Patents Examined by Allana Lewin
  • Patent number: 9618226
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system integrated with an application program (APP) of a smart portable device comprises at least an air-conditioning controller, an APP and a plurality of air-conditioning devices. The air-conditioning controller comprises a temperature sensor, provided for sensing an environment temperature so as to transmit a temperature signal. The APP is installed on a smart portable device such that the APP can transmit an operation signal to the air-conditioning controller according to the temperature signal via the smart portable device. The air-conditioning controller further transmits a control signal to the plurality of air-conditioning devices such that the air-conditioning devices can be operated according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SHU-TE University
    Inventors: Chih-Yung Chen, Jun-Juh Yan
  • Patent number: 9618247
    Abstract: A system supplies a fluid to an evaporator of a refrigeration unit and has first and second lines connected to a fluid inlet of the evaporator. The system has an expansion valve with a continuously modifiable first flow cross section, disposed in the first line, the continuously modifiable first flow cross section setting a first mass flow through the first line. A shut-off device is disposed in the second line and switchable discretely between an open position and a closed position. A throttle with a constant second flow cross section is disposed in the second line. A control unit continuously modifies the first flow cross section of the expansion valve and controls the shut-off device as a function of the first flow cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Alexander Jekimow, Karl-Heinz Petry, Giuseppe Tramaglino
  • Patent number: 9612059
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-implemented embodiments consistent with the inventions herein are directed to storing and/or transferring heat. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a system for transferring/storing heat comprised of a heat exchange/storage apparatus including a chamber, and a heat input device adapted to heat/provide a vapor into the chamber. Other exemplary implementations may include one or more features consistent with a heat output device through which a working medium/fluid passes, a thermal storage medium located within the chamber, and/or a heat exchange system that delivers a heat exchange medium/fluid to the thermal storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Bluelagoon Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: XiaoDong Xiang, Rong Zhang
  • Patent number: 9603380
    Abstract: A refrigerant container, which is in particular suitable for use in a cooling system designed for operation with a two-phase refrigerant, includes a receiving space for receiving a refrigerant that is disposed in an interior of the refrigerant container. Disposed in the receiving space of the refrigerant container is a heat exchanger allowing passage of a further refrigerant therethrough and being configured to remove heat from refrigerant in the liquid and/or gaseous state of aggregation that is received in the receiving space in order to supercool the refrigerant and/or convert the refrigerant to the liquid state of aggregation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Piesker
  • Patent number: 9605908
    Abstract: Provided is a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a refrigerant tube through which a refrigerant flows and a fin having at least two tube through holes in which the refrigerant tube is inserted. The fin includes a fin body, a plurality of flow guide protruding from one surface of the fin body, the plurality of flow guides being spaced apart from each other, and a plane part partitioning one flow guide and the other flow guide of the plurality of flow guides, the plane part having a flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Juhyok Kim, Hongseong Kim, Hanchoon Lee, Sangyeul Lee
  • Patent number: 9608562
    Abstract: The cooling fixture for solar photovoltaic panels has a hollow support platform made from thermally conductive metal that contains a heat exchange medium, preferably water. The solar photovoltaic panel is supported atop the platform so that heat absorbed by the panel is transferred to the platform by conduction and through the media by convection. The platform is pivotally supported on a base frame, and can be adjusted to any desired angle by a brace releasably engaging lugs projecting from the edge of the platform. The heat exchange medium is circulated from the top of the platform to the bottom of the platform by a thermo-siphon effect through at least one thin, rectangular duct having at least one fin for cooling the medium by heat exchange with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: KING SAUD UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Zakariya Kaneesamkandi Moochikootathil
  • Patent number: 9593647
    Abstract: An intercooler for an internal combustion engine has a fin-and-tube block including a plurality of flat heat transfer units having internal fluid passages orientated transversely to the direction of air flow, and arranged parallel to one another to define gaps therebetween. Fin units are disposed in the gaps and contact adjacent heat transfer units. Each fin unit defines a longitudinally-oriented air flow passage, the air flow passages having a first air flow area at an air inlet end and a second air flow area at an air outlet end, the first air flow area greater than the second air flow area. The fins of the fin units converge in the direction of the air flow through the passage so that the pitch of the fins at the air inlet end of is greater than the pitch of the fins at the air outlet end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Bernard Demots, Martin James Styles
