Patents Examined by Melvin Jones
  • Refrigerator appliance
    Patent number: 9874386
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance has a dispenser conduit that defines an inner volume. An inlet of the inner volume is positioned adjacent a nugget style ice maker, and an outlet of the inner volume is positioned adjacent a dispenser recess. The dispenser conduit has a projection that extends from an inner surface of the dispenser conduit into the inner volume of the dispenser conduit at the outlet of the inner volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Joseph Mitchell, Ansuraj Seenivasan
  • Liquid chiller system
    Patent number: 9869496
    Abstract: A liquid chiller system utilizing a refrigerant capable of possessing a liquid state and a gas/vapor state, the refrigerant being cycled through a closed loop assembly of a compressor, an eccentric condenser and an eccentric evaporator. The eccentric compressor has a lower integrated reservoir and the eccentric evaporator has an upper dedicated reservoir such that separate, dedicated separator or receiver vessels are not required. The eccentric condenser is positioned above the eccentric evaporator such that liquid refrigerant flows by gravity from the eccentric condenser to the eccentric evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: STELLAR REFRIGERATION CONTRACTING, INC.
    Inventor: Luke T. Facemyer
  • Refrigerant channel-integrated ice making tray and method for manufacturing same
    Patent number: 9869504
    Abstract: A refrigerant channel-integrated ice making tray includes an ice making tray configured to have a number of partition ribs for containing water; and a refrigerant channel configured to traverse under the partition ribs inside of the ice making tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Won Gu Park
  • Heated or cooled drinkware
    Patent number: 9863695
    Abstract: A container with active temperature control is provided. The container has a body with a chamber that receives a liquid. A temperature control system housed in the portable body has one or more heating element in thermal communication with at least a portion of the chamber to heat the liquid. Control circuitry controls the operation of the one or more heating elements and one or more power storage elements to provide electrical energy to the one or more heating element and/or control circuitry. The control circuitry controls the one or more heating elements to add heat to the liquid in the receiving portion to maintain the temperature of the liquid at a predetermined temperature or increase the temperature of the liquid above said predetermined temperature. The container can have a cooling element (e.g., a phase change material) that can remove heat from the liquid poured into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ember Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Clayton Alexander, Christopher Thomas Wakeham, Daren John Leith, Mikko Juhani Timperi, Frank Victor Baumann
  • Outdoor unit for air-conditioning apparatus
    Patent number: 9863651
    Abstract: An outdoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus includes at least a heat exchanger, a fan, a compressor, and a box-like casing housing these components and having an air inlet and an air outlet. The compressor is arranged at a location other than an air passage in which air having flowed in through the air inlet flows through the heat exchanger and the fan to the air outlet. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange portions, and these heat exchange portions are arranged in a zigzag shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takamasa Uemura, Susumu Yoshimura, Hiroaki Nakamune, Kenichi Sakoda
  • Thermoelectric-based air conditioning system
    Patent number: 9863672
    Abstract: Disclosed is an air conditioning system that operates in a heating mode, a cooling mode or a demisting mode. In some embodiments, the system includes a first circuit for circulating a first medium therein, a second circuit for circulating the first medium or a second medium therein and a thermoelectric module having a first surface in thermal contact with the first medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: GENTHERM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lakhi Nandlal Goenka
  • Ice maker of refrigerator and manufacturing method for the same
    Patent number: 9857121
    Abstract: An ice maker includes a cooling unit for generating cold air; a case defining a cooling space for receiving the cold air; an ice making assembly for making ice; and a bucket for receiving the ice. The ice making assembly includes an ice tray; and a cold air guiding unit for guiding the cold air to the lower side of the ice tray. A guide member of the guiding unit defines a flow channel, along which the cold air flows, between the guide member and the bottom surface of the tray. The guide member includes a first inclined section extending in a longitudinal direction of the ice tray for guiding the cold air to the bottom surface of the tray. An imaginary extension line of the first inclined section reaches between two of the ice making recesses adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the ice tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Sung Jin Yang
