Serially Connected Patents (Class 62/526)
  • Patent number: 11959647
    Abstract: An air-conditioning unit is provided, comprising: an input vent for receiving return air; an intermediate vent; an output vent; a blower fan proximate to the input vent for moving the return air from the input vent to the intermediate vent; and an air-conditioner coil between the intermediate vent and the output vent including an active portion including one or more operational air-conditioning coils that receive a first portion of the return air from the intermediate vent, for circulating a coolant, condition the first portion of the return air by heat exchange with the coolant to create conditioned air, and pass the conditioned air to the output vent, and an inactive portion that does not circulate coolant and passes a second portion of the return air as unconditioned air to the output vent, wherein the conditioned air and the unconditioned air pass through the output vent as supply air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC US, INC.
    Inventor: Joseph Paul Bush
  • Patent number: 11940197
    Abstract: The cooling systems and methods of the present disclosure relate to cooling electronic equipment in data centers or any other applications that have high heat rejection temperature and high sensible heat ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: INERTECH IP LLC
    Inventors: Gerald McDonnell, Ming Zhang, John Costakis, Earl Keisling
  • Patent number: 11897316
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a high-temperature heating medium regulator and a controller. The high-temperature heating medium regulator regulates a high-temperature heating medium flow ratio between the flow rate of high-temperature heating medium flowing in an air heater and the flow rate of high-temperature heating medium flowing in a radiator. The controller controls the high-temperature heating medium regulator to regulate the high-temperature heating medium flow ratio such that excess heat is radiated to air outside the cabin by the radiator, of the heat radiated from the refrigerant to the high-temperature heating medium by a high-pressure-side heat exchanger, with respect to heat required for heating air blown into a cabin by the air heater to have a target outlet temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoya Makimoto, Yoshiki Kato
  • Patent number: 11880246
    Abstract: With increased demand for compact computing and easy to install computer components, there is an increased demand for user-friendly cooling solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Asetek Danmark A/S
    Inventor: Anders Hjørringgaard Saksager
  • Patent number: 11754204
    Abstract: An end plate for an expansion valve of a refrigeration circuit. The end plate includes a pair of slots or apertures, each of the slots configured to receive a tube or hose therein. Further, a pair of apertures is formed in the end plate extending from a first surface to a second surface thereof, each of the apertures configured to receive a fastener therein. The first face of the end plate includes a pair of protuberances extending outwardly from the first face. The protuberances are formed adjacent and laterally outwardly from the pair of apertures. The protuberances act as spacers and abut a surface of a housing of the expansion valve and may create a gap between the housing and the end plate to ensure equal clamping loading and militate against damage to a seal element between the housing and the end plate due to misalignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventor: Eric Kesler
  • Patent number: 11473848
    Abstract: A thermosiphon heat exchanger includes a chassis, an evaporation assembly and a condensation assembly. The chassis has an internal circulation chamber and an external circulation chamber separated from each other. The evaporation assembly is disposed in the internal circulation chamber. The condensation assembly is disposed in the external circulation chamber and horizontally positioned higher than the evaporation assembly, and the condensation assembly is coupled to the evaporation assembly by plural separated loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chia-Wei Chen, Wei-Zhi Huang, Kun-Chieh Liao
  • Patent number: 11390137
    Abstract: A thermal management system for an electrified vehicle and a method for managing such a system, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first cooling circuit, a second cooling circuit, and a third cooling circuit. The first cooling circuit cools a battery pack and includes a battery chiller in fluid communication with a cooling system inlet to the battery pack. The second cooling circuit cools the battery chiller and includes at least a first compressor and a first condenser in fluid communication with the battery chiller. The third cooling circuit cools a passenger cabin and includes at least a second compressor and a second condenser, and wherein the third cooling circuit is independent of the second cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Mackenzie, Sunil Katragadda, Ronald Richard Semel
  • Publication number: 20150107296
