GB2479910A - Thermostat apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system - Google Patents

Thermostat apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2479910A
GB2479910A GB1007126A GB201007126A GB2479910A GB 2479910 A GB2479910 A GB 2479910A GB 1007126 A GB1007126 A GB 1007126A GB 201007126 A GB201007126 A GB 201007126A GB 2479910 A GB2479910 A GB 2479910A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
thermostat
portable
wall mounted
heating system
room
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB1007126A
Other versions
GB201007126D0 (en
Inventor
David Stapleton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB1007126A priority Critical patent/GB2479910A/en
Publication of GB201007126D0 publication Critical patent/GB201007126D0/en
Priority to GB1107158A priority patent/GB2480009A/en
Publication of GB2479910A publication Critical patent/GB2479910A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D23/00—Control of temperature
    • G05D23/19—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D23/1917—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means using digital means
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
    • F24F11/30—Control or safety arrangements for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
    • F24D19/00—Details
    • F24D19/10—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
    • F24D19/00—Details
    • F24D19/10—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F24D19/1006—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heating systems
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
    • F24D19/00—Details
    • F24D19/10—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F24D19/1006—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heating systems
    • F24D19/1009—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heating systems for central heating
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
    • F24F11/50—Control or safety arrangements characterised by user interfaces or communication
    • F24F11/52—Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
    • F24F11/50—Control or safety arrangements characterised by user interfaces or communication
    • F24F11/56—Remote control
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
    • F24F11/62—Control or safety arrangements characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
    • F24F11/63—Electronic processing
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F2110/00—Control inputs relating to air properties
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D23/00—Control of temperature
    • G05D23/19—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D23/1902—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means characterised by the use of a variable reference value
    • G05D23/1905—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means characterised by the use of a variable reference value associated with tele control
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
    • F24F11/62—Control or safety arrangements characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
    • F24F11/63—Electronic processing
    • F24F11/65—Electronic processing for selecting an operating mode
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F2110/00—Control inputs relating to air properties
    • F24F2110/10—Temperature

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Fuzzy Systems (AREA)
  • Mathematical Physics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Atmospheric Sciences (AREA)
  • Air Conditioning Control Device (AREA)
  • Domestic Hot-Water Supply Systems And Details Of Heating Systems (AREA)

Abstract

An apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system in a building is disclosed, comprising a portable thermostat 100 and a wall mounted thermostat 200. The portable thermostat includes a transmitter, a receiver, and controls 102 for communicating with the wall mounted thermostat. The wall mounted thermostat includes a transmitter, a receiver, and controls 202 for controlling the heating system. The portable thermostat may have a screen 104 and the wall mounted thermostat may have a screen 204. Preferably, the portable thermostat is adapted to be carried and may include at least a handle, a belt hook, a clip, finger grips or a lanyard. The apparatus may comprise more than one wall mounted thermostat, where the portable thermostat communicates with the closest of the wall mounted thermostats. Furthermore, the apparatus may comprise more than one portable thermostat, where multiple users can control the heating system. In use, the apparatus is designed to provide a user with a portable thermostat which they may carry with them from room to room of a building to automatically adjust the temperature of the occupied room.

