Congealed Material (e.g., Frost, Etc.) Or Condensation Removal Or Prevention Patents (Class 165/231)
  • Patent number: 11479213
    Abstract: A system may be configured to detect an obstruction on sensor at least partially obstructing or distorting a portion of the field of view of the sensor. The system may also be configured to mitigate the effects of the obstruction or at least partially remove the obstruction from the sensor. The system may be configured to receive one or more signals from a sensor configured to generate signals indicative of an environment, which may include one or more objects, in which the sensor is present. The system may be configured to determine, for example, classify, based at least in part on the one or more signals, an obstruction or distortion on a surface of the sensor, and initiate a response, based at least in part on the determination, to mitigate effects of the obstruction and/or at least partially remove the obstruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy David Kentley-Klay
  • Patent number: 11149623
    Abstract: A pneumatic motor assembly that includes a pneumatic motor, which is driven by a compressed gas. The pneumatic motor assembly has a magnet assembly that magnetically couples the pneumatic motor assembly to an implement. After having being used to drive a pneumatic motor, the gas, which has expanded and become colder, cools the magnet assembly The pneumatic motor assembly can thus enable the use to the implement at temperatures at which the magnet assembly would otherwise reach or exceed the maximum operating temperature of the magnet assembly. A flow induction system that includes the pneumatic motor assembly. A method of operating a pneumatic motor assembly that also cools a magnet assembly that is part of the pneumatic motor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TERRESTRIAL ENERGY INC.
    Inventors: John Kutsch, David Leblanc
  • Patent number: 11071231
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus has a heat-exchanger within a housing exchanges heat between internal and external fluids without direct contact between the fluids. The internal fluid circulates within the housing and the external fluid is received external from the housing and output external from the housing 120. The housing includes is a heater; impellers; a controller for controlling the heater and the flow of fluids through the heat-exchanger; and temperature and humidity sensors. The controller receives temperature and humidity data from the sensors; processes the data to indicate a current dew point within the housing; and compares the current dew point with a current location temperature at or adjacent the heat-exchanger. If the current location temperature is at or below the current dew point, the controller raises the temperature at at least one location on the heat-exchanger and/or activates the heat source to raise the temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: AMSCREEN GROUP LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephen Whitehead, Jonathan Shires, Gary Greenwood, Peter Francis
  • Patent number: 11013074
    Abstract: In a method to dehumidify a cooking chamber of a domestic cooking appliance, a condensation formation in the cooking chamber is ascertained. A dehumidification message connected to a dehumidification process is displayed when the condensation formation is detected, and a user action is awaited when the message is displayed. The dehumidification process is either performed or terminated depending on the user action. A domestic cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber and a display device and is configured to ascertain a condensation formation in the cooking chamber and to start a dehumidification process when the condensation formation is ascertained. The domestic cooking appliance is additionally configured to display a drying message connected to a dehumidification process on the display device prior to starting the dehumidification process, to await a user action when the dehumidification message is displayed, and either to perform or terminate the dehumidification process depending on the user action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Guggenberger, Markus Kuchler, Max Stief
  • Patent number: 11006546
