Patents Examined by Patrick F. O'Reilly, III
  • Patent number: 7549917
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for distributing air in a blade server are disclosed. Embodiments may include a rotating damper having a damper door, sliding door, and connecting rod. The damper door may be rotatably attached to a blade server having a plurality of blade slots for receiving blades and may rotate between a blocking position and a flat position, where the damper door impedes air through a blade slot when in the blocking position. The sliding door may move between an open position and a closed position, where the sliding door allows airflow through an air opening while in the open position and blocks airflow through the air opening while in the closed position. A further embodiment may include an extension spring to apply a pulling force to the sliding door and a kick up spring to apply a pushing force to the damper door in the flat position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew S. Henry, David J. Jensen, Seth D. Lewis, Peter A. Smith
  • Patent number: 7547249
    Abstract: An exhaust system for expelling air from a building includes an outlet nozzle that improves entrainment of ambient air with the building exhaust air. The improved air entrainment results in increased exhaust air dilution and plume height to better disperse the exhaust air away from the building. The nozzle has an H-shaped outlet configuration with two lateral outlet sections joined by a central transverse outlet section. The nozzle has a pair of outer lateral walls, a pair of outer transverse walls, and a pair of sloped inner lateral walls that angle outwards from near an inlet end of the nozzle towards corresponding outer lateral walls. The nozzle can be part of the exhaust system at the outlet side of the exhaust fan within a windband that aids in entraining ambient air with the exhaust air exiting the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Greenheck Fan Corporation
    Inventors: Michael G. Seliger, John W. Enzenroth
  • Patent number: 7544124
    Abstract: A passive venting device for venting enclosures comprising a base member, an intermediate splash member including a diverter, and a top, dome-shaped member. In a preferred embodiment, the diverter may be molded as a single unit of manufacture with the base member. The venting device allows air and other gases to escape from within an enclosure to be vented while preventing the incursion of moisture in the form or rain or snow into the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Inventor: Scott Polston
  • Patent number: 7537517
    Abstract: An air moving device assembly in a computer system has an air moving device such as a fan or blower within a housing for moving air from an air inlet to an air outlet. A mesh with a plurality of openings covers the air outlet. A back flow damper assembly is positioned over the air outlet. The back flow damper assembly further comprises at least one damper door movable in an open position and a closed position. The damper door has at least one tooth such that when the damper door is in the closed position, the tooth interacts with at least one of the plurality of openings in the mesh. By periodically cycling the air moving device controlled by device management software, the teeth will close and open, loosening debris from the mesh, allowing the debris to be blown out the rear of the housing once the device is turned back on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Meserth, James S. Womble, Richard M. Barina, Daniel P. Kelaher
  • Patent number: 7527551
    Abstract: A valve includes a film having side edges and an opening to extend across a passage in a housing of a HVAC system. The film has a circular aperture in the film adjacent each rounded corner of each opening for relieving stress. Either or both of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the film are undulated to prevent deformation of the edges. A pair of racks is disposed on the film and sprockets engage the teeth of the racks for moving the racks and the film linearly. Each rack includes a strap and bearing member for retaining the associated sprocket in engagement with the teeth. The bearing member is in rolling engagement with a bearing surface of the associated strap as it rotates with the sprockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald M. Goupil, Jr., Gregory J. Kowalski, Mark W. Stevenson
  • Patent number: 7527554
    Abstract: A rollable roof ridge ventilation element for slanted roofs comprises a ribbon-type, air-permeable carrier material. Edge strips of an elastically deformable film are connected to edge regions of the carrier material. Each edge strip includes an upward-pointing fold in a longitudinal direction of the ventilation element presenting a wind-repelling lip. Each edge strip has transverse undulations, and the wind-repelling lip of an edge strip includes undulations that extend transverse to a longitudinal direction of the wind-repelling lip and correspond to the transverse undulations of the edge strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Schmid Baukunststoffe GmbH
    Inventor: Oliver Schmid
  • Patent number: 7520803
    Abstract: An air passage opening and closing device for controlling an air flow for air-conditioning a vehicle compartment which is adapted to reduce an uncomfortable noise generated when the opening degree of a door such as an air-mixing door is small is provided, wherein a plurality of extending portions (7g) are provided on tips of the lip seal (7c). The extending dimension (H) of the extending portion (7g) is more than or equal to substantially 1 mm and less than or equal to substantially 3 mm, the dimension (B) in the width direction orthogonal to the extending direction in the extending portion (7g) is more than or equal to substantially 2 mm and less than or equal to substantially 14 mm, and the gap distance (G) between the adjacent extending portions (7g) is more than or equal to substantially 1 mm and less than or equal to substantially 4 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Ito, Hideo Takemoto
