Packaged terminal climate unit for pest control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159239-B2
Application number	US-201514923476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Jun 6, 2011
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a packaged terminal device for killing pests in an affected area includes a housing configured to be positioned at least partially within an affected area, a fan positioned within the housing, and one or more heating elements positioned within the housing. The fan is operable to draw a flow of air from the affected area into the housing. The one or more heating elements are operable to generate heated air by transferring heat to the flow of air. The packaged terminal device further includes a control unit operable to control the operation of the one or more heating elements in order to cause the packaged terminal device to operate in either a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, the operation of the one or more heating elements is controlled such that sufficient heated air is generated to heat at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature less than or equal to a first predefined temperature. In the second mode, the operation of the one or more heating elements is controlled such that sufficient heated air is generated to heat at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature greater than or equal to a second predefined temperature, the second predefined temperature being greater than the first predefined temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for killing pests in an affected area, comprising:
draw, by a first fan positioned within an indoor chamber of a housing, a first flow of air from within an affected area into the indoor chamber of the housing;
draw, by a second fan positioned within an outdoor chamber of the housing, a second flow of air from an area outside the affected area into the outdoor chamber of the housing;
generate, by one or more heating elements within the indoor chamber of the housing, heated air by transferring heat to the first flow of air;
operate in a first mode of operation, a control unit causes electric current to be supplied to the one or more heating elements to generate a sufficient amount of heated air to heat at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature less than or equal to a first predefined temperature; and
operate in a second mode of operation, the control unit causes electric current to be supplied to the one or more heating elements to generate an additional amount of heated air to heat the at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature that is greater than or equal to a second predefined temperature, the second predefined temperature being greater than the first predefined temperature;
wherein the second mode of operation is a pest killing mode that is not suitable for human occupants and the second predefined temperature is greater than or equal to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mode of operation comprises a normal mode of operation suitable for human occupants and the first predefined temperature is less than or equal to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from an override selector user input indicating a desire to operate in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation, and wherein:
the first mode of operation being selected by inserting and turning a key to a first position of the override selector; and
the second mode of operation being selected by inserting and turning the key to a second position of the override selector.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from an override selector user input indicating a desire to operate in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation, and wherein:
the first mode of operation is selected by entering a first code into a keypad of the override selector; and
the second mode of operation is selected by entering a second code into the keypad of the override selector.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a signal from one or more temperature probes within the affected area while the second mode of operation is selected; and
discharging heated air into the affected area until the affected area reaches a target temperature.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the target temperature is greater than or equal to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to be installed in an opening of an exterior wall of the affected area, the indoor chamber positioned on an interior side of the exterior wall, the outdoor chamber positioned on an exterior side of the exterior wall.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
during the first mode of operation, limiting, by a first fuse, the electric current supplied to the one or more heating elements; and
during the second mode of operation, limiting, by a second fuse, the electric current supplied to the one or more heating elements, the second fuse permitting more electrical current than the first fuse.

9. A method for killing pests in an affected area, comprising:
during a first mode of operation, using a packaged terminal device comprising a housing having an indoor chamber and an outdoor chamber to generate a sufficient amount of heated air to heat at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature, less than or equal to a first predefined temperature, the first predefined temperature associated with a safety limit and comprising a maximum temperature suitable for human occupants;
receiving, by a control unit, a user input indicating a desire to transition the packaged terminal device from the first mode of operation to a second mode of operation;
transitioning the packaged terminal device to the second mode of operation;
during the second mode of operation, drawing by a first fan positioned within the indoor chamber of the packaged terminal device, a first flow of air from the affected area into the indoor chamber of the housing;
during the second mode of operation, drawing by a second fan positioned within the outdoor chamber of the packaged terminal device, a second flow of air from an area outside the affected area into the outdoor chamber of the housing; and
during the second mode of operation, using the packaged terminal device to generate an additional amount of heated air to heat the at least the portion of the affected area to a temperature greater than or equal to a second predefined temperature;
wherein the second mode of operation is a pest killing mode that is not suitable for human occupants and the second predefined temperature is greater than or equal to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

10. A method for killing pests in an affected area, comprising:
providing a packaged terminal device comprising a housing having an indoor chamber and an outdoor chamber, the housing configured to be positioned such that the indoor chamber is at least partially within an affected area and the outdoor chamber is at least partially outside the affected area, the packaged terminal device configured to:
operate a first fan positioned within the indoor chamber of the housing to draw a first flow of air from the affected area into the indoor chamber;
operate a second fan positioned within the outdoor chamber of the housing to draw a second flow of air from outside the affected area into the outdoor chamber;
generate, by one or more heating elements, heated air by transferring heat to the first flow of air from the affected area;
operate in a first mode in which the packaged terminal device is operable to generate sufficient heated air to heat at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature less than or equal to a first predefined temperature; and
operate in a second mode in which the packaged terminal device is operable to generate sufficient heated air to heat the at least a portion of the affected area to a temperature greater than or equal to a second predefined temperature, the second predefined temperature being greater than the first predefined temperature;

selecting, using an override selector of the packaged terminal device, the first mode such that the packaged terminal device may operate in the first mode when one or more occupants are present within the affected area;
selecting, using the override selector of the packaged terminal device, the second mode such that the packaged terminal device may operate in the second mode when the one or more occupants are not present within the affected area; and
in conjunction with the second mode, one or more temperature probes placed within the affected area communicate signals indicating temperature to the packaged terminal device such that the packaged terminal device may discharge the heated air into the affected area until the affected area reaches a target temperature that is greater than or equal to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first mode comprises a normal mode of operation suitable for human occupants and the first predefined temperature is less than or equal to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second mode is a pest

Assignees

• Therma Stor Llc

Inventors

• Hosli Wayne J
• Ebert Sean M

Classifications

• A01M1/24

  Arrangements connected with buildings, doors, windows, or the like · CPC title

• A01M1/22

  {Killing insects} by electric means (electric circuits therefor H05C) · CPC title

• E05B65/0014

  to prevent opening by children (E05B13/00 takes precedence; child-proof container closures B65D50/00) · CPC title

• A01M1/2094

  killing insects by using temperature, e.g. flames, steam or freezing (A01M1/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01M1/2077

  using an electrical resistance as heat source (A01M1/2083 takes precedence) · CPC title