Patents Examined by Kamran Tavakoldavani
  • Patent number: 11359845
    Abstract: A method of operating an air conditioner unit to implement effective defrost cycles includes obtaining a coil temperature of an outdoor heat exchanger, a dew point of a flow of air through the outdoor heat exchanger, and a flow rate of the flow of air. A frost rate of frost buildup on the outdoor heat exchanger is estimated based on the coil temperature, the dew point, and the flow rate, and a frost quantity or weight is determined by integrating the frost rate. A defrost cycle is initiated if the frost quantity exceeds a predetermined frost threshold, e.g., in pounds of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Haler US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Isaac D'Souza, Richard Dustin Henderson
  • Patent number: 11351842
    Abstract: A transport refrigeration system (TRS) includes a first heat transfer circuit including a first compressor, a condenser, a first expansion device, and a cascade heat exchanger. The first compressor, the condenser, the first expansion device, and the cascade heat exchanger are in fluid communication such that a first heat transfer fluid can flow therethrough. The TRS includes a second heat transfer circuit including a second compressor, the cascade heat exchanger, a second expansion device, and an evaporator. The second compressor, the cascade heat exchanger, the second expansion device, and the evaporator are in fluid communication such that a second heat transfer fluid can flow therethrough. The first heat transfer circuit and the second heat transfer circuit are arranged in thermal communication at the cascade heat exchanger such that the first heat transfer fluid and the second heat transfer fluid are in a heat exchange relationship at the cascade heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen A. Kujak, Kenneth J. Schultz, Jeffrey B. Berge, Panayu Robert Srichai, Vladimir Sulc, Michal Kolda, John R. Sauls
  • Patent number: 11346584
    Abstract: A refrigerant evaporator includes a first core, a second core, a first plate, and a second plate. The first core and the second core respectively include a plurality of first tubes and a plurality of second tubes extending along a tube longitudinal direction and stacked along a tube stacking direction. The first plate houses one end portions of the first tubes and the second tubes. The second plate faces the first core and the second core across the first plate and is joined to the first plate in the tube longitudinal direction. The second plate includes a plurality of ribs. The ribs and the first plate define a plurality of intermediate passageways therein. Each of the intermediate passageways allows communication between a corresponding one of the first tubes and a corresponding one of the second tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuo Kozasa
  • Patent number: 11346587
    Abstract: In a refrigeration system, a tube-and-fin heat exchanger has spaced fins that extend to an outer periphery of the heat exchanger and has smaller embedded fins in between or in a spaced relationship with each of the other fins. The embedded fins do not extend all the way to the outer periphery of the fins along the airside directions but have a shorter outer periphery such that there is an offset distance. Because of the offset distance, there is space that continues to provide room for fluid movement without fouling of the face of the heat exchanger and that provides an expected appearance while still having the benefit of additional fins elements further inside of the heat exchanger. Other exchangers and condensers are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventor: Nicole Z. Martin
  • Patent number: 11333444
    Abstract: A heat-exchange apparatus is provided, including a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger is thermally separated from the second heat exchanger. The third heat exchanger is thermally connected to the first heat exchanger. The fourth heat exchanger is thermally connected to the second heat exchanger, wherein a first air flow passes through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to be divided into a first divergent flow and a second divergent flow, the first divergent flow flows on a surface of the first heat exchanger, the second divergent flow flows on a surface of the second heat exchanger, the first divergent flow does not flow on the surface of the second heat exchanger, and the second divergent flow does not flow on the surface of the first heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Lee-Long Chen, Wu-Chi Li, Chia-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 11326813
    Abstract: This refrigeration apparatus (1) includes a main refrigerant circuit (2) including a positive displacement compressor (4), a condenser (6), an expansion valve (8), and an evaporator (10), through which a refrigerant circulates successively in a closed loop circulation, and a lubrication refrigerant line (18) connected to the main refrigerant circuit (2) between the condenser (6) and the expansion valve (8) or to the condenser (6), in which circulates a portion of the refrigerant of the main refrigerant circuit (2) and connected to the compressor (4) for lubrication of said compressor (4) with the refrigerant. The refrigeration apparatus includes a lubrication refrigerant tank (20) connected to the lubrication refrigerant line (18) upstream the compressor (4), the lubrication tank (20) being configured to store liquid refrigerant for lubrication of the compressor (4) and the lubrication refrigerant tank (20) comprises means (32, 34; 38, 40) to cool down the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Raphael Muller
  • Patent number: 11326815
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes heat exchanger cores connected to a distributor. The inside of the distributor is divided into refrigerant flow paths, allowing the refrigerant to flow from one of the refrigerant flow paths to another one of the refrigerant flow paths. The heat transfer tubes of one of the heat exchanger cores disposed on a windward side of a flow of the air fed to the heat exchanger are connected to at least one of the refrigerant flow paths disposed in the distributor on an upstream side of a flow of the refrigerant. The heat transfer tubes of one of the heat exchanger cores disposed on a leeward side of the flow of the air fed to the heat exchanger are connected to at least one of the refrigerant flow paths disposed in the distributor on a downstream side of the flow of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichiro Minami, Yoji Onaka
  • Patent number: 11313596