    Abstract: A heat exchanger that effectively distributes a refrigerant by varying the cross-sectional area of a header and an air conditioner having the same. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant tubes disposed spaced apart from each other, a header joined to both ends of each of the refrigerant tubes, at least one baffle to divide the refrigerant tubes into a plurality of mutually adjacent groups and block a longitudinal flow of a refrigerant flowing in the header, each of the groups causing the refrigerant to flow in one direction, and a booster installed to vary a cross-sectional area of the header to uniformly distribute the refrigerant to refrigerant tubes in the same group among the refrigerant tubes. The booster to vary the cross-sectional area of the header may allow a refrigerant flowing through a header to be effectively distributed to the refrigerant tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong Gyu Lee, Sung Rok Kim, Dong Sik Jin, Kyoung Rock Kim, Hee Gak No
  • Patent number: 8978741
    Abstract: A device for reducing temperature variation in a plenum includes at least one pipe and a plurality of sumps containing a fluid operable to vary between a liquid state and a gaseous state depending upon a temperature of the fluid. The plurality of sumps are positioned at various locations within the plenum and the at least one pipe is in fluid communication with the plurality of sumps. In addition, the fluid, in the gaseous state, is caused to move through the at least one pipe and condense, thereby reducing the temperature at the location of the sump where the fluid was vaporized and thereby reducing temperature variation in the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ratnesh K. Sharma, Cullen E. Bash, Chandrakant D. Patel, Abdlmonem Beitelmal
  • Publication number: 20150027672
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger, each of flat tubes (31) has an end portion inserted in a header-collecting pipe (70). When the heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, a refrigerant in a gas-liquid two-phase state upwardly flows in a subspace (71a) located in the header-collecting pipe (70). An effective cross-sectional area A of the subspace (71a) in the header-collecting pipe (70) is set based on a mass flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the subspace (71a) in the header-collecting pipe (70). The effective cross-sectional area A is obtained by subtracting a projected area A1 which corresponds to a portion of each flat tube (31) located in the subspace (71a) and is projected onto a plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the header-collecting pipe (70) from an area A0 of a cross section of the subspace (71a) which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the header-collecting pipe (70).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Jindou, Yoshio Oritani, Yoshimasa Kikuchi, Yasuhiro Sasai, Hiroharu Kubo, Satoshi Inoue, Hyunyoung Kim, Hirokazu Fujino
  • Publication number: 20150027163
    Abstract: A refrigerant evaporator includes four core portions. A part of the refrigerant passes through a first core portion and a fourth core portion. The other part of the refrigerant passes through a second core portion and a third core portion. An exchanging unit exchanges the positions where the refrigerant flows. A passage through which the second core portion communicates with the third core portion includes a throttle passage in the intermediate tank unit. The throttle passage and the end portion of the intermediate tank unit reverse the refrigerant flow toward a partitioning member. Since the distribution of a liquid-phase refrigerant is adjusted by the throttle passage, a concentration of the liquid-phase refrigerant on a position in the vicinity of an outlet of the third core portion is suppressed. Accordingly, the concentration of the liquid-phase refrigerant in the core portions located downstream of the refrigerant flow is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Naohisa Ishizaka, Norimasa Baba, Ichio Kamei, Kengo Kazari, Shota Chatani
  • Patent number: 8806889
    Abstract: A refrigerating cycle unit includes an ejector and a heat exchanger defined by layering a plurality of plates. Each of the plates has a refrigerant passage, and the refrigerant passages are connected by a header tank in a layering direction of the plates. At least two of the plates are fix plates having a fix portion to fix the ejector, and a communication portion through which the ejector and the header tank communicate with each other. The ejector is arranged between the fix portions of the fix plates in the layering direction, so as to be integrated with the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Aun Ota, Tomohiko Nakamura, Hideaki Sato
  • Patent number: 8695375
    Abstract: A microchannel heat exchanger includes a plurality of microchannel tubes including a first set of microchannel tubes and a second set of microchannel tubes. A first circuit of the microchannel heat exchanger includes the first set of microchannel tubes, and a portion of a first fluid flows through the first set of microchannel tubes and exchanges heat with a second fluid. A second circuit of the microchannel heat exchanger includes the second set of microchannel tubes, and a reminder of the first fluid flows through the second set of microchannel tubes and exchanges heat with the second fluid. The first fluid from the first circuit and the first fluid from the second circuit combine into a common flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: Allen C. Kirkwood
  • Patent number: 8661845
