Occupant-type Vehicle Patents (Class 62/244)
  • Patent number: 10393119
    Abstract: A fluid compressor includes a closed container having an inlet, a compression mechanism including a compression chamber in which fluid flowing into the closed container through the inlet is compressed, a discharge port through which the fluid compressed in the compression chamber is allowed to flow, a discharge valve opening and closing the discharge port, and a valve retainer limiting an amount of lift of the discharge valve. The discharge valve includes a curved portion whose shape is defined by one or more curvatures. When the discharge port is closed by the discharge valve, the valve retainer and the discharge valve are spaced apart from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Fumihiko Ishizono, Masayuki Kakuda, Kohei Tatsuwaki, Yuji Takamura
  • Patent number: 10391840
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for mounting on a vehicle roof includes a condenser module and an evaporator module. The condensor module includes an inlet for receiving a compressed fluid, a heat exchanger for condensing the fluid and transferring heat from the fluid, and an outlet for releasing the condensed fluid. The evaporator module includes a deformable base for placement on the roof, that conforms to the roof's curvature. The evaporator module also includes an inlet receiving the cooled condensed fluid from the condensor outlet, an expansion valve for vaporizing the fluid, a heat exchanger for transferring heat to the vaporized fluid, and an outlet for returning the heated vaporized fluid to the condenser module via a compressor. The evaporator module also includes an interchangeable end plate connected to an end of the base, which maintains the base in a shape that conforms to the curvature of the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: TRANSARCTIC CANADA, INC.
    Inventors: James Stewart, Dale Mason, Kevin Larin, Norman Gillespie
  • Patent number: 10315489
    Abstract: A work vehicle that facilitates attachment of an air conditioner main body, the work vehicle including an air conditioner main body arrangement part for arranging therein an air conditioner main body. The air conditioner main body arrangement part is provided in a ceiling part of a cabin covering a driver unit of the work vehicle so that the air conditioner main body arrangement part protrudes rearward from a pair of left and right rear strut pieces of the cabin. The air conditioner main body arrangement part includes a main body support member protruding rearward, which is provided to an upper rear beam piece laterally bridged between upper end portions of the pair of left and right rear strut pieces. The main body support member has support rigidity to support the air conditioner main body from below so that the air conditioner main body is mounted thereon from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takayuki Shimada
  • Patent number: 10293658
    Abstract: A cooling system is provided for a traction battery of an electrified motor vehicle. That cooling system includes a cooling circuit, a refrigerant circuit, a plurality of flow control valves and a control system. That control system includes a controller configured to (a) control operation of the plurality of flow control valves and (b) prioritize cabin cooling over traction battery cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Angel Fernando Porras, Timothy Noah Blatchley, Mark G. Smith, Brett Allen Dunn
  • Patent number: 10279676
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle including one or more in-wheel motors, a power electronics supplying power to the one or more in-wheel motors, and a Rankine cycle system is described. The Rankine cycle system includes a pump driving a working fluid through the Rankine cycle system, a heat exchanger receiving the working fluid from to the pump and connected to the power electronics to cool the power electronics, an evaporator heating the working fluid received from the heat exchanger utilizing heat from an exhaust gas from an engine, an expander receiving the working fluid from the evaporator, and a radiator cooling the working fluid received from the expander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Ercan Mehmet Dede
  • Patent number: 10279780
    Abstract: An arrangement of air outlets on a motor vehicle air conditioning unit, wherein side window outlets, side occupant air outlets, and center occupant or additional vent air outlets are configured as pairs and the side occupant air outlets and the center occupant or additional vent air outlets are arranged in one tier, wherein from outside to inside are, first, the center occupant or additional vent air outlets and then the side occupant air outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Mario Opiela, Johannes Stausberg
  • Patent number: 10279645
