Patents Examined by Marc E. Norman
  • Patent number: 11707968
    Abstract: A thermal request mediating device includes a calculation unit configured to calculate amounts of heat for thermal circuits, a mediation unit configured to determine amounts of absorbed heat or amounts of discharged heat which are allocated to the thermal circuits based on amounts of heat transferable between the thermal circuits, and a distribution unit configured to distribute amounts of absorbed heat or amounts of discharged heat to units which are included in each thermal circuit based on the determined amounts of absorbed heat or amounts of discharged heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryuichi Wada, Tatsuya Masuhisa
  • Patent number: 11701948
    Abstract: Inserts for the air-conditioning of a vehicle and methods for forming same are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the insert includes a spacer material part. The spacer material part includes an open region extending from a top side to an opposite underside, the open region forming an air-guiding structure. The spacer material part is covered by at least one cover layer on at least one of the top side and the underside. The open areas of the air-guiding structure include a plurality of ducts connected to one another to form a net-like duct structure. The duct structure forms flow regions or flow zones. A cover layer has at least one perforation in the region of connection or intersection points of the ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: I.G. BAUERHIN GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Bauer, Max-Florian Wolf
  • Patent number: 11701949
    Abstract: A system for humidifying a vehicle that is a fuel cell electric vehicle includes a fuel cell stack for producing electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, a water supply tank for storing water generated during electricity generation in the fuel cell stack, a HVAC apparatus for humidifying an interior of the vehicle using the water supplied from the water supply tank, a heater for generating steam by heating the water supplied from the water supply tank, and supplying the steam to the HVAC apparatus, and a controller that determines an operation mode of the system based on at least one of a vehicle state, a HVAC apparatus state, or an indoor temperature of the vehicle, and controls at least one of the HVAC apparatus or the heater based on the determined operation mode to control indoor humidification of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Seong Bin Jeong, Albert Biermann, Moo Sang Kim, Tae Hun Jung
  • Patent number: 11697323
    Abstract: A fogging suppression apparatus that suppresses fogging of a window of vehicle, comprises an acquisition unit that acquires an external temperature of the vehicle, a heater that heats the window, the heater differing from an air conditioning apparatus including a blower provided in the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the heater so as to heat the window when the external temperature of the vehicle is lower than or equal to a predetermined temperature and there is a request for activation of the air conditioning apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tashiro, Shintaro Ohtaki, Tatsunori Kobayashi, Nobuharu Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 11692726
    Abstract: A controller of an HVAC system is communicatively coupled to a liquid-side sensor and a shutoff switch. The controller stores measurements of a liquid-side property over an initial period of time. The controller detects that the shutoff switch is tripped at a first time stamp corresponding to an end of the initial period of time. The controller accesses the measurements of the liquid-side property. The controller determines, based on the measurements of the liquid-side property, that the liquid-side property has a decreasing trend. In response to determining that the liquid-side property has the decreasing trend, a malfunction of a blower of the system is determined to have caused the shutoff switch to trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Amita Brahme, Umesh Gokhale
  • Patent number: 11691475
    Abstract: A recreational vehicle air conditioner and methods of operating a recreational vehicle air conditioner are provided. The recreational vehicle air conditioner may be configured for, and the method may include, receiving a mode selection input comprising one of a thermostat mode and a direct control mode. The recreational vehicle air conditioner may further be configured for, and the method may further include, operating the recreational vehicle air conditioner independently of an external display device when the mode selection input is thermostat mode and operating the recreational vehicle air conditioner in response to one or more commands from the external display device when the mode selection input is direct control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Dustin Henderson, Tal Abraham Ohayon
  • Patent number: 11692717
    Abstract: A hydronic floor heating system as it relates to an HVAC apparatus, approach and system. Aspects of the present system and approach may include a radiant floor optimization mode, low floor temperature in vacation mode, modifying a 300 Hz, or so, reading principle base on implementation of Pseudo-random jittering of a reading event improving short-term accuracy of the individual readings, and a combination of hardware and software filters for using thermal sensors with extended cable length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ademco Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Adamek, Leos Mrazek, Jan Vomocil, Jiri Crhonek, Jan Vozenilek, Jiri Sapak, Oto Meran, Michal Sicner, Jaromir Cechak, Roman Cervinka, Daniel Becvar
