Patents Examined by Larry Furdge
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Patent number: 9718612Abstract: A container refrigeration device aims to prevent low temperature damage to freight in a container. The container refrigeration device includes: a temperature controlling section (101) configured to perform, in a switchable manner, first temperature control under which a temperature inside the container (C) is controlled based on a blown air temperature (Tss) and second temperature control under which the temperature inside the container (C) is controlled based on a suction air temperature (Trs) during dehumidification operation; and a control switching section (103) configured to switch the first temperature control to the second temperature control when the blown air temperature (Tss) is higher than the suction air temperature (Trs) during the dehumidification operation in which part of a refrigerant discharged from a compressor (30) is allowed to flow into a reheat heat exchanger (83).Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2013Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Akitoshi Ueno, Yuusuke Fujimoto, Hideaki Kuriyama
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Patent number: 9719688Abstract: A transportable PCM (phase change material) module comprises a number of PCM packs; a housing for thermally insulting said number of PCM packs from a module's surrounding medium; spaces separating said packs and forming one or more channels for the flow of a fluid; said housing incorporating a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; whereby, in use, fluid flows through said channels from said inlet to said outlet. A PCM (phase change material) pack comprises a laminate of a first conducting panel and a second conducting panel enclosing a portion formed primarily of PCM; wherein said portion of PCM incorporates thermal conductors.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2009Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: VKR Holdings A/SInventors: Mathew Holloway, Karina Torlei, Daniel Becerra, William Linsey Penfold
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Patent number: 9719715Abstract: A method of operating a heat pump system is provided, the heat pump system having at least a controller and configured to operate at least two defrost cycles. The method comprises receiving, at the controller, weather data for a defined geographic area proximate to an installed location of the heat pump system; and selecting, based on said weather data, one of the at least two defrost cycles.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2013Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: LENNOX INDUSTRIES INC.Inventors: Yi Qu, Pete Hrejsa
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Patent number: 9714782Abstract: A compressor control device, a method for controlling a compressor, and a refrigerator including the same are provided. The compressor control device controls the compressor to be driven using a mode in which the compressor is selectively driven by an inverter and a mode in which the compressor is driven directly using a supply voltage, according to a quality of the supply voltage, a loss which is caused by use of the inverter reduced or removed by directly providing the supply voltage to the compressor within a predetermined voltage or frequency range, and an increased energy efficiency by reducing power consumption.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2011Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Sangsub Jeong, Hyuk Lee, Wonsik Oh, Jongkwon Kim, Boram Lee
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Patent number: 9709309Abstract: An air conditioning system includes a plurality of indoor units installed in the same indoor space, an outdoor unit and a control device. The indoor units include respective usage-side heat exchangers capable of setting set temperatures individually. The outdoor unit includes a heat-source-side heat exchanger. The control device performs temperature control using a thermo-ON condition set in advance in accordance with the set temperatures, and relaxes the thermo-ON condition of thermo-OFF indoor units when the indoor units include both those that are thermo-ON and those that are thermo-OFF and a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition is that at least one of the plurality of indoor units continues to be thermo-ON for a first elapsed time or longer, and at least one of the plurality of indoor units continues to be thermo-OFF for a second elapsed time or longer.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Kousuke Kibo, Tadafumi Nishimura
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Patent number: 9709291Abstract: Methods and systems for humidity monitoring and adjustment are described herein. Data from at least one external sensor system is received by a computing device. The external sensor system determines at least one of outdoor air temperature and outdoor air humidity. Data from at least one internal sensor system is received by the computing device. The internal sensor system determines at least one of indoor air temperature and indoor air humidity. A dew point for an indoor environment is calculated based upon the data from the external sensor system and data from the internal sensor system. A graphical indication of an indoor environment climate may be displayed based upon the calculated dew point. Access openings, such as windows, may be opened or closed to change the humidity of the indoor environment.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2013Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: La Crosse Technology, Ltd.Inventor: Axel Dostmann
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Patent number: 9709308Abstract: An outdoor unit includes a bypass circuit that makes a part of refrigerant that is discharged from a compressor be bypassed to a connecting part at the time of defrosting operation. A control device of the outdoor unit performs control of opening an electromagnetic valve in the bypass circuit based on an water temperature TW (in) in an water inlet and an water temperature TW (out) in an water outlet of an water heat exchanger at the time of the defrosting operation. Further, a control device controls a valve travel of the valve of the third expansion valve in the bypass circuit based on a refrigerant temperature TR (in) in a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant temperature TR (out) in a refrigerant outlet of the water heat exchanger in a case of the electromagnetic valve being in an open state at the time of the defrosting operation.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2010Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventor: Yoshiro Aoyagi