    Abstract: An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system includes an enclosure and a plurality of power converter modules positioned in the enclosure, each power conversion module including a power converter circuit, a module controller circuit configured to control the power converter circuit and at least one module fan controlled by the module controller circuit. The system further includes a system controller positioned in the enclosure and configured to communicate with the module controller circuits over a communications bus and at least one exhaust fan configured to exhaust air from the enclosure and controlled by the system controller. The system controller is configured to control the at least one exhaust fan responsive to information, such as temperature and/or load information, received from the module controller circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventors: Gary Bradley King, Edin Vajzovic, Justin Raymond Hogland, David Zheng
  • Patent number: 10864802
    Abstract: A flow channel located downstream of a temperature regulating device branches off into a first flow channel and a second flow channel. In the first flow channel, a windshield's-side flow channel connecting to a windshield's-side air outlet port and an adsorbent's-side flow channel connecting to an adsorbent inflow section are formed. At the time of regeneration treatment of an adsorbent, by interrupting communication between the first flow channel and the second flow channel, interrupting communication between a temperature regulating device outflow section and the windshield's-side air outlet port, and making the temperature regulating device outflow section and the adsorbent inflow section communicate with each other, the air warmed by the temperature regulating device is preferentially guided to the adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Kakizaki, Subaru Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10869411
    Abstract: A closed loop cooling system for electronic equipment. The system includes a cabinet having a top panel, walls, and a door defining an enclosure. A rack is within the enclosure, and the electronic equipment is mounted thereto. An evaporator is within the enclosure below the electronic equipment. Recirculated cabinet airflow warmed by the electronic equipment is directed to the evaporator, cooled by the evaporator, and directed back to the electronic equipment to cool the electronic equipment. A condenser is in fluid communication with the evaporator to circulate coolant therebetween. Ambient airflow from outside the cabinet flows across the condenser to cool coolant flowing therethrough. The recirculated cabinet airflow is maintained independent of the ambient airflow, thereby preventing introduction of added heat or contaminates into the recirculated cabinet airflow, and not affecting air pressure of the ambient airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO AIRCOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: James Magallanes, Yukio Ozawa
  • Patent number: 10852755
    Abstract: A method and system for providing HVAC signaling over a two-wire circuit is disclosed which also provides operating power for a thermostat. The system is relatively inexpensive to implement and produces only low levels of heat at the sender unit to avoid adversely affecting the ability of the thermostat to monitor the temperature of its surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: ECOBEE INC.
    Inventor: John Theodore Metselaar
  • Patent number: 10618624
    Abstract: An aircraft may include a fuselage, and a moisture accumulation prevention system that prevents moisture from accumulating on at least one structure within the fuselage. The moisture accumulation prevention system includes at least one ultrasonic element coupled to the structure(s). The ultrasonic element(s) operates at a frequency that prevents moisture particles from adhering to a surface of the structure(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Andrew T. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10533782
    Abstract: A method of defrosting an indoor coil in a refrigeration system in which, with a controller of the refrigeration system, a selected one of a number of predetermined defrost mode procedures is selected. Each predetermined defrost mode procedure is associated with a predetermined range of values of one or more predetermined parameters. Each predetermined defrost mode procedure includes adjustment of one or more components of the refrigeration system upon commencement of the defrost mode for optimum operation of the refrigeration system in the defrost mode, when the predetermined parameter is within the predetermined range of values upon commencement of operation in the defrost mode. With the controller, the component of the refrigeration system is adjusted in accordance with the selected one of the predetermined defrost mode procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: KEEPRITE REFRIGERATION, INC.
