Patents Examined by Filip Zec
  • Patent number: 11280526
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a thermoelectric element module, a support disposed at a lower surface of the cabinet, and a heat dissipation cover coupled to a rear side of the cabinet. The thermoelectric element module includes a thermoelectric element including a heat absorption portion and a heat dissipation portion, a first heat sink contacting the heat absorption portion, a first fan facing the first heat sink, a second heat sink contacting the heat dissipation portion, a second fan exposed to an outside of the heat dissipation cover, and an insulating member between the first heat sink and the second heat sink. The heat dissipation cover is configured to guide air from the second fan in a vertical direction, and the support defines an air passage between the lower surface and a floor to allow air to be discharged to a front side through a lower side of the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Heayoun Sul, Minkyu Oh, Jeehoon Choi, Hyoungkeun Lim
  • Patent number: 11274877
    Abstract: Disclosed is an oxygen-control freshness preservation refrigerator, comprising a cabinet with a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment. A partition plate for separating the refrigerating compartment from the freezing compartment is arranged in the cabinet. The refrigerator further has a freshness preservation compartment arranged inside the refrigerating compartment and an oxygen control device for reducing the oxygen content inside the freshness preservation compartment, the oxygen control device comprises a gas-regulating membrane assembly and a gas extraction assembly. The gas-regulating membrane assembly has at least one gas-regulating membrane for selective gas permeation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lei Wang, Bo Jiang, Jianquan Chen, Chun Yang, Liyan Wang
  • Patent number: 11268748
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage compartment therein, a door that provides selective access to the storage compartment, and an ice maker provided in the door. An air duct directs a flow of air from an insulated chamber to the ice maker. An air cooling system cools air inside the insulated chamber and comprises a first non-evaporative heat exchanger positioned independent of and adjacent to an evaporator, a second non-evaporative heat exchanger provided within the insulated chamber, and a fluid line that directs a circulation of fluid between the first and second non-evaporative heat exchangers. The first non-evaporative heat exchanger is provided in heat exchanging relationship with the evaporator to cool the fluid positioned in the first non-evaporative heat exchanger, and the second non-evaporative heat exchanger is provided in heat exchanging relationship with the air inside the insulated chamber to cool the air therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas McCollough, Keith Phelan
  • Patent number: 11262119
    Abstract: There is provided a mounting structure for mounting a cryocooler cold head on a vacuum vessel. The cold head includes a cold head-side cooling stage and a cold head-side flange. The mounting structure includes a cold head accommodation sleeve installed in the vacuum vessel and including a sleeve-side cooling stage which comes into thermal contact with the cold head-side cooling stage by coming into physical contact with the cold head-side cooling stage, and a sleeve-side flange to be coupled to the cold head-side flange, an inter-flange distance adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a distance between the sleeve-side flange and the cold head-side flange so that the cold head-side cooling stage and the sleeve-side cooling stage are physically brought into contact with each other or brought into a contactless state therebetween, and a flange fastening mechanism configured to fasten the cold head-side flange to the sleeve-side flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shuntaro Adachi
  • Patent number: 11262121
    Abstract: A refrigerator has a thawing device. The thawing device includes a cylinder, having a thawing chamber with a forward opening; a device door; and a radio frequency generation module, upper and lower electrode plates electrically connected thereto generating radio frequency waves in the thawing chamber; and at least one temperature sensor is disposed on the inner wall of the thawing chamber and configured to sense the temperature of an object to be processed, thereby adjusting the power of the radio frequency generaton module to prevent the object to be processed from being excessively thawed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaobing Zhu, Peng Li, Ming Wang, Jianbin Dai, Tong Xu
  • Patent number: 11255590
    Abstract: A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator body provided with a refrigerating compartment, an ice maker, an ice-making air duct, a first fan assembly disposed in the ice-making air duct and an ice maker evaporator is disclosed. The ice-making air duct comprises an air inlet duct and an air return duct, which are both disposed in a foaming layer of the refrigerating compartment, and one ends thereof close to the ice maker extend into a foaming layer on a door body of the ice maker. The first fan assembly is detachably disposed in the air return duct, and may be integrally disassembled from and installed in the air return duct. The ice maker evaporator is disposed between the air inlet duct and the air return duct and at the side far away from the ice maker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignees: HEFEI HUALING CO., LTD., HEFEI MIDEA REFRIGERATOR CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhengguang Lv, Yang Shao, Zengqiang Si, Guangqing Yang, Jincai Wang
  • Patent number: 11255595
