Patents Examined by David Teitelbaum
  • Patent number: 9714783
    Abstract: A machine for making extruded ice obtained by passing a mass of ice in granules through an extrusion die (20) arranged at the end of a main cooled drum (4). The latter at one end has a flange (10) upon which a ring (14) clamping the die is fastened. Thus, screws for fastening the die to the main drum are not required, so that operations for the machine maintenance and for replacing the die are considerably facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Brema Ice Makers S.P.A.
    Inventor: Cesarino Maroli
  • Patent number: 9702611
    Abstract: A refrigerator which variably controls operation of a sterilizer according to variation in humidity within the refrigerator to improve sterilizing capacity includes a control unit to drive the sterilizer while repeatedly turning the cold air circulation fan on/off during a refrigerating cycle in which the defrosting heater is not operated, and stop driving the sterilizer during operation of the defrosting heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Cheol Kang, Eui Young Chang, Seong Wook Jeong, Jae Koog An
  • Patent number: 9677821
    Abstract: To increase a heat exchange capacity of an indoor heat exchanger without increasing a pressure loss inside tubes of an outdoor heat exchanger. A heat exchanger is constituted by an indoor machine equipped with an indoor heat exchanger 10 constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes 12A, which have a spiral grooves 13A formed with a predetermined lead angle Ra on inner faces of the tubes and are made to pierce a plurality of fins 11, and an outdoor machine equipped with an outdoor heat exchanger 20 constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes 22A which have a lead angle Rb of spiral grooves 23A smaller than that of a heat transfer tubes 10A used for the indoor heat exchanger 10 and are made to pierce a plurality of fins 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sangmu Lee
  • Patent number: 9675185
    Abstract: A merchandiser including a case that has an air inlet and defines a product display area with a customer access opening. The merchandiser also includes a canopy that has a first air outlet and a second air outlet, a first passageway connecting the air inlet with the first air outlet to direct a first airflow through the first air outlet at least partially across the opening to define a primary air curtain, and a second passageway in fluid communication with a HVAC system by ducting coupled between the merchandiser and the HVAC system to direct a second airflow defining a secondary air curtain from the HVAC system through the second air outlet at least partially across the opening. The primary and secondary air curtains cooperate with each other to minimize infiltration of ambient air into the product display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Hussmann Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy D. Anderson, Ken Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9671146
    Abstract: Generally, apparatuses, systems, and methods are described to vent refrigerant vapor from the refrigerant pump line using a vent line, such as during priming of the pump and/or during a startup of the compressor, directed to a relatively reduced volute casing mass of the refrigerant pump, and/or directed to returning refrigerant to an economizer or chiller component other than the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Daoud Ali Jandal, Brian Thomas Sullivan, Steven Erwin Meloling, Reginald Loyd Berry, Ronald Allen Boldt, Matthew Aron Witt, Damion Scott Plymesser
  • Patent number: 9671145
    Abstract: A combined accumulator and receiver tank of a refrigeration system is described. The tank may have an accumulator portion positioned above a receiver portion. An accumulator/receiver pipe (AR pipe) connects the accumulator portion to the receiver portion. The AR pipe may have a valve that allows liquid refrigerant to flow from the accumulator portion to the receiver portion during a heating and/or defrost, and prevent the fluid flow when the refrigeration system is in a cooling cycle. In some embodiments, a side opening that is connected to the AR pipe is above an oil pick up orifice of an accumulator suction line pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: THERMO KING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Srinivasa Rao Koppineedi
  • Patent number: 9664455
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is constituted by an indoor machine equipped with an indoor heat exchanger constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes, which have spiral grooves formed with a predetermined lead angle on inner faces of the tubes and are made to pierce a plurality of fins, and an outdoor machine equipped with an outdoor heat exchanger constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes which have a lead angle of spiral grooves smaller than that of a heat transfer tubes used for the indoor heat exchanger and are made to pierce a plurality of fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sangmu Lee
  • Patent number: 9664456
