Control for a heating and/or cooling unit

• US 7,513,438 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Mueller, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman; Marc E
• Application Number:
  US11/204,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 623/31, 236/1.A, 236/1.B, 236/1.C, 236/78.B, 236/91.R, 236/91.E, 236/91.D, 236/51, 700/277, 165/205, 165/209, 165/212
• US Class Current: 236/1.00B
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0096 combined with domestic apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A climate control system having a heating and cooling unit is provided that includes one or more remote temperature sensors for transmitting sensed temperature, a combustion air blower, a burner, an igniter, a gas valve, a compressor relay and circulating air blower. A control mounted on the heating and cooling unit has a receiver for receiving the transmitted information, a plurality of switching devices for switching power to the combustion air blower, igniter, gas valve and circulating air blower to establish heating operation, and a plurality of switching devices for switching power to the compressor relay and circulation air blower to establish cooling operation. The control responsively controls the plurality of switching devices to establish heating operation where the sensed temperature of at least one remote sensor is below the heating set point, or to establish cooling operation when at a sensed temperature is above the cooling set point.

Claims

1. A control adapted to be mounted in a heating and cooling system having a combustion air blower, a gas valve, an igniter, a compressor relay and a circulating air blower, comprising:

one or more remote temperature sensors incapable of turning on the heating or cooling system, being disposed within a space to be conditioned by a heating and cooling system independent of a thermostat, which one or more remote temperature sensors transmit a value indicative of a sensed temperature;

a control mounted on a heating and cooling unit that is operated by the control to maintain a desired temperature in the space independent of a request signal for heating or cooling operation from a thermostat in the space;

a receiver means for receiving transmitted sensed temperature and temperature set point information from one or more remote temperature sensors within the space;

a plurality of switching means for switching power to the combustion air blower, igniter, gas valve and circulating air blower to establish heating operation;

a plurality of switching means for switching power to the compressor relay and circulation air blower to establish cooling operation; and

a microcomputer for receiving transmitted temperature information from the one or more remote temperature sensors and for controlling the plurality of switching means, wherein the microcontroller includes a program that is programmed by a user to establish a heating set point temperature and a cooling set point temperature of the control, where the microcontroller controls the plurality of switching means to establish heating operation, independent of a request signal for heating operation from a thermostat in the space, when at least one remote temperature sensor transmits a sensed temperature that is more than a predetermined amount below a desired heating set point temperature associated with the control, and responsively controls the plurality of switching means to establish cooling operation, independent of a request signal for cooling operation from a thermostat in the space, when at least one remote temperature sensor transmits a sensed temperature that is more than a predetermined amount above a desired cooling set point temperature associated with the control.

2. The control of claim 1 wherein the receiver means receives transmitted information via a wired connection with the one or more remote temperature sensors.

3. The control of claim 1 wherein the receiver means receives transmitted information via wireless radio frequency transmission.

4. The control of claim 1 wherein the microcomputer discontinues heating operation when the difference between the sensed temperature and the desired heating set point temperature is less than a preset amount.

5. The control of claim 1 wherein the microcomputer discontinues cooling operation when the difference between the sensed temperature and the desired cooling set point temperature is less than a preset amount.

6. The control of claim 1 wherein the sensed temperature information, the desired heating set point temperature, and the desired cooling set point temperature are transmitted from a hand held remote temperature sensor.

7. A control system for a heating unit having a combustion air blower, a gas valve, an igniter, and a circulating air blower, being located outside of the space being conditioned by the unit, comprising:

a space to be conditioned by a heating and cooling system, independent of a thermostat;

one or more remote temperature sensors that are incapable of turning on the heating or cooling system, which one or more remote temperature sensors are disposed within the space and transmit a value indicative of a sensed temperature;

a control mounted on a heating and cooling unit that is operated by the control to maintain a desired temperature in the space independent of a request signal for heating or cooling operation from a thermostat in the space;

a receiver means for receiving information wirelessly transmitted from a remote sensor within the space, which information comprises one of a value indicative of a sensed temperature for a space, a heating set point temperature, or a cooling set point temperature;

a switching device in connection with the combustion air blower motor for switching on the combustion air blower to supply air to a burner;

a switching device in connection with the igniter for switching on the igniter to ignite gas;

a switching device in connection with the gas valve for switching on the gas valve to supply gas to the burner for providing heating operation;

at least one switching device in connection with the circulating air blower motor for switching on the circulating air blower motor to establish at least a first blower speed for providing heated air to a space;

a switching device for switching on an outdoor compressor motor for providing cooling operation;

at least one switching device in connection with the circulating air blower motor for switching on the circulating air blower motor to establish at least a second blower speed for providing cooled air to a space; and

a microcomputer in connection with the receiving means and said switching devices, the microcomputer comprising a program that is programmed by a user to establish a heating set point temperature and a cooling set point temperature of the control, where the microcontroller controls the switching devices to establish heating operation, independent of a request signal for heating operation from a thermostat in the space, when at least one remote temperature sensor transmits a value indicative of a sensed temperature that is more than a predetermined amount below a desired heating set point temperature of the control, and for controlling the switching devices to establish cooling operation, independent of a request signal for cooling operation from a thermostat in the space, when at least one remote temperature sensor transmits a value indicative of a sensed temperature that is more than a predetermined amount above a desired cooling set point temperature of the control.

