Versatile HVAC sensor

• US 7,963,453 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mayer, Sylvain, Peterson, Jeremy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman; Marc E
• Application Number:
  US12/123,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20090283603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 236/44.A, 236/44.C, 236/49.3, 236/94, 621/27, 621/29, 621/761, 621/86
• US Class Current: 236/44.00A
• 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 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/70 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/72 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/22 the sensing element being a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An HVAC sensor is provided that includes a housing that houses a sensor. In some instances, a conduit is provided that has a first end that extends out the back of the HVAC sensor housing and adjacent to (and sometimes through) a hole in a duct of the HVAC system that is situated behind the HVAC sensor. The sensor itself may be positioned adjacent the other end of the conduit outside of the duct, and sometimes inside the housing of the HVAC sensor. The conduit may direct pressurized air emanating from the hole in the duct toward the sensor, thereby allowing the sensor to sense a parameter of the air in the duct without actually positioning the sensor within the duct.

Claims

1. An HVAC controller for use in conjunction with an HVAC system having a duct, the HVAC controller comprising:

a housing configured to be mounted external to the duct, the housing including a controller and a sensor, the controller in communication with the sensor, the sensor is mounted such that when the housing is mounted external to the duct, the sensor is positioned external to the duct; and

a conduit defined by conduit walls, the conduit having a first end and a second end, the first end of the conduit is configured to extend toward the duct of an HVAC system and adjacent a hole in the duct when such a hole is present, and the second end of the conduit is positioned adjacent to the sensor, such that the conduit can direct pressurized air emanating from the hole in the duct toward the sensor.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the conduit is formed by a movable element movable between at least a first position and a second position, wherein the conduit can direct pressurized air emanating from the hole in the duct, when present, toward the sensor when the movable element is in the first position, and does not direct pressurized air emanating from the hole in the duct, when present, toward the sensor when the movable element is in the second position.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein the housing includes one or more vents in fluid communication with an environment surrounding the housing, said one or more vents allowing air to pass from the environment to the sensor when the movable element is in the second position.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 3, wherein the movable element is positioned in the field into the first position when the sensor is to sense pressurized air emanating from a duct, and is positioned in the second position when the sensor is to sense the air that passes through the one or more vents.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system based, at least in part, on a parameter sensed by the sensor.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a carbon dioxide sensor.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a carbon monoxide sensor.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the conduit extends beyond a back side of the housing toward the duct for a sufficient distance such that the first end of the conduit can extend through a hole in the duct.

11. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system includes a fan that, when activated, creates the pressurized air in the duct, and wherein the controller is configured to not use readings from the sensor when controlling one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system when the fan of the HVAC system is deactivated.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system includes a fan that, when activated, creates the pressurized air in the duct, and wherein the controller is configured to use a first control algorithm to control one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system when the fan of the HVAC system is deactivated, and to use a second control algorithm when the fan of the HVAC system is activated.

13. A humidity sensor for monitoring humidity inside a room or for monitoring humidity inside a duct, the humidity sensor comprising:

a face plate;

a base plate having an aperture therethrough, the base plate having a first side facing the face plate and a second side facing away from the face plate;

one or more sidewall;

a humidity sensor positioned between the face plate and the base plate;

a controller;

a movable element movable between a first position and a second position, selectable at the time of installation; and

wherein the first position of the movable element configures the humidity sensor to sense an environment adjacent the first side of the base plate, and the second position of the movable element configures the humidity sensor to sense an environment on the second side of the base plate.

14. The humidity sensor of claim 13 wherein in the first position, the movable element places the humidity sensor in fluid communication with the environment on the first side of the base plate, and in the second position the movable element places the humidity sensor is in fluid communication with the environment on the second side of the base plate.

15. The humidity sensor of claim 13, wherein the movable element includes one or more of a partition and a conduit.

16. The humidity sensor of claim 13, wherein the movable element includes an electrical switch, wherein the first position of the electrical switch configures the humidity sensor to monitor the environment adjacent the first side of the base plate and the second position of the electrical switch configures the humidity sensor to monitor the environment adjacent the second side of the base plate when the pressure in the second environment is greater than the pressure in the first environment.