Patents Examined by Elizabeth J Martin
  • Patent number: 11892178
    Abstract: A heat exchanger unit includes: a heat exchanging section that includes: a plurality of heat transfer fins; and a plurality of heat transfer tubes that each passes through a corresponding one of the plurality of heat transfer fins, in which, in the heat exchanging section, the plurality of heat transfer tubes that are arranged in L or more levels in a direction that intersects an air flow and in M rows in a direction of the air flow, each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes belongs to one of N paths, an inlet of each of the N paths is disposed at a first end of the heat exchanging section in a level direction, an outlet of each of the N paths is disposed at a second end of the heat exchanging section in the level direction, and M<N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Toshimitsu Kamada
  • Patent number: 11885551
    Abstract: An icemaker assembly includes a mold body defining a plurality of cavities. A working fluid line is directly attached to the mold body, and a drain duct is disposed below the mold body. A defrost heating element is positioned below the mold body and within the drain duct. The defrost heating element is spaced from the mold body, and the defrost heating element is operable to melt frost on the mold body with radiant heat from the defrost heating element. A related appliance is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Joseph Mitchell
  • Patent number: 11885558
    Abstract: A refrigerator including a body, a door, configured to pivot about the body, a female sealing member, and a male sealing member. The body is provided with a first refrigerated compartment. The door may be configured to pivot between an open position, in which the refrigerated compartment is open, and closed position, in which the refrigerated compartment is closed. The female sealing member extends along portions of the body or portions of the door. The male sealing member extends along the other of the portions of the body or the door. When the door is in the closed position, the female sealing member receives the male sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Shekhar Shetty
  • Patent number: 11884481
    Abstract: A delivery unit 15 is mounted on a vehicle 21 and is used to deliver the articles accommodated in a storage container 33 filled with a cooling gas. The delivery unit 15 includes a thermometer Se1 that measures a temperature in the storage container 33, a memory unit 53 that memorizes therein data of the measured temperature in chronological order, a quality-data generation unit 55a that generates quality data of articles based on temperature data acquired from the memory unit 53, a print-data editing unit 55h that edits print data relating to a quality certificate including a graphic image representing the quality in chronological order of the cooling environment in the storage container 33 accommodating articles therein during delivery based on a serial number of the article and the quality data, and a printer 27 that prints print data relating to the quality certificate on a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: MEDIPAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazunori Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11879679
    Abstract: A refrigerator comprises: a storage chamber, a cooler, a first tray, a second tray, the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice, a heater provided adjacent to at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and a controller configured to: operate the heater while the ice is being formed so that gas bubbles dissolved in the liquid within the cell move from a portion of space where the liquid that has phase-changed into the ice to another portion of the space where the liquid is in a fluid state, and when a defrosting start condition is satisfied while the ice is being formed in the space of the cell, perform a defrosting process and reduce an amount of cold supplied by the cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Chongyoung Park, Donghoon Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son
  • Patent number: 11879683
    Abstract: A light source includes a rotatable drum, an exhaust tube coupled to the rotatable drum to exhaust nitrogen gas from an interior of the rotatable drum, a feed tube situated within the exhaust tube to provide liquid nitrogen to the interior of the rotatable drum, and a casing to surround at least a portion of the exhaust tube. The light source also includes a rotary air bearing between the exhaust tube and the casing, to allow the exhaust tube to rotate with the rotatable drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Sherman Seelinger, Lauren Wilson
  • Patent number: 11879598
