Patents Examined by John Bargero
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Patent number: 10012414Abstract: A drainage water discharge pipe is connected to a secondary heat exchanger for discharging drainage water to the outside of the secondary heat exchanger. An air passage pipe is connected to an exhaust box. A three-way pipe joint allows merging of a flow path on a side of the drainage water discharge pipe and a flow path on a side of the air passage pipe, and allows connection of the merged flow path to a drainage water tank connection pipe. In the three-way pipe joint, the flow path on the side of the air passage pipe is greater in diameter than the flow path on the side of the drainage water discharge pipe, and the flow path on the side of the drainage water tank connection pipe is decreased in diameter after merging of the drainage water discharge pipe and the air passage pipe.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2015Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: NORITZ CORPORATIONInventor: Norihide Wada
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Patent number: 10012413Abstract: An improved heat exchange system comprising a housing (66) having an upper portion (22), a middle portion (23), and a lower portion (24), a heat exchange conduit (25) transmitting a fluid from a fluid input (26) to a fluid output (27) through the upper zone, the transitional zone and the lower zone, a burner (28) configured and arranged to produce combustion flue gases that can flow through at least a portion of the upper zone, the transitional zone and the lower zone, a baffle (30) disposed in the lower portion of the housing, and a gas flow diverter (40) disposed above the baffle and at least partially in the transitional zone. The gas flow diverter is configured and arranged to divert the flue gas into multiple flow paths.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2014Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: ECR International, Inc.Inventor: Hongmin Li
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Patent number: 10008401Abstract: A wafer boat is provided for holding a plurality of wafers in a vertically stacked and spaced relationship. The wafer boat comprises a top member; a bottom member facing the top member; and at least three vertical members extending between the top member and the bottom member. The vertical members are provided with a plurality of protrusions, the protrusions configured to form a plurality of wafer accommodations at different vertical heights, the protrusions configured to be arranged in groups of at least two protrusions. A pitch of protrusions within a group has a first value and a pitch of two adjacent protrusions that belong to different groups has a second value larger than the first value.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2013Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.Inventor: de Chris G. M. Ridder
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Patent number: 10006642Abstract: The systems and methods of this disclosure control the flow rate of conditioned fluid at thermal distribution devices and at a conditioned fluid source that supplies conditioned fluid to the thermal distribution devices. The systems include multiple thermal distribution devices disposed throughout multiple rooms of a building, a fluid flow control device in fluid communication with each of the thermal distribution devices, multiple sensors disposed on each of the thermal distribution devices, a room temperature sensor disposed in each of the rooms, a first controller coupled to each of the fluid flow control devices, and a second controller coupled to a source of conditioned fluid. The first controllers control respective fluid flow control devices based on the measurement data obtained from the sensors and the room temperature sensors and a second controller controls the conditioned fluid source based on the demand for conditioned fluid by the thermal distribution devices.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2015Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Inventor: Jerritt L. Gluck
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Patent number: 10005339Abstract: A thermal management system includes a coolant pump, high-voltage electric heater (HEH) for heating the coolant, a heater core, a blower directing air to the heater core, a cabin heater valve (CHV), sensors, and a controller. The CHV has an Engine Bypass position blocking coolant flow from the HEH into the engine, and an Engine Link position directing coolant from the HEH into the engine. In a method, the sensors measure engine outlet coolant temperature (ECT), inlet coolant temperature (ICT) to the HEH, inlet air temperature into the heater core, and outlet air temperature from the heater core. The controller calculates a target coolant temperature (TCT) value as a function of the air temperatures and mass flow rates, and controls the CHV via position control signals such that the CHV is switched between the Engine Link position and the Engine Bypass position when ICT equals the calculated TCT value.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2015Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Rupesh S. Kakade, Prashant Mer, Vish S. Iyer, Michael H. Carlson
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Patent number: 9976772Abstract: A sectional heat exchanger for a heat cell. The sectional heat exchanger having two end segments and one or more intermediate segment(s) provided between the two end segments which are assembled in the heat exchanger. A combustion chamber is provided in the sectional heat exchanger, perpendicular to the one or more intermediate segment(s), each of the one or more intermediate segments having at least one flow channel for a fluid to be heated. In between each two consecutive segments at least one flow channel for flue gas is present. The total width of the sectional heat exchanger decreases over at least part of the length in the direction away from the combustion chamber. The depth of the flow channels for flue gas decreases in the direction away from the combustion chamber. The distance between the two walls delimiting the intermediate segment increases in the direction away from the combustion chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2014Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: BEKAERT COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY B.V.Inventors: Josephine Van Der Klis, Omke Jan Teerling
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Patent number: 9970682Abstract: A hot water supply system includes: a water heater; a circulating water passage; a water supply passage; and a circulating pump. The water heater is configured to emergently stop if a burner is performing combustion, an air supply fan is operating, the circulating pump is not operating, and a temperature detected by an apparatus interior temperature sensor exceeds an upper limit temperature. The water heater is configured to execute an apparatus interior cooling operation of stopping combustion of the burner, driving the air supply fan, and driving the circulating pump, if the burner is performing combustion, the air supply fan is operating, the circulating pump is operating, and the temperature detected by the apparatus interior temperature sensor exceeds the upper limit temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2015Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATIONInventors: Kumiko Okada, Hideki Kitagawa