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a heat exchanging section for performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and a cooling medium and a passage section. The passage section includes a first passage and a second passage for supplying the refrigerant to the heat exchanging section and a supply passage for supplying the refrigerant to the first passage and the second passage. The first passage and the second passage define a first opening portion and a second opening portion opening at an end of the supply passage. A minimum distance between an opening edge of the first opening portion and an inner surface of the supply passage is equal to a minimum distance between an opening edge of the second opening portion and the inner surface of the supply passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Thuya Aung, Nobuharu Kakehashi, Tomohiko Nakamura, Hideaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20140053588
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide high-efficiency cooling in a data center in response to a cooling and/or humidity demand using a system having multiple cooling loops to allow for a higher chilled liquid temperature of a first chilled liquid loop, while maintaining data center room temperature and humidity control. Specifically, the system includes a plurality of integrated cooling systems each comprising one or more specifically sized chillers and a liquid loop to address the cooling demand. A free cooling heat exchanger is coupled to the first liquid loop for use when a wet-bulb temperature surrounding the data center is at or below a free cooling set point of the first chilled liquid loop. The system isolates humidity control components to a second chilled liquid loop, and enables greater control of the first chilled liquid loop of the data center to meet specific IT loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wally Karrat, Bret W. Lehman, Ronald J. Licare, Daniel Pare
  • Patent number: 8656729
    Abstract: An air conditioning system includes a refrigerant circuit (20) in which a compressor (21), an indoor radiant panel (23), a first expansion valve (24), a room air heat exchanger (25), a second expansion valve (26) and an outdoor air heat exchanger (27) are connected in this order and which operates in a refrigeration cycle by reversibly circulating refrigerant therethrough. During a defrosting operation, the first expansion valve (24) is controlled to reduce the refrigerant pressure so that in a cooling cycle the refrigerant releases heat in the outdoor air heat exchanger (27) and the room air heat exchanger (25) and evaporates in the indoor radiant panel (23). Thus, the air conditioning system concurrently provides the defrosting of the outdoor air heat exchanger (27) and the room heating of the room air heat exchanger (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromune Matsuoka, Toshiyuki Kurihara
  • Publication number: 20130340451
    Abstract: A heat exchanger has an upper region, a lower region disposed vertically lower than the upper region, and a passive charge management device. The passive charge management device has an internal volume, an upper tube connecting the internal volume to at least one of the upper region and the lower region at a first vertical height, and a lower tube connecting the internal volume to at least one of the upper region and the lower region at a second vertical height that is vertically lower than the first vertical height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Gary Lee Sapp, Darryl Elliott Denton, Jason Thomas LeRoy, John Bailey, Roy Randall Crawford
  • Publication number: 20130312455
    Abstract: Provided is an evaporator including a tank formed with a depressed part and a flow part having a refrigerant flow therein using a flow part forming member, separately from a first compartment and a second compartment to improve a refrigerant channel structure, in a double evaporator in which a refrigerant flows in a first column and a second column, respectively, thereby reducing the number of four inlets and outlets that is disposed in the first column and the second column, respectively, fixing a baffle at an accurate position, and reducing a defective rate to more improve productivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: HALLA CLIMATE CONTROL CORP.
    Inventors: Young-Ha JEON, Jun Young Song, Hong-Young Lim, Jung Sam Gu, Kwang Hun Oh
  • Patent number: 8429931
    Abstract: An ejector refrigerant cycle device includes a radiator for radiating heat of high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from a compressor, a branch portion for branching a flow of refrigerant on a downstream side of the radiator into a first stream and a second stream, an ejector that includes a nozzle portion for decompressing and expending refrigerant of the first stream from the branch portion, a decompression portion for decompressing and expanding refrigerant of the second stream from the branch portion, and an evaporator for evaporating refrigerant on a downstream side of the decompression portion. The evaporator has a refrigerant outlet coupled to the refrigerant suction port of the ejector. Furthermore, a refrigerant radiating portion is provided for radiating heat of refrigerant while the decompression portion decompresses and expands refrigerant. For example, the refrigerant radiating portion is provided in an inner heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ikegami, Hirotsugu Takeuchi, Etsuhisa Yamada, Haruyuki Nishijima, Hideya Matsui
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120312035
