US2013281000A1PendingUtilityA1

Environmental control systems and methods of configuring environmental control systems

37
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Apr 23, 2012Filed: Apr 23, 2012Published: Oct 24, 2013
Est. expiryApr 23, 2032(~5.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Douglas A. Newcomer
F24F 2007/005F24F 2007/004F24F 11/35F24F 7/08F24F 2221/54
37
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

An environmental control system of a building utilizes lower vents which open into lower portions of rooms of a building, and upper vents which open into upper portions of rooms of the building. When the system is operating in a heating mode, heated air is delivered into the upper portions of the rooms through the upper vents and air is removed from the rooms through the lower vents. When the system is operating in a cooling mode, cool air is delivered into the rooms through the lower vents, and air is removed from the rooms through the upper vents. Operating the heating and cooling modes in this fashion provides the most efficient operation of the heating and cooling system. A switching unit is used to selectively couple the inlet and outlet of an air handling unit to the upper and lower vents.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A switching unit that couples a supply duct and a return duct leading to a heating and/or cooling system to first and second vent ducts that lead to vents positioned in upper and lower portions of a room of a building, respectively, the switching unit comprising:
 a main body;   a first internal duct that traverses a diagonal path through the main body between a first opening on a first side of the main body and a second opening on a second, opposite side of the main body; and   a second internal duct that traverses a diagonal path through the main body between a third opening on the first side of the main body and a fourth opening on the second side of the main body, and wherein the main body is configured to be rotationally mounted.   
     
     
         2 . The switching unit of  claim 1 , wherein a rotational axis extends from the first side of the main body to the second side of the main body, the rotational axis extending substantially perpendicular to the first and second sides of the main body. 
     
     
         3 . The switching unit of  claim 1 , wherein the first opening and the third opening are located adjacent diagonally opposite corners of the first side of the main body. 
     
     
         4 . The switching unit of  claim 3 , wherein the second opening and the fourth opening are located adjacent diagonally opposite corners of the second side of the main body. 
     
     
         5 . A switching unit that couples a supply duct and a return duct leading to a heating and/or cooling system to first and second vent ducts that lead to vents positioned in upper and lower portions of a room of a building, respectively, the switching unit comprising:
 a substantially rectilinear main body;   a first aperture that passes from a first side of the main body to a second opposite side of the main body; and   a second aperture that passes from the first side to the second side of the main body, wherein the first and second apertures are located on the first side of the main body diagonally opposite to one another.   
     
     
         6 . The switching unit of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second sides of the main body are substantially rectangular, and the first and second apertures are located adjacent diagonally opposite corners of the first side. 
     
     
         7 . The switching unit of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a third aperture that passes from the first side of the main body to the second side of the main body; and   a fourth aperture that passes from the first side of the main body to the second side of the main body, wherein the third and fourth apertures are located on the first side of the main body diagonally opposite to one another.   
     
     
         8 . The switching unit of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a first shutter that is movably mounted on the main body and that is movable between a first position at which it covers the first aperture and a second position at which it covers the third aperture; and   a second shutter that is movably mounted on the main body and that is movable between a first position at which it covers the second aperture and a second position at which it covers the fourth aperture.   
     
     
         9 . The switching unit of  claim 8 , further comprising at least one drive mechanism for causing the first and second shutters to move back and forth between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         10 . The switching unit of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first drive unit that causes the first shutter to move back and forth between the first and second positions; and   a second drive unit that causes the second shutter to move back and forth between the first and second positions.   
     
     
         11 . The switching unit of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second shutters are rotationally mounted on the main body. 
     
     
         12 . A switching unit that couples a supply duct and a return duct leading to a heating and/or cooling system to first and second vent ducts that lead to vents positioned in upper and lower portions of a room of a building, respectively, the switching unit comprising:
 a main body, comprising:
 upper and lower walls and left and right sidewalls, 
 a horizontally extending interior wall that divides an interior of the main body into an upper section and a lower section, 
 a rear side with upper and lower openings that communicate with the upper and lower sections, respectively, of the interior of the main body, and 
   a front side, opposite the rear side, that is divided into a left leg and a right leg, wherein the front side includes an upper left leg opening and an upper right leg opening that communicate with the upper section of the interior of the main body, and wherein the front side also includes a lower left leg opening and a lower right leg opening that communicate with the lower section of the interior of the main body;   an upper shutter than is movably mounted on the upper section of the main body so that the upper shutter can selectively block either the upper left leg opening or the upper right leg opening; and   a lower shutter that is movably mounted on the lower section of the main body so that the lower shutter can selectively block either the lower left leg opening or the lower right leg opening.   
     