    Abstract: Disclosed is an evaporator, comprising: a heating tube left as an empty space between first and second case sheets, which form an evaporator case, so as not to be overlapped with a cooling tube, and forming a heating passage in which a working liquid for defrosting flows; and a heater attached to the outer surface, which corresponds to the heating tube, of the evaporator case so as to heat the working liquid inside the heating tube. The heating tube can have a structure which an inlet and an outlet are respectively formed at both sides of a heater attachment part in the longitudinal direction and both end portions of a passage part are respectively connected to the inlet and the outlet, or can have a structure in which an opening is formed at one side of the heater attachment part, the working liquid heated by the heater is discharged through the opening, and the cooled working liquid is returned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Minjae Jeong, Seungyoun Kim, Geunhyung Lee, Hyunwoo Cho
  • Patent number: 11306950
    Abstract: A lubrication additive recovery system is provided for use with a vapor compression system. The vapor compression system includes a compressor having a bearing, a condenser and an evaporator. The lubrication additive recovery system includes a lubrication ring formed to define first and second through-holes, a first system by which a portion of a required supply of lubrication is drawn from the condenser and provided to the bearing through the first through-holes and a second system by which a remainder of the required supply of lubrication is recovered from the evaporator and provided along with compressor discharge gas to the bearing through the second through-holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vishnu M. Sishtla, Scott A. Nieforth
  • Patent number: 11287148
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an air conditioner, a control strategy of the air conditioner and an air conditioning system. The air conditioner includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a phase-change thermal-storage heat exchanger, a throttling device and a box. The throttling device is provided between the first heat exchanger and the phase-change thermal-storage heat exchanger. One of the first heat exchanger and phase-change thermal-storage heat exchanger functions as an evaporator and the other functions as a condenser. The box includes an air supply port and an air return port. The compressor, the first heat exchanger, the phase-change thermal-storage heat exchanger and the throttling device are mounted in the box, thereby facilitating installation of the air conditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG SANHUA INTELLIGENT CONTROLS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Peilan Zhang, Longzhong Huang, Bin Yin, Lin-Jie Huang, Chunyou Zhou
  • Patent number: 11287195
    Abstract: An evaporator includes an integral liquid suction heat exchanger that is disposed in a housing of the evaporator. The integral liquid suction heat exchanger is defined by an evaporator header of the evaporator and a portion of a liquid line that extends through an inner cavity defined by the evaporator header such that: (a) the evaporator header and the portion of the liquid line form a tube-in-tube structure, and (b) refrigerant from the evaporator coils that is channeled into the inner cavity of the evaporator header is superheated and converted to a vapor state in the evaporator header by heat from the refrigerant flowing through the liquid line. The refrigerant flowing through the liquid line is in a liquid state and has a higher temperature than the refrigerant from the evaporator coils that is in a two-phase state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Charles G. Hall
  • Patent number: 11280528
    Abstract: Provided is a heat exchanger, including: a refrigerant distributor including: a gas-liquid separating portion having a function of separating a gas-liquid refrigerant mixture into a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant; and a distributing portion provided to the gas-liquid separating portion. A plurality of heat transfer pipes connected to the distributing portion. The plurality of heat transfer pipes are arranged side by side in a first direction, and extend along a second direction intersecting with the first direction. When the refrigerant distributor is viewed along a direction orthogonal to each of the first direction and the second direction, a first space forming portion overlaps a region of the plurality of heat transfer pipes. When the refrigerant distributor and the heat transfer pipes are viewed along the first direction, a clearance is present between the gas-liquid separating portion and the heat transfer pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Shinya Higashiiue, Tsuyoshi Maeda, Akira Ishibashi, Ryuichi Nagata, Eiji Hihara, Chaobin Dang, Jiyang Li
  • Patent number: 11274838
    Abstract: An air-conditioner outdoor heat exchanger has a fin, multiple heat transfer pipes thermally connected to the fin, having a flat sectional shape, and configured such that refrigerant flows through header pipes connected to inlet and outlet sides of the heat transfer pipes. The refrigerant flows through the heat transfer pipes in parallel, and when the refrigerant returns from the outlet-side header pipe to the inlet-side header pipe through the heat transfer pipes, the refrigerant returns to the inlet-side header pipe through one of the heat transfer pipes adjacent to another one of the heat transfer pipes through which the refrigerant has flowed when flowing from the inlet-side header pipe to the outlet-side header pipe. At least two systems of refrigerant paths are formed, and the refrigerant flows back and forth in each system between the inlet-side header pipe and the outlet-side header pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI-JOHNSON CONTROLS AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
    Inventors: Takumi Hirata, Ryoichi Takafuji, Mamoru Houfuku, Naoki Yamamoto, Ryou Karino
  • Patent number: 11274862
    Abstract: A compressor system includes at least two compressors. A suction equalizing tube fluidly couples the at least two compressors. A plumbing assembly fluidly couples to the first compressor and the second compressor. The plumbing assembly comprises an outlet to each compressor of the at least two compressors. A pressure differential between the at least two compressors is created so as to facilitate maintenance of a desired fluid level in the at least two compressors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: LENNOX INDUSTRIES INC.
