U.S. patent application number 14/761673 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-10 for device for influencing the room climate.
The applicant listed for this patent is OVENTROP GMBH & CO. KG. Invention is credited to Bernd ABEL, Stefan BRAMBRING, Georg RUMP.
Application Number | 20150354848 14/761673 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50478640 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150354848 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ABEL; Bernd ; et
al. |
December 10, 2015 |
Device for Influencing the room climate
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for influencing the room
climate which offers convenient operation at low costs with regard
to procurement, installation, and ongoing operation, in order to
influence the room climate in heated or air-conditioned rooms while
avoiding unnecessary energy losses, and which expands the
application range in the room air conditioning by means of a simple
retrofitting possibility. According to the invention, the control
apparatus for the room temperature is integrated into an electrical
measuring and display apparatus, which is intended as a room
operating apparatus for measuring, displaying, evaluating, and
providing room climate values, and adjustments to the control
apparatus are made by means of the room operating apparatus.
Inventors: |
ABEL; Bernd;
(Warstein-Belecke, DE) ; BRAMBRING; Stefan;
(Olsberg, DE) ; RUMP; Georg; (Olsberg,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
OVENTROP GMBH & CO. KG |
Olsberg |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
50478640 |
Appl. No.: |
14/761673 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
February 19, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DE2014/100063 |
371 Date: |
July 28, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
236/1C ;
236/51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 11/56 20180101;
F24F 11/62 20180101; F24F 11/52 20180101; F24F 11/83 20180101; F24F
11/30 20180101; F24F 2110/10 20180101 |
International
Class: |
F24F 11/00 20060101
F24F011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 20, 2013 |
DE |
10 2013 101 684.7 |
Claims
1. A control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms, wherein a control unit for room temperature is integrated
into an electric measurement and display apparatus that is provided
as a room controller for the measurement, display, evaluation and
supply of room climate variables, and adjustments can be made on it
by the room controller.
2. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms according to claim 1, wherein at least one element is
installed in a heated and air-conditioned rooms for heating or
cooling using an activatable electronic control element, the
activatable electronic control element having inputs and outputs
for data communication with the room controller.
3. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms according to claim 2, wherein the room controller and the
activatable electronic control element have wireless transmitters
and receivers.
4. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms according to claim 1, wherein the room controller together
with the sensors, the integrated control unit for the room
temperature or the activatable electronic control element are
powered via batteries or line power.
5. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms in particular according to claim 1, wherein the room
controller is supplied with power by batteries in a first variant
and can be retrofitted to a second variant that is supplied with
line power.
6. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms according to claim 5, wherein the room controller has a
battery compartment for power supply by batteries, the battery
compartment can be closed with a cover plate and the cover plate is
designed for supplying power via line power or is connected to line
power in order to ensure a power supply to the room controller.
7. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms according to claim 6, wherein the cover plate forms the back
part of the room controller and is designed either as a stand for
free setup or as a mounting device for the wall.
8. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms according to claim 6, wherein the remaining free interior of
the battery compartment in the power supply to the room controller
by line power is an installation space that accommodates additional
components for expanding the function of the device for display of
the room climate.
9. The control system for room climate in heated or air-conditioned
rooms according to claim 8, wherein the components in the battery
compartment include one or more electronic components for example,
sensors or actuators that can accommodate and influence the room
climate data.
10. The control system for room climate in heated or
air-conditioned rooms according to claim 9, wherein sensors
installed in the battery compartment detect measured data about the
room air quality and display, evaluate and supply this data by the
device for display of the room climate and supply the data for data
communication.
11. The control system for room climate in heated or
air-conditioned rooms according to claim 10, wherein at least one
sensor installed in the battery compartment detects the
carbon-dioxide CO.sub.2 level in the room air, the CO.sub.2 sensor
being connected to an electronic circuit board and the two together
are accommodated in the battery compartment and the battery
compartment is covered by the cover plate.
12. The control system for room climate in heated or
air-conditioned rooms in particular according to claim 1, wherein
the room controller detects the change in at least one room climate
value over time by forming a gradient and using this to influence
the room climate value(s).
