Patents Examined by Ljiljana Ciric
  • Patent number: 9410715
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus has a refrigerant circuit made up of plural indoor units connected to an outdoor unit, and the air conditioning apparatus has a capacity controlling part and a target refrigerant temperature mode setting part. The capacity controlling part controls the air conditioning capacity of the outdoor unit in such a way that the evaporation temperature of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit becomes a target evaporation temperature, or in such a way that the condensation temperature of the refrigerant becomes a target condensation temperature. The target refrigerant temperature mode setting part is configured to seta target refrigerant temperature mode to either a target refrigerant temperature changing mode or a target refrigerant temperature fixing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignees: Daikin Industries, Ltd., Daikin Europe N.V.
    Inventors: Masahiro Honda, Shinya Matsuoka, Hideyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9404692
    Abstract: An method of controlling thermal transfer between a first structure and a second structure may include a signal at a thermal switch. In response to receiving the signal at the thermal switch, a rotating plate may be rotated into one or more positions adjacent to a fixed plate to facilitate radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the fixed plate. The rotating plate and the fixed plate may be in thermally conductive contact with respective ones of the first structure and the second structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gary D. Grayson, Mark W. Henley
  • Patent number: 9404664
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hydronic heating/cooling system. In the system, liquid is led along a main supply pipe (1) to a supply manifold (2) and distributed in the manifold into heating loops (3). The heating loops (3) return to return manifold (4). At least one of the manifolds (2, 4) has actuators (6) for controlling the flow in the heating loops (3). At least one loop is designated to be a bypass loop. The actuators (6) in the loops (3) are monitored and it is ensured that the actuator (6) of the bypass loop is open if all the other actuators (6) are closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: UPONOR INNOVATION AB
    Inventor: Ulf Jonsson
  • Patent number: 9404693
    Abstract: A handler includes first and second cooling channels, and first and second supply channels. The first and second cooling channels correspond to housing pockets that are respectively heated by heaters. A first throttle valve controls the flow of refrigerant such that the amount of refrigerant flowing through the second cooling channel is larger than the amount of the refrigerant flowing through the first cooling channel. Temperature sensors detect the temperature of the respective housing pockets, and a control device controls the valve and the heaters so that a target temperature is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Maeda, Toshioki Shimojima
  • Patent number: 9398722
    Abstract: An apparatus for uniform cooling of a single power electronics device, an array of discrete power electronics devices or types of other heat-generating by integrating discrete thermostatic expansion devices (TXVs) and their control directly into each discrete cold plate. The thermostatic expansion device is positioned such that a sensing element is located directly within the exit refrigerant stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: MAINSTREAM ENGINEERING CORPORATION
    Inventors: David M. Sykes, Joshua C. Dominico, Robert P. Scaringe, Gregory S. Cole, Daniel A. Staples
  • Patent number: 9389005
    Abstract: In a two-stage compression refrigeration cycle device, a low-pressure side compression mechanism and a high-pressure side compression mechanism are intermittently operated to control such that the temperature of air blown into a freezer approaches a target temperature. Under the control, the high-pressure side compression mechanism is first stopped, and then the low-pressure side compression mechanism is stopped. Further, when a reference time has elapsed after driving the high-pressure side compression mechanism, then the low-pressure side compression mechanism is driven. The refrigeration cycle device can reduce a high-pressure side pressure difference upon driving the high-pressure side compression mechanism, and can also reduce a low-pressure side pressure difference upon driving the low-pressure side compression mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Takizawa, Masami Taniguchi, Jun Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9375994
