Disclosure of Invention
The invention solves the technical problems that the air quantity attenuation and the performance attenuation of the air duct machine affect the stability and the comfort of a unit.
In order to solve the problems, the invention provides a static pressure self-adjustment control method and device and an air conditioner.
In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a static pressure self-adjustment control method, including:
acquiring an actual static pressure value of a unit of the air duct machine;
obtaining change data according to the actual static pressure value and a preset static pressure value;
and adjusting the opening of an air valve in an air duct of the air duct machine according to the change data so as to enable the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine to be equal to the preset static pressure value.
According to the static pressure self-adjustment control method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the opening of the air valve in the air duct is adjusted according to the change data of the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine relative to the preset static pressure value, the air duct resistance is adjusted in real time, so that the actual static pressure value of the unit is equal to the preset static pressure value, the actual static pressure value of the unit is equal to the designed static pressure value, and the air volume and performance attenuation are avoided.
In an alternative embodiment, the change data includes a static pressure change ratio; the static pressure self-adjusting control method comprises the following steps:
calculating the static pressure change proportion according to the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value;
and adjusting the opening degree of an air valve in an air duct of the air duct machine according to the static pressure change proportion.
In an alternative embodiment, the step of calculating the static pressure change ratio based on the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value includes:
the static pressure change ratio is calculated by the following formula:
ΔP=(P0-P1)/P0;
wherein Δ P represents the static pressure change ratio, P0 represents the preset static pressure value, and P1 represents the actual static pressure value;
the step of adjusting the opening degree of an air valve in an air duct of the air duct machine according to the static pressure change proportion comprises the following steps:
and if the static pressure change proportion is larger than or equal to a preset static pressure change proportion, controlling the opening of the air valve to increase.
In an optional embodiment, before the step of obtaining the variation data according to the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value, the method further includes:
and acquiring an initial static pressure value of the unit when the air duct machine operates initially, and taking the initial static pressure value as the preset static pressure value.
In an optional embodiment, after the step of adjusting the opening degree of the air valve in the air duct of the air duct machine according to the variation data, the method further includes:
and controlling the opening of the air valve according to the air speed of the air outlet of the air duct and a preset air speed so as to correct the adjustment of the opening of the air valve, so that the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air pipe machine is equal to the preset static pressure value.
In an optional embodiment, the step of controlling the opening of the air valve according to the wind speed of the wind duct air outlet of the wind duct and a preset wind speed includes:
if the wind speed is greater than the preset wind speed, controlling the opening of the air valve to reduce a first preset correction opening;
if the wind speed is less than the preset wind speed, controlling the opening of the air valve to increase by a second preset correction opening;
and if the wind speed is equal to the preset wind speed, controlling the air valve to stop adjusting.
In an optional embodiment, after the step of adjusting the opening degree of the air valve in the air duct of the air duct machine according to the variation data, the method further includes:
counting the times of adjusting the opening degree of the air valve to obtain the times of adjusting the air valve;
and if the adjusting times of the air valve reach preset adjusting times, sending cleaning prompt information.
In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a static pressure self-regulation control apparatus, including:
the acquiring module is used for acquiring an actual static pressure value of a unit of the air duct machine;
the calculation module is used for obtaining change data according to the actual static pressure value and a preset static pressure value;
and the control module is used for adjusting the opening of an air valve in an air duct of the air duct machine according to the change data so as to enable the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine to be equal to the preset static pressure value.
According to the static pressure self-regulation control device provided by the embodiment of the invention, the opening degree of the air valve in the air duct is regulated according to the change data of the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine relative to the preset static pressure value, the air duct resistance is regulated in real time, so that the actual static pressure value of the unit is equal to the preset static pressure value, the actual static pressure value of the unit is equal to the designed static pressure value, and the air volume and performance attenuation are avoided.
In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioner, including a controller, where the controller is configured to execute computer instructions to implement the static pressure self-regulation control method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments.
According to the air conditioner provided by the embodiment of the invention, the opening of the air valve in the air duct is adjusted according to the change data of the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine relative to the preset static pressure value, and the resistance of the air duct is adjusted in real time, so that the actual static pressure value of the unit is equal to the preset static pressure value, the actual static pressure value of the unit is equivalent to the designed static pressure value, and the air quantity and performance attenuation are avoided.
In an optional implementation manner, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit, an air duct, an air valve, and a static pressure detector, wherein a fan air outlet of the indoor unit is connected to the air duct, the air valve is disposed in an end of the air duct close to the fan air outlet, and the static pressure detector is mounted on a side wall of the air duct and located between the air valve and the fan air outlet.
