Patents Examined by John Ford
  • Patent number: 8896335
    Abstract: An apparatus controls a temperature of a device by circulating a fluid through a heat sink in thermal contact with the device. The apparatus includes an adjustable cold input, which inputs a cold portion of the fluid having a first temperature, and an adjustable hot input, which inputs a hot portion of the fluid having a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The apparatus further includes a chamber, connected to the cold input and hot input, in which the cold and hot portions of the fluid mix in a combined fluid portion that impinges on the heat sink. The combined fluid portion has a combined temperature that directly affects a temperature of the heat sink. The cold input and hot input are adjusted to dynamically control the combined temperature, enabling the heat sink temperature to compensate for changes in the device temperature, substantially maintaining a set point temperature of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Larry Stuckey, Anastasios Golnas, Robert Edward Aldaz, David Yu
  • Patent number: 8869876
    Abstract: A case for a heating, ventilating and cooling system may include a shell and a plurality of fins. The shell may define an interior volume and may include an air inlet, a first air outlet and a second air outlet. The interior volume may define an airflow path between the air inlet and the first and second air outlets. The shell may be in fluid communication with a blower. The plurality of fins may be disposed in the airflow path between the air inlet and the first and second outlets. The plurality of fins may extend into the interior volume to distribute a first predetermined airflow amount to the first air outlet and a second predetermined airflow amount to the second air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. DiGasbarro, Simon Kehimkar
  • Patent number: 8844608
    Abstract: In an induction emission air conditioning apparatus installed in a ceiling, it is provided within a casing with a heat exchanger through which a feed air introduced from an outdoor side passes, a fan passing the feed air through the air conditioning heat exchanger, and a heating and cooling unit 1 for blowing a mixed air obtained by inducing and suctioning the air in the room inside by using the feed air passing through the heat exchanger so as to mix with the feed air, into the room inside in a laminar manner, and emitting the heat of the mixed air to the room inside, integrally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Kimura Kohki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Kimura, Mitsuo Morita, Kazuyuki Kasahara, Katsuhiro Urano
  • Patent number: 8839845
    Abstract: A heating and air conditioning device for motor-vehicles, comprises a unit for suctioning and supplying air (13) and a heating and air conditioning unit (1), including a heater (2) and an evaporator (3) and a mixing lid (4) for distributing the airflow coming from the supply unit (13) between said heater (2) and said evaporator (3). The heating and air conditioning unit comprises a single moveable element for distributing the conditioned airflow between one or more outlets arranged along a dashboard of a motor-vehicle, respectively adjacent to the windscreen, at the front on the dashboard or adjacent to the floor of the cabin of the motor-vehicle, to respectively actuate the DEFROST, VENT, FLOOR functions or their combination. At least part of the air supply unit (13), preferably at least one air intake (14) and one pipe (15) for supplying air including an air filter (16), and borne by a bodywork connected to a front bonnet (22) of the motor-vehicle which closes the engine compartment at the upper part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Fabrizio Mattiello, Angelo Storgato, Chiara Vicari, Giuseppe Chiabotto, Alessio Sarcoli
  • Patent number: 8833435
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a heat sink assembly are described. The assembly includes a two-phase heat sink, a condenser, and a pump. The two-phase heat sink may include flow micro-channels that accommodate the flow of boiling coolant and cross-connect channel(s) that at least partially equilibrate a pressure field for the boiling coolant. The condenser receives coolant from the heat sink and removes heat. The pump drives coolant through the assembly. In one aspect, the assembly is a closed system for the coolant. In another aspect, the condenser includes first and second plates and a heat exchange surface there between. Coolant flows from the heat sink and through the plates. The gaseous coolant passes the heat exchange surface. In one aspect the gaseous coolant flows opposite to the direction coolant flows. In one aspect, at least one of the plates includes dummy channel(s) for insulating part of the plate(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Pipeline Micro, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Determan, Scott W. C. H. Lee, Abel Manuel Siu Ho, Seri Lee
  • Patent number: 8794299
    Abstract: A heat exchanger (10) is provided and in a highly preferred form is an EGR cooler (52) having first and second passes (56A,56B) that are connected to an inlet/outlet manifold (70) by a pair of corresponding thermal expansion joints (87,93) to allow differential thermal expansion between the various structural components of the heat exchanger (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Barfknecht, Biao Yu, LeRoy Goines, Robert J. DeGroot, Peter C. Kottal, Steven P. Meshenky, Dan R. Raduenz