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device to be utilized in a vehicle to prevent a computing unit from overheating. The device includes a holder having a plurality of air vents, a plastic flexible hose, a shade, a reducer, and a plurality of alligator clips. The reducer is mounted on an air conditioning (AC) vent by utilizing the plurality of alligator clips. The holder includes a front portion and rear portion to accommodate the computing unit. The reducer is mounted in a way to guide the cool air to the plurality of air vents of the holder through the plastic flexible hose. The plurality of air vents is configured at a front portion of the holder to prevent the battery of the computing unit from overheating. Further, the shade is configured on a top portion of the holder to protect the computing unit from the sun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Inventor: Jon Nazarian
  • Patent number: 10279650
    Abstract: Vehicle climate control systems include heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for adjusting the vehicle cabin temperature. The HVAC system can deliver heated or cooled air to the vehicle interior to achieve a desired temperature inside the vehicle cabin. Some vehicles are equipped with secondary comfort features, such as heated or cooled seats, for additionally addressing occupant comfort. These features are typically stand-alone devices that function separately from the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Clay Wesley Maranville, Kenneth J. Jackson, James George Gebbie
  • Patent number: 10272745
    Abstract: A humidifying device for a vehicle has a humidity detection part, a blower, a non-water-supply humidifier, and a controller. The humidity detection part detects a humidity in a vehicle compartment. The blower draws, as an intake air, an inside air in the vehicle compartment and an outside air outside the vehicle compartment at a specified ratio and blows the intake air toward the vehicle compartment. The non-water-supply humidifier collects water included in the inside air and supplies a humidified air, which is humidified using the water, toward a specified area in the vehicle compartment. The controller sets the specified ratio between the inside air and the outside air and controls an operation of the non-water-supply humidifier. The controller controls the blower to draw at least the inside air, when the non-water-supply humidifier is operated, and when a humidity in the vehicle compartment is lower than a specified humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Kataoka, Manabu Maeda, Hitoshi Ninomiya, Yusuke Komatsubara
  • Patent number: 10266091
    Abstract: A vehicle mounted refrigeration device comprising an outer shell, an inner shell nested in the outer shell, one or more heat sink plates attached to the inner shell, one of an insulating material and a vacuum spacing the inner shell from the outer shell, a control unit, and a compressor mounted to a vibration isolator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: ICBX, LLC
    Inventor: Shane M. Rotharmel
  • Patent number: 10252598
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system for a vehicle may include at least one of a condenser module including a condenser housing and a condenser, the condenser arranged in the condenser housing, and an air-conditioning module including an air-conditioning housing and an evaporator, the evaporator arranged in the air-conditioning housing. The air-conditioning system may also include a plastic support frame including a plurality of parts, the support frame configured to support at least one of the condenser module and the air-conditioning module, and to hold at least one of the condenser module and the air-conditioning module on a vehicle roof. The air-conditioning system may also include at least one detent housing connection. The air-conditioning system may also include at least one of at least one detent support connection and at least one plug-type support connection including a securing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Hipp-Kalthoff, Hans-Henning Knorr, Klaus Voigt
  • Patent number: 10179498
    Abstract: A storage evaporator for an air conditioning system in a vehicle is includes phase change material-containing tubes arranged side-by-side in contact with refrigerant-containing tubes. The storage evaporator includes an upper coolant tank, a lower coolant tank, refrigerant-containing tubes fluidly the connecting tanks, and phase change material-containing tubes provided in contact with the refrigerant tubes. The refrigerant tubes have flat sides and the phase change material-containing tubes have flat sides. The flat sides of the refrigerant tubes are attached to the flat sides of the phase change material-containing tubes. The phase change material may be any of several materials and may an eutectic, a salt hydrate, and an organic material. In operation, cold energy is stored in the phase change material when the air conditioning compressor is in its “on” position. This cold energy is released from the phase change material when the compressor is in its “off” position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Air International Inc.
