Patents Examined by Raheena Rehman
  • Patent number: 9032753
    Abstract: A refrigeration system that induces lubricant-liquid refrigerant mixture flow from a flooded or falling film evaporator by means of the lubricant-liquid refrigerant mixture flow adsorbing heat from an electronic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Todd J. Love, Harry K. Ring, Jon P. Hartfield
  • Patent number: 9031706
    Abstract: An air conditioner and control method thereof is provided which may be controlled to adapt operation to changes in power rates. The method may include receiving electric power related information, determining whether a current power rate included in the received information is higher than a preset reference value, determining occupancy of a space to be air conditioned if the current power rate is higher than the preset reference value, and controlling a flow rate of air supplied to the space based on the determined occupancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Younggeul Kim, Namwoo Kwon, Jeonghyun Lim, Suyoung Kang, Juyoung Min
  • Patent number: 9016353
    Abstract: A heat sink clip is provided for clipping a memory module. The heat sink clip is made from a flexible heat-conductive metal plate formed by bending, and includes a top plate and two side plates facing opposite. Each side plate has a top portion, an inwardly inclined portion and a lead. The top portions of the two side plates extend from two opposite side edges of the top plate, respectively, and incline inwardly. The inwardly inclined portions of the two side plates extend from bottoms of the two top portions, respectively, and continue to incline inwardly. The leads of the two side plates extend from bottoms of the two inwardly inclined portions, respectively, and incline outwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Ming-Yang Hsieh
    Inventor: Ming-Yang Hsieh
  • Patent number: 9020635
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a first compartment, a second compartment, a first door providing access to the first compartment, a second door providing access to the second compartment, and a beverage dispensing system operatively connected the cabinet. The refrigerator further includes a user interface operatively connected to the cabinet, the user interface having a display and being configured to identify a user of the beverage dispensing system and customize beverage settings and preferences associated with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Gregory G. Hortin
  • Patent number: 9017048
    Abstract: A variable capacity type rotary compressor and a cooling apparatus having the same, and an operation method thereof are provided. In the variable capacity type rotary compressor and the cooling apparatus having the same, a discharge pressure is supplied to a rear side of a second vane disposed in the compressor after the discharge pressure is higher than a reference pressure, so that the compressor is switched from a saving mode into a power mode. The second vane is press-contacted with a second rolling piston with fast and accurately moving without vibration, resulting in preventing beforehand noise occurrence or efficiency degradation due to the vibration of the second vane when the compressor or the cooling apparatus having the compressor is operated in the power mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sang-Myung Byun, Sang-Mo Kim
  • Patent number: 9010139
    Abstract: An air conditioning system using a solar cell, which uses the electricity effectively by heating the heat devices for designated time and a method for driving the system. The air conditioning system includes a solar cell generating electricity from solar light, a power distribution control part controlling operating voltage of the electricity of the solar cell and distributing to a battery or to the heating element, a control terminal generating a user command signal and an interface part controlling the power distribution control part in response to a command signal from the control terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventor: Jang Kil Sang
  • Patent number: 9010142
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a printed circuit board to which a power device is attached; and a refrigerant jacket which is connected to the power device, and through which refrigerant used for a refrigeration cycle flows. The printed circuit board is accommodated in a switch box. The refrigerant jacket is fixed to the switch box through a heat transfer plate, and the refrigerant jacket and the printed circuit board are connected together by the switch box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Okuda, Norihiro Takenaka, Tomohiro Masui
  • Patent number: 9010145
    Abstract: A refrigerator having an intermediate storage compartment, which has an improved structure of a return flow passage to return cold air from the intermediate storage compartment. The refrigerator includes a first evaporator to supply cold air to an upper storage compartment, a second evaporator to supply cold air to a lower storage compartment, a cold air supply duct to supply cold air generated at the second evaporator to an intermediate storage compartment, and a curved section formed at a top of the intermediate storage compartment to uniformly distribute the cold air supplied via the cold air supply duct in the intermediate storage compartment. The refrigerator also includes a cold air return duct to return cold air from the intermediate storage compartment, and an ice-making cold air return duct to return cold air from an ice maker. The cold air return duct is joined with the ice-making cold air return duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Hoon Lim, Gi Joong Jeong, Sinn Bong Yoon, Woo Yeol Yoo, Jong Eun Chae, Sun Keun Lee, Yun Ho Yang, Sang Woon Jeon, Jae Moon Lee
  • Patent number: 9010404
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus for a heat transfer tube is provided in an inspection robot to be fixed to a tube plate surface of a tube plate at which the heat transfer tube is opened and is for inspecting a seal-welded portion at which the heat transfer tube is welded to the tube plate. The inspection apparatus includes: an inserting unit to be inserted into and withdrawn from the heat transfer tube; a detecting unit having detecting unit for detecting the presence or absence of a defect at the seal-welded portion; a rotating mechanism for rotating the detecting unit around a central axis of the inserting unit; and a moving mechanism for moving, with respect to the inspection robot, the inserting unit, the detecting unit, and the rotating mechanism along the central axis for the rotation of the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Kawase, Hidetoshi Yonemura, Toshihiro Kawashima
  • Patent number: 9010143
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a refrigerating cycle including a compressor (10) compressing a refrigerant, an indoor heat exchanger (30) exchanging heat between the refrigerant and indoor air, a pressure-reducing expansion valve (50) reducing pressure of and expanding the refrigerant, and an outdoor heat exchanger (60) exchanging heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air. The air conditioner further has a base plate (70) arranged below the outdoor heat exchanger (60) and having a drain outlet (71) formed at a position opposing an undersurface of the outdoor heat exchanger (60). Between the outdoor heat exchanger (60) and the base plate (70), a freeze prevention pipe (41) is disposed in a manner, in plan view, to at least partially pass inside the region of the drain outlet (71). The freeze prevention pipe (41) is connected between the outdoor heat exchanger (60) and the indoor heat exchanger (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Ashida
  • Patent number: 9004153
    Abstract: A brazed heat exchanger (100, 200) comprises a number of heat exchanger plates (110, 120, 130, 140, 150) provided with a pressed pattern of ridges and grooves to form flow channels for media to exchange heat between neighboring heat exchanger plates (110,120,130,140,150). The flow channels are in selective fluid communication with port openings (160). The port openings (160) are provided with dented surfaces (180; 280) being arranged along an interior circumference of the port openings (160) and comprising ridges (181; 282) and grooves (182; 281), said ridges (181; 282) and grooves (182; 281) being arranged such that a ridge (181; 282) of one heat exchanger plate (110, 120, 130, 140, 150) contacts a groove (182; 281) of a neighboring plate (110,120,130,140,150) to form a honeycomb pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: SWEP International AB
    Inventors: Sven Andersson, Svante Hoberg, Tomas Dahlberg
  • Patent number: 9003822
    Abstract: An apparatus for breaking ice clumps in a refrigerator. The apparatus includes an ice storage bin, an axle rotatably supported by an ice storage bin, an actuator operatively coupled to the axle and an ice breaker operatively coupled to the actuator. The ice breaker moves in a reciprocal manner upon the driving of the axle and the actuator. Such reciprocal movement of the ice breaker breaks ice clumps in the storage bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wayne E. Lawson, Daniel S. Renz, Arun Madhav Talegaonkar, Geoffrey Lee Ranard
  • Patent number: 9004154
    Abstract: A combination fuel-oil and air-oil heat exchanger comprising: a first heat exchanger section that has an oil circulation path and a fuel circulation path thermally coupled to the oil circulation path; a second heat exchanger section that has an oil circulation path and an air circulation path thermally coupled to the oil circulation path; an oil coupling path that couples an oil circulation path outlet of the first heat exchanger section to an oil circulation path inlet of the second heat exchanger section to establish a combined oil circulation path; an oil path by-pass valve that selectively diverts oil from the combined oil circulation path to an outlet of the oil path by-pass valve; and a fuel path by-pass valve that selectively diverts fuel from the fuel circulation path of the first heat exchanger section to an outlet of the fuel path by-pass valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney
    Inventors: Behzad Hagshenas, Stacey H. Light
  • Patent number: 9003821
    Abstract: A method of providing cooling by a cooling system to a computer data center. The method includes providing a plurality of air-and-water radiators and one or more chillers, the chillers each having a first side in fluid communication with a chilled water loop and a second side in communication with a condenser water loop. The method also includes circulating a first portion of return water coming from the computer data center to a first subset of the air-and-water radiators and through the condenser water loop, circulating a second portion of the return water from the computer data center to a second subset of the air-and-water radiators and through the chilled water loop, and circulating the first portion and the second portion of the return water to the computer data center as cooled supply water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Exaflop LLC
