Variable Duct Apparatus and Reconfiguarable Ventilation System for Real-time Environmental Changes using the same and Method thereof

Abstract

A variable duct device, and a variable automatic ventilation system and method adapting to real-time environmental changes using the same are disclosed. The variable duct device includes a duct body in which a portion of one side is opened to form an opening to provide a flow path for indoor ventilation, and a plurality of movable panels are installed to perform the opening and closing of the opening. The device further includes a plurality of stepper motors that control the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels, and an opening control unit that controls each of the plurality of stepper motors to drive each of the plurality of movable panels in order to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body by each of the plurality of movable panels. The variable automatic ventilation system includes a variable duct device, a sensor unit that detects indoor and outdoor conditions of a building using a plurality of sensors installed indoors and outdoors of the building, and a ventilation control unit that performs variable automatic ventilation corresponding to indoor and outdoor conditions by controlling each of the plurality of variable duct devices based on the indoor and outdoor conditions detected by the sensor unit.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a variable duct device, and a variable automatic ventilation system and method that adapts to real-time environmental changes using the same. Background Technology

[0002] Until now, building ventilation systems have been dominated by individual ventilation systems that perform supply or exhaust by installing fans and openings at specific locations on the exterior walls of individual spaces, or centralized ducted ventilation systems that perform necessary ventilation through fixed supply and exhaust diffusers installed at regular intervals on the ceilings of each space, based on central supply and exhaust ducts.

[0003] The problem with these existing ventilation systems is that, because they induce airflow in a fixed direction (supply or exhaust) through fans or diffusers with fixed opening cross-sectional areas at fixed locations, they cannot effectively and efficiently respond to various physical environmental changes inside and outside the building, as well as changes in the location and condition of occupants. Consequently, this leads to energy waste and makes it virtually impossible to improve real-time, customized air comfort for occupants. The problem to be solved

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a variable duct device capable of providing a variable automatic ventilation service by dividing a ventilation duct into segments to provide a variable opening cross-sectional area, and a variable automatic ventilation system and method that adapts to real-time environmental changes using the same. means of solving the problem

[0005] The characteristic configuration of the present invention for achieving the objectives of the present invention as described above and realizing the characteristic effects of the present invention described below is as follows.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a variable duct device is provided, and the device is,

[0007] A variable duct device installed in the interior of a building comprises: a duct body having a plurality of movable panels installed therein, wherein a portion of one side is opened to form an opening to provide a flow path for ventilation of the interior, and the duct body performs the opening and closing of the opening; a plurality of stepper motors for controlling the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels; and an opening control unit for driving each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling each of the plurality of stepper motors to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body by each of the plurality of movable panels.

[0008] Here, the duct body has a rectangular cross-section in the width direction and is divided into multiple segments based on the length direction, and each segment includes one movable panel and one stepper motor.

[0009] In addition, for each segment of the duct body, a cylindrical ventilation opening for connection to the outside is installed on one of the sides other than the aforementioned side.

[0010] In addition, a cylindrical lead is installed on the duct body for each segment, with a screw thread formed on its outer surface in the width direction, and the lead and the movable panel are connected through a donut-shaped anchor with a nut screw formed in the center, so that the movable panel can slide relative to the lead by the rotational drive of the lead.

[0011] In addition, the apparatus further includes a plurality of motor drivers that control the rotational drive of each of the plurality of stepper motors, and the opening control unit can control the movement amount of each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling the rotation amount of each of the plurality of stepper motors through the plurality of motor drivers.

[0012] Additionally, the opening control unit comprises a motor drive unit that controls the rotational drive of each of the plurality of stepper motors through the plurality of motor drivers, a position information unit that stores information regarding the position of each of the plurality of movable panels at the opening for each segment, and a drive control unit that controls the sliding movement amount of each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling the rotational drive of each of the plurality of motors through the motor drive unit based on the position information of each of the plurality of movable panels stored in the position information unit.

[0013] In addition, a plate is formed on the duct body that covers a portion of one side of the duct body, and the portion of one side of the duct body excluding the portion covered by the plate forms the opening, and the maximum opening range by the opening corresponds to 1 / 2 of one side of the body.

[0014] In addition, a diaphragm is installed in the width direction inside the duct body, and the opening control unit controls the duct body to perform different intake and exhaust operations based on the diaphragm.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a variable automatic ventilation system is provided, and the system is,

[0016] A variable automatic ventilation system for indoor ventilation of a building, comprising at least one variable duct device installed in the indoor space of the building, wherein the variable duct device includes a duct body having a plurality of movable panels installed therein, wherein a portion of one side is opened to form an opening to provide a flow path for indoor ventilation and the duct body performs the opening and closing of the opening; a plurality of stepper motors for controlling the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels; and an opening control unit for driving each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling each of the plurality of stepper motors to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body by each of the plurality of movable panels; a sensor unit for detecting indoor and outdoor conditions of the building using a plurality of sensors installed in the indoor and outdoor spaces of the building; and a ventilation control unit for performing variable automatic ventilation corresponding to the indoor and outdoor conditions by performing control of each of the at least one variable duct device based on the indoor and outdoor conditions detected by the sensor unit.