    Inventors: Lim Wijaya, Nickolaos Economou
  • Patent number: 10155428
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device has a compressor, a radiator, an auxiliary heat exchanger, a decompressor, an evaporator, and an interior heat exchanger. The auxiliary heat exchanger performs a heat exchange between refrigerant and air and causes the refrigerant to radiate heat. The evaporator performs a heat exchange between air and refrigerant after being decompressed in the decompressor before the air is heated in the auxiliary heat exchanger. The interior heat exchanger has a first heat exchanging portion and a second heat exchanging portion and performs a heat exchange between refrigerant flowing in the first heat exchanging portion and refrigerant flowing in the second heat exchanging portion. The first heat exchanging portion is disposed in a refrigerant path between the radiator and the decompressor and is connected to the auxiliary heat exchanger in series. The second heat exchanging portion is disposed in a refrigerant path between the evaporator and the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Sakamoto, Shin Nishida, Michio Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 10131201
    Abstract: A cooling device includes a duct, a passageway, and a plurality of nozzles spaced around the duct. The duct is sized to extend around at least a portion of the dome. The passageway may extend through the duct. The plurality of nozzles may be spaced around the duct and have first openings oriented toward the passageway and second openings oriented toward the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Paul Yeomans, Peter Avram
  • Patent number: 10132533
    Abstract: A cooling and heating cup holder may include a plurality of holder bodies having a container shape, a plurality of thermoelectric elements each provided to sides of the plurality of holder bodies, a heat dissipating part installed to be thermally connected to a heat dissipating surface of the plurality of thermoelectric elements, a housing embedding the heat dissipating part and having an air inlet formed at an upper portion thereof, and a blower being embedded in the housing and positioned at an upper portion or a lower portion of the heat dissipating part to allow the air discharged from a bent part and introduced through the air inlet to be heat-exchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Man Ju Oh, Jae Woong Kim, Jae Woo Park
  • Patent number: 10099533
    Abstract: A vehicle temperature-control system includes a refrigerant circuit (22). The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor (24), at least one condenser heat-exchanger assembly (28) around which air (L1) to be heated can flow, and at least one evaporator heat-exchanger assembly (40), around which air (L2) to be cooled can flow. For each of the two heat-exchanger assemblies (28, 40), there are two inflow regions (48, 50, 78, 80) and two outflow regions (62, 64, 84, 86), which can be switched by means of flap assemblies (44, 56, 88, 92). Both a heating operating mode and a cooling operating mode are selected with the flap assemblies. A heat pump operation in the vehicle, e.g., a bus, is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: EBERSPÄCHER SÜTRAK GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Johann Mallek
  • Patent number: 10082315
    Abstract: An adaptable base of the HVAC unit can allow an HVAC unit to align and seal with multiple duct opening configurations. Such opening configurations may be different footprints in different HVAC systems, such as may be employed for example in different roof curbs of rooftop HVAC units. The adaptable base includes a base plate, a supply air duct opening, a return air duct opening, where there is at least one additional opening for one or both of the supply air opening and the return air duct opening. Each opening has a seal around its perimeter. A seal is also arranged and located on the base plate about a perimeter around the supply air duct opening(s) and the return air duct opening(s). A cover can be connected to close one or more openings that are not being used with the unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Charles Marks
  • Patent number: 10059169
    Abstract: An assembly for collecting and removing leaked refrigerant, in particular from an evaporator of an air conditioning system of a motor vehicle and/or from a periphery, provided for the refrigerant, of the evaporator with a housing part for the air-tight surrounding of at least one refrigerant connection and/or at least one section of a refrigerant line, and with a connection element, whereby the attachment element has at least one first attachment opening and a second attachment opening, whereby the first connection opening is fluidically connected to the housing part by a channel element and the second connection opening can be fluidically connected to an outlet channel opening into the surroundings such that the refrigerant leaked within the housing part can be fed into the first channel element and can be discharged into the surroundings via the connection element and the outlet channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Graaf, Moritz Loens
  • Patent number: 9989271
