초록 ▼

An inline duct supplemental heating and cooling device provides heated and/or cooled air to a room in a building to supplement the heating provided by the existing furnace or the cooling provided by the existing cooling unit in the building. The device includes an electric heater and fan that are ac

An inline duct supplemental heating and cooling device provides heated and/or cooled air to a room in a building to supplement the heating provided by the existing furnace or the cooling provided by the existing cooling unit in the building. The device includes an electric heater and fan that are activated and deactivated individually by a controller, which receives room temperature data from a thermostat. The device may include one or more separate safety devices to prevent overheating of heater air or of the device itself. Optionally, a vibration-insulating sleeve may be used to couple the device to an existing ventilation duct of the building.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An electric heating and cooling device adapted to supplement a furnace or cooling unit having an air duct extending therefrom for transferring air from the furnace or cooling unit to a room, said heating and cooling device comprising: an electric heater;a fan adapted to propel air through the air

1. An electric heating and cooling device adapted to supplement a furnace or cooling unit having an air duct extending therefrom for transferring air from the furnace or cooling unit to a room, said heating and cooling device comprising: an electric heater;a fan adapted to propel air through the air duct;a housing defining a fluid passageway for containing said electric heater and said fan, said housing adapted to be coupled to the air duct whereby substantially all of the air passing through said fluid passageway and on to the room is received from only the air duct regardless of whether either of said fan or said electric heater is operating;a thermostat for selecting a desired upper threshold temperature or lower threshold temperature in the room to be heated or cooled and for detecting a temperature in the room;a control in communication with said thermostat and said electric heater and said fan, wherein said control is adapted to independently, activate and deactivate said electric heater and said fan based on input from said thermostat;wherein said control is configured to automatically activate said electric heater and said fan when the temperature detected in the room is lower than the desired lower threshold temperature;wherein said control is configured to automatically activate said fan without activating said electric heater when the temperature detected in the room is higher than the desired upper threshold temperature;a discharge air temperature sensor adapted to deactivate said electric heater when a temperature of air being discharged from the air duct is higher than a selectively chosen limit temperature;a temperature limit control adapted to deactivate said electric heater when a temperature of said electric heater is higher than a selectively chosen limit temperature, wherein said temperature limit control is resettable to allow activation of said electric heater when said electric heater cools to a temperature below said limit temperature; anda vibration insulator sleeve comprising a cylindrical hollow fabric member having opposite ends with an annular ring at each of said opposite ends, wherein one of said annular rings is configured for attachment to said housing of said heating and cooling device and the other of said annular rings is configured for attachment to the air duct. 2. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein the limit temperature of said temperature limit control is approximately 65 degrees Celsius. 3. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, further including a fusible link that interrupts the electric current between said control and said electric heater and said fan when the temperature of the electric heater is higher than a selectively chosen limit temperature. 4. The heating and cooling device of claim 3, wherein said fusible link interrupts said electric current at a temperature of approximately 113 degrees Celsius. 5. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said discharge air temperature sensor interrupts said electric current at a temperature of approximately 70 degrees Celsius. 6. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said control comprises a circuit board. 7. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said control deactivates said electric heater when the temperature detected in the room is higher than the desired lower threshold temperature. 8. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said control deactivates said fan when the temperature detected in the room is higher than the desired lower threshold temperature or lower than the desired higher threshold temperature. 9. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said housing is mounted along the air duct at a position between the furnace or cooling unit and the room. 10. An electric heating and cooling device adapted to supplement a furnace or cooling unit having an air duct extending therefrom for transferring air from the furnace or cooling unit to a room, said heating and cooling device comprising: an electric heater;a fan adapted to propel air through the air duct;a housing defining a fluid passageway for containing said electric heater and said fan, said housing adapted to be coupled to the air duct whereby substantially all of the air passing through said fluid passageway and on to the room is received from only the air duct regardless of whether either of said fan or said electric heater is operating;a thermostat for selecting a desired temperature in the room to be heated or cooled and detecting a temperature in the room;a control in communication with said thermostat and said electric heater and said fan, wherein said control is adapted to activate and deactivate said electric heater and said fan based on input from said thermostat;wherein said control is configured to automatically activate said electric heater when the temperature detected in the room is lower than the desired temperature;wherein said control is configured to automatically activate said fan when the temperature detected in the room is higher or lower than the desired temperature;a discharge air temperature sensor adapted to deactivate said electric heater when a temperature of air being discharged from the air duct is higher than a selectively chosen limit temperature;a temperature limit control adapted to deactivate said electric heater when a temperature of said electric heater is higher than a selectively chosen limit temperature, wherein said temperature limit control is resettable to allow activation of said electric heater when said electric heater cools to a temperature below said limit temperature; andwherein the device is adapted to supplement an air conditioner connected to the air duct, wherein said control activates said fan to draw cooled air through the air duct when the temperature detected by said thermostat in the room is higher than the desired temperature. 11. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said hollow fabric member is axially compressible and comprises a sheet material formed in a loop so as to have a pair of overlapping edge portions, said overlapping edge portions being heat-sealed to one another. 12. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said temperature limit control is automatically resettable to allow automatic re-activation of said electric heater when said electric heater cools to a temperature below said limit temperature. 13. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said thermostat is a wireless thermostat that is in wireless communication with said control. 14. The heating and cooling device of claim 1, wherein said thermostat is electrically connected to said control. 