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Patent number: 9700835Abstract: A gas dryer includes a first opening structure forming a cooling pathway fluidly connected to the first opening; a first thermoelectric device thermally connected to the structure forming the cooling pathway and a heat exchanger. A condensate drain is located near an end of the cooling pathway and configured to drain condensate formed when a fluid is cooled along the cooling pathway. A structure forming a warming pathway is located between the condensate drain and a second opening, and a second thermoelectric device thermally connected between the structure forming cooling pathway and the structure forming the warming pathway and connected to exchange heat between the cooling pathway and the warming pathway. A method of drying a gas is provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2011Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: SPX FLOW TECHNOLOGY USA, INC.Inventor: James W. Barnwell
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Patent number: 9688118Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle includes a casing, a cooling heat exchanger, a cooling temperature adjusting portion, a dew-point detector, a target temperature determining portion, and a cooling temperature control portion. The cooling heat exchanger is arranged in the casing to cool air to be blown into a vehicle compartment. The cooling temperature adjusting portion adjusts a cooling temperature of air cooled at the cooling heat exchanger such that the cooling temperature approaches a target cooling temperature of the cooling heat exchanger. The dew-point detector detects a dew-point temperature of air flowing to the cooling heat exchanger. The target temperature determining portion determines the target cooling temperature to be a first target temperature lower than the dew-point temperature by a standard degree, and temporarily to be a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2011Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Haruki Misumi
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Patent number: 9683772Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus controller calculates a refrigeration load of a refrigeration apparatus, and a load signal (S) containing load information indicating a magnitude of the refrigeration load is output from a communication device to an engine controller. The engine controller controls a speed of rotation of a generator engine based on the load signal (S).Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2010Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Makoto Ikemiya, Kazuma Yokohara, Hisaaki Takaoka, Masaaki Takegami
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Patent number: 9677809Abstract: A system and method for storing energy from an electrical grid utilizes a system heat pump at a premises for transferring energy from the grid to a thermal storage reservoir and a premises heat pump that can use the stored energy to provide, for example, heat to the premises. The system heat pump and premises heat pump desirably operate independently of one another so that energy can be transferred to the thermal storage reservoir regardless of whether energy is being withdrawn by the premises heat pump. Plural energy storage systems utilizing respective system and premises heat pumps and thermal storage reservoirs can form a part of the utility customer system with the system heat pumps being operable to shape the load on the electrical grid. A system heat pump can be operated to minimize a customer's bill, or the utility's cost and alternatively to achieve other purposes, depending upon the mode of operation of the system.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2012Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Portland General Electric CompanyInventor: Conrad Eustis
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Patent number: 9677797Abstract: An inverter controller, a method of operating a controller and a field-installable kit. In one embodiment, the controller includes: (1) a thermostat interface configured to receive conventional thermostat signals providing for a ventilation mode, first- and second-stage cooling modes and at least one heating mode and provide relay control signals for an inverter forward start relay, first- and second-stage cooling speed select relays and at least one heating relay and (2) an inverter controller coupled to the thermostat interface and configured to receive the relay control signals and provide an inverter forward start signal, an inverter high speed set, an inverter medium speed set and an inverter ventilation speed set.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2011Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.Inventors: Harold Gene Havard, Jr., Eric M. Perez, Terry D. Jewell, Der-Kai Hung
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Patent number: 9677798Abstract: A refrigerating device includes a compressor, a temperature detector and a protection control section. The compressor compresses a refrigerant. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor on an outside of the compressor. The protection control section judges that a transition following a starting of the compressor is in effect and that a steady state following an end of the transition in which a state of the refrigerant is stable is in effect, performs protection control on the compressor when a detected temperature detected by the temperature detector exceeds a first determination temperature during the transition, and performs the protection control on the compressor when the detected temperature exceeds a second determination temperature during the steady state.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2013Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Akinori Nakai, Daisuke Toyoda