Detailed Description
When the existing high-static-pressure air pipe machine is used, dust can be deposited on a filter screen of a return air inlet, an evaporator and a grid, so that the return air resistance is increased, the air quantity attenuation and the performance attenuation are caused, and the stability and the comfort of the machine set are influenced. In the research of the designer of the invention, the situation that the actual static pressure of a unit does not meet the designed static pressure can occur due to the fact that the rotating speed of most motors is set before delivery and cannot be adjusted on site when the resistance of an air duct is increased in the conventional high-static-pressure air duct machine, so that the air quantity attenuation and the performance attenuation are caused. Therefore, designers design a static pressure self-adjusting control method, a static pressure self-adjusting control device and an air conditioner, which can adjust the resistance of an air duct in real time, so that the actual static pressure of a unit is equivalent to the designed static pressure, and the air volume and performance attenuation are avoided.
In order to make the aforementioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.
The embodiment of the invention provides a static pressure self-regulation control method and a static pressure self-regulation control device, which are applied to an air conditioner. The static pressure self-adjusting control method and the static pressure self-adjusting control device are used for realizing static pressure self-adaptive adjustment, so that the actual static pressure value of the unit is equivalent to the designed static pressure, and the air volume and performance attenuation are avoided.
Referring to fig. 1, the air conditioner 10 includes an indoor unit 110, an air duct 120, an air valve 130, a static pressure detector 140, an air speed detector 150, a return duct 160, and a filter screen 170. The fan outlet 111 of the indoor unit 110 is connected to the air duct 120, the air valve 130 is disposed in an end of the air duct 120 close to the fan outlet 111, and the static pressure detector 140 is mounted on a sidewall of the air duct 120 and located between the air valve 130 and the fan outlet 111, and is configured to detect an actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine. In this embodiment, optionally, the air valve 130 is an electric air valve 130, a distance between the air valve 130 and the air outlet 111 of the fan may be 0.5m, and an included angle of 30 degrees is formed between the initial opening degree and the horizontal plane, so that the air valve 130 may generate a certain resistance to the air duct 120, which is equivalent to increasing a static pressure value of the unit. The static pressure detector 140 is fixed on the side wall of the air duct 120, and the distance from the fan outlet 111 is 0.2 m. The side wall of the air duct 120 is provided with a plurality of air duct outlets 121, and the air speed detector 150 may be disposed at any one of the air duct outlets 121 and configured to detect the air speed of the air duct outlet 121 of the air duct 120. This is because the static pressure adjustment in this embodiment ensures that the wind speed of any air duct outlet 121 does not change and the wind volume does not attenuate, so the wind speed detector 150 may be installed at any air duct outlet 121. In addition, the return air inlet of the indoor unit 110 is connected to the return air duct 160, and the filter screen 170 is provided at the return air inlet of the indoor unit 110.
It should be noted that the air valve 130 is initially set to a certain opening degree to generate a certain resistance, and the resistance is superimposed with the resistance of the air duct 120 and the resistance of the evaporator of the indoor unit 110 to form the designed static pressure of the unit, so that the static pressure value of the unit can be adjusted by changing the opening degree of the air valve 130.
Referring to fig. 2, the air conditioner 10 further includes a controller 180, the controller 180 is electrically connected to the air valve 130, the static pressure detector 140 and the air speed detector 150, and the controller 180 is configured to receive an actual static pressure value detected by the static pressure detector 140 and is further configured to receive an air speed of the air outlet 121 of the air duct detected by the air speed detector 150. The controller 180 is also configured to control the opening of the air valve 130 according to the actual static pressure value and the wind speed, respectively.
The controller 180 may be an integrated circuit chip having signal processing capabilities. The controller 180 may be a general-purpose processor, and may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a single chip Microcomputer (MCU), a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an embedded ARM, and other chips, where the controller 180 may implement or execute the methods, steps, and Logic blocks disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention.
In one possible implementation, the air conditioner 10 may further include a memory for storing program instructions executable by the controller 180, for example, the static pressure self-adjusting control device 20 provided by the embodiment of the present application, and the static pressure self-adjusting control device 20 provided by the embodiment of the present application includes at least one of software and firmware stored in the memory. The Memory may be a stand-alone external Memory including, but not limited to, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), Erasable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), electrically Erasable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM). The memory may also be integrated with the controller 180, for example, the memory may be integrated with the controller 180 in the same chip.
Referring to fig. 3, based on the air conditioner 10, the static pressure self-adjusting control method according to the embodiment of the present invention is used for static pressure self-adaptive adjustment, and the static pressure self-adjusting control method according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps S100 to S800.
