Patents Examined by Phillip Decker
  • Patent number: 11156372
    Abstract: An indoor unit for a ceiling-concealed air-conditioning apparatus includes an indoor-unit body having an air inlet at a bottom, a decorative panel provided at the bottom of the indoor-unit body and serving as a design surface, and an inlet grille flap rotatably supported by the decorative panel and covering the air inlet. The inlet grille flap is provided with rotational-axis hinges positioned on both sides at one edge of the inlet grille flap and serving as a rotational axis of the inlet grille flap, and a latch part positioned between the two rotational-axis hinges and projecting from the one edge. The decorative panel has a flange positioned below the latch part and supporting the latch part from below when the inlet grille flap is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Komatsu, Tetsuya Tazawa, Keisuke Tomomura, Hironobu Suehiro, Takaaki Takishita
  • Patent number: 11148502
    Abstract: A roof assembly for a vehicle cabin, particularly for the cabin of an agricultural machine, comprising a housing of plastic material and an air conditioning unit housed within the housing, and at least one air inlet fluidically connected to the air conditioning unit and arranged at a periphery of the housing, and a filter arranged downstream of the air inlet. An air inlet shield is arranged at the air inlet, said air inlet shield being mounted to the periphery of the housing and sealingly mounted to the air inlet, the air inlet shield comprising a pair of shaped plates of plastic material, peripherally welded to each other, between which a chamber fluidically communicating with the filter and with the outside of the roof assembly is defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Denso Thermal Systems S.P. A.
    Inventors: Massimo Davter, Leone Contento
  • Patent number: 11149972
    Abstract: A roof vent and anchoring apparatus that is configured to be superposed a building and provide both a vent for the building and an anchor to receive a safety element operable to secure a human thereto. The roof vent and anchoring apparatus includes a base member that is planar in manner and adjacent the roof. A lower member extends upward from the first side of the base member. An upper member is superposed the lower member and provides coverage thereof. An anchor assembly including opposing block members and a rod member intermediate thereto is provided to receive a safety element coupled to a human. An anchoring assembly is operably coupled to the second side of the base member and is comprised of bolt members and a bar member. The anchoring assembly is configured to be secured to a roof support element underneath the roof of a building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventor: Philippe Bureau
  • Patent number: 11131465
    Abstract: The vacuum steam heating system relates to the field of heat power, and specifically to energy saving technologies and is intended for autonomous heating of residential, public, industrial buildings and greenhouses, livestock farms, etc. In order to achieve the high-efficiency transfer of a thermal flow from a source of thermal energy, a vacuum steam method of heat transfer is used in conjunction of a closed evaporation-condensation cycle having a high rate of molar heat transfer via steam, with separate subsystems of condensate return and vacuum-creation and rarification control within the system, with the possibility of installing a heat supply point in a basement variant, floor-mounted variant and roof variant. The system reliability is achieved via the safe and uninterrupted operation, including in the presence of unsatisfactory levels of the system air-tightness (prior to eliminating leaks). The system efficiency reaches 89%, with 38% energy-carrier conservation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventors: Anton Viktorovich Khan, Igor Wu-Yunovich Van, Lyubov Viktorovna Khan, Viktor Konstantinovich Khan
  • Patent number: 11110984
    Abstract: A vehicle handlebar heating system and method are provided, including a handlebar assembly having a hollow handlebar member defining an internal cavity, and a fluid heating system for circulating heated fluid through the hollow internal cavity. The handlebar member generally includes a central mounting portion, and first and second end portions extending from the central mounting portion. The handlebar assembly further includes a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port formed through the handlebar member. The fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port are in fluid communication with the first cavity section and the second cavity section of the internal cavity. A fluid passageway is provided from the fluid inlet port to the fluid outlet port via the first and second cavity sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventor: Christopher R. McKinney
  • Patent number: 11097845
    Abstract: In an illustrative embodiment, an aircraft galley ducting assembly provides airflow to at least one compartment of an aircraft galley monument. The ducting assembly may include a supply air duct that provides a supply airflow path to a compartment that includes an inlet port mounted to a compartment surface. A return air duct may provide an exit airflow path for return air that has circulated throughout the compartment and includes an outlet port mounted to the compartment surface. An airflow adjustment apparatus with an airflow adjustment surface is positioned within the supply airflow path of the supply air duct or the exit airflow path of the return air duct to cause a modification of airflow properties for air passing across or through the airflow adjustment surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter John Leslie Burd, Neil R. Elshaw, Sam Foster, Venkata Prasanth Suman Neti, Merv Davidson, Elizabeth M. Payne, Christopher Ray, Danyal Siddiqui, Boryan Kashikov
