Patents Assigned to American Standard Inc.
  • Patent number: 6269494
    Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a plurality of anchoring plates (50), each with a series of holes (52) positioned on the anterior face of the plate and at right angles to it, close together, capable of accommodating a fastening screw (53) inserted in a respective through-hole (31) provided in the facing panel, and adjustable attachment assemblies each capable of fixing such a respective plate to the support structure, in such a way that the anterior face thereof is turned toward the inner face of the facing panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Alessandro Moretto
  • Patent number: 6254354
    Abstract: A hermetic reciprocating compressor employs a motor end cap through which suction gas passes in heat exchange contact with the compressor drive motor enroute to the compressor. The end cap has a suction gas aperture and employs apparatus for preventing the entry of debris thereinto and defines a closeable aperture through which the gap between the rotor and stator of the compressor drive motor is accessible during the compressor manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: W. J. Sonnier, Jr., Kendall D. Davenport
  • Patent number: 6237853
    Abstract: A sanitary fitting for attachment to a plumbing wall including a fitting body with a common supply housing, the common supply housing having an elongated shape with a hot water supply and a cold water supply which are positioned in a supply plane substantially perpendicular to the plumbing wall and a valve for closing and/or mixing water flowing through the sanitary fitting, the valve having an elongated shape and being located outside the supply housing underneath the supply plane and the common supply housing, where a lengthwise axis of the valve means extends substantially parallel to a lengthwise axis of the supply housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Konrad Bergmann
  • Patent number: 6206653
    Abstract: A refrigeration unit having a compressor that includes a cast member, a cavity formed in the cast member, and an oil filter element dividing the cavity into an inlet cavity and an outlet cavity. An inlet port for directing the unfiltered oil into the inlet cavity and an outlet port for directing filtered oil out of the outlet cavity are also included. The filter element is secured in the cavity between an integral plate on one end and ears on the opposite end. A seal between the cast member and the removable cover is included. Also included is another seal positioned between the inlet and outlet cavities. The filter element may be cylindrical. At least one isolation valve that prevents or allows flow into and out of the filter cavity may be included. The inlet port may be formed in the cast member and the outlet port may be formed in the removable cover, or vice versa. At least one lubrication point and an oil conduit communicating between the lubrication port and the outlet port are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Randy E. Dewhirst, James W. Noben
  • Patent number: 6205808
    Abstract: A screw compressor in a refrigeration chiller includes one or more baffles disposed in the compressor housing so as to intercept and redirect oil which may flow and/or be blown, under certain operating conditions, in an upstream direction against the stream of suction gas that flows into the compressor from the evaporator. The baffles cause oil to be retained in the compressor rather than being blown back to the system evaporator to ensure that sufficient oil is available to the compressor under all operating conditions and eliminates the need for structure/apparatus in the evaporator dedicated to returning such oil to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis M. Beekman
  • Patent number: 6202686
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a faucet which includes a one-piece manifold body and a swivel spout pivotably mounted on the body. The body preferably has first and second leg portions for accepting fluid flow therethrough. The faucet may also preferably include an escutcheon coupled to the body, a cartridge coupled to the body, and a retainer ring interposed between the cartridge and the body. In one preferred embodiment, the faucet may include an auxiliary outlet mechanism which may include a diverter valve disposed in the body, as well as a hand spray coupled to the body and in fluid communication with the diverter valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Pitsch, Juergen Mueller
  • Patent number: 6199399
    Abstract: A bi-directional refrigerant metering and expansion valve. The bi-directional valve comprises a body; a short tube portion in the body, a heating inlet portion and a cooling inlet portion. The short tube portion includes a tubular portion having a short tube length, a short tube diameter, and a pre-selected short tube length to short tube diameter ratio and includes first and second ends interconnected by the tubular portion. The heating inlet portion is connected to the first end of the short tube portion, and includes a heating inlet chamfer having a first length and a first angle of a first magnitude. The cooling inlet portion is connected to the second end of the short tube portion, and includes a cooling inlet chamfer having a second length and a cooling inlet angle of a second magnitude. The second length is greater than the first length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Roger J. Voorhis