And S100, acquiring an initial static pressure value of the unit when the air duct machine operates initially, and taking the initial static pressure value as a preset static pressure value.
In this embodiment, the static pressure detector 140 detects the static pressure value of the unit during the initial operation of the air duct machine to obtain an initial static pressure value, and the initial static pressure value is used as a preset static pressure value. Static pressure tester 140 sends the initial static pressure value sensed to controller 180.
Step S200, acquiring an initial wind speed of the air duct outlet 121 of the air duct 120 when the ducted air conditioner is in the initial operation, and taking the initial wind speed as a preset wind speed.
In this embodiment, the wind speed detector 150 detects the initial wind speed of the wind duct outlet 121 of the wind duct 120 when the wind duct machine initially operates, and the initial wind speed is used as the preset wind speed. The wind speed detector 150 transmits the detected initial wind speed to the controller 180.
And step S300, acquiring an actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine.
In this embodiment, the static pressure detector 140 detects the actual static pressure value of the unit when the air duct machine actually operates. It should be understood that the static pressure value of the unit is detected in real time by the static pressure detector 140, and the actual static pressure value is obtained and sent to the controller 180.
And step S400, obtaining change data according to the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value.
It should be noted that, in this embodiment, an initial static pressure value is used as the preset static pressure value, and the initial static pressure value may be used as a reflected design static pressure, so that the actual static pressure value is equivalent to the design static pressure through static pressure adaptive adjustment. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the preset static pressure value may also be set in other manners, for example, the preset static pressure value may be preset, and further, the preset static pressure value may be set as the design static pressure. It should be understood that, in the embodiment of the present invention, the actual static pressure value is equivalent to the design static pressure by static pressure adaptive adjustment, and therefore, the preset static pressure value is only required to meet this requirement, and the specific setting manner is not particularly limited.
In addition, the change data is used for reflecting the change situation of the actual static pressure value relative to the preset static pressure value. The change data may include a static pressure change ratio. That is, in step S400, a static pressure change ratio of the change of the actual static pressure value with respect to the preset static pressure value may be calculated based on the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value. In this embodiment, the static pressure change ratio of the actual static pressure value to the preset static pressure value is calculated by the following formula:
ΔP=(P0-P1)/P0。
where Δ P represents a static pressure change ratio, P0 represents a preset static pressure value, and P1 represents an actual static pressure value.
It should be noted that, in other embodiments of the present invention, the change data may not use the static pressure change ratio, and may use, for example, a static pressure change difference value obtained by subtracting the actual static pressure value P1 from the preset static pressure value P0, which may also be used as a judgment basis for the adjustment control.
And step S500, adjusting the opening of the air valve 130 in the air duct 120 of the air duct machine according to the change data so as to enable the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine to be equal to the preset static pressure value.
It should be noted that, it is a set satisfying condition that the actual static pressure value of the unit of the duct machine is equal to the preset static pressure value, and in the actual operation of the duct machine, as long as the actual static pressure value is equal to the designed static pressure, the wind speed of the air outlet 121 of the air duct is not changed and the wind volume is not attenuated.
Referring to fig. 4, in the present embodiment, when the variation data adopts the static pressure variation ratio, the opening degree of the air valve 130 in the air duct 120 of the air duct machine is adjusted according to the static pressure variation ratio. Further, step S500 may include the following sub-steps S510-520.
And a substep S510 of determining whether the static pressure change ratio is greater than or equal to a preset static pressure change ratio.
The preset static pressure change proportion is a preset value, and is selected correspondingly according to actual needs, for example, the adjustment precision and the control difficulty can be comprehensively evaluated. In this embodiment, the preset static pressure change ratio value is 0.03, and therefore, it is determined whether the static pressure change ratio Δ P satisfies: delta P is more than or equal to 0.03.
And a substep S520 of controlling the opening degree of the damper 130 to increase if the static pressure change ratio is greater than or equal to a preset static pressure change ratio.
In this embodiment, if the static pressure change ratio Δ P satisfies: if Δ P is greater than or equal to 0.03, the opening of the control damper 130 is increased. The rate of increase of the opening degree of the damper 130 may be set according to the actual situation, for example, may be set according to the magnitude of the static pressure change rate Δ P, and the rate of increase of the opening degree of the damper 130 may be set to be larger as the static pressure change rate Δ P is larger. In this embodiment, the opening degree of the damper 130 is increased by 3%. When the static pressure change ratio is greater than or equal to the preset static pressure change ratio, the controller 180 sends a control instruction to control the opening of the air valve 130 to be increased by 3% so as to reduce the resistance of the air duct 120 and increase the air speed of the air outlet 121 of the air duct.
