Patents Examined by Joseph Trpisovsky
  • Patent number: 10274251
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a package for cooling a product includes an exterior package wall, an interior package wall coupled to the exterior package wall and defining an interior cavity for retaining the product and an opening for receiving the product into the interior cavity, a coolant supply unit configured to be activated to introduce coolant into a space between the interior package wall and the exterior package wall, and an electronic monitoring device including a temperature sensor and a control unit configured to activate the coolant supply unit to introduce the coolant into the space between the interior package wall and the exterior package wall in response to a detection by the electronic monitoring device that a temperature in the interior cavity is above a predetermined threshold. Systems and methods of cooling a product are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Tariq B. Islam, Chandrashekar Natarajan
  • Patent number: 10260770
    Abstract: A condensate collection tank (1) for an air conditioning system is provided. The tank (1) comprises a body (20) for storing condensate liquid, a lid (10) releasably connectable to the body (20) to form the tank (1) and a mounting bracket (112) for fixing the lid (10) to a mounting surface. The tank (1) further includes an inlet port (50, 90) for condensate liquid from the air conditioning system, an outlet port (40, 80) for condensate liquid from the tank (1), a sensor (104) for determining whether an amount of condensate liquid in the tank (1) exceeds a threshold value, and a controller for controlling removal of the condensate liquid from the tank (1) via the outlet port (40, 80) when the sensor (104) determines that the threshold value has been exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: CHARLES AUSTEN PUMPS LIMITED
    Inventors: Jon Constable, William Eric Shepherd
  • Patent number: 10259286
    Abstract: A device that controls a temperature of a battery onboard a motor vehicle includes an air-conditioning circuit of the motor vehicle in which circulates, as a first heat-transfer fluid, an air-conditioning fluid. The air-conditioning circuit includes at least one evaporator for direct transfer of heat emitted by the battery to the air-conditioning fluid and a compressor to increase a pressure and a temperature of the air-conditioning fluid. The device also includes a cooling circuit in which circulates, as a second heat-transfer fluid, a cooling fluid. The cooling circuit includes at least one first heat source to heat the cooling fluid and at least one main radiator to cool the cooling fluid that can be short-circuited. The cooling circuit also includes a battery radiator to directly transfer heat conveyed by the hot cooling fluid to the battery when the main radiator of the cooling circuit is short-circuited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Benoit Janier, Pascal David
  • Patent number: 10252598
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system for a vehicle may include at least one of a condenser module including a condenser housing and a condenser, the condenser arranged in the condenser housing, and an air-conditioning module including an air-conditioning housing and an evaporator, the evaporator arranged in the air-conditioning housing. The air-conditioning system may also include a plastic support frame including a plurality of parts, the support frame configured to support at least one of the condenser module and the air-conditioning module, and to hold at least one of the condenser module and the air-conditioning module on a vehicle roof. The air-conditioning system may also include at least one detent housing connection. The air-conditioning system may also include at least one of at least one detent support connection and at least one plug-type support connection including a securing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Hipp-Kalthoff, Hans-Henning Knorr, Klaus Voigt
  • Patent number: 10240824
    Abstract: An air operated heat exchanger has a plurality of process tubes for process fluid, a plurality of rotating fans to move ambient air along an air stream path past the plurality of process tubes. At least one optical fiber is configured within the one or more air stream paths. At least one light pulse is passed into the at least one optical fiber, and at least one optical signal is detected from the at least one optical fiber in response to the at least one light pulse, to provide at least one signal profile. One or more air temperatures at a plurality of locations along the at least one optical fiber are determined from the at least one signal profile and evaluated against one or more comparison operational conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Leendert Johannes Arie Zoetemeijer, Paul Kinghorn, Paul Blackhurst, Willem Boevee
  • Patent number: 10234176
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a structure, in turn including a solid-state phase change material. The solid-state phase change material has a first phase state and a second phase state dependent on the temperature. A heat source is configured to supply heat to a first area of the structure, thereby creating a first domain having the first phase state and thereby storing latent heat in the first domain. The first domain is separated by domain walls from second domains having the second phase state. A heat sink is configured to receive heat from a second area of the structure. Furthermore, an electrical energy supply is configured to supply an electrical current to the structure, thereby moving the first domain and the corresponding latent heat stored in the first domain along the structure from the first area to the second area. A related thermal computing device, a related method, and a related computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd W. Gotsmann, Fabian Menges
  • Patent number: 10219638
    Abstract: A ducted shelf for an open-fronted display unit employing air curtains comprises a duct extending forwardly or rearwardly through the shelf and communicating at a forward end with a discharge or return opening, the duct being wider in the widthwise direction at the forward end than at a rearward end of the duct. Guide walls divide the duct into a group of channels disposed successively side-by-side in the widthwise direction. Each channel has a respective length reflecting a degree of widthwise offset between the rearward end and the forward end of that channel. A longer channel of the group has a greater width in the widthwise direction at its rearward and forward ends than a shorter channel of the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Design and Engineering Ltd.
