Patents Examined by Jonathan Bradford
  • Patent number: 11687101
    Abstract: An intelligent self-balancing downstream device that can obtain accurate flow measurements (e.g., flow of a liquid or gas through a tube) that can perform the self-balancing in situ and during operation to satisfy a set point and without k factors or the use of TAB balancers. The downstream device may be controllable by a single software system or network. The downstream device can operate in a single zone or be coupled with multiple like apparatuses. It has a high turndown ratio and self-balances, which can allow for continuous commissioning with built-in fault diagnostic systems. A fluid metering device can include control systems that operate progressively based on unique actuation mechanisms and/or algorithms that allow for precise flow control and feedback to self-balance and commission the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: BEST TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: John C. Karamanos, Herbert Willke
  • Patent number: 11681306
    Abstract: A fluid distribution apparatus that can serve as a fluid metering device that is operable on a single platform by building automation systems. The building automation system may be controllable by a single software system or network accessible locally on site or remotely off site. The fluid distribution apparatus can operate independently or coupled with multiple like apparatuses for system operation. It is a high turndown, self-balancing system which allows for continuous commissioning with built-in fault diagnostic systems and that may be used as a supply system, exhaust system, or a combination thereof. The fluid distribution apparatus includes fluid metering devices that operate progressively based on unique actuation mechanisms and/or algorithms that allow for precise flow control and feedback to self-balance and commission the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: BEST TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: John C. Karamanos, Herbert Willke
  • Patent number: 11680741
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator door and an ice maker. The ice maker includes an ice storage container disposed on the refrigerator door, a stirrer provided in the ice storage container and an ice knife assembly provided in the ice storage container. The stirrer includes a rotary shaft and the rotary shaft of the stirrer is in a first fixed position relative to the ice storage container. The ice knife assembly includes a rotary shaft and the rotary shaft of the ice knife assembly is in a second fixed position relative to the ice storage container. The rotary shaft of the stirrer is located above the rotary shaft of the ice knife assembly, and an orthographic projection of the rotary shaft of the stirrer in a horizontal plane is perpendicular to that of the rotary shaft of the ice knife assembly in the same horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: HISENSE RONSHEN (GUANGDONG) REFRIGERATOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhipeng Li, Yong Zeng, Zehong Xu
  • Patent number: 11674726
    Abstract: A method of controlling a transport climate control system includes detecting for leaking of working fluid from a climate control circuit. The method also includes isolating a high-pressure side of the climate control circuit when leaking of the working fluid is detected. A method of controlling a transport climate control circuit includes detecting for overcharge and/or an undercharge of the climate control circuit. A transport climate control system includes a climate control circuit and a climate controller that is configured to detect for working fluid leaking from the climate control circuit. The climate controller configured to isolate a high-pressure side of the climate control circuit when leaking of the working fluid is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: THERMO KING LLC
    Inventors: David J. Renken, Tony Spetz
  • Patent number: 11674708
    Abstract: A blower for an HVAC system, the blower includes a housing with an intake and an outlet, a fan or blower wheel disposed within the housing and configured to draw air into the housing via the intake and to exhaust air from the housing through the outlet, and an adjustable cutoff plate configured to be moved between at least a first position defining a first cutoff angle and a second position defining a second cutoff angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Patric Ananda Balan Thobias, Amit Parsai, Shiliang Wang
  • Patent number: 11673449
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power system that powers a load is provided. The power system includes a prime mover, an electrical machine coupled to the prime mover, a battery source, an inverter coupled to the battery source, and a power system controller configured to control operation of the power system. The method includes monitoring a power demand on the power system from the load. The method also includes comparing the monitored power demand with a load threshold value. Also, the method includes determining that the monitored power demand is less than the load threshold value. Further, the method includes upon determining that the monitored power demand is less than the load threshold value: inactivating the prime mover, and instructing the battery source with the inverter to supply power to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: THERMO KING LLC
    Inventors: Erich A. Lucht, Ross T. Nelson, John G. Simpson
  • Patent number: 11674719
    Abstract: A refrigeration system includes a receiver, a gas bypass valve, a parallel compressor, and a controller. The gas bypass valve and the parallel compressor are fluidly coupled to an outlet of the receiver in parallel and configured to control a pressure of a gas refrigerant in the receiver. The controller is configured to switch from operating the gas bypass valve to operating the parallel compressor to control the pressure of the gas refrigerant in the receiver in response to a value of a process variable crossing a switchover setpoint. The value of the process variable depends on an amount of the gas refrigerant produced by the refrigeration system. The controller is configured to automatically adjust the switchover setpoint in response to the amount of the gas refrigerant produced by the refrigeration system being insufficient to sustain operation of the parallel compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Hill Phoenix, Inc.