[0017] Here, one or both of the longitudinal ends of the variable duct device are connected to a ventilation fan installed on the wall of the room to perform intake or exhaust operation through the ventilation fan.

[0018] In addition, the variable duct device has a cylindrical ventilation opening installed on the side of the variable duct device connected to a ventilation fan installed on the indoor wall using a cylindrical bellows, thereby performing intake or exhaust operation through the ventilation fan.

[0019] In addition, at least one variable duct device is installed in the upper part of the room and at least one is installed in the lower part of the room, and the ventilation control unit controls some of the variable duct devices installed in the upper and lower parts to perform intake operation and the remaining variable duct devices to perform exhaust operation.

[0020] In addition, the variable duct device installed at the top and the variable duct device installed at the bottom are positioned on the same vertical line and are controlled by the ventilation control unit to form an air curtain through the intake and exhaust operations of the variable duct device installed at the top and the variable duct device installed at the bottom.

[0021] Additionally, the ventilation control unit comprises a sensor information analysis unit that analyzes sensor information detected by the sensor unit; a ventilation control information storage unit that stores ventilation control information corresponding to the indoor and outdoor conditions; a situation recognition unit that recognizes the indoor and outdoor conditions according to the information analyzed by the sensor information analysis unit and obtains ventilation control information corresponding to the recognized situation from the ventilation control information storage unit; and a duct control unit that performs control for the intake and exhaust operations of each of the at least one variable duct device according to the ventilation control information obtained by the situation recognition unit.

[0022] In addition, the opening control unit controls each of the plurality of stepper motors according to the opening range control of each variable duct device of the ventilation control unit, thereby controlling the opening and closing amount of each of the plurality of movable panels.

[0023] In addition, the duct body has a rectangular cross-section in the width direction and is divided into multiple segments based on the length direction, and each segment includes one movable panel and one stepper motor.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, a variable automatic ventilation method is provided, and the method is,

[0025] A variable automatic ventilation method performed by a variable automatic ventilation system for indoor ventilation of a building, wherein the variable automatic ventilation system comprises at least one variable duct device installed in the indoor space of the building—the variable duct device comprises a duct body having a plurality of movable panels installed therein, wherein a portion of one side is opened to form an opening to provide a flow path for indoor ventilation, and the duct body has a plurality of movable panels installed therein to perform opening and closing of the opening; a plurality of stepper motors that control the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels; and an opening control unit that controls each of the plurality of stepper motors to drive each of the plurality of movable panels in order to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body by each of the plurality of movable panels.

[0026] The method includes the steps of: receiving sensor information detected through sensors installed inside and outside the building; analyzing the sensor information to recognize indoor and outdoor conditions regarding ventilation; obtaining ventilation control information according to the indoor and outdoor conditions; and performing intake or exhaust operation for the at least one variable duct device and controlling the opening range of the opening according to the ventilation control information.

[0027] Here, the duct body has a rectangular cross-section in the width direction and is divided into multiple segments based on the length direction, and each segment includes one movable panel and one stepper motor, and the duct body is equipped with a cylindrical lead having a screw thread formed on its outer surface in the width direction for each segment, and the lead and the movable panel are connected through a donut-shaped anchor having a nut screw formed in the center, so that the movable panel can slide relative to the lead by the rotational drive of the lead.

[0028] In addition, the step of performing the opening range control controls the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling each of the plurality of stepper motors for segment-by-segment opening range control of the variable duct device. Effects of the invention

[0029] According to the present invention, a variable automatic ventilation service can be provided by dividing a ventilation duct by segment to provide a variable opening cross-sectional area.

[0030] As a result, it is possible to provide a variable automatic ventilation service that effectively and efficiently responds to various physical environmental changes inside and outside the building, as well as changes in the location and status of occupants.

[0031] Through this variable automatic ventilation service, it is possible to provide energy-saving and real-time customized air comfort for occupants. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a variable duct device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the width direction of the variable duct device shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a detailed block diagram of the open control unit shown in Figure 1. FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a duct of a variable duct device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a variable automatic ventilation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a detailed configuration block diagram of the ventilation control unit illustrated in Figure 5. FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating an example in which four variable duct devices are installed indoors in a variable automatic ventilation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the intake and exhaust operating state of the four variable duct devices shown in Figure 7. FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a state in which a central diaphragm is installed in each of the four variable duct devices in a variable automatic ventilation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example in which each of the four variable duct devices shown in FIG. 9 performs different intake and exhaust operations on both sides based on the central diaphragm. FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating an example in which four variable duct devices are installed indoors in a variable automatic ventilation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a different configuration of the ventilation control unit illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 13 is a schematic flowchart of a variable automatic ventilation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0033] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly explain the present disclosure in the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and similar parts throughout the specification are denoted by similar reference numerals.

