Intermediate connecting devices and electronically commutated motors for HVAC systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9614468-B2
Application number	US-201414394441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

Intermediate connecting devices and electronically commutated (ECM) motors for HVAC systems are disclosed, as well as methods for their use within the HVAC systems. An interface component device coupled to a system controller and an ECM motor may be configured to receive a first and second signal, and convert the voltage across the received signals to a lower-value voltage signal compatible with the ECM motor. The converted voltage signal may be transmitted to the ECM motor to cause the motor to operate in one of a plurality of operation modes. An ECM motor that includes a tap detection circuit and a processor may be configured to receive a voltage signal from the interface component and detect at which input port the voltage signal is received. The ECM motor may select the operation mode for the motor based on the detection of which input port received the voltage signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for interfacing a permanent magnet (PM) motor with a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
an intermediate connection device configured to:
receive a first electrical signal at a first input terminal of a plurality of voltage conversion units of the intermediate connection device;
receive a second electrical signal from a system controller via a system controller relay, wherein the second electrical signal is received at a second input terminal of a voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device, and wherein the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device is one of the plurality of voltage conversion units of the intermediate connection device;
convert the voltage across the first and second input terminals of the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device to a voltage signal that has a lower value than the voltage across the first and second terminals of the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device; and
transmit the voltage signal to one of a plurality of inputs of the PM motor, wherein the transmitted voltage signal causes the motor to operate in one of a plurality of operation modes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one of a plurality of operation modes corresponds to an input received at the system controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of voltage conversion units of the intermediate connection device are each coupled to distinct outputs of the system controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device comprises an induction coil as a triggering component.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device comprises an opto-coupler isolation unit as a triggering component.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate connection device is configured to couple to only the PM motor and the system controller, and is configured to not couple to a thermostat.

7. A method for interfacing a permanent magnet (PM) motor with a system controller of a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
receiving, at an intermediate connection device, a first electrical signal, wherein the first electrical signal is received at a first input terminal of a plurality of voltage conversion units of the intermediate connection device;
receiving, at the intermediate connection device, a second electrical signal from a system controller via a system controller relay, wherein the second electrical signal is received at a second input terminal of a voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device, and wherein the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device is one of the plurality of voltage conversion units of the intermediate connection device;
converting, at the intermediate connection device, the voltage across the first and second input terminals of the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device to a voltage signal that has a lower value than the voltage across the first and second terminals of the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device; and
transmitting, at the intermediate connection device, the voltage signal to one of a plurality of inputs of the PM motor, wherein the transmitted voltage signal causes the motor to operate in one of a plurality of operation modes.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one of a plurality of operation modes corresponds to an input received at the system controller.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of voltage conversion units of the intermediate connection device are each coupled to distinct outputs of the system controller.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device comprises an induction coil as a triggering component.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device comprises an opto-coupler isolation unit as a triggering component.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the intermediate connection device is coupled to only the PM motor and the system controller, and is not coupled to a thermostat.

13. A control system for a permanent magnet (PM) motor in a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a tap detection circuit configured to be coupled to an intermediate connection device that is coupled to a system controller of the HVAC system, wherein the tap detection circuit comprises a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports and is configured to:
receive, at an input port, a voltage signal from the intermediate connection device, wherein the voltage signal is associated with a higher voltage signal transmitted by the system controller to the intermediate connection device;
detect which input port of the plurality of input ports received the voltage signal; and
transmit, via an output port associated with the detected input port, a signal to a processor; and

the processor, wherein the processor is coupled to the tap detection circuit, and wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the signal transmitted from the output port associated with the detected input port; and
select one of a plurality of operation modes in which to operate the motor based, at least in part, on the received signal.

14. The control system of claim 13 , wherein each input port of the tap detection circuit is configured to couple to a distinct voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device.

15. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the tap detection circuit comprises a current sensor to sense current flowing through the input port at which the voltage signal was received.

16. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the tap detection circuit comprises a plurality of current sensors, and wherein each current sensor associates an output port of the tap detection circuit with an input port.

17. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the motor to operate in the operation mode.

18. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate connection device is configured to couple to only the tap detection circuit of the PM motor and the system controller, and is configured to not couple to a thermostat.

19. A method for controlling a permanent magnet (PM) motor in a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
receiving, at an input port of a plurality of input ports of the PM motor, a voltage signal from an intermediate connection device that is coupled to a system controller of the HVAC system, wherein the voltage signal is associated with a higher voltage signal transmitted by the system controller to the intermediate connection device;
detecting, with a tap detection circuit of the PM motor, which input port of the plurality of input ports received the voltage signal; and
selecting, with a processor of the PM motor, one of a plurality of operation modes in which to operate the motor based, at least in part, on the detection of which input port of the plurality of input ports received the voltage signal.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein each input port of the PM motor is configured to couple to a distinct voltage conversion unit of the intermediate connection device.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the tap detection circuit compris

Assignees

• Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co

Inventors

• Hu Ge

Classifications

• H01R31/06

  Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter (with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94) · CPC title

• H02P6/08 Primary

  Arrangements for controlling the speed or torque of a single motor (H02P6/10, H02P6/28 take precedence) · CPC title