    Abstract: An air conditioning system has an air conditioning thermal storage that includes one or more thermal plates. The one or more thermal plates have a first side and a second side separated by a thermally conductive plate (e.g. metal such as aluminum or copper). The first side of each of the one or more thermal plates has a primary input orifice and a primary output orifice. The second side of each of the one or more thermal plates has a secondary input orifice and a secondary output orifice. The first side of each of the one or more thermal plates is fluidly isolated from the second side of each of the one or more thermal plates providing for thermal conduction between such. The thermal plates are at least partially immersed in a material (e.g. antifreeze, vegetable beetroot) for storing cold heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Inventor: Calvin Becker
  • Patent number: 9976790
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cooling element (1) for use in a cooling device (11), comprising a front face and a rear face and four side faces. The cooling element (1) is characterized in that the rear face of the cooling element (1) is substantially planar and the front face has reinforcing elements, wherein the reinforcing elements prevent deformation of the cooling element (1) during cooling and freezing. The invention also relates to a cooling device (11), in particular a freezer, comprising at least one cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit has a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser. The cooling device (11) also has a closable cooling space (15) that comprises a plurality of cooling space side walls, a cooling space base, a space for cooling goods (17), and at least one cooling element (1) according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: B Medical Systems S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Admilson Pinto, Andreas Hoffmann, Uwe Schramer
  • Patent number: 9874370
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that involve balancing conditioned air delivered to a plurality of zones based on temperature-time profiles for each of the plurality of zones. Wireless temperature sensors may be used to send temperature data to a processing unit to develop the plurality of temperature-time profiles. The temperature-time profiles are analyzed to identify any outliers requiring adjustment of conditioned air to a zone. Adjustments to balance the conditioned air may be made manually or automatically. Other systems and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Lennox Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert B. Uselton
  • Patent number: 9849751
    Abstract: A motor vehicle comprises an HVAC system including a climate control circuit coupled to onboard sensors, a human-machine interface, and climate actuators. The actuators are responsive to respective command parameters generated by the control circuit in response to the sensors and the human-machine interface. A wireless communication system transmits vehicle HVAC data to and receives crowd data from a remote server. The control circuit initiates a request for crowd data via the communication system to the remote server, wherein the request includes peer parameters for identifying a vehicle environment. The control circuit receives a response via the communication system from the remote server. The response comprises crowd data and at least one weight indicating a confidence level associated with the crowd data. The control circuit generates at least one command parameter using a set of fuzzy rules responsive to the crowd data and the weight from the response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Stanek, John A. Lockwood, Mark Davison, Jeffrey A. Palic, Lisa Scott
  • Patent number: 9821626
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation and/or air-conditioning apparatus (1) for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a housing (2) comprising a first air inlet (3) and a second air inlet (4). The housing (2) directs an inner air flow (Fi) from the first air inlet (3) and/or the second air inlet (4) and contains at least a first heat exchanger (5). The housing (2) includes: an air flow channel (24) directing the inner air flow (Fi) in the housing (2) while bypassing the first heat exchanger (5); and an air inlet duct (23) directing the inner air flow (Fi) in the housing (2) through the first heat exchanger (5). A heating, ventilation and/or air-conditioning installation for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes: an air conditioning loop through which a coolant flows. The loop includes at least one compressor, a first expansion member, an outer heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger (5). The installation also includes the heating, ventilation and/or air-conditioning apparatus (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: VALEO SYSTEMES THERMIQUES
    Inventors: Klaus Wittmann, Mohamed Yahia
  • Patent number: 9815350
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus is installed at an upper portion of a vehicle and includes an apparatus main body which includes an outdoor unit chamber and an indoor unit chamber, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an outdoor blower, a second heat exchanger, an indoor blower, and an electrical component box which houses an inverter that controls the compressor. A return port for taking in in-vehicle air is provided at a lower portion of the indoor unit chamber, and the electrical component box is installed in a space inside the indoor unit chamber so as to be close to the ceiling of the indoor unit chamber, the space defined above the return port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomonaga, Hidetaka Adachi
  • Patent number: 9803896
