Automatic temperature and humidity regulation – Ventilator type – Electrically actuated
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-28
2003-12-09
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Automatic temperature and humidity regulation
Ventilator type
Electrically actuated
C454S258000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659359
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grille controlling apparatus that senses an indoor temperature in a building such that it can control the operation of the grille mounted on an indoor ventilator, and more particularly, to a grille controlling apparatus for an indoor ventilator that makes a conventional structure of the ventilator improved in such a manner as to automatically control the grille mounted on the ventilator.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, an indoor cell or wall in a building or house is provided with at least one ventilator that is connected to a duct in order to allow the flow of cool or hot air from/to external air or an air conditioner installed outside the building or house. The ventilator is provided with a grille apparatus that is adapted to allow or cut off the in-low of air inside the building or house.
A conventionally used grille apparatus is comprised of a grille casing that is provided with an air inflow path through which air flows indoors from the ventilator, and a damper of a blade shape that is disposed on the air inflow path of the grille casing in such a manner as to make the air inflow path opened/closed in a manually operating way.
In order to open/close the air inflow path, however, the damper should be operated by the direct manipulation of a user, such that it is inconvenient to use. More specifically, in case where a plurality of grille apparatuses are installed in a large building or house, such the inconvenience may be considerably increased.
In addition, the way of opening/closing the air inflow path by the manual manipulation of the damper is not sensitive to the variation of the indoor temperature, such that the indoor temperature cannot be constantly kept at an appropriate temperature.
Accordingly, the indoor temperature may be excessively up or down, which causes the air conditioner to be operated in an inefficient way, thereby producing the unnecessary consumption of energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a grille controlling apparatus for an indoor ventilator that substantially obviates one or more problems cue to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a grille controlling apparatus for an indoor ventilator that is capable of making a damper opened/closed in an automatic manner by means of a remote controller, whereby it can be used in a convenient way and maintain an appropriate indoor temperature to thereby enable an amount of energy to be consumed to be saved.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve this object and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a grille controlling apparatus for an indoor ventilator that has a grill cover disposed on the front side of the indoor ventilator and forming a plurality of grille holes on the plate surface thereof and a grille casing disposed on the rear side of the grille cover, the apparatus including: at least one damper disposed on the rear side of the grille casing, for opening/closing an air flow path; a damper driving part disposed on the one side of the grille casing, for driving the damper up to an opening/closing position; a power supply part for supplying power to the damper driving part; a temperature sensor for sensing an indoor temperature; a manipulating part for driving the damper driving part and/or for selecting a predetermined driving mode of the damper driving part in accordance with the sensed indoor temperature of the temperature sensor; a control part for comparing a manipulating signal from the manipulating part and/or the selected driving mode with the sensed indoor temperature of the temperature sensor such that it controls the driving of the damper driving part; and an electronic circuit board provided with an operation display part on which the operation of the machinery is displayed.
Desirably, the damper is formed by a pair of plate members that are turned on the upper and lower areas of the air flow path, and the damper driving part includes a driving motor disposed on the grille casing for opening/closing one of the pair of dampers, and an engaging part adapted to engage the pair of dampers.
At this time, the engaging part is provided with an engaging arm that has the both sides in a length direction rotatably coupled with the pair of dampers and a manually-operated protrusion that is extended from the one area of the engaging arm to the outside of the grille cover in such a manner as to manually manipulate the opening/closing of the damper.
Also, the damper is provided with a plate member that is disposed on the rear surface of the grille cover in such a way as to move back and forth between a position where the grille holes are closed and another position where the grille holes are opened, and a solenoid that is formed on the grille casing for moving the damper back and forth.
The manipulating part desirably includes a wireless remote controller with opening and closing buttons for the damper and with a plurality of mode selecting buttons for the driving modes, and a signal receiver disposed on the one area of the grille casing for sending the manipulating signal from the wireless remote controller to the control part.
If the manipulating signal for the opening or closing buttons from the manipulating part is received, on the other hand, the control part controls the driving of the damper driving part such that the damper is opened or closed.
The control part is provided with a plurality of appropriate indoor temperature ranges corresponding to the mode selecting buttons that are previously set, and it controls the opening/closing of the damper such that the indoor temperature sensed by the temperature sensor becomes in the appropriate indoor temperature range according to the mode selected by one of the mode selecting buttons.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general descriotion and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
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patent: 6364211 (2002-04-01), Saleh
patent: 2002/0058473 (2002-05-01), Park
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Joyce Harold
LandOfFree
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