    Inventors: Patric Ananda Balan Thobias, Abdul Rehman, Rakesh Goel, Siddarth Rajan
  • Patent number: 11268708
    Abstract: An outdoor unit for a central air conditioner and a central air conditioner having the same are provided. The outdoor unit includes a unit body and at least One panel. One side of the unit body is open, and the panel is arranged on the side of the unit body to open and close the unit body. One end of the panel is pivotally and detachably connected to the unit body through a pivot structure. The pivot structure includes a base provided on the unit body and a pivot seat provided on the panel. A top of the base has a pivot shaft spaced apart from the unit body and extending upward, and the pivot seat is provided with a pivot hole having an open bottom and configured to be detachably fitted with the pivot shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: GD MIDEA HEATING & VENTILATING EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shilin Qiu, Junfei He, Jian Liao, Yang Li, Guangpei Chu
  • Patent number: 11260718
    Abstract: A split heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) assembly for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The split HVAC includes a first sub-assembly comprising an evaporator and a first airflow space, a second sub-assembly comprising a second airflow space, a single sealing element located between a wall and one of the first sub-assembly or the second-sub-assembly, and a first interfacing element that directly connects the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly. The single sealing element and the first interfacing element prevent any airflow leakage from both the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly, and one of the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly extends partially into the other of the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Valeo North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Earl Buckman, Darshan Parikh, Richard Sikorski, Steve Hruska
  • Patent number: 11255587
    Abstract: An oil separator includes a separation container. The separation container has a side surface portion to which an inlet pipe is attached. The separation container has an upper surface portion to which an outlet pipe is attached. An oil reservoir is provided in a lower portion of the separation container. The separation container has a lower surface portion to which an oil return pipe is attached. The separation container has an inner wall surface provided with a liquid passage section. The liquid passage section is provided with a groove. The groove is disposed to extend in a direction of gravity toward the oil reservoir. The groove is formed to be gradually increased in depth from an upper portion of the groove toward a lower portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Matsuda, Hiroki Ishiyama, Yusuke Shimazu
  • Patent number: 11240937
    Abstract: A modular chiller system includes a switching and pumping module, one or more drycooler modules, and one or more chiller modules. The switching and pumping module, the one or more drycooler modules, and the one or more chiller modules share same water, power, and signal interfaces. The cooling capacity of the modular chiller system may be increased by adding drycooler modules or chiller modules without additional hydraulic and electrical infrastructures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: UNIFLAIR S.p.A.
    Inventor: Daniele Marchetti
  • Patent number: 11231187
    Abstract: An outdoor unit for an air conditioner and a housing of the outdoor unit are disclosed. The housing includes a cabinet body, a side-by-side door and a door-latching assembly. The side-by-side door is used to open and close the cabinet body, and includes a first door body and a second door body which are opened side by side. The door-latching assembly includes a cabinet-locking member provided on the cabinet body, a door-locking member provided on the first door body and a latch member provided on the second door body. The latch member is movable with respect to the second door body between a locked position where the latch member cooperates with both the cabinet-locking member and the door-locking member in a locked manner and an unlocked position wherein the latch member is separated from both the cabinet-locking member and the door-locking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignees: GD MIDEA HEATING & VENTILATING EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guangpei Chu, Junfei He, Shilin Qiu, Jian Liao, Yang Li, Lang Li
  • Patent number: 11226120
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air conditioner includes a housing including an outlet, a fan disposed inside the housing, and a guide guiding air flowing by the fan, wherein the guide includes an inflow portion provided to guide air introduced into the housing to the fan and a diffuser extending from the inflow portion to guide air passing through the fan to the outlet. The inflow portion includes a duct connected to the diffuser, a bell mouth disposed on an upstream side further than the duct and configured such that a width of an inlet end of the bell mouth is wider than a width of an outlet end of the bell mouth, and a guide vane formed on the bell mouth and configured to guide air introduced into the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keun Jeong Jang, Wan Soo Yang, Eun Sung Jo, Hyun Wuk Kang, Hyeon U Park, Jei Min Choi, Bu Youn Lee, Wang Byung Chae