Patents Examined by Michael James Giordano
  • Patent number: 11885510
    Abstract: A method for providing filtered air to a zone of a building includes operating an air handler to pass unfiltered air through a filter and output filtered air to the zone of the building. The method includes determining an amount of filtered air provided to the zone of the building by the air handler. The method includes determining if additional air filtration is required to satisfy at least one of a desired amount of clean airflow or a desired reduction of a risk of infection. The method includes activating an in-zone filtration device and operating the in-zone filtration device to draw air from the zone into an inner volume, filter the air, and recirculate the filtered air to the zone of the building in response to determining additional air filtration is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Kirk H. Drees, Michael J. Risbeck
  • Patent number: 11878950
    Abstract: Processes and plants for producing cement clinker, in which an oxygen-containing gas having a proportion of 15% by volume or less of nitrogen and a proportion of 50% by volume or more of oxygen is conveyed from a first section of the cooler directly adjoining the top of the furnace into the rotary furnace and is optionally additionally conveyed to the calciner, and where the total gas streams fed in to the combustion processes consist to an extent of more than 50% by volume (preferably more than 85% by volume) of oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG, VICAT SA
    Inventors: Jost Lemke, Eike Willms
  • Patent number: 11867427
    Abstract: A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to provide heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 11867429
    Abstract: Various implementations include a water heater system. The system includes a variable speed pump. The variable speed pump has having an inlet and an outlet. The system includes a heat exchanger, having an inlet and an outlet. The heat exchanger outlet is fluidically connected to the variable speed pump inlet. The system includes an output temperature sensor disposed downstream of the heat exchanger outlet. The system includes a controller configured to receive a first temperature reading from the output temperature sensor. The controller is configured to control operation of the variable speed pump to adjust an output flow rate in response to the first temperature reading. The controller is further configured to receive a second temperature reading from a recovery temperature sensor on a storage tank. The controller is configured to turn off the variable speed pump upon a determination that the second temperature reading has reached a maximum temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Rinnai America Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Gilman Humphrey, Michael Scott Knoblett
  • Patent number: 11850919
    Abstract: An air vent apparatus of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a knob electrically interlocked with a display disposed inside a cockpit and laterally moved to selectively operate various functions installed in the display and an air duct disposed on a movement path of the knob and configured to adjust a ventilation direction of air introduced into an interior of a vehicle according to the lateral movement of the knob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Joon Ahn, Seung Hwan Lee
  • Patent number: 11820205
    Abstract: A slim air vent apparatus for a vehicle may include an internal wing, an external wing, and a support wing that are disposed and hidden inside a duct to realize a compact and slim air vent apparatus and to improve the appearance by hiding the components. Since the air vent is operated to fulfil the functions thereof by manual manipulation of a single knob, positioned at the center portion of the external wing, by a user, it is possible to improve the convenience in manipulation of a user and to reduce manufacturing costs, and the air vent is universally applicable to various kinds of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION, ITW EF&C KOREA LLC.