  • Patent number: 9593874
    Abstract: An ice making assembly includes an ice tray extending along a longitudinal axis. The ice tray includes a first section disposed at a longitudinal first end of the ice tray, the first section including a plurality of first cavities projecting into the ice tray. The ice tray further includes a second section disposed at a longitudinal second end of the ice tray that is opposite from the longitudinal first end. The second section includes an elongated second cavity extending in a direction that is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ice tray. The second cavity has a shape that is longer in length than a length of each of the first cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew D. Brown, Nilton Carlos Bertolini
  • Patent number: 9587887
    Abstract: A plate cooler for fluids, such as hydraulic oil, having a parallelepiped-shaped package of plate bodies forming spaced-apart fluid channels and air channels interposed between adjacent plate bodies. The plate bodies communicate on their ends with a fluid channel in a distributor box and a collection box. The distributor and collection boxes have an extruded aluminum profile, a continuous fluid channel, and a ribbed body having lateral ribs with continuous guide grooves for mounting elements and receiving slots for the extruded plate body profile. The fluid channels discharge into a collection chamber, communicating with the continuous fluid channel of the ribbed body. The continuous receiving slots for the plate bodies in the distributor box and in the collection box are configured in circular and conical form, and the inserted plate bodies are connected thereto in fluid-tight fashion in a low-temperature adhesive bonding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Alpver Vermoegens—Und Liegenschaftsverwaltungs GmbH
    Inventors: Philipp Pustelnik, Thomas Euler-Rolle
  • Patent number: 9587874
    Abstract: A cooling system includes an air conditioner capable of cooling a predetermined space and changing an air volume or set temperature; one or more electronic devices disposed in the predetermined space and including a fan of variable rotational speed; a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of the electronic devices; and a control apparatus configured to select, based on an increase in the detected temperature, whether to increase the air volume or decrease the set temperature of the air conditioner or to increase the rotational speed of the fan, with reference to air-conditioner information indicating a relationship between cooling performance and power consumption of the air conditioner and fan information indicating a relationship between cooling performance and power consumption of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hiroyoshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 9581370
    Abstract: When a temperature of feed air blown into a space for air conditioning cannot be increased up to the target temperature in an indoor condenser of a heat pump cycle included in a gas injection cycle, the volume of the feed air flowing into the indoor condenser is decreased. Thus, the temperature of the refrigerant condensed by the indoor condenser is increased, while the amount of a compression work in a high-pressure side compression stage of the compressor is increased, which suppresses the lack of the heating capacity of the feed air blown into the space for air conditioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Satoshi Itoh
  • Patent number: 9581371
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system for operating a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. A controller operates compressors in tandem connected to an evaporator. In response to detection of a pre-freezing condition of in the coils of the evaporator, the controller adjusts an operating condition of the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Der-Kai Hung, Harold Gene Havard, Jr., Rosa Maria Leal
  • Patent number: 9577534
    Abstract: Malfunctions of a switching device included in a power factor corrector are reduced when an instantaneous voltage drop or an instantaneous power failure occurs. If the instantaneous voltage drop or the instantaneous power failure occurs in an AC power source while the power factor corrector is performing a power factor correction operation by boosting an input voltage, an instantaneous power failure controller turns off the switching device included in the power factor corrector so that the power factor correction operation stops. When the commercial power source recovers, too, the power factor corrector suspends the power factor correction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Ishizeki, Kentarou Taoka, Masahide Fujiwara, Motonobu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9574486
    Abstract: A control method of an electrical thermostat that includes an operating heater heating wax so as to operate an operating valve that may be disposed to close a coolant passage according to an exemplary embodiment of may include detecting a coolant temperature of coolant circulating a coolant passage, determining whether the coolant temperature may be included in a predetermined heating temperature range, performing a coolant heating mode by supplying a predetermined level of power to the operating heater for a predetermined time, if the coolant temperature may be within the heating temperature range, and stopping the coolant heating mode in a condition that the operating valve may be closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Inzicontrols Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Philgi Lee, Gyuhwan Kim, Jae Suk Park, Yong Jeong Kim
