Abstract: A centrifugal blower for a furnace, heat pump, or other type of air handling unit includes a heat-generating blower housing that heats the airflow as the air passes through the blower housing. In some cases, the housing is made of a thermosetting resin impregnated with graphite or co-molded with a graphite cloth. Heat is generated within the housing wall by applying voltage across the housing.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 3, 2003
Date of Patent:
January 30, 2007
Assignee:
American Standard International Inc.
Inventors:
David E. Bronaugh, Stephen S. Hancock, Jay E. Field
Abstract: An enhanced touch-screen display system is disclosed for generating pixel coordinate estimates corresponding to a location on a display screen touched by a user. The system is an analog resistive touch-screen display system having a processor and associated software algorithms to allow for the calibration and validation of pixel coordinate estimates as an integral part of the real-time generation of the pixel coordinate estimates. Multiple calibrated pixel coordinate estimates are generated and processed at a pre-defined sampling rate to determine a valid pixel position to minimize sampling delays due to settling times. The x-axis position is also validated before the system attempts to generate a y-axis position to avoid the wasted time for generating y-axis estimates when x-axis estimates are corrupted. Noisy estimates are inherently reduced in the touch-screen display system by providing shunts across certain drivers in the system that also allow for detection of a “no touch” state.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 19, 2001
Date of Patent:
January 2, 2007
Assignee:
American Standard International Inc.
Inventors:
Thomas G. Krajewski, Jeffrey J. Degroot
Abstract: A heat recovery arrangement. The arrangement has a housing including a bathroom exhaust inlet, an exhaust outlet, a bathroom exhaust airflow path through the housing from the bathroom exhaust inlet to the exhaust outlet, a return air inlet, and a return air path through the housing from the return air inlet to the exhaust outlet. The housing also has an outside air inlet, a supply air outlet, an outside air path through the housing from the outside air inlet to the supply air outlet; and a heat recovery device extracting heat from the exhaust airflow path and the return airflow path and transferring heat to the outside airflow path.
Abstract: A cutoff for a blower housing. The cutoff comprises a cutoff having an edge, the edge includes first and second ends and a midsection. The midsection includes an acoustical reduction section. Each end includes an efficiency enhancing portion curving from a first smaller radial dimension to a second greater radial dimension proximal the acoustical reduction section. The acoustical reduction section is located between the first and second ends and has a greater third radial dimension greater than the first or second radial dimensions.
Abstract: A thermally conductive material is provided as a mixture of a silicone, a ceramic powder, and a curing catalyst. The material may be pre-formed into a pad and each side of the film protected with removable release layers. Each side of the film may also include a coating of an adhesive material that aids in coupling the interface film with a surface. The material may alternatively be produced in a screen-printable paste. As such, a layer of the paste may be screen-printed on a surface as complete sheet form or as a patterned film by using a stencil patterned screen mesh. The interface material is sandwiched between a printed circuit board and a heat sink to form the circuit board assembly. In a multi-step press process, the assembly is cured and a laminate formed. The assembly process may also include a priming function that prepares metal surfaces of the circuit board and heat sink for receiving the interface material.
Abstract: The present invention provides an in-line valve cartridge for use in sanitary fittings. The valve cartridge of the present invention includes a generally cylindrical housing having a proximate extent for support in a sanitary fitting, a distal extent from which water leaves the cartridge and a longitudinal body extending therebetween. The body has a thickness delineated by inner and outer peripheral surfaces with the inner peripheral surface further defining an elongated lumen thereby. The housing further includes an annular aperture that accommodates placement of a driving member therethrough and includes opposing extents that operate as stops for the driving member and correspond to the valve cartridge's open and closed positions. In addition, rotating and stationary ceramic disks are disposed in tandem wherein the stationary disk has at least one aperture for through flow of cold water, hot water or a combination thereof.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 28, 2005
Date of Patent:
October 3, 2006
Assignee:
American Standard Europe B.V.B.A.
Inventors:
Juergen Sponheimer, Frank Christ, Theo Thoennes