Patents by Inventor David I. Vega
David I. Vega 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).
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Patent number: 11846433Abstract: A heated water recirculation system includes a water heater having a water inlet and a water outlet. The heated water recirculation system further includes a flow detector positioned to detect inflow water flowing into the water heater through the water inlet. The heated water recirculation system also includes a controller configured to control operations of a recirculation pump based on a detection of the inflow water flowing into the water heater through the water inlet. The water heater is configured to provide heated water through the water outlet, and the recirculation pump is configured to circulate the heated water through the heated water recirculation system.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2019Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega Fernandez, William T. McLemore
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Patent number: 11732905Abstract: A fluid heating device comprising a heat pump and an electric heating element can include a system and method that can receive current data from a current sensor and temperature data from a temperature sensor, determine whether the current is greater than or equal to a threshold current and whether the temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature, and output a control signal to heat the fluid using the heat pump only or the electric heating element only based on the current data and the temperature data.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: David I. Vega, Raheel A. Chaudhry, Troy E. Trant, Piyush Porwal
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Patent number: 11629884Abstract: A water heating system can include a first tank-based water heater having a first inlet line and a first outlet line, where the first inlet line provides unheated water to the first tank, and where the first outlet line draws heated water from the first tank. The system can also include a first tankless water heater having a second outlet line, where the second outlet line of the first tankless water heater provides the heated water to a first heated water demand. The system can also include a first valve that controls an amount of the unheated water flowing through the first inlet line to the first tank-based water heater. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the first valve, where the controller controls a position of the first valve based on the first heated water demand and a first capacity of the first tankless water heater.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2020Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega, Michael C. Mitchell
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Publication number: 20220397305Abstract: The present disclosure provides a water heater including a bypass conduit to allow flow of cold water from an inlet pipe to an outlet pipe, and an outlet temperature sensor coupled to the outlet pipe downstream of an outlet of the bypass conduit, to sense temperature of mixture of hot water and cold water in the outlet pipe. An electronic mixing valve is disposed along the inlet pipe to receive temperature data of water mixture from the outlet temperature sensor and compare temperature of the water mixture with a predefined temperature value. In response to determining that the water mixture is flowing through the outlet pipe, the electronic mixing valve regulates the flow of cold water through at least one of the bypass conduit and the inlet pipe until the temperature of the water mixture is within a predetermined range of the predefined temperature value.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2021Publication date: December 15, 2022Inventors: Edward G. Holman, Michael C. Ezell, David I. Vega, Patrick L. Figueroa, Raheel A. Chaudhry
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Patent number: 11525575Abstract: A burner appliance is disclosed. The burner appliance includes a byproduct sensor in an exhaust flue and/or a barometric pressure sensor to detect an environmental pressure at the burner appliance. By calculating concentrations of combustion byproducts in the exhaust with the byproduct sensor, a controller can adjust blower speed and/or fuel rate to modify combustion efficiency. By calculating the environmental pressure at the burner with the barometric pressure sensor, the controller can adjust blower speed and/or fuel rate to modify combustion efficiency. The barometric-pressure data can also be used to adjust blower speed control bands, thereby calibrating the control bands based on environmental pressure. The environmental pressure can be indicative of altitude and/or weather conditions. Methods of operating said burner appliance are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2020Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Michael C. Mitchell, David I. Vega
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Publication number: 20220341600Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for operating a fluid heating device comprising a heat pump and an electric heating element. The disclosed technology can include a system and method that can receive current data from a current sensor and temperature data from a temperature sensor, determine whether the current is greater than or equal to a threshold current and whether the temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature, and output a control signal to heat the fluid using the heat pump only or the electric heating element only based on the current data and the temperature data.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2022Publication date: October 27, 2022Inventors: David I. Vega, Raheel A. Chaudhry, Troy E. Trant, Piyush Porwal
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Patent number: 11441815Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for controlling a water heater. The disclosed systems can be configured to receive temperature data from a temperature sensor, receive flow rate data from a flow rate sensor, and receive a temperature setting. The systems can calculate a heat load rate based on at least the temperature data, the flow rate data, and the temperature setting, and can compare the heat load rate to a predetermined threshold setting. The systems can output instructions to perform a fast corrective action in response to the determination that the heat load is changing at a rate (i.e. the heat load rate) greater than, less than, or equal to the predetermined threshold setting.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2020Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventor: David I. Vega
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Patent number: 11415327Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for operating a fluid heating device comprising a heat pump and an electric heating element. The disclosed technology can include a system and method that can receive current data from a current sensor and temperature data from a temperature sensor, determine whether the current is greater than or equal to a threshold current and whether the temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature, and output a control signal to heat the fluid using the heat pump only or the electric heating element only based on the current data and the temperature data.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2020Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: David I. Vega, Raheel A. Chaudhry, Troy E. Trant, Piyush Porwal
