Patents Examined by John E Bargero
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Patent number: 11273685Abstract: An auxiliary heater with a casing enclosing internal components which components include a heat exchanger separate from and outside the coolant tank and wherein two coolant loops each have their own coolant pumps and wherein a potable water loop exchanges heat with coolant within the heat exchanger. A control circuit provides enhanced coolant flow through the heat exchanger when the call for hot water is significant without significantly reducing the temperature of the hot water being used. A level switch within the coolant tank prevents coolant pumps from running without pump coolant and a filling and air purging operation improves the initial filling operation of the auxiliary heater with coolant and also prevents the coolant pump from running dry. A user switch may dedicate the hot coolant from the coolant tank to either the production of hot potable water or it may share both hot water and space heating.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2016Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: INTERNATIONAL THERMAL INVESTMENTS LTD.Inventors: Nader Kiarostami, Victor William Johnson, Reza Sonavi
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Patent number: 11262101Abstract: A method of heating water in a water storage tank. The method includes: selecting an outlet port and an inlet port from at least three ports located in the tank at different heights along a vertical direction. The outlet port is below the inlet port. The method further includes extracting water from the outlet port, supplying the extracted water to an external heat exchanger configured for heating the extracted water, and delivering heated water from the heat exchanger to the selected inlet port.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2018Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: ACTIVE HOME LTD.Inventor: Zvi Shtilerman
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Patent number: 11231208Abstract: A solar heat collector tube in which at least an infrared reflective layer, a sunlight-heat conversion layer and an anti-reflection layer are provided on the outer surface of a tube through the interior of which a heat medium can flow, wherein the infrared reflective layer in the solar heat collector tube is an Ag layer having Nb dispersed therein, the content of Nb being 0.1 at % to 31.8 at %.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2016Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, JAPAN FINE CERAMICS CENTERInventors: Takuhito Tsutsui, Toru Sasatani, Kazuto Noritake, Yoshiki Okuhara, Tomohiro Kuroyama, Daisuke Igimi
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Patent number: 11231181Abstract: A heating and hot-water supply apparatus shortens the time taken for hot-water supply to stabilize at a set temperature in response to a request for a hot-water supply operation during a heating operation. The apparatus performs, using a common heating medium heated by a heater, a heating operation by circulating the heating medium through a heating terminal, and a hot-water supply operation of heating service water through heat exchange with the heating medium circulated through a hot-water supply heat exchanger and supplying hot water. A distribution unit (three-way valve) changes a distribution ratio of the heating medium between the heating terminal and the hot-water supply heat exchanger. A controller controls an amount of heat generated by the heater for the heating operation or the hot-water supply operation, and stops heating with the heater when the temperature of the heating medium reaches a predetermined upper-limit temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2019Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: Rinnai CorporationInventors: Yuya Miyazaki, Atsushi Fukaya
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Patent number: 11190084Abstract: An electric machine (14, 16) for a drive train (12) of a motor vehicle (10) has a coil arrangement and a rotor mounted rotatably relative to the coil arrangement. A fluid line is connected thermally to at least one component of the electric machine (14,16) to supply a cooling fluid (36) to the electric machine (14, 16) and to cool the at least one component. A fan (30, 32) is designed to supply cooling air (42) to the electric machine for cooling the electric machine (14, 16), and a control unit (34) controls the fan (30, 32). The control unit (34) controls the fan arrangement (30, 32) and the cooling air supply depending on a speed (n) and/or a torque (M) of the electric machine (14, 16).Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2015Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Inventors: Werner Schiek, Leo Spiegel, Holger Hinrich
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Patent number: 11166590Abstract: A granule burning grill includes a body, a burning chamber, and a grill grate. The burning chamber and the grill grate are disposed inside the body. The grill grate is provided above the burning chamber. A side portion of the body is provided with a feeding opening for the granular fuel. A heat collecting mechanism located in the body is provided between the grill grate and the burning chamber. A ceramic plate module is provided between the heat collecting mechanism and the grill grate.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2018Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Ningbo Huige Outdoor Products Co., Ltd.Inventor: Songcun Zheng
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Patent number: 11156370Abstract: A hydraulic manifold for hydraulic heating and/or cooling systems includes a feed conduit and a return conduit. The feed conduit includes at least one feed connection and the return conduit includes at least one return connection, for the connection of a load circuit. The manifold has a modular construction with a main module and connected load module(s). The main module includes a section of the feed conduit and/or of the return conduit as well as an electric connection. The load module includes a section of the feed conduit with a feed connection, and/or a section of the return conduit with a return connection, as well as at least one regulating device for regulating the flow through a load circuit connected to the feed connection and to the return connection. The main module includes a manifold control device for the control of the regulating device in the load module(s).Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2014Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A/SInventors: Søren Emil Sørensen, Rasmus Hessellund Andersen