    Abstract: An air conditioning system (10) using a refrigerant fluid (102) and a cooling liquid, the air conditioning system (10) comprising: a first compartment (22) defining a first air inlet (31) and a first air outlet (33) and a first ventilator (28) for creating a first air flow (35) through the first compartment (22) from the first air inlet (31) to the first air outlet (33); a first heat exchange unit (16) provided in the first compartment (22) for allowing heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid (102) and the first air flow (35) when the refrigerant fluid (102) is circulated through the first heat exchange unit (16); a second heat exchange unit (14) also provided in the first compartment (22) for allowing heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid (102) and the first air flow (35) when the refrigerant fluid (102) is circulated through the second heat exchange unit (14), the second heat exchange unit (14) being provided downstream from the first heat exchange unit (16) relatively to the first air flow (35),
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventor: Andre Boucher
  • Publication number: 20120279684
    Abstract: A system for cooling electronic equipment includes first and second heat exchangers and a condenser. The first exchanger is disposed in an airflow in thermal communication with electronic equipment and is configured to receive a cooling fluid at a first temperature. The first exchanger enables heat transfer from the airflow to the cooling fluid to heat the cooling fluid to a second temperature. The second exchanger is disposed in the airflow between the first exchanger and the electronic equipment and is configured to receive the cooling fluid at the second temperature. The second exchanger enables heat transfer from the airflow to the cooling fluid to heat the cooling fluid to a third temperature. The condenser is configured to receive the cooling fluid at the third temperature and is configured to enable heat transfer from the cooling fluid to a cooling source to cool the cooling fluid to the first temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Earl Keisling, John Costakis, Gerald McDonnell
  • Patent number: 8276401
    Abstract: An evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet header section, a refrigerant outlet header section, and a refrigerant circulation path connecting the two header sections. A refrigerant inlet-outlet member composed of a first plate, a second plate, and an intermediate plate is joined to the two header sections. The refrigerant inlet-outlet member has an inflow channel whose one end communicates with the refrigerant inlet of the refrigerant inlet header section and whose other end is opened to a rear edge of the refrigerant inlet-outlet member, and an outflow channel whose one end communicates with the refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant outlet header section and whose other end is opened to the rear edge. The first and second plates each have inflow-channel-forming and outflow-channel-forming outward swelled portions. Cutouts and a through hole are formed in the intermediate plate such that the inflow channel and the outflow channel cross each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Naohisa Higashiyama, Hokuto Mine, Motoyuki Takagi
  • Publication number: 20120227435
    Abstract: A direct expansion evaporator for making a frozen product from raw material includes a feeding channel, a heat exchange channel thermally communicating with the feeding channel, and a refrigerant flowing within the heat exchange channel for exchanging heat between the raw material within the feeding channel and the refrigerant within the heat exchange channel in an expanded evaporation manner. Therefore, the refrigerant releases the thermal energy via the phase changing from liquid to gaseous state of the refrigerant. The heat exchange channel has a pre-cooling portion for pre-cooling the raw material at a predetermined temperature and a freezing portion for freezing the raw material to a final predetermined temperature of the frozen product in two-stage evaporation manner. Thus, the direction expansion evaporator provides a relatively more efficient way for making the frozen product, so as to increase the quality of the frozen product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventor: Lingyu Dong
  • Publication number: 20120103009
    Abstract: A dual refrigerant circuit chiller (10) has a first refrigerant circuit (100) including a first condenser (130) and a first evaporator (140), a second refrigerant circuit (200) including a second condenser (230) and a second evaporator (240), a condenser assembly (30) including the first condenser (130) and the second condenser (230) interconnected in a series cooling fluid circuit, and an evaporator assembly (40) including the first evaporator (140) and the second evaporator (240) interconnected in a series fluid circuit with a waterbox (50) disposed intermediate the first evaporator (140) and the second evaporator (240). The evaporator assembly (40) has a chilled fluid inlet (45) and a chilled fluid outlet (43) that are disposed at opposite longitudinal ends of the evaporator assembly (40). Each of the first and second evaporators (140, 240) embodies a multiple pass circuit fluid-to-refrigerant heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haiping Ding, Songtao Li, Michael A. Stark
  • Patent number: 8151579
    Abstract: A cooling recover system and method are disclosed. A fluid, such as water, is chilled and provided to a cooling coil to cool and dehumidify air passing over the cooling coil. The fluid is output from the cooling coil through an outlet, and at least a portion of the fluid from the outlet of the cooling coil is provided to an inlet of a heat transfer coil to reheat air passing over the heat transfer coil. The fluid is warmed as it passes through the cooling coil, which warmer temperature serves to reheat the air passing over the heat transfer coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Inventor: Scot M. Duncan