    Inventors: Ian Wood, Edward Hammond
  • Patent number: 10215469
    Abstract: A cooling cycle apparatus for a refrigerator includes a first compressor, a condenser for condensing a refrigerant compressed in the first compressor, a first expansion device for lowering a temperature and a pressure of a portion of the condensed refrigerant, a first evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, a second expansion device for lowering a temperature and a pressure of a remaining portion of the refrigerant, a gas-liquid separator for separating a liquid-phase refrigerant from a gas-phase refrigerant in the refrigerant, a third expansion device for lowering a temperature and a pressure of the liquid-phase refrigerant, a second evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant that has passed through the third expansion device, and a second compressor for compressing the refrigerant that has passed through the second evaporator and transferring the refrigerant to the first compressor, wherein the refrigerant that has passed through the first evaporator and the gas-phase refrigerant separated in the gas-li
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sunam Chae, Kyungseok Kim, Kyunghun Cha
  • Patent number: 10215440
    Abstract: A heat exchanger and method which is able to perform in different seasons. The heat exchanger has an upper header and a lower header. Multiple heat pipes extend between the upper header and the lower header, with each of the multiple heat pipes having an evaporator section at one end and a condenser section at the opposite end. The direction of heat flow through the multiple heat pipes is variable depending on ambient air conditions applied to the heat exchanger. A pump is provided in fluid communication with the upper header and the lower header. The pump operates when the heat exchanger is operating in a second mode in which the evaporator section is located above the condenser section, and the pump is disabled when the heat exchanger is operating in a first mode in which the condenser section is located above the evaporator section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: ADVANCED COOLING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel T. Reist, Peter Dussinger, Michael C. Ellis
  • Patent number: 10203135
    Abstract: A disclosed regenerative refrigerator including a regenerator filled with a regenerative material for accumulating cooling of a refrigerant gas, wherein the regenerator is divided into a central region and a peripheral region on a cross-sectional face of the regenerator, and a specific heat of the central region is larger than a specific heat of the peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Mingyao Xu
  • Patent number: 10184699
    Abstract: A fluid distribution unit for a two-phase cooling system can include a reservoir configured to receive a two-phase flow of dielectric coolant. A first pump can be fluidly connected to a supply line extending from the reservoir. A heat rejection loop can be fluidly connected to the reservoir. The heat rejection loop can include a heat exchanger and a second pump. The second pump can be configured to circulate a flow of single-phase liquid coolant from the reservoir, through the heat exchanger, and back to the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: EBULLIENT, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Shedd, Mark S. Meives
  • Patent number: 10179500
    Abstract: An ejector-type refrigeration cycle includes an ejector module integrated with a gas-liquid separation device. A length of an inlet pipe that connects a liquid-phase refrigerant outflow port of an ejector module to a refrigerant inflow port of an evaporator is shorter than a length of a suction pipe that connects a gas-phase refrigerant outflow port of the ejector module to a suction port of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kataoka, Shun Kurata, Isamu Takasugi, Haruyuki Nishijima, Youhei Nagano, Yoshiyuki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10174982
    Abstract: An ice making tray has a water basin with a thermally conductive floor and a flexible grid positioned therein to define a plurality of ice making compartments. A motor is coupled to the basin to rotate the basin and grid to an inverted position, and a link is coupled between the motor and drive such that the grid is rotatable out of the basin and is flexed to release ice cubes formed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10168078
    Abstract: To provide a refrigeration system capable of being installed efficiently in a limited space while ensuring a good reliability, the refrigeration system according to the present invention comprises a refrigeration cycle having: a circulation path (101) in which a refrigerant flows; and at least one compressor (102) for compressing the refrigerant, a heat exchanger (103) for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, at least one expansion turbine (104) for expanding the refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger to generate cold heat, and a cooling part (105) for cooling an object to be cooled by the cold heat, which are provided on the circulation path in order, wherein at least either the at least one compressor or the at least one expansion turbine comprises a plurality of compressors or expansion turbines which are arranged in parallel with one another with respect to the circulation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: MAYEKAWA MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoko Nakamura, Shunsuke Komatsu, Shota Ueda, Masao Komeda, Mizuo Kudo, Akito Machida
  • Patent number: 10168082
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for compressor units in HVAC systems. A slide plate and slide rail assembly is described that can allow compressors to be slidably removed or adjusted to allow for easy repair or servicing. Instead of disassembling an entire compressor unit when repairs are needed on it or on neighboring components, the compressor unit can be quickly moved. Dual slide rail and slide plate configurations are described as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: LENNOX INDUSTRIES INC.
