Patents by Inventor James K. Spitzer

James K. Spitzer 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).

  • Publication number: 20230344380
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a fan, a motor that is coupled to the fan, and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is coupled to the motor. The motor includes a maximum rated speed that is greater than a maximum structural speed limit of the fan, and the VFD includes a current output limit configured to limit an operational speed of the motor to be less than or equal to the maximum structural speed limit of the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Harold J. Dubensky, James K. Spitzer, Roderick Ray Sentz, Kevin R. Stockton
  • Patent number: 11689145
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a fan, a motor that is coupled to the fan, and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is coupled to the motor. The motor includes a maximum rated speed that is greater than a maximum structural speed limit of the fan, and the VFD includes a current output limit configured to limit an operational speed of the motor to be less than or equal to the maximum structural speed limit of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Harold J. Dubensky, James K. Spitzer, Roderick Ray Sentz, Kevin R. Stockton
  • Publication number: 20220247341
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a fan, a motor that is coupled to the fan, and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is coupled to the motor. The motor includes a maximum rated speed that is greater than a maximum structural speed limit of the fan, and the VFD includes a current output limit configured to limit an operational speed of the motor to be less than or equal to the maximum structural speed limit of the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Harold J. Dubensky, James K. Spitzer, Roderick Ray Sentz, Kevin R. Stockton
  • Patent number: 11342881
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a fan, a motor that is coupled to the fan, and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is coupled to the motor. The motor includes a maximum rated speed that is greater than a maximum structural speed limit of the fan, and the VFD includes a current output limit configured to limit an operational speed of the motor to be less than or equal to the maximum structural speed limit of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Harold J. Dubensky, James K. Spitzer, Roderick Ray Sentz, Kevin R. Stockton
  • Publication number: 20210058021
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a fan, a motor that is coupled to the fan, and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is coupled to the motor. The motor includes a maximum rated speed that is greater than a maximum structural speed limit of the fan, and the VFD includes a current output limit configured to limit an operational speed of the motor to be less than or equal to the maximum structural speed limit of the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Harold J. Dubensky, James K. Spitzer, Roderick Ray Sentz, Kevin R. Stockton
  • Patent number: 10833625
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a fan, a motor that is coupled to the fan, and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is coupled to the motor. The motor includes a maximum rated speed that is greater than a maximum structural speed limit of the fan, and the VFD includes a current output limit configured to limit an operational speed of the motor to be less than or equal to the maximum structural speed limit of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Harold J. Dubensky, James K. Spitzer, Roderick Ray Sentz, Kevin R. Stockton
  • Patent number: 10502468
    Abstract: A cooling system includes a subcooling heat exchange assembly, which controls magnitude of subcooling of refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The subcooling heat exchange assembly includes a first fluid line fluidly coupled to an output of a condenser to enable a first portion of the refrigerant output from the condenser to flow through the first fluid line; a second fluid line fluidly coupled to the output of the condenser to enable a second portion of the refrigerant output from the condenser to flow through the second fluid line; and an expansion valve disposed along the second fluid line, in which the expansion valve exerts a first pressure drop on the second portion of the refrigerant that facilitates extracting heat from the first portion of the refrigerant flowing through the first fluid line using the second portion of the refrigerant flowing through the second fluid line when valve position of the expansion valve is greater than a threshold position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Douglas A. Kester, Curtis W. Caskey, James K. Spitzer, Chandra Yelamanchili, Nicholas P. Mislak, Rajiv K. Karkhanis
  • Patent number: 10488089
    Abstract: A cooling system includes an expansion valve configured to exert a first pressure drop on refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The cooling system also includes a plurality of capillary expansion tubes fluidly coupled in parallel to an output of the expansion valve and configured to exert a second pressure drop on the refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The cooling system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the expansion valve, wherein the controller is configured to control magnitude of the first pressure drop by instructing the expansion valve to adjust the valve position based at least in part on refrigerant mass flow expected to be supplied to the expansion valve to facilitate substantially uniformly distributing the refrigerant mass flow between each of the plurality capillary expansion tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Douglas A. Kester, Curtis W. Caskey, James K. Spitzer, Chandra Yelamanchili, Nicholas P. Mislak, Rajiv K. Karkhanis
  • Publication number: 20180102726
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a fan, a motor that is coupled to the fan, and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is coupled to the motor. The motor includes a maximum rated speed that is greater than a maximum structural speed limit of the fan, and the VFD includes a current output limit configured to limit an operational speed of the motor to be less than or equal to the maximum structural speed limit of the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Harold J. Dubensky, James K. Spitzer, Roderick Ray Sentz, Kevin R. Stockton
  • Publication number: 20180094840
    Abstract: A cooling system includes a subcooling heat exchange assembly, which controls magnitude of subcooling of refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The subcooling heat exchange assembly includes a first fluid line fluidly coupled to an output of a condenser to enable a first portion of the refrigerant output from the condenser to flow through the first fluid line; a second fluid line fluidly coupled to the output of the condenser to enable a second portion of the refrigerant output from the condenser to flow through the second fluid line; and an expansion valve disposed along the second fluid line, in which the expansion valve exerts a first pressure drop on the second portion of the refrigerant that facilitates extracting heat from the first portion of the refrigerant flowing through the first fluid line using the second portion of the refrigerant flowing through the second fluid line when valve position of the expansion valve is greater than a threshold position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Douglas A. Kester, Curtis W. Caskey, James K. Spitzer, Chandra Yelamanchili, Nicholas P. Mislak, Rajiv K. Karkhanis
  • Publication number: 20180094841
    Abstract: A cooling system includes an expansion valve configured to exert a first pressure drop on refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The cooling system also includes a plurality of capillary expansion tubes fluidly coupled in parallel to an output of the expansion valve and configured to exert a second pressure drop on the refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The cooling system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the expansion valve, wherein the controller is configured to control magnitude of the first pressure drop by instructing the expansion valve to adjust the valve position based at least in part on refrigerant mass flow expected to be supplied to the expansion valve to facilitate substantially uniformly distributing the refrigerant mass flow between each of the plurality capillary expansion tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Douglas A. Kester, Curtis W. Caskey, James K. Spitzer, Chandra Yelamanchili, Nicholas P. Mislak, Rajiv K. Karkhanis