Patent ID: 8625976
Filing Date: 2014-01-07
Classification: F24D,F24F,F24H,G05D

Abstract:
1. A method of heating and cooling a room that is primarily heated by a furnace adapted to supply heat to the room through an air duct, and that is primarily cooled by a cooling unit adapted to supply cooled air to the room through the air duct, said method comprising: directing substantially all of the air from the air duct into a fluid passageway defined by a housing of a heating and cooling device that is positioned in-line with the air duct, the housing containing a heater and a fan disposed in the fluid passageway, whereby substantially all of the air in the fluid passageway is received from the air duct and is directed through the heater and the fan; controlling the heater and the fan of the heating and cooling device with a controller that is in communication with a thermostat positioned in the room; selecting a desired temperature in the room at the thermostat; automatically activating the heater with the controller when the temperature detected in the room by the thermostat is lower than a threshold minimum temperature corresponding to the selected desired temperature; automatically activating the fan with the controller when the temperature detected in the room is lower than the threshold minimum temperature or higher than a threshold maximum temperature corresponding to the selected desired temperature; supplementing the cooling unit associated with the air duct by activating the fan to draw cooled air through the air duct with the fan when the temperature detected by the thermostat in the room is higher than the threshold maximum temperature corresponding to the selected desired temperature; and discharging substantially all of the air in the fluid passageway of the heating and cooling device into the room.