Heat pump with downstream sensor for multilevel control of a supplemental heating element
OwnerLuther D. Albertsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat pump having a supplemental resistive heat element that varies its heat output based on the air temperature downstream from it, rather than from the air temperature at the room thermostat or from the air temperature after the heat exchanger but before the variable supplemental resistive heating element.
Claims20
A heating unit comprising:
- A heat pump controlled by a remote thermostat;
- A secondary heat source having a first and second resistor;
- A first connecting switch having mechanical contacts that connects and disconnects the first resistor to power;
- A second connecting solid state switch that connects and disconnects the second resistor to power at a substantially more rapid rate than the first connecting switch;
- A temperature sensor independent of the remote thermostat positioned near to and downstream from the secondary heat source, and;
- A control unit responsive to the temperature sensor for controlling power to the resistors.
A heating unit comprising:
- A heat pump controlled by a remote thermostat;
- A secondary heat source having a first and second resistor;
- A first connecting switch having mechanical contacts that connects and disconnects the first resistor to power;
- A second connecting solid state switch that connects and disconnects the second resistor to power at a substantially more rapid rate than the first connecting switch;
- A temperature sensor independent of the remote thermostat positioned in a duct downstream from the secondary heat source, and;
- A control unit responsive to the temperature sensor for controlling power to the resistors.
A method of installing a second control unit for a supplemental resistive heating unit of a heat pump system having an operating first control unit for controlling power to a resistor, the second control unit having a solid state switch for rapidly varying the time the resistor is connected to power from about 0 percent of the time to about 100 percent of the time so as to provide different effective rates of heating, the method steps comprising:
- Coupling the switch of the second control unit to the resistor;
- Positioning a temperature sensor downstream from the resistor, and
- Coupling the temperature sensor to the second control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.