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a door and a hot water supply device, wherein the hot water supply device comprises a heater and a dispenser provided with a hot water outlet, the dispenser is recessed on the door, comprising a receiving portion provided at one side opposite to the hot water outlet, and the heater is received in the receiving portion. The heater is provided at the rear surface of the dispenser, thereby avoiding the influence of the filling of foam materials on the heat dissipation of the heater, which contributes to prolonging the service life of a heat sink, eliminates potential risks brought by the hot water supply device to the refrigerator, and reduces the maintenance cost of the refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lihua Zuo, Yanqing Zhang, Weishou Sun, Jianjun Xue, Chuan Cui
  • Patent number: 11255589
    Abstract: An ice maker includes an evaporator configured to freeze water into ice as it flows vertically down a freeze plate. A distributor distributes the water along the top of the freeze plate to form ice across the width of the freeze plate as the water flows downward along the freeze plate. The distributor can be integrated into the evaporator. For example, the distributor and evaporator can have a part in common. The distributor can be formed from two pieces that come together to form the freeze plate. The distributor can have various features that aid in providing a desirable distribution of water along the width of the freeze plate. The freeze plate can be mounted in an ice maker enclosure in thermal communication with the evaporator and to slant forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: True Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Knatt
  • Patent number: 11255585
    Abstract: A refrigeration and/or heat transfer device includes a heating section and cooling section, a release member, and a one-way check valve affixed together in a continuous loop so working fluid may flow in one direction therein. The heating section absorbs heat and transfers such heat to the working fluid, thereby heating, expanding and increasing pressure upon the working fluid therein. The pressurized working fluid is released in a regulated manner from the heating section to the cooling section, thereby carrying the heat away. The released working fluid cools and transfers its heat to the surroundings within the cooling section. As released working fluid enters the cooling section, such fluid displaces already cooled working fluid, pushing such fluid through the one-way check valve back into the heating section to absorb heat. The working fluid may undergo a phase change or remain in a single phase throughout to enhance heat transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventor: John Saavedra
  • Patent number: 11255588
    Abstract: An ice machine includes: an ice maker including: an ultrasonic bin sensor mounted to a body; and a controller in electrical communication with the ultrasonic bin sensor and configured to control the ultrasonic bin sensor; and a storage bin coupled to the ice maker and sized to receive a mound of ice, a lens of the ultrasonic bin sensor facing a bottom of an interior cavity of the storage bin, the controller configured to process a return signal of the ultrasonic bin sensor to control a level of ice stored inside the storage bin, the controller further configured to apply a predetermined time delay to filter out a portion of the return signal that exceeds a threshold voltage but does not exceed the time delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Hoshizaki America, Inc.
    Inventor: Hideki Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 11255572
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit includes a drain pan including a basin defined by a base and a plurality of side walls configured to collect condensate from an evaporator of the HVAC unit. The HVAC unit also includes a drain port disposed in the base of the basin and arranged such that the drain pan is configured to direct the condensate toward the drain port and out of the basin, a protruded portion extending from an outer surface of a side wall of the plurality of side walls, and a passage proximate to a top edge of the side wall of the plurality of side walls and configured to facilitate overflow of the condensate out of the basin and along the protruded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John L. McElvany, Curtis A. Trammell
  • Patent number: 11248838
    Abstract: This invention relates to a novel kit, transportable apparatus and method for generating in-situ CO2 snow block within the apparatus. An item such as a biological sample can be stored and transported within the same apparatus that is employed for creating the CO2 snow block. The apparatus is capable of preserving the sample during transport. The invention also includes a specially designed CO2 snow charger system including a charger and meshed conduit. The charger system is operated in accordance with the methods of the present invention to create the in-situ CO2 snow block within a container that can be also used for transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ying Zhou, Ranko Bursae, Robert R Sever
  • Patent number: 11247170
    Abstract: A dehumidifier is provided that may include a bucket; a drain pan including a drain passage configured to guide condensed water dropped from an evaporator to the bucket; a pump; a pump water inlet line connected to the pump, the pump water inlet line being configured to guide the condensed water in the bucket to the pump; a pump water outlet line connected to the pump, the pump water outlet line being provided with an outlet installed in the drain passage or disposed above the bucket, and an outer tube connected to the pump water outlet line in the drain passage or above the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sangyoun Yoon, Changhoon Kim, Dongmin Park, Sangjun Yoon
  • Patent number: 11240941
