Patents Examined by Derek S. Boles
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Patent number: 6889911Abstract: A baseboard radiator having notched fins. The notches are retained by a flange on a back plate mounted to a wall. The fins are further retained by a flange in the upper portion of the back plate.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2001Date of Patent: May 10, 2005Assignee: Vent-Rite Valve Corp.Inventors: Salvatore Uglietto, Gary Webster
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Patent number: 6887148Abstract: Described herein is an air-distribution device which uses means designed for causing deviation, by Coanda effect, of a flow of air coming from an inlet duct into a plurality of outlet ducts. The invention is applicable both to a motor-vehicle air-conditioning assembly, which incorporates a conveyor with a heating element, and to a motor-vehicle dashboard.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2003Date of Patent: May 3, 2005Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per AzioniInventors: Marco Biasiotto, Francesco Butera, Stefano Alacqua
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Patent number: 6887147Abstract: An air outlet device for a vehicle, especially for an aircraft, comprises a nozzle body with an air intake opening and an air outlet opening. The air outlet device further comprises a holding element formed with an accommodating opening having the nozzle body supported therein for rotation about a longitudinal axis extending through the air intake opening and the air outlet opening, and a valve body arranged coaxially within the nozzle body and guided by the holding element. Upon rotation of the nozzle body, the valve body can be displaced in the nozzle body between a closing position for blocking the air outlet opening and a maximum opening position for clearing the air outlet opening to the maximum extent. The valve body is of a hollow configuration.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2003Date of Patent: May 3, 2005Assignee: Goodrich Hella Aerospace Lighting Systems GmbHInventors: Stefan Thomassin, Frank Poehlau, Klaus Kurz
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Patent number: 6887149Abstract: A method and apparatus of a cooling system having a housing with an intake and an output vent. The output vent comprising a framework configured to couple to the housing. Directional louvers pivotably mounted in the framework. A mesh grill mounted on the framework with the mesh grill configured with the openings such that the ratio of opening area to grill material area is more than forty percent (40%). Another embodiment provides that the directional louvers include a plurality of vertical louvers and a plurality of horizontal louvers. An alternative embodiment provides that the openings are configured in a polygon shape.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2003Date of Patent: May 3, 2005Assignee: AdobeAir, Inc.Inventors: Roger C. Palmer, David C. Roberts
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Patent number: 6884159Abstract: A hose assembly for directing conditioned air from an air outlet vent of a vehicle's air conditioning system to various locations within the vehicle. The hose assembly comprises a boot which is selectively attachable to the vent, and a length of hose selectively attachable to the boot. The length of hose is divided into interconnecting segments which are selectively attachable to one another, thereby allowing a user to vary the overall length of the hose as desired. The terminal segment of the hose has a louver having a plurality of slats, and a handle in mechanical contact with the slats. Rotation of the handle changes the direction in which the slats point, and thereby allows the user to direct the conditioned air in any desired direction. The terminal segment has a mounting clamp for selectively attaching the hose to a projecting surface on the inside of the vehicle, in order to immobilize the hose at an optimal position.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2003Date of Patent: April 26, 2005Inventor: Robert Ferraud, Jr.
