so that a flow of air through said ducting is caused by said fan whenever a signal initiates from the heating signal output of any of said plurality of the thermostats.

8. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein said control unit controlling the application of power to the cooling unit further comprises a fourth relay including a set of normally open contacts coupled between said source of power and said set of contacts on a group of the first relays, the fourth relay also including a coil coupled to the cooling signal output of a selection of the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a cooling signal output of any of said selection of the thermostats applies power from said source of power to said contacts on said group of the first relays.

9. The control assembly of claim 8 wherein said fourth relay further comprises a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power so that a flow of air through said ducting is caused by said fan whenever a signal initiates from the cooling signal output of any of said selection of the thermostats.

10. The control assembly of claim 1 further comprising a fifth relay including a first set of contacts normally positioned in a first position coupled between the first relay coil and the cooling signal output in each zone, a second set of contacts normally positioned in a position opposite said first position coupled between the first relay coil and the heating signal output in each zone so that the first relay coil cannot simultaneously receive output signals from both the heating signal output and cooling signal output.

11. The control assembly of claim 1 further comprising a venting signal output on at least some of said thermostats, and a sixth relay including a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power sufficient to cause a flow of air through said ducting, the sixth relay including a coil coupled to the venting signal output on said at least some of said thermostats so that air is caused to flow through said ducting when a venting signal is output from any of said at least some of the thermostats.

12. A control assembly for controlling a forced air system including a heating unit, a cooling unit, a fan, and ducting connected thereto for delivering air, which may be heated or cooled, to a plurality of zones within a structure, the control assembly comprising a plurality of zone controls, each zone control comprising:

a thermostat situated in each of said zones including at least a heating signal output and a cooling signal output,

a damper situated in an outlet of said ducting leading to each zone, a biasing element biasing the damper toward an open position permitting air to flow from the ducting into each zone, and a motor coupled to each damper for closing each damper, and

a first relay including a set of normally closed contacts coupled to the damper motor and to a source of power sufficient to close the damper, the first relay also including a coil coupled to the heating and cooling signal outputs of the thermostat in said zone so that the initiation of a heating or cooling signal by the thermostat in the selected zone opens the normally closed contacts of the first relay removing power from the motor coupled to the damper leading to the selected zone thereby permitting the damper to open under influence of the biasing element,

the control assembly also comprising;

at least one second relay including a set of normally closed contacts coupled between all the signal outputs of a first type selected from the group consisting of heating and cooling and a control unit controlling the application of power to the temperature modifying unit of the same type, the at least one second relay also including a coil coupled to the signal output of the opposite type of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a selected one of the heating or cooling signal outputs of any of the thermostats prevents the application of power to the temperature modifying unit of the opposite type.

13. The control assembly of claim 12 further comprising a third relay including a set of normally open contacts coupled between said source of power and said set of normally closed contacts on all the first relays, the third relay also including a coil coupled to the heating signal output of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a heating signal output of any of the thermostats applies power from said source of power to the normally closed contacts on all the first relays.

14. The control assembly of claim 13 wherein said third relay further comprises a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power so that a flow of air through said ducting is caused by said fan whenever any of the thermostats initiate a heating signal.

15. The control assembly of claim 12 wherein said control unit controlling the application of power to the cooling unit further comprises a fourth relay including a set of normally open contacts coupled between said source of power and said set of normally closed contacts on all the first relays, the fourth relay also including a coil coupled to the cooling signal output of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a cooling signal output of any of the thermostats applies power from said source of power to the normally closed contacts on all the first relays.

16. The control assembly of claim 15 wherein said fourth relay further comprises a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power so that allow of air through said ducting is caused by said fan whenever any of the thermostats initiate a cooling signal.

17. The control assembly of claim 12 further comprising a fifth relay including a first set of normally closed contacts in each zone coupled between the first relay coil and the cooling signal output, a second set of normally open contacts in each zone coupled between the first relay coil and the heating signal output so that the first relay coil cannot simultaneously receive output signals from both the heating signal output and cooling signal output.