    Inventors: Yonghui Xu, Jacob Aaron Crane
  • Patent number: 10415842
    Abstract: Provided is an outdoor unit for an air conditioner and the like that provide notification of whether maintenance is needed for an outdoor heat exchange unit in appropriate timing. The outdoor unit for the air conditioner includes: a compressor; an outdoor heat exchange unit through which a refrigerant flows by driving of the compressor; an outdoor fan that includes an outdoor fan motor and is installed near the outdoor heat exchange unit; and a control unit that provides notification of whether maintenance is needed for the outdoor heat exchange unit based on an airflow resistance during an outdoor air-sending operation in which the outdoor fan is driven to send outdoor air into the outdoor heat exchange unit while the compressor is stopped. This makes it possible to provide the notification of whether the maintenance is needed for the outdoor heat exchange unit in appropriate timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi-Johnson Controls Air Conditioning, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Nagahashi, Koji Naito, Hayato Mori
  • Patent number: 10337758
    Abstract: Supply air conduit (7) along which air is sent from outdoors to indoors by the air supply fan (9), exhaust air conduit (8) along which air is sent from indoors to outdoors by the air exhaust fan (10), and heat exchange element (6) provided at a position where supply air conduit (7) and exhaust air conduit (8) intersect, for exchanging heat between indoor air and outdoor air for ventilation are included. In addition, in exhaust air conduit (8), humidity detection unit (14) is provided at a position upstream of heat exchange element (6), and, in supply air conduit (7), temperature detection unit (13) is provided at a position upstream of heat exchange element (6). In addition, controller (11) reduces, when a temperature detected by temperature detection unit (13) and humidity detected by humidity detection unit (14) are predetermined values, speed of an air supply motor and an air exhaust motor so that air flow rates at which moisture neither condenses nor freezes are attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kouji Iio, Yasuaki Shima, Kenichi Ishiguro, Yasuhiro Suzuki, Toshihiko Hashimoto, Teruaki Yasunishi, Yoshiyuki Kido
  • Patent number: 10106241
    Abstract: Under constraints on the space and the weight of an aircraft, the present invention aims to protect structural members from a heat generation part. An aircraft includes: a fuselage; an air conditioning pack installed on the outside of a lower part of the fuselage; a fairing covering the air conditioning pack; an outer heat insulation material disposed in a region of the fuselage, which corresponds to the air conditioning pack, from the outside of the fuselage; and an inner heat insulation material disposed around the region on the inside of the fuselage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhide Hara, Osamu Yamada
  • Patent number: 10101064
    Abstract: The air conditioner 1 includes an outdoor unit 10 and an indoor unit 30. The outdoor unit 10 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 16, a compressor 12, an outdoor fan 15, a temperature detector 23 for detecting a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 16, and a temperature detector 27 for detecting an outdoor temperature. The indoor unit 30 includes an indoor heat exchanger 33 and an indoor fan 32. The air conditioner 1 has a heating operation mode: that is, when the outdoor temperature reaches a predetermined first specified temperature or lower during a heating operation, the air conditioner 1 stops the heating operation and goes to standby, and thereafter, when the outdoor temperature reaches a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined second specified temperature higher than the first specified temperature, the air conditioner 1 executes a defrosting operation and subsequently resumes the heating operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tohru Ariga
  • Patent number: 10024541
    Abstract: A double oven appliance having an upper and lower oven positioned below the upper oven along a vertical direction such that a gap is defined between a top wall of the lower oven and a bottom wall of the upper oven. A bracket having a mounting platform positioned within the gap and spaced from the top wall of the lower oven along the vertical direction. The double oven appliance further including a circuit board coupled to the mounting platform such that the circuit board may be spaced from the top wall of the lower oven along the vertical direction. Further, the circuit board may be cooled by a cooling medium flowing across the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Wojick, William Byron Wiggins, Edwin Glenn Zehr, Kenneth Willard Johnson
  • Patent number: 9941714
    Abstract: A battery system is described, comprising a battery management unit, a battery cell monitoring unit, at least one battery cell and a safety electronics system for the battery cell. The safety electronics system has a first comparator and an alarm signal output for an alarm signal. The first comparator compares a battery cell voltage of the battery cell to a predetermined threshold voltage value and generates the alarm signal on the basis of the comparison. The battery threshold voltage is lower than the battery cell voltage in normal operation and higher than a critical voltage value. In addition, a motor vehicle with the battery system is described, the battery system being connected to a drive system of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Holger Fink
  • Patent number: 9803911
    Abstract: In various implementations, frost in a vapor compression system may be controlled. A property of a fan may be determined. A determination may be made whether a frost event and/or a nonfrost event has occurred based at least partially on the determined fan property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Qu, H. Gene Havard, Jon Douglas, Jeff Mangum
  • Patent number: 9643728
    Abstract: A system and method for preventing condensation in a crown area of an aircraft may include routing dry gas into a crown area of the aircraft between the cabin interior panels and the aircraft skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Mike Koerner, Zia Iqbal Mirza, Thach Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9605889
    Abstract: In various implementations, frost in a vapor compression system may be controlled. A property of a fan may be determined. A determination may be made whether a frost event and/or a nonfrost event has occurred based at least partially on the determined fan property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Qu, H. Gene Havard, Jon Douglas, Jeff Mangum
  • Patent number: 9410727
    Abstract: A gas defrosting method is disclosed which provides a distinct two-step process for defrosting a frosted evaporator. In deliberate fashion, the method assures that only refrigerant vapor returns to the compressor and thereby protects the compressor from damage due to receiving liquid refrigerant. The method optimizes the heat transfer process by maintaining full refrigerant flow through the condenser and by controlling the vapor in a nearly saturated state, high density state. In addition, the method strives to minimize the compressor power expended during the defrosting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Hill Phoenix, Inc.
