Patents Examined by Len Tran
  • Systems and methods for vacuum cooling a beverage
    Patent number: 10746459
    Abstract: Vacuum cooling assemblies for cooling a beverage are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the vacuum cooling assembly may include a container compartment, a container disposed within the container compartment, and at least one beverage supply line in communication with the container compartment. The at least one beverage supply line may be configured to supply the beverage to the container within the container compartment. The vacuum cooling assembly also may include at least one vapor trap in communication with the container compartment. Moreover, the vacuum cooling assembly may include a vacuum pump in communication with the at least one vapor trap. The vacuum pump may be configured to create a vacuum in the at least one vapor trap and the container compartment, causing at least a portion of the beverage to evaporate, thereby vacuum cooling the beverage within the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
    Inventors: Jurgen Roekens, Abram C. Knip, Jacobus P. M. Dessing
  • Occupancy sensing systems and methods
    Patent number: 10746897
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for determining occupancy status of a space. The systems and methods can utilize one or more space sensors in combination with one or more boundary sensors. The space sensors can transmit passive signals corresponding to presence of movement in the space. The boundary sensors can transmit boundary signals corresponding to movement into or out of the space. In response to falling edges of a passive signal and a boundary signal occurring within a predetermined time period of one another, an indication that the space is not occupied can be provided. In some cases, the passive signals and the boundary signals can be communicated via a gateway utilizing a signal communication protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventors: Landon Gentry, Scott E. Wilson, Richard Thomas Raeke
  • Heating and cooling module
    Patent number: 10717338
    Abstract: A heating and cooling module for controlling the temperature of at least two coolant circuits, having an evaporator region and a condenser region. The evaporator region has a first flow section through which a first coolant can flow, and the condenser region has a second flow section through which a second coolant can flow. The heating and cooling module has a third flow section through which a refrigerant can flow. The evaporator region and the condenser region are arranged on a common base plate which has the fluid inlets and the fluid outlets for the first coolant, the second coolant, and the refrigerant. The base plate has flow channels, through each of which one of the coolants or the refrigerant can flow. The evaporator region and the condenser region are fluidically connected to the respective fluid inlets and the respective fluid outlets of the base plate via the flow channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Gottfried Duerr, Joachim Michael Haug, Herbert Hofmann
  • Heat pump system for vehicle
    Patent number: 10717337
    Abstract: A heat pump system for a vehicle may include a battery cooling line that is connected with a battery module and in which coolant moves; a chiller that is connected with the battery cooling line through a first connection line to adjust a temperature of coolant by selectively exchanging a heat of a refrigerant and coolant injected therein and that is connected with a refrigerant line of an air-conditioner device through a second connection line; an electric unit device cooler including a radiator and a first water pump that are connected through a cooling line to circulate coolant for cooling a motor and an electronic unit and that is selectively connectable with the battery cooling line and the first connection line through a first valve; and a bypass line selectively connecting the second connection line and the refrigerant line through a second valve provided in the refrigerant line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jae Yeon Kim, Yeon Ho Kim, Myunghwan Kim, Wan Je Cho
  • Independent auxiliary thermosiphon for inexpensively extending active cooling to additional freezer interior walls
    Patent number: 10718558
    Abstract: An auxiliary thermosiphon has an auxiliary refrigerant conduit with an auxiliary evaporation segment in thermally conductive connection to an interior wall of the freezer. The auxiliary refrigerant conduit contains an auxiliary refrigerant that is isolated from the primary refrigerant of the primary cooling apparatus. The auxiliary refrigerant conduit also extends upward to an auxiliary condensation segment of the auxiliary refrigerant conduit at an elevation above the auxiliary evaporation segment. A thermal bridge is in physical thermal contact with the auxiliary condensation segment and in physical thermal contact with a portion of a primary evaporation segment of the primary refrigeration apparatus. Heat is transported through the thermal bridge from the auxiliary thermosiphon to the primary refrigerant conduit and consequently to the primary refrigeration apparatus for removal from the freezer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Global Cooling, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Berchowitz, Todd Richards
  • Pressure cap for cooling system having variable opening pressure
    Patent number: 10697718
    Abstract: A pressure cap structure for a cooling system having variable opening pressure, which is applied to a cooling system for circulating cooling water to radiate heat generated by an engine of a vehicle, and maintains the inside pressure of the cooling system in a predetermined range, the pressure cap may include a positive pressure spring mounted in a valve body, and operated to connect the cooling system to the outside when the pressure of the cooling system rises, and a shape memory member restored to the initial shape when reaching a predetermined temperature, and mounted between the positive pressure spring and a spring guard supporting the positive pressure spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Hyung-Suk Byun