  • Patent number: 7520805
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a housing structure of an electronic device, which comprises a housing including a slot on a top surface; a plate member mounted in the slot and including a plurality of first ventilation holes formed along a periphery, the first ventilation holes being in communication with inside of the housing; and a cap mounted on the plate member and spaced from the top surface of the housing by a peripheral gap formed between the cap and the plate member; wherein the first ventilation holes are concealed by the cap. By utilizing the present invention, hot air inside the housing can be quickly removed via the first ventilation holes and the gap so as to achieve the purpose of heat dissipation, and the housing's appearance can be preserved since the first ventilation holes are concealed by the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: D-Link Corporation
    Inventor: Ming-Tsai Chung
  • Patent number: 7517278
    Abstract: An HVAC controller housing including a plurality of valves extending therein for directing airflow to a plurality of ducts is provided. The housing is of the type including a side port extending outwardly from the housing and in fluid communication with one of the ducts. A drive gear is provided on the housing to drive a plurality of driven gears disposed on the housing for driving the plurality of valves. The driven gears are responsive to the drive gear through a transmission member comprising an annular idling gear in meshing engagement with the drive gears and at least one of the driven gears. The annular idling gear is rotatably supported on the housing and encircles the side port for efficient torque transfer between the drive gear and the driven gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Phillip M. Sokolofsky
  • Patent number: 7517280
    Abstract: An air duct assembly for a vehicle heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a first duct member having a pair of opposed side walls, an upper wall and a lower wall, a front wall, a rear wall and a central passageway. A second duct member is operatively attached to the first duct member, and includes a plurality of integrally formed chambers. Each chamber has a pair of opposed side walls, an upper wall and a lower wall interconnecting the sidewalls, a front wall and a rear wall and a central passageway extending between an opening in the front wall and an opening in the upper wall. A door member is disposed between the first duct member and the second duct member. The door member includes a plurality of flaps that control the flow of air through the second duct member and the first duct member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. McConnell, Stefan Young
  • Patent number: 7513823
    Abstract: A VAV box includes a housing formed by a top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of vertical side walls. A blade is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis within an air flow passageway defined by a hollow interior of the housing. A first protuberance formed on an interior side of the first side wall has a leading wall swept back relative to an entrance to the box, a trailing wall swept forward relative to the entrance, and a concave wall that interconnects the innermost ends of the leading and trailing walls. A second protuberance having the same structure is formed on an interior side of the second side wall. The protuberances produce a linear response in air flow to changes in blade position, eliminating the non-linear response of prior art VAV boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Inventor: Dale Amos Dix
  • Patent number: 7510471
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flow spreading mechanism, in particular a flow spreading mechanism used with refrigerators or air conditioners to enhance spreading of cool or warm air. To achieve the above-mentioned object, this invention comprises at least one inlet (200) through which fluid flow comes in; a flow separator means (110) dividing the flow coming through the at least one inlet (200) into at least two separate flows; and an outlet (300) through which at least two of the at least, two flows having been divided into separate flows by the flow separator means go out after they meet again, thereby forming complex vortices near the outlet, which make the flow going out of the outlet swing. Flow spreading mechanism of the present invention provides a better uniformity of temperature distribution for refrigerators or air conditioners, compared with the simple-ducted outlet of the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sung Hwa Lee, Yoon Seob Eom
  • Patent number: 7507151
    Abstract: Highly efficient ventilation fans for exhausting air out from underneath roofs, and/or for being portable in use and application. The fan can include optimized airflow blades having a twisted configuration that can move at a rotational speed operation of up to approximately 500 rpm. The approximately 15 inch diameter twisted blades can be premolded on a hub that together form a single molded unit of plastic. They can also be fabricated using metal. The unit can be mounted in an exhaust outlet having a conical diffuser on or adjacent to a roof. Alternatively, the fan can be portable for use most anywhere there is a need for ventilation and moving of air. The blades can rotate by a solar powered motor, where the blades and motor can generate up to approximately 1040 cfm while using no more than approximately 16 Watts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Danny S. Parker, Bart Hibbs
  • Patent number: 7503842
