Patents Examined by Kamran Tavakoldavani
  • Patent number: 11199345
    Abstract: A heat exchange unit includes a heat exchanger including a plurality of heat transfer tubes and a plurality of refrigerant distributors. Each of the plurality of refrigerant distributors includes an inlet pipe through which refrigerant flows into the refrigerant distributor and a plurality of distribution pipes through which the refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant distributor. Each of the plurality of distribution pipes is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of heat transfer tubes. The inlet pipe of the refrigerant distributor having a relatively low average value of levels of the plurality of distribution pipes connected to the plurality of heat transfer tubes has a smaller inside diameter than the inlet pipe of the refrigerant distributor having a relatively high average value of levels of the plurality of distribution pipes connected to the plurality of heat transfer tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Ryohei Araki
  • Patent number: 11199347
    Abstract: An oil separation device includes a container, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, an oil return pipe, and an oil return regulating valve. The container includes a separation chamber, a storage chamber, and a partition portion. The oil return regulating valve is connected to the oil return pipe. The partition portion is configured to allow the refrigeration oil separated from the fluid mixture to flow from the separation chamber to the storage chamber. The oil return regulating valve is configured to regulate the quantity of refrigeration oil that is returned from the storage chamber to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Ishiyama, Yusuke Shimazu
  • Patent number: 11193701
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes arranged at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction, a tubular header that has a plurality of connection portions where the heat transfer tubes are connected to a side portion of the header and that communicates with each of the heat transfer tubes, a refrigerant pipe that communicates with the header at a middle portion of the header in the vertical direction, and a first bypass pipe having ends one of which communicates with a lower portion of the header and the other of which communicates with a middle portion of the refrigerant pipe. A distance between a communication position at which the first bypass pipe and the refrigerant pipe communicate with each other and an inner wall of the header is not more than double an inside diameter of the refrigerant pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Faming Sun, Yoji Onaka, Shigeyoshi Matsui, Takamasa Uemura
  • Patent number: 11181305
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes: a heat exchanging part that includes flat tubes aligned vertically when the heat exchanger is installed; a first flow divider that includes a first pipe through which a refrigerant enters or exits from the first flow divider, second pipes that provide refrigerant flow paths between the heat exchanging part and the first pipe, and a main body that internally has a first space; and second flow dividers that each internally include one of second spaces that provide refrigerant flow paths between the heat exchanging part and the first flow divider. The first space communicates with a first end of the first pipe and a first end of each of the second pipes and causes the refrigerant to flow from the first pipe into the second pipes or from the second pipes into the first pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Satou, Masanori Jindou, Kouju Yamada
  • Patent number: 11175077
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes an expansion device, a pipe, and a transmission sound suppressing member. The expansion device includes a valve body to control a flow rate of refrigerant. The pipe is connected to the expansion device to extend along moving directions, in controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant, of the valve body of the expansion device, and allowing the refrigerant to pass therethrough. The transmissive sound suppressing member is positioned at a first region, which is defined on an outer side of the pipe to cover at least a tip of the valve body of the expansion device, and a second region, which is continuous to the first region and is defined on an outer side of a portion of the pipe including a portion of connection to the expansion device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Fujiwara, Kosuke Sato
  • Patent number: 11162693
    Abstract: A fan unit includes: a fan casing having a long side corresponding to either a width or a depth of the fan casing, a short side corresponding to the other of the width or the depth, and an upper surface on which a blow-out grille is mounted; a fan housed in the fan casing and that blows out air from the blow-out grille; and a bell mouth comprising a cylindrical portion surrounding the fan inside the fan casing. The cylindrical portion includes two first arc regions each facing the short side of the fan casing, a second arc region facing the long side of the fan casing, and a guide portion disposed in at least one of the first arc regions. The guide portion includes an extended end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Tomioka, Daiki Hirawa
  • Patent number: 11160193