  • Implement for constant-temperature storage and storage container housing the same
    Patent number: 9834360
    Abstract: An implement for storage at a constant temperature has two housings (21 and 22) that accommodate heat storage agents. One heat storage agent (41) is irremovably accommodated in one housing (21), and a hook-and-loop fastener (30) for installation in a storage container is provided on the outer surface of the other housing (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TOPPAN FORMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tanaka, Sho Morita
  • Solar-powered LiBr-water absorption air conditioning system using hybrid storage
    Patent number: 9835361
    Abstract: The solar-powered LiBr-water absorption air conditioning system using hybrid storage includes one or more solar collectors generating heat energy to drive the system. The solar collector communicates with a generator to heat an aqueous LiBr solution and release refrigerant through vaporization. The refrigerant feeds into a condenser to form a refrigerant condensate. The condensate feeds into an evaporator, which throttles the refrigerant and causes flash vaporization, resulting in cooling discharged into a load. The refrigerant from the evaporator feeds into an absorber containing a weak LiBr-water mixture from the generator to facilitate absorption of the refrigerant. A pump feeds the resultant aqueous LiBr solution back to the generator for another cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Maged A. I. El-Shaarawi, Ali Abdulaziz Al-Ugla
  • Refrigerator capable of making ice particles and method for making ice particles
    Patent number: 9829236
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a body having a storage space; a door coupled with the body and for opening/closing the storage space, and an ice particle maker equipped in the door, wherein the ice particle maker includes a water feed nozzle for injecting water supplied from a water supply source into an ice particle making area; a cold air flow path for supplying cold air to the ice particle making area; and a dispenser for discharging ice particles made from the ice particle maker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Young Hyun Yun
  • Air-conditioning system for a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 9821627
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for conditioning the air of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle comprises a housing with a first and a second flow conduit for conducting air and a coolant circuit with at least two heat exchangers, wherein a first heat exchanger is arranged in the first flow conduit and a second heat exchanger is arranged in the second flow conduit. The first heat exchanger can be operated independently of the operating mode as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger can be operated independently of the operating mode as a condenser. The housing comprises at least one air conduction device with which an air mass flow conditioned in the air conditioning system can be discharged into the environment. The coolant circuit is constructed with a heat exchanger which is arranged outside of the housing and can be operated as an evaporator or as a condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Roberto Della Rovere, Marc Graaf, Navid Durrani
  • Outdoor unit and air-conditioning apparatus
    Patent number: 9816712
    Abstract: An outdoor unit includes a casing having a bottom plate and is configured such that at least a part thereof is made of metal, a compressor provided within the casing to compress a flammable refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger provided within the casing to exchange heat between the refrigerant and outside air, and an electric heater provided on an upper surface of the bottom plate. The power consumption of the electric heater is 250 W or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Mochizuki, Yoshihiro Tanabe
  • Storage systems and methods for medicines
    Patent number: 9814651
    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: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventors: Sandy Wengreen, Eric John Wengreen
  • Beverage machine with thermoelectric cooler, heat pipe and heat sink arrangement
    Patent number: 9816751
    Abstract: A beverage making machine having a tank may be arranged to carbonate and/or chill liquid in the tank. A thermoelectric device may be thermally coupled to the tank to cool precursor liquid in the tank, and a heat pipe may transfer heat from the thermoelectric device to a heat sink. The heat sink may be located remotely from the thermoelectric device, e.g., in an air duct that helps prevent contact of moisture, dirt, etc. in the duct with the thermoelectric device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Bedford Systems LLC
    Inventors: Steven Mackey, Pranav Chopra, Scott Grubb, Thomas Fedorka, Qian Gao, Jeremy B. Gordon
  • Falling film evaporator
    Patent number: 9810458
