Room heater

• US 9,851,124 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
• Inventors: Kaneiwa, Satoshi, Nishiyama, Shihori
• Primary Examiner(s): Savani, Avinash
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEEAN, DEEPAK A
• Application Number:
  US14/543,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20150136863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• 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 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/80 for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/176 Improving or maintaining comfort of users
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/204 Temperature of the air before heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/254 Room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/31 of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/345 Control of fans, e.g. on-off control control of fans of heat pump units F24H15/375
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/36 of burners
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/486 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/065 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2085 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence

Abstract

A room heater is operated on receiving an on-command from a thermostat when a detected temperature detected by a second room-temperature detector falls below a first reference temperature, and is stopped on receiving an off-command when the temperature detected by the second room-temperature detector is above a second reference temperature that is set higher than the first reference temperature or when the thermostat is manually operated to be switched off. A setting temperature for temperature control to be carried out when the on-command is received again is updated according to a difference between the set temperature and the temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector on receiving the off-command. When the off-command is received before passing a predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, the updating of the set temperature is prohibited if the temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector is below a predetermined minimum lower reference temperature.

Claims

1. A room heater, comprising:

a first room-temperature detector; and

a controller configured to control temperature by adjusting an amount of heat to be provided to room air according to a difference between a detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector and a predetermined set temperature,

wherein a thermostat including a second room-temperature detector provided separately from the first room-temperature detector is coupled to the controller,

wherein the thermostat is configured to output an on-command when a detected temperature detected by the second room-temperature detector becomes a predetermined first reference temperature or below,

wherein the thermostat is configured to output an off-command when a detected temperature detected by the second room-temperature detector becomes a predetermined second reference temperature or above, or when the thermostat is manually operated to be switched off, the second reference temperature being set higher than the first reference temperature,

wherein the controller is configured to operate a heating element of the room heater on receiving an on-command from the thermostat,

wherein the controller is configured to stop the heating element of the room heater on receiving an off-command from the thermostat,

wherein the controller is configured to calculate an updated set temperature using a detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector on receiving the off-command from the thermostat and the set temperature as variables, the updated set temperature being used for controlling temperature when an on-command is received again,

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received before passing a predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, prohibit the updating of the set temperature if the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector is a predetermined minimum lower reference temperature or below, and

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received before passing a predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, perform the updating of the set temperature if the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector is above the predetermined minimum lower reference temperature.

2. The room heater according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received after passing the predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, prohibit the updating of the set temperature if an absolute value of a difference between the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector and the set temperature is a predetermined value or below, and

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received after passing the predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, perform the updating of the set temperature if an absolute value of a difference between the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector and the set temperature is above the predetermined value.

3. A room heater system, comprising:

a room heater comprising

a first room-temperature detector; and

a controller configured to control temperature by adjusting an amount of heat to be provided to room air according to a difference between a detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector and a predetermined set temperature, and

a thermostat including a second room-temperature detector provided separately from the first room-temperature detector of the room heater, the thermostat being coupled to the controller,

wherein the thermostat is configured to output an on-command when a detected temperature detected by the second room-temperature detector becomes a predetermined first reference temperature or below,

wherein the thermostat is configured to output an off-command when a detected temperature detected by the second room-temperature detector becomes a predetermined second reference temperature or above, or when the thermostat is manually operated to be switched off, the second reference temperature being set higher than the first reference temperature,

wherein the controller is configured to operate a heating element of the room heater on receiving an on-command from the thermostat,

wherein the controller is configured to stop the heating element of the room heater on receiving an off-command from the thermostat,

wherein the controller is configured to calculate an updated set temperature using a detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector on receiving the off-command from the thermostat and the set temperature as variables, the updated set temperature being used for controlling temperature when an on-command is received again,

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received before passing a predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, prohibit the updating of the set temperature if the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector is a predetermined minimum lower reference temperature or below, and

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received before passing a predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, perform the updating of the set temperature if the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector is above the predetermined minimum lower reference temperature.

4. The room heater system according to claim 3,

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received after passing the predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, prohibit the updating of the set temperature if an absolute value of a difference between the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector and the set temperature is a predetermined value or below, and

wherein the controller is configured to, when the off-command is received after passing the predetermined period of time after receiving the on-command, perform the updating of the set temperature if an absolute value of a difference between the detected temperature detected by the first room-temperature detector and the set temperature is above the predetermined value.