Patents Examined by John K. Ford
  • Patent number: 7334629
    Abstract: The ventilating system includes evaporative cooling of the exhaust air before it enters a heat exchanger to cool incoming fresh outside air. A suction fan pulls exhaust air through the heat exchanger and, in combination with a flow restrictor, reduces the pressure on the exhaust air and augments the evaporative cooling. The use of a pusher fan to force outside air through the heat exchanger ensures that any leakage in the heat-exchanger results in outside air entering exhaust air and minimizing the chances of contamination by leaking exhaust air into the incoming fresh air. The heat exchanger is made economically by heat-forming cavities in relatively thick thermo-plastic sheets, interleaving them with other thermo-plastic sheets having separate gas flow conduit structures, and securing the sheets together. Preferably, the heat-exchanger is an opposed-flow heat-exchanger giving improved heat-transfer efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Building Performance Equipment
    Inventor: Klas C. Haglid
  • Patent number: 7328740
    Abstract: A multiple-pass heat exchanger having opposing headers with beveled end walls, one header having nozzles on opposite sides of a separator wall for delivering heat exchange fluid at one temperature from one or more nozzles on one side of the separator wall, the heat exchanger having one set of fluid flow tubes for conveying the fluid in one direction to the other header and another set of fluid flow tubes for carrying the fluid in the opposite direction from the latter header for delivering to the header with a nozzle or nozzles for discharging the fluid from the latter header at a changed temperature. There is also disclosed a multiple systems combined heat exchanger having an opposing headers with beveled end walls, wherein at least two heat exchangers independent of each other share the respective headers which are divided from each other by separator walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Duramax Marine, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Leeson, Eric K. Peoples, Michael W. Brakey
  • Patent number: 7290593
    Abstract: A combined radiator and charge air cooler package comprises a radiator for cooling engine coolant, and a charge air cooler for cooling charge air having upper and lower portions. The upper charge air cooler portion is disposed in overlapping relationship and adjacent to the upper end of the radiator, and the lower charge air cooler portion is disposed in overlapping relationship and adjacent to the lower end of the radiator, on the face side thereof. Ambient air may flow in series through the upper end of the radiator and the upper charge air cooler portion, and through the lower charge air cooler portion and the lower end of the radiator. The charge air cooler portions are operatively connected such that the charge air may flow between the lower manifold of the upper charge air cooler portion and the upper manifold of the lower charge air cooler portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Proliance International, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Kolb
  • Patent number: 7287581
    Abstract: The integrated automotive HVAC/PTC system of the present invention includes a bi-fluidic heat exchanger between an air conditioning subsystem and a heating subsystem which enables heat extracted during dehumidification of the ventilation air to be transferred into dehumidified ventilation air. The HVAC/PTC system includes reconfigurable coolant loops and reconfigurable refrigerant loops, some of which act in concert and some of which may be isolated. Power train components, including the power supply, may be grouped by heat transfer requirements and may be cooled or heated as needed. Power train cooling is accomplished with coolant in the heating subsystem chilled by the air conditioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence P. Ziehr, Gregory A. Major, June S. Bian
  • Patent number: 7284594
    Abstract: A radiator 9 for electric parts use, which cools an inverter and others relating to the control of an electric motor, and a condenser 12 for condensing refrigerant are arranged in parallel with each other with respect to the direction of an air flow on an upstream side of the air flow of a radiator 8 for engine use. Due to the above arrangement, as the air temperatures at the inlets of the radiator 8 for electric parts use and the condenser 12 are low, a temperature difference between air and cooling water and a temperature difference between air and refrigerant are increased, and it becomes possible to enhance the performance of the radiator 8 for electric parts use and the condenser 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Ryouichi Sanada, Atsushi Hayasaka, Naoki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 7284595
    Abstract: A heat source fluid inlet pipe of a heat exchanger main body 150 comprises a rotation side inlet pipe 27 and a fixed side inlet pipe 23 that are integrated with the heat exchanger main body 150. A heat source fluid outlet pipe comprises a rotation side outlet pipe 26 and a fixed side outlet pipe 22 that are integrated with the heat exchanger main body 150. These pipes 22, 23, 26 and 27 are constituted into a coaxial double-piping structure 16 and the heat exchanger main body 150 is allowed to rotate with a center axis A of this coaxial double-piping structure 16 as the center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Maeda, Yukio Uemura, Kei Kajiya
  • Patent number: 7281574
