Patents Examined by Marc Norman
  • Patent number: 10018371
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for incorporating manual changes to the setpoint for a thermostatic controller into long-term programming of the thermostatic controller. For example, one or more of the exemplary systems compares the actual setpoint at a given time for the thermostatic controller to an expected setpoint for the thermostatic controller in light of the scheduled programming. A determination is then made as to whether the actual setpoint and the expected setpoint are the same or different. Furthermore, a manual change to the actual setpoint for the thermostatic controller is compared to previously recorded setpoint data for the thermostatic controller. At least one rule is then applied for the interpretation of the manual change in light of the previously recorded setpoint data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: EcoFactor, Inc.
    Inventors: John Douglas Steinberg, Scott Douglas Hublou, Leo Cheung
  • Patent number: 10012429
    Abstract: A freezer structure (12) includes a floor structure (20), side walls (22) and a ceiling (24), each of which includes a substantially hollow inner or upper layer or zone (30) behind or beneath which is disposed an intermediate layer or zone (32) substantially filled with insulating filler material and a bottom or outer layer or zone (34) that is substantially hollow. A monitoring system (16) monitors the temperature, moisture level and pressure of a substantially dry gas circulating through the first layer or zone to maintain the first layer or zone in substantially dry condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Leprino Foods Company
    Inventors: Jeremiah C. O'Connor, Joshua Chun, Mark Cramer, Dennis Klakring
  • Patent number: 10006684
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for use in a vehicle includes at least one compressor, a condenser disposed downstream of the at least one compressor and a plurality of evaporators disposed downstream of the condenser with first and second evaporators fluidly coupled to each other in parallel. The at least one compressor, the condenser, and the plurality of evaporators are fluidly connected by refrigerant lines to form a refrigerant circuit. The air conditioning system also includes a plurality of shut-off valves, with one shut-off valve installed at a refrigerant inlet and another shut-off valve installed at a refrigerant outlet of the first evaporator. The shut-off valves are controlled to prevent undesired collection of refrigerant in the first evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Bergstrom, Inc.
    Inventors: Brett S. Connell, Brett J. Herrmann, Terry Zeigler
  • Patent number: 10006552
    Abstract: A valve for saving water and energy in a shower uses a wax motor as an actuator. Below the activation temperature of the wax motor, the valve is open and the shower water flows. When the water reaches the activation temperature, the piston of the wax motor extends and turns off the water in the shower. The person taking the shower then can restore flow by turning a handle. The shower can then be turned off and on at will by turning the handle manually. When the valves cools down, it resets automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Inventor: Edward Herbert
  • Patent number: 10001294
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus prevents a compressor from not starting for a long time when an actual air conditioning load is low or when exhaust heat from heat-generating devices in an air-conditioned indoor space is not returned to an indoor unit, and reduces the number of times the compressor is started and stopped. The air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit sequentially annularly connecting the compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a use-side heat exchanger, a blowing temperature sensor detecting a blowing temperature of air brown into the air-conditioned indoor space after passing through the use-side heat exchanger in the indoor unit including the use-side heat exchanger, and a compressor control unit performing thermo-on and thermo-off controls to start and stop the compressor, to approximate the blowing temperature detected by the blowing temperature sensor to a preset temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kawai, Yuki Mochizuki, Yusuke Koyama
  • Patent number: 10001309
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus can suppress occurrence of disproportionation (an autolytic reaction) when HFO1123 refrigerant or a refrigerant mixture containing HFO1123 is applied. The air-conditioning apparatus includes a controller controlling at least one of an operation frequency of a compressor, an opening degree of an expansion valve, and an air amount of a fan sending air to a heat-source-side heat exchanger so that a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor do not exceed threshold values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kosuke Tanaka, Hiroaki Makino
  • Patent number: 9995497
    Abstract: An Electronically-Controlled Register vent (ECRV) that can be easily installed by a homeowner or general handyman is disclosed. The ECRV can be used to convert a non-zoned HVAC system into a zoned system. The ECRV can also be used in connection with a conventional zoned HVAC system to provide additional control and additional zones not provided by the conventional zoned HVAC system. In one embodiment, the ECRV is configured have a size and form-factor that conforms to a standard manually-controlled register vent. In one embodiment, a zone thermostat is configured to provide thermostat information to the ECRV. In one embodiment, the zone thermostat communicates with a central monitoring system that coordinates operation of the heating and cooling zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence Kates
  • Patent number: 9995493