[0034] In the description, drawing symbols and names are provided for convenience of explanation and are not limited to drawing symbols or names.

[0035] In the description, when a part is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components. Furthermore, terms such as "…part," "…unit," and "module" as used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0036] In the description, expressions written in the singular may be interpreted as singular or plural unless explicit expressions such as "one" or "singular" are used. Terms containing ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0037] In the flowchart described with reference to the drawings, the order of operations may be changed, multiple operations may be merged or certain operations may be decomposed, and specific operations may not be performed.

[0038] Hereinafter, a variable duct device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a variable automatic ventilation system adaptive to real-time environmental changes using the same will be described.

[0039] First, a variable duct device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a variable duct device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the width direction of the variable duct device (100) shown in FIG. 1.

[0041] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a variable duct device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a duct body (101) having a rectangular cross section, wherein a portion of one side, for example, the upper side, is open to form an opening; a plurality of guide rails (111) installed in the opening of the duct body (101) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the duct body (101), i.e., in the width direction; a plurality of cylindrical lids (112) installed between two guide rails (111), for example, in the center between two guide rails (111), in a direction parallel to the guide rails (111); a plurality of movable panels (113) having a plate shape having an area capable of covering the opening between two guide rails (111), a portion of which is screw-coupled to each of the plurality of lids (112) and capable of sliding in the width direction of the duct body (101) according to the rotation of the plurality of lids (112); and a plurality of stepper motors that rotate and drive each of the plurality of lids (112). The apparatus includes a motor (114), a plurality of motor couplers (115) each connecting a plurality of leads (112) and a plurality of stepper motors (114), a plurality of motor supports (116) for supporting each of the plurality of stepper motors (114) on the duct body (101), a plurality of motor drivers (117) for driving each of the plurality of stepper motors (114), a plurality of stop switches (118) attached to the interior of one side of the duct body (101) to stop the sliding movement of the plurality of movable panels (113) when each of the plurality of movable panels (113) completely covers the opening of the duct body (101), and an opening control unit (120) connected to the plurality of motor drivers (117) to control the rotational drive of the plurality of stepper motors (114) and to determine the position of the plurality of movable panels (113) according to the rotational drive of the plurality of stepper motors (114) to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body (101).

[0042] First, the duct body (101) is divided into a plurality of segments in the longitudinal direction, and each segment is separated by a guide rail (111). That is, the area enclosed by the duct body (101) and two guide rails (111) forms one segment. Taking the duct body (101) illustrated in FIG. 1 as an example, it can be seen that the duct body (101) is divided into six segments. Consequently, one segment includes one stepper motor (114), one lead (112), one movable panel (113), and corresponding components.

[0043] Therefore, for the convenience of explanation, components included in one segment will be described below as an example, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] The duct body (101) has a rectangular cross-section in the width direction, and on one side, for example, with reference to FIG. 2, a portion of the upper surface is closed by a plate (102) protruding into the interior of the duct body (101) from the side (103) of the duct body (101), and only the remaining portion is open to form an opening.

[0045] The stepper motor (114) is fixedly coupled to the duct body (101) by a motor support (116) fixed to the upper outer surface of the side (103) on which a plate (102) protruding into the interior of the duct body (101) is formed. At this time, the stepper motor (114) is rotated by a motor driver (117) fixedly coupled to the lower part of the motor support (116).

[0046] The motor coupler (115) is installed on the inner side of the side (103) to which the stepper motor (114) is coupled, and securely connects one end of the lead (112) to the stepper motor (114) so ​​that the lead (112) can rotate according to the rotational drive of the stepper motor (114).

[0047] The other end of the lead (112) is rotatably connected to the opposite side (104) of the side (103) of the duct body (101) via a holding nut (121).

[0048] A donut-shaped anchor (119) with a screw surface formed on the outer side of the cylindrical shape of the lead (112) and a nut screw formed in the center is fastened to the lead (112), so that the anchor (119) can slide in the length direction of the lead (112), that is, in the width direction of the duct body (101), as the lead (112) rotates.

[0049] The movable panel (113) is an 'L'-shaped panel, and an anchor (119) is attached to the short side so that the movable panel (113) slides along the lead (112) as the anchor (119) moves, and the movable panel (113) is connected to the lead (112) so that it can slide.

[0050] The wide surface of the movable panel (113) is initially positioned on the plate (102) protruding into the interior of the duct body (101), and before sliding movement by the stepper motor (114), it covers only the plate (102) protruding into the interior. However, when sliding movement by the stepper motor (114), the opening range of the opening of the duct body (101) that is not covered by the plate (102) protruding into the interior can be varied according to the amount of sliding movement. That is, when the maximum sliding movement is driven by the stepper motor (114), the opening of the duct body (101) can be completely covered.