  • Patent number: 7913515
    Abstract: Refrigerating appliance comprises at least one first, second and third refrigerating area for a low, medium or high storage temperature, whereby each refrigerating area has an evaporator. The refrigerating appliance also comprises a compressor, a refrigerant circuit for supplying compressed refrigerant to the evaporators and for returning expanded refrigerant to the compressor, and comprises at least one switching element for directing, as desired, the refrigerant through one of two branches of the refrigerant circuit. In the first branch, the evaporators of the first and the third refrigerating areas are connected in series. In the second branch, the evaporators of all three refrigerating areas are connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Nuiding
  • Patent number: 7707851
    Abstract: An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner includes two or more heat exchangers, a refrigerant pipe, a compressor, an accumulator, and an overcooler. The heat exchangers perform heat exchanging between air or water and refrigerant. The refrigerant pipe guides refrigerant circulating between the two or more heat exchangers. The compressor compresses refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe to a high temperature and pressure. The accumulator is provided on one side of the compressor, to separate an inflowing refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant. The overcooler is provided on one side of the heat exchangers, to further cool refrigerant passing through the heat exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: In Woong Park, Ja Hyung Koo, Seung Cheol Baek, Soo Yeon Shin, Dong Hyuk Lee
  • Publication number: 20100089095
    Abstract: A multi-pass heat exchanger having a return manifold with a partition, a front wall, and a rear wall is provided. The partition separates the return manifold into a collection chamber and a distribution chamber. The front and rear walls define a fluid channel. The front wall has a plurality of perforations placing the fluid channel in separate fluid communication with the collection chamber and the distribution chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Salvatore Macri, Mikhail B. Gorbounov, Yirong Jiang, Jules Ricardo Munoz, Young K. Park, Parmesh Verma, Henry Beamer, Robert Runk
  • Publication number: 20100031698
    Abstract: An evaporator includes two header tanks and a plurality of heat exchange tubes disposed therebetween. The interior of a refrigerant inlet header section of the first header tank is divided into two spaces by a first flow diverging plate. The heat-exchange-tube-side space of the refrigerant inlet header section is divided into a plurality of sections by a first partition plate. Flow diverging openings are provided in portions of the first flow diverging plate facing the sections. The interiors of first and second intermediate header sections of the second header tank are each divided into sections, equal in number to those of the refrigerant inlet header section. The heat exchange tubes communicating with the sections of the refrigerant inlet header section communicate with the sections of the first intermediate header section, and the sections of the first intermediate header section communicate with the corresponding sections of the second intermediate header section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventor: Naohisa Higashiyama
  • Patent number: 7640970
    Abstract: An evaporator utilizes micro-channel tubes, and more particularly, has a structure of a heat exchanger using micro-channel tubes, which is applied to an evaporator of a household air conditioner. The evaporator, using micro-channel tubes, includes a first heat exchanging unit including a pair of upper and lower headers, and a plurality of the micro-channel tubes erected vertically between the headers so that condensed water flows downward, and a second heat exchanging unit, installed adjacent to the first heat exchanging unit, includes a pair of upper and lower headers, and a plurality of the micro-channel tubes erected vertically between the headers so that condensed water flows downward. A plurality of return pipes connect upper headers of neighboring heat exchanging units to transmit refrigerant between the neighboring heat exchanging units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Jeung Hoon Kim, Hong Gi Cho, Seong Ho Kil, Keum Nam Cho, Baek Youn, Hyoung Mo Koo, Jai Kwon Lee
  • Patent number: 7448436
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger, a core has a first core portion including first tubes and a second core portion including second tubes. The first tubes defines first passages through which an internal fluid flows and the second tubes defines second passages through which the internal fluid passed through the first passages flows. A flow direction of the internal fluid passed through a first section of the first core portion and a flow direction of the refrigerant passed through a second section of the first core portion are changed with respect to a direction that the tubes are layered, before flowing in the second core portion. Thus, the internal fluid passed through the first section of the first core portion flows into a second section of the second core portion and the internal fluid passed through the second section of the first core portion flows into a first section of the second core portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiki Katoh, Masaaki Kawakubo, Etsuo Hasegawa, Ken Muto
