Patents Examined by Jonathan Bradford
  • Patent number: 11441837
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door, a storage container or movable shelf, and a video recording module. The cabinet includes a storage compartment, a pair of oppositely disposed side walls, and a connecting portion that extends along a lateral direction of the cabinet and that is connected to the pair of side walls, the connecting portion having a front engaging face. The door is configured to cover the storage compartment and is connected to the front engaging face when closed. The storage container or movable shelf is located in the storage compartment and may be at least partially pulled out of the storage compartment. The video recording module or an illumination module is disposed at the connecting portion, faces toward a front of the cabinet, and is inclined downward to record a video of/illuminate the storage container or movable shelf that is at least partially pulled out of the storage compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Li Du, Jing Hong, Yu Xia
  • Patent number: 11428462
    Abstract: A set temperature calculating apparatus, a low temperature treatment system, a set temperature calculating method, and a set temperature calculating program are provided for realizing a low temperature treatment. The set temperature calculating apparatus includes: a first obtaining unit configured to obtain data correlating with a heat load in a container storage; a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a set temperature when performing temperature control in the container storage; and a learning unit configured to learn a cargo core temperature in the container storage according to a data set including a combination of the data correlating with the heat load and the set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kiichirou Satou
  • Patent number: 11428448
    Abstract: A refrigerant metering system/method incorporating a manual expansion valve (MEV), condenser isolation valve (CIV), flow isolation valve (FIV), and evaporator isolation valve (EIV) is disclosed. The MEV is configured to replace a conventional automated expansion valve (AEV) that controls a refrigerant flow valve (RFV) that is positioned in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system between a refrigerant condenser coil (RCC) and a refrigerant evaporator coil (REC) and permits manual metering of refrigerant by the RFV from the RCC to the REC and also allows complete shutoff of refrigerant flow by the RFV from the RCC to the REC. The MEV allows rapid HVAC repair and restoration of service where a replacement AEV is not readily available. The CIV/FIV/EIV are positioned in the refrigerant flow lines to permit the AEV and/or REC to be isolated from HVAC refrigerant flow for repairs to the AEV and/or REC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventor: Kenneth Ray Green
  • Patent number: 11408657
    Abstract: A dynamic receiver is included in parallel to an expander of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system. The dynamic receiver allows control of the refrigerant charge of the HVACR system to respond to different operating conditions. The dynamic receiver can be filled or emptied in response to the subcooling observed in the HVACR system compared to desired subcooling for various operating modes. The HVACR system can include a line directly conveying working fluid from compressor discharge to the dynamic receiver to allow emptying of the dynamic receiver to be assisted by injection of the compressor discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Philippe Del Marcel Tisserand, Stephane David Koenigsecker, Yves Jacques Raimbault
  • Patent number: 11408652
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a high side heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a load, a variable speed compressor, and a three-way valve. The high side heat exchanger removes heat from a refrigerant. The second heat exchanger removes heat from the refrigerant. The load uses the refrigerant to remove heat from a space proximate the load. The variable speed compressor compresses the refrigerant from the load and directs the compressed refrigerant to the high side heat exchanger. The three-way valve, when operating in a first mode, directs the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger to the load and when operating in a second mode, directs the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Berg, Austin Clay Styer, Carl T. Crawford
  • Patent number: 11408651
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a high side heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a load, a variable speed compressor, and a three-way valve. The high side heat exchanger removes heat from a refrigerant. The second heat exchanger removes heat from the refrigerant. The load uses the refrigerant to remove heat from a space proximate the load. The variable speed compressor compresses the refrigerant from the load and directs the compressed refrigerant to the high side heat exchanger. The three-way valve, when operating in a first mode, directs the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger to the load and when operating in a second mode, directs the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Berg, Austin Clay Styer, Carl T. Crawford