  • Patent number: 8783336
    Abstract: A control system for providing thermal management of electronic equipment housed in a cabinet enclosure. The system can include a plurality of sensors in proximity to the cabinet enclosure for monitoring a temperature, a pressure and a humidity associated with the electronic equipment; and a controller in communication with the sensors for receiving data from the sensors, where the controller adjusts the temperature, the pressure and the humidity associated with the electronic equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: IO Data Centers, LLC
    Inventor: George Slessman
  • Patent number: 8776869
    Abstract: A heat exchanger comprises a stack of mutually spaced apart plates. The plates are separated by respective spacings therebetween. Alternate spacings respectively provide a flow path for a first fluid and a second fluid. The heat exchanger further comprises a first header for inflow of the first fluid and a second header for outflow of the first fluid. The first and second headers are connected to the plate stack by flexible tubular ducting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hiflux Limited
    Inventors: David Barnes, Tanzi Besant, Albert Demargne, Keith Pullen
  • Patent number: 8739859
    Abstract: Reversible thermal rectifiers for selectively controlling the direction of heat flow include a plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects disposed in a fluid medium, wherein each of the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects include a refractive side and a reflective side such that heat flows past the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects when approaching from the refractive side, and heat is reflected from the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects when approaching from the reflective side, and a bidirectional field actuator system that selectively orients the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects between a first orientation, wherein the reflective sides of the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects face a first direction, and a second orientation, wherein the reflective sides of the plurality of asymmetrically shaped objects face a second direction, substantially opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Paul Rowe
  • Patent number: 8714236
    Abstract: A zone-control unit for use in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the zone-control unit includes a heat exchanger, an inlet piping assembly coupled with the heat exchanger for supplying fluid to the heat exchanger, an outlet piping assembly coupled with the heat exchanger for receiving fluid from the heat exchanger, a bracket that maintains the inlet piping assembly and the outlet piping assembly in positional relationship, and an ancillary component coupled with the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventor: John C. Karamanos
  • Patent number: 8701433
    Abstract: A heat exchanger door system includes a heat exchanger and a first rotatable member, proximate to the heat exchanger, that rotates about an axis of rotation. The system includes a first door member rolled around the rotatable member and movable from a rolled position to an unrolled position in which the first door member covers more of the heat exchanger than when the door member is in the rolled position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Inventor: Michael Cyril Haseldine, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8701753
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a planar workpiece, such as a substrate of a recording disk, in an evacuated environment has a heat exchanging structure with at least two heat sinks having substantially parallel facing surfaces disposed within a vacuum chamber. A drive arrangement is connected to the heat sinks to controllably and dynamically drive the parallel facing surfaces of the heat sinks towards and away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Chang Bok Yi, Tatsuru Tanaka, Paul Mcleaod
  • Patent number: 8701746
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining liquid depth information in a condensate pan of a climate control unit are provided. The systems and methods radiate a light beam into a liquid contained in a condensate pan associated with a climate control unit. The light beam is detected at a point of the condensate pan that is below a surface of the liquid. Information related to the depth of the liquid is determined based at least in part on the detected light beam. The systems and methods disclosed herein can determine if liquid depth in a condensate pan is greater than a threshold depth and can control evacuation of the liquid from the condensate pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel J. Rohr
  • Patent number: 8695690