    Abstract: A rear face inlet 25 and a foot inlet 28, and a rear face duct portion 26 and a foot duct portion 31 which are adapted to distribute air from the inlets, respectively, are disposed in alignment with each other in a transverse direction of a vehicle. As a result, a conventional overlapping portion where the rear face inlet and the foot inlet are made to overlap each other vertically somewhere along the length of each of the inlets in a transverse direction of the vehicle and a conventional overlapping portion where the rear face duct and the rear foot duct are disposed in such a manner as to overlap each other in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle somewhere along the length of a downwardly extending portion of each of the ducts can be eliminated, whereby the air conditioning unit can be constructed so as to be decreased in size vertically and longitudinally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuji Shibata, Yoshio Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7278472
    Abstract: An improved combustion air charger, such as a turbocharger or a supercharger, includes a housing (10) having a rotary shaft (18) journalled therein. At least one compressor wheel (20,22) is located on the shaft (18). The housing (10) includes an ambient inlet (30) as well as a compressed air outlet (32) and a heat exchanger (36) is located between at least one of the compressor wheels (20) and the outlet (32) and is arranged so that air flow through the heat exchanger (36) is generally in the radially inward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Steven P. Meshenky, Robert J. Barfknecht, James J. Hennes, Kenneth M. Cornell
  • Patent number: 7275586
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heating or air-conditioning system for a motor vehicle, by which individual zones of the vehicle interior can be supplied with separately temperature-controlled air. An improved heating or air-conditioning system, which requires just a small amount of installation space, feeds differently temperature-controlled air to a plurality of air-conditioning zones. Despite the small amount of installation space, optimum mixing of cold air and warm air takes place in the heating or air-conditioning system, with the result that the air emerging from air-outlet openings in a respective air-conditioning zone have a constant temperature over the outlet cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Oliver Beck, Michael Förster, Christian Grömmer, Norbert Wöcht
  • Patent number: 7264046
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system embodiment for temperature control in a vehicle comprises heater cores, controllably connected to a coolant contour, outletting the conditioned air towards a person sitting in a chair, or into a food compartment. Some cores are mounted inside of chairs' backs situated in front of rear passengers, other cores are mounted in the chair back and inside the chair seat. A refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger provides heat exchange between a refrigerant contour and the coolant contour, cooling the coolant supplied to the cores. A refrigerant compressor is driven by a hydraulic motor, operated by pressurized oil delivered through a hydraulic contour from a first hydraulic pump driven by the vehicle's engine connected to the first pump through an electromagnetic clutch, or alternatively from a second hydraulic pump driven by a substitute engine, connected to the second pump through another electromagnetic clutch, both clutches are controlled by a thermostat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Inventors: Vladlen Futernik, Boris Futernik
  • Patent number: 7261150
    Abstract: A method for humidifying and controlling the temperature of a process gas stream comprising the steps of super-saturating and heating the process gas stream with steam until it reaches a first pre-set temperature; cooling the process gas stream until it reaches a second pre-set temperature; removing excess condensed water from the process gas stream; and heating the process gas stream until it reaches a third pre-set temperature. An apparatus for implementing this method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Hydrogenics Corporation
    Inventors: Joe Cargnelli, Ravi B. Gopal
  • Patent number: 7246656
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner has an IR sensor that detects a temperature of air inside a vehicle compartment. The IR sensor is disposed on an instrument panel so that the sensor is disposed above switches and a face blowout port on the instrument panel. Accordingly, a detecting range of the IR sensor is prevented from interfering by hands of a driver or an occupant even when the switches are operated by the driver. Thus, the air conditioner is capable of stable air conditioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ichishi, Tatsuya Ito, Tatsumi Kumada
  • Patent number: 7246658
    Abstract: A heat exchanger extracts heat from a two-phase fluid coolant so that the coolant changes from a vapor state to a liquid state. Two valves have respective inlets which communicate with the coolant in the heat exchanger, and which are physically spaced from each other. Valve control structure responds to the presence of liquid at the inlet to either valve by opening that valve, so that the liquid coolant flows through the valve to a discharge section. A different feature involves a housing with a heat exchanger therein, the heat exchanger having a plurality of coolant conduits that are axially spaced. A flow of air travels axially within the housing, then flows transversely past the conduits to the other side thereof, and then resumes flowing axially on the other side of the conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: William Gerald Wyatt, James L. Haws, Richard M. Weber
  • Patent number: 7240725