Referring to fig. 3, in step S600, the opening of the air valve 130 is controlled according to the air speed of the air outlet 121 of the air duct 120 and the preset air speed, so as to correct the adjustment of the opening of the air valve 130, so that the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine is equal to the preset static pressure value.
In this embodiment, when the air valve 130 adjusts the opening degree, the opening degree adjustment may not reach the set adjustment opening degree because the air valve 130 is a mechanical device. By correcting the opening adjustment of the air valve 130, the opening of the air valve 130 can be reasonably adjusted, the opening adjustment precision of the air valve 130 is improved, the actual static pressure is always equal to the designed static pressure, and the air volume and performance attenuation are avoided. In addition, the wind speed of the wind channel outlet 121 is detected by the wind speed detector 150 in real time, and the wind speed detector 150 sends the detected wind speed to the controller 180.
Referring to fig. 5, in the present embodiment, step S600 may include the following substeps S610-630.
In the sub-step S610, if the wind speed is greater than the preset wind speed, the opening of the air valve 130 is controlled to decrease by a first preset correction opening.
In this embodiment, the initial wind speed is taken as the preset wind speed, and the initial wind speed is represented by V0. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the preset wind speed may also be a set value, and is set accordingly according to actual needs.
The wind speed detected in real time is represented by V1, and if the wind speed V1 is greater than the initial wind speed V0, that is, V1 > V0, the opening degree of the air valve 130 is controlled to be reduced by a first preset correction opening degree. It should be noted that the first preset corrected opening may be set according to actual needs, for example, may be set to 1%, that is, the opening of the air valve 130 is adjusted by 1% at a minimum, so that not only the purpose of correcting the opening is achieved, but also the situation that the accuracy of the mechanical device of the air valve 130 is difficult to achieve is prevented. After the opening degree of the air valve 130 is controlled to reduce the first preset corrected opening degree, the air speed of the air outlet 121 of the air duct is detected again, at this time, the air speed is represented by V2, the air speed is compared with the initial air speed V0, and so on, until the air speed is equal to the initial air speed V0, the adjustment of the air valve 130 is stopped, and the accurate adjustment of the opening degree of the air valve 130 is achieved.
And a substep S620, if the wind speed is less than the preset wind speed, controlling the opening of the air valve 130 to increase by a second preset correction opening.
The wind speed detected in real time is represented by V1, and if the wind speed V1 is less than the initial wind speed V0, i.e., V1 < V0, the opening degree of the air valve 130 is controlled to be increased by a second preset correction opening degree. It should be noted that the second preset corrected opening degree is set according to actual needs, and may be equal to or different from the first preset corrected opening degree. In this embodiment, the second preset corrected opening is also set to 1%, i.e., the air valve 130 is adjusted by 1% opening at a minimum time. After the opening degree of the air valve 130 is controlled to increase by the second preset corrected opening degree, the air speed of the air outlet 121 of the air duct is detected again, at this time, the air speed is represented by V3, the air speed is compared with the initial air speed V0, and so on, until the air speed is equal to the initial air speed V0, the valve adjustment is stopped, and the accurate adjustment of the opening degree of the air valve 130 is realized.
And a substep S630, controlling the damper 130 to stop adjusting if the wind speed is equal to the preset wind speed.
The wind speed detected in real time is represented by V1, and if the wind speed V1 is equal to the initial wind speed V0, that is, if V1 is equal to V0, the control of the air valve 130 is stopped.
Referring to fig. 3, in step S700, the number of times of adjusting the opening degree of the damper 130 is counted to obtain the number of damper adjustment times.
In the above-described adjustment of the air damper 130 and the correction of the air damper 130, the opening degree of the air damper 130 is initially adjusted, that is, counted once. It should be understood that in the present embodiment, the opening static pressure of the air valve 130 is automatically adjusted once every 3% of the opening static pressure, and the number of times of air valve adjustment is obtained by counting once.
And step S800, if the adjusting times of the air valve reach the preset adjusting times, sending out cleaning prompt information.
In this embodiment, when the number of times of adjustment of the damper reaches the preset number of times, for example, the preset number of times of adjustment may be set to 4, that is, the static pressure is attenuated by 12% in total, which indicates that the filter screen 170 and the evaporator of the indoor unit 110 deposit more dust at this time, the controller 180 sends out a cleaning prompt message to remind the user to clean the filter screen 170 and the evaporator.
