Patents Examined by Steve McAllister
  • Patent number: 7556559
    Abstract: A control and pressure relief valve for relieving pressure from an automotive vehicle interior to an atmospheric pressure outside the vehicle interior in accordance with the present invention includes a valve mounting location having an inlet in fluid communication with the vehicle interior and an outlet selectively in fluid communication with the atmospheric pressure. At least one relief valve mounted on the valve mounting location allows air to flow from the vehicle interior to atmospheric pressure when the air pressure in the vehicle interior exceeds a first predetermined pressure value that is greater than the atmospheric pressure. At least one control valve mounted on the valve mounting location allows air to flow from the vehicle interior to the atmospheric pressure when an air pressure in the vehicle interior exceeds a second predetermined pressure value that is greater than the atmospheric pressure and less than the first predetermined pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Alejandro Garza Rivera, John J Mascarello, Christopher L Fulton
  • Patent number: 7549916
    Abstract: An aircraft cabin pressure control system and the method implement a technique that oversamples and filters a sensed cabin pressure signal, and then differentiates the oversampled and filtered pressure signal to generate cabin pressure rate-of-change. The oversampling and filtering technique removes circuit and sensor induced noise from the cabin pressure signal, and results in cabin pressure rate-of-change values with less noise than currently known systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Darrell W. Horner, Gerard L. McCoy, Timothy C. Biss
  • Patent number: 7544122
    Abstract: An air shutter of low cost, high efficiency, and easy maintainability is provided, which can interrupt efficiently the flowage of air across a doorway when the door is open based on the consideration of the experimental data of the flowage of air across the opening area of the doorway of a cold storage. The air shutter comprises a gatepost 12 and a gatepost 13 installed at both sides of the opening area of a doorway. The gatepost 12 is provided with a lower slit nozzle 12a, a suction opening 12b, and lower fans 12c and a suction duct 12d inside thereof, on the other hand, the gatepost 13 provided with an upper slit nozzle 13a, a suction opening 13b, and lower fans 13c and a suction duct 13d inside thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachio Ohwada, Kouichi Tsubata, Seiichi Sakuma, Shinjirou Akaboshi, Akira Yasutome
  • Patent number: 7544123
    Abstract: An air vent, in particular for a vehicle, includes an air outflow channel and several operating elements which regulate the outflow direction and the volume flow of an airflow and which are designed as sliding elements, a first sliding element (14) moving horizontal vanes (16), a second sliding element (18) moving vertical vanes (20), and a third sliding element (22) moving a shutoff flap (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Reinhard Krause, Sabine Steinbeiss
  • Patent number: 7540803
    Abstract: A ventilating device for a roof having at least one vent opening. The ventilating device includes a cover extending along the vent opening. The cover may include two plies of material, a top ply and a bottom ply that are spaced apart by connecting members extending between the plies. The ventilating device may also include coiled members extending longitudinally along the cover on opposite sides of the vent opening to support the cover over the vent opening. The coiled members may have spaced coils defining passages therebetween to permit venting of the structure through the vent opening and the passages defined by the coils. A portion of the bottom ply of material of the cover is removed, where the coiled members are attached to the cover. The ventilating device may further include at least one air-permeable filter member to inhibit moisture and debris from entering in the vent opening through the passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Inventor: Gary L Sells
  • Patent number: 7534167
    Abstract: A system including a substantially sealed, substantially airtight cabinet sized for housing a vertical array of heat-producing units, the cabinet having an exterior shell and the system including an interior divider wall disposed inside the cabinet, the shell and divider wall providing an equipment chamber adapted to support the array such that the array cooperates with the shell and divider wall in use to define a first plenum, the first plenum having a first inlet defined by the divider wall for recieiving a flow of cooling gas and having a first outlet defined by a plurality of openings through the array whereby the first plenum communicates with the openings in use to exhaust substatially all of the flow of cooling fluid through the openings and hence through the array, whereby the divider wall is configured to allow the first inlet to admit the gas to the first plenum in a substantially horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation
    Inventor: Tony Day
  • Patent number: 7530891
    Abstract: A thermally-actuated cartridge (21) has a center pin (24) which is arranged to protrude through the rear of a cartridge holder (23) when the cartridge assembly (21) is not set, so that it is apparent that the cartridge assembly (21) is not set. In a fire damper for an airflow duct, the cartridge assembly (21) is used as a detent to hold a damper flap (7) open. There is a particularly convenient way of mounting the detent arrangement by having a U-shaped member (9) which carries a limb (15) acting as a backing piece for a retention quadrant (7) and a sprung bracket (16) which are squeezed together by the cartridge assembly (21). The U-shaped member (9) is mounted by a means of a limb extension (10) which slots over the damper flap axle (5) and is held by a rivet (13) in the correct orientation, the cartridge assembly (21) being screwed through a threaded bore formed by upsetting or swaging a limb (14) of the U-member (9) through a hole in the extension (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Kent Tooling & Components Limited