  • Patent number: 11092355
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to ventilation systems and methods, and more particularly to selectively configurable climate control systems and methods for use in data centers and the like. A device includes a support element and a plurality of ducts connected to the support element. The device also includes a manifold in fluid communication with each one of the plurality of ducts and a plurality of valves. Each respective one of the plurality of valves is associated with a respective one of the plurality of ducts. Moreover, there is at least one actuator operatively connected to the plurality of valves, which is structured and arranged to individually actuate each one of the plurality of valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher J. Dawson, Vincenzo V. Diluoffo, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Michael D. Kendzierski
  • Patent number: 11092986
    Abstract: Performance of a system may be boosted with a boost dock that seals fan interfaces to improve airflow through an information handling system. An apparatus may include a first port configured to seal a first interface between the apparatus and an information handling system. The apparatus may also include a first blower configured to receive ambient air as cool intake air and to blow the cool intake air into the information handling system through the first interface sealed by the first port. The apparatus may further include a second blower configured to receive warm exhaust air from the information handling system through the first interface sealed by the first port and to blow the warm exhaust air out of the apparatus. A method may include steps of sealing a first interface, receiving ambient air, blowing cool intake air, receiving warm exhaust air, and blowing warm exhaust air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis North, Austin Shelnutt, Philip Grossmann, Chris Helberg
  • Patent number: 11084354
    Abstract: A vehicle heater includes a heater housing (12), through which heating air to be heated can flow, with a heating air inlet area and with a heating air outlet area. A burner unit is arranged in the heater housing. A combustion air blower is arranged in the heater housing for feeding combustion air to the burner unit. A heat exchanger unit is arranged in the heater housing (12). Heating air flowing through the heater housing (12) can flow around the heat exchanger unit. A combustion air intake muffler (76), which is essentially arranged in the heater housing (12), is associated with the combustion air blower (46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Eberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Humburg, Hans Jensen
  • Patent number: 11079127
    Abstract: A system includes an inlet to collect air from outside a building; an air filter coupled to the inlet; a baffle to receive air from the inlet; an actuator coupled to the baffle; one or more sensors exposed to air from the air filter to determine air quality; a controller coupled to the one or more sensors and the actuator, the controller closing the baffle if air quality is below a threshold; and an outlet positioned after the baffle to deliver air to the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Blockchain Generation Ventures
    Inventors: Bao Tran, Dave Nyhof
  • Patent number: 11077738
    Abstract: A vehicle component (1) has a lid (2) for closing a trunk (102). The lid (2) has an air duct opening (3) for letting in and/or letting out an air flow to or from an air duct (4). The air duct opening (3) has a visual screen installation (5) with two visual screen elements (15, 25) formed with passage openings (6). The passage openings (6) are disposed to be mutually offset so that a view into the air duct opening (3) is restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventor: Timo Czechtizky
  • Patent number: 11077735
    Abstract: A heating apparatus of the invention executes a first heating control for heating a heater core by a heat generation device when a process of heating the heater core is requested while an engine operation is stopped. The heating apparatus executes a second heating control for heating the cooling water which cooled an internal combustion engine, by the heat generation device and supplying the heated cooling water to the heater core when a heater core temperature is not increased to a requested temperature only by the heat generation device. The heating apparatus executes a third heating control for stopping the engine operation, heating the cooling water which cooled the internal combustion engine, by the heat generation device, and supplying the heated cooling water to the heater core when an engine temperature becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature while the second heating control is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidefumi Aikawa, Kei Okamoto, Minoru Ohmikawa
  • Patent number: 11079815
