Forced-air zone climate control system for existing residential houses
First Claim
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1. A zone climate control system, for installation in an existing forced air HVAC system in a building, comprising:
- 1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside air vents in rooms of said building;
2) first means for independently controlling each said airflow control device by selectively providing one of pressurized air and vacuum, said first means mounted on a discharge plenum of said HVAC system such that said first means is accessible from an inside of said plenum;
3) second means for connecting each said airflow control device to said first means such that said second means is entirely inside said plenum and said air ducts, and such that said first means controls each said airflow control device through said second means;
4) an air pump that provides pressurized air and vacuum; and
5) a plurality of independently operable air valves, each air valve including,a) an alpha means for connecting to said pressurized air,b) a beta means for connecting to said vacuum, andc) a valve slide having a pressure position adapted to provide a path from said alpha means to said second means, and a vacuum position adapted to provide a path from said beta means to said second means;
6) a delta means for moving one at a time any one of the valve slides to either said pressure position or said vacuum position, the delta means responsive to valve control signals generated by a controlling processor; and
7) an epsilon means for positioning said delta means such that each of the valve slides can be independently set to said pressure position or said vacuum position, said epsilon means responsive to position control signals generated by said controlling processor;
whereby said first means, said second means, and each said airflow control device of said control system are installed by accessing only said plenum and said air vents; and
whereby said air ducts are unmodified in any other way; and
whereby said air ducts remain assembled throughout said installation; and
whereby said installation is simplified; and
whereby various combinations of said valve control signals and said position control signals independently cause either said pressurized air or said vacuum to be connected to each of the plurality of said second means for connecting.
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Abstract
A low cost and easy to install zone climate control system for retrofit to an existing forced air HVAC system, that provides independent minute-by-minute, day-by-day, and room-by-room climate control, including easy to use methods for specify temperature schedules and providing local temperature control, and providing detailed energy use information so occupants can make informed cost versus comfort decisions.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A zone climate control system, for installation in an existing forced air HVAC system in a building, comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside air vents in rooms of said building; 2) first means for independently controlling each said airflow control device by selectively providing one of pressurized air and vacuum, said first means mounted on a discharge plenum of said HVAC system such that said first means is accessible from an inside of said plenum; 3) second means for connecting each said airflow control device to said first means such that said second means is entirely inside said plenum and said air ducts, and such that said first means controls each said airflow control device through said second means; 4) an air pump that provides pressurized air and vacuum; and 5) a plurality of independently operable air valves, each air valve including, a) an alpha means for connecting to said pressurized air, b) a beta means for connecting to said vacuum, and c) a valve slide having a pressure position adapted to provide a path from said alpha means to said second means, and a vacuum position adapted to provide a path from said beta means to said second means; 6) a delta means for moving one at a time any one of the valve slides to either said pressure position or said vacuum position, the delta means responsive to valve control signals generated by a controlling processor; and 7) an epsilon means for positioning said delta means such that each of the valve slides can be independently set to said pressure position or said vacuum position, said epsilon means responsive to position control signals generated by said controlling processor; whereby said first means, said second means, and each said airflow control device of said control system are installed by accessing only said plenum and said air vents; and whereby said air ducts are unmodified in any other way; and whereby said air ducts remain assembled throughout said installation; and whereby said installation is simplified; and whereby various combinations of said valve control signals and said position control signals independently cause either said pressurized air or said vacuum to be connected to each of the plurality of said second means for connecting.
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2. A zone climate control system for installation in an existing forced air HYAC system in a building comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside air vents in rooms of said building, said airflow control devices controlled and actuated by connections passing entirely through air ducts from said air vents in said rooms to a discharge plenum of said HVAC system; 2) a plurality of battery powered wireless thermometer devices located in a plurality of said rooms, each said wireless thermometer device associated with at least one of said airflow control devices and located such that an air temperature at said wireless thermometer device is affected more by airflow from its associated said air vent than from any other said air vent, said wireless thermometer device transmitting temperature data and unique identification data such that said temperature data can be associated with the corresponding said wireless thermometer device; 3) a first means for receiving said temperature data and said unique identification data from each of said wireless thermometer devices, the means for receiving located proximally to said plenum; and 4) a second means for processing said temperature data and said unique identification data and for generating control commands through said connections passing entirely through said air ducts that control said airflow control devices and for generating control commands that control said HVAC system such that the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is maintained within a predetermined temperature range, said second means located proximally to said plenum; whereby said airflow control devices of said control system are installed by accessing only said plenum and said air vents in said rooms, and said air ducts are otherwise unmodified and remain assembled throughout installation; and whereby said wireless thermometers are installed without wiring between said rooms; and whereby installation of said control system in said building is simplified and non-obtrusive. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A zone climate control system for an HVAC system comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside air vents in rooms of said building, said airflow control devices controlled and actuated by connections passing entirely through air ducts from said air vents in said rooms to a discharge plenum of said HVAC system; 2) a plurality of battery powered wireless thermometer devices located in a plurality of said rooms, each said wireless thermometer device associated with at least one of said airflow control devices and located such that a temperature at said wireless thermometer device is affected more by airflow from the associated air vent than by airflow from any other air vent, each said wireless thermometer device having at least one pushbutton for making at least one pushbutton command, said wireless thermometer devices transmitting temperature data, pushbutton command data, and unique identification data such that said temperature data and said pushbutton command data can be associated with said wireless thermometer device; 3) a first means for receiving said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, and said identification data from each of said wireless thermometer devices, said first means located proximally to said plenum; 4) a second means for specifying a plurality of temperature schedules and associating one of said temperature schedules with each said wireless thermometer device for each day of a 7-day cycle; and 5) a third means for processing said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, and said identification data received by the first means, and for processing said temperature schedules from said second means, and for generating control commands that control said airflow control devices, and for generating control commands that control said HVAC system such that the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is maintained according to respective said temperature schedules; whereby the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is controlled according to the respective assignment of one of a plurality of said temperature schedules for each day of said 7-day cycle. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A zone climate control system for an HVAC system comprising:
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1) a plurality of airflow control devices adapted for installation inside air vents in rooms of said building, said airflow control devices controlled and actuated by connections passing entirely through air ducts from said air vents in said rooms to a discharge plenum of said HVAC system; 2) a first means for airflow bypass from said plenum to an air return of said HVAC system, said fourth means comprising an air duct and a bypass airflow control; 3) a second means for sensing an air pressure in said plenum; 4) a third means for sensing an air temperature in said plenum; 5) a plurality of battery powered wireless thermometer devices located in a plurality of said rooms, each said wireless thermometer device associated with at least one of said airflow control devices and located such that a temperature at said wireless thermometer device is affected more by the airflow from associated said air vents in said room than by airflow from any other air vent, each said wireless thermometer device having at least one pushbutton for making at least one pushbutton command, said wireless thermometer devices transmitting temperature data, pushbutton command data, and unique identification data such that said temperature data and said pushbutton command data can be associated with said wireless thermometer device; 6) a fourth means for receiving said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, and said identification data from each of said wireless thermometer devices, said fourth means located proximally to said plenum; 7) a fifth means for specifying a plurality of temperature schedules and associating one of said temperature schedules with each said wireless thermometer device for each day of a 7-day cycle; and 8) a sixth means for processing the plenum pressure from said second means, the plenum temperature from said third means, said temperature data, said pushbutton command data, said identification data received by the fourth means, and the temperature schedules from said fifth means, and for generating control commands that control said airflow control devices in said air vents and said first means, and for generating control commands that control said HVAC system, such that the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device is maintained according to respective said temperature schedules; whereby the temperature at each said wireless thermometer device, is controlled according to the respective assignment of one of a plurality of said temperature schedules for each day of said 7-day cycle. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A zone climate control system for retrofitting to an existing forced-air system, the existing forced-air system including a blower, at least one of a heater and a cooler, a conditioned air plenum, and a plurality of air ducts, the zone climate control system comprising:
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a plurality of bladders, each disposed within a respective one of the air ducts; a plurality of air tubes, each coupled to a respective one of the bladders and extending through a respective one of the air ducts into the conditioned air plenum; a plurality of valves each coupled to a respective one of the air tubes; an air pump coupled to the plurality of valves to provide pressure and vacuum; and a computer-controlled valve actuator coupled to the plurality of valves for selectively coupling each air tube to a respective one of the pressure and the vacuum to accordingly inflate or deflate a respective one of the bladders and thereby block or pass air from the conditioned air plenum through the respective air duct; and a plurality of thermometers each disposed in proximity to a respective one of the bladders, and in communication with the computer-controlled valve actuator. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A zone climate control system for retrofitting to an existing forced-air system, the existing forced-air system including a blower, at least one of a heater and a cooler, a conditioned air plenum, and a plurality of air ducts, the zone climate control system comprising:
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a plurality of bladders, each disposed within a respective one of the air ducts; a plurality of air tubes, each coupled to a respective one of the bladders and extending through a respective one of the air ducts into the conditioned air plenum; a plurality of valves each coupled to a respective one of the air tubes; an air pump coupled to the plurality of valves to provide pressure and vacuum; and a computer-controlled valve actuator coupled to the plurality of valves for selectively coupling each air tube to a respective one of the pressure and the vacuum to accordingly inflate or deflate a respective one of the bladders and thereby block or pass air from the conditioned air plenum through the respective air duct; and a bypass air duct coupling the conditioned air plenum to an intake side of the blower. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A forced-air system comprising:
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a blower; at least one of a heater and a cooler coupled to the blower; a conditioned air plenum coupled to the at least one of a heater and a cooler; a plurality of air ducts coupled to the conditioned air plenum; a plurality of air vents each coupled to a respective one of the air ducts; at least one bladder, each disposed within a respective one of the air ducts; at least one air tube, each coupled to a respective bladder and extending from the respective bladder through the respective air duct into the conditioned air plenum; and an air pump coupled to the air tube to inflate and deflate the bladder; the at least one bladder comprises a plurality of bladders; the at least one air tube comprises a plurality of air tubes; a plurality of valves, each valve coupled between the air pump and a respective air tube; a plurality of valves, each valve coupled between the air pump and a respective air tube; a valve manifold coupled to the air pump and containing the plurality of valves; and a plurality of wireless thermometers each located substantially near a respective air vent; and an actuator for individually operating the valves to control inflation of the bladders and thereby determine whether each respective air vent emits conditioned air from the conditioned air plenum.
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36. A forced-air system comprising:
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a blower; at least one of a heater and a cooler coupled to the blower; a conditioned air plenum coupled to the at least one of a heater and a cooler; a plurality of air ducts coupled to the conditioned air plenum; a plurality of air vents each coupled to a respective one of the air ducts; at least one bladder, each disposed within a respective one of the air ducts; at least one air tube, each coupled to a respective bladder and extending from the respective bladder through the respective air duct into the conditioned air plenum; and an air pump coupled to the air tube to inflate and deflate the bladder; the at least one bladder comprises a plurality of bladders; the at least one air tube comprises a plurality of air tubes; a plurality of valves, each valve coupled between the air pump and a respective air tube; and a bypass air duct coupling the conditioned air plenum to an intake side of the blower. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification