Patents Examined by Justin Loffredo
  • Patent number: 7984623
    Abstract: A refrigerator is provided including a freezing chamber having a first evaporator and a first fan provided inside, and a refrigerating chamber having a second evaporator and a second fan provided inside. Further, the first and second fans may be configured to direct cool air generated by the first and second evaporators to the freezing and refrigerating chambers, respectively. Additionally, plurality of cool-air ducts may be provided in at least one of the freezing and refrigerating chambers, the cool air ducts may be configured to provide cool air to the freezing and refrigerating chambers via operation of the first and second fans, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jun-Ho Bae, Soo-Kwan Lee, Chang-Joon Kim
  • Patent number: 7954332
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling the temperature of an electrical device is described. The system includes a heat sink system in conjunction with a thermoelectric assembly. The systems and methods are particularly suitable in NEMA-4 electrical enclosures used in electrical submersible pump applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Alkhorayef Petroleum Company
    Inventor: Tomasz M. Orlowski
  • Patent number: 7942016
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet having at least one door, an ice dispenser operatively connected to one of the at least one door having an opening for dispensing ice, an ice storage receptacle for storing ice disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, an ice crusher, an ice transfer mechanism for moving ice from the ice storage receptacle to the ice crusher, an ice chute for conveying ice from the ice crusher to the ice dispenser, and an intrusion barrier positioned within the ice chute to assist in preventing objects entering the ice chute through the ice dispenser from reaching the ice crusher without stopping ice flow through the ice chute. The ice dispenser may include a first switch and a second switch, the first switch being spaced apart from the second switch, and the ice dispenser adapted to require simultaneous activation of the first switch and the second switch to dispense ice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel L. Johnson, Brian M. Midlang, Robert Wetekamp
  • Patent number: 7921668
    Abstract: A refrigerator has a freezing chamber at the bottom, and a refrigerating chamber over the freezing chamber. The refrigerator includes an ice making unit and an ice dispenser mounted in a refrigerating chamber door that allows ice to be dispensed without opening the door. A sub-PCB is mounted in the refrigerating chamber door for controlling operations of the ice making unit and the dispenser. A cold air supply duct supplies cold air from a cold air supply unit to the ice making unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seung Mok Lee, Sam Kyu Park
  • Patent number: 7918104
    Abstract: A water cooling type air conditioner is provided. The water cooling type air conditioner includes first and second heat exchangers, a refrigerant pipe, and a direction controlling unit. The first heat exchanger performs heat exchange between air and refrigerant. The second heat exchanger performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and cooling water. The refrigerant pipe is connected between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to guide a flow of the refrigerant. The direction controlling unit is disposed on one side of the second heat exchanger and controls the refrigerant and the cooling water flowing inside the second heat exchanger to flow in respectively opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: In Woong Park, Ja Hyung Koo, Seung Cheol Baek, Soo Yoon Shin, Dong Hyuk Lee, Chang Ryul Kim, Man Ho Chun, Hyoung Suk Woo, Yong Taeg Kim, Sung Rok Ryu
  • Patent number: 7908872
    Abstract: Heat pumps move heat from a source to a warmer sink, with Bernoulli heat pumps accomplishing this movement by reducing the temperature in a portion of the generally-warmer heat-sink flow. Heat flows spontaneously from the generally cooler heat-source flow into the locally cold portion of the heat-sink flow, which is the neck of a Venturi. The temperature reduction results from the Bernoulli conversion of random gas-particle motion (temperature and pressure) into directed motion (flow). This invention is a Bernoulli heat pump in which the heat transfer into the Venturi neck exploits unusual thermodynamic transport properties of rare-gases. Rare gases, especially mixtures of them, possess unusually small Prandtl numbers and thereby facilitate the diffusion of random particle motion (heat) relative to the diffusion of directed particle motion (viscosity), viscous friction being responsible for most of the power consumed by a Bernoulli heat pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: MachFlow Energy Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur R. Williams, Charles C. Agosta
  • Patent number: 7908881
    Abstract: An HVAC system having a main circuit and a subcooler circuit. The main circuit includes a main circuit evaporator, a main circuit expansion device, a main circuit condenser and a main circuit compressor connected in a closed refrigerant loop. The subcooler circuit includes a subcooler evaporator, a subcooler expansion device, a subcooler condenser and a subcooler compressor connected in a closed refrigerant loop. The subcooler evaporator is arranged and disposed to exchange heat between liquid refrigerant in the main circuit and the refrigerant in the subcooler circuit to cool the liquid refrigerant in the main circuit prior to entering the main circuit evaporator. The operation of the subcooler circuit provides an increased cooling capacity per unit of a mass flow of cooling fluid through the main circuit condenser and subcooler condenser for the HVAC system with a predetermined design efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: York International Corporation
    Inventor: William L. Kopko
  • Patent number: 7895844
    Abstract: According to the invention, there is described a method and a system which use a compressor (4) for filling CO2 into an air conditioning system (18) via an oil filter (5) and a gas cooler (6). CO2 may be pumped to an internal pressure container (11), and from there the air conditioning system (18) may be filled with CO2 in gas form via valves (15). The fill system may additionally include a heat exchanger (9), so that a temperature may be controlled in the pressure container (11) so that it does not exceed 31.8 C, whereby CO2 may be filled into the air conditioning system (18) in liquid form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Agramkow Fluid Systems A/S
    Inventor: Louis Cording
  • Patent number: 7878018
    Abstract: A refrigerator and control method thereof are provided. The refrigerator emits light into a storage compartment formed therein to improve and preserve taste of food items stored therein. The refrigerator may include a light emitting unit to emit light into the storage compartment and onto the food items stored therein to improve and preserve taste of the food items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eun Young Park, Yeon Yi Hwang, Seok Min Lim, Eun Jeong Kim, Deul Re Min
  • Patent number: 7870756
