Background of the invention

The invention relates to controlling of ventilation equipment and particularly to a controller of ventilation equipment.

Known solutions for controlling of extraction ventilation systems are described in specifications WO 2021/165575 Al and WO 2020/152398 Al.

Brief description of the invention

It is thus an object of the invention to develop a novel type of a controller of ventilation equipment. The solution according to the invention is characterised by what is disclosed in the independent claims. Some embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

In the presented solution, the controller of ventilation equipment includes at least one sensor and control unit. The at least one sensor in question is configured to measure quality of air flowing in the ventilation duct. The control unit is configured to produce a control command for controlling the ventilation equipment based on the measurement of the sensor. The controller further includes a housing where there are an electronics chamber and a connection chamber. The at least one sensor and control unit in question are arranged to the electronics chamber. The connection chamber is arrangeable outside the ventilation duct and, from the connection chamber, the controller is fastenable to the ventilation duct. The electronics chamber is at least mainly arrangeable inside the ventilation duct. Such a controller is easy and simple to install in place into connection with an opening in the wall of the ventilation duct. The electronics chamber can be arranged inside the duct through an opening in the wall of the duct. Then, the parts and devices in the electronics chamber are in conditions determined by the air flowing in the ventilation duct. Therefore, for example, when the external conditions are cold, there is warmer in the ventilation duct and, respectively, when the external conditions are warm, there is cooler in the ventilation duct. The parts and devices in the electronics chamber are not thus easily exposed to too cold or too hot conditions.

According to an embodiment, the electronic chamber is divided into a measuring chamber and an electronics chamber, whereby at least one sensor is at least partially arranged to the measuring chamber. In this way, the sensor can be directly arranged to a place where the measurement is performed.

According to an embodiment, the measuring chamber includes an opening for conveying air from the ventilation duct to the measuring chamber to be measured by the sensor. Hence, it is easy and simple to convey air to be measured to the measuring chamber.

According to an embodiment, the measuring chamber includes openings in its top and bottom parts and on the sides, whereby air flow of the ventilation duct is conveyable inside the measuring chamber from the first and last opening in the flow direction and out of the measuring chamber back to the ventilation duct from the other openings. Therefore, air to be measured can be conveyed simply and effectively to the sensor for measuring.

According to an embodiment, at least one sensor is arranged to a sensor circuit board. There is a partition wall between the device chamber and the measuring chamber, through which wall, the sensor circuit board is arranged such that the sensor part of the sensor circuit board is arranged to the measuring chamber and a part of the circuit board is arranged to the device chamber. In this way, it is possible to simply arrange the required part to the air flow to be measured.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described in closer detail in connection with some embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a controller of ventilation equipment;

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the controller of Figure 1 seen from the end of a connection chamber;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the controller of Figure 1 seen from the end of an electronics chamber; and

Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the controller of Figure 1.

Detailed description of the invention

The attached figures show a controller 1 of ventilation equipment. The controller includes at least one sensor and control unit. The sensor in question is configured to measure quality of air flowing in a ventilation duct. The control unit is configured to produce a control command for controlling the ventilation equipment based on the measurement of the sensor.

The variable measured by the sensor can be one or more of the following: temperature, moisture, carbon dioxide, VOC gas, air flow, smoke and dust. Furthermore, one or more sensors can be connected to the controller, which sensors can measure e.g. pressure in ventilation duct, pressure of outside air and/or temperature of outside air. The controllable ventilation equipment can be e.g. an exhaust air blower and/or a supply air blower.

The control unit can be programmed with limit values, based on which, ventilation volume is adjusted. For example, when the temperature of exhaust air decreases below 20 °C, the control unit can control e.g. the motors of the supply air blower and/or the exhaust air blower to operate with a lower power in order to decrease ventilation. If the temperature of exhaust air increases above 23 °C, the control unit can control the motors of the supply air blower and/or the exhaust air blower to operate with a higher power in order to increase ventilation. If the temperature of exhaust air is between 20-23 °C, the current power of the motors can be maintained. A similar approach applies to other variables being measured. The control unit can also comprise an analyzer application which can deduct the requirement for increasing or decreasing ventilation based on two or more variables measured by sensors and issue the required control commands to the supply air blower and/or the exhaust air blower.

If desired, it is also possible to control ventilation by determining the basic level of ventilation from which the ventilation is increased when needed. The increase can be enabled based on the measurement of e.g. air quality, temperature and/or moisture. The optimization of ventilation can be implemented such that the ventilation is dimensioned to a level corresponding the utilization degree of the building.

