Patents Examined by Melvin Jones
  • Patent number: 10001116
    Abstract: In a sealed compressor, electrically-operated element (104) and compressive element (106) driven by electrically-operated element (104) are housed in the inside of sealed container (102). Compressive element (106) includes shaft (126) formed of main shaft (136) and eccentric shaft (134), and cylinder block (128) having; bearing (144) which pivotally supports main shaft (136) of shaft (126); and cylinder (142). Further, the compressive element (106) includes piston (130) which is movable in the cylinder (142) in a reciprocating manner, and connecting portion (132) which connects eccentric shaft (134) and piston (130) to each other. Electrically-operated element (104) is formed of an outer-rotor-type motor which includes stator (150), and rotor (152) which is disposed coaxially with stator (150) so as to surround an outer periphery of stator (150).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Seigo Yanase
  • Patent number: 10000109
    Abstract: Air conditioning systems and methods for a vehicle having a start-stop engine system. The systems and methods cool the vehicle's passenger cabin when the vehicle's engine and air conditioning compressor are off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventor: Adam Gilley
  • Patent number: 9995516
    Abstract: A superheat control utilizes a sensor at a location downstream of an evaporator after some heat is delivered to the refrigerant. In one embodiment, the compressor is a sealed compressor with at least a portion of the refrigerant being heated by an electric motor. The temperature is sensed after the refrigerant temperature has increased after passing over the electric motor. In another embodiment, the refrigerant temperature is measured after some minimal compression and minimal temperature rise has occurred within the compressor pumping elements. In either case, by measuring the temperature of the refrigerant after some additional heat has been added to the refrigerant, the refrigerant super-heat leaving the evaporator can be controlled to a lower value. The improved superheat control enhances the system performance by increasing system efficiency, system capacity and improving oil return to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Lifson, Michael F. Taras, Richard Lord
  • Patent number: 9989292
    Abstract: An ice making device includes heating and cooling elements that control the formation of ice within a cavity. The ice making device may include one or more fluid inlets that supply liquid water to the cavity, and one or more fluid outlets that drain water from the cavity after formation of ice having a desired shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Brian K. Culley
  • Patent number: 9982919
    Abstract: A system includes a flash tank, a load, a first compressor, a second compressor, and a liquid injection line. The flash tank stores a refrigerant. The load uses the refrigerant from the flash tank to remove heat from a space proximate the load. The first compressor compresses the refrigerant from the load. The second compressor compresses the refrigerant from the first compressor. The liquid injection line is coupled to the flash tank and to the second compressor and sends a liquid refrigerant from the flash tank to mix with the refrigerant from the first compressor before the refrigerant from the first compressor is received by the second compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventors: Masood Ali, Augusto J. Pereira Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 9982923
    Abstract: An evaporative condensate dissipation system is configured to receive a liquid condensate from an external surface of a cooling element of a refrigeration system and to dissipate the liquid condensate by evaporation. The evaporative condensate dissipation system includes one or more walls constructed from a porous material configured to absorb the liquid condensate and to retain the liquid condensate within the porous material. The evaporative condensate dissipation system further includes a fan configured to generate an airflow and positioned to cause the airflow to pass through the one or more walls. The one or more walls are sufficiently permeable to allow the airflow to pass therethrough. The airflow evaporates the liquid condensate retained within the porous material of the one or more walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Hill Phoenix, Inc.
