Patent Description:
Over the last decades, many products have been introduced in order to control heat emitters within a room or a house. A traditional solution, still widespread, is to perform a room per room heat management inside a building. Each heat emitter is equipped with a valve that regulates the heat flux inside the heat emitter. The valve is either a mechanical valve or a thermostatic valve.

In the case of a mechanical valve, the user adjusts the position of the valve depending on the ambient heat he/she wishes inside the room. If the room comprises a plurality of heat emitters, the user has to adjust the position of each valve, preferably in a compliant way. This often leads to incorrect settings, leading to unapropriate behaviours and additional energy costs.

A thermostatic valve, also called thermostatic radiator valve or TRV, is a self-regulating valve fitted to a hot water heating system radiator, to control the temperature of a room by changing the flow of hot water to the radiator in case of radiator based on hot water technic. Such a valve gradually closes as the temperature of the surrounding area increases, limiting the amount of hot water entering the radiator.

A thermostatic valve allows a better thermal management within a room without a need of manually adapting the position of the valve. It is also possible to program various time slots, each corresponding to a temperature setpoint in the room. For example, the temperature setpoint of each valve may be set at <NUM> from <NUM> am to <NUM> pm and at <NUM> during the night, so as to save energy. To this end, a thermostat can be used to control operation of a central heating system, for example a boiler or more generally a heat generator, and regulate the temperature of one or more rooms by setting a temperature setpoint and monitoring the temperature within the home. If the room temperature falls below the temperature setpoint, the thermostat sends an appropriate signal to operate heating schedule as deemed necessary.

Today, it is well known to use, in combination with thermostatic valves, a variety of communication mediums to enable the thermal control within a room or a house, for example power lines, cabled or wireless networks. The user may perform this thermal control with a connection via the Internet, allowing a further degree of remote control. Such a connection may be realized thanks to a relay that can be driven by the user via a dedicated application or a web application from a PC or another user terminal (i.e. tablet or smart phone) connected to the Internet.

Nevertheless, depending on the configuration of the house and the positioning of heat emitters in relation to one another, as well as the positioning of the thermostat itself, this may result in a non-adapted thermal regulation. Indeed if the thermostat is in the living-room and the temperature setpoint is reached in this room, the boiler may receive from the thermostat an order to stop heating. But the temperature setpoint in the bedroom may not be reached. Since the thermostat sent the order to the boiler to shut down, the circulating water is not hot enough to enable the heat emitter in the bedroom to heat this room up to the temperature setpoint of the bedroom. Despite the predefined temperature setpoint of the bedroom, this temperature may not be reached.

<CIT> relates to a temperature controlling solution. The temperature controlling system comprises an unit for supplying energy to temperatured zones and a central control unit for controlling at least the unit for supplying energy in relation to an amount of energy required in the zones. In the control unit the zones are selected whose amount of energy is considered by the control unit. This reduces the energy consumption of the unit for supplying energy.

<CIT> discloses an apparatus to control a central heating system and that comprises a relay coupled to the system, a thermostat in wireless communication with the relay, and a server located remotely from the system, i.e. in a separate building. The thermostat determines an ambient temperature and communicates the temperature to the relay. The server receives the temperature from the relay and generates one or more instructions based upon the ambient temperature, which are sent to the relay to control operation of the system. Ideally, the one or more instructions can start/stop a boiler of the system and set desired temperature thresholds of one or more thermostatic radiator valves of respective radiators. The relay may communicate with the server over the internet using a local WiFi router. A user may use a web portal to enter desired objectives of the system on the server, such as desired start times and target temperatures. The server may use other user information, such as GPS tracking of the user or third-party application programming interfaces, to control the system. If communication between the relay and the server fails, the thermostat can resume control of the system.