The analyzer application can also increase safety in the building by identifying particles, smoke and/or a fire from exhaust air and by issuing a control command for adjusting ventilation as necessary. The control unit can deliver information on e.g. a fire forward, i.e., raise the fire alarm to an external terminal.

Outmost of the controller 1 there is a housing. In the embodiment of the figures, the housing consists of a housing body frame 2 and a housing cover 3. The housing body 2 and the housing cover 3 can be formed such that the housing cover 3 can be clicked in place in connection with the housing body 2.

The housing includes a connection chamber 4 and an electronics chamber 5. The controller 1 is fastened into connection with a ventilation duct such that the connection chamber 4 is arranged outside the ventilation duct. The controller 1 can be fastened from the connection chamber 4 to the ventilation duct. Figures 1 and 4 show a wall 6 of the ventilation duct. There is an opening in the wall 6 of the ventilation duct, through which, the electronics chamber 5 is at least partially arranged inside the ventilation duct. The controller 1 can be fastened to the ventilation duct e.g. by adhesive, glue, screw, rivet or some other suitable means of fastening. The housing body 2 is formed such that it includes a narrower section, which can be put through the opening of the wall 6 of the ventilation duct, and a wider section, from which the controller 1 can be fastened to the ventilation duct. The housing cover 3 can be fastened to the wider section of the housing body 2.

A connection box 7 can be arranged to the connection chamber 4. In the connection box 7, it is then possible to perform the connections of the cables, such as a voltage feed cable, a cable going to the ventilation equipment and a cable going to the control unit, of the controller 1. This connection box 7 can be tight, whereby the connection chamber 4 as such does not have to be at least as tight as the connection box 7.

The walls of the connection chamber 4 can include through hole preforms 8. When wishing to install a cable through the wall of the connection chamber 4, the through hole preform 8 is opened, a through hole fitting 9 is installed to it and the cable is installed via the through hole fitting 9.

There is a partition wall 10 between the connection chamber 4 and the electronics chamber 5. The partition wall 10 can be fastened to the housing body 2 e.g. by screws 11.

The partition wall 10 can also include through hole preforms. When wishing to install a cable through the partition wall 10, the through hole preform is opened, a through hole fitting is installed to it and the cable is installed via the through hole fitting.

The sensor and the control unit of the controller 1 are arranged to the electronics chamber 5. The electronics chamber 5 is divided by a partition wall 12 to a measuring chamber 13 and a device chamber 14. Circuit boards 15 forming the control unit are arranged to the device chamber 14. The circuit boards 15 can comprise memory, processors, data transfer units and other components forming the control unit.

The circuit boards 15 are installed on a rack 16. The rack 16 can be formed of e.g. thin metal sheet which is bent to the U shape. The rack 16 can be fastened to the partition walls 10 and 12 e.g. by nuts 17. A power source 18 i.e. a voltage reducer can be fastened to the upper parts of the U-shaped metal sheet forming the rack 16 such that the power source 18 combines the branches of letter U. In this way, the rack 16 can be reinforced in a simple way. The controller 1 can also be implemented such that it operates wirelessly. Then, it is preferable to put required batteries to the electronics chamber 5.

Additionally, a sensor circuit board 19 is arranged to the rack 16. The sensor circuit board 19 is arranged through the partition wall 12 between the device chamber 14 and the measuring chamber 13. Thus, at least a sensor part 19a of the sensor circuit board 19 is arranged to the measuring chamber 13. A part of the sensor circuit board 19 is arranged to the device chamber 14.

The measuring chamber 13 includes openings 20 in the housing body 2 for conveying air from the ventilation duct to the measuring chamber 13 to be measured by the sensor. Figure 3 illustrates by arrows A the flow of air in the ventilation duct. The air flow causes overpressure at the first and last opening 20 in the flow direction, that is at the point of the lowermost and the uppermost opening 20 of Figure 3, outside the housing. Therefore, air is able to flow to the measuring chamber 13 as illustrated by arrows B. At the point of the middle openings 20, the airflow cause underpressure outside the housing. Thus, air is able to flow out of the measuring chamber 13 back to the ventilation duct as illustrated by arrows C.

At the point of those openings 20 from which air flows from the ventilation duetto the measuring chamber 13, it is possible to arranged filters 21 to filter the air being measured.

Those skilled in the art will find it obvious that, as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not restricted to the examples described above but can vary within the scope of the claims.