13. The control system for room climate in heated or
air-conditioned rooms according to claim 12, wherein the gradient
is formed from the change in the CO.sub.2 level of the room air
over time and is used by the room controller to control the energy
input for the room heating and or room air conditioning.
14. The control system for room climate in heated or
air-conditioned rooms according to claim 12, wherein the change in
at least one room climate value over time is initiated by manual
ventilation measures, such as for example, window ventilation.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a control system for room climate
in a heated or air-conditioned room.
[0002] An apparatus and equipment is known in the prior art for
measuring, displaying and evaluating climate data, and both
interior room data and values for the outside climate can be
detected. A climate-measuring device is also known that displays a
need for ventilation based on the measured data by comparing the
measured values with set points. In particular room climate systems
are known that open or close the windows in the room by motor
drives. Such an embodiment can be retrofitted only at high
cost.
[0003] There are also known room climate-control devices that
display not only the need for ventilation by manual ventilation
through windows but also activate a ventilation system with or
without heat recovery. Such systems are also highly complex and are
accordingly expensive to acquire. Retrofitting of existing
facilities is associated with a high cost. Systems are also known
that reduce or turn off the power of the heating or cooling source.
Such systems have integrated electronic contacts on the windows,
for example, so that they are controlled by temperature measurement
and also by electronic contact in opening and closing the windows.
Such systems also require extremely cost-intensive measures.
[0004] Know systems have displayed status data about the room
climate and to some extent also the need for ventilation, but they
offer little or no inexpensive options of having a direct influence
on the room temperature control. This may result in energy losses
or an inferior room climate because the power of the heating and/or
cooling system, in conjunction with window ventilation that has
already been implemented, may not be reduced or resumed or this may
be done too early or too late. The status data on the room climate
may be shown on a desk-top or wall-mounted display. An apparatus
that controls the room temperature and offers the option of
presetting the set point are separate from this. Not only is this
not user-friendly, because two devices must be installed, operated
and handled, but it is also inconvenient and expensive.
Furthermore, there is no functional relationship among the devices
with one another.
[0005] Another disadvantage of the battery-operated display
apparatus known in the prior art is that it is impossible to
display room climate parameters that can be detected only by
sensors with a higher energy consumption, as in the case of
CO.sub.2 sensors, for example.
[0006] In this case, a new display or an accessory device would
have to be used.
[0007] Systems for improving room climate by automatic ventilation
systems with control of fans or window drives are also associated
with high costs.
[0008] In particular, hard-wired window contacts that relay the
"open window detected" signal to a room temperature regulator for a
forced room temperature reduction, necessitate a high installation
expense, which is an extreme disadvantage in the retrofitting
business in particular because of the structural interventions
required.
[0009] In systems with open window detection, by a drop in room
temperature in a predefined interval of time, there is the problem
that minor or gradual changes in temperature cannot be evaluated at
all or cannot be evaluated reliably, for example, in the case of
tilt ventilation windows. Such systems are also practically useless
when there are minor differences in temperature between the
interior and the outside. The same thing is true when, for example,
with large rooms, the temperature drops slowly in ventilation
because the incoming cold outside air, for example, does not strike
the room temperature sensor directly.
[0010] Therefore, if the temperature gradient is too low, it may
even happen that no open window detection is reported to the room
temperature regulator and the regulator then even counteracts this
by the temperature change initiated by the opened window.
[0011] Against the background of this prior art, the object of the
present invention is to create a device of the generic type that
will provide a convenient operating option for influencing the room
climate in heated or air-conditioned rooms at a low cost with
regard to procurement, installation and ongoing operation, while
avoiding unnecessary energy losses and expanding the scope of
application in room air conditioning by a simple retrofitting
option.
[0012] To solve this problem, the invention proposes that a control
device for the room climate, in particular for the room
temperature, is integrated into an electric measurement and display
that is provided as a room controller for the measurement, display,
evaluation and supply of room climate variables and to perform
settings on it by the room controller.
[0013] Such a device combines the measurement and display of room
climate values with the control of room temperature and allows one
to visualize all room climate values on just one display screen and
user interface and to make adjustments. Thanks to this combination,
the installation cost is greatly reduced and thus the cost of
visualization and adjustment of the room climate is reduced.