    Inventor: James G. Boyko
  • Patent number: 9206991
    Abstract: A system for, and method of, monitoring and reporting ERV power consumption and service and maintenance needs. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a processor configured to carry out a plurality of monitoring and reporting functions related to ERV power consumption and service and maintenance needs based on a model, and types and locations of sensors, of the ERV, (2) a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store data gathered from the sensors and (3) a commissioning database associated with the memory and configured to contain commissioning data regarding the model of the ERV and the service and maintenance needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Justin McKie, Eric Perez, Greg Thomas
  • Patent number: 8733428
    Abstract: An air conditioning system of a vehicle including a controller and sensors in communication with the controller. The sensors include an interior temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the vehicle interior and an inner surface temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the inner surface of the vehicle's windshield. The controller determines a dew-point for the vehicle interior based on the sensed interior temperature. The controller adjusts the dew-point or the inner surface temperature based on a correction value, and performs a defogging operation when the temperature of the inner surface of the windshield is less than the dew-point, wherein the dew-point or the inner surface temperature is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8434317
    Abstract: A refrigerated appliance such as a refrigerator receives a demand response signal indicating a peak demand period and operates the refrigerator in an energy savings mode by disabling an anti-sweat heater. Sensors monitor ambient temperature and humidity, and the dry bulb temperature of a preselected region where incipient moisture would likely form. Data from the sensors is sent to a controller which calculates ambient dew point and compares the dry bulb temperature of the preselected region with the calculated dew point to enable the anti-sweat heater during the peak demand period and prevent incipient formation of moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: John K. Besore
  • Patent number: 8418484
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between gasses such as air and a liquid or gaseous coolant has narrow spacing between exchanger surfaces for high efficiency. To avoid undue obstruction of gas flow due to ice buildup on the exchanger surfaces, the heat exchanger is equipped with sensors to monitor the gas flow and an actuator that widens the spacing between exchanger surfaces such that gas flow remains unimpeded. Embodiments provide for defrosting of the exchanger surfaces when an limit on spacing of exchanger surfaces is reached, and for relaxing the spacing to the original narrow spacing when defrosting is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmouth College
    Inventors: Victor Petrenko, Charles R. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8365542
    Abstract: The present invention provides an energy efficient air conditioner that can provide a continuous supply of air at dew point that is several degrees Celsius below zero, without requiring a defrost cycle. The air conditioner in accordance to present invention comprises a plurality of cooling coils with interconnecting refrigerant piping, refrigeration circuit consisting of compressor and condenser coils, control circuit and one or more electric motor driven centrifugal fan. The present invention uses two cooling systems. The first cooling system having single coil cools the air to a temperature just above zero deg. C., say four deg. C. so that the second stage gets a steady supply of cold air. The second stage has two coils, each being half the size of the first stage coil, thus taking half the air from it so that all the air from stage 1 passes through stage 2. In operation, only one coil of the second stage is active arid chills the air going through it to say minus 14 Deg. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Inventor: Surendra Himatlal Shah
  • Patent number: 8245769
    Abstract: A refrigerator-oven combination for an aircraft galley food service system includes a housing with a thermally insulated compartment, a heating device for heating the compartment in a heating mode, and a refrigeration device for cooling the compartment in a refrigeration mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Be Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: William Godecker, Farzin Kohanloo
  • Patent number: 8006407
