Patents by Inventor Brian S. Kim

Brian S. Kim has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8590600
    Abstract: A cleaning brush device for a condenser of refrigerator comprising a condenser and a cleaning brush is provided. The condenser comprises a cooling fin grid of rows of horizontal fins and columns of vertical fins. The cleaning brush sweeps horizontally and vertically over the cooling fin grid in a predetermined period of time and brushes off the dust bunny collected in the cooling fin grid. The predetermined period of time is controlled according to amount of the dust bunny on the cooling fin grid. The cleaning brush may sweep the grid horizontally and vertically in a systematical way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Publication number: 20130263617
    Abstract: An alarm system for refrigerator includes a sensor, a display, an alarm device, and a controller. The sensor is provided in the refrigerator for sensing temperature of a cooling chamber. The display is provided in the refrigerator for displaying operational information of the refrigerator, and the operational information includes the temperature detected by the sensor. The alarm device is for determining alarming situations using the temperature of the refrigerator detected by the sensor and issuing an alarm such that a user is notified of problems determined by the alarm device. The controller is provided in the refrigerator for controlling operation of the refrigerator, the sensor, the display, and the alarm device. The alarm device is controlled and operated by the controller in determining the alarming situations and issuing the alarm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Publication number: 20130263618
    Abstract: An alarm system for refrigerator includes a sensor, a display, an alarm device, and a controller. The sensor is provided in the refrigerator for sensing temperature of a cooling chamber. The display is provided in the refrigerator for displaying operational information of the refrigerator, and the operational information includes the temperature detected by the sensor. The alarm device is for determining alarming situations using the temperature of the refrigerator detected by the sensor and issuing an alarm such that a user is notified of problems determined by the alarm device. The controller is provided in the refrigerator for controlling operation of the refrigerator, the sensor, the display, and the alarm device. The alarm device is controlled and operated by the controller in determining the alarming situations and issuing the alarm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventor: Brian S. KIM
  • Publication number: 20130255305
    Abstract: An air duct device for refrigerator includes a first compartment, a second compartment, and a fan motor. The first compartment has a front opening and a rear opening. The second compartment has a front opening, and the second compartment is disposed by the first compartment and connected with the first compartment through an intermediate opening. The fan motor provided at a first location close to the front opening of the first compartment for taking in air from outside and blowing the air into the first compartment toward the rear opening of the first compartment. The condenser is installed at a second location between the first location and the rear opening of the first compartment and the compressor is installed at a third location between the second location and the the rear opening of the first compartment and the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Publication number: 20120167609
    Abstract: A dust cleaning device for condenser of cooler is provided, which can cleanse dust and other undesirables attached to the heat exchange fin due to wind blowing for increasing efficiency of the condenser performing liquifying of refrigerant in showcase, freezer, refrigerator, etc. Since the dust from outside is attached to the condenser due to ventilation and they become one of reasons for compressor failure, the device is configured to clean the heat exchange fin of the condenser periodically, in which a wire winch and a cleaning brush is connected to a driving axle of a driving motor such that the cleaning brush performs up-and-down motion and rotation with a power of the driving motor and cleans the heat exchange fin. In other structure, pinion and rack can be connected to the driving axle to perform the up-and-down motion. The cleaning brush is made of textile or unwoven fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Inventor: Brian S. KIM
  • Publication number: 20120031127
    Abstract: A defrost fan control device for a refrigerator is provided. The device comprises a container, a heat exchanger, a chamber, a suction pump, a condensate spraying device, an evaporation coil, and a blower. The suction pump is for sucking up the condensate from the container. The condensate spraying device is for spraying the condensate sucked up by the suction pump within the chamber. The evaporation coil is disposed around the condensate spraying device such that the condensate from the suction pump lands on an inner surface of the evaporation coil and evaporates the condensate. The blower is for inducing air flow within the chamber, whereby the evaporated condensate is exhausted from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventor: Brian S. KIM
  • Publication number: 20120006044
    Abstract: A condensate evaporation device for a refrigerator is provided. The device comprises a container, a heat exchanger, a chamber, a suction pump, a condensate spraying device, an evaporation coil, and a blower. The suction pump is for sucking up the condensate from the container. The condensate spraying device is for spraying the condensate sucked up by the suction pump within the chamber. The evaporation coil is disposed around the condensate spraying device such that the condensate from the suction pump lands on an inner surface of the evaporation coil and evaporates the condensate. The blower is for inducing air flow within the chamber, whereby the evaporated condensate is exhausted from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventor: Brian S. KIM
  • Patent number: 8086601
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods of retrieving the pages according to the quality of the individual pages. The rank of a page for a keyword is a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic ranks. Intrinsic rank is the measure of the relevancy of a page to a given keyword as claimed by the author of the page while extrinsic rank is a measure of the relevancy of a page on a given keyword as indicated by other pages. The former is obtained from the analysis of the keyword matching in various parts of the page while the latter is obtained from the context-sensitive connectivity analysis of the links connecting the entire Web. The present invention also provides the methods to solve the self-consistent equation satisfied by the page weights iteratively in a very efficient way. The ranking mechanism for multi-word query is also described. Finally, the present invention provides a method to obtain the more relevant page weights by dividing the entire hypertext pages into distinct number of groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: LookSmart, Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian S. Kim, Sudong Chung, Anurag Dod, Michael Kim, Yeogiri Yun
  • Publication number: 20110296641
    Abstract: A cleaning brush device for a condenser of refrigerator comprising a condenser and a cleaning brush is provided. The condenser comprises a cooling fin grid of rows of horizontal fins and columns of vertical fins. The cleaning brush sweeps horizontally and vertically over the cooling fin grid in a predetermined period of time and brushes off the dust bunny collected in the cooling fin grid. The predetermined period of time is controlled according to amount of the dust bunny on the cooling fin grid. The cleaning brush may sweep the grid horizontally and vertically in a systematical way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventor: Brian S. KIM
  • Publication number: 20100077778
    Abstract: A refrigerator comprises an enclosure that is cooled below a predetermined temperature, a refrigeration circuit that keeps the temperature of the enclosure below the predetermined temperature, a door that provides access into the enclosure and a pressure equalizing device that equalizes the pressure inside the enclosure with the pressure outside the enclosure. The pressure equalizing device comprises a communication path that fluid-communicates the inside of the enclosure with the outside of the enclosure, and a valve device that opens or closes the communication path. The valve device opens the communication path when the air pressure outside the enclosure is greater than the air pressure inside the enclosure by a predetermined value. The valve device comprises a pivoting plate that is pivoted around a horizontal axis, and an opening that is open to air outside the enclosure. The pivoting plate covers the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Publication number: 20100077785
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes an enclosure that is adapted to store and cool down food, a refrigeration circuit that cools down the inside of the enclosure and a condensate evaporation device. The refrigeration circuit includes an evaporator that evaporates coolant to cool down the inside of the enclosure and a condenser that condenses coolant. The condensate evaporation device includes a drain case into which condensate generated is collected, and a heating device that provides heat to the drain case to evaporate the condensate. The heating device includes a hot air guide device that guides air heated with heat generated by the condenser into the drain case. The hot air guide device includes an air duct that is provided between the drain case and the condenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Publication number: 20090272138
    Abstract: A condensate evaporation device for a refrigerator is provided. The condensate evaporation device includes a refrigerant pipe and a protecting tube. The refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows is installed near bottom of a pan containing condensate that flows out of the storage space so as to be immersed in the condensate. The protecting tube is disposed around at least a part of the refrigerant pipe. The protecting tube surrounds at least a part of the refrigerant pipe that is immersed in the condensate in the pan, such that the condensate does not contact and erode the refrigerant pipe directly. The protecting tube may surround the refrigerant pipe tightly to provide heat exchange between the refrigerant and the condensate via the refrigerant pipe and the protecting tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Publication number: 20090084118
    Abstract: A refrigerator that includes an enclosure that is adapted to store and cool down food, a refrigeration circuit that cools down the inside of the enclosure, a power supply that supplies power to the refrigeration circuit, a control circuit that controls the operation of the refrigeration circuit and a sign panel that is attached on the outside of the enclosure. The sign panel is controlled by the control circuit, and is powered by the power supply. The sign panel includes a series of letter panels, and each of the letter panels includes a plurality of dot elements. The series of letter panels are controlled to display a streaming message. The sign panel is attached on an easily noticeable location on the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Publication number: 20080147649
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods of retrieving the pages according to the quality of the individual pages. The rank of a page for a keyword is a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic ranks. Intrinsic rank is the measure of the relevancy of a page to a given keyword as claimed by the author of the page while extrinsic rank is a measure of the relevancy of a page on a given keyword as indicated by other pages. The former is obtained from the analysis of the keyword matching in various parts of the page while the latter is obtained from the context-sensitive connectivity analysis of the links connecting the entire Web. The present invention also provides the methods to solve the self-consistent equation satisfied by the page weights iteratively in a very efficient way. The ranking mechanism for multi-word query is also described. Finally, the present invention provides a method to obtain the more relevant page weights by dividing the entire hypertext pages into distinct number of groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Brian S. Kim, Sudong Chung, Anurag Dod, Michael Kim, Yeogirl Yun
  • Patent number: 7356530
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods of retrieving the pages according to the quality of the individual pages. The rank of a page for a keyword is a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic ranks. Intrinsic rank is the measure of the relevancy of a page to a given keyword as claimed by the author of the page while extrinsic rank is a measure of the relevancy of a page on a given keyword as indicated by other pages. The former is obtained from the analysis of the keyword matching in various parts of the page while the latter is obtained from the context-sensitive connectivity analysis of the links connecting the entire Web. The present invention also provides the methods to solve the self-consistent equation satisfied by the page weights iteratively in a very efficient way. The ranking mechanism for multi-word query is also described. Finally, the present invention provides a method to obtain the more relevant page weights by dividing the entire hypertext pages into distinct number of groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Looksmart, Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian S. Kim, Sudong Chung, Anurag Dod
  • Patent number: 7340916
    Abstract: A pressure equalizing device for refrigerators, having a chamber, a door on the front wall of the chamber, an evaporator, and an evaporator defrost heater, is provided. The pressure equalizing device includes a pressure relief valve, an installation hole, and a deicing device for the pressure relief valve. The pressure relief valve connects the inside and outside of the chamber, and includes an inner end and an outer end. The installation hole is perforated on one of the walls of the chamber. The pressure relief valve equalizes the pressure inside and outside of the chamber to facilitate the opening of the door. The pressure relief valve includes an operation switch, and the operation switch is activated by the opening of the door. The pressure relief valve is disposed over deicing device, and the deicing device melts ice formed on the inner end of the pressure relief valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Patent number: D591532
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Patent number: D650399
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Patent number: D668274
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim
  • Patent number: D671148
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Inventor: Brian S. Kim