[0051] The maximum sliding movement of the movable panel (113) is completed when the movable panel (113) comes into contact with a stop switch (118) installed around the other end of the lead (112) on the inner surface of the side (104) of the duct body (101). That is, when the movable panel (113) slides and comes into contact with the stop switch (118) due to the rotation of the lead (112) driven by the stepper motor (114), the driving of the stepper motor (114) is stopped, and consequently, the sliding movement of the movable panel (113) is stopped, thereby completing the maximum sliding movement of the movable panel (113).

[0052] One or both of the longitudinal ends of the duct body (101) may be connected to a ventilation fan of a building wall, etc., to form a fluid flow path by drawing in outside air through the ventilation fan or discharging inside air to the outside. At this time, a filter (not shown) for filtering air may be installed at both ends of the duct body (101), and a filter installation frame (105, 106) may be mounted to install such a filter.

[0053] The opening control unit (120) knows in advance the rotational speed of each of the plurality of stepper motors (114) and the corresponding sliding movement amount of each of the plurality of movable panels (113), and drives each of the plurality of stepper motors (114) through the plurality of motor drivers (117) to control the sliding movement of each of the plurality of movable panels (113), thereby allowing variable control of the opening range of each segment of the duct body (101).

[0054] FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of the opening control unit (120) shown in FIG. 1.

[0055] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the opening control unit (120) includes a motor drive unit (121), a drive control unit (122), and a position information unit (123).

[0056] The motor drive unit (121) is connected to the motor driver (117) to control the rotational drive of the stepper motor (114).

[0057] The drive control unit (122) controls the rotation amount of the stepper motor (114) through the motor drive unit (121). At this time, it is assumed that the drive control unit (122) knows in advance the rotational speed of each of the plurality of stepper motors (114) and the sliding movement amount of the movable panel (113) accordingly.

[0058] Accordingly, the drive control unit (122) controls the motor drive unit (121) to rotate the stepper motor (114) so ​​that the desired sliding movement amount of the movable panel (113) can be achieved, thereby allowing the movable panel (113) to move in correspondence with the desired sliding movement amount. At this time, it is obvious that the stepper motor (114) can be operated so that the movable panel (113) can move forward sliding or backward sliding relative to the lead (112).

[0059] The location information unit (123) has information about the location of each of the plurality of movable panels (113). This information about the location can be retained using various methods.

[0060] The position information unit (123) may be configured to have position information corresponding to a state in which the upper surface of the duct body (101) (excluding the plate (102) protruding from the inside of the side (103) of the duct body (101)) is all open for the initial position of all multiple movable panels (113). Alternatively, it may be configured to have position information corresponding to a state in which the upper surface of the duct body (101) is all closed.

[0061] The position information of each of the plurality of movable panels (113) can be determined according to the sliding movement amount of the movable panel (113) corresponding to the rotation amount of the stepper motor (114) in the segment to which each movable panel (113) belongs.

[0062] When input information is received from the outside, such as sliding movement amount information of the movable panel (113), i.e., opening range information of the duct body (101), the drive control unit (122) checks the position information of the movable panel (113) in the position information unit (123) and then performs drive control of the stepper motor (114) through the motor drive unit (121) to slide the movable panel (113) to a position corresponding to the input opening range information.

[0063] Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a variable air volume can be provided at a required location in real time through a variable duct device (100), and the opening and closing amount of a variable supply and exhaust port can be controlled.

[0064] Meanwhile, although the above description explains that one or both of the longitudinal ends of the duct body (101) are connected to a ventilation fan of a building wall, thereby forming a fluid flow path by drawing in external air through the ventilation fan or discharging internal air to the outside, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this.

[0065] For example, FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a duct (201) of a variable duct device (200) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, for convenience of explanation, components corresponding to the opening control unit (120) of the variable duct device (100) described in FIG. 1 and components identical to the variable duct device (100) have been omitted.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 4, a cylindrical vent (207) is installed in each sector on the side (203) in the width direction of the duct (201). Also, although not shown, among the plurality of cylindrical vents (207), the necessary vent (207) is connected to a ventilation fan installed on the building wall through a cylindrical bellows (not shown) so that air can be drawn in and exhausted through the vent (207).

[0067] As such, according to the variable duct device (200) of FIG. 4, since the duct body (201) is not directly connected to the ventilation fan, the indoor installation location relative to the ventilation fan will not be as limited as that of the variable duct device (100) shown in FIG. 1.

[0068] Hereinafter, a variable automatic ventilation system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a variable automatic ventilation system (300) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, components identical to the variable duct device (100) shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are described using the same reference numerals.

