Patents Examined by Kun Kai Ma
  • Patent number: 11512884
    Abstract: A method of detecting electrical failure in a refrigeration system is provided. The method includes determining whether a present superheat of the refrigeration system is between a maximum superheat and a minimum superheat for the refrigeration system, the maximum superheat and the minimum superheat defining a normal operating range. The method also includes detecting an electrical property of an expansion valve assembly of the refrigeration system responsive to the superheat being outside the normal operating range. The method further includes determining whether the expansion valve assembly as experienced an electrical failure based on at least the electrical property. A signal indicating that the expansion valve has experienced an electrical failure is generated based on a determination that the expansion valve assembly has experienced the electrical failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Hill Phoenix, Inc.
    Inventors: Naresh Kumar Krishnamoorthy, Shobin Balakrishnan
  • Patent number: 11511596
    Abstract: An acoustic wave generation unit oscillates working fluid of 35 atm or less so as to generate acoustic waves with a frequency in a range from 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less. A heat/acoustic wave conversion component has a partition wall of 5.0 W/mK or less between two end faces which defines a plurality of cells of 620 cells/cm2 or more and 3100 cells/cm2 or less. A heat exchanger disposed close to one end face receives heat from a first external air flowing into the heat exchanger and gives the heat to the one end face so as to flow out a cold air. Another heat exchanger disposed close to the other end face receives heat from the other end face and gives the heat to a second external air flowing into the another heat exchanger so as to flow out a warm air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Miyairi, Shinichi Miwa
  • Patent number: 11506425
    Abstract: An air conditioning unit capable of performing a refrigeration cycle using a small-GWP refrigerant is provided. A refrigeration cycle apparatus (1, 1a to 1m) includes a refrigerant circuit (10) including a compressor (21), a condenser (23, 31, 36), a decompressing section (24, 44, 45, 33, 38), and an evaporator (31, 36, 23), and a refrigerant containing at least 1,2-difluoroethylene enclosed in the refrigerant circuit (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Kumakura, Takuro Yamada, Atsushi Yoshimi, Ikuhiro Iwata, Mitsushi Itano, Daisuke Karube, Yuuki Yotsumoto, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Tatsuya Takakuwa, Yuzo Komatsu, Shun Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 11506451
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling bottled beverages may include an open-topped vessel defining a bottle chamber. The vessel may have a tubular wall and a base. The apparatus may further include a cooling device in thermal communication with the base of the vessel and with a heat exchanger. The apparatus may also include a tubular housing surrounding the vessel and enclosing the cooling device and the heat exchanger. Additionally, the apparatus may include a fan configured to provide an air flow along an airflow path. The airflow path may extend from an inlet of the housing, across the heat exchanger, to an outlet of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Kevin Jabou
  • Patent number: 11499759
    Abstract: An air-conditioning device includes a heater unit that heats the air to be lead to a vehicle cabin using the heat of the refrigerant compressed by a compressor, a liquid receiver arranged at the downstream side of an outside heat exchanger, a liquid receiver separating the refrigerant lead from the outside heat exchanger into a liquid-phase refrigerant and a gaseous-phase refrigerant and storing the liquid-phase refrigerant, and a restrictor mechanism provided between the heater unit and the outside heat exchanger, the restrictor mechanism decompressing and expanding the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Marelli Cabin Comfort Japan Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 11493244
    Abstract: An air-conditioning unit that is able to suppress ignition at an electric heater even when leakage of refrigerant occurs while a low-GWP refrigerant is used is provided. In an outdoor unit (20) including a casing (60), a compressor (21) provided inside the casing (60) and configured to compress refrigerant containing 1,2-difluoroethylene, and a drain pan heater (54) provided inside the casing (60), an electric power consumption of the drain pan heater (54) is lower than or equal to 300 W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Kumakura, Takuro Yamada, Atsushi Yoshimi, Ikuhiro Iwata, Mitsushi Itano, Daisuke Karube, Yuuki Yotsumoto, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Yuzo Komatsu, Shun Ohkubo, Tatsuya Takakuwa
  • Patent number: 11480383
    Abstract: Device for detecting formation of water ice on a substrate has a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet. The magnets are spaced apart and arranged with a north pole of one magnet opposed to a south pole of the other magnet. A container contains a body of water within the space between the permanent magnets. At least one of the magnets is movable in the container. A heat conductor arrangement conducts heat between the substrate and the body of water the container. As heat is conducted from the body of water in the container to the substrate and the temperature of the body of water decreases below the temperature at which the density of water is a maximum, the volume of the body of water increases which drives the first and second permanent magnets apart from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: VESTEL ELEKTRONIK SANAYI VE TICARET A.S.