    Abstract: A vehicle engine warm-up apparatus includes a vehicle engine, a heating system, a coolant temperature sensor, a coolant heater and a controller. The vehicle engine has a coolant passage defined therein. The heating system provides heat to a passenger compartment of a vehicle using heat transferred from the vehicle engine to coolant flowing through the coolant passage. The coolant temperature sensor measures a temperature of the coolant flowing through the coolant passage. The coolant heater is configured to heat the coolant flowing through the coolant passage of the vehicle engine. The controller is configured to operate the coolant heater with the vehicle engine running to increase a rate of heating of the coolant to more rapidly make heat available to the heating system in response to determining that the coolant temperature is below a first temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald S. Eisenhour, Richard Madden
  • Patent number: 9360236
    Abstract: A thermal energy system includes a first thermal energy system, a closed loop geothermal energy system, an intermediate heat pump thermally coupling the first thermal energy system with the geothermal energy system, and a second thermal energy system thermally connected to the geothermal energy system. The first and second thermal energy systems have opposite net thermal energy demands from the geothermal system. The geothermal energy system has first and second groups of borehole heat exchangers and each borehole heat exchanger contains a working fluid. Each borehole heat exchanger includes an elongated tube having a closed bottom end and first and second adjacent elongated conduits interconnected at the bottom end. Each group of borehole heat exchanger is selectively and alternatively connectable to the intermediate heat pump. The first thermal energy system may be a refrigeration system having condensers and the closed loop geothermal energy system may provide cooling of the condensers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: GREENFIELD MASTER IPCO LIMITED
    Inventors: James J. Stewart, Dmitriy I. Zaynulin, Grahame Newton
  • Patent number: 9354002
    Abstract: An air cooled condenser (ACC) system is described having a first street having at least one air cooled condenser module and a second street having at least one air cooled condenser module. The system employs a steam inlet conduit provides steam to the first and second streets. The air cooled condenser system has a standard vacuum system for providing suction pressure to the first and second street. The air cooled condenser system also has an auxiliary vacuum system that provides suction pressure to the first and second streets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Vouche, Fabien Fauconnier
  • Patent number: 9353958
    Abstract: An apparatus including a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger and two or more heat exchangers related to heat medium. A heat medium circuit includes two heat medium loops each including a pump. A bypass piping is provided at the refrigerant circuit for bypassing the heart exchanger related to heat medium. A controller is configured to perform a defrosting operation, a heating operation, a heat recovery defrosting operation mode, and a bypass defrosting operation that melts frost attached to the heat source side heat exchanger during the heating operation mode by passing a portion or all of the heat source side refrigerant through the bypass piping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Motomura, Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Jyunichi Ue
  • Patent number: 9349558
    Abstract: A heat switch has a first contact, a plug of thermally conductive material, and a mechanical actuator attached to the plug of thermally conductive material, the mechanical actuator arranged to move the plug into contact with the first contact in a first position and to move the plug out of contact with the first contact in a second position responsive to an input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Eric Schwartz, Sean Roark Garner, Dirk De Bruyker, Ricardo Santos Roque
  • Patent number: 9340093
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an HVAC device for a vehicle includes a sensor unit mounted on the vehicle and configured to sense a bodily response of the user, an HVAC device control unit configured to control temperature and humidity inside the vehicle, and a control unit configured to control the HVAC device control unit based on the bodily response sensed by the sensor unit and to control temperature, direction, air volume, and speed of wind supplied inside the vehicle. The bodily response includes any one selected from the group consisting of body temperature, respiration volume, carbon dioxide amount in breath, voice, used words, facial expression of the user, and combinations thereof. The control unit is configured to calculate the discomfort index of the user based on the bodily response and to dynamically control the HVAC device control unit based on the discomfort index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: TINNOS INC.
