Patents by Inventor Klint E. Leete

Klint E. Leete 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).

  • Apparatus and methods for pre-heating water with air conditioning unit or heat pump
    Patent number: 9945582
    Abstract: Water heater apparatus includes a tank for storing water; a heat exchanger associated with the tank and being operative to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to the tank, the heat exchanger representatively being a heat conductive tube externally wrapped around the tank in heat conductive contact therewith; air conditioning apparatus operative to utilize refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit portion of the air conditioning apparatus, the refrigerant circuit portion being in fluid communication with the heat exchanger; and a control system operative to selectively cause a portion of the flowing refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger, or cause essentially the entire flow of the refrigerant to bypass the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Klint E. Leete, Timothy B. Hawkins, Jeremy L. Babb
  • Apparatus and Methods for Pre-Heating Water with Air Conditioning Unit or Heat Pump
    Publication number: 20160320093
    Abstract: Water heater apparatus includes a tank for storing water; a heat exchanger associated with the tank and being operative to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to the tank, the heat exchanger representatively being a heat conductive tube externally wrapped around the tank in heat conductive contact therewith; air conditioning apparatus operative to utilize refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit portion of the air conditioning apparatus, the refrigerant circuit portion being in fluid communication with the heat exchanger; and a control system operative to selectively cause a portion of the flowing refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger, or cause essentially the entire flow of the refrigerant to bypass the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Klint E. Leete, Timothy B. Hawkins, Jeremy L. Babb
  • Apparatus and methods for pre-heating water with air conditioning unit or heat pump
    Patent number: 9389000
    Abstract: Water heater apparatus includes a tank for storing water; a heat exchanger associated with the tank and being operative to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to the tank, the heat exchanger representatively being a heat conductive tube externally wrapped around the tank in heat conductive contact therewith; air conditioning apparatus operative to utilize refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit portion of the air conditioning apparatus, the refrigerant circuit portion being in fluid communication with the heat exchanger; and a control system operative to selectively cause a portion of the flowing refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger, or cause essentially the entire flow of the refrigerant to bypass the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Klint E. Leete, Timothy B. Hawkins, Jeremy L. Babb
  • APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PRE-HEATING WATER WITH AIR CONDITIONING UNIT OR HEAT PUMP
    Publication number: 20140260358
    Abstract: Water heater apparatus includes a tank for storing water; a heat exchanger associated with the tank and being operative to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to the tank, the heat exchanger representatively being a heat conductive tube externally wrapped around the tank in heat conductive contact therewith; air conditioning apparatus operative to utilize refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit portion of the air conditioning apparatus, the refrigerant circuit portion being in fluid communication with the heat exchanger; and a control system operative to selectively cause a portion of the flowing refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger, or cause essentially the entire flow of the refrigerant to bypass the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Rheem Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Klint E. Leete, Timothy B. Hawkins, Jeremy L. Babb