    Abstract: A drying system (100) for use in drying out a water-damaged structure includes a blower (105) for providing outside air to the water damaged structure. An indirectly fired furnace (101) is used for heating the outside air prior to its introduction into the water-damaged structure. An exhaust blower (114) removes humid air from the water-damaged building, and one or more remote temperature and humidity sensors (117) are used for controlling the furnace air temperature and supply blower volume. An air intake filter box (111) is used for adding make-up air to recirculated building air and promoting cooling within accompanying trailer. A differential air pressure transmitter (118) controls the volume of moist air removed from the water damaged building to an optimal rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Inventor: Richard Anderson
  • Patent number: 7997331
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system allows adjustment of the vented air temperature of a rear seat evaporator. An electronic control system judges whether the surface of the rear seat evaporator is frosting up when 1) a target blowing rate of the rear seat blower is lower than a predetermined value, 2) a detected temperature of evaporator vented air is lower than a specified temperature TEa, and 3) a detected temperature of the outside air is lower than a specified temperature TAMa. A target temperature TEO is raised at this time, so that an electric motor of an electric compressor is stopped and refrigerant no longer flows into the rear seat evaporator. The surface temperature of the rear seat evaporator rises so that the rear seat evaporator can be defrosted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuyo Oomura, Takeshi Wakisaka, Katsutoshi Hirose
  • Patent number: 7886983
    Abstract: A method of preventing condensation on equipment inside a temperature-controlled enclosure comprises measuring the temperature in at least one location inside the enclosure. The temperature inside the enclosure is compared with a safe temperature, at which the risk of condensation is reduced. The temperature inside the enclosure is increased until the safe temperature is achieved. A user is then notified that it is safe to access the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Liebert Corporation
    Inventors: Karl M. Criss, David A. Dukes, Thomas E. Harvey
  • Patent number: 7861543
    Abstract: A method of preventing water carryover to an object cooled by an air flow from a cooling device includes receiving at least one representation of a relative humidity of the air flow, and preventing water carryover to the object by adjusting at least one cooling parameter of the cooling device based, at least in part, on the relative humidity. Further embodiments and cooling systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Ring Carlsen, Ole Mølgaard Christensen
  • Patent number: 7836711
    Abstract: Based on a result of detection taken by the high-low pressure difference detection means (93, 97) for detecting a difference between a high and a low pressure of a refrigeration cycle, an estimate of whether there is leakage of refrigerant in an expansion valve (52) is made. Based on the result detected by the high-low pressure difference detection means (93, 97), a control means (81) sets a reference temperature (T3) to a value corresponding to the degree of refrigerant leakage in the expansion valve (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kojima, Shinichi Kasahara
  • Patent number: 7788935
    Abstract: An automatic defogging system of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: an input unit used for receiving a directly sensed window relative humidity value from a defogging sensor so as to directly sense a humidity generation degree in a window; a controller which controls operations of an air conditioning system programmed as a type of a logic that is selectively and phasedly controllable depending on the sensed relative humidity and; an output unit that is a selection mode of the air conditioning system that can be controlled by the controller. Accordingly, an automatic defogging system of a vehicle and a control method thereof automatically removes fog or frost on an inner surface of a window while maintaining comfortable conditions inside a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Ki Lyong Jang, Chang Won Lee
  • Patent number: 7721797
    Abstract: A refrigerator-oven combination for an aircraft galley food service system includes a housing with a thermally insulated compartment, a heating device for heating the compartment in a heating mode, and a refrigeration device for cooling the compartment in a refrigeration mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: BE Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: William Godecker, Farzin Kohanloo
  • Publication number: 20090242185
    Abstract: A heat exchanger door system includes a heat exchanger and a first rotatable member, proximate to the heat exchanger, that rotates about an axis of rotation. The system includes a first door member rolled around the rotatable member and movable from a rolled position to an unrolled position in which the first door member covers more of the heat exchanger than when the door member is in the rolled position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventor: Michael Cyril HASELDINE, JR.