15. An electric heating and cooling device adapted to supplement a furnace or cooling unit having an air duct extending therefrom for transferring air from the furnace or cooling unit to a room, said heating and cooling device comprising: an electric heater;a fan adapted to propel air through the air duct;a housing defining a fluid passageway configured to be arranged in-line with the air duct whereby substantially all of the air passing to the room through said fluid passageway is received in said fluid passageway from an upstream portion of the air duct and is discharged from said fluid passageway to a downstream portion of the air duct, said housing further containing said electric heater and said fan in said fluid passageway;a control in communication with said electric heater and said fan, and configured to communicate with a thermostat for detecting a temperature in the room to be heated or cooled and for selecting a desired upper threshold temperature or lower threshold temperature in the room, wherein said control is configured to activate and deactivate said electric heater and said fan based on input from the thermostat;wherein said control is configured to automatically activate said electric heater and said fan when the temperature detected in the room is lower than the desired lower threshold temperature;wherein said control is configured to automatically activate said fan without activating said heater when the temperature detected in the room is higher than the desired upper threshold temperature; andwherein the device is adapted to supplement a cooling unit connected to the air duct, wherein said control is configured to activate said fan to draw cooled air through the air duct when the temperature detected by the thermostat in the room is higher than the desired upper threshold temperature. 16. The heating and cooling device of claim 15, further comprising a temperature limit control adapted to deactivate said electric heater when a temperature of said electric heater is higher than a selectively chosen limit temperature, wherein said temperature limit control is resettable to allow activation of said electric heater when said electric heater cools to a temperature below said limit temperature. 17. The heating and cooling device of claim 15, further in combination with a thermostat. 18. The heating and cooling device of claim 17, wherein said thermostat is a wireless thermostat that is in wireless communication with said control. 19. The heating and cooling device of claim 15, wherein said device is adapted to supplement an air conditioner connected to the air duct, wherein said control activates said fan to draw cooled air through the air duct when the temperature detected by the thermostat in the room is higher than the desired temperature. 20. An electric heating and cooling device adapted to supplement a furnace or cooling unit having an air duct extending therefrom for transferring air from the furnace or cooling unit to a room, said heating and cooling device comprising: a housing defining a fluid passageway in fluid communication with the air duct so that substantially all air discharged from said housing originates from only the air duct;an electric heater positioned in said fluid passageway of said housing and adapted to selectively heat air received from the air duct;a fan positioned in said fluid passageway of said housing and adapted to selectively propel air through the air duct;a control in communication with said electric heater and said fan, and configured to communicate with a thermostat for detecting a temperature in the room to be heated or cooled and for selecting a desired upper threshold temperature or lower threshold temperature in the room, wherein said control is configured to activate and deactivate said electric heater and said fan based on input from the thermostat;wherein said control automatically activates said electric heater when the temperature detected in the room is lower than a desired lower threshold temperature;wherein said control automatically activates said fan without activating said electric heater when the temperature detected in the room is higher than the desired upper threshold or lower than the desired lower threshold temperature;wherein the device is adapted to supplement a cooling unit connected to the air duct, wherein said control is configured to activate said fan to draw cooled air through the air duct when the temperature detected by the thermostat in the room is higher than the desired upper threshold temperature. 21. The heating and cooling device of claim 20, further in combination with a thermostat. 22. The heating and cooling device of claim 21, wherein said thermostat is a wireless thermostat that is in wireless communication with said control. 23. An electric heating and cooling device adapted to supplement a furnace or cooling unit having an air duct extending therefrom for transferring air from the furnace or cooling unit to a room, said heating and cooling device comprising: a housing defining a fluid passageway in fluid communication with the air duct so that substantially all air discharged from said housing originates from only the air duct;an electric heater positioned in said fluid passageway of said housing and adapted to selectively heat air received from the air duct;a fan positioned in said fluid passageway of said housing and adapted to selectively propel air through the air duct;a control in communication with said electric heater and said fan, and configured to communicate with a thermostat for detecting a temperature in the room to be heated or cooled and for selecting a desired temperature in the room, wherein said control is configured to activate and deactivate said electric heater and said fan based on input from the thermostat;wherein said control automatically activates said electric heater when the temperature detected in the room is lower than the desired temperature;wherein said control automatically activates said fan when the temperature detected in the room is higher or lower than the desired temperature; andwherein said device is adapted to supplement an air conditioner connected to the air duct, wherein said control activates said fan to draw cooled air through the air duct when the temperature detected by the thermostat in the room is higher than the desired temperature. 24. A heating and cooling device adapted to supplement a furnace or cooling unit having an air duct extending therefrom for transferring air from the furnace or cooling unit to a room, said heating and cooling device comprising: a heater;a fan adapted to propel air through the air duct;a housing defining a fluid passageway containing said heater and said fan, said fluid passageway configured to be arranged in-line with the air duct whereby substantially all of the air entering said device for discharge to the room is received from the air duct and passes through said heater and said fan;a control in communication with said heater and said fan, and configured to communicate with a thermostat for detecting a temperature in the room to be heated or cooled and for selecting a desired temperature in the room, wherein said control is configured to activate and deactivate said heater and said fan based on input from the thermostat;wherein said control automatically activates said heater when the temperature detected in the room is lower than the desired temperature;wherein said control automatically activates said fan when the temperature detected in the room is higher or lower than the desired temperature; andwherein said device is adapted to supplement an air conditioner connected to the air duct, wherein said control activates said fan to draw cooled air through the air duct when the temperature detected by the thermostat in the room is higher than the desired temperature. 25. The heating and cooling device of claim 24, further in combination with a thermostat. 26. The heating and cooling device of claim 25, wherein said thermostat is a wireless thermostat that is in wireless communication with said control.