  • Patent number: 11408621
    Abstract: Chiller control systems and methods for chiller control use iterative modeling of cooling towers, heat exchangers, and pumps to determine the feasibility of integrated free cooling and the ability to take advantage of free cooling. The control systems and control methods can further include selecting the parameters for operating in the free cooling or integrated free cooling mode to improve efficiency and/or reduce energy consumption when operating in these modes. The models can have inputs and outputs that feed into one another, and converge at a solution over multiple iterations. The feasibility of integrated free cooling can be based on providing cooling to a cooling load process fluid at a heat exchanger. The availability of free cooling can be based on the cooling provided at the heat exchanger achieving a target temperature for the cooling load process fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Brian A. Kirkman, Susanna Staubly Hanson, Lee R. Cline
  • Patent number: 11408615
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a compressor, a heating radiator, a heat medium radiator, a decompressor, an evaporator, and a radiation amount adjuster. The heating radiator is configured to allow a high-pressure refrigerant to release heat to a heat exchange target fluid. The heat medium radiator is configured to allow the high-pressure refrigerant to release heat to a high-temperature side heat medium. The radiation amount adjuster is configured to adjust heat radiation amount radiated from the high-pressure refrigerant to the heat exchange target fluid at the heating radiator. In a heating mode, the radiation amount adjuster is configured to adjust the heat radiation amount at the heating radiator to be larger than a heat radiation amount at the heat medium radiator. In a cooling mode, the radiation amount adjuster is configured to adjust the heat radiation amount at the heating radiator to be lower than that in the heating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiki Kato
  • Patent number: 11408650
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an energy efficient thermoelectric heat pump assembly. The thermoelectric heat pump assembly preferably includes two to nine 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 invention 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. Preferably the transport or storage devices are 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: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Ambassador Asset Management Limited Partnership
    Inventor: Alp Ilercil
  • Patent number: 11402137
    Abstract: A refrigerant amount management system manages an amount of refrigerant with which a plurality of refrigeration cycle apparatuses is filled. Each refrigeration cycle apparatus has a refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant amount management system includes an additional-filling-amount obtaining unit that obtains an additional filling amount of refrigerant with which a refrigeration cycle apparatus has been additionally filled after installation, a storage unit, and a useful-information creation unit. The storage unit stores apparatus information regarding the refrigeration cycle apparatus that has been additionally filled with refrigerant and the additional filling amount of the refrigeration cycle apparatus identified with the apparatus information in association with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Manabu Yoshimi
  • Patent number: 11397046
    Abstract: A home appliance includes a door sensor; a display; a main processor; a sub-processor configured to control a display operation of the display; and a power control element configured to be connected to the sub-processor, wherein the main processor is configured to: generate a control signal for turning on or off power of the sub-processor based on information sensed by the door sensor, and turn on or off the power of the sub-processor by controlling the power control element according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangyoul Cha, Yonghan Kim, Jongchul Choi, Sucheol Yoo, Wonjae Yoon
  • Patent number: 11391510
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a temperature sensor; a door sensor; a compressor sensor; an ice sensor; a water sensor; and a defrost sensor. The refrigerator also includes a communication unit; a display unit; at least one processor; and at least one memory connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed, perform operations including: sensing, through the plurality of sensors, sensing information related to the refrigerator; storing, in the at least one computer memory, (i) the sensing information, and (ii) time information; transmitting to at least one server, (i) the sensing information and the time information, and (ii) setting information for the refrigerating compartment or the freezer compartment; receiving information regarding an abnormal state of the refrigerator that is generated by a cloud server or a monitoring server based on the sensing information; and outputting display information related to the received information regarding the abnormal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electionics Inc.
