Patents Examined by Larry Furdge
  • Patent number: 10082306
    Abstract: A thermostat is described for controlling air temperature in a building. The time associated with causing the controlled air temperature to reach a target temperature is estimated and displayed to a user. Input from a user indicating the target temperature can be received and the estimating and displaying can be carried out in real time. The thermostat can be wall-mounted or the user input can be received and estimated time can be displayed using a remote device, for example that communicates wirelessly with other components of the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, David Sloo, Matthew Rogers, Rangoli Sharan, Michael Matas, Yoky Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 10082330
    Abstract: A refrigerator and a method for controlling a refrigerator, including a plurality of compressors and a plurality of evaporators disposed on inlet-sides of the plurality of compressors to supply cool air to a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment includes determining whether a temperature of the refrigerating compartment belongs to a refrigerating compartment satisfaction range, determining an indoor temperature when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment does not belong to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction range, and determining whether a load corresponding operation condition is satisfied when the determined indoor temperature belongs to a set range. When the load corresponding operation condition is satisfied, a simultaneous operation of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment is performed, and when the load corresponding operation condition is not satisfied, a cooling operation of the refrigerating compartment is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Myungjin Chung, Yonghun Suh, Sung Jhee, Namsoo Cho
  • Patent number: 10082320
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a refrigeration cycle; an injection circuit for connecting between an injection port and a branching portion arranged between an indoor expansion valve and a main circuit expansion valve; an injection circuit expansion valve arranged in the injection circuit; an internal heat exchanger for exchanging heat between refrigerant flowing between the branching portion and the main circuit expansion valve and refrigerant depressurized by the injection circuit expansion valve; and an outdoor unit control device, the outdoor unit control device being configured to control an opening degree A of the main circuit expansion valve so as to satisfy Relation A+C=B×Gr, where A represents the opening degree of the main circuit expansion valve, C represents an opening degree of the injection circuit expansion valve, B represents a coefficient, and Gr represents a refrigerant circulating amount in the refrigeration cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunori Korenaga
  • Patent number: 10077928
    Abstract: A setting unit acquires the temperature of an air-conditioned space, calculates the difference between the temperature of the air-conditioned space and a suction temperature as a correction amount ?T, and transmits information of the correction amount ?T to an air-conditioning apparatus. A controller of the air-conditioning apparatus controls the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus so that a control temperature obtained by adding the correction amount ?T to the suction temperature becomes equal to a set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Yabuta, Shigeo Takata
  • Patent number: 10077925
    Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus includes a compressor, first and second heat exchangers, first and second electric valves, a passage-switching valve, a supercooling heat exchanger, and a controller. The first and second valves are disposed in first and second refrigerant passages. The supercooling heat exchanger conducts heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the first and second refrigerant passages. The controller transitions to a defrosting operation mode upon determining that frost has formed on the second heat exchanger during a heating operation mode. The controller executes a defrosting preparatory control and a defrosting control after the defrosting preparatory control during the defrosting operation mode. The controller switches the passage-switching valve during the defrosting control. The controller narrows the opening degree of the first electric valve and controls the opening degree of the second electric valve to a minimum opening degree during the defrosting preparatory control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoto Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 10077932
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator having a first storage compartment, a second storage compartment, and a third storage compartment. The refrigerator includes a four-way valve including an inlet through which refrigerant is introduced, a plurality of outlets to discharge the refrigerant, and configured to open at least one of the plurality of outlets, a first heat exchanger connected to a first outlet of the plurality of outlets to adjust a temperature of the first storage compartment, a second heat exchanger connected to a second outlet of the plurality of outlets to adjust a temperature of the second storage compartment, and a third heat exchanger connected to the second heat exchanger and a third outlet of the plurality of outlets to receive refrigerant from at least one of the second heat exchanger and the third outlet to adjust a temperature of the third storage compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Won-Jae Yoon, Yong Han Kim, Yoon Young Kim, Kook Jeong Seo
  • Patent number: 10066865
