Patents Assigned to Belimo Holding AG
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Publication number: 20140009087Abstract: An actuator (1M, 1S) with a motor (12) and a motor controller (11) is configurable to operate as a master or a slave to another actuator which is coupled mechanically for driving a common load. For the case where the actuator (1M) is set as the master, the motor controller (11) receives on an input terminal (Y3) an external position control signal (pC), generates a motor control signal (sC) for controlling the motor (12) based on the position control signal (pC), and supplies the motor control signal (sC) to an output terminal (U5) for controlling a slave. For the case where the actuator (1S) is set as the slave, the motor controller (11) controls the motor (12) by supplying to the motor (12) the motor control signal (sC) received from the master. Controlling the actuators with a master improves workload balancing and reduces damages to transmission mechanics of the actuators.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2011Publication date: January 9, 2014Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventors: Paul F. Guyer, Atilla Beker, Beat Weber
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Publication number: 20130259083Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the heat flow (dQ/dt) emanating from a heat transporting fluid (12), which is a mixture of at least two different fluids, and which flows through a flow space (11) from a first position, where it has a first temperature (T1), to a second position, where it has, due to that heat flow (dQ/dt), a second temperature (T2), which is lower than said first temperature (T1), whereby the density and specific heat of said heat transporting fluid (12) is determined by measuring the speed of sound (vs) in said fluid, and said density and specific heat of said heat transporting fluid (12) is used to determine the heat flow (dQ/dt).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2011Publication date: October 3, 2013Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventors: Mats Lindgren, Carl Carlander, Philip Holoch
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Patent number: 8521332Abstract: An actuator for an HVAC system having a stored model definition defining an HVAC control application, and an element library including a variety of stored model elements and controller modules (D, E) having instructions for controlling a processor of the actuator. The controller modules (D, E) include model elements and are configured to control the sequential order of their execution. The controller modules (D, E) are further configured to propagate any external data input (S66?, S68?) to their model elements prior to executing their first model element, and to propagate any data output (S63, S65, S67, S69) to external components after executing their last model element. The controller modules (D, E) are instantiated in different threads of execution, so that data is interchanged asynchronously between instantiated controller modules (D, E) and neither temporal dependencies nor change of value links are imposed on components of the HVAC control application.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2008Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: BELIMO Holding AGInventors: Dirk Tiemann, Urs Gort
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Patent number: 8430731Abstract: A device for controlling an airflow in a ventilation duct, comprising a pivotable air flap, which prevents an airflow in the duct when in the closed position. A housing of an actuator for the air flap, which may pivot freely about the relevant longitudinal mid plane, is mounted in the inner duct wall. The air flap, symmetrically or approximately symmetrically curved about the longitudinal mid plane of the ventilation duct and supported under load in a stable position on the duct wall, is rigidly fixed to the driveshaft of the actuator, by an angled lever arm, with a separation, in the region of the apex line thereof. The air flap rests roughly centrally, permanently on the points of contact with the inner duct wall, which move with the position of the flap, in a self-centering manner and, in the closed position, contacts the inner duct wall along a sealed, endless peripheral sealing surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2007Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Belimo Holding AGInventor: Georg Bamberger
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Patent number: 8424406Abstract: An actuator is described with a prestressed reduction gear, which acts via a drive organ, particularly in the form of a drive segment, of a linear drive or a drive spindle upon an actuator for regulating a gas or fluid flow, particularly in the fields of heating ventilation, air-conditioning and fire and smoke protection. Actuating movement is limited by end stops. At least one inner end stop on the housing side limits the rotational freedom of an end wheel, which is in a positive fit with the drive organ, up to more than a full rotation. In a prestressed reduction gear, a switching device g can comprise two spur gears which have identical diameter and can be driven in the opposite direction for changing the M direction of movement of the drive organ, each of which have a pinion which can be displaced in the axial direction. The pinions are in each axial position in a positive fit with the drive organ.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2006Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Belimo Holding AGInventors: Christoph Wintsch, Beat Weber, Mario Fiorucci, Andi Furrer
