Patents Assigned to Belimo Holding AG
  • Patent number: 10268212
    Abstract: To balance (S3) a group of consumers in a fluid transport system in which each consumer is provided with a motorized control valve for regulating the flow through the consumer, characteristic data for the consumers is stored (S2) which determines a valve position of the relevant control valve for target flows through one of the consumers in each case. A current total flow through the group of consumers is determined by means of a common flow sensor (S32) and a balance factor (S34) is defined on the basis of the current total flow and a sum of the desired target flows through the consumers. The consumers are dynamically balanced by setting (S31) the valve settings for the corresponding control valves on the basis of the characteristic data and the balance factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Peter Schmidlin, Reto Hobi, Urs Keller, Norbert Lederle, Marc Thuillard
  • Patent number: 10261530
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control apparatus (3) for an HVAC system (5), wherein the control apparatus (3) has a communication module (33) for communicating with one or more components of the HVAC system (5). The control apparatus comprises a passive NFC transponder (34), which is set up to receive and store a unique identifier (341) of each of the one or more components from a mobile service apparatus (2) before a power supply for the control apparatus (3) is switched on, and a control module (35) which is set up to access stored identifiers (341) after a power supply for the control apparatus (3) has been switched on and to transmit control signals to components determined by the identifiers via the communication module (33). The invention also relates to a mobile service apparatus (2) and to components in the form of drives (1), sensor apparatuses, regulators, operating devices and/or communication devices of the HVAC system (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Peter Schmidlin, Silvio Grogg
  • Publication number: 20190107292
    Abstract: A fluid transportation network (1) comprises a plurality of parallel zones (Z1, Z2), fed by a common supply line (L), with a regulating zone valve (V1, V2) in each zone (Z1, Z2) for regulating a flow of fluid (?1, ?2) through the respective zone (Z1, Z2). A processing unit (RE) receives valve positions (pos1, pos2) of the regulating zone valves (V1, V2) and determines and sets an adjusted valve position for a line valve (VE) arranged in the supply line (L), depending on the valve positions (pos1, pos2) of the regulating zone valves (V1, V2). A processing unit (RE) further receives a measurement of a total flow of fluid (?tot) through the supply line (L) and determines and sets adjusted valve positions for the regulating zone valves (V1, V2), depending on the measurement of the total flow of fluid (?tot) through the supply line (L).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Stefan MISCHLER, Ronald AEBERHARD, Forest REIDER, Marc THUILLARD
  • Patent number: 10208804
    Abstract: A control device (10?) comprises a control unit (10?) with a control element for controlling a fluid flow and being rotatable about a first axis (13) between an open position and a closed position, and a separate motor-driven actuator unit (24), which is mechanically coupled to said control unit (10?) to rotate said control element about said first axis (13) in a controllable fashion, whereby said actuator unit (24) comprises a driving part (25) with a driving element (31) being rotatable about a second axis (26), to be mechanically coupled to said control element in a coupling position to rotate said control element about said first axis (13), and a control part (28) for driving said driving element (31) in a controllable fashion. Said driving element (31) is removably coupled to said control unit (10?) by means of a spur gearing (Hirth serration) (22, 29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Georg Bamberger, Urs Niederhauser
  • Publication number: 20190041878
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic flow controller (30) for applications in the HVAC field, said electronic flow controller comprising a one-piece valve body (31) which is penetrated by a flowing medium. The valve body is divided into a valve portion (31a) and a flow measurement portion (31b) along the flow direction, wherein a valve element (32) is arranged in the valve section (31a) for the control of flow, wherein said valve element can be controlled from the outside via a valve spindle (33), and wherein a measurement path (36) is formed in the flow measurement portion (31b) for determining the flow rate by means of ultrasound. In order to achieve a compact arrangement and a greatly simplified assembly, accesses (34a, b) for coupling and/or outcoupling ultrasound into or from the measuring path (36) are formed on the valve body (31) in the region of the flow measurement portion (31b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Belimo Holding AG
    Inventors: Philip HOLOCH, Reto HOBI
  • Patent number: 10133251
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Andreas Furrer, Martin Ochsenbein
  • Patent number: 10132576
    Abstract: A method for operating a heat exchanger, through which a heat transfer medium flows on a primary side, entering the heat exchanger with a first temperature and exiting the heat exchanger with a second temperature. The heat transfer medium emits on a secondary side a heat flow to a secondary medium flowing through the heat exchanger in the case of heating or, in the case of cooling, absorbs a heat flow from the secondary medium which enters the heat exchanger with a third temperature and exits the heat exchanger again with a fourth temperature. The heat exchanger is capable of transferring a maximum heat flow. At least three of the four temperatures are measured and the respective saturation level of the heat exchanger is determined from these measured temperatures and is used for controlling the operation of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Markus Friedl, Marc Thuillard
  • Patent number: 10127173
    Abstract: A connecting device comprises housing, a board with electrical components, including at least one digital bus connection and an input/output section. It allows outsourcing of analog and digital I/O from a connected device, e.g. an HVAC actuator control unit by decentralizing inputs and outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Peter Schmidlin, Silvio Grogg