[0070] As illustrated in FIG. 5, a variable automatic ventilation system (300) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes n (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1) variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n), a sensor unit (320), and a ventilation control unit (330).

[0071] Each of the variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) is identical to one of the variable duct devices (100, 200) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, and for convenience of explanation, it is assumed to be identical to the variable duct device (100).

[0072] As previously explained, each of the variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) includes a duct body (101) and an opening control unit (120).

[0073] The sensor unit (320) includes various types of sensors installed indoors or outdoors where the variable automatic ventilation system (300) is installed. For example, the sensor unit (320) may include a human body detection sensor, a motion detection sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, etc.

[0074] The ventilation control unit (330) performs control for each of the variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) based on indoor and outdoor conditions detected by the sensors of the sensor unit (320), thereby performing variable automatic ventilation corresponding to indoor and outdoor conditions. For example, the ventilation control unit (330) can perform control for the intake and exhaust operations of each of the variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) according to the location of a person located indoors detected by the sensor unit (320).

[0075] FIG. 6 is a detailed configuration block diagram of the ventilation control unit (330) shown in FIG. 5.

[0076] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the ventilation control unit (330) includes a sensor information analysis unit (331), a ventilation control information storage unit (332), a situation recognition unit (333), and a duct control unit (334).

[0077] The sensor information analysis unit (331) receives sensor information detected by the sensor unit (320) and analyzes the sensor information.

[0078] The ventilation control information storage unit (332) stores ventilation control information corresponding to the situation according to indoor and outdoor conditions. This ventilation control information can be stored in advance through various forms of experiments and statistics.

[0079] The situation recognition unit (333) recognizes the indoor and outdoor, particularly indoor, situation based on the information analyzed by the sensor information analysis unit (331), and obtains ventilation control information corresponding to the recognized situation through the ventilation control information storage unit (332).

[0080] The duct control unit (334) performs control of the intake and exhaust operations of each variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) according to ventilation control information obtained by the situation recognition unit (333). At this time, the duct control unit (334) can also perform control of the opening range of each variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n).

[0081] Hereinafter, an example of operation according to an example of installation of a variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) in a variable automatic ventilation system (300) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0082] First, as shown in FIG. 7, an example is described using an example in which four (where n=4) variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) are installed indoors.

[0083] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating an example in which four variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) are installed indoors in a variable automatic ventilation system (300) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 7, it can be seen that two (310-1, 310-2) are installed on the upper (ceiling) and two (310-3, 310-4) are installed on the lower (floor), with one end of each of the four variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) connected to a ventilation fan (not shown) installed on an indoor wall. At this time, the other end of each of the four variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) may also be connected to a ventilation fan (not shown) installed on an opposite indoor wall. Additionally, two variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2) installed at the top (ceiling) are installed with their openings facing downward, that is, toward the floor, and two variable duct devices (310-3, 310-4) installed at the bottom (floor) are installed with their openings facing upward, that is, toward the ceiling. Here, the number of variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) installed at the top and bottom, respectively, does not need to be exactly two each. For example, they may be installed in different numbers, such as three at the top and two at the bottom.

[0085] In FIG. 7, in particular, it can be seen that two variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2) installed at the top and two variable duct devices (310-3, 310-4) installed at the bottom are installed in pairs so as to be located on the same vertical line. Specifically, it can be seen that two variable duct devices (310-1, 310-3) are located on the same vertical line and two variable duct devices (310-2, 310-4) are located on the same vertical line.

[0086] In this way, with four variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) installed indoors, the ventilation control unit (330) can control the intake and exhaust operation and the intake and exhaust operation amount of each of the four variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) according to sensor information detected by the sensor unit (320). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, two variable duct devices (310-1, 310-3) can be controlled to operate as intake ventilation devices that draw outside air into the indoor space, and two variable duct devices (310-2, 310-4) can be controlled to operate as exhaust ventilation devices that discharge indoor air to the outside.

[0087] Additionally, the ventilation control unit (330) can control the opening control unit (120) included in each of the four variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) so ​​that opening range control for each sector of the four variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4) can be performed. This control may be a control according to a predetermined opening range based on sensor information detected by the sensor unit (320).

[0088] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 9, if a central diaphragm (131, 132, 133, 134) is installed in the center of each of the four variable duct devices (310-1', 310-2', 310-3', 310-4') installed indoors, or between two sections of the central part, the ventilation control unit (330) can control each of the four variable duct devices (310-1', 310-2', 310-3', 310-4') to be divided into two parts based on the central diaphragm (131, 132, 133, 134) to perform different types of supply and exhaust operations.