    Abstract: An efficient fan controller for Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems including at least one electrical signal input from thermostat or equipment control terminals with a microprocessor to control a switching device connected to a signal output to control a fan relay and operate a system fan. The microprocessor is configured to monitor a thermostat call for cooling/heating duration and determine a variable fan-off delay based on the cooling cycle or heating cycle duration, and at an end of a cooling/heating cycle energize the fan relay to operate the system fan for the variable fan-off delay. The fan controller can include a heat pump detection signal input and electrical signal inputs to connect to a thermostat heat terminal, heat pump reversing valve terminal, or compressor terminal. The fan controller can also include a normally-closed relay connected to the switching device to maintain continuity between the fan signal input and output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Inventors: Robert J. Mowris, John Walsh
  • Patent number: 9989288
    Abstract: The present invention provides a control system for managing lubricant levels in tandem compressor assemblies of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. In transitioning from a partial load that operates a first compressor but not a second compressor of a tandem assembly to a full load that operates both the first and the second compressor, a controller of the HVAC system turns OFF both compressors of the tandem compressor assembly to allow time for lubricant levels to equalize between the first and the second compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Aylan Him, Der-Kai Hung, David Mackey, Lin Hong
  • Patent number: 9989274
    Abstract: An HVAC controller may include a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly releasably securable to the first sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly may include a housing having the back and a cover, a printed circuit board at least substantially enclosed by the housing, a battery compartment formed in the back of the housing for receiving one or more batteries, and a display exposed for viewing through an aperture in the cover of the housing for viewing the display by a user. The printed circuit board may include one or more battery terminals that extend from the printed circuit board through the back of the housing and into the battery compartment. In some cases, the battery compartment may define a cup-shaped reservoir that may be configured to collect leakage from one or more of the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Josef Novotny, Tomas Losak, Eugene J. Takach
  • Patent number: 9981525
    Abstract: A heater core is disposed to be inclined with respect to an airflow direction so that a first header tank unit is displaced downstream of a second header tank unit in the airflow direction. Therefore, when a first air mixing door blocks a first heating portion, an air stagnates between a downstream lateral portion of the first heating portion and a second partition wall downstream of the first heating portion, and the air is unlikely to be heated downstream of the first heating portion. Likewise, the air is unlikely to be heated upstream of a second heating portion in a second airflow passage. Therefore, a maximum cooling performance of a vehicle air conditioning unit can be restrained from being deteriorated due to a heat from a heater core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sekito, Syunsuke Ishiguro, Shinya Kato
  • Patent number: 9982905
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing the usage of a ventilation system. For example, one or more of the exemplary systems comprise a thermostatic controller that has at least two settings for the delay occurring between turning the ventilation system off and then turning the system back on. One setting being for a first interval and at least a second setting for a second interval that is longer than the first interval. A processor is in communication with the thermostatic controller and is configured to evaluate one or more parameters including at least the temperature outside the structure conditioned by the ventilation system. The processor is further configured to determine whether to adopt the first interval or the second interval based upon the values of the parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: EcoFactor, Inc.
    Inventor: John Douglas Steinberg
  • Patent number: 9975404
    Abstract: A vehicle power adjusting device, applied in auxiliary dynamic loads on a vehicle comprises a control chip, a temperature sensor, a speed detecting wire, and a relay; when the power for starting the vehicle is insufficient, auxiliary dynamic load is closed to release power, such that the power for starting is sufficient, so as to decrease the accelerating time, reduce toxic emission and enable the auxiliary dynamic load by using the surplus power during the cruising vehicle and the wasted power during the decelerating vehicle, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the energy consumption, having powerful starting, completing combustion, reducing exhaust gas, and also saving fuel, reducing carbon emission and protecting environment effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ATALI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Jui-Hsuan Lu
  • Patent number: 9964328
    Abstract: A thermostat includes a housing, a touch-sensitive display configured to display visual media and receive user inputs, and processing electronics configured to operate the touch-sensitive display. The housing includes a base and a display mount. The base includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall connecting the top wall to the bottom wall, a first side wall connecting the top wall to the bottom wall, and a second side wall connecting the top wall to the bottom wall. The top wall, the bottom wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall define an internal volume. The display mount is cantilevered upward from the top wall and includes a mounting surface perpendicular to the top wall of the base. The housing is not opaque. The display is attached to the mounting surface and is not opaque. The processing electronics are positioned within the interior volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Ribbich, Vinosh C. Diptee, Juilio A. Abdala, Claudio Santiago Ribeiro, Charles J. Gaidish, Michael F. Kornacki, John P. Cipolla, Sudhi Sinha, Michael L. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 9958169