    Abstract: A cooling device includes a device case that is arranged in an enclosure having a midplane, with a case front face facing the midplane. The device case includes a first fan unit for generating a flow of air from a side with the case front face to a side with a case rear face of the device case and a second fan unit, being stored at closer position to the side with the case front face than the first fan unit, for taking in part of air passing through one side in a width direction of the device case and flowing to the first fan unit and sending out the part of the air to the other side in the width direction of the device case. The air flow by the second fan unit can effectively cool circuitries at the rear side of the midplane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoichi Sato, Kengo Ueda
  • Patent number: 11059351
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an oil-cooling system arranged to circulate oil through an electric machine and an oil-to-coolant heat exchanger. A coolant system has conduit arranged to circulate coolant through an inverter, a heater core, and the heat exchanger. A climate control system is arranged to circulate an airstream through the heater core to heat a passenger cabin with waste heat from the electric machine and the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Zenner, Daniel Benjamin Kok, Serdar Hakki Yonak, Kenneth J. Jackson
  • Patent number: 11052727
    Abstract: In an instrument panel provided in a vehicle cabin front section, a face that projects into a vehicle cabin is formed with a T-shape in vehicle rear view. An air-conditioning unit of a vehicle air-conditioning device is provided at an inside of the instrument panel. In the vehicle air-conditioning device, a foot blower outlet provided on the instrument panel blows an air-conditioned airflow toward the feet of a front seat occupant, and an interior air intake provided on the instrument panel takes in air from inside the vehicle cabin to generate the air-conditioned airflow. The foot blower outlet is formed in a lower portion of a side wall at a vehicle width direction central portion of the instrument panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manabu Orihashi, Takahito Nakamura, Koichi Ito
  • Patent number: 11052728
    Abstract: A method for operating an air inlet in a vehicle includes setting, via a touch-sensitive operator control unit in an air stream of the air inlet, a temperature and/or a volume flow of air flowing into an interior of the vehicle through the air inlet. The method also includes controlling a color of one or more luminous elements of the operator control unit depending on the setting of the temperature and/or of the volume flow. An apparatus for an inflow of air includes an air inlet, the air inlet configured to provide an inflow of an air stream into a vehicle interior, and a touch-sensitive operator control unit positioned in front of the air inlet such that the touch-sensitive control unit is disposed in the air stream, the touch-sensitive control unit being configured to set first and second operating parameters of the air inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gantimur Meissner, Jochen Leinberger, Dominic Arnold, Daniel Zarges, Samuel Gonzalez Moraleja, Jan Koerner
  • Patent number: 11046172
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a carrier for an automobile with integrated active ducting. The carrier includes at least one aperture, and at least one louver rotatably mounted in the aperture. Also attached to the carrier is an actuator, and the actuator is connected to the louver. The actuator is operable for moving the louver between an open position and a closed position such that when the louver is in the open position, air flow passes through the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA INTERNATIONAL INC
    Inventors: Michael W. Crane, Thomas Pilette, Norman Guschewski
  • Patent number: 11041655
    Abstract: The present embodiments provide a ventilation system for an aviary including at least one exterior wall disposed between a floor and a roof. The ventilation system includes a first fan disposed in one of the at least one exterior walls. A plenum is disposed on one of the at least one exterior walls. A second fan is disposed in flow communication with the plenum. The present embodiments also provide a method of constructing a ventilation system in an aviary, which aviary includes at least one exterior wall disposed between a floor and a roof, a first fan, a plenum, and a second fan. The method includes disposing the first fan in one of the at least one exterior walls. The method also includes disposing the plenum on one of the at least one exterior walls. The method also includes disposing the second fan in flow communication with the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Rose Acre Farms, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus D. Rust, Joseph M. Dart, David Hurd
  • Patent number: 11034214
    Abstract: An integrated display and ventilation assembly includes a display screen and a first air register. The first air register is displaceable between a first stowed position concealed behind the display screen and a first deployed position projecting from behind the display screen. A related method of ventilating a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frank Fusco, Manfred Koberstein, Jennifer A. Herr-Rathke, Alan Gutowski
  • Patent number: 11034209
    Abstract: An apparatus allows for the distribution of air over a wider range of area. That apparatus includes a telescoping duct assembly, having an inner duct section received for sliding movement in an outer duct section, a receiver in the inner duct section, an elongated port in the outer duct section and an air register held in the receiver and projecting through the elongated port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dejvi Cano, Michael Murphy McElroy, Nitish Kannan Nagarajan, Scott Holmes Dunham