Fan speed control device

• Main Author: Steiner, James P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.08.2022
• Subjects: AIR-CONDITIONING, AIR-HUMIDIFICATION, VENTILATION, USE OF AIRCURRENTS FOR SCREENING; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; BLASTING; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORSOR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION; HEATING; LIGHTING; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS; PHYSICS; POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PRINTED CIRCUITS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; RANGES; TESTING; VENTILATING; WEAPONS

A control device for a ceiling fan may have a motor drive circuit configured to control a rotational speed of a motor of the ceiling fan, an occupancy sensing circuit, and a control circuit configured to adjust the rotational speed of the motor in response to a detected occupancy or vacancy condition. The control circuit may process the signals generated by the occupancy sensing circuit to eliminate the effects of vibrations and/or wobbling of the ceiling fan. The control circuit may control the motor drive circuit to adjust the rotational speed of the motor in response to an accelerometer to minimize the magnitude of the wobble of the ceiling fan. The control circuit may be configured to learn a preferred rotational speed for the motor. The control circuit may also be configured to control the rotational speed of the motor to affect a thermal comfort level of an occupant.