Patents Examined by Ana M Vazquez
  • Patent number: 11408647
    Abstract: A refrigerated system includes a heat recovery system defining a heat recovery fluid flow path. The heat recovery system includes an ejector having a primary inlet and a secondary inlet and a first heat exchanger within which heat is transferred between a heat recovery fluid and a secondary fluid. The first heat exchanger is located upstream from the primary inlet of the ejector. A second heat exchanger within which heat is transferred from a heat transfer fluid to the heat recovery fluid is upstream from the secondary inlet of the ejector. At least one recovery heat exchanger is positioned along the heat recovery fluid flow path directly upstream from the first heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frederick J. Cogswell, Yinshan Feng, Parmesh Verma, Hongsheng Liu, Dhruv Chanakya Hoysall
  • Patent number: 11402143
    Abstract: An air duct connector and an air-cooled refrigerator are provided. The air duct connector includes a first connector, a first guiding structure, a positioning structure, and a second connector. An accommodation space is formed in the first connector, and is provided with an insertion opening. The first connector is further provided with a first air opening. The first guiding structure and the positioning structure are disposed on the wall of the accommodation space. The second connector is provided with a second air opening and a second guiding structure, and is adapted to be inserted, from the insertion opening, into the accommodation space of the first connector. The first guiding structure guides the second guiding structure until the second guiding structure slides to and engages with the positioning structure, such that the second connector is positioned in the accommodation space and the first air opening is connected to the second air opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignees: HEFEI HUALING CO., LTD., HEFEI MIDEA REFRIGERATOR CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guoliang Zhu, Zhenhai Ren, Jun Yao, Mingbo Jiang
  • Patent number: 11402112
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, a heat-source-side expansion device, and a circuit-circuit heat exchanger are connected via a refrigerant pipe and refrigerant circulates, and a heat medium circuit in which a pump, the circuit-circuit heat exchanger, a load-side expansion device, and a load-side heat exchanger are connected via a heat medium pipe and a heat medium circulates. The air-conditioning apparatus includes a radiator that is connected to the heat medium pipe and a control unit that is attached to the radiator. The circuit-circuit heat exchanger exchanges heat between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit and the heat medium circulating in the heat medium circuit. The control unit is cooled via the radiator by the heat medium flowing in the heat medium pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamanaka, Shigeo Takata
  • Patent number: 11402135
    Abstract: In a first fluid circulation device, a heat exchanger, a tank that stores a first fluid liquefied by the heat exchanger, a first fluid pump that pumps the first fluid stored in the tank, a heater that heats the first fluid pumped from the first fluid pump, and a first fluid supply unit to which the first fluid is supplied from the heater are connected by a first pipe. A second fluid circulation device includes a cooler that cools a second fluid, causes the second fluid having been cooled by the cooler to circulate through a second pipe, and returns the second fluid to the cooler. The second pipe is connected to the heat exchanger and is connected to the tank and the first fluid pump, and the second fluid cools the first fluid in the heat exchanger, the tank, and the first fluid pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Shinwa Controls Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Teiichirou Ueda, Yasuhiro Naohara
  • Patent number: 11397031
    Abstract: A solid-state heat transporting device including a heat transporting element whose uniformity of contact with one or multiple surfaces is controllable so that various amounts of heat may be transported to and from the one or multiple surfaces. The heat transporting element uses the electrocaloric effect to absorb and release the heat and the uniformity of contact is controlled using an electrostatic effect which may change the shape of the heat transporting element. In one embodiment, the heat transporting element is an electrostatically actuated P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) polymer stack achieving a high specific cooling power of 2.8 W/g and a COP of 13 (the highest reported coefficient of performance to date) when used as a cooling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignees: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SRI INTERNATIONAL
    Inventors: Qibing Pei, Rujun Ma, Ziyang Zhang, Roy Kornbluh, David Huber
  • Patent number: 11397040