[0089] For example, referring to FIG. 10, the ventilation control unit (330) can control the portion of the four variable duct units (310-1', 310-2', 310-3', 310-4') connected to the ventilation fan of a portion of the indoor wall (indicated by ⓐ in FIG. 9) to operate as an intake ventilation unit that draws outside air into the indoor space, and the portion of the four variable duct units (310-1', 310-2', 310-3', 310-4') connected to the ventilation fan of the opposite wall (not shown) of the portion of the indoor wall (indicated by ⓐ in FIG. 10) to operate as an exhaust ventilation unit that exhausts indoor air to the outside. That is, intake and exhaust can be controlled to be performed separately in a single variable duct unit (e.g., 310-1').

[0090] In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, two variable duct devices (310-1, 310-2) installed at the top and two variable duct devices (310-3, 310-4) installed at the bottom are installed in pairs so as to be located on the same vertical line, and two variable duct devices (310-1 and 310-3, and 310-2 and 310-4) corresponding to each other on the vertical line passing through the top and bottom can perform different intake and exhaust operations to provide an air curtain effect formed on the said vertical line. Specifically, in the case of two variable ducts (310-1 and 310-3), one variable duct (310-1) operates as an intake and the other variable duct device (310-3) operates as an exhaust, thereby providing the effect of forming an air curtain on the vertical line where the two variable ducts (310-1 and 310-3) are located. Additionally, in the case of two variable ducts (310-2 and 310-4), one variable duct (310-4) operates as an intake and the other variable duct device (310-2) operates as an exhaust, thereby providing the effect of forming an air curtain on the vertical line where the two variable ducts (310-2 and 310-4) are located. Such air curtains can support effective ventilation methods that prevent the spread of airborne infectious agents or indoor contaminants.

[0091] Meanwhile, the above description explains the case in which a plurality of variable duct devices (100) according to FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are installed indoors, and the following describes the case in which a plurality of variable duct devices (100) according to FIG. 4 are installed indoors.

[0092] FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating an example in which four variable duct devices (310-1', 310-2', 310-3', 310-4') are installed indoors in a variable automatic ventilation system (300) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 11, two variable duct units (310-1”, 310-2”) are installed at the top (ceiling) and are each connected to three ventilation fans (401, 402, 403) installed at the top of the indoor wall via bellows (341, 342, 343, 344), and two variable duct units (310-3”, 310-4”) are installed at the bottom (floor) and are each connected to three ventilation fans (404, 405, 406) installed at the bottom of the indoor wall via bellows (345, 346, 347, 348).

[0094] Specifically, the variable duct device (310-1”) is connected to the ventilation fan (401) via a bellows (341) and to the ventilation fan (402) via a bellows (342). That is, the variable duct device (310-1”) can be connected to two ventilation fans (401, 402) via bellows (341, 342). Additionally, the variable duct device (310-2”) is connected to the ventilation fan (402) via a bellows (343) and to the ventilation fan (404) via a bellows (344). That is, the variable duct device (310-2”) can be connected to two ventilation fans (402, 403) via bellows (343, 344). Additionally, the variable duct device (310-3”) is connected to the ventilation fan (404) via a bellows (345) and to the ventilation fan (405) via a bellows (346). That is, the variable duct device (310-3”) can be connected to two ventilation fans (404, 405) via bellows (345, 346). Additionally, the variable duct device (310-4”) is connected to the ventilation fan (405) via a bellows (347) and to the ventilation fan (406) via a bellows (348). That is, the variable duct device (310-4”) can be connected to two ventilation fans (405, 406) via bellows (347, 348).

[0095] As such, the variable automatic ventilation system (300') including the four variable duct devices (310-1”, 310-2”, 310-3”, 310-4”) shown in FIG. 11 is identical to the variable automatic ventilation system (300) described with reference to FIG. 7 through 10, except for the four variable duct devices (310-1”, 310-2”, 310-3”, 310-4”), so the description of other components can be easily understood by referring to FIG. 7 through 10, so it is omitted here.

[0096] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a different configuration of the ventilation control unit (320) shown in FIG. 5.

[0097] As illustrated in FIG. 12, a ventilation control unit (320) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one processor (321), a memory (322), a communication device (323), an input / output device (324), and a communication bus (325).

[0098] The processor (321) may be a general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling program execution in the solution of the present application.

[0099] The memory (322) stores information for performing variable automatic ventilation control according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the memory (322) can store data used for variable automatic ventilation control. Specifically, the memory (322) stores ventilation control information corresponding to a situation according to indoor and outdoor conditions.

[0100] Specifically, the memory (322) is additionally configured to store a set of codes, and the codes are used to control the processor (321) to execute the following processes. These processes may include a process of receiving and analyzing sensor information detected by the sensor unit (320), a process of recognizing the indoor and outdoor conditions, particularly indoor conditions, based on the analyzed information, and acquiring ventilation control information corresponding to the recognized conditions, and a process of controlling the intake and exhaust operations of each variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) based on the ventilation control information. Additionally, the memory (322) may further include a process of controlling the opening range of each variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n).