    Abstract: An electronic device can be provided with a housing having at least one wall defining a cavity and a flow sensor at least partially contained within the cavity. The flow sensor may be configured to detect a flow characteristic related to the flow of a fluid through a first portion of the cavity. The electronic device may also include a processor configured to alter a performance characteristic of the electronic device based on the detected flow characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ihab A. Ali, Frank Liang
  • Patent number: 8678078
    Abstract: Transmission fluid is heated through a heat exchanger effective to transfer heat between transmission fluid of a transmission assembly and an exhaust gas feed stream of an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Farzad Samie, Richard W. Carlson, Thomas A. Robertson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8672021
    Abstract: A shell and tube heat exchanger (which can be a boiler) which includes a plenum chamber defined by at least one of the tube-sheets and a diaphragm plate. In this plenum chamber a system of outer and inner annuli around each of the tubes created by a system of baffle tubes that surround each fluid tube and a holes in the thick tube-sheet of the exchanger. This arrangement allows the high pressure cooling fluid in the shell to keep the high temperature low pressure fluid tube inlet, and the associated tube-sheet cool under very high hot fluid flow rates at lower cost, smaller footprint and with lower pressure loss of the low pressure hot fluid than previous art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Inventor: Alfred N. Montestruc, III
  • Patent number: 8667804
    Abstract: Thermal storage air conditioner including an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange, and at least one compressor for compressing refrigerant, an indoor unit having at least one indoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange, a thermal storage unit having a thermal storage tank for holding thermal storage substance therein, a thermal storage heat exchanger for receiving refrigerant from an outside of the thermal storage unit to heat exchange with the thermal storage substance in the thermal storage tank, and a securing member for securing the thermal storage heat exchanger so as to maintain the thermal storage heat exchanger submerged under the thermal storage substance in the thermal storage tank, and a functional unit for selective control of refrigerant flows among the outdoor unit, the indoor unit and the thermal storage unit according to an operation condition, thereby maintaining the thermal storage heat exchanger in the thermal storage tank securely, to prevent drop of he
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Yoon Koh, In Kyu Kim, Jin Ha Hwang
  • Patent number: 8646514
    Abstract: A front end water box with an on-line rubber ball cleaning function in a tubular condenser of a water cooled chiller is provided. A front end water box and an automatic on-line rubber ball cleaning device are integrated. Besides the structure of a normal front end water box, a ball receiving device, a rubber ball collection cavity, a ball sending device, a division drainage device, a ball sending division separator, a ball observer, an automatic rubber ball receiving-and-sending control valve, an automatic terminal temperature difference (TTD) monitoring and recording device, and an automatic rubber ball cleaning controller are further included. Therefore, division cleaning, on-line observation, and rubber ball replacement are automatically realized, the operation TTD of the chiller is automatically displayed and recorded, and a function of manually adjusting the cleaning frequency, period, and start and stop is achieved, so as to ensure that the TTD increase of the chiller does not exceed 0.3° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Inventor: Yonggang Ni
  • Patent number: 8636051
    Abstract: The present invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularly to a heat exchange apparatus configured to operate in a free air stream. In an embodiment, a heat exchange apparatus configured to operate in a free air stream includes a heat exchange structure having a shape configured to conform to a body of a vehicle when in a stowed condition; and a deployment mechanism for moving the heat exchange structure to a deployed condition external to the vehicle. The heat exchange structure has a curved surface that is concave into the air stream when the heat exchange structure is in the deployed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Richard M. Weber, Gary Schwartz
  • Patent number: 8631860
    Abstract: A water tank includes a box, an air valve body, a valve core, a cap, and an elastic element. The box defines an accommodating space and a vent communicating with the accommodating space. The air valve body is extended out from the box and adjacent to the vent. The valve core is mounted to the valve body to airproof the vent, and comprises a first end inserted into the accommodating space through the vent and a second end opposite to the first end. The elastic element is arranged between the cap and the valve core. The valve core will open the vent to deform the elastic member and allow heated air in the accommodating space to leak out of the accommodating space through the vent, in response to an air pressure in the box is greater a reference air pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xian-Xiu Tang, Zhen-Xing Ye