Grille controlling apparatus for indoor ventilator

• US 6,659,359 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Young-Yeal Kwak
• Original Assignee: Young-Yeal Kwak
• Inventors: Kwak, Young-Yeal
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US10/084,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20030157883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 454/256, 454/258, 454/322, 454/325, 454/326, 454/327, 236/1.B, 236/49.3
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/06 Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1413 using more than one tilting member, e.g. with several pivoting blades F24F13/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/1433 with electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature

Abstract

Disclosed is a grille controlling apparatus for an indoor ventilator that senses an indoor temperature in a building such that it can control the operation of the grille mounted on the indoor ventilator. The apparatus includes a grill cover that is disposed on the front side of the indoor ventilator, a grille casing that is disposed on the rear side of the grille cover, at least one damper disposed on the rear side of the grille casing, for opening/closing an air flow path, a damper driving part for driving the damper up to an opening/closing position, a power supply part for supplying power to the damper driving part, a temperature sensor for sensing an indoor temperature, a manipulating part for selecting a predetermined driving mode of the damper driving part in accordance with the sensed indoor temperature of the temperature sensor, a control part for comparing a manipulating signal from the manipulating part and/or the selected driving mode with the sensed indoor temperature of the temperature sensor such that it controls the driving of the damper driving part, and an electronic circuit board provided with an operation display part on which the operation of the machinery is displayed. Thereby, the indoor temperature can be appropriately maintained at a pleasant temperature, thereby enabling an amount of energy to be consumed to be considerably saved.

Claims

1. A grille controlling apparatus for a ventilator having a grille cover on a front side of said ventilator and a grille casing on a rear side of said grille cover, the grille cover defining a plurality of grille holes, said apparatus comprising:

at least one damper configured to open and close an air flow path;

a damper driver, attached to said grille casing, that drives said damper to open and close the air flow path;

a power supply that supplies power to at least said damper driver;

a temperature sensor that senses an ambient temperature;

a manipulator that selects one of a manipulation command and a predetermined driving mode of said damper driver; and

a controller that receives a manipulating signal from the manipulator indicating one of the manipulation command and the selected driving mode, compares one of the manipulating signal and the selected driving mode with the sensed temperature of said temperature sensor, and controls said damper driver based on the comparison.

2. The grille controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one damper comprises two plate members that are respectively positioned in an upper area and a lower area of said air flow path, and wherein said damper driver comprises a driving motor and an engaging part configured to engage said plates.

3. The grille controlling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said engaging part further comprises a manual engaging arm, rotatably coupled with said pair of plates, and a manually operated protrusion extending from said engaging arm through said grille cover to enable manual manipulation of said damper.

4. The grille controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said damper comprises a plate member that is disposed on the rear surface of said grille cover in such a way as to move back and forth between a position where said grille holes are closed and another position where said grille holes are opened and a solenoid that is formed on said grille casing for moving said damper back and forth.

5. The grille controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said manipulator comprises a wireless remote controller, having at least an opening button, a closing button and a plurality of mode selecting buttons, and a signal receiver, connected to said controller, the signal receiver receiving the manipulating signal from said wireless remote controller and sending the received signal to said controller for controlling said damper driver.

6. The grille controlling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said controller controls said damper driver to open and close said damper in accordance with the manipulating command respectively corresponding to the opening button and the closing button.

7. The grille controlling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said controller is provided with a plurality of preset temperature ranges corresponding to the plurality of mode selecting buttons on said wireless remote controller, said controller opening and closing said damper in accordance with a selected one of said modes, selected by the mode selecting buttons, to match the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor with the temperature range corresponding to the selected mode.

8. The grille controlling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display that displays at least one of the sensed temperature and the driving mode.

9. An apparatus for controlling air flow through a ventilator, comprising a casing and a grille cover connected to a front side of the casing, the grille cover defining a plurality of holes enabling air flow, the apparatus comprising:

a driver that drives a damper to open and close, respectively increasing and decreasing the air flow through the grille;

a manipulator that enables selection of one of a plurality of modes of the driver, each mode being associated with at least a predetermined temperature range; and

a controller that receives an ambient temperature from a temperature sensor and a manipulating signal from the manipulator, the manipulating signal indicating the selected mode, the controller comparing the predetermined temperature range corresponding to the selected mode with the ambient temperature and controlling the driver to adjust the air flow based on the comparison.

10. The apparatus for controlling air flow through a ventilator according to claim 9, wherein the controller controls the driver to one of open and close the damper, when the ambient temperature is out of the predetermined range, in order to bring the ambient temperature into the predetermined range.

11. The apparatus for controlling air flow through a ventilator according to claim 9, wherein the controller is preprogrammed with the plurality of modes and the corresponding plurality of predetermined temperature ranges.

12. The apparatus for controlling air flow through a ventilator according to claim 9, the manipulator further enabling selection of a manipulation command, indicating one of opening and closing the damper, the controller driving the driver to one of open and close the damper, respectively, in accordance with the manipulation command.

13. The apparatus for controlling air flow through a ventilator according to claim 12, the damper comprising a plurality of parallel plate members, and the driver comprising a driving motor and an engaging part configured to engage the driving motor and the plurality of plate members.

14. The apparatus for controlling air flow according to claim 13, the engaging part further comprising a manually operated protrusion extending from the engaging part through the grille cover to enable manual operation of the plurality of plate members.

15. The apparatus for controlling air flow according to claim 12, the manipulator comprising:

a wireless remote controller, having a plurality of manipulating command inputs and a plurality of mode selecting inputs; and

a signal receiver, connected to the controller, that receives one of a manipulating command and a mode selection from the wireless remote controller, the controller receiving the one of the manipulating command and the mode selection from the signal receiver for controlling the driver.

16. The apparatus for controlling air flow according to claim 15, the plurality of manipulating command inputs comprising an opening button and a closing button, wherein the controller controls the driver to open and close the damper in accordance with selection of the opening button and the closing button, respectively.

17. The apparatus for controlling air flow according to claim 15, the plurality of mode selection inputs comprising a plurality of mode selection buttons, wherein the controller controls the driver to open and close the damper, in accordance with a mode corresponding to a selected mode selection button, to bring the ambient temperature within the temperature range corresponding to the selected mode.

18. The apparatus for controlling air flow according to claim 9, further comprising a display that displays at least one of the sensed temperature and the selected mode.