Building equipment with embedded connectivity and physical adaptations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing chillers and building equipment lack direct communication capabilities with external networks, requiring additional controllers and gateways to be installed, which is time-consuming and error-prone, and provides limited data transfer between onboard control hardware and external computing systems.

Innovation Solution

A chiller design that includes a housing with an antenna and a circuit board with mounting points, allowing for direct wireless communication via cellular and WiFi antennas, and enabling connectivity to external networks without the need for additional installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If additional controllers and gateways are installed to enable network connectivity, then communication capability is improved, but installation time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidinstallation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the communication interface (antenna and circuit board with mounting points) directly into the chiller unit, merging previously separate components (chiller, controller, gateway) into a single integrated device. This eliminates the need for additional controllers and gateways, resolving the contradiction by providing network connectivity without increasing installation time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The communication interface is pre-integrated into the chiller during manufacturing, with the antenna and circuit board with mounting points already configured. This preliminary action eliminates the need for field installation of additional components, reducing installation time while maintaining full network connectivity capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If additional controllers and gateways are installed to enable network connectivity, then communication capability is improved, but installation errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidinstallation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By merging the communication interface directly into the chiller unit with pre-configured antenna and circuit board mounting points, the patent eliminates multiple separate installation steps that could introduce errors. The integrated design ensures proper connectivity without requiring field technicians to correctly assemble and configure multiple separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If conventional control hardware is used without wireless capabilities, then device complexity is reduced, but data transfer capability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol hardware simplicityVSAvoiddata transfer capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges wireless communication capabilities (antenna and circuit board with mounting points) directly into the chiller's control system, creating an integrated unit that maintains simplicity while enabling robust data transfer. This eliminates the need for separate gateway devices while providing enhanced connectivity for monitoring and control functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250102175A1Building equipment with embedded connectivity and physical adaptations

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH

AI summary

A chiller includes cooling components configured to chill a fluid, a housing coupled to the cooling components, an antenna positioned at an exterior of the housing, a circuit board positioned in the housing and comprising a plurality of mounting points, an antenna mount fastened to the plurality of mounting points such that the antenna mount is disposed over a portion of the circuit board, and a cable extending from the antenna mount to the antenna via a hole in the housing.