Adaptive temperature control system

A temperature control system for a heating or cooling device, comprising:

• a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of a space;
• means for repeatedly cycling the device through on portions during which the device is energized and off portions during which the device is deenergized;
• means coupled to the temperature sensor for controlling the duration of one of the repeated portions of the cycle in accordance with the sensed temperature;
• and
• means for varying the duration of the repeated other portion of the cycle in response to the time duration of at least one of the temperature controlled portions of the cycle, including time measurement means for measuring the time duration of the temperature controlled portions of the cycle, and means for resetting the time measurement means after each cycle so that the last temperature controlled portion of the cycle varies the duration of the next portion of the cycle.

A temperature control system for a heating or cooling device, comprising:

• a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of a space;
• means for repeatedly cycling the device through on portions during which the device is energized and off portions during which the device is de-energized;
• means coupled to the temperature sensor for controlling the duration of one of the repeated portions of the cycle in accordance with the sensed temperature;
• and
• means for varying the duration of the repeated other portion of the cycle in response to the time duration of at least one of the temperature controlled portions of the cycle, including time measurement means for measuring the time duration of the temperature controlled portions of the cycle, a memory for storing the time duration of the prior other portion of the cycle, means for incrementing or decrementing the memory by fixed amounts in accordance with the measured time duration of the temperature controlled cycle portion, and means for terminating said other portion of the cycle under control of said memory means.

A temperature control system for a heating or cooling device comprising:

• a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of a space,
• an adjustable device for setting a desired temperature for the space,
• a clock circuit for generating clock pulses representing time increments, and
• control means responsive to the sensor and the adjustable device for repeatedly energizing and deenergizing the heating or cooling device with a variable cycle including a resettable counter for counting the clock pulses to measure time durations, means for repeatedly enabling the counter at a predetermined point in each cycle to record elapsed time for the deenergized portion of the cycle, means for automatically terminating the deenergized portion of the cycle when the counter contains a predetermined count, and adjustment means for automatically varying the predetermined count for the counter when the time duration of the energized portion of the cycle does not fall within a desired range.

A temperature control system for a refrigeration apparatus including a compressor energizable to effect cooling of a refrigerated space, comprising:

• a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the refrigerated space;
• power switching means for energizing the compressor to thereby reduce the temperature of the refrigerated space to a predetermined level at which time energization is ceased;
• and
• electronic control means connected to said power switching means for preventing reenergization of the compressor for a controllable off period, said control means including first storage means for storing a measure of the previous off period, second storage means for storing a measure of the previous run period, and means for varying the next off period based on the stored measure of said previous off period and the stored measure of the previous run period.

A control system for controlling the temperature of a space, said space temperature being responsive to the operation of a periodically energized device, comprising:

• means for sensing the temperature of said space;
• means responsive to said temperature sensing means for controlling the duration of a first portion of the duty cycle of said periodically energized device;
• timing means for measuring the time duration of at least a preselected portion of the duty cycle of said periodically energized device;
• and
• means operative during each duty cycle for automatically varying the time duration of the duty cycle in response to the timing means, including means for automatically varying a second portion of the duty cycle of said periodically energized device in response to the measured portion of the duty cycle.

A method of controlling refrigeration means which is operated in cycles to control the temperature of a refrigerated space, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) energizing said refrigeration means to initiate a duty cycle thereof in order to effect cooling of said refrigerated space;
• (b) sensing the operating time required for said refrigeration means to reduce the temperature within said refrigerated space to a predetermined level;
• (c) deenergizing said refrigeration means when said predetermined temperature level is reached;
• (d) preventing reenergization of said refrigeration means for a period of time which is functionally related to said sensed operating time so as to vary the time duration of said duty cycle;
• and
• (e) continuously repeating steps (a) through (e).

In a refrigeration apparatus including a compressor for effecting the flow of refrigerant to an evaporator which is in heat exchange association with a refrigerated space, a method of controlling said compressor comprising:

• (a) energizing said compressor to effect cooling of said refrigerated space;
• (b) sensing the compressor run time required to reduce the temperature of said refrigerated space to a predetermined level;
• (c) deenergizing said compressor when said predetermined level is reached;
• (d) preventing reenergization of said compressor for a period of time which is longer than its previous deenergized period when said sensed compressor run time is less than a first predetermined interval and shorter than its previous off period when said sensed compressor run time is greater than a second predetermined interval;
• and
• (e) continuously repeating steps (a) through (e).

A method of operating a refrigeration apparatus including a compressor to control the temperature of a refrigerated space, comprising:

• (a) energizing said compressor to effect cooling of said refrigerated space;
• (b) storing a signal indicative of the compressor run time required to reduce the sensed temperature to a preselected level;
• (c) deenergizing said compressor when said preselected sensed temperature level is reached;
• (d) preventing reenergization of said compressor for a period of off time which is determined by said stored run time signal;
• (e) reenergizing said compressor when said sensed temperature rises above said reselected level and said compressor off period has elapsed;
• and
• (f) repeating steps (b) through (f).