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat conditioning system for a motor vehicle, including: an air conditioning loop of a motor vehicle (B) in which a cooling fluid circulates and which includes a compressor (2), at least two heat exchangers (8,42) and at least one decompression device (24,26), a heat processing unit (U) of a battery (100) of the vehicle, which unit includes a heat processing means (46) which is capable of being in a heat exchange relation with the battery of the vehicle, in which the heat processing means is in a heat exchange relation with the air conditioning loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: VALEO SYSTEMES THERMIQUES
    Inventors: Jugurtha Benouali, Klaus Wittmann, Stefan Karl
  • Patent number: 9803933
    Abstract: In order to provide a cold storage medium container that can be smoothly and reliably filled with a cold storage medium to thereby increase productivity. In a cold storage medium container 5, a body of the container 5 constituted of a pair of container members 10 and 12, and the body has an inner fin 11 therein and is filled with the cold storage medium through a cold storage medium filling opening 20 at an end of the body therein. Furthermore, in the cold storage medium container, an engagement portion 13 projects toward inside of the body to engage a part of a corrugated end surface at each end of the inner fin 11, to thereby position the inner fin 11 in the body, and a gap is disposed between the end surface at each end of the positioned inner fin 11 and an inner wall of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Sanden Holdings Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Chiba, Ryosuke Sakurai, Yuuki Takahashi, Aya Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 9780422
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a battery arrangement, a chiller, a coolant circuit configured to direct coolant through the chiller and battery arrangement, a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, valve, and evaporator, and a controller. The controller is programmed to alter a speed of the compressor and a position of the valve based on a pressure and temperature of refrigerant output from the chiller to alter a temperature of the coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Allen Dunn, Angel Fernando Porras, Mark G. Smith, Timothy Noah Blatchley
  • Patent number: 9776499
    Abstract: A cooling system for a vehicle may include at least two air ducts formed at both side of an exterior air intake port; a low temperature radiator to release heat of coolant into the air; a high temperature radiator to release heat of coolant into the air; an ancillary low temperature radiator to release heat of coolant into the air; an ancillary high temperature radiator disposed inside of another one of the at least two air duct to release heat of coolant into the air; a turbocharger; an intercooler cooling compressed air generated from the turbocharger by using coolant flowed via the low temperature radiator and the high temperature radiator; a compressor; a condenser cooling the compressed refrigerant generated from the compressor by using coolant flowed via the low temperature radiator; a high temperature coolant passage; and a low temperature coolant passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jongwoo Nam, Hanshin Chung, Joonho Lee, Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 9718326
    Abstract: A device comprising a first storage compartment, an inlet pipe connected to the storage compartment, the inlet pipe adapted to deliver conditioned air from a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a motor vehicle to the storage compartment, a first outlet pipe connected to the storage compartment for directing the conditioned air back into the HVAC system, a second storage compartment, and a second outlet pipe connected to the second storage compartment for directing the conditioned air into the second storage compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Inventor: Cheng-Shung Wang
  • Patent number: 9696044
    Abstract: Air conditioner units and methods for providing make-up air are provided. An air conditioner unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger and a bulkhead. The air conditioner unit further includes a vent aperture defined in a rear wall of the bulkhead. The air conditioner unit further includes a dehumidification system, the dehumidification system including an evaporator assembly and a condenser assembly. The evaporator assembly is configured for removing heat from outdoor air flowing therethrough. The evaporator assembly is in fluid communication with the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the evaporator assembly through the vent aperture. The condenser assembly is configured for adding heat to outdoor air flowing therethrough. The condenser assembly is spaced from the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the condenser assembly into the outdoor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Haier US Applicance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Scott Shaffer, Shaun Michael Ward
  • Patent number: 9694647
    Abstract: A microprocessor controlled vehicle relay for high capacity HVAC systems in large high occupancy vehicles is provided that can be configured in different ways to provide a number of operational functions for improved safety as well as greater motor and/or compressor longevity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TRANS/AIR MANUFACTURING CORP.
