Patents Examined by Henry Crenshaw
  • Patent number: 9109822
    Abstract: An expansion valve is disclosed herein and includes a valve body having a chamber; a valve seat and a valve core are provided in the chamber; a first opening and a second opening in communication with the chamber, wherein the valve core moves relative to the valve seat to control a size of a flow channel between the first opening and the second opening, wherein the valve core includes a valve core head portion facing the valve seat, the valve head portion is provided with an axial through hole, a piston is provided in the axial through hole, the piston is connected with the valve body. The piston which is connected with the valve body is provided in the axial through hole of the valve core head portion of the expansion valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Zhejiang Sanhua Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Changqing Liu, Hongmin Song, Jie Liu, Boting Chen
  • Patent number: 9097448
    Abstract: Disclosed are an air conditioning system and a method for controlling an operation thereof, whereby a charging device for charging power to be supplied into the indoor unit is employed, a chargeable control unit is separately employed, or a separate control unit connectable between the indoor unit and an electronic expansion valve is employed, thereby closing the electronic expansion valve even if power supplied into the indoor unit is blocked while controlling opening and closing of the electronic expansion valve, and additionally preventing the electronic expansion valve from being left open, resulting in prevention of an overload of a compressor within an indoor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Yunchul Jung, Kibok Lee, Seungyong Lee
  • Patent number: 9086233
    Abstract: A method of controlling a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a main body having a plurality of storage chambers, a plurality of evaporators to independently cool the plurality of storage chambers, and a refrigerant control valve that controls refrigerant flow into the plurality of evaporators. The method may include opening the control valve and allowing refrigerant to flow into at least one of the plurality of evaporators, when an opening integration time of the control valve is greater than a defrost setting time of the evaporator, operating the refrigerator in a defrost mode, and, when a temperature sensed by a defrost sensor of an evaporator being defrosted is greater than return setting temperatures, terminating operation in the defrost mode. In this manner, each evaporator may be defrosted efficiently, and at a point in time at which defrosting is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Chan Ho Chun, Sung Ho Park, Chel Woong Lee
  • Patent number: 9080805
    Abstract: A cooling storage cabinet includes a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment, a compressor, a three-way valve, and a control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Yanagida, Naoshi Kondou, Akira Suyama
  • Patent number: 9074783
    Abstract: The present invention provides a temperature regulation system with hybrid refrigerant supply and regulation in which a pressure-reducing regulator (R100) from an evaporator (EVA100) controlled by a switch valve (V100) being installed between a condenser (CON100) and the evaporator (EVA100), and a refrigerant injector (IJ100) being installed between the condenser (CON100) and the evaporator (EVA100), and an electric control unit (ECU100) being provided for controlling the switch valve (V100) and the pressure-reducing regulator (R100) or for controlling the refrigerant injector (IJ100) such that both or at least one thereof being served to transport the refrigerant (REF100) into the evaporator (EVA100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 9074787
    Abstract: The present invention provides a configuration in which a compressor can be controlled using an inverter in an air conditioner where only a signal related to ON/OFF of the compressor is output from a control terminal. An operation controller for a compressor is configured so that the compressor can be controlled using an inverter based on an ON signal output from a control interface of an air conditioner. Specifically, a target value of at least one of an outlet air temperature, an evaporation temperature and a condensation temperature, and a suction pressure and a discharge pressure of the compressor is corrected according to a duration of the ON signal or a duration of the OFF state thereof, thereby controlling the frequency of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masamitsu Kitagishi, Ryouta Takechi, Masao Igata
  • Patent number: 9074800
    Abstract: The present invention provides a temperature regulation system with hybrid refrigerant supply and regulation in which a pressure-reducing regulator (R100) from an evaporator (EVA100) controlled by a switch valve (V100) being installed between a condenser (CON100) and the evaporator (EVA100), and a refrigerant injector (IJ100) being installed between the condenser (CON100) and the evaporator (EVA100), and an electric control unit (ECU100) being provided for controlling the switch valve (V100) and the pressure-reducing regulator (R100) or for controlling the refrigerant injector (IJ100) such that both or at least one thereof being served to transport the refrigerant (REF100) to the interior or exterior of the evaporator (EVA100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 9068758
