Unitary control for air conditioner and/or heat pump

• US 7,100,382 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Butler, William P., Jayanth, Nagaraj B., Drake, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Application Number:
  US10/836,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20050016191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 621/26, 621/29, 621/57, 622/30, 417/12, 417/15, 417/44.1, 417/44.11, 417/45
• US Class Current: 62/126
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/83 by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves

Abstract

A unitary control for operating at least the fan and compressor of a climate control apparatus in response to signals received from a thermostat, the unitary air conditioning control includes a circuit board, a microprocessor on the circuit board; a first relay on the circuit board operable by the microprocessor, to connect a fan connected thereto to line voltage, and having first and second contacts at least one of which is connected to the microprocessor; and a second relay on the circuit board operable by the microprocessor, to connect a fan connected thereto to line voltage, and having first and second contacts connected to the microprocessor.

Claims

1. A unitary control for operating at least the condenser fan and compressor of a climate control apparatus in response to signals received from a thermostat, the unitary control comprising:

at least one compressor relay having contacts for connecting power to a compressor motor;

at least one condenser fan relay having contacts for connecting power to a condenser fan motor; and

a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the at least one compressor relay to connect power to the at least one compressor motor in response to receiving signals from the thermostat, wherein the microprocessor initiates a response action in response to a current through the contacts of the at least one compressor relay that is below a threshold after a predetermined time of compressor motor operation, which current is symptomatic of a problem.

2. The unitary control of claim 1, further comprising a sensor in connection with the microprocessor, wherein the sensor senses the current through the contacts of the at least one compressor relay.

3. The unitary control of claim 2, wherein the symptom is a current through the contacts of the at least one compressor relay that is indicative of a locked rotor.

4. The unitary control of claim 2, wherein the symptom is a current through the contacts of the at least one compressor relay that is below a minimum threshold, when the microprocessor has operated the at least one compressor relay to connect power to the compressor motor.

5. The unitary control of claim 4, wherein the current that is below a minimum threshold is indicative of a motor winding failure.

6. The unitary control of claim 4, wherein the current that is below a minimum threshold is indicative of a lack of refrigerant charge.

7. The unitary control of claim 4, wherein the microprocessor initiates a response action of sending a fault signal.

8. The unitary control of claim 4, wherein the microprocessor initiates a response action of shutting down operation of the compressor.

9. The unitary control of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor controls the operation of the at least one condenser fan relay to connect power to the condenser fan motor.

10. The unitary control of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor initiates a response action in response to the symptom of a current through the contacts of the at least one compressor relay that is below a minimum threshold indicative of either a motor protector trip or a motor winding failure.

11. A unitary control for operating at least the condenser fan and compressor of a climate control apparatus in response to signals received from a thermostat, the unitary control comprising:

at least one compressor relay having contacts for connecting power to a compressor motor;

at least one condenser fan relay having contacts for connecting power to a condenser fan motor; and

a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the at least one compressor relay to connect power to the at least one compressor motor in response to receiving signals from the thermostat, wherein the microprocessor initiates a response action in response to a current through the contacts of the at least one compressor relay that drops below a threshold after a predetermined time of compressor motor operation indicating a motor protector trip.

12. A unitary control for operating at least the condenser fan and compressor of a climate control apparatus in response to signals received from a thermostat, the unitary control comprising:

at least one compressor relay having contacts for connecting power to a compressor motor;

at least one condenser fan relay having contacts for connecting power to a condenser fan motor; and

a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the at least one compressor relay to connect power to the at least one compressor motor in response to receiving signals from the thermostat, wherein the microprocessor initiates a response action in response to a current through the contacts of the at least one compressor relay that is symptomatic of the contacts of the at least one compressor relay being in a closed position.

13. The unitary control of claim 12, wherein the response action comprises the microprocessor operating the at least one compressor relay to open the contacts.