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Publication number: 20220163221Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for operating a fluid heating device comprising a heat pump and an electric heating element. The disclosed technology can include a system and method that can receive current data from a current sensor and temperature data from a temperature sensor, determine whether the current is greater than or equal to a threshold current and whether the temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature, and output a control signal to heat the fluid using the heat pump only or the electric heating element only based on the current data and the temperature data.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2020Publication date: May 26, 2022Inventors: David I. Vega, Raheel A. Chaudhry, Troy E. Trant, Piyush Porwal
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Publication number: 20210325086Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for controlling a water heater. The disclosed systems can be configured to receive temperature data from a temperature sensor, receive flow rate data from a flow rate sensor, and receive a temperature setting. The systems can calculate a heat load rate based on at least the temperature data, the flow rate data, and the temperature setting, and can compare the heat load rate to a predetermined threshold setting. The systems can output instructions to perform a fast corrective action in response to the determination that the heat load is changing at a rate (i.e. the heat load rate) greater than, less than, or equal to the predetermined threshold setting.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2020Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventor: David I. Vega
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Publication number: 20210317988Abstract: A burner appliance is disclosed. The burner appliance includes a byproduct sensor in an exhaust flue and/or a barometric pressure sensor to detect an environmental pressure at the burner appliance. By calculating concentrations of combustion byproducts in the exhaust with the byproduct sensor, a controller can adjust blower speed and/or fuel rate to modify combustion efficiency. By calculating the environmental pressure at the burner with the barometric pressure sensor, the controller can adjust blower speed and/or fuel rate to modify combustion efficiency. The barometric-pressure data can also be used to adjust blower speed control bands, thereby calibrating the control bands based on environmental pressure. The environmental pressure can be indicative of altitude and/or weather conditions. Methods of operating said burner appliance are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2020Publication date: October 14, 2021Inventors: Michael C. Mitchell, David I. Vega
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Publication number: 20210095866Abstract: A heated water recirculation system includes a water heater having a water inlet and a water outlet. The heated water recirculation system further includes a flow detector positioned to detect inflow water flowing into the water heater through the water inlet. The heated water recirculation system also includes a controller configured to control operations of a recirculation pump based on a detection of the inflow water flowing into the water heater through the water inlet. The water heater is configured to provide heated water through the water outlet, and the recirculation pump is configured to circulate the heated water through the heated water recirculation system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2019Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega Fernandez, William T. McLemore
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Publication number: 20200224927Abstract: A water heating system can include a first tank-based water heater having a first inlet line and a first outlet line, where the first inlet line provides unheated water to the first tank, and where the first outlet line draws heated water from the first tank. The system can also include a first tankless water heater having a second outlet line, where the second outlet line of the first tankless water heater provides the heated water to a first heated water demand. The system can also include a first valve that controls an amount of the unheated water flowing through the first inlet line to the first tank-based water heater. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the first valve, where the controller controls a position of the first valve based on the first heated water demand and a first capacity of the first tankless water heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2020Publication date: July 16, 2020Inventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega, Michael C. Mitchell
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Patent number: 10605486Abstract: A water heating system can include a first tank-based water heater having a first inlet line and a first outlet line, where the first inlet line provides unheated water to the first tank, and where the first outlet line draws heated water from the first tank. The system can also include a first tankless water heater having a second outlet line, where the second outlet line of the first tankless water heater provides the heated water to a first heated water demand. The system can also include a first valve that controls an amount of the unheated water flowing through the first inlet line to the first tank-based water heater. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the first valve, where the controller controls a position of the first valve based on the first heated water demand and a first capacity of the first tankless water heater.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2017Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega, Michael C. Mitchell
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Patent number: 10604421Abstract: A water treatment device includes a water treatment material contained within a housing of the water treatment device. The incoming water is exposed to the water treatment material to produce treated water. A magnetic field-based or a light-based sensor may determine an amount of the water treatment material remaining in the water treatment device and provide notification.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2017Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega Fernandez
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Publication number: 20190170398Abstract: A water heating system can include a first tank-based water heater having a first inlet line and a first outlet line, where the first inlet line provides unheated water to the first tank, and where the first outlet line draws heated water from the first tank. The system can also include a first tankless water heater having a second outlet line, where the second outlet line of the first tankless water heater provides the heated water to a first heated water demand. The system can also include a first valve that controls an amount of the unheated water flowing through the first inlet line to the first tank-based water heater. The system can further include a controller operatively coupled to the first valve, where the controller controls a position of the first valve based on the first heated water demand and a first capacity of the first tankless water heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2017Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega, Michael C. Mitchell
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Publication number: 20190002303Abstract: A water treatment device includes a water treatment material contained within a housing of the water treatment device. The incoming water is exposed to the water treatment material to produce treated water. A magnetic field-based or a light-based sensor may determine an amount of the water treatment material remaining in the water treatment device and provide notification.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2017Publication date: January 3, 2019Inventors: Raheel A. Chaudhry, David I. Vega Fernandez