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Patent number: 11149987Abstract: A solar heat collector tube in which at least an infrared reflective layer, a sunlight-heat conversion layer and an anti-reflection layer are provided on the outer surface of a tube, through the interior of which a heat medium can flow, wherein the infrared reflective layer is an Ag layer in which silicon, silicon nitride or a mixture thereof is dispersed, and a method for producing the solar heat collector tube wherein the infrared reflective layer that is an Ag layer, in which silicon, silicon nitride or a mixture thereof is dispersed, is formed by sputtering in the presence of a gas including nitrogen gas, with Ag and silicon being used as targets.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2016Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, JAPAN FINE CERAMICS CENTERInventors: Takuhito Tsutsui, Toru Sasatani, Kazuto Noritake, Yoshiki Okuhara, Tomohiro Kuroyama, Daisuke Igimi
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Patent number: 11149965Abstract: When a hot water supply operation is started, a single mode is used in which hot water is output only from a second hot water supply circuit of a water heater, by cut-off of a flow path in a first hot water supply circuit of a space-heating water heater by a cut-off mechanism. When a load imposed by hot water supply by the second hot water supply circuit increases during the hot water supply operation in the single mode, the cut-off mechanism is opened to start hot water output from the first hot water supply circuit and a hot water supply operation in a parallel mode is performed in which hot water is output from both of the first hot water supply circuit and the second hot water supply circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2018Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: NORITZ CORPORATIONInventors: Rena Kusachi, Yoshifumi Atobe, Naoki Tsuda, Keiichiro Iwanami, Hiroshi Morimoto, Akihisa Kageyama, Takehito Yokoyama, Midori Yokoyama
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Patent number: 11142041Abstract: A method is provided for operating a fuel-operated vehicle heater (10) during a start phase of combustion operation. The heater includes a combustion air feed device (26) feeding air and a fuel feed device (22) feeding fuel (B) to a burner area (12) with a combustion chamber (16). An electrically energizable ignition element (32) ignites a fuel/air mixture formed. The method includes energizing the ignition element (32) in a preheating phase prior to the fuel feed, at a time of entry into an ignition phase, detecting electrical resistance of the ignition element (32) and determining a desired resistance based on the electrical resistance of the ignition element (32) detected and operating the ignition element (32) in a resistance-regulating operating mode during the ignition phase such that an actual resistance of the ignition element (32) is in the range of the determined desired resistance of the ignition element (32).Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2017Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: Eberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbHInventors: Wolfgang Pfister, Walter Blaschke
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Patent number: 11142040Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for heating a cabin of a vehicle using an alternator of the vehicle. In one example, a method may include operating in a first operating mode to heat a cabin of a vehicle, the first operating mode including shorting an alternator output of an alternator of the vehicle to ground, and closing a coolant valve positioned between a coolant system of an engine of the vehicle and an alternator coolant circuit.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2018Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Ross Dykstra Pursifull
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Patent number: 11124042Abstract: A vehicle heating device includes a heat storage material, a heat recovery unit, a footrest, and a heat controller. The vehicle heating device heats an occupant with heat stored in the heat storage material. The heat recovery unit recovers thermal energy from at least one of a heat source generated by a vehicle or a natural heat source from outside of the vehicle. The heat storage material stores the recovered thermal energy. The footrest is provided at a front portion of a vehicle seat disposed in a vehicle cabin, and has the heat storage material packed inside a heat insulating material. The heat controller heats the footrest by radiating the heat stored in the heat storage material at a predetermined timing with respect to the occupant to be on the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2018Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATIONInventor: Takashi Tsunoda
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Patent number: 11118790Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermal server plant (40) arranged to be connected to a thermal energy circuit (10) comprising a hot conduit (12) configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a first temperature to flow therethrough, and a cold conduit (14) configured to allow heat transfer liquid of a second temperature to flow therethrough. The thermal server plant comprises a balancing device (41) arranged to be connected to the hot conduit and to the cold conduit for selectively allowing heat transfer liquid to flow from the hot conduit, via a regulator (42) and a heat exchanger (44), into the cold conduit or allowing heat transfer liquid to flow from the cold conduit, via the regulator and the heat exchanger, into the hot conduit. The flow direction is determined by a pressure difference between the hot and cold conduits.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2016Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: E. ON SVERIGE ABInventor: Per Rosén
