Fan disabling device

• US 7,481,261 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Duane M. Johnson, Keith E. Johnson
• Original Assignee: Duane M. Johnson, Keith E. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Keith E., Johnson, Duane M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric; Ljiljana (Lil) V
• Application Number:
  US11/097,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20060219382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 165/11.1, 165/11.2, 165/244, 165/267, 165/287, 165/120, 165/121, 165/122, 621/26, 236/49.3, 415/119, 340/544, 340/584, 340/588, 340/628, 454/256, 454/342, 454/343
• US Class Current: 165/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00757 by the input of sound, e.g. by using a voice synthesizer

Abstract

A control system for disabling the fan of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system upon the detection of an audible alarm, such as a smoke alarm. The preferred embodiment utilizes a tunable band pass filter/decibel level detector in conjunction with a microphone to detect an audible alarm. When an alarm is detected, the fan is disabled whether the HVAC is operating in heating, cooling, or manual fan “on” mode.

Claims

1. A fan disabling device for disabling the fan of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system when an audible alarm is sounded, wherein said system has a fan, an air-conditioning unit, a heating unit, and a thermostat including

i. an air-conditioning control line;

ii. a heating control line;

iii. a fan control line;

iv. an operating mode switch allowing a user to change the operating mode of said system between a heating mode and a cooling mode;

v. a fan switch allowing said user to change control of the fan mode of said system between automatic mode and on mode;

comprising;

a. an alarm detection module including

i. a microphone;

ii. a bandpass filter, electronically connected with said microphone, wherein said bandpass filter is configured to pass a range of frequencies corresponding to the frequencies emitted by said audible alarm;

iii. a decibel level detector, electronically connected with said microphone and said bandpass filter, wherein said decibel level detector is configured to identify signal levels corresponding to sound levels emitted by said audible alarm;

b. a first electrical switch, electronically connected to said alarm detection module, wherein said first electrical switch is configured to cause an open circuit in said fan control line when said audible alarm is detected by said alarm detection module;

c. a second electrical switch, electronically connected to said alarm detection module, wherein said second electrical switch is configured to cause an open circuit in said air-conditioning control line when said audible alarm is detected by said alarm detection module;

d. a third electrical switch, electronically connected to said alarm detection module, wherein said third electrical switch is configured to cause an open circuit in said heating control line when said audible alarm is detected by said alarm detection module.

2. The fan disabling device of claim 1, said alarm detection module further comprising a reset switch.

3. The fan disabling device of claim 2, wherein said bandpass filter and said decibel level detector are electrically connected in series.

4. The fan disabling device of claim 2, wherein said bandpass filter and said decibel level detector are electrically connected in a parallel configuration.

5. The fan disabling device of claim 1, wherein said bandpass filter and said decibel level detector are electrically connected in series.

6. The fan disabling device of claim 1, wherein said bandpass filter and said decibel level detector are electrically connected in a parallel configuration.