    Abstract: An HVAC system includes an outdoor heat exchanger. A first indoor heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to the outdoor heat exchanger and disposed in a first zone. A second indoor heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to the outdoor heat exchanger and disposed in a second zone. A compressor is fluidly coupled to the outdoor heat exchanger, the first indoor heat exchanger, and the second indoor heat exchanger. A first zone controller is electrically coupled to the first indoor heat exchanger. The first zone controller is configured to measure a temperature in the first zone, compare the measured temperature to a setpoint temperature of the first zone, and responsive to a difference between the measured temperature and the setpoint temperature, adjust a speed of a first circulation fan independent of the speed of a second circulation fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Ben Hobson, Hongbing Lian, Der-Kai Hung, Steve Mersh, Lin Lan, Shahn Markarian
  • Patent number: 11391502
    Abstract: An inline vending machine for ice and water vending installed within a store wall allowing a user to purchase ice and water without entering the store. A shipping frame for shipping and installation of the insulated wall into the store wall is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ice House America, LLC
    Inventors: Manoj Tadhani, Kevin Coppock, Troy Doom
  • Patent number: 11378345
    Abstract: The present invention relates to phase-change materials (PCM) which store and release thermal energy by undergoing melt/crystallisation cycles. More particularly, there is described a thermal storage system where sub-cooled phase change material (PCM) is nucleated via a controlled thermal region(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Sunamp Limited
    Inventors: Andrew John Bissell, Maurizio Zaglio, David Oliver, Santokh Singh Gataora
  • Patent number: 11378287
    Abstract: A pipe unit allows refrigerant to divide or merge and includes: branch pipes; and a main pipe. The pipe unit is connected to a connection pipe, and the pipe unit and the connection pipe together form a liquid-side refrigerant channel between an outdoor unit and indoor units. The main pipe communicates with each of the branch pipes, forms a channel through which the refrigerant flows to or from each of the branch pipes, and is disposed, in an installed state, on an outdoor unit side of the branch pipes in the liquid-side refrigerant channel. The main pipe includes a first part that extends in a first direction, at least one of the branch pipes includes a second part that extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the first direction is horizontal in the installed state, and the second direction is vertical in the installed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Shirasaki, Atsushi Yoshimi
  • Patent number: 11371787
    Abstract: A gas cooler effectively prevents or suppresses an outflow of drain water to the outside. The gas cooler includes a casing, a cooling unit, a seal plate, a lead-in port, a lead-out port, and a drain scattering prevention member. The cooling unit is accommodated within the casing and cools gas. The seal plate is provided in the cooling unit and partitions an inside of the casing into an upper space thorough which the gas before passing through the cooling unit flows and a bottom space through which the gas after passing through the cooling unit flows. The gas is led from the lead-in port into the upper space, and the gas is led out of the bottom space via the lead-out port. The drain scattering prevention member is disposed in the bottom space, and collects the drain water, while allowing the gas to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO COMPRESSORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Hirata, Koji Hagihara
  • Patent number: 11365920
    Abstract: A heat exchanger, such as for example, a condenser coil constructed as a fin and microchannel tube is fluidly connected with a volume constructed and configured to store refrigerant in certain operations, such as for example during a pump down operation. The volume is fluidly connected to a fluid port of the heat exchanger, where the fluid port is an inlet (in the cooling mode) to the heat exchanger, such as the high side condensing section of the heat exchanger. The volume receives refrigerant exiting the heat exchanger from the fluid port in a mode other than a cooling mode, e.g., a pump down operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Jean Charles Mast, Jean-Michel Genay
  • Patent number: 11353242
    Abstract: A semi-open high-temperature heat pump system including a compressor, a direct-contact condenser, a heat exchanger, an evaporator, a water purifier, a cold water pump, a hot water pump, a circulating water pump, and a vacuum pump. A discharge port of the compressor is connected to the direct-contact condenser, the direct-contact condenser is connected to the evaporator via the heat exchanger, and the evaporator is connected to a gas suction port of the compressor via a gas vent on its top. An outlet of the water purifier is separately connected to the compressor, the direct-contact condenser, and the evaporator via the cold water pump. An outlet at the bottom of the evaporator is connected to the direct-contact condenser via the circulating water pump. The vacuum pump is connected above the direct-contact condenser, and the hot water pump is connected below the direct-contact condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: JIANGSU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jiubing Shen, Zhichao Li, Yuping Chen, Siyuan Yan, Jinjin Xu
  • Patent number: 11346586