  • Patent number: 7181921
    Abstract: The refrigerating appliance comprises at least one first, second and third refrigerating area for a low, medium or high storage temperature, whereby each refrigerating area has an evaporator (24, 25, 26). The refrigerating appliance also comprises a compressor (19), a refrigerant circuit for supplying compressed refrigerant to the evaporators (24, 25, 26) and for returning expanded refrigerant to the compressor (19), and comprises at least one switching element (22, 22?) for directing, as desired, the refrigerant through one of two branches (I, II) of the refrigerant circuit. In the first branch (I), the evaporators (24, 26) of the first and the third refrigerating areas are connected in series. In the second branch (II), The evaporators (24, 25, 26) of all three refrigerating areas are connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Nuiding
  • Patent number: 6966200
    Abstract: An evaporator is constructed such that bundles of heat exchanger tubes for flowing cold water are disposed inside a container for admitting the cooling medium. When a total cross sectional area of the heat exchanger tubes at various locations in a flow passage of the cold water is compared, the total area in a downstream location is less than a total area in an upstream location of the flow passage. Therefore, even though the temperature differential between the cold water and the cooling medium is small, the flow speeds of the cold water in the downstream tubes become faster than that in the upstream tubes, so that the heat flux is increased and heat transfer rate is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichiro Iritani, Akihiro Kawada, Koji Hirokawa, Sunao Aoki, Yoshinori Shirakata, Wataru Seki
  • Patent number: 6935127
    Abstract: A refrigerator which performs various refrigeration cycles by variously changing refrigerant paths, thus accomplishing refrigerant evaporating temperatures suitable for a refrigerator compartment evaporator and a freezer compartment evaporator, respectively, and which cools a selected one of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment as desired to enhance a cooling efficiency and increasing a cooling speed of the refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In-Chang Jeong, Hak-Gyun Bae, Myung-Wouk Kim
  • Patent number: 6857288
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat exchanger in a refrigerator having a simple structure and an improved heat exchange performance. For this, the present invention includes refrigerant tubes (10) having a plurality of straight parts (11) and a plurality of curved parts (12) connected between the straight parts arrange to form one or more columns perpendicular to each other, a plurality of straight plate type fins (20) fitted to the straight parts (11) of the refrigerant tubes (10) by means of a plurality of through holes (21) formed therein to form one or more than columns along a length direction, and one pair of reinforcing plates (30) fitted to the straight parts of the refrigerant tubes on both sides of the fins, wherein ST=D/N, where D denotes a width of the reinforcing plate (30), ST denotes a distance between centers of the refrigerant tube in each column, N denotes a number of the columns of the refrigerant tubes (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sam Chul Ha, Jong Min Sin, Bong Jun Choi, Cheol Hwan Kim, Young Hwan Ko, Young Jeong, Seong Hai Jeong, Alexei V Tikhonov
  • Patent number: 6793010
    Abstract: A heat exchanger having a fluid conveying conduit and a plurality of heat exchange elements thermally coupled with the conduit. The heat exchange elements have heat transfer surfaces that define at least one air flow passage through the heat exchanger that is non-perpendicularly aligned with the conduit. An air blower is operatively associated with the heat exchanger and generates airflow in a direction that is non-perpendicular to the heat exchanger conduit. The air flow direction generated by the blower and the air flow passage defined by the heat transfer surfaces through the heat exchanger may be substantially parallel or form an angle of no greater than approximately 30 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
    Inventor: Dan M. Manole
  • Publication number: 20040159121
    Abstract: The evaporator according to the present invention is equipped with a core (1) including an upper side and lower side heat exchanging tube groups P1 and P2 arranged front and rear and an upper side and lower side header members (10) and (50) disposed at the upper and lower end of the core (1). The inside of the upper header member is divided front and rear to form an inlet-side tank (11) and an outlet-side tank (12). On end of each tube (6) constituting the upstream-side tube group P1 is connected to the inlet-side tank (11), while the other end is connected to the lower header member (50). On end of each tube (7) constituting the downstream-side tube group P2 is connected to the outlet-side tank (12), while the other end is connected to the lower header into the inlet-side tank (11) is introduced into the outlet-side tank (12) by passing through the upstream-side tube group P1, the lower header member (50) and the downstream-side tube group P2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Hirofumi Horiuchi, Ryoichi Hoshino, Noboru Ogasawara, Takashi Tamura, Takashi Terada, Futoshi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20040118152