  • Heat exchangers
    Patent number: 10697708
    Abstract: A plate fin heat exchanger comprises a circular section tubular shell. The shell comprises a plurality of first shell openings arranged along a length of the shell and a plurality of second shell openings arranged along a length of the shell. A first fluid plenum is provided on the shell in fluid communication with the first shell openings. A second fluid plenum is provided on the shell in fluid communication with the second shell openings. The heat exchanger further comprises a core extending axially within the tubular shell. The core comprises an axially extending first core passage and a second axially extending core passage isolated from the first core passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Rafal Lewandowski
  • Osmotic transport system for evaporative cooling
    Patent number: 10677536
    Abstract: An osmotic transport apparatus includes a heat conducting chamber having an inner wall, a heat absorption end and a heat dissipation end, an osmotic membrane extending substantially longitudinally along an inner wall of the heat conducting chamber from the heat absorption end to the heat dissipation end, a liquid salt solution disposed in the osmotic membrane, and an inner vapor cavity so that when heat is applied to the heat absorption end, vapor is expelled from the osmotic membrane at the heat absorption end, is condensed on the osmotic membrane at the heat dissipation end, and is drawn into the osmotic membrane at the heat dissipation end for passive pumping transport back to the heat absorption end as more condensate is drawn through the osmotic membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: TELEDYNE SCIENTIFIC & IMAGING, LLC
    Inventors: Steve Qingjun Cai, Avijit Bhunia
  • Method of purging a dual purpose LNG/LIN storage tank
    Patent number: 10663115
    Abstract: A method for loading liquefied nitrogen (LIN) into a cryogenic storage tank initially containing liquid natural gas (LNG) and a vapor space above the LNG. First and second nitrogen gas streams are provided. The first nitrogen stream has a lower temperature than the second nitrogen gas stream. While the LNG is offloaded from the storage tank, the first nitrogen gas stream is injected into the vapor space. The storage tank is then purged by injecting the second nitrogen gas stream into the storage tank to thereby reduce a natural gas content of the vapor space to less than 5 mol %. After purging the storage tank, the storage tank is loaded with LIN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Kaminsky, Fritz Pierre, Jr.
  • Automatic control method used for defrosting a heat pump for a vehicle
    Patent number: 10639965
    Abstract: A control method for a heat pump system, or for a motor vehicle, which includes a compressor, an internal heat exchanger forming a condenser in a heating mode, an expansion valve, an outer heat exchanger forming an evaporator in the heating mode, and an accumulator. The defrosting of the outer exchanger is detected, the defrosting of the accumulator is detected, and depending on the case, defrosting the outer exchanger and/or defrosting the accumulator is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Eudes Quetant, Virginie Goutal, Myriam Pasquini
  • Refrigeration cabinet
    Patent number: 10619908
    Abstract: A refrigeration cabinet has an insulated body comprising a rectangular base with an upstanding front wall, rear wall and end walls interconnecting the front wall and rear wall. The body forms an open-topped product chamber. A clear glass or clear plastics lid is mounted by hinges at a top of the rear wall to close the product chamber whilst at the same time allow customers to view chilled or frozen merchandise on display within the product chamber. At one end of the body a refrigeration unit is provided for generating a climate control cold air stream for circulation through the product chamber in order to maintain the merchandise in the product chamber in a chilled or frozen condition as required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Orrell Limited
    Inventor: Eoin Lennon
  • System and method of controlling passage of refrigerant through eutectic plates and an evaporator of a refrigeration system for a container of a vehicle
    Patent number: 10300766
    Abstract: A system including mode, engine, and battery modules, where the mode module determines whether to operate in an engine mode or a battery mode based on parameters. The engine module, while operating in the engine mode, runs a compressor at a first speed based on a temperature within a temperature controlled container of a vehicle and permits passage of refrigerant through eutectic plates independent of the temperature. A battery, while in the engine mode, is charged based on power received from an electrical source. The battery module, while operating in the battery mode and based on the temperature, runs the compressor at a second speed and prevents passage of the refrigerant through the eutectic plates. While in the battery mode, the battery is not being charged based on power from a shore power source and the electrical source from which power is received during the engine mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shawn W. Vehr, Joseph J. Rozsnaki, Louis Siefker
  • Removable heatsink fin assembly
    Patent number: 10281221
    Abstract: A removable heatsink assembly adapted to removably receive a pipe. The removable heatsink assembly includes a first plurality of fins and a second plurality of fins having collar flanges sized to receive a pipe. The fins are received on first and second spacer rods, respectively and are hingedly connected by a hinge rod such that the first and second plurality of fins are pivotally movable about the hinge rod between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the first and second plurality of fins are positionable over the pipe. In the closed position, the collar flanges of the first and second plurality of fins substantially surround the pipe. A fin clamp secures the first and second plurality of fins together in the closed position about the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Fab Tek Logic, LLC