    Inventor: Edward J. Gleeson
  • Patent number: 9632666
    Abstract: A team-oriented heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, for use in support of operations of a vehicle. The system includes instructions that cause a processor to perform operations including communicating, to a human user, via a vehicle-user interface, a request to participate regularly, actively, and collaboratively as a member of a collaborative HVAC team, to include the system, in an ongoing team relationship of cooperation regarding operating the team-oriented HVAC system over time. The operations further include providing, to the user, a commitment communication advising the user that the system will be dedicated to participating regularly, actively, and collaboratively as a team member. The operations also include receiving, from the user, an agreement communication to participate as a member of the collaborative HVAC team. And the operations include forming, responsive to receiving the agreement communication, the collaborative HVAC team including the user and team-oriented HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Claudia V. Goldman-Shenhar, Asaf Degani, Omer Tsimhoni, Christopher T. Thibodeau
  • Patent number: 9604562
    Abstract: A heating and cooling cup holder includes: a holder body to store a beverage container, a shape enclosing the beverage container, and a blowing hole to which wind is introduced; a heat exchanger having a front coupled to an outer side of the holder body to cover the blowing hole and an inlet to thereby allow the wind introduced into the inlet to be heat-exchanged and then discharged into the holder body through the blowing hole; a Peltier element having a front coupled to a rear surface of the heat exchanger and a heat pipe having a front of one end portion coupled to a rear surface of the Peltier element and the other end portion extended to a side direction; and a radiating module coupled to one end portion of the heat pipe and a radiating fan arranged at a rear of the radiating module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, KBAUTOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Man Ju Oh, Jae Woong Kim, Jae Woo Park, Jae Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 9579952
    Abstract: A device for thermal conditioning includes a cooling fluid circuit, a heat transfer fluid circuit, and a fluid/fluid heat exchanger that is intended to enable thermal exchange between the cooling fluid and the heat transfer fluid. The cooling fluid circuit includes at least one compressor, a first outer heat exchanger through which an outer air flow passes and a first evaporator. The heat transfer fluid circuit includes at least a first inner heat exchanger, a first heat source and a second outer heat exchanger through which the outer air flow passes. The cooling fluid circuit includes a second evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: VALEO SYSTEMES THERMIQUES
    Inventors: Bernard Aoun, Mohamed Yahia
  • Patent number: 9568237
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes a container configured to contain a coolant within a space. The apparatus further includes a cooling block positioned substantially within the space and having a high heat capacity such that the space not occupied by the cooling block is filled with a coolant to a level at or below the top of the cooling block, and a placement structure having high thermal conductivity positioned on top of the cooling block and outside of the space. A method for cooling an object is also provided, which includes inserting a coolant into a container configured to contain the coolant within a space, and placing the object on a placement structure outside the space. For this method, the placement structure has a high thermal conductivity and is coupled to a cooling block, the cooling block having a high heat capacity and positioned substantially within the space. A two-stage cooling apparatus and method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
    Inventors: Matt Hall, Ren Lu, Wuyi Wang
  • Patent number: 9517678
    Abstract: A high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle and a high-voltage equipment cooling method for electric vehicle are provided to improve the performance of an air-conditioning unit in the vehicle compartment, while cooling the high-voltage equipment. More specifically, the high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle includes a motor 103, a high-voltage equipment 101, a blowing means for high-voltage equipment 30, an outlet valve 50, an air conditioning means 10, and an air inlet mode selection means 20, wherein the air outside the vehicle compartment is introduced by the air inlet mode selection means 20 when supplying air cooled by an evaporator 14 in the air conditioning means 10 to the high-voltage equipment 101 using the blowing means for high-voltage equipment 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Matsuda, Shinji Kakizaki, Takeshi Someya