    Abstract: A method of determining an optimum value of at least one first parameter of execution of a process for cooling an internal space of a tank, including testing a plurality of different values of the first parameter, each phase of testing one of the values of the first parameter including cooling the internal space of the tank, the cooling power Pf or the setpoint final temperature Tc being representative of the tested value of the first parameter. The steps include loading liquefied gas into the internal space of the tank after cooling, measuring a variable P1 representative of the pressure inside the thermal insulation barrier and comparing it to at least one particular threshold, and detecting a fault if the variable P1 crosses the at least one particular threshold, and choosing, among the plurality of values tested, the optimum value of the first parameter during the corresponding test phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ
    Inventors: Fabrice Lombard, Maxime Coyen
  • Patent number: 11874044
    Abstract: An ice maker comprises: a first tray forming a part of an ice-making cell; a second tray forming another part of the ice-making cell; and a heater which is disposed so as to be adjacent to the first or the second tray, wherein the heater operates during a period when cold air is supplied to the first tray and the second tray and ice making takes place, and supplies heat to the first tray and/or the second tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Sunggyun Son, Donghoon Lee
  • Patent number: 11874052
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet forming a refrigerating compartment defining a plurality of cooling zones, an air circulation duct in fluid communication with the refrigerating compartment, an evaporator provided in the air circulation duct, and a damper assembly in fluid communication with the air circulation duct and the refrigerating compartment. The damper assembly includes a plurality of doors to selectively allow air to enter into selected cooling zones within the refrigerating compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Pierce, Jonah Connelly, Stephanos Kyriacou
  • Patent number: 11874049
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator may include a first tray assembly defining a portion of an ice making cell and a second tray assembly defining another portion of the ice making cell. The refrigerator may further include a pusher provided with a first edge on which a surface configured to press one or more of the first and second tray assemblies is disposed to easily separate the ice from the tray assemblies, a bar extending from the first edge, and a second edge disposed at an end of the bar. At least one of the pusher or the second tray assembly may move so as to change a relative position between the pusher and the second tray assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park
  • Patent number: 11867444
    Abstract: An icemaker appliance includes a first reservoir, a second reservoir, a first circulation system associated with the first reservoir, and a second circulation system associated with the second reservoir. Liquid in the first reservoir is directed toward a first set of ice molds and liquid from the second reservoir is directed toward a second set of ice molds. Liquid in the first reservoir is selectively supplied to the second reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Alden Junge, Alan Joseph Mitchell
  • Patent number: 11859890
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage space, a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, and an ice maker assembly provided in the storage space. The ice maker assembly includes an ice maker provided forward of a cold air discharge port that is provided at a rear portion of the storage space, where the cold air discharge port is configured to deliver cold air, a front cover that covers a front side of the ice maker and that is configured to be exposed to an outside of the cabinet based on the door being opened, and a heat insulating material provided at a rear surface of the front cover and configured to at least partially block the cold air passing through the ice maker from being delivered past a front surface of the front cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jinil Hong, Nayoung Kim, Ayoung Choo
  • Patent number: 11859874
    Abstract: A modified two-phase refrigeration cycle compresses a working fluid, condenses the working fluid into a saturated or supercooled liquid, expands the saturated or supercooled liquid into a two-phase fluid, and evaporates the two-phase working fluid. The modified two-phase refrigeration cycle reduces irreversibilities imposed by conventional refrigeration cycles and extracts energy from the working fluid during the expansion process. For instance, a system that employs the modified two-phase refrigeration cycle includes a two-phase expander to reduce irreversibilities during an expansion process and extract energy. In some instances, the system includes a two-phase compressor to compress two-phase fluids for varying loads and environmental conditions of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Regi U.S., Inc.
