Patents Examined by Antonio R Febles
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Patent number: 9816750Abstract: A method is provided of operating a cryogenic cooling system, in which a target region for receiving a sample is cooled by a dilution refrigerator containing an operational fluid. Firstly any operational fluid is removed from the dilution refrigerator. Target apparatus comprising the sample is loaded from a high temperature location to the target region. The target apparatus is then pre-cooled in the target region to a first temperature using a mechanical refrigerator. The operational fluid is then supplied to the dilution refrigerator and the dilution refrigerator operated so as to cool the target apparatus in the target location to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. A suitable system for performing the method is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2012Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Oxford INstruments Nanotechnology Tools LimitedInventors: Graham Batey, Par Gustav Teleberg, Anthony Matthews, Christopher Wilkinson
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Patent number: 9816744Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17° to about 25° degrees.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2016Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
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Patent number: 9807908Abstract: Provided is a cooling system wherein a first two-phase refrigerant can be circulated by a pump through an evaporator, to a first condenser, to a refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and back to the pump. By providing the refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger in series with the condenser, a first environment can be cooled without having to operate a vapor compression circuit when an ambient temperature outside the first environment is a predetermined amount below an ambient temperature in the first environment.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2012Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: Parker-Hannifin CorporationInventors: Timothy Louvar, Brandon Wegmann, Abhijit Sathe
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Patent number: 9758709Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant composition having a reduced amount of comprehensive environmental load, in which the refrigerant composition has low GWP (direct impact on global warming is low), and has good energy efficiency (indirect impact on global warming is low) when used in a device. The present invention provides a refrigerant composition comprising 30 to 50 mass % of difluoromethane (HFC32) and 70 to 50 mass % of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO1234yf).Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2013Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Takashi Shibanuma, Yasufu Yamada
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Patent number: 9759472Abstract: An ice-making apparatus for an appliance having a housing with an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended in the interior volume. The ice tray has a cold plate with a top surface and a bottom surface and a containment wall surrounding an edge portion of the cold plate to retain water. A cooling source is thermally coupled to the bottom surface of the cold plate. An intake conduit extends into the interior volume over the ice tray and is configured to draw ambient air into the interior volume over the ice tray, and the ambient air is above freezing.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
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Patent number: 9746219Abstract: A packaged, pumped liquid, recirculating refrigeration system with charges of 10 lbs or less of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity. The compressor and related components are situated in a pre-packaged modular machine room, and in which the condenser is mounted on the machine room and the evaporator is close coupled to the pre-packaged modular machine room. Prior art large receiver vessels may be replaced with a single or dual phase cyclonic separator also housed in the pre-packaged modular machine room.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: Evapco, Inc.Inventors: Kurt Liebendorfer, Gregory S. Derosier, Trevor Hegg
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Patent number: 9732996Abstract: An evaporator with a cool storage function includes flat refrigerant flow tubes, a cool storage material container disposed in at least one of all air-passing clearances each formed between adjacent refrigerant flow tubes, and an inner fin disposed in the cool storage material container. Each of left and right side walls of the cool storage material container has a contact portion in contact with the inner fin and a noncontact portion not in contact with the inner fin. In an overlap region where the left and right side walls of the cool storage material container overlap with the corresponding refrigerant flow tubes when the container is viewed from the left side or right side thereof, the area of the contact portion of each of the left and right side walls is greater than the area of the noncontact portion of each of the left and right side walls.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2012Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: KEIHIN THERMAL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Kamoshida, Naohisa Higashiyama
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Patent number: 9726420Abstract: A refrigerating and air-conditioning apparatus includes multiple refrigeration cycles each including a compressor, a four-way valve, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducing device, and an outdoor heat exchanger which are connected by a pipe, each refrigeration cycle being configured to be capable of performing a cooling operation and a heating operation, an outdoor fan configured to send air for heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchangers of the refrigeration cycles, multiple indoor fans arranged corresponding to the respective indoor heat exchangers of the refrigeration cycles, and a controller configured to defrost the outdoor heat exchanger of the at least one refrigeration cycle, control a rotation speed of the indoor fan corresponding to the refrigeration cycle performing the defrosting operation such that a temperature of air mixed by air-sending through the indoor fans reaches a predetermined temperature.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2011Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Tomotaka Ishikawa, So Nomoto