[0101] Memory (322) may be ROM (Read-Only Memory) or other type of static storage device capable of storing instructions, or RAM (Random Access Memory) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) or other compact disc storage device or optical disc storage device (including compressed optical disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital multi-purpose disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), magnetic disc storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be accessed by a computer while carrying or storing expected program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and is not limited thereto. Memory (322) may exist independently and is connected to the processor (321) by a communication bus (325).

[0102] The communication device (323) performs wired or wireless communication with other external devices, namely the sensor unit (320) and variable duct unit (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n), and can be implemented with various wired or wireless communication technologies.

[0103] The input / output device (324) is specifically composed of an input device (3241) and an output device (3242), and the input device (3241) communicates with the processor (321) and can receive user input in multiple ways. For example, the input device (3241) may be a mouse, keyboard, touch screen, or sensing device. The output device (3242) communicates with the processor (321) and can display information or output voice in multiple ways. For example, the output device (3242) may be an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, a speaker, etc.

[0104] The communication bus (325) is configured to combine the components of the ventilation control unit (320), namely the processor (321), memory (322), communication device (323) and input / output device (324).

[0105] Hereinafter, a variable automatic ventilation method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0106] FIG. 13 is a schematic flowchart of a variable automatic ventilation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The variable automatic ventilation method according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 13 can be performed by a variable automatic ventilation system (300) described with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 12.

[0107] Before the explanation, it is assumed that the variable automatic ventilation system (300) stores ventilation control information according to the indoor and outdoor conditions of the building. This ventilation control information may be information for controlling the intake and exhaust operation of the variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) and the opening range of the segment-specific openings of the variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) according to the indoor and outdoor conditions of the building. This ventilation control information may be stored in advance through various forms of experiments and statistics.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 13, first, the variable automatic ventilation system (300) receives sensor information detected through sensors installed indoors and outdoors (S110).

[0109] After that, the sensor information is analyzed to recognize the indoor and outdoor conditions regarding ventilation (S120).

[0110] Next, ventilation control information based on perceived indoor and outdoor conditions is obtained (S130), and intake and exhaust operation for each variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) and control of the opening range for each segment opening is performed according to the obtained ventilation control information (S140).

[0111] Accordingly, the variable duct device (310-1, 310-2, …, 310-n) performs intake or exhaust operation respectively by control by the variable automatic ventilation system (300), and at the same time, by controlling the opening range of the opening for each segment, variable automatic ventilation according to the conditions inside the building can be performed.

[0112] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above are not implemented only through devices and methods, but may also be implemented through a program that realizes a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present disclosure or a recording medium on which such program is recorded.

[0113] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present disclosure as defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