    Inventors: Yong Woo Lee, Chun Ha Kim, Byung Jo Kim
  • Patent number: 11820204
    Abstract: A rotary apparatus includes a motor, a plurality of gears including an output gear, and a housing accommodating the plurality of gears and the motor. The housing includes a first surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion and spaced apart from the first surface portion, and a sidewall portion provided at an outer peripheral portion of the first surface portion and the second surface portion and supporting the first surface portion and the second surface portion. One of the first surface portion and the second surface portion includes a vibration damping part opposing the output gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventor: Yukimasa Matsumura
  • Patent number: 11815273
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) door assembly includes a first HVAC door rotating about a first axis, a second HVAC door rotating about a second axis that is nonparallel with the first axis, an actuator, a mode cam. The mode cam is engaged with the actuator and controls movement of the first HVAC door and the second HVAC door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventor: Siyue Chen
  • Patent number: 11788765
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an air sweeping assembly, an air regulating device and an air conditioner. The air sweeping assembly includes: a rotation shaft (10), the rotation shaft (10) being provided with blades (20) thereon; a driving device, the driving device including a fixing portion (31) and a driving portion disposed on the fixing portion (31); the driving portion being drivingly connected with the rotation shaft (10), and the driving portion being configured to drive the rotation shaft (10) to rotate; and a first position limiting member (40) disposed on the fixing portion (31); the first position limiting member (40) being configured to define an initial position of the rotation shaft (10) in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. OF ZHUHAI
    Inventors: Qinghui Lin, Chunjie Wang, Min Wang
  • Patent number: 11781778
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a vent register for use with an HVAC system. The register is defined by a housing comprising top and bottom plates that are permanently joined to create an interior compartment. The interior compartment imparts an insulative quality to the register by providing resistance to an increase or decrease in temperature, such as when cooled air is flowing through the system. The interior compartment can be hollow and filled with air, foam, or any insulative material. In use, the register prevents or reduces the incidence of condensation forming on the face of the register during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventor: Matthew Mansfield
  • Patent number: 11766578
    Abstract: An active stairwell compensation system includes air injection points at different elevations in a stairwell; a fan for providing airflow to the air injection points; sensors; air injection dampers; and a controller in data communication with the fan, the sensors, and the air injection dampers. At least some of the sensors are located inside the stairwell, and at least some of the sensors are located outside the stairwell. A respective air injection damper is located between each air injection point and the fan. The controller has programming to utilize data from the sensors to adjust an amount of air provided by the fan and independently adjust the air injection dampers to maintain a desirable amount of air pressure at the air injection points. The desirable amount of air pressure is selected to prevent smoke from entering the stairwell while allowing stairwell doors to open for egress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: RM Manifold Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Edward McNulty, Jon Randall Hinson
  • Patent number: 11760170
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes: an olfaction sensor comprising: a blower configured to draw air from a passenger cabin through an inlet; a sensor located downstream of the inlet and including one or more proteins configured to measure an amount of a chemical in the air passing the sensor; and a purge source configured to selectively flows a purge gas into the sensor; and a control module configured to selectively take one or more remedial actions based on the amount of the chemical in the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sibu Varughese, Martin Nespolo, Thomas Krzyzak, Gareth Webb, Wilson Yim, Matthew Johnson
  • Patent number: 11752831
    Abstract: An operator element for an air vent of a vehicle, wherein the operator element is slidably or rotatably mounted relative to a carrier element, and wherein the operator element is associated with a friction brake having an elastically deformable friction body, which elastically springingly pushes against the operator element and/or the carrier element, such that the friction brake moves the operator element relative to the carrier via friction. The friction body is aligned at least in regions in the longitudinal direction of the movement path of the operator element and has at least in regions a cross-section with an at least substantially star-shaped, in particular X-shaped or Y-shaped, cross-sectional surface or a polygonal cross-sectional surface having at least three corners or a cross-sectional surface having circumferentially distributed tooth regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Joachim Pestke, Günther Krämer, Sabine Steinbeiss, Marek Prod{hacek over (e)}lal, Thomas Pacher, Manfred Groben
  • Patent number: 11754309
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to a smart filter apparatus including an air filter, a sensor supported by the air filter and sensitive to a pathogen, and a control unit in data communication with the sensor and operable to perform operations including receiving, from the sensor, an indication of the pathogen present in air incident on the sensor, generating, by the control unit, a pathogen alert response, and providing, by the control unit, the pathogen alert response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited
    Inventors: Aditi Maheshwari, Mark Benjamin Greenspan, Lavinia Andreea Danielescu
  • Patent number: 11724567
    Abstract: A method of controlling an automotive heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes steps of: comparing, by a controller, a voltage applied to a mode door actuator with a first operating voltage, a second operating voltage, and a third operating voltage when a driving condition of a vehicle meets an external condensation occurrence condition; and controlling, by the controller, a defrost mode door to close a defrost outlet or adjust an opening degree of the defrost outlet to be less than a reference opening degree when the voltage applied to the mode door actuator is greater than or equal to the first operating voltage, where the defrost outlet directs air toward a front windshield, and the reference opening degree is an opening degree of the defrost outlet which has been set when the driving condition of the vehicle does not meet the external condensation occurrence condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Gyu Sik Hong
  • Patent number: 11718150
    Abstract: A HVAC system (100) includes a housing (10) with at least one first inlet (20) and at least one second inlet (30) formed thereon, at least one first door (20a), at least one second door (30a) and an intermediate door (40). The first inlet (20) and the second inlet (30) is for ingress of a first fluid stream and a second fluid stream inside the housing (10). The first door (20a) and the second door (30a) moves with respect to the first inlet (20) and the second inlet (30) respectively to define an open configuration, a closed configuration and a partially open configuration thereof. The intermediate door (40) is disposed between the first inlet (20) and the second inlet (30) and moves between a deployed and an un-deployed configuration to respectively disrupt and allow fluid flow there across. The intermediate door (40) is a sliding door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Valeo North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Earl Buckman, Darshan Parikh, Sally Dagher, Steven Marshall, Richard Sikorski
  • Patent number: 11703250
    Abstract: Implementations of air deflectors may include a curved section coupled between a first and second sidewall. Air deflectors may also include a first magnet retainer extending from the first sidewall. The first magnet retainer may include a first retainer wall, a second retainer wall, and a retainer tab extending from the first sidewall and positioned between the first retainer wall and the second retainer wall. A first magnet may be positioned between the first retainer wall and the second retainer wall. The air deflector may also include a second magnet retainer extending from the second sidewall and a second magnet coupled with the second magnet retainer. The first retainer wall and the second retainer wall may each include a ledge directly coupled to the first magnet. The first magnet may be coupled between the retainer tab and each ledge of the first retainer wall and the second retainer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Spectrum Products, LLC
    Inventors: Renee Mosiman, Michael Mosiman
  • Patent number: 11697325
    Abstract: A vehicle air register assembly includes a housing defining a cavity. An upstream portion of the cavity is disposed proximate to an inlet and a downstream portion of the cavity is disposed proximate to an outlet. Vertical vanes are disposed within the upstream portion. The vertical vanes direct air in a horizontal direction. A horizontal vane assembly is disposed within the downstream portion. The horizontal vane assembly directs the air in a vertical direction. The horizontal vane assembly includes at least one horizontal vane including a driver portion rotatably coupled to the housing proximate to the outlet and a follower portion coupled to the housing proximate to the upstream portion. The follower portion is rotatably coupled to the driver portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: George David Koch Smith, Steven Nicholas Fidh, Brent Clifford Dalton, Anthony Michael Esser, Martin Alfred Lindell
  • Patent number: 11697326
    Abstract: A vent device includes at least one stage ventilation assembly, each stage of the at least one stage ventilation assembly includes an inner layer element and an outer layer element. An air duct is formed between the outer layer element and the inner layer element, and the air duct has an air duct outlet. Each stage of the at least one stage ventilation assembly has an air duct open position and closed position. The outer layer element and the inner layer element are configured to be able to move along the first direction relative to each other between the air duct open position and closed position. In the air duct closed position, the inner layer element closes the air duct outlet, and in the air duct open position, the inner layer element opens the air duct outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Jie Yu, Jibang Yang
  • Patent number: 11668488
    Abstract: System and methods for controlling operating state of a heat transfer system are disclosed herein. The heat transfer system can include temperature sensor positioned at the fluid inlet line and the fluid outlet line and a heat exchanger between the fluid inlet line and the fluid outlet line. The heat transfer system can include a processor communicatively coupled to the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. The processor can determine an inlet temperature of water flowing in the fluid inlet line and outlet temperature of water flowing in the fluid outlet line and can determine a delta temperature based on difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature. Based on the inlet temperature and the delta temperature, the processor can determine an operating state of the heat transfer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jorge Miguel Gamboa Revilla, Satya Kiran Gullapalli, Sergio Fernando Montalgo Salazar, Juan Carlos Montanez, Amin Monfared, Alexander Chow