  • Patent number: 11685230
    Abstract: A flap stopper for a rotatable flap for controlling an air flow may include a round bearing support disc, a round stopper support disc, stop elements, and connecting ribs. The stopper support disc may be spaced apart from the bearing support disc in an axial direction. The stop elements may be arranged on the stopper support disc. The connecting ribs may be arranged between the bearing support disc and the stopper support disc. The bearing support disc, the stopper support disc, the stop elements, and the connecting ribs may be formed as an integral plastic injection-molded part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Inventors: Marc Fraas, Michael Komowski, Holger Laux
  • Patent number: 11685234
    Abstract: A control system includes a refrigerant recovery module and at least one of a valve control module and a compressor control module. The refrigerant recovery module is configured to generate a refrigerant recovery signal to initiate a recovery of refrigerant from a first heat exchanger of a thermal system for an electric vehicle, and to stop the refrigerant recovery based on a temperature of refrigerant circulating through the first heat exchanger. The valve control module is configured to open a first valve to allow refrigerant to flow through the first heat exchanger in response to the refrigerant recovery signal. The compressor control module is configured to increase a speed of a compressor disposed upstream from the first heat exchanger in response to the refrigerant recovery signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Devin C. Richardson, Cameron Paul Smith, Anthony James Donatelli, Nathan John English, Tanay Kalpej Patel
  • Patent number: 11680717
    Abstract: A workstation cooling system includes a radiant panel configured to be disposed in a workstation. The workstation cooling system also includes a water supply conduit configured to provide a cooling water flow to an inlet of the radiant panel and a water return conduit configured to receive the cooling water flow from an outlet of the radiant panel. The workstation cooling system additionally includes a control valve configured to receive control signals to adjust the cooling water flow provided to the radiant panel to enable the radiant panel to absorb heat to maintain a target temperature of the workstation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventor: John Andrew Weems
  • Patent number: 11673452
    Abstract: The oven for the transport of food, installable in particular on motorcycles or the like, comprises a container securable to a motorcycle and having an inner chamber for the housing of food, an heating heat exchanger associated with the container and adapted to heat the air in the inner chamber, in which the heating heat exchanger has an inlet duct connectable to a scavenging system of the exhaust gases of the motorcycle and an outlet duct of the exhaust gases, and a dehumidifying heat exchanger associated with the container and adapted to dehumidify the air in the inner chamber, in which the dehumidifying heat exchanger comprises a cooling portion adapted to be hit by an air flow external to the container during the transit of the motorcycle, and a dehumidification portion positioned internally to the container and adapted to condense the water vapor present in the inner chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Beyond Engineering S.r.l.
    Inventors: Anthony Byron Prada, Claudio Joel Giovini, Domenico Palladino, Marco Caputo
  • Patent number: 11660559
    Abstract: A method to predict the lifespan of an air filter including providing pressure sensors in a device having an air filter and a fan to drive air through the air filter, one pressure sensor located on an intake side of the fan and one pressure sensor located on an outflow side of the fan, periodically calculating a static pressure drop across the fan, storing the static pressure drop daily; calculating an average pressure drop, calculating a cumulative particle loading on the filter, comparing the cumulative particle loading with a pre-determined maximum particle loading for the filter, and determining if the filter needs to be changed is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Vitality Ventures HK Company Limited
    Inventors: Grant Prigge, Yordan Konstantinov Kralev
  • Patent number: 11662112
    Abstract: An HVAC system includes a reversing valve configured to receive compressed refrigerant and direct the refrigerant based on an operating mode. One or more suction-side sensors measure suction-side properties associated with refrigerant, including a suction-side temperature and a suction-side pressure. One or more liquid-side sensors measure liquid-side properties associated with the refrigerant. A controller monitors the suction-side pressure and liquid-side pressure and determines a ratio of the liquid-side pressure to the suction-side pressure. The controller further determines whether the suction-side temperature has an increasing trend. If the suction-side temperature has the increasing trend, the reversing valve is determined to be in an equalizing configuration. The equalizing configuration corresponds to a configuration in which the refrigerant provided from the outlet of the compressor is directed to the inlet of the compressor without first being directed to other components of the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Amita Brahme, Umesh Gokhale
  • Patent number: 11662116