    Inventors: Mutlu Uslu, Nevzat Yalin
  • Patent number: 11473801
    Abstract: A multi-split system and a method and device for adjusting an oil volume of a compressor of a multi-split system. The adjusting method comprises the following steps: recycling oil back to an oil storage tank by controlling a switch unit to turn on and an oil volume adjusting unit to turn off; when a continuous time over which the oil storage tank recycles oil reaches a first pre-set time (t1), controlling the switch unit to turn off and controlling a multi-split system to perform a test run; obtaining, according to a low-pressure piping pressure loss (P1) and a refrigerant flow (Q), a low-pressure piping pipe diameter (D) and a low-pressure refrigerant density (Den), an excess oil volume (Q2) that needs to be recycled, and obtaining, according to the excess oil volume and a maximum oil storage volume (Qz) of the oil storage tank, an oil volume to be expelled (Q3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventors: Mingren Wang, Kun Yang
  • Patent number: 11465463
    Abstract: A transportation refrigeration unit (24) to provide a flow of supply air to a selected space includes a compressor to compress a flow of refrigerant and an engine (36) powered by a flow of fuel and operably connected to the compressor to drive the compressor. An evaporator circulates the flow of refrigerant therethrough to cool the supply air and includes a substantially unitary evaporator housing (50) having a supply air inlet opening (52) and a supply air outlet opening (56). An evaporator coil (32) is located in the evaporator housing, the flow of refrigerant circulating across the evaporator coil. An evaporator fan (34) is located in the evaporator housing to urge the supply airflow into the evaporator housing via the supply air inlet opening (52), across the evaporator coil (32) and out of the evaporator housing through the supply air outlet opening (56). The evaporator fan (34) can be located upstream or downstream of the evaporator coil (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ludovic Lanuzel, Philippe Thierry Vaas
  • Patent number: 11460227
    Abstract: An oil separator has a filter portion in a differential pressure generation mechanism configured to collect, by a differential pressure, lubricating oil that is in a form of mist included in high-pressure refrigerant that flows in a first pipe that is connected to a discharge port of a compressor and allows the collected lubricating oil to move downstream along an internal wall of the first pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Kato, Hiroki Ishiyama, Yusuke Shimazu, Daisuke Ito
  • Patent number: 11460224
    Abstract: Systems and methods for purging lubricant from a first compressor to a second compressor are provided. A control module receives a lubricant purge command, shuts the second compressor to an OFF-mode while the first compressor remains in the ON-mode, restricts working fluid from an outlet of the second compressor from flowing into the first compressor and allows compressed working fluid discharged from an outlet of the first compressor to flow into the inlet of the second compressor such that lubricant in the second compressor flows into the first compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Saunders, Kory M. Place, James Scott Fraser, Natarajan Rajendran, Jason A. Born, Daniel J. Rice
  • Patent number: 11454433
    Abstract: An air-conditioning unit that is able to suppress ignition at an electric heater even when leakage of refrigerant occurs while a low-GWP refrigerant is used is provided. In an outdoor unit (20) including a casing (60), a compressor (21) provided inside the casing (60) and configured to compress refrigerant containing 1,2-difluoroethylene, and a drain pan heater (54) provided inside the casing (60), an electric power consumption of the drain pan heater (54) is lower than or equal to 300 W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Kumakura, Takuro Yamada, Atsushi Yoshimi, Ikuhiro Iwata, Mitsushi Itano, Daisuke Karube, Yuuki Yotsumoto, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Yuzo Komatsu, Shun Ohkubo, Tatsuya Takakuwa
  • Patent number: 11448434
    Abstract: A thermal management system is described. The thermal management system includes an open circuit refrigeration circuit that has a refrigerant fluid flow path, with the refrigerant fluid flow path including a receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an ejector having a primary flow inlet configured to receive refrigerant, a liquid separator, an evaporator configured to extract heat from a heat load that contacts the evaporator, with the evaporator coupled to the ejector and the liquid separator, and an exhaust line coupled to a vapor side outlet of the liquid separator. In operation, the evaporator in the open circuit refrigeration circuit would be coupled to a heat load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Vaisman, Joshua Peters
  • Patent number: 11441803
    Abstract: A controller of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the controller comprising instructions that cause the controller to determine an air flowrate of an air blower of the HVAC system and calculate a threshold value based on a minimum required air flowrate. The controller further comprises instructions that cause the controller to send a notification to an operator of the HVAC system indicating that the air flowrate of the air blower is less than the threshold value in response to determining that the air flowrate of the air blower is less than the threshold value and shut down the HVAC system such that the refrigerant is no longer circulated by the componentry of the HVAC system in response to determining that the air flowrate of the air blower is less than the minimum required air flowrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Goel, Umesh Gokhale
  • Patent number: 11441802