Claim 1 A variable duct device installed in the interior of a building, comprising: a duct body having a plurality of movable panels installed therein, wherein a portion of one side is opened to form an opening to provide a flow path for ventilation of the interior, and the duct body has a plurality of movable panels installed therein to perform opening and closing of the opening; a plurality of stepper motors that control the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels; and an opening control unit that controls each of the plurality of stepper motors to drive each of the plurality of movable panels in order to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body by each of the plurality of movable panels. Claim 2 A variable duct device according to claim 1, wherein the duct body has a rectangular cross-section in the width direction, is divided into a plurality of segments based on the length direction, and includes one movable panel and one stepper motor for each segment. Claim 3 A variable duct device according to paragraph 2, wherein a cylindrical ventilation opening for connection to the outside is installed on one of the other sides, excluding the one side, for each segment of the duct body. Claim 4 A variable duct device according to paragraph 2, wherein a cylindrical lead is installed on the duct body, with a screw surface formed on the outer surface in the width direction for each segment, and the lead and the movable panel are connected through a donut-shaped anchor with a nut screw formed in the center, so that the movable panel can slide relative to the lead by rotational driving of the lead. Claim 5 A variable duct device according to paragraph 2, further comprising a plurality of motor drivers for controlling the rotational drive of each of the plurality of stepper motors, wherein the opening control unit can control the movement amount of each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling the rotation amount of each of the plurality of stepper motors through the plurality of motor drivers. Claim 6 In claim 5, the opening control unit comprises a motor drive unit that controls the rotational drive of each of the plurality of stepper motors through the plurality of motor drivers, a position information unit that stores information about the position of each of the plurality of movable panels at the opening of each segment, and a drive control unit that controls the sliding movement amount of each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling the rotational drive of each of the plurality of motors through the motor drive unit based on the position information of each of the plurality of movable panels stored in the position information unit. Claim 7 A variable duct device according to claim 6, wherein a plate covering a portion of one side of the duct body is formed thereon, and the portion of one side of the duct body excluding the portion covered by the plate forms the opening, and the maximum opening range by the opening corresponds to 1 / 2 of one side of the body. Claim 8 A variable duct device according to claim 1, wherein a diaphragm is installed in the width direction inside the duct body, and the opening control unit controls the duct body to perform different intake and exhaust operations based on the diaphragm. Claim 9 A variable automatic ventilation system for indoor ventilation of a building, comprising: at least one variable duct device installed in the indoor space of the building; wherein the variable duct device comprises a duct body having a plurality of movable panels installed therein, wherein a portion of one side is opened to form an opening to provide a flow path for indoor ventilation, and the duct body has a plurality of movable panels installed therein to perform opening and closing of the opening; a plurality of stepper motors that control the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels; and an opening control unit that controls each of the plurality of stepper motors to drive each of the plurality of movable panels in order to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body by each of the plurality of movable panels; a sensor unit that detects indoor and outdoor conditions of the building using a plurality of sensors installed in the indoor and outdoor spaces of the building; and a ventilation control unit that performs variable automatic ventilation corresponding to the indoor and outdoor conditions by performing control of each of the at least one variable duct device based on the indoor and outdoor conditions detected by the sensor unit. Claim 10 In claim 9, the variable duct device is connected to a ventilation fan installed on a wall of the room at one or both ends along the length of the variable duct device to perform intake or exhaust operation through the ventilation fan, thereby forming a variable automatic ventilation system. Claim 11 In claim 9, the variable duct device is a variable automatic ventilation system in which a cylindrical ventilation opening installed on the side of the variable duct device is connected to a ventilation fan installed on the wall of the room using a cylindrical bellows to perform intake or exhaust operation through the ventilation fan. Claim 12 A variable automatic ventilation system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein at least one variable duct device is installed in the upper part of the room and at least one is installed in the lower part of the room, and some of the variable duct devices installed in the upper and lower parts are controlled by the ventilation control unit so that they perform intake operation and the remaining variable duct devices perform exhaust operation. Claim 13 A variable automatic ventilation system according to claim 12, wherein the variable duct device installed at the top and the variable duct device installed at the bottom are positioned on the same vertical line and are controlled by the ventilation control unit to form an air curtain through the intake and exhaust operations of the variable duct device installed at the top and the variable duct device installed at the bottom. Claim 14 In claim 9, the ventilation control unit comprises: a sensor information analysis unit that analyzes sensor information detected by the sensor unit; a ventilation control information storage unit that stores ventilation control information corresponding to the indoor and outdoor conditions; a situation recognition unit that recognizes the indoor and outdoor conditions according to the information analyzed by the sensor information analysis unit and obtains ventilation control information corresponding to the recognized situation from the ventilation control information storage unit; and a duct control unit that performs control for intake and exhaust operations of each of the at least one variable duct device according to the ventilation control information obtained by the situation recognition unit. Claim 15 In claim 9, the opening control unit controls each of the plurality of stepper motors according to the opening range control of each variable duct device of the ventilation control unit to control the opening and closing amount of each of the plurality of movable panels, thereby forming a variable automatic ventilation system. Claim 16 In claim 9, the duct body has a rectangular cross-section in the width direction and is divided into a plurality of segments based on the length direction, and each segment includes one movable panel and one stepper motor, in a variable automatic ventilation system. Claim 17 A variable automatic ventilation method performed by a variable automatic ventilation system for indoor ventilation of a building, wherein the variable automatic ventilation system comprises at least one variable duct device installed in the indoor space of the building, wherein the variable duct device comprises a duct body having a plurality of movable panels installed therein, wherein a portion of one side is opened to form an opening to provide a flow path for indoor ventilation, and the duct body comprises a plurality of stepper motors that control the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels, and an opening control unit that controls each of the plurality of stepper motors to drive each of the plurality of movable panels to control the opening range of the opening of the duct body by each of the plurality of movable panels, and wherein the variable automatic ventilation method comprises the steps of: receiving sensor information detected through sensors installed in the indoor and outdoor spaces of the building; analyzing the sensor information to recognize indoor and outdoor conditions regarding ventilation; obtaining ventilation control information according to the indoor and outdoor conditions; and performing intake or exhaust operation for the at least one variable duct device and controlling the opening range of the opening according to the ventilation control information. Claim 18 In claim 17, the duct body has a rectangular cross-section in the width direction and is divided into a plurality of segments based on the length direction, and each segment includes one movable panel and one stepper motor, and the duct body is equipped with a cylindrical lid having a screw surface formed on its outer surface in the width direction for each segment, and the lid and the movable panel are connected through a donut-shaped anchor having a nut screw formed in the center, so that the movable panel can slide relative to the lid by the rotational drive of the lid, thereby a variable automatic ventilation method. Claim 19 In claim 18, the step of performing the opening range control is a variable automatic ventilation method that controls the opening and closing of each of the plurality of movable panels by controlling each of the plurality of stepper motors for segment-by-segment opening range control of the variable duct device.

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