Patents Examined by Ljiljana V. Ciric
  • Patent number: 12103359
    Abstract: A thermal management system includes a first cooler that cools a first heat source, a first circulation path that connects the first cooler and a first pump, a second cooler that cools a second heat source, a second circulation path that connects the second cooler and a second pump, a changeover valve, and a controller. The changeover valve is switchable between first and second valve positions. The first and second circulation paths are separated from each other when the changeover valve is in the first valve position. The controller causes both the first and second pumps to operate when the temperature difference between refrigerants in the first and second circulation paths is more than a predetermined temperature difference threshold when the changeover valve is set to the first valve position and one of the first and second pumps is operating and the other is not operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshio Hasegawa, Masatoshi Hiyoshi, Haruka Tsuruta
  • Patent number: 12097750
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a first heat exchanger, a first region of a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a fourth heat exchanger, a compressor, a vapor generator, an accumulator, a first expansion valve, and a first three-way valve. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet. The vapor generator is positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of both the low-pressure inlet and the mid-pressure inlet. The vapor generator includes a first region and a second region. The accumulator is positioned immediately upstream of the compressor. The accumulator includes an inlet and an outlet. The first expansion valve is positioned upstream of the accumulator. The first expansion valve includes an inlet and an outlet. The first three-way valve is positioned immediately downstream of the first expansion valve and immediately upstream of the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rachael Shey, Jeffrey Paul Brown
  • Patent number: 12097961
    Abstract: An aircraft air conditioning device provided in an aircraft includes: a plurality of base units each of which is provided with two electric compressors connected in series to an air flow path; a temperature controller which is configured to adjust a temperature of air discharged from a compressor of the two electric compressors; and a control device which is configured to control the plurality of base units and the temperature controller and each of the plurality of base units is configured to supply compressed air discharged from the temperature controller to an air-conditioned space as conditioned air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Seki, Toshikazu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 12090816
    Abstract: A heat pump system for a vehicle includes a cooling apparatus configured to circulate a coolant in a coolant line to cool at least one electrical component provided in the coolant line, a battery cooling apparatus configured to circulate the coolant in the battery module, a heating apparatus configured to heat a vehicle interior by using the coolant, and a chiller configured to adjust a temperature of the coolant by heat-exchanging the coolant with a refrigerant, wherein the chiller is connected to the chiller connection line through a third valve provided in the coolant line between the radiator and the second valve, and the reservoir tank is provided in the coolant line between the radiator and the second valve, and is connected to the supply line connecting a first valve and a first water pump through a supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jae Yeon Kim, Wan Je Cho, Heung Seok Seo, Seong Bin Jeong, Yeonho Kim, Jeawan Kim, Sangmoon Cho, SeungRyeol Lee, Jieun Kim
  • Patent number: 12083860
    Abstract: A refrigerant circulating apparatus for a vehicle, includes at least one heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange a refrigerant; at least one valve provided to selectively flow the refrigerant to the at least one heat exchanger; and a refrigerant distribution unit having a first surface on which the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one valve are provided and a second surface on which at least one flow path through which the refrigerant circulates through the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one valve is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Yeonho Kim, Wan Je Cho, Seong-Bin Jeong, Jeawan Kim, Man Hee Park, Jae Yeon Kim, Tae Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 12083855
    Abstract: An internal heat exchanger (IHX) assembly for use in a vehicle includes at least three plates joined together to form two or more separate compartments or channels and at least one flat structure on an external surface of the IHX assembly. One compartment or channel contains a high pressure fluid and the other compartment or channel contains a low pressure fluid. The compartment or channel containing the high pressure fluid is in thermal communication with the compartment or channel containing the low pressure fluid, such that heat is transferred from the high pressure fluid to the low pressure fluid. The IHX assembly acts as a structural member in the vehicle upon which one or more refrigerant components are mounted onto the flat structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Lawrence Wei, Mandar Ahir, Thomas Bruder
  • Patent number: 12083856
    Abstract: An integrated thermal management system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for a vehicle, including a cabin thermal management loop; an energy storage system thermal management loop; a power electronics thermal management loop; and a multi-port valve assembly coupled to the cabin thermal management loop, the energy storage system thermal management loop, and the power electronics thermal management loop, adapted to, responsive to an operating state of the vehicle, selectively isolate and couple the cabin thermal management loop, the energy storage system thermal management loop, and the power electronics thermal management loop from and to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Jing He, Henry Huang
  • Patent number: 12066219