    Abstract: A refrigerant distribution unit for an air conditioner, includes: a pipe unit which distributes a refrigerant from a refrigerant pipe on an outdoor unit side to multiple branch refrigerant pipes, which includes an electromagnetic valve and a temperature sensor, on an indoor unit side; a main unit which stores the pipe unit covered by an insulator case, upper and lower cases; and an electric component box which controls the electromagnetic valves and the temperature sensors by connecting the valves with the sensors by cables. A cable draw-out recessed portion is formed in one of side faces of the insulator case where the connecting slots for the pipes are formed, and a bottom face recessed portion for storing the cables is formed in a bottom face of the insulator case. The upper case includes a cable draw-out slot for guiding the cables to a cable guide hole formed in the electric component box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU GENERAL LIMITED
    Inventors: Shun Matsuura, Haruki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9057183
    Abstract: A touch free automatic faucet is provided. The faucet includes a faucet housing including many sensors for controlling water flow and water temperature. A processor is connected to the sensors. A first control valve assembly is connected to the processor. A second control valve assembly is connected to the processor. A power source is connected to the processor, the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly. Water flow and water temperature are controlled by the sensors without touching of the faucet housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Inventor: Chung-Chia Chen
  • Patent number: 8991476
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to store heat into a thermal storing material using a plurality of thermal transport mediums, in a thermal storage device utilizing natural convection of a thermal storage material resulting from temperature difference of the thermal storage material. The thermal storage device of the invention has a plurality of thermal transport mediums 6a and 6b having different temperatures, a thermal storage material 2 which stores heat of the thermal transport mediums 6a and 6b or whose heat is drawn by the thermal transport mediums 6a and 6b, a thermal storage portion 1 accommodating the thermal storage material 2, and a first and a second thermal storage tanks 3 and 4 formed by dividing an inner space of the thermal storage portion 1, and a thermal exchange between the thermal transport medium 6a or 6b and the thermal storage material 2 takes place in the individual thermal storage tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, T.Rad Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Tsubone, Seiichi Hashi, Masahito Tsukahara, Masataka Fukuzawa, Kouji Narita
  • Patent number: 8991201
    Abstract: An ejector cycle system with a refrigerant cycle through which refrigerant flows includes an ejector disposed downstream of a radiator, a first evaporator that evaporates refrigerant flowing out of the ejector, a throttling unit located in a branch passage and depressurizes refrigerant to adjust a flow rate of refrigerant, and a second evaporator located downstream of the throttling unit. In the ejector cycle system, a flow ratio adjusting means adjusts a flow ratio between a first refrigerant flow amount depressurized and expanded in a nozzle portion of the ejector and a second refrigerant flow amount drawn into a refrigerant suction port of the ejector, based on a physical quantity related to at least one of a state of refrigerant in the refrigerant cycle, a temperature of a space to be cooled by the first and second evaporators, and an ambient temperature of the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ikegami, Hiroshi Oshitani, Etsuhisa Yamada, Naohisa Ishizaka, Hirotsugu Takeuchi, Takeyuki Sugiura, Takuo Maehara
  • Patent number: 8978992
    Abstract: A cooler bypass valve apparatus installed the apparatus between a heat exchanger and conduits coupled to a device carrying fluid that needs to be cooled. A housing includes an inlet port and first and second outlet ports. At least one thermal actuator and at least one valve are mounted in a fluid flow passageway in the housing and operative in response to the fluid temperature to move the at least one valve between operative positions opening and closing fluid flow from the inlet port through the first and second outlet ports between a heat exchanger bypass loop and a heat exchanger cooling loop. In another aspect, two thermal actuators control a separate valve associated with the first and second outlets between open and closed positions enabling fluid flow from the inlet port exclusively through one of the first and second outlet ports or in a combined partial flow through both of the first and second outlet ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Jiffy-Tite Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Zillig, Robert Howard Stoll, Joseph Anthony Giarrizzo, Michael Jonas, Arthur J. Murray
  • Patent number: 8966921
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a compact air conditioning system (1) for a vehicle cabin, comprising a compressor (14), a condenser (15), an evaporator (16), a control unit (19) and a ventilation assembly (18) with a single motor (24) capable of promoting easy installation and autonomous functioning for both cooling and heating the inside of a cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Behr Brasil Ltda.