    Inventor: Seong Sik Ham
  • Patent number: 9341394
    Abstract: A thermoelectric refrigeration system including at least one cooling chamber and a thermoelectric heat exchange system. The thermoelectric heat exchange system includes cascaded heat sinks. The cascaded heat sinks include cascaded cold side heat sinks and a hot side heat sink. The cascaded cold side heat sinks include a first cold side heat sink and a second cold side heat sink. The thermoelectric heat exchange system also includes a first plurality of thermoelectric coolers disposed between the first cold side heat sink and the second cold side heat sink and a second plurality of thermoelectric coolers disposed between the second cold side heat sink and the hot side heat sink. Each thermoelectric cooler is a module including multiple thermoelectric devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Phononic Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse W. Edwards, M. Sean June, Robert Joseph Therrien, Abhishek Yadav
  • Patent number: 9341311
    Abstract: A compressed air supply apparatus includes an air compressor for compressing air to at least atmospheric pressure, a tank for storing the compressed air and supplying the compressed air, via a supply port, to various devices that use the compressed air as a working fluid, a first pipe that connects the air compressor to the tank, a heat pump including an evaporator for cooling at least a part of the first pipe, a selection device for selecting whether a cool air cooled by the evaporator, which is fluidly distinct from the compressed air, is introduced into a vehicle interior or discharged outside of the vehicle interior, and a control device configured to control the selection device so that the cool air is introduced into the vehicle interior when an air conditioner switch is turned ON and discharged outside of the vehicle interior when the air conditioner switch is turned OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: UD TRUCKS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shohji Itadani
  • Patent number: 9341396
    Abstract: A retrofit energy exchange system including a first set of valves for connecting to a first energy transfer sub-system. The system further includes a second set of valves for connecting to a second energy transfer sub-system. In addition, the system includes an energy exchange unit configured to supply excess energy from to the first energy transfer sub-system to the second energy transfer sub-system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventor: Aniello Manzo
  • Patent number: 9335074
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes at least a use side heat medium flow control device and a heat medium flow switching device disposed in an outlet side of the heat medium passage of a use side heat exchanger, and a heat medium backflow prevention device disposed in an inlet side of the heat medium passage of a use side heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Yuji Motomura
  • Patent number: 9335071
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes a compressor, indoor and outdoor heat exchangers, an indoor fan, an expansion valve, a refrigerant-pressure-perceiving part, which perceives a pressure of refrigerant sent from the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger, and a control part, which performs startup fan control in which the indoor fan remains stopped until the compressor goes from being at rest to starting up and the pressure perceived reaches a high-pressure threshold. The control part repeats an action of reducing a flow rate of the indoor fan or stopping driving of the indoor fan when the pressure perceived is equal to or less than a low-pressure lower than the high-pressure threshold, and an action of increasing the flow rate of the indoor fan or initiating driving of the indoor fan when the pressure perceived reaches or exceeds a pressure threshold which is higher than the low-pressure threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiko Kinoshita, Tsuyoshi Yamada, Junichi Shimoda, Kenta Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9335105
    Abstract: A cooling assembly is disclosed having a device chamber, a cooling chamber, a heat exchanger, a fan and a controller, the heat exchanger having a first heat exchanger unit and a second heat exchanger unit located above the first heat exchanger unit. The fan includes a first fan adapted to generate a first cooling air flow. The cooling assembly further includes a first dust tray located between the first heat exchanger unit and the second heat exchanger unit, the first cooling air flow being directed towards the first dust tray. The first dust tray is adapted to receive and retain at least part of contaminant particles present in the first cooling air flow, the device chamber being separated from the cooling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Timo Koivuluoma, Bruno Agostini, Mathieu Habert, Jouko Siirilä
  • Patent number: 9328931
    Abstract: A heating and/or cooling system for maintaining an environment at a desired temperature. The heating and/or cooling system includes a heat pump, a temperature sensor disposed to measure a temperature of the environment, and a system controller. The system controller may be configured to control a condensing temperature within the condenser such that the condensing temperature is set as low as possible while maintaining the condensing temperature a predetermined amount above the desired temperature that is being maintained. The system controller may also be configured to control the evaporating valve in order to vary, based on the measured temperature, an evaporating temperature in order to reduce the difference between the evaporating and condensing temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: ESG POOL VENTILATION LTD
    Inventor: Anthony Robinson
  • Patent number: 9327580
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning system includes a solar radiation amount detection element configured to detect the amount of solar radiation incident on an instrument panel, a temperature correction element configured to correct a detection signal value output from the solar radiation amount detection element according to a temperature on the instrument panel, a solar radiation sensor configured to output a detection signal in which a temperature is corrected by the temperature correction element, and an air conditioner configured to control air conditioning inside a vehicle based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Sunaga, Masato Nomura, Masakazu Yamasaki