    Abstract: To increase a heat exchange capacity of an indoor heat exchanger without increasing a pressure loss inside tubes of an outdoor heat exchanger. A heat exchanger is constituted by an indoor machine equipped with an indoor heat exchanger 10 constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes 12A, which have a spiral grooves 13A formed with a predetermined lead angle Ra on inner faces of the tubes and are made to pierce a plurality of fins 11, and an outdoor machine equipped with an outdoor heat exchanger 20 constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes 22A which have a lead angle Rb of spiral grooves 23A smaller than that of a heat transfer tubes 10A used for the indoor heat exchanger 10 and are made to pierce a plurality of fins 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sangmu Lee
  • Patent number: 9664406
    Abstract: A refrigeration unit is provided for conditioning air within a refrigerated chamber for housing perishable goods having an improved air exchange device for selectively admitting fresh air into the refrigerated chamber while simultaneously venting air from within the refrigerated chamber. The air exchange device includes a tubular member having a first chamber and a second chamber isolated from first chamber, the first chamber having an inlet in flow communication with a fresh air source and an outlet opening in flow communication with the refrigerated chamber on a suction side of the evaporator, and the second chamber having an inlet in flow communication with the refrigerated chamber in a discharge side of evaporator fan and an outlet opening in flow communication with a space exterior of the refrigerated chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Harold P. Hill, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9664421
    Abstract: A solar-thermal refrigerant compression system employing refrigerants, such as R410a and R500, and a method of employing the system in refrigeration and air-conditioning units. The system includes a refrigerant storage tank, an evaporator, a mixing chamber, a condenser and an isochoric thermal compressor comprising a condensate heat exchanger and a heating coil connected to a solar collector field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventor: Maged Ahmed El-Shaarawi
  • Patent number: 9657901
    Abstract: A compressed natural gas storage and dispensing system having bulk storage tanks in fluid communication with a natural gas supply source; a compressor to produce compressed natural gas; dispensing storage tanks in fluid communication with the bulk storage tanks and in fluid communication with fuel dispensers; a liquified natural gas storage tank in fluid communication with the bulk storage tanks, wherein compressed natural gas resulting from vaporization of the liquified natural gas within the liquified natural gas storage tank is transferred to the bulk storage tanks as a supplemental source of compressed natural gas, or wherein liquified natural gas is vaporized in an ambient vaporizer and delivered to the bulk or dispensing storage tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: HOLYSTONE USA, INC.
    Inventor: R. Keith Barker
  • Patent number: 9651314
    Abstract: To increase a heat exchange capacity of an indoor heat exchanger without increasing a pressure loss inside tubes of an outdoor heat exchanger. A heat exchanger is constituted by an indoor machine equipped with an indoor heat exchanger 10 constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes 12A, which have a spiral grooves 13A formed with a predetermined lead angle Ra on inner faces of the tubes and are made to pierce a plurality of fins 11, and an outdoor machine equipped with an outdoor heat exchanger 20 constituted by a plurality of heat transfer tubes 22A which have a lead angle Rb of spiral grooves 23A smaller than that of a heat transfer tubes 10A used for the indoor heat exchanger 10 and are made to pierce a plurality of fins 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Sangmu Lee
  • Patent number: 9644889
    Abstract: A liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility that employs a system to remove incondensable material from one or more refrigeration cycles within the facility. One or more embodiments of the present invention can be advantageously employed in an open-loop refrigeration cycle to remove at least a portion of one or more high vapor pressure components that have accumulated in the refrigerant cycle over time. In addition, several embodiments can be advantageously employed to stabilize facility operation in the event of drastic changes to the concentration of the natural gas feed stream introduced into the facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: Weldon L. Ransbarger, Megan V. Evans, Attilio J. Praderio, David B. Messersmith
  • Patent number: 9630521