Description

Portable Central Heating Thermostat
Background of the Invention
[1] The present invention relates to temperature regulation in domestic heating systems.
[2] Heating thermostats are known in the art. For example, NL 1013038 to Sanders discloses a thermostat device for domestic central heating systems. The ambient temperature in a room is measured and fed into a microprocessor, then integrated using a software program in order to give an accurate reading, before being displayed via an LED display. A push button in the device is used to move the thermostat control temperature up and down the LED display scale.
[3] Furthermore, DE 19520143 to Bohn discloses a temperature regulation system for a central heating system. The heated water from a boiler is supplied through a feed pipe to a.
radiator and is then returned to the boiler. Two temperature sensors monitor feed and return pipe temperatures and the signals from the sensors are processed to provide values that are multiplied by a variable that is a function of the regulator output. The regulator then compares the modified signals with the reference to generate the error signal applied to adjust the thermostat valve.
[4] Heating controls remote from a central thermostat are known in the art. DE 4221094 to Jakob, for example, discloses a room temperature control system that uses signals generated by a remote controller connected to the regulator of the hot water boiler. The remote controller has a transmitter that outputs program data over the wireless link to signal receivers mounted on the thermostat valves of radiators located in different rooms.
Temperature sensors on feed and return lines provide signals for the on-off control of the boiler. Changes in operating point can be provided using the remote controller. The apparatus thereby allows individual room temperature control using remote controllers.
Brief Summary of the Invention
[5] It can be seen from the forgoing that a need has arisen for thermostats in individual rooms to separately control the temperatures of the rooms. It would be advantageous to have a single thermostat which a user could carry with them from room to room, which would adjust the temperature of the occupied room automatically as the user carries it around.
[6] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable thermostat for a central heating system which is adapted to be carried from room to room by a user.
[7] To this end, an apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system in a building is disclosed, comprising: a wall mounted thermostat and a portable thermostat. The wall mounted thermostat comprises a transmitter, a receiver, and means for controlling said heating system. The portable thermostat comprises a transmitter, a receiver, and means for communicating with said walled thermostat.
[8] An advantage of the present invention is that the heating is turned off when the occupied room reaches the desired temperature, reducing the overall fuel consumption compared with a central heating system having a fixed thermostat in, for example, a hallway as is common. A further advantage is that the portable thermostat is adapted to be easy to carry around. A yet further advantage is that multiple users can carry portable thermostats to heat different rooms. A yet further advantage is that individual heating appliances can be controlled by different wall mounted thermostats.
Brief Description of the Several Views of the Drawing [9] The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings, in which: [10] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the handheld unit of the present invention; and [11] Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the wall mounted unit of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[12] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system in a building is disclosed, comprising: a wall mounted thermostat and a portable thermostat. The wall mounted thermostat comprises a transmitter, a receiver, and means for controlling said heating system. The portable thermostat comprises a transmitter, a receiver, and means for communicating with said walled thermostat.
[13] Figure 1 shows the portable thermostat. It is contained in a housing 100 and preferably further comprises a screen 104 and a handle 106 as shown although these are not necessary components of the invention. The means for communicating with said walled thermostat comprise controls 102, which are shown as push buttons, but may also be dial, levers, touch pads, touch screens or other control means known in the art, external to the housing, and electronic switches, PCBs, or the like as known in the art internal to the housing.
[141 The portable thermostat is preferably adapted to be carried. It may comprise any or all of: a handle 106 as shown, a belt hook, a clip, finger grips, a lanyard, or other means adapting the portable thermostat to be carried and/or worn as a user moves about a building.
[15] The housing may comprise ABS, polypropylene or any suitable engineering polymer or other material and may take any shape which may be functional or decorative and preferably is as shown in the figure to co-ordinate with the wall mounted thermostat.
[161 The screen is preferably an LCD screen since this is simple, inexpensive and suitable for this purpose but it may also be LED, CRT, plasma or any screen type known in the art.
[17] The transmitter and receiver of the wall mounted and portable thermostats may be any suitable transmitter and receiver known in the art, for example infrared, radiowave, Bluetooth, optical or any transmitters and receivers, and are preferably wireless but may also use optical or electrical cables to communicate.
[18] Figure 2 shows the wall mounted thermostat. It is contained in a housing 200 which may comprise ABS, polypropylene or any suitable engineering polymer or other material and may take any shape which may be functional or decorative and preferably is as shown in the figure to co-ordinate with the
portable thermostat.
[19] The means for controlling said heating system preferably comprises push buttons 202 as shown in the figure but may also comprise dials, levers, touch pads, touch screens or other control means known in the art, external to the housing, and electronic switches, PCBs, or the like as known in the art internally.
[201 The wall mounted thermostat preferably further comprises a screen 204 which is preferably an LCD screen since this is simple, inexpensive and suitable for this purpose but it may also be LED, CRT, plasma or any screen type known in the art.
[21] In a second embodiment, the apparatus comprises more than one wall mounted thermostat, for example, one in each room of a home. The wall mounted thermostats may each be connected to only one or only some radiators (or under-floor heating pipes or other heating means), for example the radiator or radiators in the same room as that thermostat. In this way, the portable thermostat communicates with the closest wall mounted thermostat and thereby with the nearest radiator or other heating means only, bypassing the rest of the heating system. This ensures that only the radiators necessary to heat the occupied room to the required temperature are turned on, and not any other radiators, thus reducing fuel consumption.
[221 In a third embodiment, the apparatus comprises more than one portable thermostat, wherein multiple users can control said heating system. In this way, if a first user is in a first room with a first portable thermostat and sets the temperature, for example, to 20°C, the heating system will be on until the first room reaches 20°C. At this point, the heating turns off.
However if a second user with a second portable thermostat is in a second room which is currently at a temperature of 18°C, the second portable thermostat will communicate with the wall mounted thermostat to turn the heating system on until the second room reaches 20°C.
[23] It will be readily understood in this case that there is a possibility of the heating system receiving conflicting information from multiple thermostats. Such a system must therefore also comprise PCBs or the like in the thermostats, which are progrartuned to provide information as to which thermostat overrides in the case of a conflict. It may be possible that only one parent' thermostat comprises temperature setting means, while all other thermostats follow the temperature set by the parent and ensure that other occupied rooms are set to that temperature.
[24] Alternatively the portable thermostats may all comprise control means and thereby be able to set a desired temperature.
The portable thermostats may be programmed to have priority orders. They may comprise a FCB which is programmed as known in the art to provide information to the wall mounted thermostat as to which portable thermostat overrides the others in the case of a conflict.
[25] Alternatively it may be possible, with multiple wall mounted thermostats connected individually to radiators as described above in the second embodiment, for each portable thermostat to comprise temperature setting means and for each room to be controlled individually. In this case the portable thermostats comprise a PCB which is programmed as known in the art to provide information to the wall mounted thermostat as to which portable thermostat overrides the others in the case that they are in the same room or in the region of the same wall mounted thermostat.
[26] It will be readily understood that electronic components known in the art will enable many programmes and functions to be set in the wall mounted and portable thermostats of the present invention, not all of which are described herein, for example presetting of temperatures at different times, communication means between thermostats, etc, and that the invention is intended to include such programmes and functions.