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Patent number: 6881143Abstract: A trickle ventilator for a conservatory roof to be sited between an eaves beam of the roof and a glazing panel extending over the eaves beam, the ventilator comprising an elongate body having a front and rear walls spaced apart, at least one aperture in each wall and a gate for selectively closing the or each aperture in the front wall to control airflow into or out of the conservatory.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Ultraframe (UK) LimitedInventor: Christopher Richardson
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Patent number: 6881141Abstract: An equipment enclosure having a cabinet and a fan. The cabinet houses equipment, and the fan cools the equipment. The equipment enclosure also includes at least one vent substantially perpendicular to air flow through the fan. This substantially perpendicularly arranged vent reduces atmospheric/ocean breezes from entering the equipment enclosure and overheating the equipment. The equipment enclosure may also include at least one louvered vent having an open position and a closed position, the open position flowing air to or from the fan, and the closed position reducing the flow of air to or from the fan.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2004Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property CorporationInventor: Clifford Lee Knight
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Patent number: 6881140Abstract: An apparatus (10) for an HVAC system that provides air at a controllable temperature into a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprises a housing (20) defining a chamber (70). The chamber (70) has a first inlet (50) through which cold air enters the chamber and a second inlet (76) through which warm air enters the chamber. The housing (20) further includes at least one outlet (56, 58, 130, 132) in fluid communication with the chamber (70) and for directing air into the passenger compartment in the vehicle. At least one airflow diverter (90, 100) is disposed in the chamber (70) for causing a portion of the cold air flowing through the first inlet (50) to mix in the chamber with the warm air flowing through the second inlet (76).Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2003Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLCInventor: Vu Le
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Patent number: 6880762Abstract: The heater (30) is designed for a motor vehicle air conditioning system (10) and has at least one heat exchanger tube (58) which produces a heat conducting connection (54) between a heat generating means (52) and at least one heat releasing means (56) via a medium which vaporizes and condenses in the heat exchanger tube (58). In order to be able to produce the heater (30) more economically, the heat generating means (52) is made with an extruded profile (62, 84) to which at least one heat exchanger tube (58) is coupled by heat conduction.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Webasto Thermosysteme International GmbHInventor: Frank Erbacher
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Patent number: 6881144Abstract: Ridge vents, methods of their manufacture, and methods of their use are provided. The preferred ridge vent includes an elongated flexible member having a central panel portion comprising support means for supporting the central panel above a roof, a pair of side portions containing a vent opening and a baffle. The baffle is adjustable from a relatively flat position to a relatively vertical position with respect to the roof. Having an adjustable baffle permits the ridge vent to be rolled more easily, and assists in lower cost molding of the vent.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2003Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Air Vent Inc.Inventors: Jeff Hansen, Dustin Ciepliski
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Patent number: 6877670Abstract: A method of ventilating a boiler system (10) during boiler system outages includes shifting (64) to the ventilation system (11) by stopping (70) the boiler system induced draft fan (32), closing (71) an internal isolation damper (19) in the boiler system ductwork (14), opening (72) a ventilation isolation damper (18), and starting (73) a ventilation fan (12). At the completion of the outage, before resuming operation of the boiler, the ventilation system (11) is secured (64) by stopping (80) the ventilation fan (12), closing (81) the ventilation isolation damper (18), opening (82) the internal isolation damper (19), and starting (83) the induced draft fan (32).Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2003Date of Patent: April 12, 2005Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LtdInventor: Robert John Underhill
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Patent number: 6874693Abstract: The present invention is directed at methods and apparatus for controlling multi-source heating systems. The multi-source heating systems of the present invention may include two or more heat sources such as a heat pump, a furnace, an electric heating strip, or any other suitable heat source. An illustrative system includes a multi-zone, multi-source heating system. The illustrative system may determine which of the multiple sources to use depending on a number of factors. Some illustrative factors include information about zones calling for heat, external environment information, and information about the heat sources. One of the heat sources may be, for example, a heat pump, and a determination of whether to activate the heat pump may include determining the current heating capacity of the heat pump and comparing the heating capacity to the amount of heat needed to satisfy the current heat calls. Methods for determining which of at least two heat sources to use are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2002Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Philip O. Readio, Paul G. Schwendinger, Andrew J. Hulse
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Patent number: 6874694Abstract: A hot-water supply system heats water through heat exchange between high-temperature refrigerant of a heat pump circuit and water of a water circulating circuit. The system is an instantaneous water heater unit for instantaneously heating, at a water heat exchanger, water supplied through a water supply pipe and supplying hot water to a using end unit. Therefore, a large-capacity hot-water storage tank is not needed. Sufficient heat of condensation to heat water can not be produced, because pressure conditions of the heat pump circuit is not stabilized just after the start of operation. Therefore, during a short period of rising time, hot water stored in a hot-water supply tank and water from the water heat exchanger are mixed and the mixture is supplied to keep the hot water at a preset temperature. Therefore, it is possible to use a smaller hot-water supply tank.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2004Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kenichi Saitoh, Masahiko Gommori, Hiroshi Kogure, Haruko Ashida, Takeo Ozawa, Tetsunobu Okamura