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat exchanger in a refrigerator having a simple structure and an improved heat exchange performance. For this, the present invention includes refrigerant tubes (10) having a plurality of straight parts (11) and a plurality of curved parts (12) connected between the straight parts arrange to form one or more columns perpendicular to each other, a plurality of straight plate type fins (20) fitted to the straight parts (11) of the refrigerant tubes (10) by means of a plurality of through holes (21) formed therein to form one or more than columns along a length direction, and one pair of reinforcing plates (30) fitted to the straight parts of the refrigerant tubes on both sides of the fins, wherein ST=D/N, where D denotes a width of the reinforcing plate (30), ST denotes a distance between centers of the refrigerant tube in each column, N denotes a number of the columns of the refrigerant tubes (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Sam Chul Ha, Jong Min Sin, Bong Jun Choi, Cheol Hwan Kim, Young Hwan Ko, Young Jeong, Seong Hai Jeong, Alexei V Tikhonov
  • Publication number: 20040040341
    Abstract: A refrigerator which performs various refrigeration cycles by variously changing refrigerant paths, thus accomplishing refrigerant evaporating temperatures suitable for a refrigerator compartment evaporator and a freezer compartment evaporator, respectively, and which cools a selected one of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment as desired to enhance a cooling efficiency and increasing a cooling speed of the refrigerator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In-Chang Jeong, Hak-Gyun Bae, Myung-Wouk Kim
  • Patent number: 6698234
    Abstract: The efficiency of a vapor compression system is increased by coupling the evaporator with either the intercooler of a two-stage vapor compression system or the compressor component. The refrigerant in the evaporator accepts heat from the compressor component or the refrigerant in the intercooler, heating the evaporator refrigerant. As pressure is directly related temperature, the low side pressure of the system increases, decreasing compressor work and increasing system efficiency. Additionally, as the heat from the compressor component or from the refrigerant in the intercooler is rejected to the refrigerant in the evaporator, the compressor is cooled, increasing the density and the mass flow rate of the refrigerant to further increase system efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Sivakumar Gopalnarayanan, Tobias H. Sienel, Lili Zhang
  • Publication number: 20020157417
    Abstract: This evaporator (12) is constructed such that bundles of heat exchanger tubes (15) for flowing cold water are disposed inside the container (14) for admitting the cooling medium. When a total cross sectional area of the heat exchanger tubes (15) at various locations in the flow direction of the cold water is compared, the total area in a downstream location is less that a total area in an upstream location of the flow passage. Therefore, even though the temperature differential between the cold water and the cooling medium is small, the flow speeds of the cold water in the downstream tubes become faster than that in the upstream tubes, so that the heat flux is increased and heat transfer rate is improved even in tube group D.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Yoichiro Iritani, Akihiro Kawada, Koji Hirokawa, Sunao Aoki, Yoshinori Shirakata, Wataru Seki
  • Patent number: 6397629
    Abstract: A vapor compression system includes an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser interconnected in a closed-loop system. In one embodiment, a multifunctional valve is configured to receive a liquefied heat transfer fluid from the condenser and a hot vapor from the compressor. A saturated vapor line connects the outlet of the multifunctional valve to the inlet of the evaporator and is sized so as to substantially convert the heat transfer fluid exiting the multifunctional valve into a saturated vapor prior to delivery to the evaporator. The multifunctional valve regulates the flow of heat transfer fluid through the valve by monitoring the temperature of the heat transfer fluid returning to the compressor through a suction line coupling the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: XDX, LLC
    Inventor: David A. Wightman
  • Patent number: 6370901
    Abstract: A compound evaporation device comprises a compressor, a heat discharge divider, a main liquid line, a re-condensed tube, a vapor divider, and a primary vapor tube. The compressor is for compressing a gaseous refrigerant therein. The heat discharge divider communicates the compressor and has heat discharge branch tubes thereon surrounded by heat dissipating fins. The main liquid line communicates the heat discharge branch tubes. The re-condensed tube has a series of turns in alternate directions and communicates with the main liquid line. The expansion valve connects with the re-condensed tube. The vapor divider connects with the expansion valve and has vapor branch tubes surrounded by heat guide fins, and the heat guide fins and/or the vapor branch tube at a bottom thereof contact with the re-condensed tube. The primary vapor tube communicates the vapor branch tubes and the compressor to constitute a complete circuit line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Inventor: Ming-Li Tso