    Inventors: Jin-Hoon Jung, Yong-Hoan Kwon, Eunho Cha
  • Patent number: 11384965
    Abstract: During a first cooling operation, a compressor is in an operational state, a liquid pump is in a non-operational state, and an amount of refrigerant allowing for existence of a liquid surface of the refrigerant in a refrigerant tank is accumulated in the refrigerant tank. During a second cooling operation, the compressor is in the non-operational state, the liquid pump is in the operational state, and the amount of the refrigerant allowing for the liquid surface of the refrigerant in the refrigerant tank is accumulated in the refrigerant tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Ito, So Nomoto
  • Patent number: 11384972
    Abstract: A free cooling system includes a plurality of free cooling outdoor units each including a heat medium circuit, a controller, and a communication unit, the heat medium circuit being configured by connecting a heat medium pump, a first heat exchanger, and a heat source side of a second heat exchanger by pipes, a heat medium circulating in the heat medium circuit, the controller configured to control the heat medium pump, and the communication units performing communication with each other, wherein the plurality of free cooling outdoor units are coupled with each other by a load pipe that allows a load heat medium to flow to or flow out from a load side of each second heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoya Mukaitani, Takahito Hikone, Yoshio Yamano, Kimitaka Kadowaki, Takuya Ito, Yasushi Okoshi
  • Patent number: 11378293
    Abstract: A floor system for detecting refrigerant includes one or more tiles. Each tile includes a tile body having a cavity formed therein and a grille element positioned within the cavity of the tile body. The grille element is configured to receive air from at least one of above or below the tile body. Each tile further includes a control assembly associated with the grille element. The control assembly includes a refrigerant sensing device to detect refrigerant in the received air. The control assembly is configured to output a signal indicating a detection of refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: UNIFLAIR S.p.A.
    Inventor: Daniele Marchetti
  • Patent number: 11378315
    Abstract: An air conditioner system is disclosed. The air conditioner system includes: a compressor; a four-way valve configured to provide a refrigerant circulation path depending on an operation mode of the air conditioner system; a blocking valve disposed between the compressor and the four-way valve; a circulation line configured to provide a path for introducing a refrigerant discharged from the compressor back into the compressor, when the blocking valve is in a closed state; and a controller configured to control the blocking valve based on a pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Donggyu Lee, Kyoungrock Kim, Kyunghoon Kim, Joonho Yoon, Byunghan Lim, Dongsik Jin
  • Patent number: 11371738
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) control system includes an enclosure having a first portion and a second portion assembled in a clamshell configuration. The first portion and the second portion are configured to hingedly engage in a closed configuration about a controller for an HVAC system and are configured to hingedly disengage into an open configuration. The HVAC control system also includes a hinge feature that is configured to hingedly couple the enclosure to a housing of the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Cody J. Kaiser, Aneek M. Noor, Shawn A. Hern, Tyler P. McCune
  • Patent number: 11371765
    Abstract: A refrigeration system for a temperature-controlled storage device includes a refrigeration circuit, a cooling circuit, and a controller. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor driven by a brushless DC motor operable at multiple different speeds, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a cooling unit in fluid communication via a first working fluid. The cooling circuit includes a pump and a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger via a second working fluid such that the first heat exchanger is liquid-cooled by the second working fluid. The controller operates the brushless DC motor at multiple different speeds to accommodate multiple different thermal loads experienced by the refrigeration system. Each of the speeds corresponds to a different thermal load. The controller modulates the speed of the brushless DC motor to maintain a desired temperature of a temperature-controlled space within the temperature-controlled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Hill Phoenix, Inc.
    Inventors: Jules G. Choueifati, Timothy D. Swofford, Neil J. Rathje
  • Patent number: 11359846
    Abstract: A refrigeration system includes: a leak sensor disposed within a building and configured to measure an amount of refrigerant that has leaked from the refrigeration system within the building; an estimation module configured to determine an estimated amount of refrigerant that has leaked from the refrigeration system within the building based on the measured amount; and a leak module configured to: determine whether a leak is present in the refrigeration system within the building based on the estimated amount of refrigerant that has leaked from the refrigeration system; and take one or more remedial actions when a leak is present in the refrigeration system within the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew M. Welch
  • Patent number: 11360497
    Abstract: A thermostatic cartridge includes: a casing at least partially within and locked translationally along an axis a cartridge body that delimits a chamber, a hot and cold fluid inlet passages and a mixed fluid outlet passage; a slide valve regulating the temperature of the mixed fluid displaceable along the axis to close, in inverse proportions, the inlet passages; a thermostatic element; and a mechanism for adjusting a thermostatic regulation temperature mechanically and displaceably connected to the body and to secure the position of the piston of the element along the axis and to alter the piston position by actuating the adjustment mechanism to move relative to the body. To control the regulation temperature, the casing is rotationally mounted on the body such that the adjustment mechanism is actuated when the casing is between positions-corresponding to extreme low and high temperature values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: VERNET
    Inventor: Samuel Marquier