Patent · US Expired

Automatic room occupancy controlled fuel savings system for air conditioning/heater units

US5538181A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
10References
7Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 2, 1995
Grant dateJul 23, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 2, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05D23/1904
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

This invention relates to a simplified, substantially self contained fuel savings control system for in-room air conditioner/heater units, which automatically turns off the power when the room is unoccupied. The system is typically contained in a single housing unit that may be plugged in between an in-room power line outlet and a power cord to the heater-cooler unit. The system is universal in scope, being adaptable to different kinds of thermostatically controlled systems powered from a local power line. That is achieved, in part, by letting the temperature controls built into in-room thermostatically controlled units establish the temperature and controlling the power to the in-room units by sensing room occupancy and removing power when the room is unoccupied. This invention therefore represents an advance in the art, which affords a simplified low cost power control unit for automatically turning off power to the in-room heater-cooler unit when a room is unoccupied, and which constitutes a power control unit configured to minimize installation cost and rewiring of different kinds of in-room temperature control systems.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.