    Abstract: An electrocaloric module includes an electrocaloric element that includes an electrocaloric film, a first electrode on a first surface of the electrocaloric film, and a second electrode on a second surface of the electrocaloric film. A support is attached along an edge portion of the electrocaloric film, leaving a central portion of the electrocaloric film unsupported film. At least one of the first and second electrodes includes a patterned disposition of conductive material on the film surface. The electrocaloric module also includes a first thermal connection configured to connect to a first thermal flow path between the electrocaloric element and a heat sink, a second thermal connection configured to connect to a second thermal flow path between the electrocaloric element and a heat source, and a power connection connected to the first and second electrodes and configured to connect to a power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wei Xie, Subramanyaravi Annapragada, Joseph V. Mantese, Scott Alan Eastman, Parmesh Verma, Suman Dwari, Michael L. Perry, Vladimir Blasko
  • Patent number: 11346610
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plate with an external surface, a channel, and a nozzle. The external surface bounds an interior of the plate. The channel is disposed in the heat exchanger and passes through a portion of the interior. The nozzle is integrally disposed in the heat exchanger, extends through a portion of the external surface, and is fluidly connected to the channel. The nozzle is configured to transport a liquid from the channel, through the external surface, and to distribute the liquid onto a portion of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence E. Zeidner, Matthew Robert Pearson, Brian St. Rock
  • Patent number: 11346601
    Abstract: A system for cooling residential or commercial refrigerators, freezers, ULT freezers, and air conditioners is disclosed using liquified gas as the refrigerant. The system has no HCFCs or CFCs. The system is completely non-polluting and returns the refrigerant air to the environment in a cleaner state than the input air. The system is totally green, obtaining all energy from an array of solar panels and may be operated independently and remotely from all other energy sources. The refrigerant may be liquid air or liquid nitrogen. The system may also operate on-the-grid for power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Reflect Scientific
    Inventors: John J Hammerman, William G Moon
  • Patent number: 11333424
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes an evaporator arranged in a heat exchange chamber and having refrigerant pipes through which refrigerant flows and fins configured to guide heat exchange between the refrigerant and cold air, wherein the evaporator includes a first and a second side spaced apart from each other, and the fins of the evaporator guide flow of air such that the cold air introduce into the first and second sides is combined with each other in the space between the first and second sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Junsoo Han, Kangsoo Byun, Dongseok Kim, Younseok Lee
  • Patent number: 11333421
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a refrigerator capable of improving a user's convenience by locating a knob for adjusting a temperature of a cooling container above the cooling container. The refrigerator includes: a first storage room; a second storage room positioned below the first storage room; a cooling container positioned in the inside of the first storage room, and forming a cooling space maintained at a temperature that is different from a temperature of the first storage room; and a knob configured to adjust a temperature of the cooling space and positioned above the cooling container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joo Hee Song, Il Sung Bae, Se Jin Yun, Jae Pil Cho
  • Patent number: 11320178
    Abstract: The cooling device includes an electrocaloric portion including an electrocaloric effect material, a first thermal switch including a first actuator, and a second thermal switch including a second actuator, in which a thickness and a length of the first actuator and the second actuator are changed depending on an electric field to be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Haseba, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 11320179
    Abstract: A fluid or gas cooling and/or condensing apparatus, system and method provides a cooling apparatus for cooling and condensing material, such as, for example, refrigerant from air conditioners, refrigerators, and other like mechanical cooling devices for collecting the same, and/or other gases and/or fluids, such as wine, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Inventor: Randy Prohaska
  • Patent number: 11313594
    Abstract: Thermal management systems include an open circuit refrigeration system featuring a first receiver configured to store a gas, a second receiver configured to store a liquid refrigerant fluid, an evaporator configured to extract heat from a heat load that contacts the evaporator, and an exhaust line, where the first receiver, the second receiver, the evaporator, and the exhaust line are connected to provide a refrigerant fluid flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Davis, Igor Vaisman, Joshua Peters