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Publication number: 20130029580Abstract: The invention relates to a safety controller for an actuating drive (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) for controlling a gas flow or a liquid flow in an open-loop or closed-loop manner by means of a flap (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) or a valve, in particular in the field of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, fire-protection systems, and/or room protection systems. A safety circuit (9.1, 9.2, 9.3) is implemented to ensure the energy supply in a safety operating mode if an electricity supply circuit (8.1, 8.2, 8.3) drops off or is lost. A control value output circuit (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) detects status signals, in particular signals of a sensor (11.1, 11.2, 11.3), and/or status parameters of a system and/or a specifiable setting of an adjustment device that can be actuated manually. The safety control value is set to one of at least two different control values (SW1, SW2, . . . ) depending on the status signals so that the safety position of the flap is determined adaptively.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2012Publication date: January 31, 2013Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventors: Andreas Furrer, Martin Ochsenbein
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Patent number: 8314580Abstract: A DC-motor (46) actuates a highly-reduced reduction gear of an actuating drive for a flap or valve in order to regulate a gas or liquid volume flow, particularly for heating/ventilation/climatization, or fire or room protection. Current flow in the stator coils (A, B, C) is commutated in a program-controlled manner without integrated position sensors. Algorithms enable counting rotations of rotor (54) of the DC-motor (46). Problems related to the principle of motor rotation speed at low rpm are prevented. The DC-motor (46) includes a stator (44) having three stator coils (A, B, C) which extend over 3n stator poles (52), and an annular-shaped permanent magnet rotor (54) having 2m permanent magnet segments with alternating polarity (N, S), a coaxial cup-shaped external rotor (110) and a coaxial drive shaft (108), whereby n and m are whole multiplication factor numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) and are different from each other.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2005Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Assignee: Belimo Holdings AGInventors: Silvio Grogg, Curdin Stäheli, Martin Ochsenbein
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Publication number: 20120267976Abstract: The invention relates to a brushless direct-current motor (1), comprising a stator (2), a rotor cup (30) that revolves around the stator (2) and has a plurality of permanent-magnet poles (N, S), and a detent torque plate (4) that is connected to the stator (2) and has several pole shoes (41) for generating a detent torque that brings the revolving rotor cup (30) into a detent position. The pole shoes (41) are each arranged in the detent position between two adjacent poles (N, S) of the revolving rotor cup (30) to form a magnetic short circuit. The detent torque plate (4) is arranged substantially outside of the magnetic rotating field produced by the stator (2) during operation, whereby the production of the detet torque is decoupled from the electrical behavior of the brushless direct-current motor (1) and the power of the brushless direct-current motor (1) is not substantially influenced by the presence of the detent torque plate (4).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2010Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventors: Roman Furrer, Daho Taghezout
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Publication number: 20120256108Abstract: An actuator (1?) for driving a regulating element (30) for controlling a fluid flow in a flow channel (29) includes an electric motor (4) for driving the regulating element (30) and a control unit (2) for controlling a current provided to the electric motor (4). A resistive element (3) including a resistor (5) and a NTC thermistor (6) connected in parallel across the resistor (5) is positioned in a current path from the control unit (2) to the motor (4). Accordingly, when the ambient temperature increases, the decreasing resistance of the resistive element (3) counterbalances the increasing resistance of the motor windings, resulting in a less varying current from the control unit (2) to the motor (4) and therewith in a less varying output torque of the motor (4).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2011Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: Belimo Holding AGInventors: Ralf Kaestle, Harald Bergmann, Patrick Thuer
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Patent number: 8256285Abstract: A flow sensor (1) comprising a flow channel (14) embedded in a base body (1?), a flow sensor element (13) adjacent to the flow channel (14) and a cover plate (12) covering the flow channel (14) and arranged on the base body (1?). The flow channel (14) is formed by an elastic sealing lip (15) which delimits the channel (14), running on and around an upper side of the base body (1?) lying opposite the cover plate (12) such that a seal is formed. This arrangement allows the formation of a sealed structure where a flow channel (14) with a level channel that avoids contamination and turbulence and has laminar current flowing through the flow channel (14).Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2008Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: BELIMO Holding, AGInventors: Philip Holoch, Karin Megnet, Curdin Staheli