    Inventors: Marcelo Christêllo Nazário, Maicon Jarschel, Ernani Pautasso Nunes Junior
  • Patent number: 8967233
    Abstract: The invention relates to a latent cold storage device with an improved structure and an improved mode of operation by means of a sandwich-type arrangement of the heat conducting elements and cold storage elements, whereby the cold storage elements made in the form of pockets containing a cold storage medium, are deformable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Valeo Klimasysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Roland Haussmann
  • Patent number: 8944338
    Abstract: A thermostat is configured for automated compatibility with HVAC systems that are either single-HVAC-transformer systems or dual-HVAC-transformer systems. The compatibility is automated in that a manual jumper installation is not required for adaptation to either single-HVAC-transformer systems or dual-HVAC-transformer systems. The thermostat has a plurality of HVAC wire connectors including a first call relay wire connector, a first power return wire connector, a second call relay wire connector, and a second power return wire connector. The thermostat is configured such that if the first and second external wires have been inserted into the first and second power return wire connectors, respectively, then the first and second power return wire connectors are electrically isolated from each other. Otherwise, the first and second power return wire connectors are electrically shorted together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Adam Warren, Hugo Fiennes, Jonathan Alan Dutra, David Bell, Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers
  • Patent number: 8943849
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus is provided with a heat-source device that supplies a refrigerant, a relay unit that exchanges heat of a heat medium such as water or anti-freezing fluid supplied from the heat-source device in an intermediate heat exchanger and supplies the heat medium, an indoor unit that exchanges heat between a use side heat exchanger through which the heat medium supplied from the relay unit flows and indoor air and performs cooling or heating in the indoor space, a controller that controls operations of the heat-source device, the relay unit and the indoor unit, and a third temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heat medium flowing through the use side heat exchanger, and if an abnormality in at least one of the heat-source device and the relay unit is detected, the controller continues the operation of the indoor unit while the temperature detected by the third temperature sensor remains within a first predetermined temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Takata, Kouji Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8887797
    Abstract: An air-conditioner for a vehicle may include a casing including an internal space therein, wherein the internal space communicates with an upper outlet formed in a side of the casing, an evaporator and a heating member installed in the casing, a partition wall partitioning a portion of the internal space behind the heating member into an upper space and a lower space, wherein the upper space includes at least a floor duct inlet and the lower space receives the heating member therein to form an upward flowing path which guides air from the heating member toward the upper outlet, a floor duct coupled to the upper space to communicate the at least a floor duct inlet with the outside, and a floor door installed in the casing to selectively open the upper space and/or a flowing path fluid-connecting the evaporator and the heating member to the upper outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Ho Kim, Dong Won Yeon, In Uk Hwang
  • Patent number: 8881992
    Abstract: Provided is a valve assembly having a thermal valve member and a priority valve member that are shiftable to first and second positions in response to a temperature and pressure of a fluid flowing through the valve assembly. Consequently, the valve can provide for flow through a heating orifice under low temperature, high pressure conditions so that pressure drops in fluid lines coupled to the valve assembly may be prevented or reduced, allowing fluid lines with small diameters to be used in an aircraft or other fluid flow system, thereby reducing the weight of the aircraft or fluid flow system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: John Scott Vanderveen, Samuel C. Sayles
  • Patent number: 8857211
    Abstract: In an injectible two-staged rotary compressor, a second suction pipe includes a heat-exchange promoting unit that promotes heat exchange between intermediary-pressure injected refrigerant and internal space or an external surface of a sealed container. The heat being exchanged by the intermediary-pressure injected refrigerant absorbing heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu General Limited
    Inventors: Naoya Morozumi, Kenshi Ueda
  • Patent number: 8844610
    Abstract: The present invention is a plate heat exchanger that allows refrigerant to enter the heat exchanger simultaneously from two sides. Allowing the refrigerant or other fluid to enter from two sides splits the flow and improves fluid velocities by presenting an optimized area to the fluid flow. This effect may be realized for both gases and liquids, and for example with respect to a liquid refrigerant, where it enters the heat exchanger simultaneously by splitting. According to the present invention the split liquid flow from the condenser feeds dual electronically controlled expansion valves before entering the heat exchanger. Fully evaporated gas leaves the heat exchanger through a single outlet, or through a dual outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Multistack, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Platt