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Patent number: 9963372Abstract: Glass furnace regenerators having opposed pairs of side and end walls formed of refractory blocks, a crown arch assembly forming an arched roof of the regenerator, and a rider arch assembly forming an interior floor of the regenerator are provided, wherein at least one of the crown arch assembly and rider arch assembly is formed of adjacently positioned one-piece monolithic pre-cast structures of refractory materials.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2015Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: FOSBEL, INC.Inventors: Alan E. Bowser, Jr., Robert D. Chambers, Lou Carolla, Michael P. Smith
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Patent number: 9958208Abstract: Control process for a furnace for baking carbon anodes comprising: longitudinal hollow partitions in each of which a flow of hot baking gas may circulate, hollow partitions together defining cells to receive the anodes to be baked, and a heating system rotating in relation to the hollow partitions comprising an upstream blowing ramp blowing air into the various partitions, a downstream suction ramp sucking gas from the various partitions and at least one heating ramp. This process comprises a natural pre-heating phase of the partitions and anodes which release combustible, volatile matter which burns inside the hollow partitions as a degassing in a natural pre-heating zone of the furnace downstream of the heating ramp. According to the invention, gas flows circulating in the hollow partitions are modified so as to control gas flows passing through a first natural pre-heating zone from gas flows leaving a second natural pre-heating zone to control the location of the degassing front.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2010Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Rio Tinto Alcan International LimitedInventors: François Morales, Alain De La Torre
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Patent number: 9939175Abstract: In a fuel-fired water heater with a standing pilot burner and a motorized flue damper, a specially designed controller is utilized to prevent overheating of water stored in the tank portion of the water heater caused by the hot combustion gases continuously generated by the pilot burner during standby periods of the water heater in which its main fuel burner is not being fired. The controller has a selectively variable water temperature control set point temperature and is operable to sense both ambient temperature and the tank water temperature and to open the flue damper and/or keep it open, after the main burner is off, in response to the presence for a predetermined continuous time period of a predetermined relationship of at least the selected temperature control set point temperature and the sensed ambient temperature.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2013Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, Jozef Boros, Gianpiero Turrin
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Patent number: 9921012Abstract: A water heating apparatus includes a burner, a heat exchanger for heating hot and cold water with use of heat from the burner, a scale detector for detecting occurrence of scale clogging in the heat exchanger, a notifying unit for notifying an error when the scale detector detects occurrence of a scale greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, and a controller performing a control of allowing the notifying unit to notify an error and prohibiting combustion operation of the burner when the scale detector detects occurrence of a scale greater than or equal to the predetermined amount. The controller is configured to start a cleaning mode for cleaning inside the heat exchanger when the controller detects shifting operation to the cleaning mode after the combustion operation of the burner is prohibited.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2013Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: NORITZ CORPORATIONInventors: Yu Fujimoto, Scott Isaksen, Bronwyn Planasch
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Patent number: 9920925Abstract: A sludge lance for a tube and shell steam generator that has a central divider plate that extends substantially the length of a central tube lane substantially bisecting a hand hole through which the tube lane can be accessed. The sludge lance has a nozzle with a spring biased, reciprocally movable plunger that extends against the divider plate and is locked in position by a stream of high pressure cleaning fluid that traverses the nozzle and exits through jets to clean sludge from between the tubes. An alignment tool with a swing arm indexes the jets to assure they are properly aligned with the tube rows and spaced from the divider plate.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLCInventor: Phillip J. Hawkins
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Patent number: 9890999Abstract: An industrial furnace (1) into which protective gas is admitted for the heat treatment of batches (5) of metal workpieces is described. The heat treating furnace includes an entrance lock (2) which can be sealed with respect to the surrounding environment by means of a first gas-tight closure device (2.2.1). The heat treating furnace also includes a third gas-tight closure device (3.1) disposed between a heat treatment chamber (3) of the furnace and a quenching facility (4) at the exit of the heat treatment chamber. With the foregoing arrangement a pressure of the protective gas admitted into the heat treatment chamber (3) can be maintained during loading and unloading of a batch of metal workpieces (5). The entrance lock may be configured as a dual-chamber vertical arrangement or as a single chamber horizontal arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Ipsen, Inc.Inventors: Rolf Sarres, Marc Angenendt
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Patent number: 9885113Abstract: To obtain a vaporizer in which thin film-forming raw material solutions are stably and reliably carried by a carrier gas while being reliably separated within the dispersion unit body and the plurality of thin film-forming raw material solutions are stably vaporized in the subsequent vaporization unit, a center rod used in the vaporizer, and a method for vaporizing raw materials entrained by a carrier gas. A carrier gas introduction bore is formed in the center axis direction of the dispersion unit body. A center rod is inserted in the carrier gas introduction bore. The interspace between the inner wall of the bore and the outer wall of the rod forms a gas passage. Multiple thin film-forming material supply units are situated midway of the gas passage of the dispersion unit body, supplying thin film-forming materials. The center rod has sealing members in the longitudinal direction of the center rod.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2012Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA WATANABE SHOKOInventors: Masaru Umeda, Masayuki Toda