    Inventors: Christopher G. Malone, Jimmy Clidaras, Michael C. Ryan
  • Patent number: 8997839
    Abstract: A thin heat pipe structure includes a pipe body, a thin-sheet member, and a plurality of bosses. The pipe body internally defines a receiving space, in which a working fluid is provided. The thin-sheet member includes a plurality of open spaces, and the bosses are provided in the open spaces, so that the bosses and the thin-sheet member are disposed in the receiving space of the pipe body at the same time. A method of manufacturing thin pipe structure is also disclosed for manufacturing thin heat pipe structure with reduced time and labor, and protecting a wick structure formed in the thin heat pipe structure against damage. Therefore the thin heat pipe structure can be manufactured with increased good yield and at reduced manufacturing cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsiu-Wei Yang, Ming-Tai Weng
  • Patent number: 8997840
    Abstract: A heat-dissipating unit having a hydrophilic compound film and a method for depositing a hydrophilic compound film are disclosed. The heat-dissipating unit includes a metallic body having a chamber and a working fluid. The chamber has a liquid-guiding structure constituted of an evaporating portion, a condensing portion and a connecting portion. At least one hydrophilic compound film is coated on surfaces of the chamber and the liquid-guiding structure. By this arrangement, the flowing of the working fluid in the heat-dissipating unit is enhanced to improve the heat-conducting efficiency of the heat-dissipating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsiu-Wei Yang
  • Patent number: 8991207
    Abstract: To provide a refrigerating cycle apparatus capable of improving cooling ability by water spray to perform an efficient operation while suppressing decrease in collected power by an expander. The refrigerating cycle apparatus includes: a first compressor that compresses the refrigerant; an expander that decompresses and expands the refrigerant to collect power for expansion; a second compressor that is driven by the power collected by the expander to further compresses the refrigerant compressed by the first compressor to transmit it to a main radiator; a heat exchanger having an intercooler that cools the refrigerant compressed by the first compressor and a main radiator that cools the refrigerant compressed by the second heat exchanger to transmit it to the expander; indoor heat exchangers that heat the refrigerant decompressed by the expander; and a water spray apparatus that sprays water onto the outer surface of the intercooler and the main radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Takayama, Yusuke Shimazu
  • Patent number: 8989894
    Abstract: An ice machine includes an insulated compartment to store ice, a dispenser having access to the insulated compartment to dispense ice from the insulated compartment, a card reader, and a controller in communication with the card reader and the dispenser. The controller stores permission settings including a public setting and a private setting. The controller is to receive a card number from the card reader. The controller is to determine whether to initiate ice dispensing using the dispenser based on the card number, the public setting and the private setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventor: David W. Tenberg, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8984907
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing flake ice from a liquid is proposed, which apparatus is equipped with a rotatably disposed evaporator roller, a shaft on the evaporator roller that transmits torque from a drive to the evaporator roller, at least two bearing bushings which are permanently disposed on the apparatus and in which the shaft is rotatably received and mounted, a scraper for stripping ice that has been formed from the liquid at the surface of the evaporator roller, a pan that is open at the top and receives the liquid to be frozen, wherein the pan is able to be inserted or slid in one piece onto the bearing bushings or onto additional coupling elements disposed on the shaft or onto the bearing bushings or directly onto the shaft, and is detachable therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Maja-Maschinenfabrik Hermann Schill GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Joachim Schill
  • Patent number: 8978743
    Abstract: A fin tube heat exchanger 1 according to the present invention includes fins 31 and a heat transfer tube 21 penetrating through the fins 31. A region that is surrounded by line segments connecting among two reference points BP and two leading edge reference points BPF is defined as a reference region. A region that is included in the reference region and located between an upstream reference line LU and a downstream reference line LD is defined as a specific region. Each fin 31 is provided with a cut-and-raised portion 12 having, in the specific region, another leading edge different from a leading edge 31f. The cut-and-raised portion is formed by cutting and raising a part of the fin 31.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoichiro Tamura, Kou Komori