A solution to overcome this inconvenient is to allow an input of a temperature setting at the thermostatic radiator valve to bypass a lower temperature setting at the thermostat. To achieve this result, the invention provides a system and method for enforcing a manual temperature setpoint within a smart thermal management system, thus enabling a better thermal comfort within a room without affecting the performance of the thermal control throughout the building.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) configured to adjust a flow of heating fluid from a heat generator entering a heat emitter in a room having a room temperature based on a temperature setpoint, the heat generator and the heat emitter being configured to heat a building, the TRV comprising communication link to a thermostat controlling the heat generator based on a thermostat temperature setpoint and an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint; wherein the TRV is configured to send to the thermostat a command to trigger the heat generator if the defined temperature setpoint is higher than the room temperature and the thermostat has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint. Such a TRV is able to directly trigger the heat generator when a temperature higher than the thermostat temperature setpoint is required in a room. From this, it follows that a user can perform a manual change in the temperature setpoint of a room, thus leading to the triggering of the heat generator previously shut down because of the achievement of the thermostat temperature setpoint.

More generally, the invention relates to a thermostatic radiator valve TRV configured to adjust a flow of heat transfer fluid from a thermal energy generator entering a heat exchanger based on a temperature setpoint, the thermal energy generator and the heat exchanger configured to heat or cool a room with a room temperature, the TRV comprising a communication link to a thermostat controlling the thermal energy generator based on a thermostat temperature setpoint; an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint; wherein the TRV is configured to send to the thermostat a command to trigger the thermal energy generator if a difference between the defined temperature setpoint and the room temperature has a same sign as a gradient of temperature to be generated by the thermal energy generator and the thermostat has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint.

Advantageously, in some embodiments, the communication link includes a relay configured to connect to the thermostat, and the TRV is configured to send to the relay the command for the thermostat to trigger the heat generator. The relay can concentrate the data of all TRVs within the house and it may be an access point to have an access to these data. Therefore a user can directly connect to the relay to access to these data.

In an embodiment of the invention, the relay is connected to an internet network to enable the reception of external commands.

The invention also concerns a method for enforcing a manual temperature setpoint using a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) configured to adjust a flow of heating fluid from a heat generator entering a heat emitter in a room with a room temperature based on a temperature setpoint, the heat generator and the heat emitter being configured to heat a building, the TRV comprising a communication link to a thermostat controlling the heat generator based on a thermostat temperature setpoint; an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint; the method comprising the step of sending an order to the thermostat to trigger the heat generator, if the defined temperature setpoint is higher than the room temperature and the thermostat has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint. This method enables to directly trigger the heat generator when a temperature higher than the thermostat temperature setpoint is required in a room.

The invention also concerns a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) configured to adjust a flow of cooling fluid from a cooling generator entering a cooling emitter in a room having a room temperature based on a temperature setpoint, the cooling generator and the cooling emitter being configured to cool a building, the TRV comprising communication link to a thermostat controlling the cooling generator based on a thermostat temperature setpoint and an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint; wherein the TRV is configured to send to the thermostat a command to trigger the heat generator if a difference between the defined temperature setpoint and the room temperature has a same sign as a gradient of temperature to be generated by the thermal energy generator and the thermostat has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint.

The accompanying drawings illustrate various non-limiting, example, innovative aspects in accordance with the present descriptions :.

For the sake of clarity, the same elements have the same references in the various figures.

As previously mentioned, although many of the features of this invention are described in relation to a residential home environment, it is understood that they are generally applicable to places where temperature of the room is important such as, for instance, office and industrial buildings.

The invention is described with self-regulating valve fitted to hot water heating system radiator and heat generator like a boiler, but the invention can be applied by analogy to any heat generator (from thermal, geothermal energy) and corresponding valves.

Moreover the invention is described with a thermostatic radiator valve <NUM> in the field of heating but relates more generally to a thermostatic radiator valve TRV configured to adjust a flow of heat transfer fluid from a thermal energy generator entering a heat exchanger based on a temperature setpoint, the thermal energy generator and the heat exchanger configured to heat or cool a room with a room temperature, the TRV comprising a communication link to a thermostat controlling the thermal energy generator based on a thermostat temperature setpoint; an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint; wherein the TRV is configured to send to the thermostat a command to trigger the thermal energy generator if a difference between the defined temperature setpoint and the room temperature has a same sign as a gradient of temperature to be generated by the thermal energy generator and the thermostat has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint.