    Inventors: Trifon V. Mirtchev, Zhiming Chen, Jamie A. Gerald, Jules G. Choueifati
  • Patent number: 9964339
    Abstract: A system includes a flash tank, a load, a first compressor, a second compressor, a refrigerant routing line, and a flash gas bypass line. The flash tank stores a refrigerant. The load uses the refrigerant from the flash tank to remove heat from a space proximate the load. The first compressor compresses the refrigerant from the load. The refrigerant routing line routes the refrigerant from the first compressor to the flash tank below a liquid level line of the flash tank. The flash gas bypass line is coupled to the flash tank and sends the refrigerant as a flash gas from the flash tank to the second compressor. The second compressor compresses the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventors: Masood Ali, Augusto J. Pereira Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 9964342
    Abstract: An outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus includes a machine chamber in which a compressor serving as a vibration source and at least two refrigerant-circuit components and are provided. One of the refrigerant-circuit components and is provided with an elastic tab while an other refrigerant-circuit component or is provided with a catching portion that is engageable with the elastic tab. The refrigerant-circuit components and are brought into close contact with each other by the elastic tab and the catching portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yo Kitabatake, Shigeru Hata, Keiichi Tomita, Yohei Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 9964354
    Abstract: A method is provided for production of gaseous oxygen at high pressures by splitting a main air feed into at least three separate streams, with the first stream being fed to a heat exchanger and then a column system for rectification; the second stream being further compressed in a warm booster, partially cooled in the heat exchanger, expanded in a turbine coupled to the warm booster and then fed to the column system; the third stream being expanded in a warm expander before being introduced to the heat exchanger and introduced to the column system. In certain embodiments, substantially all of the main air feed is eventually introduced to the column system for rectification, resulting in reduced sizing of a main air compressor and improved product recoveries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: L'AIR LIQUIDE SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE
    Inventor: Paul Musicus
  • Patent number: 9964229
    Abstract: A bypass valve (130) that regulates a flow of a fluid in a waste heat recovery system (100) is provided. The bypass valve (130) comprises a valve housing (220), an expander poppet (250) coupled to the valve housing (220) and adapted to prevent the flow of the fluid to an expander (140), and a valve stem (230) with at least a portion disposed in the valve housing (220) wherein the valve stem (230) is adapted to displace the expander poppet (250) to allow the fluid to flow to the expander (140), and regulate the flow of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Norgren Limited
    Inventors: Mark Edward Byers Sealy, John Michael Morris, Christopher Edward Narborough, Patrick Williams
  • Patent number: 9968013
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switch cabinet with a cooling apparatus which has a first closed coolant circuit and a second closed coolant circuit separated fluidically from the first coolant circuit, the first coolant circuit having a refrigerating machine or a cold water set and the second coolant circuit having a heat pipe arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Rittal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Juan Carlos Cacho Alonso
  • Patent number: 9956140
    Abstract: People can damage their medicines by taking them outside in hot or cold weather. On the other hand, some people need to carry their medicines with them wherever they go (even if the weather is extremely hot or cold). Specially constructed storage systems can protect medicines from damage due to hot and cold weather without requiring bulky structures or expensive components that consume electricity to regulate temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Inventors: Sandy Wengreen, Eric John Wengreen
  • Patent number: 9958188
    Abstract: An air conditioner and a method of operating an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include a heat pump having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with heat source water; a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger; a pump installed on the heat source water flow path; a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path; and a variable flow valve controller that controls an opening degree of the variable flow valve. The variable flow valve controller may include a heat source water minimum flow manipulator that manipulates a minimum flow rate of the heat source water and regulates the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to the manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulator. Accordingly, a user or installation personnel may selectively regulate power consumption and efficiency as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Changhwan Cho, Hongseok Choi, Sunyoung Kang, Junhyeon Hwang
  • Patent number: 9958187
    Abstract: An active cooler having an insulated five sided box having an inner chamber, the box has an openable lid hingedly attached to the upper edge of the box, a temperature sensor in the inner chamber for detecting temperature readings of the inner chamber when the lid is closed, a peltier cooling element operably engaged to the inner chamber to remove heat, a voltage regulator operably connected to the sensor to change the cooling element in response to temperature readings from the sensor, and a wireless transmitter connected to the temperature sensor for transmission of temperature readings and detection of pre-determined temperatures. The cooler may also have a program that is operated by an onboard computer to generate temperature and time related data, transmit the data via cell phone, internet, or local area and interact with hand held devices via specialized application software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Inventor: Jerry Monroy
