Patents Examined by Mohammad M Ali
  • Patent number: 9920972
    Abstract: A portable cooling unit is disclosed for cooling perishable items such as strawberries at a worksite such as a field where the strawberries are harvested. The cooling unit includes a conveyor trailer for receiving pallets of perishable items and conveying the pallets through a number of cooling chambers within the conveyor trailer. The cooling unit further includes a refrigeration trailer for supplying independent cold air flow paths to the different cooling chambers of the conveyor trailer. The conveyor and refrigeration trailers may operate as a self-sustained cooling unit, without any external connections to power or working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Azzopardi Technology Group, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Azzopardi
  • Patent number: 9919579
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for a driver's seat may include an eva-core and a blower; ducts extended to supply cold air blown by the blower to respective parts of a driver's seat; a thermoelectric element cooperatively controlled with an air conditioner of a vehicle, in which coolant water passes through a heat absorbing surface, so that the coolant water cooled by heat exchange is supplied to the driver's seat through a duct after air supplied by the blower is cooled in a heat exchange unit, and a heat emitting surface is in contact with a radiator to emit heat and generate cold air; and a distributor configured to selectively supply the cold air generated by the thermoelectric element to the respective parts of the driver's seat through the ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sang Jun Kim
  • Patent number: 9920518
    Abstract: A walk-in refrigeration room system effective for providing and defining an interior chilled air space includes an outer wall layer, a framing layer defining a series of spaces having a depth of at least 6? inside the outer wall layer, an outer layer of insulation that has been sprayed into the framing layer spaces, a middle wall layer, an inner foamboard insulation layer, a vapor barrier layer, an optional inner wall layer, a door to permit walk-in access to the interior chilled air space, and one or more functional openings to permit electrical connections and/or chilled air to enter or exit the chilled air space. The inner wall layer forms an air-tight envelope when any doors or windows in the inner wall layer are closed. The outer insulation layer and the inner insulation layer overlap in a manner that does not contain any insulation gaps or thermal bridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Heartswork, LLC
    Inventor: Dennis Maq Crook
  • Patent number: 9919584
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an evaporator (1000) and, more specifically, to an evaporator (1000), in which refrigerant is uniformly distributed to each area through 8-pass flow from a first area (A1) to an eighth area (A8) so as to reduce temperature variation and maximize the heat exchange efficiency with respect to outdoor air, and air is discharged to the left and right sides in a vehicle room with uniform temperature distribution so as to maintain the comfort of passengers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventor: Duck-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 9914545
    Abstract: A heat exchange system for an aircraft includes an aircraft controller for controlling an operation of an aircraft, a thermoelectric device having a low temperature side and a high temperature side. Heat is transferred away from the inlet line to the outlet line through the thermoelectric device when a predetermined condition is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Charles E. Lents, William E. Rhoden
  • Patent number: 9915448
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a magnet assembly which creates a magnetic field, and a regenerator housing which includes a body defining a plurality of chambers, each of the plurality of chambers extending along a transverse direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. The heat pump further includes a plurality of stages, each of the plurality of stages including a magnetocaloric material disposed within one of the plurality of chambers and extending along the transverse direction between a first end and a second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alexander Benedict, David G. Beers, Brian Michael Schork, Michael Goodman Schroeder
  • Patent number: 9918413
    Abstract: A high-velocity low-pressure cooling system (100), especially suited for data center applications, includes an air coolant loop (102), a non-air coolant loop (104) and a cooler unit (126) for heat transfer between the loops (102 and 104). The air loop (102) is used to chill ambient air that is blown across heat transfer surfaces of equipment mounted in data center racks (110). In this manner, effective cooling is provided using a coolant that is benign in data center environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Zonit Structured Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Steve Chapel, William Pachoud
  • Patent number: 9915447
    Abstract: A magnetocaloric cascade containing at least three different magnetocaloric materials with different Curie temperatures, which are arranged in succession by descending Curie temperature, wherein none of the different magnetocaloric materials with different Curie temperatures has a higher layer performance Lp than the magnetocaloric material with the highest Curie temperature and wherein at least one of the different magnetocaloric materials with different Curie temperatures has as lower layer performance Lp than the magnetocaloric material with the highest Curie temperature wherein Lp of a particular magnetocaloric material being calculated according to formula (I): Lp=m*dTad,max with dTad,max: maximum adiabatic temperature change which the particular magnetocaloric material undergoes when it is magnetized from a low magnetic field to high magnetic field during magnetocaloric cycling, m: mass of the particular magnetocaloric material contained in the magnetocaloric cascade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Colman Carroll, Olaf Rogge, Bernard Hendrik Reesink, Andrew Rowe, Danny Arnold, Armando Tura
  • Patent number: 9909768
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for providing conditioned air to at least one enclosed structure. The system may include at least one conditioning module configured to provide conditioned air to the at least one enclosed structure. The conditioning module(s) may include a conditioning energy exchanger. The conditioning module(s) is configured to circulate desiccant through a desiccant circuit to condition air passing through the conditioning energy exchanger. The conditioning module(s) may be configured to receive at least one of concentrated desiccant or diluted desiccant in order to vary temperature or concentration of the desiccant circulating through the desiccant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nortek Air Solutions Canada, Inc.
