Refrigeration fan control system

Claim 2

A control for a refrigeration system including a compressor, a condensor, an evaporator and an electrically energized fan for passing air in heat exchange relation to the compressor, said control including a light source, fan control means responsive to said light source produced for varying the operating speed of the fan, and means for controlling the magnitude of light transmitted to the fan control means from said light source in response to the refrigerant pressure in said system.

Claim 3

The invention as set forth in claim 1 which includes a Bourdon tube opErable in response to the refrigerant pressure in the compressor portion of said refrigeration system, which includes a photoelectric cell, wherein said means for controlling the magnitude of light transmitted from said light source comprises a light masking element movable in response to operation of said Bourdon tube.

Claim 4

The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein said masking element is rotatable about a predetermined axis in response to operation of said Bourdon tube to control the magnitude of light transmitted from said light source to said photoelectric cell.

Claim 5

The invention as set forth in claim 3 which includes an electronic phase control, and wherein said photoelectric cell is cooperable with said phase control to control the firing angle at which the phase control supplies electrical energy to the cooling fan.

Claim 6

The invention as set forth in claim 3 wherein said masking element is of a generally disc-shaped configuration and has means thereon which is selectively interposable between said light source and said photoelectric cell for varying the magnitude of light transmitted therebetween upon rotation of said element.

Claim 7

The invention as set forth in claim 5 wherein said masking element is mounted on a rotatable shaft, and which includes mechanical linkage means actuable in response to operation of said Bourdon tube to rotate said shaft and said masking element thereon.

Claim 8

The invention as set forth in claim 6 which includes adjustment means for selectively varying the amount of light received by said photoelectric cell from said light source for a given pressure condition in said refrigeration system.

Claim 9

The invention as set forth in claim 7 wherein said adjustment means comprise means for movably supporting said photoelectric cell relative to said light source.

Claim 10

The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control comprises a housing having a low light reflective interior, which includes a Bourdon tube and conduit means communicating said tube with the discharge side of the refrigeration compressor, wherein said light source is located adjacent said Bourdon tube, which includes a generally circular shaped light masking element mounted for rotation about an axis arrangement generally coaxial of said Bourdon tube, which includes mechanical linkage means operatively connecting said Bourdon tube with said shaft, whereupon a change in pressure in said Bourdon tube results in rotation of said shaft, which includes a photoelectric cell disposed on the opposite side of said masking element from said light source, which further includes means on said masking element for varying the magnitude of the light transmitted to said photoelectric cell in response to changes in the rotational position of said masking element, and whereupon said refrigeration fan includes an AC motor whose speed is controlled by a control device, the firing angle of which is varied by the resistance of the input circuit of the gate electrode of the control device, and wherein said photoelectric cell is operable to change the resistance in said input circuit and thereby vary the amount of energy supplied from a suitable source thereof to said fan motor.

Claim 11

A fan control to be used with an electrically energized cooling fan for a refrigeration system, comprising, a light source, an electrical circuit for supplying electrical energy to said fan and including light sensitive variable resistance means, means for controlling the magnitude of light transmitted from said source to said light sensitive means, and means for operating said last-mentioned means in response to the refrigerant pressure in said system.

Claim 12

A fan control to be used with an electrically energized cooling fan for a refrigeration system, comprising, a light source, an electrical circuit for supplying electrical energy to said fan and including light sensitive variable resistance means, means for controlling the magnitude of light transmitted from said source to said light sensitive means, and means for operating said last-mentioned means in response to the refrigerant pressure in said system.

Claim 13

The invention as set forth in claim 10 wherein said refrigeration system includes a compressor and wherein said means for controlling the magnitude of light from said source to said light sensitive means comprises a movable member movable in response to the refrigerant pressure in the compressor portion of the refrigeration system.

Claim 14

The invention as set forth in claim 11 which includes a Bourdon tube operable in response to the refrigerant pressure in the compressor portion of said refrigeration system, and wherein said light sensitive means comprises a photoelectric cell.

Claim 15

The invention as set forth in claim 12 wherein said means for controlling the magnitude of light transmitted from said source to said light sensitive means comprises a light masking element movable in response to operation of said Bourdon tube.

Claim 16

The invention as set forth in claim 13 wherein said masking element is rotatable about a predetermined axis in response to operation of said Bourdon tube to control the magnitude of light transmitted from said light source to said photoelectric cell.

Claim 17

The invention as set forth in claim 14 which includes an electronic phase control, and wherein said photoelectric cell is in cooperation with said phase control to control the firing angle at which the phase control supplies electrical energy to the cooling fan.

Claim 18

The invention as set forth in claim 14 wherein said masking element is of a generally disc-shaped configuration and has means thereon which is selectively interposable between said light source and said photoelectric cell for varying the magnitude of light transmitted therebetween upon rotation of said element.

Claim 19

The invention as set forth in claim 16 wherein said masking element is mounted on a rotatable shaft, and which includes mechanical linkage means actuable in response to operation of said Bourdon tube to rotate said shaft and said masking element thereon.

Claim 20

The invention as set forth in claim 17 which includes adjustment means for selectively varying the amount of light received by said photoelectric cell from said light source for a given pressure condition in said refrigeration system.

Claim 21

The invention as set forth in claim 18 wherein said adjustment means comprise means for movably supporting said photoelectric cell relative to said light source.

Claim 22

The invention as set forth in claim 11 wherein said control comprises a housing having a low light reflective interior, which includes a Bourdon tube and conduit means communicating said tube with the discharge side of the refrigeration compressor, wherein said light source is located adjacent said Bourdon tube, which includes a generally circular shaped light masking element mounted for rotation about an axis arrangement generally coaxial of said Bourdon tube, which includes mechanical linkage means operatively connecting said Bourdon tube with said shaft, whereupon a change in pressure in said Bourdon tube results in rotation of said shaft, which includes a photoelectric cell disposed on the opposite side of said masking element from said light source, which further includes means on said masking element for varying the magnitude of the light transmitted to said photoelectric cell in response to changes in the rotational position of said masking element, and whereupon said refrigeration fan includes an AC motor whose speed is controlled by a control device, the firing angle of which is varied by the resistance of the input circuit of the gate electrode of the control device, and wherein said photoelectric cell is operable to change the resistance in said input circuit and thereby vary the amount of energy supplied from a suitable source thereof to said fan motor.