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Patent number: 6874695Abstract: There are situations in which an operator remains in an operator station of a work machine when an engine of the work machine is inactive. The present invention includes a control system for, and a method of, heating the operator station when the engine is inactive. A heating system of the work machine includes an electrically-powered coolant pump, a power source, and at least one piece of warmed machinery. An operator heat controller is moveable between a first and a second position, and is operable to connect the electrically-powered coolant pump to the power source when the engine is inactive and the operator heat controller is in the first position. Thus, by deactivating the engine and then moving the operator heat controller to the first position, the operator may supply electrical energy to the electrically-powered coolant pump, which is operably coupled to heat the operator station.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2002Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Assignee: Caterpillar IncInventors: Thomas M. Baker, Brian D. Hoff, Sivaprasad Akasam
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Patent number: 6871790Abstract: A heating system for a vehicle includes a reformer arrangement for producing hydrogen from a hydrocarbon/mixed material mixture, a burner arrangement for reception of hydrogen produced in the reformer arrangement and combustion thereof, and a heat exchanger arrangement for transferring combustion heat produced in the burner arrangement to a heating medium.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2003Date of Patent: March 29, 2005Assignee: J. Eberspacher GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Andreas Kaupert, Günter Eberspach
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Patent number: 6872134Abstract: A dashboard assembly for a vehicle comprising a lower housing portion adapted to receive an air blowing system and an upper housing portion, the dashboard assembly further comprising an intermediate housing portion being and disposed between the lower housing portion and the upper housing portion, wherein the intermediate housing portion comprises an inlet for connection to the air blowing system and at least one channel integrally provided in said intermediate housing portion and having an outlet, said channel being in flow communication with said inlet. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2001Date of Patent: March 29, 2005Assignee: Intier Automotive Interiors Ltd.Inventor: Michael John Mills
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Patent number: 6872135Abstract: A heating and/or air-conditioning system for vehicles, preferably passenger vehicles, has a central air-conditioning and/or air-conveying device for conditioning and/or conveying air. In order to achieve optimum air conditioning of the vehicle interior and sufficient freedom of the windows from misting with the most effective energy use possible, the air within the vehicle interior is fed so that, for example, outside air and circulating air are fed into the vehicle interior through dedicated air inlet openings and removed from the vehicle interior through dedicated air outlet openings. The air is guided on closed flow paths in order to achieve separation of circulating air and outside air.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2002Date of Patent: March 29, 2005Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AGInventors: Joachim Currle, Frank Fruehauf, Florian Kauf, Juergen Maué , Juergen Wertenbach
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Patent number: 6869354Abstract: A damper box for an orifice air injector, the damper box comprising front and rear faces with respective front and rear openings therein, a pair of sides, a top and a bottom; and a pair of gates pivotally mounted within the damper box and actuatable between open and closed positions.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2002Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William T. Lipinski, Peter V. Centore, George M. Gorring, James J. Jennings, Robert Waltz, Thomas A. Laursen, Chris E. Latham, Duane Plessinger, Don Morrison, David O'Connor
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Patent number: 6866575Abstract: A method regulates a heating and/or air-conditioning system, with a control apparatus which activates the individual air-conditioning components according to control and regulating programs. The vehicle interior has individual air-conditioning zones which can be regulated individually in terms of their air-conditioning capacity by the general air-conditioning regulation. An air-conditioning deficit of each individual air-conditioning zone can be detected, and the general air-conditioning regulation of the heating and/or air-conditioning system can set this air-conditioning zone independently. One or more central or decentralized additional-heating and/or cooling elements are included.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2003Date of Patent: March 15, 2005Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AGInventors: Wolfgang Straub, Andrea Theiss
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Patent number: 6857956Abstract: There is provided an airlock system utilizable with a protected Toxic Free Area (TFA) defined by an enclosure including spaced-apart first and second door arrangements, each door arrangement having an entrance and an exit and being divided by partitions into a plurality of sections, an airlock space coupled to, and bridging between, the first and second door arrangement, the exit of the second door being connectable to the protected TFA, while the first door arrangement having its entrance located outside the TFA, the arrangement being such that there is no direct airflow from the entrance of the first door arrangement to the exit of the second door arrangement. A method for facilitating entrance and egress from a Toxic Free Area (TFA) defined by an enclosure, without the danger of contamination of the protected TFA, is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2003Date of Patent: February 22, 2005Assignee: Filt Air Ltd.Inventor: Karl-Hans Fuchs