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Patent number: 9879879Abstract: The cogeneration system includes: a cogeneration apparatus which generates electric power using supplied fuel gas and supplies the electric power and heat; a heat accumulator which accumulates the heat supplied by the cogeneration apparatus; a controller which controls at least start and stop of the cogeneration apparatus; and a display unit that displays a remaining power generation duration which is a length of time for which the cogeneration apparatus can continue power generation. The controller further calculates the remaining power generation duration based on a remaining heat accumulation capacity which is a difference between (a) a maximum accumulable heat amount which is the amount of heat the heat accumulator is capable of accumulating and (b) a current accumulated heat amount that is the amount of heat currently accumulated in the heat accumulator, and causes the display unit to display the calculated remaining power generation duration.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2012Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroshi Nagasato, Masato Kihara, Motomichi Katou
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Patent number: 9878893Abstract: A water dispenser including a heat-exchanger, a heater, a water-storage tank, and a faucet is provided mainly. The heat-exchanger has a first/second guiding-channel, a first inlet/outlet communicated with two ends of the first guiding-channel, and a second inlet/outlet communicated with two ends of the second guiding-channel. The water flows into the heat-exchanger through the first inlet, and flows out of the heat-exchanger through the first outlet. Two ends of the heater are communicated with the first outlet and the second inlet, and the water flowed out of the first outlet is heated by the heater. The heated water flows into the heat-exchanger through the second inlet, and flows out of the heat-exchanger through the second outlet. The water-storage tank is used to storage the water flowed out of the second outlet. The faucet is communicated with the water-storage tank and the heater respectively.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2013Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Inventor: Huang-Han Chen
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Patent number: 9868666Abstract: The cement clinker production system includes: a first supplying section configured to supply a sulfur source and a fluorine source of mineralizer; a second supplying device configured to supply clinker raw material; a crusher configured to crush the mixed raw material obtained by mixing the clinker raw material with the fluorine source of the mineralizer; a kiln configured to burn the crushed mixed raw material; an introducing section configured to introduce the sulfur source of the mineralizer to the kiln; a third supplying section configured to supply fuel to the kiln; and a test sample-analyzing system configured to collect each of the mixed raw material before the burning and the clinker after the burning and to measure amounts of the fluorine, main components and free lime depending on the type collected.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2012Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATIONInventors: Makio Yamashita, Hisanobu Tanaka, Yukio Tanaka, Katsuhiko Ichihara, Kazuo Sakamoto, Kazuo Tabata
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Patent number: 9869467Abstract: A once-through steam generator comprises a duct having an inlet end in communication with a source of a hot gas; and a tube bundle installed in the duct and comprising multiple heat transfer tubes. The tube bundle has an economizer section, an evaporator section, and a superheater section. A steam separating device may be positioned between the evaporator section and the superheater section, wherein, as part of a wet start-up, hot water collected by the steam separating device is delivered from the steam separating device to mix with cold feedwater before it is introduced into the economizer section. A start-up module may be positioned in the duct near the inlet end, wherein, as part of a dry start-up, cold feedwater is delivered into the start-up module to generate hot water that is then mixed into the feedwater stream before it is introduced into the economizer section.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2016Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: Vogt Power International Inc.Inventors: Daniel Stark, Darryl Taylor, Anthony A. Thompson, Akber Pasha, Kelly M. Flannery
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Patent number: 9841235Abstract: In a substrate treatment process, substrates are moved by a transporting device in a transporting direction through a substrate treatment installation having a number of chambers. The substrates are moved by transporting sections of the transporting device driven independently of one another. The transporting sections are driven such that, if substrates dwell temporarily in the transporting section, they are moved back and forth. Stresses in a substrate brought about by differing inputs of heat as a result of both process-induced and malfunction-induced dwell times of the substrate in a chamber are reduced by compensating within the chamber for a structurally brought about input of heat into the substrate, varying periodically over the length of the chamber, during temporary dwelling of the substrate in the chamber by moving the substrate back and forth over at least one period of the heat input by a change of the transporting direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2014Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: VON ARDENNE GMBHInventors: Steffen Mosshammer, Thomas Meyer, Michael Brandt
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Patent number: 9841197Abstract: A hot water supply apparatus has: a thermo-sensitive valve which is connected in parallel to a cold water delivery pipe and a hot water delivery pipe and which is closed when the hot water temperature to flow inside the valve is above a predetermined temperature to thereby shut off communication between the cold water delivery pipe and the hot water delivery pipe; and a circulation pump. By operation of the circulation pump, water circulation takes place from a heat exchanger through the hot water delivery pipe, a return pipe, the circulation pump, and a cold water supply pipe back to the heat exchanger. When the thermo-sensitive valve is open, water circulation takes place also through the thermo-sensitive valve. Instantaneous hot water supply operation is finished when an amount detected by a flow sensor falls below a predetermined amount during the instantaneous hot water supply operation.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2015Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATIONInventors: Eri Sato, Ai Yuge