    Inventor: Richard Perrin
  • Patent number: 7527552
    Abstract: A structure of a demister hose for vehicles includes a demister outlet formed in a crash pad, a seal pad provided along an outer circumferential edge of the demister outlet and a restraint that guides defrost air toward the demister outlet and that prevents the seal pad from protruding toward the interior of the demister hose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Suk-sun Ka
  • Patent number: 7510469
    Abstract: A hinge structure of an air vent grill includes an air vent grill, installed in an instrument panel, that adjusts the discharge direction of an air stream, a hinge shaft connected to a knob that manipulate the air vent grill and protruded from a side surface of a case of the air vent grill, a case member provided at the side of the instrument panel and formed with a hollow portion that places the hinge shaft therein, and an elastic clip installed in the case member, configured such that it surrounds the hinge shaft disposed in the hollow portion of the case member, and made of an elastic bent piece so as to elastically press the hinge shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: In-Heum Park
  • Patent number: 7510470
    Abstract: In one example, an air processing system comprises an inlet portion defining a first inlet to receive internal air from a room and a second inlet to receive air external to the room. An air decontamination portion is downstream of the inlet portion. A first outlet portion to the room is downstream of the air decontamination portion. A HEGA filter is downstream of the first outlet. A first damper is downstream of the air decontamination portion and upstream of the HEGA filter to selectively direct air to the first outlet and the gas absorber. A second damper and a second outlet are downstream of the HEGA filter. The first and second dampers are configured and positionable to selectively seal an upstream side and a downstream side of the gas absorber, respectively, when not in use. Safe rooms including the system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Inventor: Theodore A. M. Arts
  • Patent number: 7500911
    Abstract: An exhaust air removal system and method for use with a rack or enclosure containing equipment is provided. The system and method are configured for removal of exhaust air vented from equipment during operation to thereby remove heat from the equipment. In one aspect, the system includes a fan unit preferably configured to serve as a back door of an equipment rack or enclosure and configured to provide access to an interior of the rack or enclosure. The fan unit provides multiple fans coupled to internal exhaust ducts that are arranged to draw and to remove exhaust air vented from rack-mounted equipment. The fan unit is further configured to vent exhaust air to an area external to a rack or enclosure, such as an external exhaust duct or plenum. Removal of hot and warm exhaust air vented from rack-mounted equipment enables the equipment to operate effectively, drawing sufficient amounts of cooling air to meet its cooling requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation
    Inventors: Rollie R. Johnson, Neil Rassmussen
  • Patent number: 7497770
    Abstract: A louver for directing airflow in a refrigerated display case, and a refrigerated display case employing a louver. In some embodiments, the louver includes a plurality of fins positioned to define a plurality of channels therebetween through which airflow can be directed substantially in a first direction. Each fin can be elongated in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction to define a length. Each fin can include an inlet end and an outlet end in a cross-section taken along the length. The louver can further include a curved inlet profile defined by the inlet ends of the plurality of fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hussmann Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Donald Grassmuck, Garrick Neal McFarland, Scott Eugene Miller
  • Patent number: 7497771
    Abstract: A compact ventilating system having an air purifying function is disclosed, which includes a case having one end buried in a ceiling of a room, and the other end projected toward the inside of the room; an air-supplying passage of communicating the outside of the room, the case, and the inside of the room with one another, to supply an outdoor air to the inside of the room; an air-discharging passage of communicating the inside of the room, the case, and the outside of the room with one another, to discharge an indoor air to the outside of the room; an air-circulating passage of communicating the inside of the room with one point of the air-supplying passage inside the case, to introduce the indoor air to the case, and to re-supply the air to the inside of the room; and a fan provided in the case, for supplying the outdoor air introduced to the case through the air-supplying passage to the inside of the room, or re-supplying the indoor air introduced to the case through the air-circulating passage to the insi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Keun Hyoung Choi, Jeong Yong Kim, Ho Seon Choi, Kwan Ho Yum, Ju Youn Lee
  • Patent number: 7494408
    Abstract: A fan holder assembly comprises a panel defining a plurality of latching holes therein, a first fan, a second fan, and a holder securely attached to the panel for securing either the first fan or the second fan. The holder comprises a bottom plate having a plurality of catches, a plurality of first clasping portions extending from the bottom plate, and a plurality of second clasping portions extending from the bottom plate. The first clasping portions are situated below the second clasping portions. The catches engage in the latching holes of the panel respectively, thereby fixedly attaching the holder to the panel. The first clasping portions engage with the first fan for securing the first fan. The second clasping portions engage with the second fan for securing the second fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun-Lung Chen, Qing-Hao Wu
  • Patent number: 7491119
    Abstract: A rear air conditioner is installed at a rear side of a vehicle and supplies conditioned air to a rear seat area of a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The rear air conditioner includes a case, a heat exchanger for cooling, a heat exchanger for heating, and a bypass passage for guiding part of warm air. The case includes an inlet port through which air blown from a blower enters, a vent outlet port, and a floor outlet port. The heat exchanger for cooling and the heat exchanger for heating are installed in an airflow path formed inside the case. The bypass passage extends from an outlet of the heat exchanger for heating to the floor outlet port so that warm air passing through the heat exchanger for heating can be directly discharged to the floor outlet port. Accordingly, the rear air conditioner can offer improved performance to control a vertical difference of temperature in a cold and warm air mixing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corporation
    Inventors: Joong Man Han, Joong Un Park
  • Patent number: 7485034
    Abstract: A ventilating apparatus for a roof having a longitudinally extending ridge member and a vent opening substantially co-extensive with the ridge member, that in one embodiment includes a vent member mounted above the ridge member and extending longitudinally along the length of the vent opening, the vent member including a plurality of vent passages communicating the vent opening to ambient atmosphere; and the vent member including an upper wall, a pair of side walls, a pair of lower walls, and a pair of flexible mounting flanges that provide an adjustable mount to the roof on opposite sides of the vent opening. The vent member can accommodate vent openings of different widths. The ventilating apparatus also includes a capping structure extending longitudinally above the ridge member, covering the ridge member and the vent opening so that air ventilating from the vent opening passes within a space between said capping structure and the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Cor-A-Vent, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary L Sells
  • Patent number: 7470178
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioner includes an airflow regulator disposed in a duct for regulating a rate of flow of temperature-controlled air to be discharged from an air outlet of the duct. The airflow regulator is formed by a plurality of hollow frustoconical members placed one over another in a nested condition. Each of the frustoconical members is open at a small end and a large end thereof and has at least one opening formed in a sidewall thereof. The frustoconical members are rotatable relative to one another about a common central axis thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiro Tajiri
  • Patent number: 7462214
    Abstract: A vehicular air-conditioner with a pollen mode setting intake to an inside air mode, vents to a face mode, and a blower air flow to a limit maximum air flow M1 between a minimum air flow Lo and a maximum air flow Hi (Lo<M1<M2<Hi), with an air-conditioning unit provided with a filter for trapping pollen and blowing clean air from which pollen has been removed from the vents to the vehicle compartment, whereby by starting the pollen mode simultaneously with the start of the engine, clean air is immediately blown to the vicinity of the face of the driver from the face vents and thereby the pollen entering the vehicle or pollen carried into the vehicle in the vicinity of the face is blown away, the air flow at this time being a maximum air flow M1 able to be withstood in terms of temperature sensation, so a pollen free comfortable environment being created without causing discomfort.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukiya Sassa, Kenichi Kato, Yasushi Kato, Hironobu Takeda
  • Patent number: 7462098
    Abstract: An aircraft cabin pressure control system implements control logic that significantly reduces potentially uncomfortable pressure bumps that can occur during aircraft take-off rotation both with and without cabin pressuring fluid flowing into the aircraft cabin. The control logic implemented by the cabin pressure control system, among other things, determines whether the cabin pressurizing fluid is flowing into the aircraft cabin. If the cabin pressurizing fluid is flowing into the aircraft cabin, aircraft cabin altitude is controlled to at least a first predetermined minimum altitude value below the take-off altitude. If the cabin pressurizing fluid is not flowing into the aircraft cabin, aircraft cabin altitude is controlled to at least a second predetermined minimum altitude value above the take-off altitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy R. Arthurs, Darrell W. Horner, Alastair R. Laing, Joaquin P. Rabon
  • Patent number: 7455580
    Abstract: A dry spray device includes a base, an air-extracting device, a wind force indicator, a first filter, a second filter, an isolating device and a work frame. The isolating device has a spray space for placing a work to be sprayed with paint, and waste gas and paint odor produced during spraying in the spray space in the isolating device is sucked into an interior space in the base by a motor driving a rotary fan in a wind housing fixed on the base to be filtered by the first filter and then through the second filter to become clean air to be exhausted out into open air. As the second filter is arranged in a V-shape in the interior space of the base so that the base can be made compact to let the whole size of the device occupy only a small space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: San Ford Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chieh-Yuan Cheng