  • Patent number: 9953755
    Abstract: Method for controlling heat transfer between two objects. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a first current through a first electromagnet disposed about a container holding magnetorheological fluid to generate a first magnetic field such that particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the first magnetic field to conductively couple a first conductive element to a second conductive element; and providing a second current through a second electromagnet disposed perpendicular to the first electromagnet to generate a second magnetic field perpendicular to the first magnetic field such that the particles in the magnetorheological fluid align with the second magnetic field to conductively uncouple the first conductive member from the second conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Barron, Chelsie M. Peterson
  • Patent number: 9951986
    Abstract: The cooler with integrated ice-maker is a combination cooler and icemaker that takes the accumulated water created in a cooler from melting ice and recycles the accumulated water back into ice. The cooler with integrated ice-maker comprises a cooler, a removable drip shelf, a pump system, and an icemaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Inventor: Jonathan Turner
  • Patent number: 9951977
    Abstract: An apparatus and corresponding method for heat exchange. The heat exchange apparatus may include an adsorber device. The adsorber device is configured to draw heat from a first heat reservoir and transfer heat to a first heat sink. The heat exchange apparatus may include a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the adsorber device by the working fluid. The heat exchanger transfers heat to a second heat sink. The heat exchange apparatus may include an expansion device fluidly connected to the heat exchanger by the working fluid. The expansion device expands the working fluid, and exchanges heat with a second heat reservoir. The expansion device includes a turbine device for converting at least a part of an exergy of the working fluid during expansion into mechanical work. The heat exchange apparatus may include the adsorber device being fluidly connected to the expansion device by the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bruno Michel, Chin Lee Ong, Stephan Paredes, Patrick Ruch
  • Patent number: 9951964
    Abstract: A dehumidifier is provided that may include a main body, a compressor provided within the main body to compress a refrigerant, a plurality of heat exchangers provided within the main body to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor or to evaporate the refrigerant, a first fan to discharge air, having undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant evaporated in the plurality of heat exchangers and having subsequently undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant condensed in the plurality of heat exchangers, out of the main body, a mode switch to perform switching between operating modes, including a cooling mode and a dehumidification mode, and a second fan to discharge air, having undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant evaporated in the plurality of heat exchangers in the cooling mode, out of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Byungsoon Kim, Jongchul Ha, Jiwon Chang, Junho Min
  • Patent number: 9951901
    Abstract: A rapid pipe freezing method including a process of wrapping the pipe with a cooling coil along the outer circumference surface of the pipe rapidly is disclosed. The method includes bending the cooling coil not to be blocked by itself so that a refrigerant flow through the inside thereof and arranging the cooling coil to form a freezing area, fixing the cooling coil to fix the cooling coil on one surface of the cover sheet such that at least one part of the freezing area may be overlapped with the cover sheet, installing the cover sheet wrapping the outer circumference surface of the pipe with the cover sheet such that the cooling coil of the freezing area may face the outer circumference surface of the pipe, and flowing a refrigerant by connecting a refrigerant cooling device to the one end of the cooling coil and the other end of the same and flowing a refrigerant through the inside of the cooling coil to freeze the inside of the pipe where the freezing area is overlapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Inventor: Ikho Shin
  • Patent number: 9951988
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a storage chamber having an opening; a drawer type door to open or close the opening; a display positioned at the drawer type door; a first connector provided at a sidewall of the storage chamber; a second connector provided at the drawer type door and being electrically connected to the display; a first frame coupled to an inner wall of the storage chamber, the first frame to cover the first connector; a second frame coupled to the drawer type door, the second frame to support a storage box; and a wire electrically connected between the first connector and the second connector. The first frame has a first accommodating part to accommodate one portion of the wire and the second frame has a second accommodating part to accommodate another portion of the wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Myung Han, Jae Hoon Lim, Gi Joong Jeong, Woo Yeol Yoo, Jong Eun Chae, Sun keun Lee