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Publication number: 20120180875Abstract: A flow limiter for limiting a volumetric flow through a liquid line, comprising a carrier having a passage and a flat spring attached to the carrier. The flat spring has a spring tongue and the passage has an opening, wherein the spring tongue is above the opening such that the spring tongue increasingly lies against the carrier as differential pressure rises, thereby reducing the opening and continuously reducing the passage within a defined pressure range. A body is arranged upstream of the spring tongue, or the spring tongue is oriented in the flow direction so that the spring tongue offers a direct contact surface to a substantially reduced flow cross-section. Thus the spring tongue is deflected, or rested against the carrier, to a lesser extent at low differential pressure values so that at a low differential pressure, a constant volumetric flow rate and an expanded operating range having a constant volumetric flow rate is achieved.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2010Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventors: Urs Keller, Jorg Kuhne
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Patent number: 8167002Abstract: The invention relates to a flow restrictor (1) for restricting a volume flow through a liquid line, said flow restrictor comprising a support (10) having a passage and a bent flat spring (11) attached to the support (10). The flat spring (11) comprises at least one spring tab (12) and the passage at least one opening (13), the spring tab (12) and the opening (13) having a substantially identical extension along a longitudinal direction. The spring tab (12) is designed and arranged above the opening (13) in such a manner that it increasingly rests against the support (10) with increasing differential pressure, thereby gradually making the opening (13) smaller and continuously reducing the passage within a defined pressure range. The dimensions of the opening (13) are adjusted corresponding to the size of the spring tab (12), thereby allowing a compact flow restrictor (1) which is less susceptible to dirt.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2008Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: BELIMO Holding AGInventors: Jorg Kuhne, Pino Pulli, Urs Keller
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Patent number: 8138706Abstract: A safety drive unit (1) with a safety circuit (12) that resets a flap or a valve into a specified safety position for controlling a gas or liquid volumetric flow, in particular in the field of heating, ventilation, and monitoring systems. The safety drive unit (1) comprises an actuator (14) with a controllable electric motor (28), a capacitive energy storage unit (20), and energy converter (22) with a power module, and a power supply (18). During normal operation, the electric current in the power module of the energy converter (22) is converted to a lower voltage and stored in the capacitive energy storage unit. If the voltage drops below a predetermined value or if there is a power failure, the stored electrical charge is converted back to a higher voltage by the same power module, and the electric motor (28) is activated until the specified safety position is reached.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2007Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: Belimo Holding AGInventors: Martin Ochsenbein, Curdin Stäheli, Roman Furrer
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Publication number: 20120037713Abstract: A drive apparatus (1) for a fire damper (2) comprises an electric drive (10), which holds the fire damper in the normal position when power is supplied and moves it into a safety position when no power is supplied. In addition to a thermal contact breaker (12), which interrupts the power supply to the drive (10) at a melt temperature, the drive apparatus (1) also comprises a temperature sensor (13) for measuring the air temperature value (T), a gas sensor (14) for measuring the content (G) of fumes in the air, and a switch module (15), which interrupts the power supply depending on the air temperature value (T) and the content (G) of fumes in the air. In the event of a fire, the fire damper can thus be moved into a safety position not only when the temperature in the region of the thermal contact breaker (12) is high, but already when smoke or gas develops as a result of the fire.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2010Publication date: February 16, 2012Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventors: Philip Holoch, Marc Thuillard
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Patent number: 8061684Abstract: An anti-twist device retains an actuating motor (10), which is placed in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner onto the projecting driveshaft (22) of a pivotable shut-off flap (62) of a gas transport tube (34), in particular of an HVAC tube or flue gas tube for a building, in a longitudinally moveable manner. Arranged at an adjustable axial distance (a) from the driveshaft (22) is at least one clamp (36) which secures the actuating motor (10). The parallel limbs (46) of the preferably substantially U-shaped clamp (36) are of resilient design, wherein in each case one end-side, inwardly projecting latching lug (48) is formed for holding down the actuating motor (10).Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2007Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Belimo Holding AGInventors: Frank Lehnert, Urs Niederhauser