  • Publication number: 20180267493
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Andreas Furrer, Martin Ochsenbein
  • Publication number: 20180238645
    Abstract: A method for operating a heat exchanger, through which a heat transfer medium flows on a primary side, entering the heat exchanger with a first temperature and exiting the heat exchanger with a second temperature. The heat transfer medium emits on a secondary side a heat flow to a secondary medium flowing through the heat exchanger in the case of heating or, in the case of cooling, absorbs a heat flow from the secondary medium which enters the heat exchanger with a third temperature and exits the heat exchanger again with a fourth temperature. The heat exchanger is capable of transferring a maximum heat flow. At least three of the four temperatures are measured and the respective saturation level of the heat exchanger is determined from these measured temperatures and is used for controlling the operation of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Markus Friedl, Marc Thuillard
  • Publication number: 20180238463
    Abstract: An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Marc THUILLARD, Stefan MISCHLER, Frank LEHNERT
  • Publication number: 20180210474
    Abstract: A method for operating and/or monitoring an HVAC system (10), in which a medium circulating in a primary circuit (26) flows through at least one energy consumer (11, 12, 13), the medium entering with a volume flow (?) through a supply line (14) into the energy consumer (11, 12, 13) at a supply temperature (Tv) and leaving the energy consumer (11, 12, 13) at a return temperature (TR) via a return line (15), and transferring heat or cooling energy to the energy consumer (11, 12, 13) in an energy flow (E). A control unit (21) adaptively operates the system by empirically determining the dependence of the energy flow (F) and/or the temperature difference ?T between supply temperature (Tv) and return temperature (TR) on the volume flow (?) for the energy consumers (11, 12, 13) in a first step, and by operating and/or monitoring the HVAC system (10) according to the determined dependency or dependencies in a second step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Vinod D'SILVA, Mark NIGHTLINGER, Marc THUILLARD, Ronald AEBERHARD
  • Publication number: 20180195753
    Abstract: For operating a thermal energy exchanger (1) for exchanging thermal energy between a thermal transfer fluid and air, a plurality of measurement data sets are recorded in a control system (40). The measurement data sets include for a different point in time data values which define a normalized energy transfer that represents the thermal energy transferred in the thermal energy exchanger (1) normalized by one or more normalization variables. The control system (40) calculates for each of the measurement data sets a normalized data point defined by the normalized energy transfer. The control system (40) further determines for the thermal energy exchanger (1) a characteristic energy transfer curve which fits the normalized data points. Normalizing the energy transfer makes it possible to operate the thermal energy exchanger (1) more efficiently over a wider range of changing conditions, as saturation can be prevented using more appropriate fixed or variable thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Forest REIDER, Marc THUILLARD, Stefan MISCHLER, Ronald AEBERHARD
  • Publication number: 20180172370
    Abstract: A method of controlling opening of a valve in an HVAC system is provided. The method includes controlling the opening of a six-way-valve according to a default control mode in dependence of a default sensor signal, the six-way-valve fluidicly coupling an inlet side and an outlet side of the heat exchanger alternatively with a first fluidic circuit in a first default control mode or a second fluidic circuit in a second default control mode; selecting a selected default control mode from the first default control mode and the alternative second default control mode; determining, while controlling the valve in the selected default control mode, whether the sensor signal is faulty; and switching, in case the signal is faulty, to controlling the opening according to a first fallback control mode or an alternative second fallback control mode, where the opening is controlled independently of the faulty sensor signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Ronald AEBERHARD, Marc THUILLARD, Philipp MAZENAUER
  • Patent number: 10001293
    Abstract: For controlling the flow of air into the zones (Z1, Z2, Z3, Zi) of a variable air volume HVAC system (1) having actuator driven dampers (D1, D2, D3, Di), which operate in a range from a minimum damper position to a maximum damper position for adjusting the flow of air into a zone (Z1, Z2, Z3, Zi), flow measurement values and current damper positions are transmitted via a telecommunications network (2) to a cloud-based HVAC control center (3). Using the flow measurement values and calibration values, which indicate HVAC system parameters at a defined calibration pressure in the HVAC system (1) and at different damper positions, the cloud-based HVAC control center (3) calculates the minimum damper position for the actuators (A1, A2, A3, Ai), such that the pressure in the HVAC system (1) does not exceed a defined maximum pressure threshold, and transmits the minimum damper position to the actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventor: Peter Schmidlin
  • Patent number: D842732
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO Holding AG
    Inventors: Walter Jungen, Josef Niederberger
  • Patent number: D842733
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO Holding AG
    Inventors: Walter Jungen, Josef Niederberger
  • Patent number: D842734
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO Holding AG
    Inventors: Walter Jungen, Josef Niederberger
  • Patent number: D842735
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO Holding AG
    Inventors: Walter Jungen, Josef Niederberger
  • Patent number: D851215
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: BELIMO Holding AG
    Inventor: Werner Arnold