  • Patent number: 7407002
    Abstract: An air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit and an indoor unit provided with an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion device, wherein the outdoor unit comprises a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger for heat-exchanging a refrigerant, a four-way valve adjacently arranged to the compressor for circulating a refrigerant discharged from the compressor according to a heating cycle or a cooling cycle, a refrigerant detouring path for detouring a refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger to the compressor at the time of a defrosting operation, an outdoor expansion device installed in the middle of the detouring path for reducing a pressure of a refrigerant which flows in the refrigerant detouring path, and a heat exchanging device installed in the middle of the detouring path for heat-exchanging between a refrigerant introduced from the outdoor expansion device and a refrigerant discharged from the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sae-Dong Jang, Il-Nahm Hwang, Jin-Seob Song, Bong-Soo Park, Dong-Jun Yang, Ho-Jong Jeong
  • Patent number: 7290600
    Abstract: A system for defrosting an air-to-air heat pump system is disclosed. A bypass loop transfers refrigerant at a higher temperature and pressure than is normally cycled through the outdoor unit to an outdoor coil to defrost ice on the outdoor coil. The bypass loop includes a valve movable between closed and open positions. A sensor monitors a preselected condition indicative of outdoor coil performance. A controller communicates with the valve and the sensor. Once the controller determines that a preselected set point of a preselected condition indicative of deteriorating performance has been reached, the controller sends a signal to open the valve, allowing warm refrigerant to bypass expansion valves and flow to the outdoor unit to defrost the outdoor unit. Once defrosting is accomplished, the valve can be moved to a closed position to resume normal operation of the heat pump unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: York International Corporation
    Inventor: Patrick Gordon Gavula
  • Patent number: 7234516
    Abstract: When it is assumed that a vehicle is stopped or parked after its engine was stopped and a predetermined period of time has passed, a cold wind side air mixing door, hot wind side air mixing door, cold wind door and rear cold wind side air mixing door are totally closed and a blower is operated for a predetermined period of time. Accordingly, while a cooler is being dried, drying air containing much offensive smell components, which has passed through the cooler, is discharged outside the vehicle. Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide an exclusively used air passage and an opening and closing door for opening and closing the air passage used for composing an air blowing passage to dry the cooler. By utilizing the existing equipment, air used for drying, which has passed through the cooler, containing much offensive smell components can be discharged outside the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Umebayashi, Yoshinori Yanagimachi, Tomohiro Inada
  • Patent number: 7231967
    Abstract: The ventilator system and method use a heat exchanger to selectively transfer heat between fresh outside air entering and exhaust air leaving an enclosed space whenever energy can be recovered from the exhaust air by doing so. The system uses a microprocessor-based controller which stores one or more profiles indicating the time-varying needs of the enclosed space for heating and cooling. The transfer of heat between the exhaust and fresh air is reduced or eliminated simply by reducing the speed of or stopping the exhaust air handler while the fresh air handler continues to run. Evaporative cooling for the exhaust air can be provided, and an all-plastic plate type heat exchanger preferably is used, together with an air handler at the exhaust outlet of the heat exchanger to pull exhaust air through the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Building Performance Equipment, Inc.
