Patent ID: 11958083
Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 12:
13. A method of controlling movement of a sash, the method comprising:
providing a sash coupled to a counter-weight by a coupling member;
determining, using a controller, a condition of the sash;
operating, by the controller, a locking mechanism based on the condition of the sash to transition the locking mechanism between an open configuration where the locking mechanism does not inhibit movement of at least one of the sash and the coupling member and a locked configuration where the locking mechanism inhibits movement of the at least one of the sash and the coupling member;
wherein the counter-weight provides a balancing force against weight of the sash, and wherein when the locking mechanism is in the open configuration, the sash tends to move toward a closed position;
transitioning, using the controller, the locking mechanism to the locked configuration based on the condition being a first condition;
transitioning, using the controller, the locking mechanism to the open configuration based on the condition being a second condition different from the first condition;
wherein the first condition comprises at least one of:
the sash lowering solely due to an effect of gravity, and
the locking mechanism is in the open configuration and the sash not lowering;

wherein the second condition comprises at least one of:
the sash being manually moved,
a time since a last movement of the sash exceeding a first threshold value,
no person being proximate to the sash, and

a time elapsed since a person was proximate to the sash exceeding a second threshold value.