    Abstract: A shrinking device and a liquid cooling system are provided. The shrinking device includes a housing, and a shrinking bag at least partially inserted into the housing. The shrinking bag is in communication with the outside atmosphere through a vent hole. The shrinking device according to the present invention can solve the liquid leakage problem caused by excessive pressure inside the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Beijing Deepcool Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weichao Li, Qiuchen Zhang, Lei Liu
  • Patent number: 11131488
    Abstract: Provided are an oil separator, a compressor, and an air conditioner having the same. The oil separator comprises: a casing, which is provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and a first separation structure, which is disposed within the casing, and which is located between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. The first separation structure comprises a first baffle plate and a refrigerant pipeline; the first baffle plate is provided therein with a cooling chamber; the refrigerant pipeline is connected to the first baffle plate and communicates with the cooling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES (WUHAN) CO., LTD, GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. OF ZHUHAI
    Inventors: Chao Hua, Tang Zhou, Yu Zhou, Yongbin Zhang, Cui Pan, Xianquan Liu, Yaozhen Xie, Chengwu Huang, Quanchao Zhao
  • Patent number: 11125506
    Abstract: A tube heat exchanger extending in a vertical direction, comprising: a first chamber including a lower portion provided with at least one intake inlet for a diphasic fluid including a liquid and a first vapor containing a mist; an upper portion; and a first recovery member passed through by the first vapor and recovering the mist in liquid form, the first vapor next arriving in the upper portion, a central chamber forming liquid films running over the tubes and vaporizing at least partially to produce a second vapor, the tubes being traveled inwardly by a fluid hotter than the diphasic fluid, and a second chamber receiving the first vapor and the second vapor to form a third vapor, and including an outlet for the non-vaporized liquid and an outlet for the third vapor, the first chamber and the second chamber together forming a volume surrounding the central chamber around the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TECHNIP FRANCE
    Inventor: Nicolas Rambure
  • Patent number: 11118833
    Abstract: A method of operating a transport refrigeration system including: controlling, using a controller (30), a plurality of components of the transport refrigeration system, the transport refrigeration system comprising a refrigerated trailer (108) and a refrigeration unit (22) configured to provide refrigerated air to the refrigerated trailer, the controlling includes operating at least one of the refrigeration unit and a battery system (190); powering, using an external power source (400), the refrigeration unit when the transport refrigeration system is connected to the external power source; detecting, using the controller, when the external power source is disconnected from the transport refrigeration system; detecting, using the controller, a connection to the battery system when the external power source is disconnected; activating the battery system when the external power source is disconnected; and powering, using the battery system, a select group of components of the refrigeration unit when the externa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ciara Poolman, Robert A. Chopko
  • Patent number: 11112180
    Abstract: Modular air cooled condenser apparatus and related methods are disclosed. An example mechanical draft modular air cooled condenser includes a succession of a first condenser bundle panel, a second condenser bundle panel, a third condenser bundle panel, and a fourth condenser bundle panel. The example condenser also includes a first, second, third, and fourth condensate headers connected to respective ones of the first, second, third, and fourth condenser bundle panels. The example condenser also includes a fan positioned to create a draft to flow over the first, second, third, and fourth condenser bundle panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SPG Dry Cooling USA LLC
    Inventors: Michel Vouche, Christophe Deleplanque, Fabien Fauconnier
  • Patent number: 11112149
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plate-shaped fin elongated in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of heat transfer tubes passing through the fin, and a distributor that distributes refrigerant to, from among the plurality of heat transfer tubes, two heat transfer tubes. The distributor includes an inflow portion being linear and connected to one of the plurality of heat transfer tubes, a turn-back portion continuous with the inflow portion, a first outflow portion being linear, continuous with the turn-back portion and running in parallel to the inflow portion, a second outflow portion being linear, continuous with the turn-back portion and branching from the first outflow portion, and a connection pipe continuous with the second outflow portion and including a plurality of bent portions. The second outflow portion is connected via the connection pipe to the heat transfer tube not adjacent to the heat transfer tube connected to the first outflow portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Takuro Nishida
  • Patent number: 11105543