    Inventor: Klas C. Haglid
  • Patent number: 7140427
    Abstract: In a vehicle air conditioner for heating a passenger compartment by a heater core and a heat pump cycle, when operation of a heat pump cycle is switched from a defrosting operation to a heating assist operation, a heating degree of the heater core is increased higher than a predetermined heating degree. Further, when the operation of the heat pump cycle is switched from the defrosting operation to the heating assist operation, an air outlet mode except for a defrosting mode for defrosting a windshield is set. Further, in the defrosting operation of the heat pump cycle, the temperature of an interior heat exchanger of the heat pump cycle is set higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Keita Honda, Kunio Iritani
  • Patent number: 6983794
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heat exchanger unit that can appropriately inhibit freezing of a heat exchange element even in cold climates. The heat exchanger unit performes heat exchange and ventilation between an indoor space and an outdoor space, and is provided with a heat exchange element, a supply air passage and an exhaust air passage that are routed via the heat exchange element, a temperature sensor, and a control unit. The temperature sensor detects the outside air temperature. The control unit executes a first freeze inhibit control mode, which inhibits freezing of the heat exchange element, if the outside air temperature falls below a first level, and a second freeze inhibit control mode, which inhibits freezing of the heat exchange element more strongly than the first freeze inhibit control mode, if the outside air temperature falls below a second level, which is lower than the first level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20040226711
    Abstract: An air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit and an indoor unit provided with an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion device, wherein the outdoor unit comprises a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger for heat-exchanging a refrigerant, a four-way valve adjacently arranged to the compressor for circulating a refrigerant discharged from the compressor according to a heating cycle or a cooling cycle, a refrigerant detouring path for detouring a refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger to the compressor at the time of a defrosting operation, an outdoor expansion device installed in the middle of the detouring path for reducing a pressure of a refrigerant which flows in the refrigerant detouring path, and a heat exchanging device installed in the middle of the detouring path for heat-exchanging between a refrigerant introduced from the outdoor expansion device and a refrigerant discharged from the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sae-Dong Jang, Il-Nahm Hwang, Jin-Seob Song, Bong-Soo Park, Dong-Jun Yang, Ho-Jong Jeong
  • Patent number: 6817408
    Abstract: A heat exchange method and apparatus having a cooled fluid flowing in contact with a first surface of a heat exchange wall and a cooling fluid flowing in contact with a second surface of the wall. At least one temperature sensor is located to directly monitor the temperature of the first surface. Flow of the cooling fluid is throttled when the temperature of the first surface drops at least 50 degrees below the freezing temperature of the cooled fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Graham Corporation
    Inventors: James Richard Lines, Alan Earl Smith, Lawrence Michael Saupe, Lance Lee Frens
  • Patent number: 6769481
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor heat exchanger unit which is hardly effected adverse effects of the gas engine waste heat during the cooling operation and which can improve an efficiency of the refrigerant cycle, and which can improve the heating ability by utilizing the gas engine waste heat; an outdoor unit comprising the outdoor heat exchanger unit; and an air conditioner comprising the outdoor heat exchanger unit; in order to achieve the object, the present invention provide an outdoor heat exchanger unit for a gas heat pump type air conditioner, in which a compressor for compressing a refrigerant is driven by a gas engine, and which comprises a heat pump for utilizing waste heat of said gas engine to perform a heating and a cooling operations: wherein said outdoor heat exchanger unit comprises a radiator provided in a cooling water system in which cooling water for said gas engine circulates and an outdoor heat exchanger apparatus provided in a refrigerant circuit in which sai
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshimura, Hideaki Kasahara, Takaaki Ohtsuka, Jiro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20040069481