    Abstract: A refrigerator, in particular a household refrigerator, includes an utility chamber for cooled goods and a control device, with which a cold air flow can be introduced into the utility chamber when a cooling signal is present. A defrost heating element is rendered operative by the control device to prevent the formation of condensate and/or ice due to the cold air flow fed into the utility chamber. A timing element keeps the heating element out of operation for a predetermined time interval in response to the generation of the cooling signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Panagiotis Fotiadis, Jochen Härlen, Harald Joksch
  • Patent number: 10052939
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner comprising a heat pump device including a compressor that compresses refrigerant, first and second heat exchangers disposed inside the vehicle cabin within an interior air-conditioning unit, and a pressure reducing valve. The vehicle air conditioner further comprises an air-conditioning controller which controls the heat pump device and interior air-conditioning unit, an exterior heat exchanger temperature sensor and a degree-of-heating requested detecting section. If the quantity of heat absorbed by the exterior heat exchanger has decreased, the controller operates the heat pump device to operate in a mode in which a refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows through the first and second heat exchangers, bypasses the exterior heat exchanger, and then is sucked into the compressor, and a second mode in which the refrigerant is flow throughs the first heat exchanger and is bypassed around the second and exterior heat exchanger after pressure has been reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: JAPAN CLIMATE SYSTEMS CORPORATION, PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hamamoto, Kohei Fukawatase, Yoshihiko Otake, Kou Komori, Subaru Matsumoto, Katsuyoshi Wakano, Mio Furui, Norihiro Miyamura
  • Patent number: 10042401
    Abstract: A system and method for thermal management of a memory device is described. In an embodiment, one or more thermal sensors sends a signal to a thermal control module indicating that a pre-determined temperature threshold for a memory device or devices has been reached. The thermal control module may then begin tracking memory thermals or initiate thermal management operations based on the signal and history of memory device temperatures over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: David A. Wyatt
  • Patent number: 10041702
    Abstract: A system for conditioning air circulated from an interior of a building includes a refrigerant path, an air-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path, a water-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path that transfers heat from refrigerant in the refrigerant path to the building water, an evaporator in the refrigerant path, and a control system. The control system moves the system between operation of the air-cooled condenser and the water-cooled condenser based upon predetermined system conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Walker R. Lowrimore, Robert L. Long, Scott D. Winters, Randy W. Foster
  • Patent number: 10041719
    Abstract: A water switch assembly for a nugget ice making assembly is provided. The ice making assembly includes a hollow auger rotatably mounted within a reservoir and configured for extruding ice. The water switch assembly includes a water supply pipe that extends vertically through the center of the ice making auger and reservoir. The water switch assembly is in fluid communication with a water inlet and includes a capacitance probe for measuring the water level in the reservoir. In this manner, the water switch assembly is configured to control the flow of water to the reservoir in response to the water level measured by the capacitance probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: David Tyler Gullett
  • Patent number: 10041705
    Abstract: An outdoor device for an air conditioner is provided that may include a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed in the compressor, an expansion device that decompresses the refrigerant condensed in the condenser, an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed in the expansion device, and a refrigerant storage that bypasses at least a portion of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to store the bypassed refrigerant therein. The refrigerant storage may include a first storage that stores the bypassed refrigerant, and a second storage in which the refrigerant passing through the evaporator is introduced. The second storage may discharge a gaseous refrigerant of the introduced refrigerant to the compressor. The first storage may be provided above the second storage to supply the refrigerant stored therein into the second storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jonghwan Jeung, Hoki Lee, Sangyoung Kwon
  • Patent number: 10030878
    Abstract: An HVAC controller may be controlled in response to a natural language audio message that is not recognizable by the HVAC controller as a command, where the natural language audio message is translated into a command recognizable by the HVAC controller. Voice recognition software identifies a trigger phrase included in the natural language audio message and in response the HVAC controller performs an action. In response to identifying a trigger phrase at the HVAC controller, the HVAC controller may establish a single duplex connection with a remote server having a voice interaction module. An end user may then have a continuous dialog with the voice interaction module via the HVAC controller over the established single duplex connection. The voice interaction module may allow for an end user to interrupt the dialog at any time, as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Nemcek, Tomas Hrebicek, Daniel Becvar
  • Patent number: 10031501
