Automatic temperature and humidity regulation – With timing element – Timer other than clock
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-11
2001-05-01
Wayner, William (Department: 3744)
Automatic temperature and humidity regulation
With timing element
Timer other than clock
C165S267000, C219S492000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223992
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timer device for establishing time zones and operation statuses of an air-conditioning unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some known air-conditioning units such as FF (Forced-Flue) type air heaters and air-conditioners are programmable by the user with a timer to establish data with respect to a time zone from a start-of-operation time to an end-of operation time and operation statuses such as a desired room temperature in the time zone, and will operate according to the data programmed with the timer. Certain timers for use with air-conditioning units are capable of establishing time zones and operation statuses for different days. For example, one known timer divides one week into a plurality of groups of days, i.e., an off-day group of Sunday and Saturday, and an weekday group of the other days of the week. The timer can establish data respectively for the off-day group and the weekday group. Another known timer can establish data respectively for different days of the week.
With data thus established in advance for the respective days of the week using the timer, the air-conditioning unit can be operated only in the selected time zones at which the user wants the air-conditioning unit to air-condition the room to keep the room comfortable. Since the air-conditioning unit is turned off in the other time zones at which the user does not want the air-conditioning unit to air-condition the room, unwanted fuel consumption by the air-conditioning unit can be avoided.
If the timer is of the type which can establish data respectively for the off-day group and the weekday group, then different time zones cannot be established for individual days, e.g., a time zone only for Wednesday cannot be established so as to be different from time zones for other days in the weekday group. The timer of this type is thus not convenient to use. The timer that is of the type which can establish data, e.g., time zones and operation statuses, for the individual days of the week is also disadvantageous in that the user has to establish time zones, one by one, for the days ranging from Monday through Sunday. Even if the time zones to be established are all identical to each other, the user is required to carry out the setting process for all the days of the week, i.e., to repeat the same setting process seven times for the week. The entire setting process is therefore a tedious and time-consuming task.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved air-conditioning system with a timer device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a timer device which is capable of easily and flexibly establishing time zones and operation statuses for an air-conditioning unit.
To achieve the above objects, there is provided in accordance with the present invention an air-conditioning system comprising an air-conditioning unit, timer setting means for establishing data including at least one time zone in the time of one day and an operation status in the time zone for the air-conditioning unit, memory means for storing the data established by the timer setting means, and operation control means for controlling operation of the air-conditioning unit according to the data stored by the memory means. The timer setting means includes first setting means for establishing the data altogether for all days of the week, second setting means for establishing the data for a plurality of groups divided from the days of the week, and third setting means for establishing the data individually for the days of the week. The first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means are selected by the timer setting means to establish the data, and each time new data is established by either one of the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means, the timer setting means corrects the data stored by the memory means into the new data and stores the new data in the memory means.
The user can establish the data altogether for all the days of the week by the first setting means. Therefore, if common time zones and operation statuses are to be established for all the days of the week, they can easily be established by the first setting means. The days of the week may be divided into a plurality of groups, and the data can be established for the groups by the second setting means. For example, if one week is divided into a plurality of groups, e.g., an off-day group and a weekday group, then time zones and operation statuses can be established for the off-day and weekday groups by the second setting means. The data can also be established individually for the days of the week by the third setting means. Since different time zones can be established individually for the days of the week, the time zones can flexibly be established such that the air-conditioning unit will start a heating process early in the morning on weekdays and late in the morning in off-days.
Each time new data is established by either one of the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means, the timer setting means corrects the data stored by the memory means into the new data and stores the new data in the memory means. Consequently, after time zones and operation statuses have been established altogether for all the days of the week or the groups by the first setting means or the second setting means, if data different from those for other days are established for a certain day by the third setting means, then the stored data for the certain day is corrected into the data established for the certain day, and stored in the memory means. The stored data for the other days are not corrected. Therefore, the air-conditioning unit can flexibly be programmed by the third setting means.
If the user correct the data altogether for all the days of the week or the groups while data have been established individually for the days of the week by the third setting means, then the user can establish new data with the first setting means or the second setting means for correcting the existing data altogether for all the days of the week or the groups.
Preferably, the timer setting means comprises means for overwriting the data stored by the memory means with the new data. With the data being thus corrected, the data established respectively by the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means can be stored by the memory means which comprises a single memory. The data may be corrected by the timer setting means by assigning respective memory means to the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means, and storing data in the respective memory means each time the data are established by the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means. According to this alternative, the operation control means controls operation of the air-conditioning unit with latest data of the data stored in the memory means assigned respectively to the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means. Alternatively, the user may determine which data of the data stored in the memory means assigned respectively to the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting means are to be used, and the operation control means may control operation of the air-conditioning unit with the data desired by the user.
The operation status includes at least a room temperature setting and information indicating whether the air-conditioning unit is to be operated or not. The user can thus operate the air-conditioning unit for a time zone established by the user according to the operation status including a temperature setting and information indicating whether the air-conditioning unit is to be operated or not. The operation status can flexibly be established in the manner described above.
If each of the first setting means, the second setting means, and the third setting
Kanda Akira
Yasui Shigeaki
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Rinnai Kabushiki Kaisha
Wayner William
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