    Abstract: Autonomous vehicles are made by fitting sensors to non-autonomous vehicle platforms. A mounting structure to mount sensors to the vehicle is needed to provide sensor data about the environment of the vehicle. The mounting structure is sealed to prevent exterior environmental elements from harming the sensor hardware. Therefore, any heat generated from the sensors or equipment and/or exterior heat is sealed and trapped in the mounting structure. Thus, a way to cool the sensors is needed and to limit additions to the mounting structure is optimized by tapping into existing vehicle cooling systems to cool the sensors. Additionally, removal of the heated air by exhausting the air out from the mounting structure to aid in the cooling of the sensors is necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott L. Frederick, Bill Castleman, Jeff A. Teeples
  • Patent number: 11221174
    Abstract: A door assembly for a refrigeration door system with a defrosting feature. The door assembly also includes a door frame. The door frame may include a top member having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and the top member may have a top conduit therein. The door frame may also include a first side member coupled transversely to the first end of the top member and having a first conduit therein, the first conduit being fluidly coupled to the top conduit, and a second side member coupled transversely to the second end of the top member and having a second conduit. The second conduit may be fluidly coupled to the top conduit. The door frame may further have orifices positioned along the top member, the first side member, and the second side member. The door assembly also includes a positive pressure source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Inventor: Peter M. Osgard
  • Patent number: 11219191
    Abstract: A pressure activated recharging cooling platform for cooling an object is provided. The cooling platform comprises a temperature regulation layer, a support layer, and a channeled covering layer. The temperature regulation layer is adapted to hold a composition. The temperature regulation layer has a plurality of angled segments, wherein angled segments within a sealed perimeter of the temperature regulation layer are formed by a top side and a bottom side at a predefined distance, and channels, wherein the channels substantially form sides by contacting the top side with the bottom side at a distance lesser than the predefined distance. The support layer is substantially bonded to the bottom side of the temperature regulation layer and is comprised of material sufficiently pliable to deform and sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse in response to the weight of the object. The channeled covering layer encompasses the support and temperature regulation layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: THE GREEN PET SHOP ENTERPRISES, LLC
    Inventor: Gerard Prendergast
  • Patent number: 11215392
    Abstract: A refrigerator provides visual information indicating a map of the refrigerator and technical operations of the corresponding regions. The refrigerator includes a voice recognition function using a proximity sensor. The refrigerator has input/output (I/O) management functions for foods stored therein. The refrigerator communicates with a peripheral device over a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoung Ae Lim, Yoo Lim Baek, Mi A Oh, Sae Mi Kim, Da Hey Yoo, Kyung Hoon Lee, Tae Hyoung Cho, Jung Hwi Eun, Ye Kyung Yoo, Mun Keun Lee, Young Bin Jung
  • Patent number: 11209197
    Abstract: The present invention provides a refrigerating/heating device that efficiently refrigerates and heats while suppressing device costs. This refrigerating/heating device for efficiently heating and refrigerating is provided with: a refrigeration chamber; a Peltier-type cooler for supplying cold air to inside the refrigeration chamber; a heat radiation member for radiating Peltier heat; fans for air-cooling the heat radiation member; an exhaust duct through which waste heat from the fans and the heat radiation member passes; and an installation part to which a subject to be heated can be installed. The subject to be heated is installed in the waste heat flow path of the exhaust duct and heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Tadao Yabuhara, Terumi Tamura, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11209196
    Abstract: A fluoropropene composition comprising Z-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, E-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, and optionally 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane wherein the 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene being present in an amount of 0.00001 to 1.0%. A method of producing the fluoropropene, methods for using the fluoropropene and the composition formed are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: THE CHEMOURS COMPANY FC, LLC
    Inventors: Sheng Peng, Mario Joseph Nappa
  • Patent number: 11209175
    Abstract: An outdoor unit for a refrigeration apparatus includes: a casing that houses a plurality of devices including a first device and a second device; a plurality of electric components including a first electric component and a second electric component; an electric component box disposed in the casing and that houses the plurality of electric components; a first wire that carries a first voltage or current between the first electric component and the first device; a second wire that carries a second voltage or current between the second electric component and the second device; and a cover part that suppresses entry of liquid into the electric component box. The second voltage or current is lower than the first voltage or current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Miho Kurokawa, Shigeki Kamitani, Taichi Koshiji