Patents Examined by Marc Norman
  • Patent number: 9568207
    Abstract: An HVAC actuator may include a rotatable output shaft, a drive mechanism configured to selectively drive the output shaft, two or more wiring terminals, and a removable blocking tab configured to block wire attachment to at least one of the two or more wiring terminals. When the removable tab is removed, wire attachment to the previously blocked at least one wire terminals may no longer blocked. The removable block tab may be a break-away tab. The HVAC actuator may include a housing enclosing the drive mechanism, and the break-away tab may be integral to the housing. In some instances, the removable tab, once removed, is not configured to be reattached, but this is not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Du, Kevin Graebel, Bin Wang, Stephane Joseph Pierre Beland, David J. Emmons
  • Patent number: 9565783
    Abstract: Modular data centers with modular components suitable for use with rack or shelf mount computing systems, for example, are disclosed. The modular center generally includes a modular computing module including an intermodal shipping container and computing systems mounted within the container and configured to be shipped and operated within the container and a temperature control system for maintaining the air temperature surrounding the computing systems. The intermodal shipping container may be configured in accordance to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) container manufacturing standards or otherwise configured with respect to height, length, width, weight, and/or lifting points of the container for transport via an intermodal transport infrastructure. The modular design enables the modules to be cost effectively built at a factory and easily transported to and deployed at a data center site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: William H. Whitted, Gerald Aigner
  • Patent number: 9565786
    Abstract: A sheet-like heat pipe for a heat-generating element, which is intended to make an electronic device more compact, more lightweight, and thinner, while also reducing costs, is provided. A sheet-like heat pipe (10) of the present invention includes a container (17) in which the peripheries of the sheet-like members (11, 12) disposed facing each other are bonded to form a cavity inside, and a working liquid which is enclosed in a cavity (15) of the container (17). At least one of the sheet-like members (11, 12) disposed facing each other is formed with protruding pieces (12A, 12B) which project outwards from the bonded part with the other sheet-like member and have a spring structure which causes the container (17) to elastically abut a heat-generating element (5) of an electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Aoki, Masami Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9551537
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for use in a contact group of a sulfuric acid plant includes a chamber in which a tube bundle is arranged on a circular ring. A gas space is formed between the tube bundle and a chamber casing surrounding the tube bundle. A gas supply opening is provided in the chamber casing and is configured to introduce a gas into the gas space substantially radially to the tube bundle. A gas outlet opening adjoins an interior space enclosed by the tube bundle in a substantially axial direction. A center of the tube bundle is offset with respect to a center of the chamber casing in a direction opposite to the gas supply opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: OUTOTEC OYJ
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Daum, Hannes Storch, Wolfram Schalk
  • Patent number: 9551501
    Abstract: An auto changeover mechanism for a thermostat. A heat and cool mode auto changeover with single or crossed setpoints may be an approach for doing a single setpoint auto changeover, an approach that can handle auto changeover with separate heat and cool setpoints that do not require the cool setpoint to always be higher than the heat setpoint, and also an approach that does not necessarily require a dead band between the setpoints. A hysteresis may be associated with switching to the other mode. The thermostat having the auto changeover mechanism may have a display of a mode that automatically changes between heat and cool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Schnell, Steven C. Nichols
  • Patent number: 9551518
    Abstract: A first expansion valve is provided in a first refrigerant circulation passage through which the refrigerant discharged from a compressor is able to circulate by passing sequentially through an external heat exchanger and an evaporator and returning to the compressor. A second expansion valve is provided in a second refrigerant circulation passage through which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is able to circulate by passing sequentially through an auxiliary condenser and the external heat exchanger and returning to the compressor. The second expansion valve regulates the valve opening degree such that the refrigerant state at an inlet side of the compressor during a heating operation is in a range where the dryness of refrigerant is greater than or equal to 0.9 and the superheat of refrigerant is less than or equal to 5° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: TGK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Hayakawa, Akihiko Yamamoto, Ryouta Sugamura, Masaaki Tonegawa, Toshiyuki Shiota, Shinji Saeki, Takeshi Kaneko, Takanao Kumakura
  • Patent number: 9546808