    Inventors: Marcus Troxell, Geoffrey Curtis, Miguel Montemayor, Harold Gene Havard, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10165880
    Abstract: A tumbler having a Peltier device includes: a container having a channel formed in a center portion in a longitudinal direction and a circular drink storing part enclosing the channel and storing drink therein; a Peltier device disposed adjacent to an inner wall of the channel of the container and transferring heat from the drink stored in the drink storing part; and a blowing unit installed to a lower portion of the container to supply an air to the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventor: Kyung Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 10168062
    Abstract: A cold wind table cabinet includes a main body, inside which a refrigeration device is configured. The refrigeration device includes a housing, blower, and refrigeration box, where refrigeration components are installed inside the refrigeration box. A blower air inlet is in communication with a housing air outlet, a refrigeration air inlet faces and is in communication with a blower air outlet, and a refrigeration air outlet a housing air outlet. Whereby, the present invention allows the table cabinet to have the function of selecting cold wind or natural wind to blow out, and especially, eliminates the configurations of an air fan or air pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: DONG GUAN SONG WEI ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Weilin Lu
  • Patent number: 10168084
    Abstract: A refrigerant evaporator has an interchange part. The interchange part connects a first collecting part of a second downstream tank part, and a second distribution part of a second upstream tank part. The interchange part connects a second collecting part of a second downstream tank part, and a first distribution part of a second upstream tank part. The interchange part swaps a refrigerant about a width direction of a core. Refrigerant passages relevant to the interchange part are configured to improve refrigerant distribution. Providing a plurality of passages and/or twisting a passage improve distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Aun Ota, Naohisa Ishizaka, Norimasa Baba, Shota Chatani, Masakazu Nagaya, Eiichi Torigoe, Kengo Kazari, Daisuke Haseba
  • Patent number: 10161659
    Abstract: A first evaporation unit and a second evaporation unit are coupled via a refrigerant interchanging portion having a first communication portion and a second communication portion. A first partition member is provided in a tank portion of the first evaporation unit to define a first tank internal space and a second tank internal space. The first partition member has a first communication hole to let the first tank internal space and the second tank internal space communicate with each other. A second partition member is provided in a tank portion of the second evaporation unit to define a third tank internal space and a fourth tank internal space. The second partition member has a second communication hole to let the third tank internal space and the fourth tank internal space communicate with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohisa Ishizaka, Tatsuhiko Nishino, Shota Chatani
  • Patent number: 10161662
    Abstract: An HVAC system includes an indoor unit having a return air duct and a supply air duct in an enclosed space. The HVAC system includes an outdoor unit having a variable-speed condenser fan. A first temperature sensor is disposed in at least one of the return air duct, the supply air duct, or an enclosed space. A controller is operatively coupled to the first temperature sensor, and the variable-speed condenser fan. The controller is configured to determine whether at least one of over-cooling or over-heating of air in the enclosed space is occurring. Responsive to a determination that at least one of over-cooling or over-heating of air in the enclosed space is occurring, the controller adjusts a speed of the variable-speed condenser fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Lennox Industries LLC
    Inventors: Rakesh Goel, Eric Berg