    Abstract: A falling film evaporator includes a heat transfer tube bundle with a heat medium channeled to an interior, a tank with a refrigerant inflow port having the heat transfer tube bundle disposed in the tank, a liquid refrigerant sprinkling part arranged to drop liquid refrigerant onto the heat transfer tube bundle, a vapor outlet tube extending from an upper part of the tank, a cover having a portion positioned in a location inside the tank and higher than the liquid refrigerant sprinkling part, and an impeding member provided between the liquid refrigerant sprinkling part and the cover at a different position than the vapor outlet tube along the longitudinal direction of the heat transfer tubes. The impeding part impedes the flow of refrigerant that flows between the liquid refrigerant sprinkling part and the cover and flows in the longitudinal direction of the heat transfer tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keita Hattori, Shun Yoshioka
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 9810471
    Abstract: A refrigerator may include an ice container, a discharge unit, which is provided at the ice container and has an outlet through which ice cubes are discharged, an ice discharging unit, which is provided in the ice container in a manner of rotatable in forward and reverse directions so as to selectively discharge ice cubes, which move thereinto by their own weight, in an uncrushed state or a crushed state, a first ice agglomeration blocking member, which is disposed over the ice discharging unit and is rotated by rotation of the ice discharging unit, and a second ice agglomeration blocking member, which is disposed over the ice discharging unit and is rotated by rotation of the first ice agglomeration blocking member, and which is coupled at a portion thereof to the first ice agglomeration blocking member and at another portion thereof to the ice container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sungsik Kang, Sinyoung Kang
  • Refrigerant recovery/loading manifold
    Patent number: 9803903
    Abstract: A refrigerant recovery/loading manifold for air-conditioning equipment has a manifold body and valves for opening and closing a passage inside the manifold body, the passages including a high-pressure-side passage, a low-pressure-side passage, a recovery-side passage, a vacuum-suction-side passage, a purging passage, and a common passage via which these passages communicate, at least a high-pressure-side valve being provided to the high-pressure-side valve being provided to the high-pressure-side passage, and at least a low-pressure-side valve being provided to the low-pressure-side passage; wherein a high-pressure connection means is provided to the low-pressure-side passage, the high-pressure connection means having a valve mechanism and being able to connect with a high-pressure-side quick joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: DENGEN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Issei Higami
  • Condenser, method for condensing, and heat pump
    Patent number: 9803899
    Abstract: A condenser includes a condensation zone for condensing vapor to be condensed in an operating liquid, the condensation zone being formed as a volume zone including a top end, a bottom end and a lateral boundary between the top end and the bottom end, and a vapor introduction zone extending along the lateral end of the condensation zone and being configured to feed vapor to be condensed into the condensation zone laterally via the lateral boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Efficient Energy GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Sedlak, Oliver Kniffler
  • Heat source side unit for air conditioning apparatus
    Patent number: 9797607
    Abstract: A heat source side unit for an air conditioning apparatus includes a machine room in which a compressor is accommodated, an air-sending unit room in which an air-sending unit is accommodated, a separator for partitioning a space into the machine room and the air-sending unit room, a reactor installed in the machine room, and a reactor mounting member fixed to the separator on a side of the machine room and on which the reactor is mounted, and the reactor mounting member includes a first mounting unit and a second mounting unit corresponding to each of the reactors with the sizes different from each other, and on the reactor mounting member, the reactor is selectively mounted on either one of the first mounting unit and the second mounting unit corresponding to the size of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kubono, Hiroyuki Jinnai, Tomoya Yanase
  • Portable air cooling system and method
    Patent number: 9784465
    Abstract: A portable air cooling system and method for providing cooled air for mobile use for a user including in a golf cart has an insulated portable casing, an air cooling assembly, a primary air blower fan, a secondary air blower fan, a computer control unit, switches including variable resistance switches, a portable power source including batteries and solar panels, and a secondary casing for housing the portable power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Inventor: Sivathanu B. Kumar