Abstract: A DX heating/cooling system includes an automatic hot gas by-pass valve (1) for preventing frosting of an interior heat exchanger/air handler (6) when the system is switched from the heating mode to the cooling mode, and a specially sized TXV (7) by-pass line (12), where the automatic hot gas by-pass valve (1) is positioned to provide hot gas at two optional locations, with one location before the cool liquid enters the air handler (6), and with the other location after the warmed vapor refrigerant exits the air handler (6).

Abstract: A refrigeration system for a frozen product dispenser is controlled to have a variable cooling capacity that is determined by variable cooling load demands of the dispenser. This is accomplished, in part, by providing the refrigeration system with a variable speed compressor and one or more adjustable expansion valves for metering refrigerant to associated evaporators that are heat exchange coupled to associated freeze barrels of the dispenser, and by controlling the metering setting of the expansion valves and the speed of operation of the compressor in accordance with the cooling load demands of the dispenser. The arrangement provides for efficient operation of the refrigeration system from an energy standpoint and for a reduction in on/off cycling of the system.

Abstract: A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors including a connection to at least one call relay wire. The thermostat may also include a powering circuit, including a rechargeable battery, which is configured to provide electrical power to the thermostat by power stealing from a selected call relay wire. The power stealing may comprise an active power stealing mode, in which power is taken from the same selected call relay wire that is used to call for an HVAC function, and an inactive power stealing mode in which, in which no active call is being made. The powering circuit may be configured to substantially suspend (or at least reduce the level of) power stealing for at least a first time period following each transition of the thermostat from between operating states.

Abstract: A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a storage compartment and a refrigerator door opening and closing the storage compartment. The refrigerator door includes an ice compartment, an ice maker in the ice compartment, the ice maker generating ice cubes, an ice bin storing the ice cubes generated in the ice maker, and a cool air duct guiding cool air to the ice maker.

Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air conditioner for facilitating setting of an electrical component box into the outdoor unit. A blower chamber side of a box base plate is similar in shape to a lower partition plate provided with a receiving part formed by bending inward an upper end of the lower partition plate. When joining an electrical component box to the lower partition plate, the box base plate is set onto the receiving part along a flange, whereby positioning the electrical component box, which is fixed to the lower partition plate by fastening with a screw, welding, or other suitable method. The positioning can be achieved only by putting the box on the receiving part along the flange. Facilitated positioning and fixing leads to simplicity and enhanced workability.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a freezer segment for a freezer of the type used for casting confectionery in molds which are cooled for freezing and subsequently supplied with heat for a short period, whereafter stripping occurs. Cooling of the molds is effected by using direct evaporation of CO2. The advantage of such a freezer segment is that there is no use for both a primary and a secondary cooling circuit. Another advantage in using a system according to the invention is that working with temperatures down to about minus 50° C. is enabled, compared to about minus 40° C. with brine systems. The low freezing temperature entails that the capacity of a given system is increased by about 40%.

Abstract: A mixing faucet (1) includes a casing (2) having a hot water inlet opening (24), a cold water inlet opening (23), and an outlet opening (28); a control valve element (3) slidably mounted in the casing (2); a temperature adjusting screw (7) rotatably disposed in the casing (2); a slider (6) sliding in the casing (2) through rotation of the temperature adjusting screw (7); a bias spring (5) disposed in the casing (2), between the control valve element (3) and the slider (6), and biasing the control valve element (3) toward the cold water inlet opening (23); a temperature sensing spring (4) which biases the control valve element (3) toward the hot water inlet opening (24); and a pull-up spring (10) for biasing the control valve element (3) toward the hot water inlet opening (24).

Abstract: A temperature and humidity controlled housing for storing and preserving wine bottles. The housing defines a storage compartment having front and rear temperature control chambers and wherein the rear chamber is also humidity controlled. A division wall having passages provided with a flexible sealing component receives bottles on supports associated with each of the passages and a cubic chamber structure in the rear chamber. The bottle necks engage the seals which, together with the division wall, substantially seal the front chamber from the rear chamber while the spout end portion of the wine bottles is supported in the rear humidified chamber. The housing may be used in a modular assembly. The method of use is also described.

Abstract: A fluid flow control device has an annular fixed body with at least one aperture in an annular surface thereof. When in use, fluid is arranged to flow through the at least one aperture. A thermally responsive annular valve element is mounted concentrically with respect to the fixed body. The configuration of the annular valve element is changeable with temperature so as to control the flow of fluid through the at least one aperture.

Abstract: The hot and cold water mixing valve having a cylindrical casing is provided with a control valve member which adjusts a ratio between hot and cold water inlets by balancing loads applied by a biasing member and an actuator, and cylindrical temperature adjuster which adjusts a position of the control valve member when rotated. In the temperature adjuster, an upper surface is formed at one end, a knob is provided in the center of the upper surface, and a ring-shaped recess is formed around the knob at the upper surface. The temperature adjuster is arranged inside the casing and the knob is inserted, coaxially with the casing, into the hole which opens at one end of the casing. A spacer which covers the recess is interposed and held between the upper surface of the temperature adjuster and one end of the casing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a refrigerating apparatus and a method of controlling the same. The method includes lowering a temperature in a storage chamber to a freezing point temperature zone by adjusting cold air supplied to the storage chamber, and lowering the temperature in the storage chamber to a temperature below a freezing point by increasing an amount of the cold air supplied to the storage chamber, when it is determined that a temperature of articles stored in the storage chamber is stabilized in the freezing point temperature zone by the cold air. When the surface temperature and the center temperature of the stored articles are cooled close to the freezing point and are then cooled again to the freezing temperature below the freezing point, super-cooling of the stored articles is carried out for a short time, the surfaces and the centers of the stored articles start to freeze simultaneously.