    Inventors: Paul W. Chute, Allen MacKnight, Lynn Petersen, Paul Porter
  • Patent number: 11858798
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a dispensing assembly. The dispensing assembly includes a dispenser recess with a flexible hose that is in fluid communication with a water supply to deliver water to the dispenser recess. The dispensing assembly also includes an actuating mechanism in operative communication with the water supply to cause the water supply to deliver a flow of water to the flexible hose when the actuating mechanism is activated. The dispensing assembly further includes a vibration generator coupled to the flexible hose and in operative communication with the actuating mechanism such that the vibration generator is activated when the actuating mechanism is activated. The vibration generator moves the flexible hose relative to the dispenser recess when the vibration generator is activated, thereby providing a wave pattern flow of water from the flexible hose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramij Ismail Sayyad, Syed Moin Ahmed, Srinivas Pasham, Chaitanya Krishna Karanam
  • Patent number: 11859863
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for managing humidity within an HVAC system including a nanostructured desiccant porous material configured to adsorb water from an inlet stream at a first air pressure and to release water from that material when subjected to a second air pressure when the second air pressure is lower than the first air pressure is located within a particular location so as to allow for the passage of wet air over the materials and allow adsorption of the water on to the material. When coupled with a vacuum pump water can be collected and released from the materials and the system, regenerating the material for future use and removing water from a stream at a significantly lower cost than existing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Bernard P. McGrail, Jeromy W. J. Jenks, Radha K. Motkuri
  • Patent number: 11859888
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a storage chamber, a cold air supply which supplies cold air to the storage chamber, a first tray which forms a part of an ice making cell that is a space where water is phase-changed into ice by the cold air, a second tray which forms another part of the ice making cell and which may come into contact with the first tray during an ice making process and may be separated from the first tray during an ice transfer process, a heater adjacent to at least one of the first tray or the second tray, a sensor which determines the position of the second tray in a movement process of the second tray, and a control unit which controls the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Donghoon Lee, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park
  • Patent number: 11859894
    Abstract: Disclosed is a refrigerator including a temperature controlled room with improved utilization of space because no component for cooling or heating is positioned inside a temperature controlled room. The refrigerator includes a cabinet; a storage room provided inside the cabinet; a temperature controlled room positioned inside the storage room and being at inside temperature which is independent from inside temperature of the storage room; a cool air flow path guiding cool air generated inside the cabinet to inside of the storage room; a first fan positioned on the cool air flow path to supply the cool air to the storage room; a cool air supplier forming at least one portion of the cool air flow path and including a second fan to supply the cool air to the temperature controlled room; and a heating portion configured to heat air to supply hot air to inside of the temperature controlled room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jinhong Yu, Youngmin You, Sungmo Kim, Jinyoung Song, Inyong Hwang, Jisick Hwang
  • Patent number: 11859887
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance or ice making assembly, as provided herein, may include a body and an ejector. The body may include an ice mold for receiving and freezing water. The ice mold may define a discrete first compartment and second compartment within which water freezes. The first compartment may define a first cube profile. The second compartment may be axially-spaced apart from the first compartment and define a second cube profile. The second cube profile may be different from the first cube profile. The ejector may be rotatably disposed above the first cube profile and the second cube profile to motivate ice from the first and second compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Qianmao Zhou, Yayu Song, Bo Yan, Jianwu Li, Xiaoyang Jiang, Lixin Zhou, Jun Teng, Zhongyang Sun
  • Patent number: 11852394
    Abstract: An ice merchandiser with a remote monitoring system is provided with one or more LiDAR modules positioned near a top surface an icebox such that the fields-of-view of the LiDAR modules are at least partially directed towards a bottom surface of the icebox. The LiDAR modules provide distance data to the inventory stored within the icebox to a controller located outside of the icebox via a cable that includes both power and data lines. The controller processes the distance data to provide an estimate of the current inventory of the ice merchandiser and communicates at least one of inventory data and other sensor data concerning the operation of the ice merchandiser to a remote server via a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: ICE Q, LLC
    Inventors: Juan E. Marti, Nicolas Garcia, Patrick J. Inglesby
  • Patent number: 11852361
    Abstract: A support member for air-carrying pipes of portable air conditioners which can be applied to windows (W), comprises a first module provided with a slit made to accommodate the air pipe and at least one second module made to be coaxially sliding on the first module. The second module is continuously mobile with respect to said first module to make the length of the support member modifiable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: DE' LONGHI APPLIANCES S.R.L. CON UNICO SOCIO
    Inventor: Andrea Moro