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes an evaporator zone and a cooling zone separated from each other in a refrigerator housing. A fan drives a cold air flow from the evaporator zone into the cooling zone via a central inlet port that is arranged next to a heat-insulating partition located between the evaporator zone and the cooling zone. A distributing device that diverts a partial air flow into a distributor pipe that extends along a wall of the cooling zone is mounted upstream of the central inlet port in the direction of flow of the cold air. The distributor pipe is provided with holes that are distributed along the height of the wall and extend into the cooling zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Görz, Hans Ihle, Ralf Spiller
  • Patent number: 7856844
    Abstract: A cooling air supply apparatus of a refrigerator that is capable of uniformly supplying cooling air to all food received in a receiving box is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment for storing food at low temperature, a barrier for partitioning the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment from each other, and a receiving box mounted in the refrigerating compartment for receiving food. The cooling air supply apparatus includes a communication port formed through the barrier for guiding cooling air from the freezing compartment into the refrigerating compartment, and a hollow box-shaped cover mounted at the top part of the receiving box. The cover is provided at one side thereof with an introduction port, which communicates with the communication port. The cover is provided at the lower part thereof with at least one cooling air supplying hole, which communicates with the interior of the receiving box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Bae Kim, Tae Ho Park, Jeong Youl Lee, Deok Eun Kang
  • Patent number: 7854142
    Abstract: An air conditioner having two compressors enables, when one compressor is started, the phase advance capacitor for the other compressor to be temporarily separated and used in parallel with the phase advance capacitor for the one compressor. These compressors can have an increased starting torque without using a starting capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Hatano, Hideyuki Kanzaki, Yoshihito Yamada
  • Patent number: 7841201
    Abstract: A heat pump including an evaporator for evaporating water as a working liquid so as to produce a working vapor, the evaporation taking place at an evaporation pressure of less than 20 hPa. The working vapor is compressed to a working pressure of at least 25 hPa by a dynamic-type compressor so as to then be liquefied within a liquefier by direct contact with liquefier water. The heat pump is preferably an open system, where water present in the environment in the form of ground water, sea water, river water, lake water or brine is evaporated, and where water which has been liquefied again is fed to the evaporator, to the soil or to a water treatment plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Efficient Energy GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Sedlak, Oliver Kniffler
  • Patent number: 7841208
    Abstract: A compression refrigeration system and evaporator having multiple circuits. Spray nozzles are provided for atomization and expansion of the refrigerant. The atomizing spray nozzles are interposed in each evaporator circuit and the nozzles are sized to distribute atomized refrigerant to the various evaporator circuits based on airflow rates across the associated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Refrigerant Technologies, Inc. Arizona Corporation
    Inventor: Randy Lefor
  • Patent number: 7832224
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator. The apparatus may include a dispenser provided on a refrigerator door and a lamp installed within the dispenser for illuminating the dispenser. The dispenser may include a rotary member that rotates as an operation lever provided in the dispenser is operated and a duct door for selectively opening and closing an ice duct. The rotary member may include a rotary shaft supported by side walls of the dispenser and a connector part that extends from the rotary shaft. The duct door may be coupled to the connection part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Sug Roo, Jai Hwan Shim, Sang Su Lee
  • Patent number: 7805956
    Abstract: An additive-storing tank assembly includes: a tank body having an additive-storing space defined in the tank body, in which an additive is stored; a plunger-holding tube provided at one side of the tank body in order to connect the additive-storing space with a water supply pipe for supplying water to a dispenser of a refrigerator; and an opening/closing means for selectively connecting the additive-storing space with the water supply pipe so that the additive stored in the additive-storing space is dissolved in the water flowing through the water supply pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Chol Kwon
  • Patent number: 7797952
    Abstract: A defrosting method of a drum-type washing machine is provided. The defrosting method includes performing a warm water supply operation upon receiving a defrost command; performing a water discharge operation; performing a heating operation if a water level has not yet decreased; and performing an additional water discharge operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Soon Jo Lee, Ho Cheol Kwon, Beom Jun Kim, Hyun Soo Kim, Hack Chai Song, Kwang Young Lee, Eun Suk Kim
  • Patent number: 7793512
    Abstract: A multiport expansion device for vapor compression refrigeration systems is provided having improved reliability by preventing orifice fouling by virtue of its mechanical design. Furthermore, multiple arrays of ports of two or more similar or differently sized port holes is contemplated which allows further reliability based on redundant orifices and pin combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel J. Kearney, Mark A. Marnell, Lawrence F. Palmer, Donald W. Porter, Randy J. Zoodsma
  • Patent number: 7779647
    Abstract: An ejector cycle device includes a compressor that draws and compresses refrigerant, a radiator that radiates heat of high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor, an ejector, a branch passage branched from a refrigerant passage between the radiator and a nozzle portion of the ejector and coupled to a suction port of the ejector, a throttle unit that is arranged in the branch passage and decompresses refrigerant, and an evaporator that is arranged on a downstream side of refrigerant flow of the throttle unit in the branch passage and evaporates refrigerant. Accordingly, even when a suction performance of the ejector is lowered, refrigerant can flow through the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Takeuchi, Mika Saito, Hiroshi Oshitani, Shin Nishida, Takayuki Sugiura
  • Patent number: 7779639
    Abstract: A heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a hybrid vehicle is disclosed, the HVAC system including at least one thermoelectric device for providing supplemental heating and cooling for air supplied to a passenger compartment of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the HVAC system has at least a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit can be configured to remove heat from an electric side of a hybrid vehicle. The second circuit can be configured to remove heat from a fuel-fed side of a hybrid vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: BSST LLC
    Inventor: Lakhi Nandlal Goenka