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Patent number: 11091008Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vehicle control device including: a fluid circuit, mutually connecting an engine, a vehicle cabin interior heat exchanger for discharging heat into a vehicle cabin interior, and a heat discharging heat exchanger included in a refrigerant cycle in which a refrigerant is compressed and expanded by a compressor, and in which a fluid circulates; and a control unit for controlling the compressor and the engine such that, in a case in which engine warm-up operation ending conditions have not been established and in a case in which predetermined stopping conditions, other than the warm-up operation ending conditions, for stopping engine idling have been established, the compressor is operated while the engine is idling so as to release heat from the refrigerant from the heat discharging heat exchanger and to heat the fluid.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2016Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoichi Onishi, Nobuharu Kakehashi
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Patent number: 11072223Abstract: A control apparatus of a heat exchanging system according to the invention activates a connection system to connect an engine water passage to a heater water passage and then, shuts off a heater water passage portion between a portion, into which heat exchanging water flows from the engine water passage and a portion, from which the heat exchanging water flows out toward the engine water passage, and decreases heater pump and engine pump duty ratios when the duty ratios should be decreased for controlling core and engine flow rates to requested flow rates after the particular water passage is shut off, and the engine water passage is connected to the heater water passage.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2018Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hidefumi Aikawa, Yoichi Ogura, Masatoshi Yano, Yuji Miyoshi, Yu Ofune
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Patent number: 11054150Abstract: A diagnosis method for the diagnosis of the correct function of a heating and/or cooling system with at least one load circuit (6), through which a fluid flows as a heat transfer medium. For the diagnosis an opening degree (Vpos,n) of the load circuit (6) is changed for changing the flow. Subsequently a differential pressure (Hpu) across the load circuit (6) and/or a volume flow of a fluid flowing through the load circuit (6) is detected and the detected values, or at least a value derived from the detected values, are/is compared to at least one predefined system limit value.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2014Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A/SInventors: Erik Baasch Sørensen, Martin Clausen
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Patent number: 11047596Abstract: Embodiments of a high temperature fluid generator are adapted to heat a fluid to a high temperature using a heat source. The generator employs a forced circulation counter flow design including a furnace section, a convection section and a pair of L-shaped headers connected to tubes in the furnace and convection sections. In various embodiments, the headers are positioned on diagonally opposite corners and convection tubes are positioned at least partially outside of a flue path for the combustion gas.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2021Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: Superior Boiler, LLCInventor: Sundeep Bodapati
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Patent number: 11041633Abstract: The present invention relates to a district thermal energy distribution system comprising a thermal energy circuit comprising a hot and a cold conduit for allowing flow of heat transfer liquid therethrough, a thermal energy consumer heat exchanger and a thermal energy generator heat exchanger. The thermal energy consumer heat exchanger is selectively connected to the hot conduit via a thermal energy consumer valve or a thermal energy consumer pump. The thermal energy generator heat exchanger is selectively connected to the cold conduit via a thermal energy generator valve or a thermal energy generator pump.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2016Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: E.ON SVERIGE ABInventor: Per Rosén
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Patent number: 11041634Abstract: The present invention relates to a local thermal energy consumer assembly and a local thermal energy generator assembly to be connected to a thermal energy circuit comprising a hot and a cold conduit. The local thermal energy consumer assembly is selectively connected, via a pump or a valve to the hot conduit. The local thermal energy generator assembly is selectively connected, via a pump or a valve to the cold conduit. The use of either the valve or the pump is controlled by determining a local pressure difference between heat transfer liquid of the hot and the cold conduits.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2016Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: E.ON SVERIGE ABInventor: Per Rosén
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Patent number: 11027593Abstract: A combustion chamber assembly unit for a fuel-operated vehicle heater is provided. The combustion chamber assembly includes a combustion chamber housing (12) with a combustion chamber (18), which is defined by a circumferential wall (14) and by a bottom area (16). An oxidation catalytic converter device (54), through which combustion waste gases can flow, is provided downstream in relation to the combustion chamber (18). The combustion chamber assembly further includes a hydrocarbon storage device (74) or/and a nitrogen storage device (76).Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2018Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: Eberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Günter Eberspach