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Patent number: 9727101Abstract: The cooling apparatus (10) for electronic-device exhaustion includes an evaporator unit (201), a fluid piping (306) and a vapor piping (305). A plurality of evaporator units (201) is disposed in a rack (100) in the height direction, and have a dimension in height of any of 2U, 3U, and 4U with 1U being 44.45 mm. The evaporator unit causes a coolant fluid thereinside to vaporize and produce a coolant vapor by heat of the exhaust air from an electronic device loaded in the rack (100), and cools the exhaust air. The fluid piping (306) is a supply route of the coolant fluid to the evaporator units (201), the vapor piping (305) is a discharging route of the coolant vapor from the evaporator units (201), and both are commonly connected to the plurality of evaporator units (201).Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2011Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: NEC CorporationInventors: Minoru Yoshikawa, Kenichi Inaba
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Patent number: 9718663Abstract: A beverage dispensing apparatus including a cabinet for retaining a beverage product and from which the beverage product is controllably dispensed. The cabinet includes structures and systems to make cooling more efficient and maintain more constant product temperatures. The structures and systems function to reduce heat transfer between beverage product stored in containers in the cabinet and the ambient environment. The apparatus maintains a minimal equipment footprint, maintains ease of installing and removing the beverage containers, and accommodates a variety of types of products and types of product containers.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2010Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic CorporationInventors: Jeffery W. Kadyk, Sheryl L. Dyer
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Patent number: 9723760Abstract: A cooling apparatus and method including a plurality of heat-producing devices positioned in a plurality of cabinets arranged in a row that allows flow of a first fluid through the heat-producing devices and cabinets where the flow is directed from an upstream end of the row to a downstream end of the row. The cabinets have a space therebetween wherein a heat exchanger is positioned between and adjacent to the cabinets, thereby the cabinets and heat exchangers alternate in the row. Each heat exchanger allows flow of a second fluid therethrough for cooling the first fluid. A fluid-moving device is positioned adjacent the heat-producing devices for encouraging flow of the first fluid through the cabinets' heat-producing devices and through the heat exchangers, thereby encouraging heat transfer in each of the heat exchangers from the first fluid to the second fluid.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2013Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Shawn Hall
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Patent number: 9719719Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of systems and methods for powering lighted shelves in refrigerator appliances are disclosed. In one embodiment, a refrigerator appliance may comprise a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein and a plurality of electrical connectors disposed at a plurality of shelf mounting positions within the temperature-controlled compartment. The refrigerator appliance may also comprise a plurality of adjustable shelves each carrying at least one light emitting diode (LED), where each of the plurality of adjustable shelves may be removably mounted in one of the plurality of shelf mounting positions such that the at least one LED is electrically coupled to one of the plurality of electrical connectors. The refrigerator appliance may further comprise a power supply circuit that is electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical connectors and that is configured to selectively supply power to only a subset of the plurality of electrical connectors.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2016Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventor: James Kerner
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Patent number: 9689594Abstract: An evaporator includes an inlet manifold, an outlet parallel to the inlet manifold, and a collection manifold parallel and adjacent to the outlet manifold. First flow conduits extend from the inlet manifold to the collection manifold, and at least one second flow conduit extends from the collection manifold to the outlet manifold. The evaporator can be housed within an enclosure to provide a cased evaporator. Air is conditioned by transferring heat from the air to refrigerant as the air passes through the evaporator. The refrigerant is received from outside the enclosure into the inlet manifold, and is directed through first and second refrigerant passes to receive heat from the air. The flow of refrigerant is received from the second pass into a collection manifold, is transferred to an outlet manifold, and is removed from the enclosure.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2012Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: Modine Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Mark W. Johnson, Eric P. Steinbach, George A. Baker, Bradley C. Engel, Gregory T. Kohler
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Patent number: 9683751Abstract: An outdoor unit for a multi-type air conditioner includes a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor expansion valve, a liquid tank, an accumulator, a shutoff valve provided for the refrigerant pipe between a liquid refrigerant inlet/outlet port and the liquid tank in the outdoor unit, and a first bypass circuit provided in the refrigerant pipe for bypassing the shutoff valve through a capillary tube to connect a liquid refrigerant inlet/outlet port side to an upper side of the refrigerant pipe in a gravity direction. The outdoor unit further includes a second bypass circuit for connecting a bottom portion of the liquid tank to an inlet side of the accumulator via an electromagnetic valve.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2013Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: TOSHIBA CARRIER CORPORATIONInventors: Yuji Inada, Yukio Kiguchi, Kiyotaka Ueno