    Inventors: Niel M. Hayes, Jeffrey E. Newel
  • Patent number: 11674727
    Abstract: An HVAC system with a refrigerant gas sensor is provided. In one embodiment, an HVAC system includes a heat exchanger coil installed within a housing. The heat exchanger coil is operable to exchange heat with air in the housing via a refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger coil. The system also includes an HVAC sensor assembly installed within the housing. The HVAC sensor assembly includes a refrigerant gas sensor and an orientation sensor positioned to detect an orientation of the refrigerant gas sensor. The HVAC system may also or instead include a position sensor to detect the position of the refrigerant gas sensor within the system. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Tathagata De
  • Patent number: 11666179
    Abstract: A container assembly has a soft-sided insulated wall structure. It has one or more internal chambers in which to place objects to be kept cool or warm. A first closure member governs access to the container assembly. The wall structure includes one or more accommodations in which to place a warming or cooling element, such as an ice pack. The accommodations in the outside walls are externally accessible without opening the main chamber, and have their own closure, and may be insulated. The inside is a thin web through which to transfer heat. An internal partition divides the container assembly into two chambers. The partition may have a thermal storage element. The container may be a collapsible foldable bag; a tote bag; back pack or a non-collapsible lunch box. The thermal storage elements may have a flat disk shape. The disks slide sideways into place in the respective accommodations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventors: Melvin Mogil, William Kearns, Rick Stephens, Christopher Edwards, Elizabeth Mitchell
  • Patent number: 11668482
    Abstract: An air conditioning system may include an outdoor unit including a compressor; at least one distributor connected to the outdoor unit and including a condenser and an evaporator that exchange heat between refrigerant and water; a plurality of heating pipes in communication with the condenser; a plurality of cooling pipes in communication with the evaporator; a plurality of fan coil units connected to the plurality of heating pipes or the plurality of cooling pipes; and a controller configured to perform a heating pipe search operation for matching a portion of the plurality of fan coil units with the plurality of heating pipes, and a cooling pipe search operation for matching another portion of the plurality of fan coil units with the plurality of cooling pipes, in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Youngjoo Shin, Jaewon Lee, Ilyoong Shin
  • Patent number: 11668506
    Abstract: An air conditioner unit includes a refrigeration loop, a variable speed compressor urging refrigerant through the refrigeration loop, a temperature sensor to detect a temperature within a room, and a controller operably coupled to the variable speed compressor. The controller is configured to initiate the compressor at a fixed speed, determine an estimated target temperature of the room, determine an actual temperature of the room, generate a target compressor speed, and initiate the compressor at the target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua Duane Longenecker
  • Patent number: 11662109
    Abstract: A gas detector is provided and includes a gas detector element, electronics to interface with the gas detector element and an enclosure configured to expose the gas detector element to an exterior and to form an electronics housing area in which the electronics are disposed whereby the electronics are isolated from the exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jason R. Kondrk, Linus Hjern, Joakim Enerud, Yuji Goda, Martin Lownertz, Mats Olsson
  • Patent number: 11656007
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to an energy efficient thermal protection assembly. The thermal protection assembly can comprise three or more thermoelectric unit layers capable of active use of the Peltier effect; and at least one capacitance spacer block suitable for storing heat and providing a delayed thermal reaction time of the assembly. The capacitance spacer block is thermally connected between the thermoelectric unit layers. The present disclosure further relates to a thermoelectric transport and storage devices for transporting or storing temperature sensitive goods, for example, vaccines, chemicals, biologicals, and other temperature sensitive goods. The transport or storage device can be configured and provide on-board energy storage for sustaining, for multiple days, at a constant-temperature, with an acceptable temperature variation band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Ambassador Asset Management Limited Partnership
    Inventor: Alp Ilercil
  • Patent number: 11644226
