Patents Examined by Michael Carton
  • Patent number: 7950221
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for controlling catalytic processes, including catalyst regeneration and soot elimination. An alternating current is applied to a catalyst layer and a polarization impedance of the catalyst layer is monitored. The polarization impedance may be controlled by varying the asymmetrical alternating current. At least one of water, oxygen, steam and heat may be provided to the catalyst layer to enhance an oxidation reaction for soot elimination and/or to regenerate the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Catelectric Corp.
    Inventor: Victor Stancovski
  • Patent number: 7946109
    Abstract: An exhaust after-treatment system for a vehicle including a dosing agent that is selectively injected into an exhaust from a dosing agent supply includes a first module that determines a level of a dosing agent source. A second module selectively impedes vehicle operation by adjusting an engine operating mode if the level of said dosing agent source is below a threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Inventors: Michael A. Potter, Fabien G. Redon, Sherif H. El Tahry, Christopher C Wright, John A. Pinson
  • Patent number: 7937934
    Abstract: A metering pump assembly for admixing a fluid reduction agent from a supply container and a pressurized air flow into an exhaust gas flow of a combustion engine includes an assembly housing and a pre-mixer at least partially within the housing. A membrane pump within the housing is fluidly connected between the supply container and the pre-mixer. An electric motor generates a rotational output. A transmission converts the rotational output of the electric motor into translatory movement. The translatory movement drives the membrane pump to pump the reduction agent from the supply container into the pre-mixer. The pressurized air flow is in fluid communication with the pre-mixer and mixes with the reduction agent within the pre-mixer to form a reduction agent air mixture. An exit conduit fluidly connects the pre-mixer to the exhaust gas flow. The reduction air mixture is delivered through the exit conduit and into the exhaust gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Grundfos NoNox a/s
    Inventor: Jan Plougmann
  • Patent number: 7938097
    Abstract: Presented is a very low speed, high torque, horizontally opposed, rotary, valveless, Otto cycle piston engine producing four power strokes per revolution, the engine consisting of a fixed engine case assembly having upper and lower plates, the engine rotor assembly having upper and lower plates, sandwiching a single, closed ended cylinder assembly, the cylinder containing intake and exhaust-intake ports, independently reciprocating power and head pistons, each piston being reciprocally controlled by its vertically projecting piston bearing sets contacting respective sets of upper and lower, inner and outer peripheral cam plates, the engine being thus rotated, the cylinder being lubricated by a sealed, recirculating air-oil mist system, the engine rotor assembly having a lower, vertically projecting gear box housing containing a gas porting cap, a vertical drive shaft, two counter rotating output shafts, intake and exhaust pipes, and an exhaust gas filter canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Inventor: James Douglas Sparling
  • Patent number: 7931209
    Abstract: Described herein is a system for controlling an air-conditioning system within an environment, in particular the passenger compartment of a vehicle, said system comprising a plurality of sensors designed to detect quantities representing the thermal comfort of the occupants and an electronic control unit (ECU), which calculates, on the basis of said quantities, a temperature indicating the thermal comfort of the occupants of the environment, on the basis of which the actuator devices of the air-conditioning system are driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Stefano Mola, Carloandrea Malvicino
  • Patent number: 7921665
    Abstract: An air conditioning equipment having an in-room unit connected to one end of the refrigerant pipes and an out-room unit connected to the other end of the refrigerant pipes. The air conditioning equipment includes signal coupling portions which are respectively disposed at both end parts of the refrigerant pipes. Each of the signal coupling portions couples an alternating current (AC) control signal to the refrigerant pipes and exhibits a predetermined impedance with respect to an AC electric signal. The configuration of the air conditioning equipment brings forth the advantages that the electrical insulation devices used in the prior art are dispensed with, and the signal transmissions between the in-room unit and the out-room unit can be performed by a simple apparatus configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyasu Higuma, Noriyuki Kushiro, Yoshiaki Koizumi