[0014] Furthermore, room climate data can be evaluated directly and
used for room temperature control so that unnecessary energy losses
are avoided in performing ventilation measures.
[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the device according
to the invention when at least one element is installed in the
heated and air-conditioned rooms for heating or cooling using an
activatable electronic control element, the activatable electronic
control element has inputs and outputs for data communication with
the room controller. The values transmitted by the room controller
for activating the electronic control element can directly take
into account information from the evaluation of the room climate
parameters in doing so.
[0016] To display the room climate and its improvement by taking
into account simplified technical ventilation measures, such as
window ventilation, for example, and to reduce heating and/or
cooling energy losses during these technical ventilation measures,
an important advantage is achieved, wherein the device is comprised
of an electronic room controller that measures room climate data,
such as, for example, carbon dioxide, moisture, odoriferous
substances and temperature by suitable sensors and/or receives,
displays and evaluates data from external sensors and makes this
data available by outputs for data communication and there is a
control device for the room temperature and communicates with an
electronic control element that can be activated by the control
device for valves for adjusting the volume flow in the heating or
cooling system.
[0017] It is associated with even less installation expense if
transmission and reception units are integrated into the room
controller and if the activatable electronic control element for
data communication by radio. Furthermore, this yields the advantage
that the data communication with several electronic control
elements installed in a room, for example, on heating elements can
be established simultaneously.
[0018] One advantageous embodiment of the device that is regarded
as inventive independently, is derived with respect to its power
supply through the optional equipment with batteries or connection
to an electric power grid. In this way, on the one hand, the
installation expense can be further reduced, while on the other
hand, a power supply by way of line voltage can be retrofitted
using the same equipment.
[0019] It is particularly advantageous in retrofitting if the room
controller has a battery compartment for the power supply using
batteries, this battery compartment being closable by a cover plate
that is designed as an electric line-power part for power supply
via line voltage or is connected by a power cable to such line
power. By such accessories, the room controller can be switched
from battery supply to line power very rapidly and at a low cost
without having to make any additional changes in the room
controller.
[0020] In a preferred application, the cover plate is forms the
back part of the room controller or is designed as a stand for a
desktop installation or as a wall mounting device.
[0021] In the case of power supply by line voltage, a particularly
advantageous design of the room controller is obtained because then
the interior space of the battery compartment remains empty and
additional components for expanding functions of the device for
display of the room climate can be integrated into this space.
[0022] An advantageous expansion of function is obtained due to the
fact that the electronic components such as sensors, for example,
for detecting additional room climate data in the interior space of
the battery compartment are used, these electronic components being
represented by the device for display of the room climate
displayed, evaluated and made available for data communication.
[0023] A preferred application is from the use of a sensor for
detecting the carbon dioxide CO.sub.2 level of room air along with
an electronic circuit board accommodated as a unit in the interior
of the battery compartment and sealed by the cover plate.
[0024] A particularly advantageous expansion of function that can
be regarded as inventive independently, is obtained by detecting
the changes in the room climate data over time, forming a gradient
with this data and using it to influence the room climate
values.
[0025] If the gradient is formed from measured CO.sub.2 values, it
may be used advantageously by the room controller to control the
power supply for the room heating and/or room air conditioning.
[0026] The formation of the gradient is triggered here in a
suitable manner by a manual ventilation measure, for example,
window ventilation, because a high CO.sub.2 level in room air drops
very rapidly when a window is opened.
[0027] Conversely, the CO.sub.2 level in the room air also rises
again when the window is closed. In the meantime the energy supply
for heating or cooling may constitute unnecessary power
consumption, so the gradient is used as a signal for ramping down
the heating or cooling system.
[0028] Embodiments of the invention are described in greater detail
below with reference the drawings in which:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a basic diagram of the device for display of the
room climate;
[0030] FIG. 2 shows a room controller with a display and control
unit;
[0031] FIG. 3 is a back view of the room controller with the
battery compartment;
[0032] FIG. 4 shows a cover plate for the back of the room
controller;
[0033] FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4, but with a power cable;
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a stand for free installation of the room
controller;
[0035] FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 3, with components for expanding
the functions;
[0036] FIG. 8 shows the change in a room climate value over time
for forming a gradient.