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Patent number: 9682607Abstract: Disclosed therein is an air conditioner for a vehicle, which includes an evaporator and a heater core mounted inside an air-conditioning case along an air flow direction in order; and a storage tank on which the evaporator is mounted, wherein the storage tank has a surface contact part carrying out heat exchange of the heat carrier, wherein the evaporator is in surface contact with the storage tank at the surface contact part. The air conditioner further includes a heat-exchanger mounted inside the storage tank exchanging heat between refrigerant circulating the evaporator and the heat carrier (cooling water) stored in the storage tank.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2012Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: HANON SYSTEMSInventors: Seong Seok Han, Seong Hyun Kim, Dong Gyun Kim, Hyung Joo Kim
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Patent number: 9685599Abstract: According to some embodiments, a thermoelectric system includes a thermoelectric device having a first surface and a second surface and a power source configured to deliver a voltage across the thermoelectric device to selectively activate or deactivate the thermoelectric device, wherein the first surface is configured to heat and the second surface is configured to cool when the thermoelectric device is activated. The system further includes a processor configured to determine a potential between the first surface and the second surface when the thermoelectric device is deactivated, correlate the potential to a temperature of the first surface and adjust the correlated temperature of the first surface based on an ambient temperature.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2012Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: Gentherm IncorporatedInventors: Dusko Petrovski, Sihai Zheng, Michael Maass
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Patent number: 9677791Abstract: The invention relates to an absorption refrigeration machine (10) that includes an evaporator (12) and an absorber (18) and is characterized in that the evaporator (12) comprises at least one evaporating unit (12?) having a coolant channel (26), through which the coolant (16) flows and which is delimited at least in part by a heat-conducting, vapor- and liquid-tight wall (24), and having at least one refrigerant channel (28) that adjoins the heat-conducting wall (24), is loaded with the refrigerant (14), and is separated from a vapor chamber (32) by a vapor-permeable, liquid-tight membrane wall (30) on the side of the refrigerant channel opposite the heat-conducting wall (24), and in that the absorber (18) comprises an absorption unit (18?) having a cooling-medium channel, through which a cooling medium (34) flows and which is delimited at least in part by a heat-conducting, vapor- and liquid-tight wall (36), and having an absorption channel (40) which adjoins the heat-conducting wall and to which the concentType: GrantFiled: August 8, 2012Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Major Bravo LimitedInventor: Wolfgang Heinzl
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Patent number: 9677793Abstract: A cooling structure includes a first plate, a second plate separated from the first plate, and an inlet adapted to receive a cooling fluid. The cooling structure also includes a first cooling portion coupled to the first plate and adapted to maintain a first temperature. The cooling structure further includes a second cooling portion coupled to the second plate and adapted to maintain a second temperature different from the first temperature.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2011Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: William G. Wyatt, James A. Pruett, Byron E. Short, Jr.
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Patent number: 9677795Abstract: Methods and systems to manage refrigerant levels in a chiller system are provided. An evaporator of the chiller system may be configured to have a spill over port allowing oil containing refrigerant to spill over through the spill over port. The spill over port may be positioned at a place that corresponds to a desired refrigerant level in the evaporator. The spill over refrigerant may be directed into a heat exchanger that is configured to substantially vaporize refrigerant of the spill over refrigerant to a slightly superheat temperature. A method of maintaining a proper refrigerant level in the evaporator may include regulating a refrigerant flow to the evaporator so that the vaporized refrigerant of the spill over refrigerant is maintained at the slightly superheat temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Jon Phillip Hartfield, Harry Kenneth Ring, Lee L. Sibik, Benjamin Elias Dingel
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Patent number: 9657970Abstract: A cryogenic refrigerator includes a compressor, an expansion space where a high-pressure working gas discharged from a discharge side of the compressor is caused to expand, and a valve. The valve includes a first member including a first channel connecting to the discharge side and a second member including a second channel connecting to the expansion space. The first and second members are configured to rotate relative to and in contact with each other to connect or disconnect the first and second channels. In a plane where the first and second members are in contact, a first distance that is a distance of closest approach between the first channel and a valve circumference defined by a circumference of one of the first and second members having a smaller diameter is greater than a second distance that is a distance of closest approach between the second channel and the valve circumference.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2014Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Takaaki Morie, Mingyao Xu