    Abstract: An air curtain-assisted exhaust method and a device thereof are provided. Air curtain generators are disposed on a worktable to enclose an encircled area in the worktable. A receiving hood is disposed above the worktable, wherein the vertical lower part of the outer edge of the receiving hood completely covers the encircled area. Then, the air curtain generators are started to blow out air curtains toward an opening of the receiving hood, and the receiving hood is started to suck an air flow. A shielding space is defined by the air flow sucked by the receiving hood and the air curtains, so that the air curtains may guide a smoke generated inside the shielding space to the receiving hood to be exhausted, thereby achieving the effect of auxiliary exhaust, and may restrict the smoke in the shielding space to prevent the smoke from diffusing laterally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Acxing Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuei-Yuan Lee, Pei-Hsin Pei, Shun-Chih Wang, Cheng-Ping Chang, Tung-Sheng Shih
  • Patent number: 7497772
    Abstract: A “quick change” restrictor assembly that allows quick rebalancing of flow-pressures within a duct system. The invention comprises a removable restrictor plate, a branch circuit for receiving the plate, and a means for retaining the restrictor plate to the branch circuit. The circuit includes a feature that allows for removal and installation of the restrictor plate without removing the branch circuit, inlet or outlet ducting. The quick change restrictor will not require bonding and can be installed easily from outside the duct without any disassembly. The restrictor may also have various clips or tabs to reinforce the slot the restrictor plate is inserted into. The restrictor may also have a smart part number and color code that is visible from outside the duct allowing easy removal, identification and inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Trevor M. Laib
  • Patent number: 7497774
    Abstract: A whole house fan system and installation methods configured to reduce noise generated by the fan are provided. The system generally includes a fan, a register, and a flexible duct extending between the fan and the register. The flexible duct has acoustical insulation properties, which helps to reduce sound transmission from the fan to the register. The fan system is configured to be mounted in the attic space of a house. The fan motor is suspended in the attic so that it does not have direct contact with any part of the building structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: QC Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Dana Charles Stevenson, Ronnie Keith Stone
  • Patent number: 7491120
    Abstract: A trickle vent such as might be used in association with commercial windows is formed from PVC tubing in two convoluted paths. One or more expansion chambers are provided at turns or directional changes within the tubing which reduce or eliminate noise transmission through the vent. Where a plurality of expansion chambers are used, each chamber may be of different length to dampen a different portion of the acoustic spectrum. In a preferred embodiment, the expansion chambers are filled with an acoustic-type foam, and the ends are not completely sealed. The tubing preferably bridges two extrusions that form a supporting housing for the vent, and by using two separate extrusions bridged by the tubing, both thermal and acoustic isolation are maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: St. Cloud Window Inc.
    Inventor: S. A. Casey Mahon
  • Patent number: 7485033
    Abstract: A system includes an exhaust hood having a housing and an exhaust conduit disposed on the housing, a support for mounting the exhaust hood to a wall or ceiling, and an exhaust duct extending in the wall or ceiling. The exhaust conduit has a first coupling member disposed on a holder so as to hold the first coupling member on the housing. The exhaust duct includes a second coupling member. At least one of the first and second coupling members has an aligning device for automatically aligning the coupling members with each other when bringing the system into a mounted condition. The first coupling member is disposed relative to the holder and the second coupling member is disposed relative to the support so as to each be movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the coupling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Miele & Cie. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Baehr, Ingo Huester, Michael Ricke
  • Patent number: 7473167
    Abstract: A security module for use with a ventilation grating comprising a body, a base with a planar surface for attachment to the grating, and an outer wall extending from the base. The body has inner passageways extending from the base to the outer wall, the first portion of which extends from the base in a direction perpendicular to the base, and the second portion of which extends from the outer wall to intersect perpendicularly with the first portion within the body. The security module, when attached to a ventilation grating, prevents threading a rope-like material, through the grating, and using the make-shift rope to commit suicide by hanging, and is therefore particularly suitable for use in penal institutions, hospitals and mental health facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Met California Group LLC
    Inventor: Yousef S. Marmosh
  • Patent number: 7470177
    Abstract: A device for control of the air flow rates into the instrument panel air outlets of a vehicle heating or air conditioning unit is described that is provided with a casing, with damper doors for both instrument panel side air outlets in the casing parts and at least one damper door for the instrument panel central air outlet in the casing part, whereby the damper doors are pivotably supported on one common shaft. Exactly one closing position is assigned to the damper doors in the first casing part, whereas several closing positions are assigned to the damper door in the second casing part continuously over a pivoting range of the shaft, whereby the closing position of the damper doors is arranged in the pivoting range of the damper door. This device enables separation and independent control of the air flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph Capellmann, Olaf Degenhardt, Michael Friedl, Christian Heidinger, Christoph Malig, Markus Matthes, Dietmar Zehren