    Abstract: An ice machine includes a plurality of cooling tubes with each cooling tube having an inner tube and an outer tube extending around the inner tube to define an annular cavity between the inner tube and the outer tube. When refrigerant flows through the annular cavity between the inner tube and the outer tube, water in the inner tube freezes. The ice machine may also include a shell defining an internal cavity through which the plurality of cooling tubes extend; a water source operably connected to a water pump to flow water through the inner tube; a refrigerant source operably connected to a refrigerant pump to flow refrigerant through the annular cavity; and a heater operably connected to the internal cavity of the shell to flow a heated fluid through the internal cavity and across the plurality of cooling tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Weller Ice, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Alexander Wilkins, Charles Hunter Holwerk
  • Patent number: 11098960
    Abstract: A cooling device includes a substrate defining a substrate upper surface, and a fin positioned on the substrate upper surface, the fin including a deformable encapsulating layer coupled to the substrate upper surface and defining an interior region, and a phase-change material encapsulated within the interior region, where the phase-change material changes from a first matter phase to a second matter phase at a boiling point of a working fluid positioned on the deformable encapsulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Shailesh N. Joshi
  • Patent number: 11079183
    Abstract: A vapor chamber excellent in productivity, reduction of a number of components, and capable of preventing reduction in area of a cavity section while reducing a space of an outer periphery of the cavity section in which a working fluid is sealed is provided. An example vapor chamber has a container in which a cavity section is formed by stacked plate-shaped members, a working fluid that is sealed in the cavity section, and a wick structure accommodated in the cavity section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Aoki, Yoshikatsu Inagaki, Hiroshi Sakai
  • Patent number: 11067340
    Abstract: A heat exchanger and a method for manufacturing the same provides a double pipe heat exchanger including an outer pipe, an inner pipe forming a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, first and second connecting pipes to pass fluid from the outside and exhaust the fluid by connecting ends of the outer pipe, and a connector to connect the inner pipe and each connecting pipe to the outer pipe. The connector includes expanded ends of the outer pipe and a reducing part configured to assemble the inner pipe inserted in the outer pipe with an end of each connecting pipe by forming at an end of each expanding part with a pressing process. The center line of the inner pipe connected to the connector is disposed at an upper side of the inner circumference surface of the outer pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: HS R & A CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jongkang Lee, Byeongki Kang, Deokhyun Lim, Youngjun Kim, Jiseung Ryu
  • Patent number: 11054192
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes: a header; flat tubes disposed in line along a longitudinal direction of the header and connected to the header: a refrigerant pipe connected to an introduction space in the header; and a nozzle. When the heat exchanger operates as an evaporator of a refrigerant, the refrigerant is fed through the nozzle from the introduction space to a supply space disposed adjacent to the introduction space in the longitudinal direction of the header. The nozzle is disposed on a side closer to the flat tubes than to the refrigerant pipe. A width of a first zone in the introduction space on the side closer to the flat tubes is smaller than a width of a second zone in the introduction space on a side where the refrigerant pipe is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Shun Yoshioka, Masanori Jindou, Yoshio Oritani, Tomohiko Sakamaki, Tomoya Yamaguchi, Ken Satou, Kouju Yamada, Hiroaki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11047632
    Abstract: A support assembly for attaching a heat exchanger to a frame of a machine. The support assembly including a clip having one or more attachment features for attaching to the frame and a support member disposed between a first fin portion and a second fin portion of the heat exchanger. The support member disposed between the clip and the tube member to at least partially surrounds a perimeter of the tube member and form a seal therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dongming Tan, Virender Kumar
  • Patent number: 11040777
    Abstract: Cleanout systems are disclosed. An example environmental control system includes an exhaust plenum to exhaust cooling fluid from a heat exchanger outlet of a heat exchanger, and a cleanout system coupled to the exhaust plenum adjacent the heat exchanger outlet. The cleanout system includes a cleanout passageway to fluidly couple a cleanout inlet accessible from an outer surface of the exhaust plenum and a cleanout outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger outlet. The cleanout system is to enable removal of particulate from the heat exchanger without disassembling the heat exchanger from the exhaust plenum or an air intake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Mary E. Beckman, Andrew Leung
  • Patent number: 11022379
    Abstract: Heat sinks having a mounting surface with a coefficient of thermal expansion matching that of silicon are disclosed. Heat pipes having layered composite or integral composite low coefficient of expansion heat sinks are disclosed that can be mounted directly to silicon semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Aavid Thermal Corp.
    Inventors: David Sarraf, John Hartenstine, Jerome Toth, Scott Garner