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes an air conditioning system configured to selectively cool a cabin of the vehicle and at least one electrical component of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes one or more controllers configured to determine whether the air conditioning system is operating to cool the at least one electrical component, to determine whether cabin cooling is requested, and to enable the air conditioning system to cool the cabin if the air conditioning system is operating to cool the at least one electrical component and if cabin cooling is requested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Jay Louch, Donald Charles Franks, Brian C. Moorhead, Hasdi R. Hashim
  • Patent number: 9631844
    Abstract: There is disclosed herein a layer assembly for a heat exchanger, the layer assembly comprising: at least one heat pump module, the module comprising a thermo-electric cooler (TEC) attached to an island formed from a flow-permissive material; a flow-permissive layer provided with an island-reciprocating recess for substantially corresponding to and accommodating the island; a thermal storage layer comprising a heat transfer matrix material charged with a phase-change material, and provided with a TEC-reciprocating recess for substantially corresponding to and accommodating the TEC, wherein the TEC is attached to the thermal storage layer at a surface of the TEC-reciprocating recess, and the flow-permissive layer and the thermal storage layer are arranged such that the island of flow-permissive material extends into the island-reciprocating recess and a separation exists between the island and the flow-permissive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Nicholas Chandler, Richard John Harper
  • Patent number: 9631620
    Abstract: A screw compressor with a volume ratio adjustment mechanism. The volume adjustment mechanism is a penetration in the housing of a screw compressor. The penetration includes one or more apertures. The apertures provide a flow path between the compressor outlet and an interlobe region of the screw compressor rotors. A member resides in the penetration and is movable from a first position in which the apertures are blocked and the flow path is closed and a second position in which the apertures are not blocked and the flow path is open. By unblocking the apertures and opening the flow path, the volume ratio can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Paul Nemit, Jr., Timothy I. Auman
  • Patent number: 9625181
    Abstract: A refrigerating cycle system and a refrigerator having the same are provided. The refrigerating cycle system includes a condenser, a first capillary tube unit configured to receive refrigerant that has passed through the condensing unit, a gas-liquid separating unit configured to separate the refrigerant that has passed through the first capillary tube unit into liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant, a first evaporator unit configured to receive the liquid refrigerant separated at the gas-liquid separating unit, a liquid refrigerant removal unit configured to receive the gaseous refrigerant separated at the gas-liquid separating unit and a first compressor unit configured to receive the gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant removal unit. The liquid refrigerant removal unit prevents supplying the separated liquid refrigerant to the first compressor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seongjae Kim, Myungryul Lee, Deokhyun Youn, Seunghwan Oh
  • Patent number: 9612042
    Abstract: A refrigeration system having a cooling circuit, a heating circuit, a pressurizing receiver tank circuit, a pilot circuit and a liquid injection circuit wherein the hot gas line includes a solenoid valve that connects an outlet of a compressor to an outlet of a receiver tank, and wherein the liquid injection circuit includes a liquid injection solenoid that connects the outlet of the receiver tank to an outlet of an economizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: THERMO KING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lars I. Sjoholm, Peter W. Freund, P. Robert Srichai, Jeffrey B. Gronneberg
  • Patent number: 9605894
    Abstract: A bucket assembly includes an outer bucket with an elongated slot, an inner bucket with an elongated slot, and an insert with a cooling agent that keeps a liquid in a beverage container cold. The slot in the outer bucket aligns with the slot in the inner bucket. These slots receive a handle of the beverage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Inventor: Steven Christian
  • Patent number: 9605914
    Abstract: A battery system is provided. The battery system includes a cooling plate having a housing, an inlet port, and an outlet port. The housing defines an interior region. Both the inlet port and the outlet port fluidly communicate with the interior region. The battery system further includes a solid thermoplastic cooling fin having first and second panel portions. The first panel portion is disposed directly on and against the cooling plate. The battery system further includes a first battery cell disposed directly on and against a first side of the second panel portion of the solid thermoplastic cooling fin. The solid thermoplastic cooling fin is configured to conduct heat energy from the first battery cell to the cooling plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Juil Yum, Satish Ketkar