    Inventors: Manfred Gerber, Philip Paul LePoudre, Maury Brad Wawryk
  • Patent number: 9909791
    Abstract: A refrigeration system is provided including a vapor compression cycle (20) having a condenser (22), and expansion valve (24), and evaporator (26) and a compressor (28). A refrigerant is configured to circulate through the vapor compression cycle. The refrigeration system also includes an absorption refrigeration cycle (30) having an absorber (32) and a desorbed (34) arranged in a generally closed loop configuration. An absorption solution is configured to circulate through the absorption refrigeration cycle. The vapor compression cycle and the absorption refrigeration cycle are substantially integrated. The absorber is fluidly coupled to the compressor and is configured to generate a mixture of refrigerant and absorption solution. The desorber is fluidly coupled to the condenser and is configured to separate the refrigerant from the mixture and increase a pressure of the refrigerant vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Zidu Ma
  • Patent number: 9909798
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a cooling apparatus comprising: a fluid reservoir for holding fluid to be cooled, the reservoir having a head region and a body region below the head region each arranged to contain fluid to be cooled; and a heat exchange portion arranged in use to be provided in thermal communication with fluid in the body region thereby to allow thermal transfer between the heat exchange portion and fluid in the body region, the apparatus being configured in use to permit cooling means to cool fluid in the head region, wherein the fluid reservoir is arranged such that a cross-sectional area of the reservoir decreases by tapering as a function of distance from the head region to the body region over at least a portion of the distance from the head region to the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: The Sure Chill Company Limited
    Inventor: Ian Tansley
  • Patent number: 9908384
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning apparatus in which a noise caused by burble is reduced is provided. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus includes: a case having an air channel in an interior thereof; a blower configured to supply blown air to the air channel, the case includes a cylindrical portion and an enlarged portion continued from the cylindrical portion on a downstream side and having a cross-sectional area larger than a cross-sectional area of the cylindrical portion, the enlarged portion includes a projecting wall having a wall surface projecting outward of the air channel, the projecting wall includes at least one projection projecting inward of the air channel, and a top portion of the projection is in contact with a side surface of an virtual cylinder, which is formed by extending the inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion in the virtually extended toward the downstream, or is provided on the projecting wall side with respect to the side surface of the virtual cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Valeo Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shota Ueno
  • Patent number: 9909789
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure herein relate to systems and methods for heating, cooling, and/or displaying food. A food display system may include a base; a support engaged with the base; a canopy supported by the support, the canopy having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an edge surface between the top and bottom surfaces, the edge surface having at least a first portion and a second portion; and a light source configured to provide light to the first portion of the edge surface of the canopy and illuminate the second portion of the edge surface of the canopy. The canopy may be configured to be located above a food item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Spring (U.S.A.) Corporation
    Inventor: Francis Thomas Brija
  • Patent number: 9909776
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes an indoor device that is controlled by a remote controller and an outdoor device that is connected to the indoor device. The outdoor device is configured to include an outdoor-device state-quantity acquisition unit (a compressor-data acquisition unit and a heat-exchanger-data acquisition unit) that acquires an outdoor-device state quantity indicating a state quantity, acquired during maintenance and during a test run, of a component included in the outdoor device. The indoor device is configured to include an indoor-device state-quantity acquisition unit (a heat-exchanger-data acquisition unit) that acquires an indoor-device state quantity indicating a state quantity, acquired during maintenance and during a test run, of a component included in the indoor device, and a storage unit that stores therein the outdoor-device state quantity and the indoor-device state quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9897358