    Abstract: A ventilator (1) includes: an air supply fan (2) to supply outdoor air to a room; an air exhaust fan (3) to exhaust indoor air, out of the room; and a total heat exchanger (4) which is made with partition boards (41) being moisture-permeable flat parts and with spacer boards (42) being corrugated parts, the partition boards and the spacer boards being alternately stacked, the total heat exchanger exchanging heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air; and thereby suppresses ice formation. The ventilator (1) includes: an indoor temperature sensor (7); an indoor humidity sensor (8); an outdoor temperature sensor (6); and a control unit (5) to control operation of the air supply fan (2) and the air exhaust fan (3) on a basis of at least one state quantity estimated by substituting the indoor air temperature, the indoor air humidity, and the outdoor air temperature in a total heat exchanger model formula (51a) representing characteristics of the total heat exchanger (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mio Motodani, Hiroyuki Waku
  • Patent number: 11654750
    Abstract: A control device includes a control unit and a communication unit. The control unit is configured to calculate a set value that is the set value of an air conditioner provided in the destination facility of a vehicle and is to be used by the occupants of the vehicle, based on information on the air conditioning environment in the vehicle and is configured to send the calculated set value of the air conditioner to a predetermined sending destination via the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki Uenoyama, Koichi Suzuki, Ryo Kamimura, Daisuke Nakata, Yuki Tatsumoto, Yusuke Futakuchi
  • Patent number: 11654741
    Abstract: A cargo packaging system for a mobility vehicle may include a housing mounted on the mobility vehicle; a plurality of air cushions provided at a plurality of positions on an internal surface of the housing, and applying a pressure to and cushioning the cargo accommodated in the housing in a plurality of directions during expansion thereof; an air charging part connected to the plurality of air cushions and configured for injecting gas into each air cushion of the housing and controlling a flow rate or a pressure of the injected gas; and an outlet controlled by the air charging part and discharging the gas injected into each air cushion to the outside of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Kye Yoon Kim, Choung Hyoung Kim
  • Patent number: 11648822
    Abstract: A heat management device may include: a first heat circuit in which first heat medium circulates; a second heat circuit in which second heat medium circulates; a first radiator disposed in the first heat circuit; a second radiator disposed in the second heat circuit; and vehicle equipment exchanging heat with the first heat medium. The first and the second radiator may be disposed such that the first heat medium and the second heat medium are able to exchange heat with each other, the first heat medium may be heated by heat exchange between the first and the second heat medium in a case where a temperature of the second heat medium flowing into the second radiator is higher than a temperature of the first heat medium flowing into the first radiator, and the first heat medium heats the vehicle equipment by exchanging heat with the vehicle equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshio Hasegawa, Hiroki Tashiro, Makoto Ikegami
  • Patent number: 11650608
    Abstract: A smart-home device may include an energy-storage element that stores energy harvested from an environmental system; a power wire connector and a return wire connector; and switching elements configured to operate in a first state where the switching elements create a connection between the power and the return; and a second state where the switching elements interrupt the connection between the power and return. The smart-home device may also include a circuit that controls the switching elements, where the circuit is configured to detect a zero-crossing of a current received through the power wire connector; wait for a first time interval after the zero-crossing is detected; after an expiration of the first time interval, enable active power stealing for a second time interval; and after an expiration of the second time interval, disable active power stealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Adam Warren, Michael Mitchell
  • Patent number: 11644208
    Abstract: An air conditioner and a method for detecting an incorrectly connected pipe in an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may detect an incorrectly connected pipe by performing a serial pipe inspection when three or less indoor units are connected to an outdoor unit through pipes and performing a group pipe inspection when four or more indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit through the pipes. The structure may enable detecting the incorrectly connected pipe among pipes connecting the outdoor unit to the indoor units within a shorter time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Min Suk Kwak, Gilun Hwang
  • Patent number: 11644199
    Abstract: A central controller for controlling power consumption in a thermal energy system is disclosed, the energy system may include a plurality of heat pump assemblies and a plurality of cooling machine assemblies, each heat pump assembly being connected to a thermal energy circuit comprising a hot conduit and a cold conduit via a thermal heating circuit inlet connected to the hot conduit and via a thermal heating circuit outlet connected to the cold conduit, each cooling machine assembly being connected to the thermal energy circuit via a thermal cooling circuit inlet connected to the cold conduit and via a thermal cooling circuit outlet connected to the hot conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: E.ON SVERIGE AB
    Inventors: Per Rosén, Jacob Skogström, Helen Carlström, Bengt Lindoff