This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
HVAC systems commonly include a blower motor assembly for producing airflow across heating and/or cooling elements and through the ductwork of a space being heated or cooled. The blower motor assembly typically includes a blower (also referred to as an air handler), a motor, a motor controller and memory associated with the motor controller for storing, among other things, data related to the HVAC system in which the blower motor assembly is or will be installed. During operation of the HVAC system, the blower motor assembly typically receives operating commands from a system controller in communication with a thermostat.
In many cases, the blower motor assembly is operated in a constant airflow mode. In this mode, the blower motor assembly receives various input signals, typically from the system controller. In response to these signals, and using the HVAC system data stored in its memory, the motor controller energizes the motor as necessary to produce a constant level of airflow corresponding to the received input signals.
Because the blower motor assembly is programmed for a particular HVAC system—by storing data specific to that system in the motor controller's memory—the blower motor assembly is not suitable for use in other types of HVAC systems. To address this issue, some blower motor assemblies store data for multiple HVAC systems in the motor controller's memory. When a blower motor assembly of this type is installed in a particular HVAC system, data for that particular system is selected from the motor controller's memory via operator input in the field. With this arrangement, the blower motor assembly can be used in several different HVAC systems.
As recognized by the present inventor, however, storing data for multiple HVAC systems in the motor controller's memory increases the overall memory requirements of the blower motor assembly. Furthermore, while this approach allows the blower motor assembly to be used in more than one type of HVAC system, the potential applications of the blower motor assembly are still limited to the particular HVAC systems for which data is stored in the motor controller's memory.
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USPTO Backgrounds