    Abstract: A cooling system includes a refrigerant circulator which circulates a refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant circulator includes a first compressor configured to pressurize the refrigerant in gaseous state; a first cooler configured to cool the refrigerant pressurized by the first compressor; a first gas-liquid separator configured to separate the refrigerant cooled by the first cooler into a first refrigerant flow of a gas component and a second refrigerant flow of a liquid component; a second compressor configured to pressurize the first refrigerant flow; a second cooler configured to cool the first refrigerant flow pressurized by the second compressor; a second gas-liquid separator configured to separate the refrigerant cooled by the second cooler into a third refrigerant flow of a gas component and a fourth refrigerant flow of a liquid component; a first expansion member configured to decompress the fourth refrigerant flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG HEAVY IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae Yun Kim, Hyun Ki Park, Chul Woo Kim, Dong Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 12066254
    Abstract: A method of thermally protecting a leading edge of a hypersonic system includes saturating an annular primary wick in contact with an evaporator and having a first pore size with a phase change material by means of an annularly-inward secondary wick having a second pore size and being coupled to a liquid line, the second pore size being larger than the first, where a first end of the secondary wick extends into a reservoir and a second end of the secondary wick extends into the evaporator, the second end of the secondary wick having a terminal end. The method includes terminating the liquid line inside of the evaporator, transferring thermal energy from the leading edge into the phase change material, raising the temperature of the phase change material to a phase-change temperature, changing phase of the phase change material, and carrying away heat from the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jesse R. Maxwell, Robert W. Baldauff, Triem T. Hoang
  • Patent number: 12049122
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a heat pump cycle, a high-temperature heat medium circuit, and a low-temperature heat medium circuit. The low-temperature heat medium circuit includes a plurality of heat absorption devices configured to have a heat absorption amount to be absorbed by the low-temperature heat medium flowing out of a low-temperature heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger, and a heat absorption adjusting unit configured to change the heat absorption amount of the low-temperature heat medium in the respective heat absorption devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Miura, Hiroaki Kawano, Motohiro Yamaguchi, Kazuya Taniguchi, Yoshiki Kato, Masamichi Makihara, Takahiro Maeda, Kuniyoshi Tanioka, Toru Okamura, Naoya Makimoto
  • Patent number: 12044471
    Abstract: A method for operating a heat exchanger, in which a first operating mode is carried out in first time periods, and a second operating mode is carried out in second time periods that alternate with the first time periods; in the first operating mode a first fluid flow is formed at a first temperature, is fed into the heat exchanger in a first region at the first temperature, and is partially or completely cooled in the heat exchanger; in the first operating mode a second fluid flow is formed at a second temperature, is fed into the heat exchanger in a second region at the second temperature, and is partially or completely heated in the heat exchanger; and in the second operating mode the feeding of the first fluid flow and of the second fluid flow into the heat exchanger is partially or completely halted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Linde GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Lochner, Ralph Spöri, Reinhold Hölzl, Axel Lehmacher, Alexander Woitalka, Sven Schauder
  • Patent number: 12043090
    Abstract: An outdoor heat exchanger is installed in a refrigerant circuit and has a heat exchange core portion providing refrigerant flow paths different in a cooling operation and a heating operation. A flow path switching device switches the flow path of the refrigerant in the heat exchange core portion of the outdoor heat exchanger between a cooling mode flow path during the cooling operation and a heating mode flow path during the heating operation. The refrigerant flows down in one direction in the heating mode flow path. The refrigerant flows in one direction and then flows down in an opposite direction in the cooling mode flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsurou Kyuto
  • Patent number: 12030368
    Abstract: A compressor system for a vehicle comprising a vehicle internal combustion engine and a vehicle heating and cooling system. The compressor system comprising a compressor/motor generator defining a compressor motor/generator shaft, a compressor mechanically connected to the compressor motor/generator shaft; and a engine clutch mechanically connected to the compressor motor/generator shaft and to the vehicle internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Tiger Tool International Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael Andrews
  • Patent number: 12029008
    Abstract: A liquid-cooled heat sink has three parts: the water block, the X-clamp, and a copper plate. The water block has an inlet connected to a resin shell. Inside the shell, a fractal inlet manifold divides the inlet coolant flow into several sub streams that eventually exit in the form of uniformly distributed liquid jets through small nozzles/microjets at the bottom of the shell. The union between the shell and the copper plate forms a flood chamber, where the jets impinge on the copper plate, dissipating the heat supplied to the copper plate in contact with the heat source. The warm liquid is removed from the flood chamber through an outlet manifold embedded with the resin shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Bladimir Ramos Alvarado, Carlos Ulises Gonzalez Valle, Luis Enrique Paniagua Guerra, Jonathan Veli
  • Patent number: 12023989
    Abstract: A system includes heat generating components in a vehicle and a coolant flow path connected to the heat generating components. The system includes a coolant pump that circulates coolant through the coolant flow path and a reversing mechanism that reverses a direction of circulation of coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Pony Al Inc.
