WIRELESS AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL DEVICE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to air conditioner control devices and more particularly pertains to a new air conditioner control device for remotely controlling a window air conditioner. The device includes a thermostat and a communication unit integrated into the thermostat. The device includes a power unit that can be plugged into a female electrical outlet and a power cord of a window air conditioner can be plugged into the power unit. The power unit is in wireless communication with the communication unit thereby facilitating the thermostat to turn the power unit on and off based on a sensed temperature in the room in which the thermostat is positioned. In this way the window air conditioner can be remotely turned on and off with the thermostat.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to air conditioner control devices including a variety of wired thermostatic controls for a window air conditioner and a wireless thermostatic control for a window air conditioner that includes a power unit that can be plugged into an outlet and which is in wireless communication with a portable remote control. In no instance does the prior art disclose a wireless thermostatic control for a window air conditioner that includes a wall mounted thermostat with a communication unit that is in wireless communication with a power unit that is plugged into a female electrical outlet for supplying power to a window air conditioner which is turned on and off by the communication unit in the thermostat.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a thermostat that is mountable to a support surface in a building and a communication unit is integrated into the thermostat. The communication unit broadcasts a de-actuate command when the thermostat senses a temperature that matches a target temperature. Additionally, the communication unit broadcasts an actuate command when the temperature sensor senses a temperature that is above the target temperature. A power unit is provided which can be plugged into a female electrical outlet and a power cord of a window air conditioner can be plugged into the power unit. The power unit is in remote communication with the communication unit for actuating and de-actuating the power unit to remotely control the window air conditioner.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wireless air conditioner control device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a power unit of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a back perspective view of a power unit of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of a power unit of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a rear view of a thermostat of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 9 thereof, a new air conditioner control device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, the wireless air conditioner control device 10 generally comprises a thermostat 12 that is mountable to a support surface 14 in a building 16 such that the thermostat 12 is accessible to a user 18. The building 16 may be a house, an apartment or other type of residence and the user 18 may be an occupant of the residence. A communication unit 20 is integrated into the thermostat 12 and the thermostat 12 has temperature controls 22 which are movably integrated into the thermostat 12 for establishing a target temperature. The thermostat 12 has a temperature sensor 24 which senses the temperature of ambient air in the immediate area of the thermostat 12. The communication unit 20 broadcasts a de-actuate command when the temperature sensor 24 senses a temperature that matches the target temperature. Additionally, the communication unit 20 broadcasts an actuate command when the temperature sensor 24 senses a temperature that is above the target temperature.

The thermostat 12 has a front wall 26 and a back wall 28 which has at least one fastening element 30 which is integrated into the back wall 28 thereby facilitating the at least one fastening element 30 to engage the support surface 14 for retaining the thermostat 12 on the support surface 14. The fastening element 30 may comprise a threaded fastener, such as a screw for example, and a well recessed into the back wall 28 which insertably receives a head of the threaded fastener or the fastening element 30 may comprise a pair of hook and loop fasteners or any other type of fastener that can retain the thermostat 12 on an interior wall of the building 16. Each of the plurality of temperature controls 22 is disposed on the front wall 26 of the thermostat 12 and the plurality of temperature controls 22 includes a temperature increase button 32 and a temperature decrease button 34. The thermostat 12 might be in wired communication with an existing heating system of the building 16, for example, to facilitate the thermostat 12 to control the heating system.

The communication unit 20 comprises a thermostat processor 36 that is integrated into the thermostat 12 and the thermostat processor 36 receives an actuate input and a de-actuate input. The thermostat processor 36 is electrically coupled to the temperature sensor 24 and each of the temperature increase button 32 and the temperature decrease button 34 is electrically coupled to the thermostat processor 36. The target temperature is increased toward a maximum temperature when the temperature increase button 32 is manipulated. Conversely, the target temperature is decreased toward a minimum temperature when the temperature decrease button 34 is manipulated. The maximum temperature may be a temperature of approximately 80.0 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, and the minimum temperature may be a temperature of approximately 65.0 degrees Fahrenheit, for example.

The thermostat processor 36 receives the actuate input when the temperature sensor 24 senses a temperature that is greater than the target temperature. Additionally, the thermostat processor 36 receives the de-actuate input when the temperature sensor 24 senses a temperature that is less than the target temperature. The temperature sensor 24 may comprise an electronic temperature sensor or the like with temperature sensitivity ranging between approximately 30.0 degrees Fahrenheit and 120.0 degrees Fahrenheit. The thermostat 12 includes a thermostat transceiver 38 that is integrated into the thermostat 12 and the thermostat transceiver 38 is electrically coupled to the thermostat processor 36. The thermostat transceiver 38 broadcasts the de-actuate command when the thermostat processor 36 receives the de-actuate input and the thermostat transceiver 38 broadcasts the actuate command when the thermostat processor 36 receives the actuate input. The thermostat transceiver 38 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the thermostat transceiver 38 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols.

A display 40 is integrated into the front wall 26 of the thermostat 12 and the display 40 is electrically coupled to the thermostat processor 36. The display 40 displays indicia 42 comprising numbers to indicate the current temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 24 and the target temperature set with the temperature controls 22. The display 40 may comprise a light emitting diode display or other type of electronic display. Additionally, the display 40 may be recessed into the front wall 26 to protect the display 40 from impact damage.

