Patents by Inventor Stephanie P. Lynn

Stephanie P. Lynn 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: 11609589
    Abstract: An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, an input connection configured to receive a power supply line voltage, and a voltage divider circuit. The voltage divider circuit includes a first capacitor in series between the input connection and the mechanical transducer, a second capacitor in parallel with the first capacitor between the input connection and the mechanical transducer, and a first transistor operable to connect and disconnect the first capacitor and/or the second capacitor from the voltage divider circuit based on the power supply line voltage, thereby adjusting a capacitance between the input connection and the mechanical transducer. The voltage divider circuit is configured to receive the power supply line voltage from the input connection, use at least one of the first capacitor or the second capacitor to reduce the power supply line voltage to a reduced voltage, and provide the reduced voltage to the mechanical transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Robert K. Alexander, Jeffry M. Papendorf, Stephanie P. Lynn
  • Patent number: 11280424
    Abstract: An actuator includes a drive device, and energy storage element and an actuator controller. The energy storage element is charged during operation of the actuator using power from an external power source. The drive device drives a valve member to a failsafe setpoint using energy from the energy storage element in the event of a power loss during operation of the actuator. The actuator controller provides a drive signal to the drive device indicating the valve member orientation (i.e. the failsafe setpoint) to which the drive device is to drive the valve member. The failsafe setpoint is determined based on the last fluid source that was controlled by the actuator of the fluid system prior to the power outage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Kevin A. Weiss, Gary A. Romanowich, Stephanie P. Lynn, Russell T. Jenks
  • Patent number: 11273335
    Abstract: A fire damper actuation system in an HVAC system includes a damper system and an actuator system. The damper system includes damper blades rotatable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, a crank arm assembly configured to drive the damper blades, a spring assembly configured to be held in a loaded condition when the damper blades are in the open configuration, a temperature-activated fusible link, and a fusible link arm coupling the temperature-activated fusible link to the crank arm assembly. The actuator system includes a motor and a drive device. The drive device is coupled to the crank arm assembly and the temperature-activated fusible link. Operation of the drive device by the motor between a first end stop location and a second end stop location simultaneously rotates the crank arm assembly and the temperature-activated fusible link to complete a test inspection procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Russell T. Jenks, Kyle M. Bero, Myles S. McCaleb, Nicholas P. Prato, Stephanie P. Lynn, Kent S. Maune
  • Patent number: 11047491
    Abstract: An actuator controls the operation of a valve member to achieve desired flow or no-flow states through different inlet ports of the valve in response to different types of input signals from one or more input sources. In some embodiments, the actuator drives the valve member along a first portion of a travel path to regulate flow through a first inlet port using analog or binary input signal(s) from a first input source, and drives the valve member along a second portion of the travel path to regulate flow through a second inlet port using analog or binary input signal(s) from a second input source. In some embodiments the actuator drives the valve member along the entire travel path to regulate flow through each of the first inlet port and the second inlet port responsive to an analog input signal from a single input source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Russell T. Jenks, Gary A. Romanowich, Stephanie P. Lynn, Ralph L. Arndt, Jr., Matthew A. Ward
  • Publication number: 20200378517
    Abstract: An actuator includes a drive device, and energy storage element and an actuator controller. The energy storage element is charged during operation of the actuator using power from an external power source. The drive device drives a valve member to a failsafe setpoint using energy from the energy storage element in the event of a power loss during operation of the actuator. The actuator controller provides a drive signal to the drive device indicating the valve member orientation (i.e. the failsafe setpoint) to which the drive device is to drive the valve member. The failsafe setpoint is determined based on the last fluid source that was controlled by the actuator of the fluid system prior to the power outage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weiss, Gary A. Romanowich, Stephanie P. Lynn, Russell T. Jenks
  • Publication number: 20190353260
    Abstract: An actuator controls the operation of a valve member to achieve desired flow or no-flow states through different inlet ports of the valve in response to different types of input signals from one or more input sources. In some embodiments, the actuator drives the valve member along a first portion of a travel path to regulate flow through a first inlet port using analog or binary input signal(s) from a first input source, and drives the valve member along a second portion of the travel path to regulate flow through a second inlet port using analog or binary input signal(s) from a second input source. In some embodiments the actuator drives the valve member along the entire travel path to regulate flow through each of the first inlet port and the second inlet port responsive to an analog input signal from a single input source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Russell T. Jenks, Gary A. Romanowich, Stephanie P. Lynn, Ralph L. Arndt, JR., Matthew A. Ward
  • Publication number: 20180311519
    Abstract: A fire damper actuation system in an HVAC system includes a damper system and an actuator system. The damper system includes damper blades rotatable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, a crank arm assembly configured to drive the damper blades, a spring assembly configured to be held in a loaded condition when the damper blades are in the open configuration, a temperature-activated fusible link, and a fusible link arm coupling the temperature-activated fusible link to the crank arm assembly. The actuator system includes a motor and a drive device. The drive device is coupled to the crank arm assembly and the temperature-activated fusible link. Operation of the drive device by the motor between a first end stop location and a second end stop location simultaneously rotates the crank arm assembly and the temperature-activated fusible link to complete a test inspection procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Russell T. Jenks, Kyle M. Bero, Myles S. McCaleb, Nicholas P. Prato, Stephanie P. Lynn, Kent S. Maune
  • Publication number: 20180224872
    Abstract: An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, an input connection configured to receive a power supply line voltage, and a voltage divider circuit. The voltage divider circuit includes a first capacitor in series between the input connection and the mechanical transducer, a second capacitor in parallel with the first capacitor between the input connection and the mechanical transducer, and a first transistor operable to connect and disconnect the first capacitor and/or the second capacitor from the voltage divider circuit based on the power supply line voltage, thereby adjusting a capacitance between the input connection and the mechanical transducer. The voltage divider circuit is configured to receive the power supply line voltage from the input connection, use at least one of the first capacitor or the second capacitor to reduce the power supply line voltage to a reduced voltage, and provide the reduced voltage to the mechanical transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert K. Alexander, Jeffry M. Papendorf, Stephanie P. Lynn