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Patent number: 8042352Abstract: In an air conditioning economizer system outdoor air intake is reduced automatically by a control device based on a shut-off control setting for a measured outdoor air quality. A geographical location associated with the air conditioning economizer system is received (S2) in the control device. The control device defines automatically (S3) the shut-off control setting based on the geographical location. Thus, the air conditioning economizer system is adapted specifically for a geographic location and its climate zone, without the requirement for installing or operating personnel to determine a shut-off control setting for a specific climate zone and/or select a corresponding operating range.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2009Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: BELIMO Holding AGInventor: Darryl W. Deangelis
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Publication number: 20110153089Abstract: An actuator for an HVAC system comprises a stored model definition defining an HVAC control application, and an element library including a variety of stored model elements and controller modules (D, E) having instructions for controlling a processor of the actuator. The controller modules (D, E) include model elements and are configured to control the sequential order of their execution. The controller modules (D, E) are further configured to propagate any external data input (S66?, S68?) to their model elements prior to executing their first model element, and to propagate any data output (S63, S65, S67, S69) to external components after executing their last model element. The controller modules (D, E) are instantiated in different threads of execution, so that data is interchanged asynchronously between instantiated controller modules (D, E) and neither temporal dependencies nor change of value links are imposed on components of the control application.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2008Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: BELIMO Holding AGInventors: Dirk Tiemann, Urs Gort
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Publication number: 20110114304Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the hydraulic compensation and control of a heating and cooling system. The system comprises at least one pump and a plurality of lines respectively comprising a compensation and control valve and a load. The method for compensation and control consists of the following steps: a control value for each of the compensation and control valves is determined for which the predetermined discharge values are reached in each line; a control range of each compensation and control valve is defined as the difference between the determined control value and the position when the compensation and control valve is closed; and the signal control range of one each of the compensation and control valves is represented in the newly defined control range.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2009Publication date: May 19, 2011Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventor: Urs Keller
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Publication number: 20110105012Abstract: A device for measuring a volume flow in a ventilation pipe (1) comprises a mounting (8) that can be fixed in the ventilation pipe (1) and a sensor element (13) having a sensor surface (18.1), said element being disposed on the mounting (8) and configured as a thermal anemometer. Upstream of the sensor element (13) is a turbulence-generating element, for example in the form of a break-away edge (17.1), which is configured and disposed at a distance from the sensor surface (18.1) such that highly turbulent flow is generated in the region of the sensor surface (18.1) in a targeted manner. Downstream of the sensor surface (18.1) is a flow element (20), which widens in the cross-section thereof in the flow direction (L), wherein starting from a height level of the sensor surface (18.1) a height is reached that is greater than the height of the break-away edge (17.1) opposite the sensor surface (18.1).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2009Publication date: May 5, 2011Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AGInventors: Urs Niederhauser, Frank Lehnert, Egli Egli, Philip Holoch
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Patent number: 7931525Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10) for controlling airflow (A) in a ventilation pipe (12) comprising one or several air throttle (32) which are synchronously actuated and prevent air flowing (A) in the air pipe in the closed position thereof. The ventilation pipe (12) is provided with a longitudinally extending fixing bar (16) which is arranged on a symmetry plane and provided with the pivot bearing (30) of an axis (28) for driving the air throttle(s) (32) and means (50, 52) for transmitting a force and/or torque to the drive axis (28) connected to the air throttle(s) (32). Said fixing bar (16) provided with different air throttles (12) is usable for the ventilation pipes having different cross sections and forms, an angle (?), preferably, ranging from 15° to 90°, with a longitudinal axis (L) or with a wall (18) of said ventilation pipe (12).Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2004Date of Patent: April 26, 2011Assignee: Belimo Holding AGInventor: Frank Lehnert