    Abstract: A ground source heat pump integrated controller includes a main module that has pre-integrated multiple main machines, pumps and valves according to the rated load of the main module, and a number of extended modules that have pre-integrated multiple main machines, pumps and valves according to a rated load of the extended modules. The main module and extended modules both are provided with a plurality of analog contacts and digital contacts, and the extended modules are connected, via the analog and digital contacts, to the main module according to the rated load of the ground source heat pump system. The advantage of the ground source heat pump integrated controller lies in that after system load is calculated according to floor area, multiple extended modules are connected to one main module, which increases the capacity of the main module and thus meets the requirement of system load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: BEIJING HECHUANG SANZEN ENERGY TECH. STOCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: HongXia Li, BaoXiang Chen
  • Patent number: 9957970
    Abstract: To achieve energy saving in the cooling towers as a whole in a heat source system including a plurality of cooling towers connected in parallel to a common chiller. In a heat source system, a plurality of cooling towers are connected in parallel to a common chiller. The cooling towers cool cooling water used and thereby heated in the chiller, and supplies the cooled cooling water to the chiller. A cooling tower control device for controlling the cooling towers starts all the cooling towers at the start of the heat source system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Koki Tateishi, Satoshi Nikaido, Minoru Matsuo, Toshiaki Ouchi
  • Patent number: 9956847
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning apparatus is provided that can prevent temperature variations of the air after the heat exchange in a radiator to reliably control the temperature of the air supplied to the vehicle interior. During the heating operation and the heating and dehumidifying operation, target degree of supercooling SCt when target air-blowing temperature TAO is a predetermined temperature or higher is set to SCt1 that is greater than SCt2 when the target air-blowing temperature TAO is lower than the predetermined temperature. When amount of air Ga supplied from indoor fan 12 is lower than a predetermined value, the target degree of supercooling SCt is corrected, which is set such that the degree of supercooling is lower than target degree of supercooling corrected when the amount of air Ga supplied from the indoor fan 12 is a predetermined value or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Suzuki, Atsuo Inoue, Hidenori Takei
  • Patent number: 9951968
    Abstract: An HVAC controller may include a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly releasably securable to the first sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly may include a housing having the back and a cover, a printed circuit board at least substantially enclosed by the housing, a battery compartment formed in the back of the housing for receiving one or more batteries, and a display exposed for viewing through an aperture in the cover of the housing for viewing the display by a user. The printed circuit board may include one or more battery terminals that extend from the printed circuit board through the back of the housing and into the battery compartment. In some cases, the battery compartment may define a cup-shaped reservoir that may be configured to collect leakage from one or more of the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Josef Novotny, Tomas Losak, Eugene J. Takach
  • Patent number: 9951984
    Abstract: A refrigeration system including a first compressor and a second compressor, operating in tandem, wherein the first compressor includes a compression capacity different than the compression capacity of the second compressor. A method for operating a refrigeration system including a first compressor and a second compressor operating in tandem; wherein the first compressor comprises a first compression capacity and the second compressor comprises a second compression capacity larger than the first compression capacity the method comprising the steps of: determining a cooling demand; operating the first compressor in a first stage of cooling; operating the second compressor in a second stage of cooling; and operating the first compressor and the second compressor in a third stage of cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: James J. Del Toro, James E. Harris, Marco A Quiroz, Benjamen D. Baker, Andrew M Ramser
  • Patent number: 9944151
    Abstract: There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioner capable of preventing or inhibiting deterioration of a vehicle interior heating capability which is caused by frost formation to an outdoor heat exchanger. The vehicle air conditioner includes a compressor 2, an air flow passage 3, a radiator 4, a heat absorber 9, and an outdoor heat exchanger 7, and executes a heating mode in which a refrigerant discharged from the compressor radiates heat in the radiator, is decompressed and then absorbs heat in the outdoor heat exchanger. The vehicle air conditioner includes an accumulator 12 disposed on a suction side of the compressor, and a bypass circuit 24B disposed from a refrigerant outlet side of the radiator to an inlet side of the accumulator. A controller has a mode in which the refrigerant flowing out from the radiator is passed through the bypass circuit, does not flow through the outdoor heat exchanger, but flows into the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Sanden Holdings Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Suzuki