In the following, the invention will be described with the heat transfer fluid being a heating fluid, the heat exchanger being a heat emitter and the thermal energy generator being a heat generator. But the heat transfer fluid can also be a cooling fluid, the heat exchanger a cooling emitter and the thermal energy generator a cooling generator.

<FIG> schematically represents a thermostatic radiator valve <NUM> according to the invention. The thermostatic valve <NUM> comprises a motor <NUM>, an electronic board <NUM>. In an embodiment, the thermostatic radiator valve <NUM> may comprise a temperature sensor <NUM>. The motor <NUM> may be replaced by any other system able to reduce the fluid flow in the heat emitter.

The thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) <NUM> is a self-regulating valve fitted to a heating fluid from a heat generator entering a heat emitter (or radiator) to which the TRV <NUM> is connected. The TRV <NUM> may include a memory to store some data such as a temperature setpoint. Depending on the surrounding temperature measured by a temperature sensor <NUM> and a temperature setpoint of the TRV <NUM>, an electronic board <NUM> comprising a calculator may activate the motor <NUM> to mechanically adapt the aperture <NUM> of the TRV <NUM>. Such a TRV <NUM> gradually closes as the temperature of the surrounding area increases, limiting the amount of heating fluid entering the heat emitter.

<FIG> schematically represents an embodiment of the thermostatic radiator valve <NUM> for enforcing a manual temperature setpoint according to the invention. A heat generator <NUM> and a heat emitter <NUM> are configured to heat a building <NUM>. The TRV <NUM>, stored in a room <NUM> with a room temperature Tr1 is configured to adjust the flow of heating fluid from the heat generator <NUM> entering the heat emitter <NUM> based on a temperature setpoint. The TRV <NUM> comprises a communication link <NUM> to a thermostat <NUM> controlling the heat generator <NUM> based on a thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>. The communication link <NUM> may be performed through a wired or radio connection <NUM> such as Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth™.

The TRV <NUM> comprises an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint T2 from a user terminal connected to the connection <NUM> to which the TRV and the thermostat are connected. According to the invention, the TRV is configured to send to the thermostat <NUM> a command to trigger the heat generator <NUM>, if a difference between the defined temperature setpoint T2 and the room temperature Tr1 has a same sign as a gradient of temperature to be generated by the thermal energy generator and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>. The gradient of temperature indicates the evolution of the temperature. It is positive in case of a temperature increase. A positive temperature gradient means that the thermal energy generator should operate so as to increase the temperature (i. e the thermal energy generator generates a positive temperature gradient). A negative temperature gradient means that the thermal energy generator should operate so as to decrease the temperature (i. e the thermal energy generator generates a negative temperature gradient). In other words, in the case of a heat generator (configured to generate a positive temperature gradient), the TRV sends to the thermostat <NUM> the command to trigger the heat generator <NUM> if the defined temperature setpoint T2 is higher than the room temperature Tr1 (i.e. the difference between T2 and Tr1 is positive) and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>. In the case of a cooling generator (configured to generate a negative temperature gradient), the TRV sends to the thermostat <NUM> the command to trigger the cooling generator if the defined temperature setpoint T2 is lower than the room temperature Tr1 (i.e. the difference between T2 and Tr1 is negative) and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>.

In schematic representation in <FIG> and <FIG>, the thermostat <NUM> is located in a third room <NUM>, that is to say a room where there are no TRV, to better illustrate the enforcing of the manual temperature setpoint, also called the activation of the manual boost. Of course, the invention works also in a case with a thermostat placed in the same room where there is a TRV.

The advantage of such a TRV is to allow a user to heat up a room by enabling the TRV in this room to trigger the heat generator <NUM> directly, even if the thermostat temperature setpoint is achieved. Indeed, in such a case, having achieved its thermostat temperature setpoint (i.e. Tr1 is higher than <NUM>), the thermostat normally orders the heat generator <NUM> to shut down because no further heating in this room is needed. Thanks to the TRV of the invention, a user is able to impose via the input interface of the TRV a new defined temperature setpoint T2 to the TRV in this room. Should this new defined temperature setpoint T2 be higher than the measured temperature in the room where T2 is imposed, the TRV sends a command to the thermostat <NUM> to trigger the heat generator <NUM> previously shut down, and this even if the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM> is achieved in this room.