    Abstract: An on-vehicle air conditioner for air conditioning, comprising a refrigerating circuit having a refrigerant outside heat exchanger installed so as to perform a heat exchange with outside air and usable for both cooling and heating, a coolant circuit having a coolant outside heat exchanger installed so as to perform a heat exchange with the outside air and allowing the coolant of an engine to circulate therein, and at least one opening/closing duct for inflow air regulation installed on the forward outside and/or rearward inside of the refrigerant outside heat exchanger, wherein the opening and closing of the duct can be controlled properly according to the situations, whereby cabin cooling, cabin heating, and defrosting can be performed efficiently and sufficiently even if, for example, CO2 refrigerant is used in the cars such as hybrid cars using electricity and gasoline as energy sources and idle stop-capable cars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ebara, Hirokazu Izaki, Tetsuya Masuda, Kazuaki Mizukami
  • Patent number: 6715540
    Abstract: The air heating capability of an indoor heat exchanger is limited to set the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger to a first predetermined temperature Tel or lower during heating. Thereby, fogging is prevented through re-evaporation of the condensed water in the indoor heat exchanger during heating within an air-conditioning apparatus with a hot water heater core using hot water as the heat source and the heating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Kobayashi, Yasushi Yamanaka, Yoshitaka Tomatsu, Satoshi Itoh, Motohiro Yamaguchi, Satoshi Izawa, Yoshiaki Takano, Toshitaka Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20030205371
    Abstract: A heat exchange method and apparatus having a cooled fluid flowing in contact with a first surface of a heat exchange wall and a cooling fluid flowing in contact with a second surface of the wall. At least one temperature sensor is located to directly monitor the temperature of the first surface. Flow of the cooling fluid is throttled when the temperature of the first surface drops at least 50 degrees below the freezing temperature of the cooled fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventors: James Richard Lines, Alan Earl Smith, Lawrence Michael Saupe, Lance Lee Frens
  • Patent number: 6588499
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and device for deterring the freezing within a condenser by preventing critical pressure differentials from building up between the exhaust steam header and the air ejector systemy. The means for regulating pressure in the air ejector system prevents the pressure difference between the turbine exhaust and the air ejector system from being great enough to carry condensate through a condensing tube into an air ejector system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Pacificorp
    Inventor: Paul M. Fahlsing
  • Publication number: 20020153133
    Abstract: The ventilator system and method use a isolating heat exchanger to selectively transfer heat between exhaust air leaving an enclosed space and outside air entering the enclosed space. The system operates in three basic modes, under the control of a microprocessor-based controller which is responsive to the temperatures inside and outside of the enclosed space. In the heating mode, heat is transferred from the exhaust air to the outside air when the enclosed space requires heating. In the cooling mode, heat is transferred from the outside air to the exhaust air when the outside air temperature is higher than that in the enclosed space. In the supplemental cooling mode, heat transfer between the exhaust and outside air is reduced or eliminated when the outside air temperature is below the desired temperature in the enclosed space and cooling is required. In the heating mode, the heat exchanger is selectively heated when necessary to defrost it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Applicant: Building Performance Equipment Inc.
    Inventor: Klas C. Haglid
  • Publication number: 20020036080
    Abstract: In a vehicle air conditioner with a heat pump cycle having an interior heat exchanger and an exterior heat exchanger, when a frosting on a surface of the exterior heat exchanger is determined and when a temperature of hot water supplied to a heater core is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the exterior heat exchanger is defrosted in a defrosting operation. Accordingly, the defrosting operation can be performed while a sufficient heating can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Inventors: Satoshi Itoh, Motohiro Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka Tomatsu, Toshio Hirata, Yasushi Yamanaka, Keita Honda, Kunio Iritani
  • Publication number: 20010035286
    Abstract: The air heating capability of an indoor heat exchanger is limited to set the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger to a first predetermined temperature Tel or lower during heating. Thereby, fogging is prevented through re-evaporation of the condensed water in the indoor heat exchanger during heating within an air-conditioning apparatus with a hot water heater core using hot water as the heat source and the heating circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Publication date: November 1, 2001
    Inventors: Ryo Kobayashi, Yasushi Yamanaka, Yoshitaka Tomatsu, Satoshi Itoh, Motohiro Yamaguchi, Satoshi Izawa, Yoshiaki Takano, Toshitaka Shimizu