    Abstract: A device for climate control of a vehicle is provided which includes a coolant circuit in which coolant flows through a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator; a heat transfer medium circuit in which heat transfer medium flows through a heat source and a heat exchanger; and a heat/cold reservoir in which the evaporator and the heat exchanger are located. The device of the present invention provides an improved and comparatively economical approach to climate control in the area of a driver's bed in a motor vehicle interior by, at least in part, using a heating/cooling surface for a driver's bed and/or vehicle interior wall, which is integrated into the heat transfer medium circuit such that the heat transfer medium can flow selectively through the heating/cooling surface, or the heat transfer medium which is conveyed by the heat source can flow through the heating/cooling surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Webasto Thermosysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Horn, Noureddine Khelifa, Wolfgang Kraemer
  • Patent number: 7240720
    Abstract: Apparatus for abstracting heat comprises a container charged with a first liquid and with small auxiliary containers free to circulate in the first liquid. Each of the small auxiliary containers is charged with a second liquid. The first and second liquids each have a selected temperature of transformation that facilitates use of the apparatus to heat or cool a substance contacted by the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Inventor: Thomas P. Noel
  • Patent number: 7234516
    Abstract: When it is assumed that a vehicle is stopped or parked after its engine was stopped and a predetermined period of time has passed, a cold wind side air mixing door, hot wind side air mixing door, cold wind door and rear cold wind side air mixing door are totally closed and a blower is operated for a predetermined period of time. Accordingly, while a cooler is being dried, drying air containing much offensive smell components, which has passed through the cooler, is discharged outside the vehicle. Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide an exclusively used air passage and an opening and closing door for opening and closing the air passage used for composing an air blowing passage to dry the cooler. By utilizing the existing equipment, air used for drying, which has passed through the cooler, containing much offensive smell components can be discharged outside the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Umebayashi, Yoshinori Yanagimachi, Tomohiro Inada
  • Patent number: 7234510
    Abstract: A closed forced air system cools the electronic circuitry in a control console of an x-ray inspection station directed to food products in containers. A U-shaped tubular duct located beneath the console enclosure has both upwardly-directed ends attached to the bottom panel of the enclosure with openings provided for airflow communication, thus creating a closed loop air passageway. A pair of electric fans are installed at the upper ends of the U-shaped duct in manner to circulate air flow through the loop. Air in the enclosure, warmed by the electronic control circuitry, is drawn by one fan down into one arm of the U. The duct acts as a heat dissipater, and cool air at the opposite arm of the U is drawn by the other fan back up into the enclosure. The bottom of the U-shaped duct is attached to a front region of a support platform at the floor level and thus the arms of the U serve as a front pair of supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: InspX, LLC
    Inventor: Alexander I. Gilevich
  • Patent number: 7231967
    Abstract: The ventilator system and method use a heat exchanger to selectively transfer heat between fresh outside air entering and exhaust air leaving an enclosed space whenever energy can be recovered from the exhaust air by doing so. The system uses a microprocessor-based controller which stores one or more profiles indicating the time-varying needs of the enclosed space for heating and cooling. The transfer of heat between the exhaust and fresh air is reduced or eliminated simply by reducing the speed of or stopping the exhaust air handler while the fresh air handler continues to run. Evaporative cooling for the exhaust air can be provided, and an all-plastic plate type heat exchanger preferably is used, together with an air handler at the exhaust outlet of the heat exchanger to pull exhaust air through the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Building Performance Equipment, Inc.
    Inventor: Klas C. Haglid
  • Patent number: 7222665
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning system uses a non-contact temperature sensor for feedback control of the temperature of the air blown out from a blowing opening. The degrees of opening of an air mix damper and a bypass open/close damper are controlled by actuators that respond in accordance with a temperature detected by the non-contact sensor so the blowing temperature will ultimately approach a target value. Air conditioning control is achieved as desired by this feedback control of the blowing temperature without providing wiring for a temperature sensor near the blowing opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ichishi, Tatsumi Kumada
  • Patent number: 7222667
    Abstract: A vehicular air-conditioning apparatus includes a hot-water heater and an electric heater provided downstream of the hot-water heater. The apparatus also includes a bypass passage for allowing air-conditioning air flowing past the hot-water heater to bypass the electric heater and a bypass door provided in the bypass passage for opening and closing the bypass passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Fujiki, Hitoshi Hakamada