  • Patent number: 7921655
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a cooling system for a heat-generating structure comprises a heat exchanger, a first structure, a condenser heat exchanger, and a second condenser. The heat exchanger is in thermal communication with a heat-generating structure. The heat exchanger has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is operable to receive fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid into the heat exchanger, and the outlet is operable to dispense fluid coolant at least partially in the form of a vapor out of the heat exchanger. The first structure directs a flow of the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to the heat exchanger. Thermal energy communicated from the heat-generating structure to the fluid coolant causes the fluid coolant substantially in the form of a liquid to boil and vaporize in the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: William G. Wyatt, James F. Kviatkofsky, James A. Pruett, Timothy E. Adams, Christopher Moshenrose
  • Patent number: 7918107
    Abstract: An internal heat exchanger including an integrated accumulator is disclosed, wherein the heat exchanger is used in refrigerant circuits, particularly in motor vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Klotten, Roman Heckt, Stephan Köster
  • Patent number: 7918085
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device performs fuel injection only once corresponding to an over-rich air/fuel ratio immediately after the end of F/C as rich air/fuel ratio control after F/C. Such fuel injection is performed with a fuel amount which is the sum of a fuel amount corresponding to a shallow rich air/fuel ratio AFrich and a predetermined increment. Immediately after this operation, fuel injection is performed with a fuel amount corresponding to the shallow rich air/fuel ratio AFrich. This adjusts the air/fuel ratio of the engine to the over-rich air/fuel ratio for an extremely short period of time immediately after the end of F/C, following which the air/fuel ratio is immediately switched to the shallow rich air/fuel ratio AFrich.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mamoru Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7908844
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, a first exhaust passage and second exhaust passage branched from an exhaust passage are provided. An NOx storing reduction catalyst and a particulate filter are arranged in each exhaust passage. For example, when NOx should be released from the NOx storing reduction catalyst in the first exhaust passage, fuel is added from a fuel addition valve in the state with exhaust gas allowed to flow into only the first exhaust passage, while when the added fuel sticks to the NOx storing reduction catalyst, the first exhaust control valve is temporarily closed and the exhaust gas is made a rich air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Kamoshita, Shigeru Itabashi, Kuniaki Niimi, Tomihisa Oda, Shinya Hirota
  • Patent number: 7895858
    Abstract: A modular refrigerating appliance comprising a first planar heat-insulating element and additional planar heat-insulating elements, which are joined to one another whereby being able to be detached from one another and which, when joined, form a housing of the refrigerating appliance. The modular refrigerating appliance also has a cooling circuit, which comprises an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor, and which is mounted on the first planar heat-insulating element. At least the condenser is, at least in part, mechanically protected on its surface facing away from the first heat-insulating element solely by the construction of the first planar heat-insulating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Erich Hell, Michael Neumann
  • Patent number: 7891209
    Abstract: In a method of chilling slaughtered poultry or parts thereof, the poultry is conveyed through a chilling room, or at least through a part of said chilling room, and in the process is exposed to a stream of chilling air. During the chilling of the poultry the skin of the poultry is moistened. The skin of the poultry is moistened by spraying it with water in a spray area that is separated from the stream of chilling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Stork PMT B.V.