[0037] FIG. 1 shows in a basic diagram a device for display of room
climate values set up in a room. The window F is a manual
ventilation device. The apparatus consists of an electronic room
controller 1 that monitors the room climate data using its own
sensors or receives this data wirelessly from external sensors,
then evaluates the data and makes it available at outputs (for
example radio sensors) for data communication. A control element
for the room temperature is integrated into the room
controller.
[0038] The front side of the rectangular room controller 1 has a
display screen 1' that shows data measured by sensors, for example,
the temperature, the carbon-dioxide level and the relative
atmospheric humidity. The device contains corresponding electronic
sensors that are connected via an electronic intelligence, for
example, a data memory or a processor connected to one another and
to the display means of the display 1'. At the same time, the
electronic intelligence communicates with an output device
integrated into the apparatus, for example, a radio transmitter by
means of which control signals that are used to adjust an
activatable electronic control element S, are generated by the
control unit that is also integrated into the apparatus and/or used
on a heating or cooling element H, for example. The corresponding
electronic components are engaged in communication by the
corresponding inputs and outputs.
[0039] FIG. 2 shows the operating elements 2 of the control unit,
with which settings of set points, for example, are set or
intervals of time can be programmed and stored in an electronic
memory accommodated in the apparatus housing, for example, and/or
can be processed.
[0040] Another component of the device for display of room climate
values is an electronic control element 3 that can be activated by
the room controller for a valves V mounted on a heater H to adjust
the volume flow in this illustrated embodiment. To be able to
receive control commands and to send position messages, the control
element has inputs and outputs for data communication, in
particular with the radio sensor of the room controller 1.
[0041] The room controller 1 can be powered by batteries or by line
voltage.
[0042] In this regard, FIG. 3 shows a battery compartment 4 on the
back 5 of the room controller 1. When batteries have been inserted,
the battery compartment 4 is closed by a cover plate 6 shown in
FIG. 4, and, at the same time, forms the back wall of the room
controller 1 and is inserted into a housing of the room controller
1 according to the tongue-and-groove principle.
[0043] Two contacts 7 are provided directly beneath the battery
compartment 4. In the case of power supply via line voltage, these
contacts are contacted by the respective opposing contacts 8 of a
cover plate (see FIG. 5). This cover plate 6 here has an electric
power cable S that establishes a power connection to line power,
for example. It also forms the back wall of the room controller
1.
[0044] Both versions of the cover plate 6 have additional elements
14 for wall mounting and also for mounting on a flush mounting
box.
[0045] FIG. 6 shows a third version of the cover plate 6 that
functions as a stand 9 for a free-standing installation, for
example, on a table. A fourth version (not shown here) also has the
contacts described above and a power cable.
[0046] FIG. 7 shows a special feature of the invention. No
batteries are needed when the room controller 1 is supplied with
line power, so that the interior 10 of the battery compartment 11
remains empty.
[0047] This offers the possibility of introducing additional
components 12 for expanding the function of the apparatus for
display of the room climate. The components may advantageously be
sensors or actuators that are used to detect room air quality. The
components may be CO.sub.2 sensors in particular. When using the
cover plate 6 according to FIG. 5, the room controller 1 equipped
in this way can be put into operation immediately.
[0048] Due to the fact that, according to claim 1 of the invention,
the room controller 1 also holds the control unit for the room
temperature and, as described previously, additional room climate
values, such as the carbon-dioxide level in the room air, can be
detected, this yields another special feature. In this feature, the
change in at least one room climate value over time is described by
forming a gradient by an electronic unit of the room controller 1
and this gradient is used for influencing the room climate
value(s). FIG. 8 shows one such trend 13 of a room climate value
over time as an example. A gradient that is the result of a drop in
a room climate variable, for example, can be used for intervening
in the control of the room temperature. For example, in the case of
a decline in the CO.sub.2 level of the room air due to window
ventilation, the gradient thus formed may be used for a reduction
in the power supply to the heating or cooling system to save on
power during the ventilation phase. Conversely, when the window is
closed, the gradient formed due to the increasing trend in the
CO.sub.2 level can be utilized to reactivate the power supply.
* * * * *