  • Patent number: 9482460
    Abstract: A truck includes a refrigerated compartment that is equipped with a dedicated refrigerating system, and a driver cabin. The driver cabin is equipped with a least a first heat exchanger adapted to cool an air flow directed to the cabin. The truck further includes a compartment heat exchanger located in the refrigerated compartment and adapted to cool a heat transfer liquid sent to the first heat exchanger through a heat transfer liquid connecting the first heat exchanger to the compartment heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventor: Frédéric Laudet
  • Patent number: 9447984
    Abstract: A control parameters adjustment method of an air conditioning system has the following steps: (a) building up a comparison table; (b) determining an objective output power; (c) determining whether there is only one preferred operation point by searching the comparison table; (d) when there is only one preferred operation point, adjusting the control parameters based on the preferred operation point; (e) when there are a plurality of preferred operation points, executing a retrieval procedure for selecting one of the preferred operation points, and adjusting the control parameters based on the selected preferred operation point. The method adjusts the control parameters according to the comparison table for ensuring that the air conditioning system can be operated with the minimum power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH & TESTING CENTER
    Inventors: Po-Hsu Lin, Yen-Ting Cheng, Hong-Chi Wang
  • Patent number: 9441344
    Abstract: A controller assembly includes a base plate, a bracket, and a first controller main body. The base plate includes a through hole and a frame having an upper surface and a lower surface and surrounding the through hole. The bracket has first and second flange portions supported on the upper surface of the frame at positions opposite to each other over the through hole, first and second side portions coupled respectively to the first and second flange portions and passing through the though hole; and a bottom portion coupled to both of the first and second side portions on the side of the lower surface of the frame. The first controller main body is mounted on a bottom portion of the bracket. Accordingly, a controller assembly which can be readily assembled, a cab of a work implement, and a work machine can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Tanaka, Daisuke Tsukamoto, Hirokazu Sugimoto, Tomoyuki Imada, Yoshiaki Honma
  • Patent number: 9410745
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger, a refrigerant side header tank and a coolant side header tank which are connected with refrigerant tubes and coolant tubes include a plate header member, a communication intermediate plate member, a blocking intermediate plate member, and a tank header member. The communication intermediate plate member includes first and second fluid communication holes through which refrigerant and coolant flow, respectively. In this situation, with a simple configuration in that a part of the first and second fluid communication holes is blocked by the blocking intermediate plate member, a communication state between both tubes and internal spaces of the header tanks is regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiki Katoh, Mitsuyoshi Saito, Kenji Yamada
  • Patent number: 9316338
    Abstract: A working vehicle includes: a cabin; an air conditioning unit disposed at a rear upper portion of the cabin; and drain hoses connected to a drain portion of the air conditioning unit, water drained from the drain portion flowing through the drain hoses, wherein the drain hoses are respectively disposed at both left and right sides of the air conditioning unit in front and rear direction, and both front and rear portions of the drain hoses are provided with drain hose outlets from which the water flowing through the drain hoses is drained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: ISEKI & CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Itsuki Doi, Takeshi Hagiyama, Koji Ochi, Takayuki Kajihara
  • Patent number: 9308798
    Abstract: A rear HVAC system for a motor vehicle including a housing, an airflow generator, an evaporator, and a heater. The housing is configured to be mounted adjacent to a rear wheel well and a D-pillar of the motor vehicle. The evaporator and the heater are mounted within the housing. Both the evaporator and the heater are between a vehicle floor and a line that is both generally parallel to the floor and tangent to an upper surface of the rear wheel well when the housing is installed in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Denso International Ameria, Inc.
