Multiple zone air conditioning system

Claim 2

An air conditioning control system for a building defining a plurality of air conditioned zones and having a central air conditioning system comprising a primary air heating means, a secondary air heating means, air cooling means, and air circulating means for directing air from said heating means or cooling means or both to zones in a building, said system comprising: a. a plurality of signal responsive controller means for controlling operation of said primary heating means, said secondary heating means on said cooling means, respectively; b. a plurality of zone temperature sensing means each associated with a respective zone and each effective to produce a D.C. analog temperature responsive signal in response to sensed zone air temperature; c. logic circuitry connected between said zone air temperature sensing means and said controller means, said logic circuitry comprising a first output connected to said controller means for said cooling means and said controller means for said secondary heating means, and a second output connected to said controller means for primary heating means; d. said logic circuitry comprising first circuit elements for transmitting the maximum zone temperature signal to one of said first and second outputs, and second circuit elements for transmitting the minimum zone temperature signal to the other of said first and second outputs; e. said controller means operated in response to predetermined voltage levels established at said first and second outputs.

Claim 3

The system claimed in claim 1 further including a secondary air cooling means and controller means for controlling operation of said secondary air cooling means, said secondary air cooling controller means connected to said second output of said logic circuitry with said controller means for said primary heating means.

Claim 4

a second damper disposed in a respective one of said second plurality of ducts and movable to control the flow of air in said duct; and,

Claim 5

a second damper disposed in a respective one of said second plurality of ducts and movable to control the flow of air in said duct; and,

Claim 6

damper actuator means connected to said first and second air dampers for controlling the proportions of air flowing to said zone from said respective ones of said first and second pluralities of ducts;

Claim 7

damper actuator means connected to said first and second air dampers for controlling the proportions of air flowing to said zone from said respective ones of said first and second pluralities of ducts;

Claim 8

The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said signals produced by each of said zone air temperature sensing means range between first and second D.C. voltage levels with an intermediate voltage level corresponding to a zone set point temperature, said controller means for said primary heating means operatively energized to operate said primary heating means when air temperature sensed in the coolest zone produces a signal voltage between said first D.C. voltage level and said intermediate voltage and which varies from said intermediate voltage by a first predetermined voltage value, said controller means for said secondary heating means operatively energized to operate said secondary heating means when air temperature sensed in the warmest zone produces a signal voltage between said first D.C. voltage level and said intermediate voltage and which varies from said intermediate voltage by a second predetermined voltage value.

Claim 9

said damper actuator means electrically connected to the output of said temperature sensing means of said respective zone so that said damper actuator means is operated in response to sensed zone air temperature irrespective of air temperatures in other of said zones; and, l. ventilation damper means for governing the proportions of atmospheric and zone return air flowing to said heating and cooling means via said return and ventilation air ducts, said second damper means comprising a damper actuator electrically connected to said other logic circuit output and operated in relation to the level of the signal produced by said logic circuit output to control the proportions of return and atmospheric air in said system.

Claim 10

said damper actuator means electrically connected to the output of said temperature sensing means of said respective zone so that said damper actuator means is operated in response to sensed zone air temperature irrespective of air temperatures in other of said zones; and, l. ventilation damper means for governing the proportions of atmospheric and zone return air flowing to said heating and cooling means via said return and ventilation air ducts, said second damper means comprising a damper actuator electrically connected to said other logic circuit output and operated in relation to the level of the signal produced by said logic circuit output to control the proportions of return and atmospheric air in said system.

Claim 13

The method claimed in claim 4 comprising heating said zones by operating said secondary heating means when the temperature of the coolest zone is above the first predetermined level and the temperature of the warmest zone is below said second predetermined level.

Claim 14

An air conditioning system comprising: a. a plurality of air conditioned zones; b. air heating means; c. air cooling means; d. first duct means for separately communicating said heating means and said cooling means to respective zones, said duct means comprising a first plurality of ducts each communicating said air heating means with a respective one of said zones, and a second plurality of ducts each communicating said air cooling means to a respective one of said zones; e. second duct means comprising at least a return duct for returning air from said zones to said heating and cooling means, and a ventilation air duct for communicating said heating and cooling means to atmospheric air; f. temperature sensing means associated with each zone, each sensing means defining an output means producing a D.C. analog voltage signal of a given polarity and having a magnitude dependent upon sensed temperature; g. logic circuitry comprising inputs each of which is electrically connected to a respective one of said temperature sensing means for receiving each of said voltage signals, and first and second outputs for the minimum and maximum signals, respectively, produced by the temperature sensing means; h. an air heating controller means electrically connected to one of said logic circuit outputs and effective to control operation of said air heating means in response to the signal from said output; i. an air cooling controller means electrically connected to said other logic circuit output and effective to control operation of said air cooling means in response to the signal from said other logic circuit output; j. a plurality of zone damper means each associated with a respective air conditioned zone and operable to govern the flow of air to said zone through the ducts communicating said zone to said air heating and air cooling means; k. said zone damper means each comprising:

Claim 15

An air conditioning system comprising: a. a plurality of air conditioned zones; b. air heating means; c. air cooling means; d. first duct means for separately communicating said heating means and said cooling means to respective zones, said duct means comprising a first plurality of ducts each communicating said air heating means with a respective one of said zones, and a second plurality of ducts each communicating said air cooling means to a respective one of said zones; e. second duct means comprising at least a return duct for returning air from said zones to said heating and cooling means, and a ventilation air duct for communicating said heating and cooling means to atmospheric air; f. temperature sensing means associated with each zone, each sensing means defining an output means producing a D.C. analog voltage signal of a given polarity and having a magnitude dependent upon sensed temperature; g. logic circuitry comprising inputs each of which is electrically connected to a respective one of said temperature sensing means for receiving each of said voltage signals, and first and second outputs for the minimum and maximum signals, respectively, produced by the temperature sensing means; h. an air heating controller means electrically connected to one of said logic circuit outputs and effective to control operation of said air heating means in response to the signal from said output; i. an air cooling controller means electrically connected to said other logic circuit output and effective to control operation of said air cooling means in response to the signal from said other logic circuit output; j. a plurality of zone damper means each associated with a respective air conditioned zone and operable to govern the flow of air to said zone through the ducts communicating said zone to said air heating and air cooling means; k. said zone damper means each comprising:

Claim 16

An air conditioning system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said ventilation damper means is operated to increase the proportion of ventilation air admitted to the system in response to changes in the output signal from the logic circuitry indicating increasing temperature in the warmest zone, and further comprising ventilation damper control means effective to operate said ventilation damper means to a condition wherein minimum ventilation air is supplied to the system in response to the sensed temperature in the warmest zone reaching a predetermined level.