Patents by Inventor Randy R. Koivisto
Randy R. Koivisto 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: 11320213Abstract: A furnace of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a heat exchange tube configured to receive a working fluid from a burner and a modulating valve fluidly coupled to the burner. The modulating valve is configured to regulate an amount of fuel supplied to the burner to generate the working fluid. The furnace also includes a blower configured to draw the working fluid through the heat exchange tube, a motor drive configured to adjust a speed of the blower, and a controller configured to adjust a position of the modulating valve and to control the motor drive to adjust the speed of the blower based on a temperature of air discharged from the HVAC system.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2019Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLPInventors: Stephen C. Wilson, Kerry L. Shumway, William M. Harris, Randy R. Koivisto
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Publication number: 20200348087Abstract: A furnace of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a heat exchange tube configured to receive a working fluid from a burner and a modulating valve fluidly coupled to the burner. The modulating valve is configured to regulate an amount of fuel supplied to the burner to generate the working fluid. The furnace also includes a blower configured to draw the working fluid through the heat exchange tube, a motor drive configured to adjust a speed of the blower, and a controller configured to adjust a position of the modulating valve and to control the motor drive to adjust the speed of the blower based on a temperature of air discharged from the HVAC system.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2019Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Stephen C. Wilson, Kerry L. Shumway, William M. Harris, Randy R. Koivisto
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Patent number: 10190806Abstract: A specially designed electronic expansion valve control system is provided for use with a refrigerant-based air conditioning circuit having a compressor, a condenser coil, an electronic expansion valve and an evaporator coil fluid coupled in series. The control system includes a unit control and an expansion valve control. The unit control is operative to receive compressor operation-related signal information and responsively generate at least one output signal representative of the received compressor operation-related signal information. The expansion valve control is operative to receive from the unit control only the at least one output signal, and to receive from one of the coils coil operation-related signal information, and to responsively output a control useable to control the expansion valve, the control signal being related in a predetermined manner to the signals received by the expansion valve control.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Kelvin W. Kleman, Randy R. Koivisto, Jeremy Lee Babb
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Publication number: 20180128526Abstract: A specially designed electronic expansion valve control system is provided for use with a refrigerant-based air conditioning circuit having a compressor, a condenser coil, an electronic expansion valve and an evaporator coil fluid coupled in series. The control system includes a unit control and an expansion valve control. The unit control is operative to receive compressor operation-related signal information and responsively generate at least one output signal representative of the received compressor operation-related signal information. The expansion valve control is operative to receive from the unit control only the at least one output signal, and to receive from one of the coils coil operation-related signal information, and to responsively output a control useable to control the expansion valve, the control signal being related in a predetermined manner to the signals received by the expansion valve control.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2018Publication date: May 10, 2018Inventors: Kelvin W. Kleman, Randy R. Koivisto, Jeremy Lee Babb
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Patent number: 9874380Abstract: A specially designed electronic expansion valve control system is provided for use with a refrigerant-based air conditioning circuit having a compressor, a condenser coil, an electronic expansion valve and an evaporator coil fluid coupled in series. The control system includes a unit control and an expansion valve control. The unit control is operative to receive compressor operation-related signal information and responsively generate at least one output signal representative of the received compressor operation-related signal information. The expansion valve control is operative to receive from the unit control only the at least one output signal, and to receive from one of the coils coil operation-related signal information, and to responsively output a control useable to control the expansion valve, the control signal being related in a predetermined manner to the signals received by the expansion valve control.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2013Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Kelvin W. Kleman, Randy R. Koivisto, Jeremy Lee Babb
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Patent number: 9677785Abstract: A fuel-fired condensing type air heating furnace is provided with an electronic condensate water level sensing system operative to sense improper outflow of condensate from a collector box portion of the furnace and responsively shut down or prevent operation of the furnace. Condensate probe portions of the system are oriented in a manner such that several air flow orientation of the furnace may be utilized without the necessity of relocating the probes or effecting an re-wiring of the water level sensing system.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2012Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Robert S. Neihouse, Shawn A. Reed, Walter R. Lowrimore, Randy R. Koivisto, Scott A. Willbanks
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Publication number: 20130340452Abstract: A specially designed electronic expansion valve control system is provided for use with a refrigerant-based air conditioning circuit having a compressor, a condenser coil, an electronic expansion valve and an evaporator coil fluid coupled in series. The control system includes a unit control and an expansion valve control. The unit control is operative to receive compressor operation-related signal information and responsively generate at least one output signal representative of the received compressor operation-related signal information. The expansion valve control is operative to receive from the unit control only the at least one output signal, and to receive from one of the coils coil operation-related signal information, and to responsively output a control useable to control the expansion valve, the control signal being related in a predetermined manner to the signals received by the expansion valve control.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2013Publication date: December 26, 2013Applicant: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Kelvin W. Kleman, Randy R. Koivisto, Jeremy Lee Babb
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Patent number: 8385729Abstract: A heat pump water heater has a tank portion, an electric heating structure for adding electrical heat to water stored in the tank, and a heat pump for adding refrigerant heat to the tank water. A control system associated with the water heater has three user-selectable heating modes for heating the tank water during a given heating demand cycle—a first mode that initially heats the tank water with refrigerant heat while the electric heat is locked out for a first predetermined period before supplementing the refrigerant heat if necessary, a second mode similar to the first mode but with a longer electric heat lockout period, and a third mode in which only the electric heat is utilized to satisfy a tank water heating demand. Illustratively, the heat pump is disposed in a compact component arrangement on the top end of the water heater tank.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2009Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Kelvin W. Kleman, Carl Bergt, Randy R. Koivisto
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Publication number: 20110058795Abstract: A heat pump water heater has a tank portion, an electric heating structure for adding electrical heat to water stored in the tank, and a heat pump for adding refrigerant heat to the tank water. A control system associated with the water heater has three user-selectable heating modes for heating the tank water during a given heating demand cycle—a first mode that initially heats the tank water with refrigerant heat while the electric heat is locked out for a first predetermined period before supplementing the refrigerant heat if necessary, a second mode similar to the first mode but with a longer electric heat lockout period, and a third mode in which only the electric heat is utilized to satisfy a tank water heating demand. Illustratively, the heat pump is disposed in a compact component arrangement on the top end of the water heater tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2009Publication date: March 10, 2011Applicant: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Kelvin W. KLEMAN, Carl Bergt, Randy R. Koivisto
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Patent number: D607418Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2009Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Kelvin W. Kleman, Raheel A. Chaudhry, Randy R. Koivisto