    Inventors: Luke Morrow, Robert Dingli
  • Patent number: 12017509
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes an accumulator having an inlet and an outlet, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a first coupling point. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet and an outlet. The low-pressure inlet is downstream of the outlet of the accumulator. The first heat exchanger includes an inlet and an outlet. The first coupling point is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the accumulator and immediately upstream of the low-pressure inlet of the compressor. The first coupling point is immediately downstream of the outlet of the first heat exchanger such that a first heat exchange fluid circulating through the refrigerant loop is directed to the low-pressure inlet of the compressor upon exiting the outlet of the first heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rachael Shey, Jeffrey Paul Brown, Loren John Lohmeyer, Manfred Koberstein
  • Patent number: 12011974
    Abstract: A gas injection-type heat management system includes a first refrigerant line along which a compressor, an inner condenser, a first expansion valve, and a flash tank are sequentially provided and through which a refrigerant flows, a second refrigerant line along which a second expansion valve and an evaporator are sequentially provided and the refrigerant flows from the flash tank and circulates to the compressor via the second expansion valve and the evaporator, a third refrigerant line configured such that the refrigerant discharged from the flash tank flows directly to the compressor and a heat absorber for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged from the inner condenser and the refrigerant discharged from the flash tank, and a controller for controlling whether to operate the compressor, whether to allow the refrigerant to flow and whether to expand the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Jong Won Kim
  • Patent number: 11987098
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a first heat exchanger, a first region of a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a fourth heat exchanger, a compressor, a vapor generator, an accumulator, a first expansion valve, and a first three-way valve. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet. The vapor generator is positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of both the low-pressure inlet and the mid-pressure inlet. The accumulator is positioned immediately upstream of the compressor. The accumulator includes an inlet and an outlet. The first expansion valve is positioned upstream of the accumulator. The first expansion valve includes an inlet and an outlet. The first three-way valve is positioned immediately downstream of the first expansion valve and immediately upstream of the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rachael Shey, Jeffrey Paul Brown
  • Patent number: 11988444
    Abstract: A domestic appliance, which may be a cooling device, such as a refrigerator, includes: a treatment chamber that can be closed by a pivotable door; at least one camera arranged in the door for recording images from the treatment chamber when the door is open; and a door movement sensor for detecting values of at least one parameter of a door movement. The door movement sensor has at least one inertial sensor. At least one camera and the at least one inertial sensor are integrated in a camera/sensor module which is arranged in the door. The camera/sensor module has a communication device, at least for outputting image data from the camera of the camera/sensor module. The domestic appliance is configured to trigger at least one device function upon the detection of at least one trigger value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Bihr, Hans Peter Werner, Christopher Rodney, Stephan Kempfle
  • Patent number: 11982463
    Abstract: An air conditioner indoor unit includes an electric control box, a cleaner device, and an electrical wire. The cleaner device includes a filter screen rail assembly and a cleaning assembly configured to drive a filter screen to move on the filter screen rail assembly to clean the filter screen. The cleaning assembly includes an electrical wire connection end. The electrical wire is arranged at the cleaning assembly and the filter screen rail assembly. One end of the electrical wire is connected to the electrical wire connection end, and another end of the electrical wire is connected to the electric control box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignees: GD MIDEA AIR-CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gen Lu, Xing Liu, Zecheng Sun, Shuyang Pi