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the detection of degradation in climate control system performance, in particular to the detection of degradation in heating system performance or air-conditioning system performance that is an indicator of impending heating system failure or air-conditioning system failure in domestic properties. In particular, the present invention provides a method for detecting such degradation comprising: receiving climate control data indicative of a climate control system in a property (location) being turned on and turned off; receiving an energy consumption signal indicative of the energy consumption of the property; correlating the received signal with the received data to determine an energy consumption signature of the climate control system when being turned on and turned off; comparing the determined signature with previously obtained energy consumption signatures to detect differences in the determined signature that are indicative of degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Centrica Hive Limited
    Inventor: Colin Chapman
  • Patent number: 10012424
    Abstract: The refrigeration apparatus includes a controller. The controller performs normal operation control for controlling drive of the exterior fan and the compressor in order to bring the interior temperature to a target temperature, dehumidification control in which the interior humidity is adjusted to a predetermined target range of the high-humidity region, and power-saving control which is implemented by the control of drive of the exterior fan and the compressor such that a change in the interior temperature is kept within a temperature range based on the target temperature. The controller switches from the dehumidification control to the power-saving control in the case where the interior humidity has become a lower limit value of the target range of the high-humidity region or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiichirou Satou, Hisaaki Takaoka
  • Patent number: 10012400
    Abstract: A humidity control apparatus has a humidity control apparatus having a humidifying part for humidifying air and a dehumidifying part for dehumidifying to control humidity of a humidity control space. The dehumidifying part has: a main body part that is configured to encapsulate a working fluid therein and to cause a heat-pipe phenomenon. A heat-insulating part fits externally to the main body part and a heat absorption part absorbs heat from a base side part located on one side of the main body part in relation to the heat-insulating part and thereby condenses the working fluid that evaporated into gas in a front side part located on the other side of the main body part in relation to the heat-insulating part. The dehumidifying part dehumidifies the air by means of the front side part of the main body part where the working fluid in liquid form evaporates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: ESPEC CORP.
    Inventor: Shinichirou Sakami
  • Patent number: 10001311
    Abstract: A simple inverter-controlled refrigerator includes temperature detector (17), constant speed main body control unit (12) whose power is turned on/off by temperature detector (17), and that can drive a constant speed compressor, inverter control unit (14) that is connected to constant speed main body control unit (12), and that is operated, based on a power on/off signal of constant speed main body control unit (12). And variable speed compressor (8) that is connected to inverter control unit (14), and that is controlled, based on an output from inverter control unit (14). Inverter control unit (14) has rotation speed setting unit (23) which is operated, based on the power on/off signal of constant speed main body control unit (12), and which is configured to set a rotation speed of variable speed compressor (8), and inverter drive circuit unit (24) which drives variable speed compressor (8) at the rotation speed set by rotation speed setting unit (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Ohnishi, Hiroaki Kase, Mitsuhiro Fukuda, Masaki Sumi, Katsumi Endou, Shigetomi Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 10000107
    Abstract: A heat pump device 20 is operated so as to make a switch between multiple operation modes including a first dehumidification and heating operation mode in which a refrigerant discharged from a compressor is circulated through a downstream interior heat exchanger 31, a first pressure reducing valve 52, an upstream interior heat exchanger 32, and an exterior heat exchanger 33 in this order so that the heat exchanger 31 functions as a radiator and the heat exchanger 32 functions as a heat absorber, and a second dehumidification and heating operation mode in which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is circulated through the downstream interior heat exchanger 31, a second pressure reducing valve 53, the exterior heat exchanger 33, and the upstream interior heat exchanger 32 in this order so that the heat exchanger 31 functions as a radiator and the heat exchanger 32 functions as a heat absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignees: JAPAN CLIMATE SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hamamoto, Kohei Fukawatase, Yoshihiko Otake, Kou Komori, Subaru Matsumoto, Katsuyoshi Wakano, Mio Furui, Norihiro Miyamura
  • Patent number: 10001295
    Abstract: According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of blow through direct fired heaters including evaporator coils and/or energy recovery ventilation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Cambridge Enginnering, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Rodney Mueller, Carl Merrill Schoeneberg, John Patrick Foley, Jr., Thomas Joseph Cleary, Marc David Braun
  • Patent number: 9995515
    Abstract: A method is disclosed or detecting a frozen evaporator coil of a refrigerant vapor compression system for supplying conditioned air to a temperature controlled space before ice build-up on the evaporator coil becomes so excessive as to result in an undesirable on-off cycling of the refrigerant vapor compression system compressor when operating to a frozen temperature maintenance mode. The method may also include initiating a defrost of a frozen evaporator coil of the refrigerant vapor compression system before ice build-up on the evaporator coil becomes so excessive as to result in an on-off cycling of the refrigerant vapor compression system compressor when operating to a frozen temperature maintenance mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Lucy Yi Liu