    Inventors: John Klinkhammer, Jason Hendry, Simon Hotte
  • Patent number: 9302609
    Abstract: A number of illustrative variations may include a method of using sequential logic and vehicle sensors to produce a notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Farah, Michael R. Colville
  • Patent number: 9259993
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning loop (8) inside of which flows a coolant, and including a compressor (9), an outer heat exchanger (15), a restitution heat exchanger (12, 32) and a first expansion member (17) provided downstream from the restitution heat exchanger (12, 32) in the flow direction (11) of the coolant in the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning loop (8). The heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning loop (8) includes means (20) for bypassing the inner heat exchanger (12) and the first expansion member (17). The present invention also relates to a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning equipment (1) including such a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning loop (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: VALEO SYSTEMES THERMIQUES
    Inventors: Bernard Aoun, Régis Beauvis, Muriel Porto, Maurizio Alessio
  • Patent number: 9238397
    Abstract: A motor vehicle air conditioning arrangement having a heater (H) and an evaporator (V) which are arranged in an air guiding housing (2). Each of the heater and evaporator have a plane that is traversed perpendicularly by air and have an inclined position such that the planes are each arranged at an angle of less than 40° with respect to the horizontal plane (E).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Burkhardt, Holger Gundel, Sascha Lindauer, Gebhard Schweizer
  • Patent number: 9233592
    Abstract: A climate control system (26) for a cabin (22) of an electric vehicle (10) has at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger (38) in heat exchange relation with air in the cabin and a set of control valves for selectively placing the climate control system in a cabin heating mode of operation in which hot liquid circulates through a hot liquid flow loop (42) and in a cabin cooling mode of operation in which cold liquid circulates through a cold liquid flow loop (44). An electric compressor motor (30M) is operated by electricity from a battery bank (16) for operating a refrigerant compressor (30C) to circulate refrigerant in a refrigerant loop that comprises a refrigerant-to-liquid hot side heat exchanger (32) that provides the hot liquid and a refrigerant-to-liquid cold side heat exchanger (36) that provides the cold liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: Gerald L. Larson
  • Patent number: 9194614
    Abstract: An air-conditioning loop, in which a refrigerant flows, is capable of operating as a heat pump. The air-conditioning loop includes a compressor. The air-conditioning loop further includes a first solenoid valve connected to the compressor, to a radiator, and to an external heat exchanger. The radiator is connected to the external heat exchanger via a first pressure-release device and to an evaporator via a second pressure-release device. The evaporator is connected to the compressor. The external heat exchanger is connected to the compressor and to the evaporator via a second solenoid valve. The external heat exchanger, the first solenoid valve, and the second solenoid valve constitute a unitary part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: VALEO SYSTEMES THERMIQUES
    Inventor: Laurent Delaforge
  • Patent number: 9180891
    Abstract: An HVAC system for a mobile machine having a frame and a cabin supported by the frame. The HVAC system includes a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between coolant and the frame of the mobile machine and a first pump configured to circulate coolant through the first heat exchanger. The HVAC system also includes a second heat exchanger configured to receive coolant from the first heat exchanger and a fan configured to generate a flow of air through the second heat exchanger and into the cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry Van Polen
  • Patent number: 9175899
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes: an air passage extending from a suction port to a blowout port, a heat exchanger at the upstream side of the air passage, a cross flow fan in the air passage on the downstream side of the heat exchanger, and an air passage wall provided in a downstream area of the cross flow fan to reach the blowout port. A restricting section that restricts an air passage sectional area is provided at a corner section of the side wall of the air passage wall. The restricting section has a shape by which the air passage sectional area has a rectangular cross section expanding from the upstream side to the downstream side and is restricted to reduce an enlargement ratio of the air passage sectional area. Further, the restricting section has a smooth restricting surface crossing the corner section of the cross section of the air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaya Takahashi, Masaki Ohtsuka, Yukishige Shiraichi
  • Patent number: 9139069
    Abstract: A mix door structure has drive force for opening and closing a slide door part of a middle slide door unit among multiple slide door units arranged side by side transmitted by an input shaft. The input shaft includes an inner input shaft part (input gear and inner input shaft) which is rotationally supported on two sides at both end portions thereof on bearings provided to a pair of door attachment wall parts of the middle slide door unit and an outer input shaft part (outer input shaft and rotary member) which is rotationally supported on one side on a first shaft hole provided in an outer door attachment wall part of an outermost slide door unit. The inner and outer input shaft parts are coupled to each other through a coupling hole in the inner input shaft part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuki Makita