     
         13 . The switching unit of  claim 12 , wherein the upper and lower shutters are rotationally mounted on the main body. 
     
     
         14 . The switching unit of  claim 13 , wherein the main body further includes a center post that extends vertically along the front side of the main body between the left and right legs. 
     
     
         15 . The switching unit of  claim 14 , wherein side edges of the upper and lower shutters are rotationally mounted on the center post. 
     
     
         16 . The switching unit of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one drive unit that is configured to move the upper and lower shutters. 
     
     
         17 . The switching unit of  claim 12 , wherein the upper and lower shutters are slidably mounted on the front side of the main body. 
     
     
         18 . The switching unit of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 an upper frame mounted on the front side of the main body, wherein the upper shutter is slidably mounted on the upper frame so that it can move between a first position at which it blocks the upper left leg opening and a second position at which it blocks the upper right leg opening; and   a lower frame mounted on the front side of the main body, wherein the lower shutter is slidably mounted on the lower frame so that it can move between a first position at which it blocks the lower right leg opening and a second position at which it blocks the lower left leg opening.   
     
     
         19 . The switching unit of  claim 18 , wherein a first rack gear is formed on a lower side edge of the upper shutter, wherein a second rack gear is formed on an upper side edge of the lower shutter, and further comprising a pinion gear that is rotationally mounted between the right and left legs of the main body so that it simultaneously engages both the first and second rack gears. 
     
     
         20 . The switching unit of  claim 19 , wherein rotating the pinion gear in a first rotational direction causes the upper and lower shutters to move from the first positions to the second positions, and wherein rotating the pinion gear in a second opposite rotational direction causes the upper and lower shutters to move from the second positions to the first positions. 
     
     
         21 . The switching unit of  claim 20 , further comprising a motor that is operationally coupled to the pinion gear. 
     
     
         22 . A switching unit that couples a supply duct and a return duct leading to a heating and/or cooling system to first and second vent ducts that lead to vents positioned in upper and lower portions of a room of a building, respectively, the switching unit comprising:
 a substantially rectilinear main body having a first side that is configured to be coupled to a supply duct and a return duct that are spaced apart from one another in a first axial direction and a second side that is configured to be coupled to first and second vent ducts that are spaced apart from each other in a second axial direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first axial direction; and   a substantially flat switch plate having first and second planer sides that is mountable in the main body, the switch plate including first and second apertures that are positioned diagonally opposite to one another in the switch plate, wherein when the switch plate is located in a first position in the main body, the switch plate operationally couples the supply duct to the first vent duct and the return duct to the second vent duct, and wherein when the switch plate is located in a second position in the main body, the switch plate operationally couples the supply duct to the second vent duct and the return duct to the first vent duct.   
     
     
         23 . The switching unit of  claim 22 , wherein when the switch plate is located in the first position, the first planer side of the switch plate faces the first and second vent ducts, and wherein when the switch plate is located in the second position, the first planer side of the switch plate faces the supply and return ducts. 
     
     
         24 . The switching unit of  claim 22 , wherein the switch plate is rotated 90° about a central axis to move the switch plate from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         25 . The switching unit of  claim 22 , wherein the switch plate includes a third aperture that is diagonally opposite to the second aperture. 
     
     
         26 . The switching unit of  claim 25 , wherein when the switch plate is located in the first position in the main body, one of the first and second apertures operationally couples the supply duct to the first vent duct and the other of the first and second apertures operationally couples the return duct to the second vent duct, and wherein when the switch plate is located in the second position in the main body, one of the second and third apertures operationally couples the supply duct to the second vent duct and the other of the second and third apertures operationally couples the return duct to the first vent duct. 
     
     
         27 . The switching unit of  claim 26 , wherein the switch plate is slidable between the first and second positions.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2013281000A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.