    Abstract: A vapor compression air-conditioning system equipped with an energy efficiency booster (6) in a working fluid circulation loop of the system. The energy efficiency booster (6) comprises a variable volume container (61) and an actuator mechanism (62) for changing the volume of the container. The energy efficiency booster (6) is capable of utilizing the variable volume container (61) to receive a working fluid in the loop of the system and to change the average density of the working fluid, thus allowing the system to be at the optimal energy efficiency ratio, and improving the operational performance of the air-conditioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Inventors: Enjian Chen, Weijun Yu
  • Patent number: 9890989
    Abstract: An appliance having a fresh food storage compartment and a freezer compartment. The appliance includes a forced air coil system disposed between the fresh food storage compartment and the freezer compartment and is configured to selectively provide cooling to one or both of the at least one fresh food storage compartment and the at least one freezer compartment. The forced air coil system includes an evaporator fan configured to provide cooling to the food storage compartment, the freezer compartment, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Kuehl, Alberto Gomes
  • Patent number: 9890987
    Abstract: An ice-making assembly for installation in a domestic refrigerator or freezer is provided. The ice-making assembly comprises: a frame structure; and first and second ice-making trays supported for rotation about a rotational axis with respect to the frame structure between an ice production position and an ice discharge position, wherein the first and second ice-making trays are disposed behind one another in a direction of the rotational axis and each have a tray longitudinal dimension in the direction of the rotational axis that is larger than a tray width direction in a direction transverse to the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: emz-Hanauer GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Albert Dirnberger, Roland Schroedel, Josef Bauriedl
  • Patent number: 9885513
    Abstract: An appliance includes a co-extruded evaporator in thermal communication with a compartment. The co-extruded evaporator includes main and support channels in thermal communication that share a common wall. A main cooling loop is in fluid communication with the main channel. A plurality of co-extruded fins are disposed proximate and in thermal communication with the main and support channels. A coolant is disposed in the main channel and the main cooling loop. A thermally conductive media is selectively disposed in the support channel in fluid and thermal communication with the main channel. The thermally conductive media is chosen from the group consisting of a support channel coolant, wherein the appliance includes a second cooling loop in fluid communication with the support channel, a thermal storage material in thermal communication with the compartment, and a defrost fluid, wherein the appliance includes a defrost circuit in fluid communication with the support channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew D. Litch
  • Patent number: 9885524
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are provided for thermal enhancement. Thermal enhancement may include absorbing heat from one or more devices. In some cases, this may improve the efficiency of the one or more devices. In general, a phase transition may be induced in a storage material. The storage material may be combined with a freeze point suppressant in order to reduce its melt point. The mixture may be used to boost the performance of device, such as an electrical generator, a heat engine, a refrigerator, and/or a freezer. The freeze point suppressant and storage material may be separated. By delaying the periods between each stage by prescribed amounts, the methods, systems, and devices may be able to shift the availability of electricity to the user and/or otherwise boost a device at different times in some cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Rebound Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Russell Muren
  • Patent number: 9885502
    Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to a thermoelectric device comprising a thermoelectric element, a first heat switch and a second heat switch. The thermoelectric element may comprise a first component in electrical contact with a second component at an interface. The first component may comprise a first material and the second component may comprise a second material different from the first material. The first heat switch may comprise a first terminal in thermal contact with the interface and a second terminal in thermal contact with a thermal reservoir. The second heat switch may comprise a first terminal in thermal contact with the interface and a second terminal in thermal contact with a thermal load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Sidney W. K. Yuan, Tung T. Lam