    Inventors: Gordon B. Fanberg, Robert A. Fransen
  • Gasket locating arrangements
    Patent number: 10274084
    Abstract: A gasket locating arrangement for a flow module, preferably plate reactor, includes a gasket, one or more locating devices, a channel in a channel plate, and a barrier plate. The gasket consists of a sheet of soft gasket material. The sheet has a cut through pattern corresponding to the channel in the channel plate. The locating devices are in the gasket, in the channel plate, in the barrier plate or combinations thereof. The locating devices are headed pins, fitting pins, protruded pins, integrated pins, dowel pins, grooves, holes, under cut recesses, thickened parts in the gasket material, and/or gasket deformation zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Alfa Laval Corporate AB
    Inventors: Kasper Höglund, Magnus Lingvall
  • Engine system
    Patent number: 10267219
    Abstract: The internal space of a package is divided by a midlevel wall into a top compartment and a bottom compartment. The top compartment is further divided to provide a radiator chamber that accommodates a radiator and a radiator fan. The midlevel wall has a spatial connection port that spatially connects the radiator chamber and the bottom compartment. There is provided a spatial connection port cover that hangs over the spatial connection port, but that is open sideways. The radiator is disposed to face the radiator fan from below. The radiator has one of sides (e.g., a left frame portion) thereof supported by a spatial connection port cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Murai, Akihiro Nagao, Hiroyuki Okada
  • Flat tube for header-plateless heat exchanger
    Patent number: 10260821
    Abstract: A flat tube for a header-plateless heat exchanger has an inner plate and an outer plate that are each press-molded from a metal plate and are curved/folded into a groove shape comprising a groove bottom section and two side wall sections. Both plates are such that the outer plate is fitted to the outside of the inner plate in a manner such that the groove bottom sections oppose each other, and an expanded opening in the thickness direction is formed at both ends of the plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: T.RAD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Maegawa, Hirohito Sugimoto, Masahito Sekiya
  • Thermal contact between cryogenic refrigerators and cooled components
    Patent number: 10253928
    Abstract: An arrangement for mounting a two stage cryogenic refrigerator (17) into a cryostat, the arrangement comprising a vacuum sock (15) for accommodating at least a part of the refrigerator, attachment means (32, 34) for attaching an upper part of the refrigerator to a surface (14) of the cryostat around an opening of the vacuum sock, a thermally conductive portion (26) of a wall of the vacuum sock which, in use, is thermally and mechanically in contact with a second cooling stage (24) of the refrigerator, and arrangements (40, 42) are provided for thermally connecting a first stage (22) of the refrigerator to a thermal radiation shield (16) of the cryostat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Limited
    Inventor: Michael Simpkins
  • Temperature modulated desiccant evaporative cooler and indirect and direct evaporative air conditioning systems, methods, and apparatus
    Patent number: 10253993
    Abstract: A method is provided for supplying air conditioned air to a residence or building interior. The method entails positioning a heat and mass exchanger to discharge conditioned air into the residence or building interior. Further, a rotatable desiccant wheel dehumidifier in positioned in fluid communication with the heat and mass exchanger. Supply air is received and treated in the dehumidifier, thereby supplying dry air to the heat and mass exchanger and exhausting hot humid air. The heat and mass exchanger is positioned and configured to receive dry air from the dehumidifier and supply cooler dry air to the residence or building interior, or other target environment. A system is also provided for operating the air supplying or air conditioning method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Inventor: Donald Williams
  • Cooling apparatus for a heat-generating element
    Patent number: 10249553
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus for a heat-generating element includes: a heat sink on which the heat-generating element is mounted; a cooling component having a recess, the cooling component and the heat sink being faced and joined to each other so that the recess forms a coolant passage; and a sealing member provided between the heat sink and the cooling component so as to seal the coolant passage and separate an interior and exterior of the coolant passage. A first distance is longer than a second distance with regard to a distance between facing surfaces of the heat sink and the cooling component near the sealing member, the first distance being between the facing surfaces at an interior side of the coolant passage separated by the sealing member, and the second distance is a distance between the facing surfaces at an exterior side of the coolant passage separated by the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gou Ninomiya, Motoyuki Furukawa, Katsuhiko Kondo
  • Vehicle roof fan
    Patent number: 10239381
    Abstract: A vehicle roof fan for providing air conditioning to a user of a vehicle. The vehicle roof fan may include a plurality of individually controlled fans. The apparatus includes power management features to limit the power consumption, such as a user presence detector and/or battery threshold monitoring. The plurality of fans may be associated with one or more optical sensors that each control the operation of one or more of the fans based upon the presence of a user. The air conditioning apparatus may also include heating and/or cooling components to modify the air temperature from the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: TSI Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen William O'Brien