    Inventors: Adrianus Josephes van den Nieuwelaar, Andries Moret
  • Patent number: 7886559
    Abstract: A modular refrigerator, having a first planar thermally-insulated element, a second planar thermally-insulated element and further planar thermally-insulated elements, connected together and which can be subsequently detached, forming a housing of the refrigerator when assembled, a refrigerant circuit, with an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor, a first electrical line, arranged in the first planar element, a second electrical line, arranged in the second planar thermally-insulated element and an electrical contact/counter-contact device, by means of which both electrical lines may be electrically connected. The contact device is integrated in the first planar thermally-insulated element and the counter-contact device is integrated in the second planar thermally-insulated element such that contact device is automatically electrically connected to the electrical counter-contact during the mechanical connection of the first and second planar element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Erich Hell, Michael Neumann, Jan-Grigor Schubert
  • Patent number: 7877990
    Abstract: A metering device for introducing an operating medium into an exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine, the device comprising a cooling system for cooling an injector module of the metering device. The cooling system is provided with a cooling circuit encompassing at least one cooling fluid and at least one cooling device which dissipates heat from the cooling circuit. A first portion of the cooling circuit is disposed at least in part below the cooling device and/or a second portion of the cooling circuit is located at least in part above a point that heats the cooling circuit, especially above the injector module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Buerglin, Dirk Heilig
  • Patent number: 7877983
    Abstract: An arrangement for supplying a medium to an exhaust line of a combustion engine. The arrangement comprises a first exhaust passage defined by at least a first wall surface of an element, and a dosing device supplying the medium to the first exhaust passage. The arrangement is adapted to maintaining a degree of heating of the first wall surface so that the latter will be at a higher temperature than the medium's vaporization point when the liquid medium is supplied in the first exhaust passage. Therefore, even the medium which reaches the first wall surface will vaporize in the first exhaust passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventors: Christian Künkel, Björn Westerberg, Anders Häggkvist
  • Patent number: 7866172
    Abstract: Vapor compression air conditioning systems are provided with a flow restrictor for transferring working fluid to and from at least one of the compressor low pressure inlet conduit and compressor high pressure outlet conduit to provide for accurate charge adjustment to achieve predetermined fluid sub-cooling. Pressure and temperature measurements are taken at a condenser fluid outlet conduit and provided to a microcontroller for determining fluid sub-cooling and comparing sub-cooling with a predetermined target sub-cooling. A charge addition or recovery apparatus may include a solenoid valve controlled by the microcontroller to more accurately control the addition or recovery of refrigerant fluid charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan David Douglas, James Thomas Schaefer, Jr., Gregory F. Walters
  • Patent number: 7856841
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for an automobile prevents leakage of condensed water by locating two drain parts respectively on an air conditioning case and a protective cover having a drain structure beneath the air conditioning case. A drain hose, connected to and communicating with the drain parts, discharges the condensed water to the outside of the automobile without dispersion of the condensed water by forming a condensed water discharge pipe positioned on the protective cover. The protective cover, mounted on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case, surrounds the inflow and outflow pipes and has an auxiliary drain part formed at a side thereof. The drain hose connects the drain part of the air conditioning case with the auxiliary drain part of the protective cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventors: Young-Cheol Kim, Yong-Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 7849675
    Abstract: A medium supply system of an exhaust gas cleaning device for treating the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine comprising a storage tank and a supply line which is connected to the storage tank for supplying the medium to a dosing unit connected to an exhaust pipe and to a recycling line for recycling the medium to the storage tank. The supply line and/or the recycling line are provided with at least one conduit area comprising at least one first and second parallel partial channels for the medium circulation, wherein said partial channels exhibit different insulation properties. An exhaust gas cleaning device comprising the inventive supply system and a method for the operation thereof are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Ripper, Markus Buerglin, Goetz Flender, Ulrich Meingast, Dirk Heilig, Dirk Von Meduna
  • Patent number: 7849709
    Abstract: An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes a cross flow fan and an indoor heat exchanger. The cross flow fan generates a flow of air. The heat exchanger has a two row part and a one row part. The one row part has an area that is smaller than the two row part, and is disposed so that it overlaps one part of the two row part in an air transit direction. Furthermore, during a cooling operation, a refrigerant flows to the two row part before flowing to the one row part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Takada, Hitoshi Kawashima, Mikio Ito, Masaaki Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 7849682
    Abstract: An aftertreatment burner for an exhaust treatment device is disclosed. The aftertreatment burner may have a mounting member, and a canister connected to the mounting member to form a combustion chamber. The aftertreatment burner may also have a fuel injector disposed within the mounting member to selectively inject fuel into combustion chamber, and an air supply line configured to supply air to the combustion chamber. The aftertreatment burner may further have an igniter disposed within the mounting member to ignite the fuel/air mixture, and a thermal couple configured to detect the ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Robert L. Miller, Thomas Randall McClure, Kevin James Karkkainen