    Abstract: In a refrigeration appliance, particularly a household refrigeration appliance, having a storage space for cooled material, at least one passage for the flow of air into and out of the storage space is formed in a wall delimiting the storage space. A fan drives an air flow. A moveable closure element between the fan and the storage space is arranged at the passage, which closure element in the open position allows a flow of air driven by said fan to circulate in the storage space and in the closed position guides the flow of air driven by the fan through a duct running along one outer side of a wall of the storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Astrid Klingshirn, Immanuel Ring, Markus Spielmannleitner
  • Patent number: 9549486
    Abstract: A raised bodied vapor chamber structure is disclosed and includes a main body and a working fluid. The main body has a condensation section and an evaporation section and a chamber. The condensation section and the evaporation section are respectively disposed on two sides of the chamber. The evaporation section has a first face and a second face. A raised section is formed on the first face. The working fluid is filled in the chamber. The raised section is formed by means of mechanical processing as a support structure for enhancing the structural strength of the vapor chamber structure. The vapor chamber structure is manufactured at a much lower cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsiu-Wei Yang
  • Patent number: 9546807
    Abstract: In various implementations, an air conditioner may include one or more compressors, more than one expansion device, and/or a microchannel condenser. High pressure events may occur during operation of the air conditioner and may be identified. When a high pressure event is identified a bypass operation may be allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Goel, Thomas Pate
  • Patent number: 9541208
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a check valve that includes a valve body having a bore and a seat along the bore, a fluid inlet at a first end of the bore, and a fluid outlet a second end of the bore, a stopper selectively movable along the bore to contact the seat, the bore being occluded when the stopper is in contact with the seat, a first bias member on a first side of the stopper within the bore, the first bias member providing a first bias force upon the stopper in a first direction, and a second bias member on a second side of the stopper within the bore, the second side being opposite the first side, the second bias member providing a second bias force upon the stopper in a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventor: Casey Michael Mulder
  • Patent number: 9541972
    Abstract: A card control unit for controlling a line card includes a detecting section, a collecting section, and an estimating section. The detecting section detects mounting of a module into a mounting port in the communication card equipped with multiple cages that each have a mounting port into which a module is removably mounted. When mounting of a module has been detected, the collecting section collects an environmental temperature around a mounting port into which the module has been mounted, a power consumption and specified temperature of the module, and thermal resistance information of a cage mounted with the module. The estimating section estimates an environmental temperature after activation of the module on the basis of the collected environmental temperature, power consumption, specified temperature, and thermal resistance information before the module of which the mounting has been detected is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hiroshi Iizuka
  • Patent number: 9533545
    Abstract: An electric vehicle thermal management system includes a dynamic heat dissipating unit, an air conditioner unit, a heat exchange unit, and a control unit. The heat exchange unit is connected to the dynamic heat dissipating unit and the air conditioner unit for transferring heat therebetween. The control unit adjusts the flow rate of a coolant in the dynamic heat dissipating unit for controlling and adjusting the heat dissipating ability of the dynamic heat dissipating unit to meet the heat dissipation of the system, thereby improving distribution and management of heat energy in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Automotive Research & Testing Center
    Inventors: Liang-Cheng Chang, Hong-Chi Wang, Chih-Jung Yeh, Shih-Jung Ho
  • Patent number: 9534798
    Abstract: A coupled air-conditioning device including a dehumidification system and a vapor compression-type refrigeration system which are connected through a pipeline. The vapor compression-type refrigeration system is a closed circuit including an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve. The dehumidification system includes a desiccant-wheel with a regeneration area and a processing area, a processing air blower, a regeneration air blower and an electric motor driving the desiccant-wheel to rotate. The processing air blower and the regeneration air blower are provided with an exhaust port. The condenser includes a phase-change condensation heat exchanger and a refrigerant gas cooler. The refrigerant gas cooler operates to cool the overheated refrigerant discharged from the compressor into a saturated refrigerant in gas state, employing a structural form of a tube-fin heat exchanger comprising a heat exchange tube and a fin piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Inventor: Jun Ma
  • Patent number: 9534805