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Patent number: 9671153Abstract: A low-temperature storage includes: a thermally-insulating casing including an accommodating portion accommodating an item to be refrigerated; a door to be closed in a manner capable of opening/closing the portion; a cooling mechanism cooling an interior thereof; a temperature-detecting unit measuring a temperature in the portion; an opening/closing-detecting unit detecting a door open/close state; and a control unit including a temperature-adjusting unit controlling the cooling mechanism so that the temperature reaches a target temperature, first- and second-temperature-storing units storing first and second temperatures, respectively, a target-temperature-setting unit setting the target temperature at the first temperature when the opening/closing-detecting unit detects that the door has changed from an open to closed state, and thereafter, setting the target temperature at the second temperature, and a control-information-setting unit setting the first or second temperatures, and when a difference therebetType: GrantFiled: June 28, 2012Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE HOLDINGS CO., LTD.Inventors: Atsushi Hagiwara, Ryuichi Tsuruma, Yuichi Tamaoki
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Patent number: 9671119Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit including a low-pressure shell structure compressor into which a refrigerant flowing through an injection pipe flows, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first expansion device, a refrigerant flow switching device, and a second expansion device configured to allow the refrigerant which has passed through the first expansion device and flows from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger to have an intermediate pressure, the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the first expansion device, the refrigerant flow switching device, and the second expansion device being connected by pipes to constitute the refrigerant circuit, and further includes a controller that controls an amount of refrigerant flowing through the injection pipe into a compression chamber. A part of a high-pressure refrigerant flowing from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger flows through the injection pipe.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2011Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
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Patent number: 9671149Abstract: A refrigerator with a sterilization device. The sterilization device mounted at an upper surface of a storage chamber includes a housing formed, at a front surface thereof, with an ion outlet while being formed, at a base surface thereof, with an air inlet, an ion generating unit arranged in rear of the ion outlet to generate ions, a blast unit slantingly arranged at a position adjacent to the air inlet, and a guide portion formed to protrude at an upper surface of the housing which faces the blast unit, thereby enabling improvement in sterilization efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2012Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Ji Hoon Kim, Sung Cheol Kang
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Patent number: 9671150Abstract: Disclosed herein are a cooling apparatus and a control method thereof. The cooling apparatus using latent heat of a refrigerant includes evaporators evaporating the refrigerant, a compressor compressing the evaporated refrigerant to a high pressure, defrosting heaters removing frost accumulated on the evaporators, a driving unit providing driving current selectively to the compressor or the defrosting heaters, and a control unit controlling the driving unit to provide driving current to the compressor in a cooling operation mode and controlling the driving unit to provide driving current to the defrosting heaters in a defrosting operation mode. The cooling apparatus controls the defrosting heaters using a driving circuit controlling the compressor, and thus lowers the manufacturing costs of a refrigerator operated at DC power.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2013Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventor: Sun Jin Kim
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Patent number: 9664440Abstract: A refrigerator including a configurable space having a Hall effect integrated circuit configured to detect a magnetic field and generate an electrical signal; a function control device configured to control an environment of the configurable space according to predetermined or preset information and the electrical signal from the Hall integrated circuit; and a storage bin in the configurable space, having a magnet thereon or therein in a location corresponding to the Hall effect integrated circuit.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics CorporationInventor: Jae Sang Kim
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Patent number: 9657955Abstract: To obtain an air-conditioning apparatus that does not make a refrigerant circulate up to an indoor unit and further can achieve energy-saving. A refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting a compressor that pressurizes a refrigerant, a four-way valve that switches a circulation path of the refrigerant, a heat source side heat exchanger that performs heat exchange, expansion valves for pressure-adjusting the refrigerant, and a plurality of intermediate heat exchangers that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the heat medium to heat and cool the heat medium, with piping. A heat medium circuit is configured by connecting intermediate heat exchangers, pumps that pressurize the heat medium, and a plurality of use side heat exchangers that perform heat exchange between the heat medium and the air in the indoor space, with piping.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2008Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Yuji Motomura, Takeshi Hatomura, Naoki Tanaka, Shinichi Wakamoto, Takashi Okazaki, Yusuke Shimazu
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Patent number: 9651287Abstract: A computing device calculates a quality of a refrigerant flowing out of an expansion device on the basis of an inlet liquid enthalpy calculated on the basis of a temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the expansion device, and a saturated gas enthalpy and a saturated liquid enthalpy calculated on the basis of a temperature or pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion device; calculates a liquid-phase concentration and a gas-phase concentration of the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion device on the basis of the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion device; and calculates a composition of the refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration cycle on the basis of the calculated quality, liquid-phase concentration, and gas-phase concentration.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2011Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Morimoto, Koji Yamashita, Yoshihiro Sumida