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus 1 includes a compressor (321), an indoor heat exchanger (242) that is a use-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat with first air (F1), an outdoor heat exchanger (323) that is a heat-source-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat with second air, a refrigerant, a first duct (209), and a casing (230). The refrigerant contains at least 1,2-difluoroethylene, and circulates in the compressor (321), the indoor heat exchanger (242), and the outdoor heat exchanger (323) to repeat a refrigeration cycle. The first duct (209) supplies the first air (F1) to a plurality of rooms in an interior. The casing (230) includes a use-side space (SP2) that is connected to the first duct (209) and that accommodates the indoor heat exchanger (242). The casing (230) is configured to allow the first air (F1) after heat exchange with the refrigerant at the indoor heat exchanger (242) to be sent out to the first duct (209).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsushi Itano, Daisuke Karube, Yuuki Yotsumoto, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Yuzo Komatsu, Shun Ohkubo, Tatsuya Takakuwa, Tetsushi Tsuda, Yuuichi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 11441819
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus that can improve operation efficiency when a refrigerant that contains at least 1,2-difluoroethylene is used is provided. An air conditioning apparatus 1 includes a compressor (21), an outdoor heat exchanger (23), an outdoor expansion valve (24), an indoor heat exchanger (31), and a suction injection pipe (40), and uses a refrigerant that contains at least 1,2-difluoroethylene. The suction injection pipe (40) allows a part of a refrigerant that flows toward the indoor heat exchanger (31) from the outdoor heat exchanger (23) to merge with a low-pressure refrigerant that is sucked into the compressor (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsushi Itano, Daisuke Karube, Yuuki Yotsumoto, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Tatsuya Takakuwa, Yuzo Komatsu, Shun Ohkubo, Tetsushi Tsuda, Takeo Abe, Yumi Toda
  • Patent number: 11435094
    Abstract: A dehumidifier has a main body and a main tank. The main body has a secondary tank, a water pump, and a controlling assembly electrically connected to the water pump and having a starting position, a stopping position, and a float. The float is located in the secondary tank and is capable of moving with a water level inside the secondary tank. The controlling assembly controls the water pump to start or to stop according to the relative position between the float and the starting position or the stopping position. The main tank is detachably mounted on the main body, is located in a lateral side of the main body, and communicates with the water pump. With the controlling assembly, the water pump can be controlled to start only when necessary, thereby saving energy and reducing noises caused by prolonged running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: NEW WIDETECH INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ming-Tsung Chiu
  • Patent number: 11435118
    Abstract: A heat source unit and a refrigeration cycle apparatus that are able to reduce damage to a connection pipe when a refrigerant containing at least 1,2-difluoroethylene is used are provided. An outdoor unit (20) that is connected via a liquid-side connection pipe (6) and a gas-side connection pipe (5) to an indoor unit (30) including an indoor heat exchanger (31) and that is a component of an air conditioner (1) includes a compressor (21) and an outdoor heat exchanger (23). A refrigerant containing at least 1,2-difluoroethylene is used as a refrigerant. A design pressure of the outdoor unit (20) is lower than 1.5 times a design pressure of each of the liquid-side connection pipe (6) and the gas-side connection pipe (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Kumakura, Takuro Yamada, Atsushi Yoshimi, Ikuhiro Iwata, Mitsushi Itano, Daisuke Karube, Yuuki Yotsumoto, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Tatsuya Takakuwa, Yuzo Komatsu, Shun Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 11428461
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a high side heat exchanger, a load, a compressor, a belt, a first bin, a second bin, and a controller. The high side heat exchanger removes heat from a refrigerant. The load uses the refrigerant to cool an enclosed space. The compressor compresses the refrigerant. The first and second bins are coupled to the belt and positioned within the enclosed space. The controller receives a first message, determines that the first bin should be selected, and cycles the belt to move the first bin to a retrieval location within the enclosed space. The controller also receives a second message, determines that the second bin should be selected, and cycles the belt to move the second bin to the retrieval location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan David Douglas, Kristal Chante Parker, Richard Carl Wise
  • Patent number: 11428455
    Abstract: A defrosting apparatus includes: a heating unit including a heater case and a heater, where the heater case defines an inner flow path having an inlet and an outlet at ends thereof, and the heater is mounted in the heater case to heat a working fluid within the inner flow path; and a heat pipe inserted into the inside of the heater case through the inlet and the outlet, and which has at least a part thereof disposed to be adjacent to a cooling pipe of an evaporator such that heat is radiated to the cooling pipe of the evaporator by means of the working fluid at a high temperature that is heated by the heater and then is transferred, where the heater is configured to stop emit heat at a preset temperature or higher since an electric current is suppressed due to a sharp increase in resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Minjae Jeong, Woocheol Kang, Geunhyung Lee, Eonhwa Hwang