In other words, the TRV <NUM> is able to trigger the heat generator <NUM> if the new defined temperature setpoint T2 input to the TRV <NUM> requires a heating up of the room, that is to say if the defined temperature setpoint T2 is higher than the room temperature Tr1 and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>.

It may be considered that the thermostat <NUM> has reached its temperature setpoint when it is no more regulating (i. TR1 is much higher than <NUM>). In addition note that the defined temperature setpoint can be lower than the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM> and activate the manual boost if the thermostat was no more regulating.

The same applies to the TRV <NUM> in the same room as the TRV <NUM> and to the TRV <NUM> in another room. It is of particular interest when a user inputs a new defined temperature setpoint T2 at the TRV <NUM> in the room <NUM>. In this configuration, the room temperature Tr1 of the room <NUM> is equal to the thermostat temperature <NUM>. Therefore there is no need to heat up the room further and the heat generator <NUM> is shut down. The condition is fulfilled for the TRV <NUM> to send to the thermostat <NUM> a command to trigger the heat generator <NUM> when the defined temperature setpoint T2 to the TRV <NUM> is higher than the room temperature Tr2 and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>.

In an example of application, the TRV according to the invention enables to enforce a manual temperature setpoint T2 within a house <NUM> comprising at least a first, a second and a third room <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, each room having a real temperature Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and a thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>. The thermostat <NUM> is for example located in the third room <NUM> and configured to communicate a heat generator parameter to the heat generator <NUM> to control the heat generator <NUM> for sending a flow of heating fluid to heat up each room or turning the heat generator off according to the real temperature Tr3 and the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM> of the third room <NUM>. There are a plurality of heat emitters <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> located in the first and second rooms, capable of receiving the flow of heating fluid from the heat generator <NUM>, and a plurality of TRVs <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, one of the plurality of TRVs being connected to one of the plurality of heat emitters <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. Thanks to the invention, one of the plurality of TRVs <NUM> in the second room <NUM> is configured to send to the thermostat <NUM> thanks to its communication link <NUM> via the dedicated network <NUM> a heat generator parameter intended to trigger the turned off heat generator <NUM> when a manual temperature setpoint T2 imposed to one of the plurality of heat emitters <NUM> of the second room <NUM> is higher than the room temperature Tr2 and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>.

<FIG> schematically represents another embodiment of the thermostatic radiator valve for enforcing a manual temperature setpoint according to the invention. In this embodiment, the communication link <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the TRV <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> includes a relay <NUM> configured to connect to the thermostat <NUM>, and the TRV is configured to send to the relay <NUM> the command for the thermostat <NUM> to trigger the heat generator <NUM>. The relay <NUM> may be connected to the TRVs through a wired or radio connection <NUM> such as Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Also the relay <NUM> may be connected to the thermostat <NUM> through the same or another wired or wireless connection.

In an embodiment, the relay <NUM> is connected to an internet network that enables the reception of commands external to the system.

In this embodiment, the relay <NUM> enables to concentrate the data from the TRVs. A TRV according to the invention may comprise a memory to store its own data like for example its temperature setpoint, the new defined temperature setpoint T2, but also data from the one or more other TRVs. The relay <NUM> can concentrate the data of all the TRVs. This feature presents the advantage of the possibility for a user to connect, for example, his smartphone to the relay <NUM> via a wired or wireless connection (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,. ) and check data of all TRVs at one sight. This may help the user to take a decision to input a new defined temperature setpoint T2.

As an example, in the case where the relay is coupled to the internet network, a user can sit in the room <NUM> and be under the impression that he is cold. Without moving, he/she can check the temperature setpoint of each TRV of the house by connecting his smartphone to the relay <NUM>. He may notice on his smartphone that the temperature setpoint of the TRVs <NUM>, <NUM> in the room <NUM> is <NUM>, the thermostat temperature setpoint is <NUM> and the temperature setpoint of the TRV <NUM> in the room <NUM> is <NUM>. Therefore, the heat generator <NUM> is off since the thermostat temperature setpoint of <NUM> is achieved. Knowing these temperature setpoints and due to his impression of being cold, the user may want to input a new defined temperature setpoint T2 at <NUM> to the TRV <NUM> in the room <NUM> where he is. Since the new defined temperature setpoint T2 (<NUM>) is higher than the room temperature Tr1 and the thermostat temperature setpoint (<NUM>), and even if the room temperature is already at <NUM>, the TRV <NUM> sends to the thermostat <NUM> the command to trigger the heat generator <NUM> to achieve the new defined temperature setpoint of <NUM> in the room <NUM>. The command sent to the thermostat <NUM> by the TRV <NUM> may transit through the relay connected to the thermostat <NUM>.