  • Patent number: 6286326
    Abstract: An improved refrigerator that combines means for directing cooling to a fresh-food compartment and a freezer compartment with a variable-capacity compressor. During fresh-food cooling the compressor volumetric capacity is reduced to match capacity of the expansion device. The means for directing cooling may be a multiple evaporators. Another option is a single evaporator with a reversing fan and flaps that respond to the direction of air flow to direct air flow between the evaporator and each compartment. Another embodiment comprises a natural-convection evaporator with dampers for directing air flow. This last embodiment also allows automatic defrost with a natural-convection evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: WorkSmart Energy Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: William Leslie Kopko
  • Patent number: 6266968
    Abstract: A refrigerator that efficiently cools multiple cold spaces at different temperatures with one compressor and one condenser is disclosed. Multiple, fan equipped evaporators are in series, and an expansion valve regulates superheat from inlet to outlet of the series evaporators. Cold space temperatures are regulated with an on-off thermostat in each space. If only one fan is turned on, system performance approaches that of a single evaporator refrigerator with controlled superheat. More than one evaporator fan may be turned on for initial cooldown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Inventor: Robert Walter Redlich
  • Patent number: 6185958
    Abstract: A vapor compression system includes an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser interconnected in a closed-loop system. In one embodiment, a multifunctional valve is configured to receive a liquefied heat transfer fluid from the condenser and a hot vapor from the compressor. A saturated vapor line connects the outlet of the multifunctional valve to the inlet of the evaporator and is sized so as to substantially convert the heat transfer fluid exiting the multifunctional valve into a saturated vapor prior to delivery to the evaporator. The multifunctional valve regulates the flow of heat transfer fluid through the valve by monitoring the temperature of the heat transfer fluid returning to the compressor through a suction line coupling the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: XDX, LLC
    Inventor: David A. Wightman
  • Patent number: 6116048
    Abstract: A dual (or multi) sectional evaporator system comprising first and second (or more) evaporator sections capable of cooling the air supply through the evaporator. The first evaporator section is positioned upstream of the second evaporator section (second upstream of the third and so on). However, the warmest refrigerant passes through the first evaporator section and the coldest refrigerant passes through the second evaporator section (or last evaporator section if more than two sections), such that the air supply is precooled prior to reaching the second (or last) evaporator. Providing a two (or more) passes of refrigerant through the dual (or multi) sectional evaporator system increases the superheat temperature out of the first evaporator up to about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, and/or increases the mass flow of refrigerant because of the increased heat exchange efficiency provided by counterflow heat exchange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Inventor: Thomas H. Hebert
  • Patent number: 6047770
    Abstract: In an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, a water/refrigerant heat exchanger is disposed at a refrigerant discharge side of a compressor of a refrigerant cycle, and a cooling unit for cooling a heat-generating unit with refrigerant having an intermediate pressure of the refrigerant cycle is disposed at a downstream refrigerant side of the water/refrigerant heat exchanger. The air conditioning apparatus includes an evaporator and a hot-water type heater core disposed in an air conditioning duct. In a cooling water circuit, an engine, a radiator and an electrical pump are disposed in addition to the water/refrigerant heat exchanger and the hot-water type heater core. Thus, refrigerant absorbs heat generated in the heat-generating unit, and is heat-exchanged with cooling water in the water/refrigerant heat exchanger after passing through the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takahisa Suzuki, Katsuya Ishii, Keiichiro Banzai, Akihisa Kokubo
  • Patent number: 5983998
    Abstract: An evaporator of an air conditioner has front and rear sections, and heat-exchanging pipes comprised of first, second, and third independent refrigerant passages. In the first passage, refrigerant enters a first row of a front line of the rear section, circulates completely through the rear section, and then exits from a second row of the front line of the rear section. In the second passage, refrigerant enters a first row of the front line of the front section, circulates through an upper portion of the front section, and then exits from a first row of the rear line of the front section. In the third passage refrigerant enters a fifth row of the front line of the front section, circulates through a lower portion of the front section, and then exits from a seventh row of the rear line of the front section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-wug Kim