  • Patent number: 9568203
    Abstract: A device for providing active, closed-loop humidity control to the environment surrounding and within a hollow-bodied wood instrument. The device includes at least one humidity sensor, and preferably two, one for monitoring the environment's humidity, and one for monitoring the device's response. With data from these humidity sensors, a microcontroller determines whether the system should take action to increase the humidity of this environment by controlling a vapor-generating device. Water is supplied to this device by a water reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventors: Austin Small, Jesse McTernan
  • Patent number: 9562724
    Abstract: A heat-exchange apparatus and a mounting component set for installation into storage tanks. The heat-exchange apparatus comprises a heat-exchanging component, a coupling manifold configured to engage with the heat-exchanging component, and a hollow, elongate, flow-directing element that delivers fluid to the heat-exchanging component. The mounting component set comprises an inner flange for engaging the inner wall of the storage tank, an outer flange for engaging the outer wall of the storage tank, and at least one gasket cooperable with one of the flanges. The heat-exchange apparatus sealably engages the outer flange such that the heat-exchanging component extends into the interior of the tank, and the coupling manifold is interconnectable to an external supply of heat-exchange fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Roger Arnot
  • Patent number: 9541313
    Abstract: A refrigerating device that forms a refrigerating cycle in which a plurality of outdoor machines 1a and 1b provided at least with compressors 2a and 2b, condensers 4a and 4b, and accumulators 5a and 5b respectively and an indoor machine 20 provided with decompressing means 21 and an evaporator 22 are connected in parallel by piping, having oil return pipes 13a and 13b that return refrigerator oil stored in the accumulators into the compressors, an oil equalizing pipe 10 that connects the accumulators to each other, and a controller 30 that controls an operation of the compressor and on/off of an electromagnetic valve 12a deposed on the oil equalizing pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ikeda, Tomotaka Ishikawa, Hiroshi Sata, Fumitake Unezaki
  • Patent number: 9534797
    Abstract: Provided is an easy-to-design, inexpensive air-conditioning apparatus in which an external static pressure and an airflow are calculated without using a static-pressure detector and an indoor-unit-side fan is controlled using those values. An air-conditioning apparatus according to the present invention is configured such that a control unit (indoor-unit-side control unit) stores an external static pressure of an indoor unit calculated from a rotation speed of an indoor-unit-side fan when the airflow of the indoor-unit-side fan is controlled to a predetermined rated airflow and controls the rotation of the indoor-unit-side fan so that the external static pressure of the indoor unit obtained thereafter from the rotation speed of the indoor-unit-side fan approaches the stored external static pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 9534853
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an inlet, an outlet, and a sheet disposed proximate a heat transfer surface, wherein the sheet is oriented in a sheet plane that is displaced from a plane of the heat transfer surface by an angle of at least 10 degrees. The apparatus also includes a plurality of tabs attached to the sheet, the tabs lying in respective tab planes, wherein the tab planes and the sheet plane intersect forming respective intersections. The intersections of the tab planes and the sheet plane are substantially parallel. The intersections of the tab planes and the sheet plane are at an angle of less than 88° to the heat transfer surface, and the plurality of tabs collectively form channels directing a fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet to impinge the heat transfer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: ZONEFLOW REACTOR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Jonathan Jay Feinstein
  • Patent number: 9511458
    Abstract: A heat exchanger with a thermal storage function includes a plurality of heat exchange tubes, a plurality of thermal storage material containers, and a first thermal storage material charging member. A circumferential wall of the first thermal storage material charging member is deformed such that a collapsed portion is formed on the first thermal storage material charging member and the thermal storage material charging passage is closed and sealed. The collapsed portion of the first thermal storage material charging member includes a first collapsed part and a second collapsed part. A relation T2<T1?2t is satisfied where “t” represents a thickness of the circumferential wall of an uncollapsed portion of the first thermal storage material charging member, “T1” represents a thickness of the first collapsed part, and “T2” represents a thickness of the second collapsed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: KEIHIN THERMAL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Kamoshida, Mitsuru Nobusue