<FIG> represents a block diagram of the steps of a method for enforcing a manual temperature setpoint according to the invention. The method for enforcing a manual temperature setpoint uses a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) <NUM>, as described before, configured to adjust a flow of heating fluid from a heat generator <NUM> entering a heat emitter <NUM> in a room <NUM> with a room temperature Tr1 based on a temperature setpoint, the heat generator <NUM> and the heat emitter <NUM> configured to heat a building <NUM>, the TRV <NUM> comprising a communication link <NUM> to a thermostat <NUM> controlling the heat generator <NUM> based on a thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>, an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint T2 or acquire the defined temperature setpoint. According to the invention, the method comprises the step <NUM> of sending an order to the thermostat <NUM> to trigger the heat generator <NUM> if the defined temperature setpoint T2 is higher than the room temperature Tr1 (or more generally if a difference between the defined temperature setpoint T2 and the room temperature Tr1 has a same sign as a gradient of temperature to be generated by the thermal energy generator) and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>.

The method according to the invention further comprises the step <NUM> of regulating the room temperature Tr1 around the defined temperature setpoint T2.

With a TRV <NUM> having a communication link <NUM> comprising a relay <NUM> connected to the thermostat, as presented in <FIG>, the step <NUM> may vary. The TRV <NUM> may send the order to the relay <NUM> connected to the thermostat <NUM>. In this embodiment, the relay <NUM> is able to concentrate the commands from all the TRVs <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and distribute them to the thermostat <NUM>.

The invention enables the TRVs <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to send a request to the thermostat <NUM> to trigger the heat generator <NUM>, bypassing the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>. This is of particular interest in order to respond to a specific and, possibly urgent, need of a user for heating up a room.

The invention was mainly described in the field of heating but the invention applies in the field of cooling as well. The invention also concerns a TRV <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> configured to adjust a flow of cooling fluid from a cooling generator <NUM> entering a cooling emitter <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> based on a temperature setpoint, the cooling generator <NUM> and the cooling emitter <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> configured to cool a room <NUM> with a room temperature Tr1, the TRV <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> comprising a communication link <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to a thermostat <NUM> controlling the heat/cooling generator <NUM> based on a thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>; an input interface configured to allow a user to enter a defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint T2; wherein the TRV <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> is configured to send to the thermostat <NUM> a command to trigger the cooling generator <NUM> if the defined temperature setpoint T2 is lower than the room temperature Tr1 and the thermostat <NUM> has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) configured to adjust a flow of heat transfer fluid from a thermal energy generator (<NUM>) configured to heat or cool a room of a building, said heat transfer fluid entering a heat exchanger (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) based on a defined temperature setpoint from a user, the thermal energy generator (<NUM>) and the heat exchanger (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) configured to heat or cool a room (<NUM>) of the building, the thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) being adapted to be situated in the room, the room having a room temperature (Tr1), the TRV (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
- a communication link (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to a thermostat (<NUM>) controlling the thermal energy generator (<NUM>) for the building based on a thermostat temperature setpoint (<NUM>);
- an input interface configured to allow a user to enter the defined temperature setpoint or acquire the defined temperature setpoint (T2);
characterized in that the TRV (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is configured to send to the thermostat (<NUM>) a command to directly trigger the turned off thermal energy generator (<NUM>) if a difference between the defined temperature setpoint (T2) and the room temperature (Tr1) has a same sign as a gradient of temperature to be generated by the thermal energy generator and if the thermostat (<NUM>) has reached the thermostat temperature setpoint (<NUM>) in the room.