  • Patent number: 6185954
    Abstract: An air conditioning unit comprising: a housing having a first half and a second half; the first half of the housing containing an indoor heat exchange coil and a blower moving air through said coil from at least a housing inlet to a housing outlet. The blower discharges into a diffuser duct having a diffuser section with a first segment and a second segment where the first and second segments have first and second respective and differing angles of diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Smiley, III, Glenn J. McClellan
  • Patent number: 6176092
    Abstract: A refrigeration chiller employs a centrifugal compressor the impellers of which are mounted on a shaft which is itself mounted for rotation using rolling element bearings lubricated only by the refrigerant which constitutes the working fluid of the chiller system. Apparatus is taught for providing liquid refrigerant to (1.) the bearings immediately upon chiller start-up, during chiller operation and during a coastdown period subsequent to shutdown of the chiller and (2.) the drive motor of the chiller's compressor for motor cooling purposes. By use of a variable speed-driven motor to drive the compressor, optimized part load chiller performance is achieved in a chiller which does not require or employ an oil-based lubrication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur L. Butterworth, Todd R. Vandeleest, David H. Eber, James C. Tischer
  • Patent number: 6170271
    Abstract: A fresh air unit. The unit comprises: a housing having an airstream flowing therethrough; a pre-cooling portion, and dehumidification portion. The pre-cooling portion is located within the housing and reduces the temperature and specific humidity of a gas in the airstream to a target zone on a psychrometric chart. The dehumidification portion is also located in the housing downstream of the pre-cooling portion. The dehumidification portion removes a selected amount of moisture from the gas and reheats the gas a selected amount of sensible heat gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Brian T. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 6170286
    Abstract: Oil is returned from the evaporator to the oil sump in a refrigeration chiller by directing the lubricant-liquid refrigerant mixture found in the chiller evaporator into heat exchange contact with relatively hotter system lubricant as such lubricant flows from the oil sump to the location of its use in the chiller's compressor. The oil flowing from the sump to the compressor rejects sufficient heat to the lubricant-liquid refrigerant mixture to induce the percolation thereof, such percolation being sufficiently energetic to cause slugs of the lubricant-liquid refrigerant mixture to be delivered from the location of heat exchange into the chiller's lubricant sump thereby effecting the return of oil from the evaporator for re-use in the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Edward F. Keuper
  • Patent number: 6170098
    Abstract: A faucet fitting system having interchangeable components useable in both single handle and dual handle faucet fixtures. The component system is designed to allow the same putty plate with breast plate, waterway spout, aerator and mounting nuts to be used with the various escutcheons, metering valves and waterways associated with the single handle and duel handle faucet fixtures. Specially constructed water valves, putty plates and escutcheon constructions useable in conjunction with the system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Walter Pitsch
  • Patent number: 6167713
    Abstract: Efficient two-phase refrigerant mixture distribution is accomplished in a falling film evaporator by use of a refrigerant distributor disposed internal of the evaporator shell which overlies the evaporator tube bundle and which internally causes said two-phase refrigerant mixture to be made available along essentially the entire length and across essentially the entire width of the tube bundle prior to the delivery of the refrigerant out of the distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Jon P. Hartfield, Shane A. Moeykens, James W. Larson
  • Patent number: D437031
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Luan Nguyen, John Hyde
  • Patent number: D440636
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Fabian, John Hyde, Albert Becker
  • Patent number: D445883
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Sean W. Svendsen, Sherry Lynn Jones, Paul Kolada
  • Patent number: D452298
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Fabian, John Hyde, Albert Becker
  • Tub
    Patent number: D453208
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Sherry Lynn Jones, Paul P. Kolada, Michael J. Painter, Sean W. Svendsen
  • Patent number: D453820
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Sherry Lynn Jones, Paul P. Kolada, Michael J. Painter, Sean W. Svendsen, Scott M. Cline
  • Patent number: D453821
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Sherry Lynn Jones, Paul P. Kolada, Michael J. Painter, Sean W. Svendsen, Scott M. Cline