Claims (5)

  1. Claims 1. An apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system in a building comprising: a wall mounted thermostat comprising a transmitter, a receiver, and means for controlling said heating system; and a portable thermostat comprising a transmitter, a receiver, and means for communicating with said walled thermostat.
  2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said portable thermostat is adapted to be carried.
  3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said portable thermostat comprises at least one selected from the list comprising: a handle, a belt hook, a clip, finger grips, a lanyard.
  4. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising more than one wall mounted thermostat; wherein said portable thermostat communicates with the closest of said wall mounted thermostats.
  5. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising more than one portable thermostat, wherein multiple users can control said heating system.
GB1007126A 2010-04-29 2010-04-29 Thermostat apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system Withdrawn GB2479910A (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1007126A GB2479910A (en) 2010-04-29 2010-04-29 Thermostat apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system
GB1107158A GB2480009A (en) 2010-04-29 2011-04-28 Control unit for use with space heating and cooling systems such as HVAC

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1007126A GB2479910A (en) 2010-04-29 2010-04-29 Thermostat apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB201007126D0 GB201007126D0 (en) 2010-06-09
GB2479910A true GB2479910A (en) 2011-11-02

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GB1007126A Withdrawn GB2479910A (en) 2010-04-29 2010-04-29 Thermostat apparatus for efficiently controlling a heating system
GB1107158A Withdrawn GB2480009A (en) 2010-04-29 2011-04-28 Control unit for use with space heating and cooling systems such as HVAC

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB1107158A Withdrawn GB2480009A (en) 2010-04-29 2011-04-28 Control unit for use with space heating and cooling systems such as HVAC

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CN102418983A (en) * 2011-11-11 2012-04-18 合肥海尔空调器有限公司 Method for monitoring air conditioner through network and air conditioner
JP5333565B2 (en) * 2011-11-16 2013-11-06 株式会社富士通ゼネラル Air conditioner
EP2653945B1 (en) 2012-04-19 2016-06-15 Schneider Electric Buildings LLC Association of a portable sensor device in a building management system
CN102705965A (en) * 2012-06-08 2012-10-03 广东志高空调有限公司 Air conditioner controlled by mobile intelligent terminal
DE102013017204B4 (en) * 2013-10-16 2023-06-29 tado GmbH Retrofit set for heating control
CN104748328B (en) * 2015-03-31 2018-07-13 美的集团股份有限公司 The control system and method for air conditioner
US10365619B2 (en) * 2015-06-16 2019-07-30 Abb Schweiz Ag Technologies for optimally individualized building automation
WO2017164759A1 (en) * 2016-03-23 2017-09-28 Рамиль Закизянович ХАБИБУЛЛИН Climate stabilization method in field of entity comfort

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DE19511352A1 (en) * 1995-03-28 1996-10-02 Stiebel Eltron Gmbh & Co Kg Room thermostat household or building heating control system
US7108194B1 (en) * 2004-06-01 2006-09-19 Hankins Ii Robert E Remote controlled thermostat system for the sight-impaired
WO2008054938A2 (en) * 2006-10-31 2008-05-08 Tonerhead, Inc. Wireless temperature control system

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GB2197106A (en) * 1986-11-04 1988-05-11 Christopher Douglas Monitoring and control system
US5419489A (en) * 1994-01-18 1995-05-30 Burd; Alexander L. Mobile thermostat to control space temperature in the building
US6663010B2 (en) * 2001-01-22 2003-12-16 Meritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, Llc Individualized vehicle settings
ES2706849T3 (en) * 2004-09-28 2019-04-01 Daikin Ind Ltd Environment management device, environment management system, environment management method and environment management program
JP2007132616A (en) * 2005-11-11 2007-05-31 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Air conditioning system

Patent Citations (3)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19511352A1 (en) * 1995-03-28 1996-10-02 Stiebel Eltron Gmbh & Co Kg Room thermostat household or building heating control system
US7108194B1 (en) * 2004-06-01 2006-09-19 Hankins Ii Robert E Remote controlled thermostat system for the sight-impaired
WO2008054938A2 (en) * 2006-10-31 2008-05-08 Tonerhead, Inc. Wireless temperature control system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB201107158D0 (en) 2011-06-08
GB201007126D0 (en) 2010-06-09
GB2480009A (en) 2011-11-02

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