8. The control of claim 7 wherein the receiver means receives transmitted information via a radio frequency wireless connection with the one or more remote temperature sensors.

9. The control of claim 7 wherein the receiver means receives transmitted information via wireless radio frequency transmission.

10. The control of claim 7 wherein the microcomputer discontinues heating operation when the difference between the sensed temperature and the desired heating set point temperature is less than a preset amount.

11. The control of claim 7 wherein the microcomputer discontinues cooling operation when the difference between the sensed temperature and the desired cooling set point temperature is less than a preset amount.

12. The control of claim 7 wherein the sensed temperature information, the desired heating set point temperature, and the desired cooling set point temperature are transmitted from a hand held remote temperature sensor.

13. The control of claim 7 further comprising a temperature sensor within the return air ducting of the heating and cooling unit for providing a sensed temperature of the space in the absence of transmitted information from the one or more remote temperature sensors.

14. A climate control system having an indoor heating and cooling unit for providing conditioned air to a space, the climate control system comprising:

a space to be conditioned by a heating and cooling system, independent of a thermostat;

one or more remote temperature sensors that are incapable of turning on the heating or cooling system, being disposed within the space and configured to transmit a value indicative of a sensed temperature;

a control mounted on a heating and cooling unit that is operated by the control to maintain a desired temperature in the space independent of a request signal for heating or cooling operation from a thermostat in the space;

one or more remote temperature sensors within the space for wirelessly transmitting information, which information comprises one of a value indicative of a sensed temperature in the space, a heating set point temperature, or a cooling set point temperature, wherein the one or more remote temperature sensors are not capable of directly switching on the heating or cooling unit;

a combustion air blower for providing combustion air to a burner;

an igniter for igniting gas;

a gas valve for permitting gas flow to a burner to provide for heating operation;

a circulating air blower for circulating conditioned air to the space;

a wired local temperature sensor extending from the control to the return air duct of the heating and cooling unit for sensing temperature within the space; and

a control mounted away from the space within the indoor heating and cooling unit, the control being capable of receiving the transmitted information and switching on the combustion air blower, igniter, gas valve and circulating air blower to establish heating operation for heating the space, and switching on an outdoor compressor and the circulation air blower to establish cooling operation for cooling the space, wherein the control includes a microcomputer that includes a program that is programmed by a user to establish a heating set point temperature and a cooling set point temperature of the control, where the microcontroller controls switching to establish heating operation, independent of a request signal for heating operation from a thermostat in the space, upon receiving wirelessly transmitted information from at least one remote temperature sensor, or in the absence of temperature information from a remote temperature sensor the wired local temperature sensor, of a value indicative of a sensed temperature that is more than a predetermined amount below the desired heating set point temperature of the control, and responsively controls switching to establish cooling operation, independent of a request signal for cooling operation from a thermostat in the space, upon receiving wirelessly transmitted information from at least one remote temperature sensor, or in the absence of temperature information from a remote temperature sensor the wired local temperature sensor, of a value indicative of a sensed temperature that is more than a predetermined amount above the desired cooling set point temperature of the control.

15. The climate control system of claim 14, wherein control mounted on the indoor heating or cooling unit establishes heating or cooling operation independent of a heating or cooling signal from a thermostat within the space.

16. The climate control system of claim 15, wherein the one or more remote temperature sensors comprise input means for enabling user-selection of a desired heating set point temperature or a desired cooling set point temperature.

17. The control of claim 16 wherein the one or more remote temperature sensors transmit information via wireless radio frequency transmission, and the receiver means of the control is capable of receiving wireless radio frequency transmissions.

18. The control of claim 17 wherein the microcomputer discontinues heating operation when the difference between the sensed temperature and the desired heating set point temperature is less than a preset amount.

19. The control of claim 18 wherein the microcomputer discontinues cooling operation when the difference between the sensed temperature and the desired cooling set point temperature is less than a preset amount.

20. The climate control system of claim 14 further comprising a hand held remote temperature sensor capable of transmitting a user selected desired heating set point temperature, a user-selected desired cooling set point temperature, and a sensed temperature local to the hand held remote.