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for controlling fan-only cooling. A first phase of a first cooling cycle may be initiated in an enclosure using an air conditioning system having a compressor and a fan that passes air over an evaporator coil. The first phase may include activation of the compressor and activation of the fan. A relative humidity may be measured within the enclosure during the first phase of the first cooling cycle. Subsequent to the first phase and in response to the relative humidity being determined to be below a threshold relative humidity, a second phase of the first cooling cycle may be initiated during which the fan is activated but the compressor is not activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Yoky Matsuoka, Mark D. Stefanski, David Sloo
  • Patent number: 9528727
    Abstract: A method to control a fixed-sequence dual evaporator cooling system including providing a recurring cooling cycle cooling system wherein each recurring cooling cycle comprises first and second cooling cycles for cooling respective first and second interiors, a pump-out cycle for returning coolant to a condenser, and an idle cycle, and providing a processor to establish exceptions to the recurring cooling cycle. A step includes the processor monitoring first and second actual temperatures of the respective first and second interiors, selecting predetermined first and second control temperatures for the respective first and second interiors, and selecting a command input signal to supply to a compressor, the condenser fan, the first and second evaporator fans, and the valve of the cooling system during the recurring cooling cycle based upon the first and second actual temperatures and the predetermined first and second control temperatures to initiate the established exceptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alberto R. Gomes, Andrew D. Litch
  • Patent number: 9528728
    Abstract: A parallel magnetic refrigerator assembly, includes at least two magnetocaloric stages arranged in parallel connection, each having in use a cold side and a hot side; each magnetocaloric stage including hot and cold side heat exchange circuit for carrying a heat exchange fluid to respectively receive and transfer heat from the magnetocaloric stages; wherein the hot and cold side heat exchange circuit are configured such that in use a heat exchange fluid passes in thermal contact with the respective hot and cold sides of both magnetocaloric stages. The magnetocaloric stages have substantially the same temperature spans but different cold end and hot end temperatures. In this way the device temperature span may be substantially larger than the individual temperature span of each magnetocaloric stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK
    Inventors: Anders Smith, Christian R. H. Bahl, Nini Pryds
  • Patent number: 9528628
    Abstract: Disclosed are a thermo bypass valve and a method for detecting a failure of the thermo bypass valve. The thermo bypass valve is configured to include a valve body configured to make an outlet passage and a bypass passage communicate with an inlet passage within an inner space of the valve body, a piston assembly disposed in the inner space of the valve body and have a thermal expansion material received in the piston assembly, and an elastic member disposed between the piston assembly and an inner surface of the valve body. Thus, the thermo bypass valve and the method of the present invention are capable of radically preventing oil from overheating at the time of the failure of a valve due to the leak of the thermal expansion material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: One Vai Kim
  • Patent number: 9528717
    Abstract: An extended run time device for extending the time that a compressor-based heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system runs so as to increase energy efficiency of the HVAC system. The extended run time device includes a sensing circuit, a switching device and a processor. Based upon a signal from the sensing circuit, the processor causes the switching device to transmit a proxy control signal to the compressor, thereby causing power to the compressor to be maintained for a time period longer than a time period requested by the temperature control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventors: Joseph E. Childs, Roger W. Rognli, Robert J. Cox, Brock Simonson
  • Patent number: 9528713
    Abstract: A combined hot water supply and air-conditioning device heat source even in a case where the outside air temperature is high such as in summertime. In heating operation, a combined hot water supply and air-conditioning device controls the capacity of a heat source unit-side heat exchanger equipped to a heat source unit to thereby achieve a balance between the load of the heat source unit, and the total load of indoor units and a hot water supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Koge, Tomokazu Kawagoe
  • Patent number: 9523525
    Abstract: A refrigerating device includes a refrigerant circuit, a temperature detecting unit, a protection control section, and a determination temperature modifying section. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor to compress a refrigerant. The temperature detecting section detects a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor on an outside of the compressor. The protection control section performs protection control of the compressor in a case where a detection temperature detected by the temperature detecting section exceeds a determination temperature. The determination temperature modifying section modifies the determination temperature according to at least one of information on an outside air temperature and information on a type of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Nakai, Daisuke Toyoda