18. The control assembly of claim 12 further comprising a venting signal output on each of said thermostats, and a sixth relay including a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power sufficient to cause a flow of air through said ducting, the sixth relay including a coil coupled the venting signal output on all of said thermostats so that air is caused to flow through said ducting when a venting signal is output from any of the thermostats.

19. The control assembly of claim 12 wherein another of said at least one second relays includes a set of contacts coupled between all the signal outputs of a second type and a control unit controlling the application of power to the second type temperature modifying unit, and also includes a coil coupled to the signal output of said first type of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a first type signal output of any of the thermostats prevents the application of power to the second type temperature modifying unit, and a switch for exclusively selecting which of said at least one second relays is to be operative.

20. A control assembly for controlling a forced air system including a heating unit, a cooling unit, a fan, and ducting connected thereto for delivering air, which may be heated or cooled, to a plurality of zones within a structure, the control assembly comprising a plurality of zone controls, each zone control comprising:

a damper situated in an outlet of said ducting leading to each zone, a biasing element biasing the damper in a normally open position permitting air to flow from the ducting into each zone, and a motor coupled to each damper for closing each damper,

a thermostat situated in each of said zones including at least a heating signal output and a cooling signal output,

the control assembly also comprising;

a pair of relays including a set of normally open contacts coupled between said motors coupled to each damper and a source of power sufficient to close the dampers, one of the pair of relays having a coil coupled to the heating signal outputs of all of the thermostats and another of the pair of relays having a coil coupled to the cooling signal outputs of all of the thermostats so that, upon initiation of a heating or cooling signal from any of the thermostats, power is applied the motor coupled to each damper for closing each damper,

a first additional relay means including sets of normally closed contacts, each set of normally closed contacts being coupled between a damper motor in one of the zones and said source of power, the first additional relay means also including a coil coupled to the heating and cooling signal outputs of the thermostat in said one of the zones so that the initiation of a heating or cooling signal by the thermostat in said one of the zones opens the normally closed contacts of the first additional relay means thus preventing power controlled by said pair of relays from being applied to the motor coupled to the damper leading to said one of the zones thereby permitting the damper to remain open under influence of the biasing element, and

at least one second additional relay including a set of normally closed contacts coupled between all the signal outputs of a first type selected from the group consisting of heating and cooling and a control unit controlling the application of power to the temperature modifying unit of the same type, the at least one second additional relay also including a coil coupled to the signal output of a second type of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a selected one of the heating or cooling signal outputs of any of the thermostats prevents the application of power to the temperature modifying unit of the second type.

21. The control assembly of claim 20 further comprising yet another relay including a first set of normally closed contacts in each zone coupled between the first relay means coil and the cooling signal output, a second set of normally open contacts in each zone coupled between the first relay coil and the heating signal output so that the first relay coil cannot simultaneously receive output signals from both the heating signal output and cooling signal output.

22. The control assembly of claim 20 wherein said pair of relays each further comprise a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power so that a flow of air through said ducting is caused by said fan whenever any of the thermostats initiate a heating or a cooling signal.

23. The control assembly of claim 20 further comprising a venting signal output on each of said thermostats, and a fan control relay including a set of contacts coupled to said fan and to a source of power sufficient to cause a flow of air through said ducting, the fan control relay including a coil coupled the venting signal output on all of said thermostats so that air is caused to flow through said ducting when a venting signal is output from any of the thermostats.

24. The control assembly of claim 20 wherein another of said at least one second relays includes a set of contacts coupled between all the signal outputs of the second type and a control unit controlling the application of power to the second type temperature modifying unit, and also includes a coil coupled to the signal output of said first type of all the thermostats so that initiation of a signal from a first type signal output of any of the thermostats prevents the application of power to the second type temperature modifying unit, and a switch for exclusively selecting which of said at least one second relays is to be operative.