A power unit 44 is provided which has a male power plug 46 that is integrated into the power unit 44 and the male power plug 46 can be plugged into a female electrical outlet 50. The male power plug 46 may comprise a three prong power plug that is commonly associated with grounded electrical devices. The power unit 44 has a female socket 52 that is integrated into the power unit 44 to insertably receive a male plug 54 of a power cord 56 of a window air conditioner 58. The female socket 52 may comprise a three prong female electrical outlet 50 commonly employed on residential electrical systems. The window air conditioner 58 may be an electronic window air conditioner of any conventional design that is commonly employed in residential air conditioning.

The power unit 44 is in remote communication with the communication unit 20 in the thermostat 12 thereby facilitating the power unit 44 to receive the acuate command and the de-actuate command from the communication unit 20. The power unit 44 is actuated into an actuated condition when the power unit 44 receives the acuate command and the power unit 44 is actuated into a de-actuated condition when the power unit 44 receives the de-actuate command. The female socket 52 is in communication with the male power plug 46 when the power unit 44 is actuated into the actuated condition. In this way the female socket 52 supplies electrical power to the window air conditioner 58 thereby facilitating the window air conditioner 58 to cool air in the building 16. Conversely, the female socket 52 is inhibited from communicating with the male power plug 46 when the power unit 44 is actuated into the de-actuated condition to remove electrical power from the window air conditioner 58. In this way the window air conditioner 58 can be effectively wirelessly controlled without requiring any modifications to be made to the window air conditioner 58.

The power unit 44 comprises a housing 60 which has a rear wall 62 and a forward wall 64. The male plug 46 extends away from the rear wall 62 and the female socket 52 is recessed into the forward wall 64. The power unit 44 includes a power processor 66 that is integrated into the housing 60 and the power processor 66 receives a turn on input and a turn off input. The power unit 44 includes a switch 68 that is integrated into the housing 60. The switch 68 has a control input 70 that is electrically coupled to the power processor 66 and the switch 68 has a pair of power terminals 72 each electrically coupled to a respective one of the male power plug 46 and the female socket 52.

The switch 68 is actuated into a closed condition when the power processor 66 receives the turn on input and the switch 68 is actuated into an open condition when the power processor 66 receives the turn off input. The power terminals 72 are in electrical communication with each other when the switch 68 is actuated into the closed condition to turn on the window air conditioner 58. Conversely, the power terminals 72 are inhibited from being in electrical communication with each other when the switch 68 is actuated into the open condition to turn off the window air conditioner 58. The switch 68 may comprise a relay, solid state switching circuitry or any other type of electrical circuitry that can interrupt the flow of alternating current electricity.

The power unit 44 includes a power transceiver 74 that is integrated into the housing 60 and the power transceiver 74 is electrically coupled to the power processor 66. The power transceiver 74 is in wireless communication with the thermostat transceiver 38 thereby facilitating the power transceiver 74 to receive each of the de-actuate command and the actuate command from the thermostat transceiver 38. The power processor 66 receives the turn on input when the power transceiver 74 receives the actuate command from the thermostat transceiver 38. Furthermore, the power processor 66 receives the turn off input when the power transceiver 74 receives the de-actuate command from the thermostat transceiver 38. The power transceiver 74 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the power transceiver 74 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols.

The power unit 44 includes a plurality of lights 76 and each of the plurality of lights 76 is integrated into the forward wall 64 of the housing 60 such that each of the plurality of lights 76 emits light outwardly from the forward wall 64. Each of the lights 76 is electrically coupled to the power processor 66 and each of the plurality of lights 76 is turned on when the power transceiver 74 is in wireless communication with the thermostat transceiver 38. In this way the plurality of lights 76 can visually communicate that the power transceiver 74 is communicating with the thermostat transceiver 38.

The plurality of lights 76 includes a rounded light 78 and a plurality of arced lights 80. Each of the arced lights 80 is curved such that each of the arced lights 80 forms an arc. The arced lights 80 are evenly spaced apart from each other and are distributed above the rounded light 78. Additionally, the plurality of arced lights 80 increases in length moving away from the rounded light 78. In this way each the rounded light 78 and the plurality of arced lights 80 defines a Wi-Fi symbol 82. Each of the plurality of lights 76 may comprise a light emitting diode or other type of electronic light emitter.

In use, the thermostat 12 is mounted in a desired location in the building 16 and the thermostat 12 is electrically coupled to the electrical system 84 of the building 16 for electrical power. The male plug 46 on the power unit 44 is plugged into the female electrical outlet 50 and the power cord 56 for the window air conditioner 58 is plugged into the female socket 52. The temperature controls 22 are manipulated to establish the target temperature and the communication unit 20 broadcasts the actuate command when the temperature sensor 24 senses a temperature that is above the target temperature. In this way the window air conditioner 58 is turned on to cool the air in the building 16 until the temperature sensor 24 senses a temperature that is the same as the target temperature. The communication unit 20 broadcasts the de-actuate command when the temperature sensor 24 senses that the temperature in the building 16 is the same as the target temperature. In this way the window air conditioner 58 is turned off until the temperature in the building 16 rises above the target temperature. The window air conditioner 58 is subsequently turned on and off to maintain the temperature in the building 16 at the target temperature.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, device and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.