Abstract: A refrigerator and a device for ice discharging are disclosed. The device for ice discharging includes a case having an ice introduction opening and an ice discharge opening (312); a rotation member (320) rotatable in the case to transfer ice that is held in a predetermined amount to be discharged; and a discharge adjustment part (340) spaced apart a predetermined space from the rotation member (320) to adjust the number of the ices transferred by the rotation member, such that a fixed amount of the ice is substantially discharged. The refrigerator includes the device for ice discharging therein.

Abstract: Adaptable evaporator defrost logic is employed in a refrigeration system to detect a build-up of ice on the evaporator. In response to the detected build-up of ice, a defrost operation is initiated that includes decreasing the speed of the compressor. At the end of the defrost operation, the adaptable evaporator defrost logic determines whether the defrost operation was a success. If the defrost operation was a success, then normal operation is resumed. If the defrost operation was not a success, then the defrost operation is modified by turning the compressor off and extending a duration of the defrost operation.

Abstract: A Motor Cycle personal cooling system is disclosed that utilizes waste heat employing solid adsorption. The system includes an air distribution module and one or more desiccant chambers encircling the exhaust pipes of the Motor Cycle. Air blowers blow ambient air across the heat exchanger, cooling the air, transferring heat to the heat exchanger, transferring heat to the water, causing it to boil, and turning the water into vapor which is then adsorbed by the desiccant. A heat source is then applied to the desiccant which releases the vapor that travels to one of the heat exchangers and condenses the vapor back into water. A cooling garment worn by rider of the Motor Cycle has a cool air input and an exhaust output. The cool air input of the cooling garment receives cooled air from the air blowers, and body heat exits out the exhaust output.

Abstract: A frozen treat dispenser (11) dispenses a snow cone and/or a slushy, and has at least an ice storage bin (14) for storing ice (10), a cup de-nesting mechanism (49) to separate a cup from a stack having a plurality of cups, an ice grinder (21) to grind ice from the ice storage bin to produce snow (82), a flavor dispenser (25), a cup transport mechanism (23) to move the cup to a first position (40A) whereby the ice grinder can at least partially fill the cup with the snow and to a second position (40B) whereby the flavor dispenser can dispense at least one flavor onto the snow in the cup, and a processor (152) to control the operation of at least one of the cup de-nesting mechanism, the ice grinder, the flavor dispenser, or the indexer.

Abstract: The invention provides for a controller such as a thermostat for an HVAC system having a housing having a circuit board and a display screen, the display screen having at least one alpha-numeric icon and a group of touch pads having at least two displayable touch pads. A microprocessor is provided for controlling the display screen. A sole mechanical button or switch is mounted in the housing and the button has a first end and second end and a touch surface extending between the first end and second end. The sole mechanical button signals the microprocessor in order to adjust the alpha-numeric icon(s), so that the combination of inputs received by the microprocessor from the group of touch pads and sole mechanical button provide for each and every adjustment required for all of the operational functions of the controller. The mechanical button may be a rocker switch. The controller may also include a navigation button.

Abstract: A blower having a divergence guide portion to reduce flow loss and discharge noise and an air conditioner having the same are provided. The blower includes a scroll casing, suction holes provided at opposite positions of the scroll casing, a discharge hole provided at a top position of the scroll casing, a centrifugal fan received in the scroll casing, and a divergence guide portion gently diverging air to the discharge hole after passing through the centrifugal fan to diffuse the air to both sides of the discharge hole.

Abstract: In an outdoor unit having a housing containing a heat exchange chamber and a machine chamber vertically partitioned by a partition plate, an electrical component box includes a main body portion disposed in the machine chamber and having a first electrical component unit, and a protrusion portion protruding from the machine chamber into the heat exchange chamber and having a second electrical component unit. The main body portion and the protrusion portion are joined to form an air flowing path for sucking cooling air from the back surface side of the machine chamber, branching the cooling air into first cooling air directly flowing to the sink tank and second cooling air passing over electrical parts of the first electrical component unit and then converging with the first cooling air at the entrance of the sink tank.

Abstract: An air conditioner includes a refrigerant circuit, a switching valve, an outdoor fan and a controller. The refrigerant circuit sequentially circulates refrigerant through a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a decompression mechanism and an outdoor heat exchanger during a heating operation. The switching valve is connected to the refrigerant circuit to switch a flow direction of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor. The controller executes a defrosting operation control in which the outdoor fan is deactivated and the switching valve directs refrigerant discharged from the compressor towards the outdoor heat exchanger during a defrosting operation. The controller further maintains the switching valve so refrigerant discharged from the compressor is directed towards the outdoor heat exchanger and executes a fan defrosting operation control in which the outdoor fan is rotated for a predetermined period of time after completion of the defrosting operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A cooler device for storing food items separately from the ice and liquid used to keep the food items cold. The cooler device has a first half housing and a second half housing, in which the bottom surface of the first half housing is removably attached to the top edge of the second half housing; a lid for attaching to the top edge of the first half housing; a plurality of vents disposed in a tray near the bottom surface of the first half housing; a sliding plate with apertures disposed in the tray near the bottom surface of the first half housing, the sliding plate can slide within the tray located near the bottom surface of the first half housing between an open position wherein the plate apertures are aligned with the vents and a closed position wherein the sliding plate covers the vents; and a sliding button disposed on the sliding plate, the sliding button provides a user a way of moving the sliding plate between the open position and the closed position.