In summary, the static pressure self-adjustment control method provided by the embodiment of the invention automatically adjusts the opening degree of the air valve 130 by detecting the actual static pressure value in real time, according to the change data of the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value, and reasonably adjusts the opening degree of the air valve 130 by feedback correction of the opening degree of the air valve 130, so that the actual static pressure is always equal to the designed static pressure, thereby realizing the static pressure self-adjustment of the unit and avoiding the air volume and performance attenuation. And moreover, cleaning prompt can be performed according to the static pressure adjusting times of the unit, and the cleaning prompt function is achieved.
Referring to fig. 6, in order to implement possible steps of the static pressure self-regulation control method provided in the above embodiments, an embodiment of the invention provides a static pressure self-regulation control device 20, and the static pressure self-regulation control device 20 is applied to an air conditioner 10 for implementing the static pressure self-regulation control method. It should be noted that the basic principle and the generated technical effect of the static pressure self-adjusting control device 20 provided in the present embodiment are substantially the same as those of the above embodiments, and for the sake of brief description, no part of the present embodiment is mentioned, and reference may be made to the corresponding contents in the above embodiments.
The static self-adjusting control apparatus 20 includes an acquisition module 210, a calculation module 220, and a control module 230.
The obtaining module 210 is configured to obtain an initial static pressure value of the unit when the air duct machine is in initial operation, and use the initial static pressure value as a preset static pressure value.
Optionally, the obtaining module 210 may be specifically configured to execute step S100 in each of the above-mentioned figures, so as to achieve a corresponding technical effect.
The obtaining module 210 is further configured to obtain an initial wind speed of the air duct outlet 121 of the air duct 120 when the ducted air conditioner is in the initial operation, and use the initial wind speed as a preset wind speed.
Optionally, the obtaining module 210 may be specifically configured to execute step S200 in each of the above-mentioned figures, so as to achieve a corresponding technical effect.
The obtaining module 210 is further configured to obtain an actual static pressure value of the unit of the ducted air conditioner.
Optionally, the obtaining module 210 may be specifically configured to execute step S300 in each of the above-mentioned figures, so as to achieve a corresponding technical effect.
The calculating module 220 is configured to obtain variation data according to the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value.
Optionally, the calculating module 220 may be specifically configured to execute step S400 in each of the above-mentioned figures, so as to achieve a corresponding technical effect.
The control module 230 is configured to adjust an opening degree of the air valve 130 in the air duct 120 of the air duct machine according to the variation data, so that an actual static pressure value of a unit of the air duct machine is equal to a preset static pressure value.
Optionally, the control module 230 may be specifically configured to execute the step S500 and each sub-step thereof in each of the above-mentioned figures, so as to achieve the corresponding technical effect.
The control module 230 is further configured to control the opening of the air valve 130 according to the air speed of the air outlet 121 of the air duct 120 and a preset air speed, so as to correct the opening adjustment of the air valve 130, so that the actual static pressure value of the unit of the air duct machine is equal to the preset static pressure value.
Optionally, the control module 230 may be specifically configured to execute the step S600 and each sub-step thereof in each of the above-mentioned figures, so as to achieve the corresponding technical effect.
The control module 230 is further configured to count the number of times of adjusting the opening degree of the air valve 130 to obtain the number of times of adjusting the air valve, and send a cleaning prompt message if the number of times of adjusting the air valve reaches a preset number of times of adjusting.
Optionally, the control module 230 may be specifically configured to execute step S700 and step S800 in the above-mentioned figures, so as to achieve the corresponding technical effect.
In summary, according to the static pressure self-adjustment control method, the static pressure self-adjustment control device and the air conditioner 10 provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the actual static pressure value is detected in real time, the opening degree of the air valve 130 is automatically adjusted according to the change data of the actual static pressure value and the preset static pressure value, the opening degree of the air valve 130 is reasonably adjusted through the feedback correction of the opening degree of the air valve 130, the adjustment precision is high, the actual static pressure is always equal to the designed static pressure, the static pressure self-adjustment of the unit is realized, and the air volume and the performance attenuation are avoided. And moreover, cleaning prompt can be performed according to the static pressure adjusting times of the unit, and the cleaning prompt function is achieved.
In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method can be implemented in other ways. The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and for example, the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of apparatus, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
In addition, the functional modules in the embodiments of the present invention may be integrated together to form an independent part, or each module may exist separately, or two or more modules may be integrated to form an independent part.
The functions, if implemented in the form of software functional modules and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present invention may be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present invention. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: a U-disk, a removable hard disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and other various media capable of storing program codes.
Although the present invention is disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.