    Abstract: A chiller assembly is provided. The chiller assembly includes a compressor (102), a condenser (106), an expansion device and an evaporator (108) connected in a closed refrigerant circuit. The chiller assembly further includes a motor (104) connected to the compressor to power the compressor, and a variable speed drive (110) connected to the motor to power the motor. The variable speed drive is operable to provide a variable voltage to the motor and a variable frequency to power the motor. The variable speed drive includes multiple sensors and an input current estimator that determines an estimated RMS input current based on sensor data received from the sensors. The chiller assembly further includes a control panel to control operation of the variable speed drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Ajit W. Kane, Scott V. Slothower
  • Patent number: 11644227
    Abstract: An HVAC system includes an unloading device, a centrifugal compressor, a gas foil bearing, a VFD and a controller. The controller is programmed to start the centrifugal compressor from a stopped condition by operating the unloading device to remove a load from the centrifugal compressor, accelerating the motor to a first speed above a liftoff speed of the gas foil bearing and below an operating speed of the centrifugal compressor, running the motor for a period of time, operating the unloading device to apply the load to the centrifugal compressor, and accelerating the motor to the operating speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Oakley, Zheji Liu, Michael M. Perevozchikov, Matthew J. Swallow
  • Patent number: 11639819
    Abstract: A vector control system is used to control a vapor compression circuit. The vector control system may monitor the vapor compression circuit and adjust the speed of one or more motors to increase efficiency of the system by taking into account the torque forces placed on a compressor motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Rocky Research
    Inventors: Kaveh Khalili, Uwe Rockenfeller
  • Patent number: 11635339
    Abstract: Various methods and apparatuses are provided for monitoring and detecting gas leaks. A method of determining a gas leak with a sensor assembly is provided. The sensor assembly includes a primary sensing device and a reference sensing device. The method includes receiving, via the primary sensing device, a first oxygen concentration level reading of a given area. The method also includes receiving, via the reference sensing device, a second oxygen concentration level reading of the given area. The method further includes comparing the first oxygen concentration level reading and the second oxygen concentration level reading. Based on the comparison, the method still further includes causing a transmission of a signal that a gas leak is occurring in an instance in which the first oxygen concentration level reading and the second oxygen concentration level reading have a difference greater than a threshold difference. A corresponding gas detection apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Martin John Willett
  • Patent number: 11635234
    Abstract: When a controller receives an instruction for a heating operation, the controller switches an operation mode of a refrigeration cycle apparatus between a heating operation mode and an oil recovery operation mode. The heating operation mode is a mode to circulate refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit such that the refrigerant flows through a gas extension pipe in a gas phase state. The oil recovery operation mode is a mode to circulate the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit such that the refrigerant flows in the gas extension pipe in a gas-liquid two-phase state. The direction in which the refrigerant flows in the gas extension pipe in the oil recovery operation mode is opposite to that in which the refrigerant flows in the gas extension pipe in the heating operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 11629909
    Abstract: An artificial intelligent refrigerator is disclosed. The artificial intelligent refrigerator includes: one or more first temperature sensor that senses refrigerating compartment-internal temperature in a refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator; one or more second temperature sensor that senses freezing compartment-internal temperature in a freezing compartment of the refrigerator; and a refrigerator processor that calculates a load accumulation amount for food put in the refrigerator on the basis of the refrigerating compartment-internal temperature or the freezing compartment-internal temperature, and performs a load correspondence operation using the calculated load accumulation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Junsoo Han, Younghun Yang, Yonghwan Eom, Junseong Jeong, Cholok Han
  • Patent number: 11624545
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a cooling module including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, and attachable to or detachable from the cabinet so that the cooling module is removably mounted to the cabinet, an electronic device arranged in the cabinet, and an electrical box configured to be electrically connected to the electronic device and the compressor, receive power from outside and supply the received power to the electronic device and the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Jin Park, Dong Won Koo, In Yong Hwang, Youn Tae Shin, Dong Hyun Lee