Heating and cooling appliance

Abstract

A heating and cooling appliance includes a heat pump unit, an electric fireplace having an electric heating element and a display panel included on a front surface of the electric fireplace, a room temperature sensor, and a processor operatively connected to the heat pump unit, the electric heating element, and the room temperature sensor. The processor is configured to operate the heat pump unit in a cooling mode, operate the heat pump unit in a heating mode, or operate the electric heating element, in response to a signal received from the room temperature sensor. The processor is further configured to cause an image to be displayed on a display panel of the electric fireplace when either the heat pump unit or the electric heating element is operated.

1 . A heating and cooling appliance comprising:
 a vapor-compression refrigeration device,   an electric fireplace having an electric heating element and a display panel,   a room temperature sensor, and   a processor operatively connected to the vapor-compression refrigeration device, the electric heating element, and the room temperature sensor, the processor configured to:
 (i) operate the vapor-compression refrigeration device in a cooling mode, 
 (ii) operate the vapor-compression refrigeration device in a heating mode, or 
 (iii) operate the electric heating element 
   in response to a signal received from the room temperature sensor,   wherein the processor is further configured to cause an image to be displayed on a display panel of the electric fireplace when either the vapor-compression refrigeration device or the electric heating element is operated.   
     
     
         2 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the vapor-compression refrigeration device comprises a heat pump unit. 
     
     
         3 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the vapor-compression refrigeration device comprises an air conditioner. 
     
     
         4 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 2  comprising an exterior temperature sensor operatively connected to the processor, the processor being configured to prevent operation of the heat pump unit and to permit operation of the electric heating element when a sensed exterior temperature is below a predetermined value. 
     
     
         5 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the display panel is positioned adjacent to a front viewing panel of the appliance. 
     
     
         6 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the processor is configured to cause the image of a burning fire to be displayed on the display panel when the vapor-compression refrigeration device is in the heating mode or when the electric heating element is activated. 
     
     
         7 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the processor is configured to cause a cooling image to be displayed on the display panel when the vapor-compression refrigeration device is in a cooling mode. 
     
     
         8 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the cooling image is an image of falling snow. 
     
     
         9 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the display panel is a projection panel, the appliance further comprises a flicker element and an LED or LCD panel, the processor is configured to cause the flicker element to project an image of a burning fire on a first portion of the projection panel when the heat pump unit is in a heating mode or the electric heating element is activated, and the processor configured to cause the LED or LCD panel to project an image of snow or ice on a second portion of the projection panel when the heat pump unit is in a cooling mode. 
     
     
         10 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the first portion of the projection panel is a lower portion and wherein the second portion of the projection panel is an upper portion. 
     
     
         11 . The heating and cooling appliance as claimed in  claim 2  including a blower, wherein the processor is configured to operate the blower to deliver warm air into a room within which the appliance is positioned when the heat pump unit is in a heating mode or when the electric element is activated, and the processor is configured to cause the blower to deliver cool air to the room when the heat pump unit is in a cooling mode. 
     
     
         12 . A method for heating or cooling a room using an appliance that comprises a vapor-compression refrigeration device and an electric fireplace, the electric fireplace having a display panel, the method comprising:
 sensing a room temperature using a room temperature sensor or thermostat,   with a central processor, comparing the sensed temperature with a desired temperature,   if the sensed temperature exceeds the desired temperature, causing the processor to operate the vapor-compression refrigeration device in a cooling mode, and   if the sensed temperature is below the desired temperature, sensing an exterior temperature and comparing it to a predetermined temperature, and further performing the steps of:
 if the exterior temperature is above the predetermined temperature, operating the vapor-compression refrigeration device in a heating mode, 
 if the exterior temperature is below the predetermined temperature, deactivating the vapor-compression refrigeration device and operating an electric heating element of the electric fireplace. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the vapor-compression refrigeration device is a heat pump unit. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the vapor-compression refrigeration device is an air conditioner. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  comprising using the processor to cause an image of a burning fire to be displayed on the display panel of the electric fireplace when the heat pump unit is in a heating mode or when the electric heating element is activated. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15  comprising using the processor to cause a cooling image to be displayed on the display panel of the electric fireplace when the heat pump unit is in a cooling mode. 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 15  comprising using the processor to cause an image of falling snow to be displayed on the display panel of the electric fireplace when the heat pump unit is in a cooling mode. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the image of a burning fire is displayed on a lower portion of the display panel and the image of falling snow is displayed on an upper portion of the display panel. 
     
     
         19 . A heating and cooling appliance comprising:
 a heat pump unit,   a heating element and a display panel,   a room temperature sensor,   an exterior temperature sensor, and   a processor operatively connected to the heat pump unit, the heating element, the room temperature sensor, and the exterior temperature sensor, the processor configured to:
 (i) receive a first temperature signal from the room temperature sensor corresponding to a sensed room temperature, 
 (ii) receive a second temperature signal from the exterior temperature sensor corresponding to a sensed exterior temperature, 
 (iii) operate the heat pump unit in a cooling mode when the sensed room temperature is above a predetermined room temperature, 
 (iv) operate the heat pump unit in a heating mode when the sensed room temperature is below the predetermined room temperature and the sensed exterior temperature is above a predetermined exterior temperature, 
 (v) prevent operation of the heat pump unit and operate the heating element when the sensed room temperature is below the predetermined room temperature and the sensed exterior temperature is below the predetermined exterior temperature, 
 (vi) cause an image of a burning fire to be displayed on a lower portion of the display panel when the heat pump unit is in a heating mode or when the heating element is activated, and 
 (vii) cause an image of falling snow to be displayed on an upper portion of the display panel when the heat pump unit is in a cooling mode. 
   
     
     
         20 . The heating and cooling appliance of  claim 19  wherein the display panel is a projection panel, the appliance further comprises a flicker element and an LED or LCD panel, the processor is configured to cause the flicker element to project the image of the burning fire on a lower portion of the projection panel when the heat pump unit is in the heating mode or the heating element is activated, and the processor is configured to cause the LED or LCD panel to project the image of falling snow on an upper portion of the projection panel when the heat pump unit is in the cooling mode.