Patents Examined by Nael N Babaa
  • Patent number: 11965661
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air conditioner may include a case that forms an outer shape of the outdoor unit; a controller that is disposed inside of the case and controls operation of various components of the air conditioner; a heat dissipation member connected to the controller to dissipate heat generated by the controller; and a support member that is coupled with the heat dissipation member to fix a position of the heat dissipation member, and having an insertion hole into which the heat dissipation member is inserted. The heat dissipation member is disposed to face the controller with respect to the support member, and at least a partial area of the heat dissipating member penetrates the insertion hole to prevent damage to a structure that dissipates heat of the controller to the outdoor unit of the air conditioner that is in contact with the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Kyongdo Lee
  • Patent number: 11959690
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a compressor, a metering device, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first fan, a second fan, and a refrigerant circuit between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. A thermal storage device coupled to the refrigerant circuit is configured to store thermal energy when the refrigerant fluid is above a threshold temperature and discharge thermal energy when the refrigerant fluid is below the threshold temperature. The heat pump is operated in a heating mode in which heat is transferred from the refrigerant fluid at the first heat exchanger and the temperature of the refrigerant fluid at the thermal storage device is above the threshold temperature, and a defrost mode in which heat is transferred to the refrigerant fluid at the first heat exchanger and the temperature of the refrigerant fluid at the thermal storage device is below the threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventor: Jason T. LeRoy
  • Patent number: 11959483
    Abstract: A compressor includes a bore, a rotor disposed within the bore, a compressor inlet, a compressor outlet and a compression chamber defined between the bore and the rotor. A volume of the compression chamber gradually reduces from the compressor inlet to the compressor outlet. An economizer is configured to fluidically connect to the compression chamber. The economizer is configured to inject a working fluid into the compression chamber at an injection position. The injection position is changeable according to a working condition of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Jay H. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11954626
    Abstract: Disclosed are a refrigerator and a method for displaying a user interface on the refrigerator, a user terminal, and a method for performing a function in the user terminal. The refrigerator according to the present disclosure may include: a storage chamber storing food therein; a temperature detection unit configured to detect the internal temperature of the storage chamber; a cooling unit configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber; a camera configured to photograph food in the storage chamber; a communication unit configured to communicate with a user terminal; a display; at least one processor electrically connected to the temperature detection unit, the camera, the cooling unit, and the communication unit; and a memory electrically connected to the at least one processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-hong Kim, Myung-jin Eom, Ik-soo Kim, Sang-kyung Lee, Hee-won Jin
  • Patent number: 11952960
    Abstract: A beta-type Stirling machine capable of operating in a refrigeration mode. The Stirling machine has a cold section and a hot section, a displacement piston having a friction zone, and an engine piston having a friction zone. The Stirling machine has a single liner arranged in the hot section of the Stirling machine operating in the refrigeration mode, wherein the friction zones of the displacement piston and the engine piston slide within the single liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITE DE FRANCHE-COMT
    Inventors: Sylvie Begot, Steve Djetel-Gothe, Hakeem Khirzada, François Lanzetta, Guillaume Layes, Philippe Nika
  • Patent number: 11953250
    Abstract: A method of cleaning an evaporator of an ice maker can include activating a switch of the ice maker in a first manual intervention of an overall cleaning procedure to initiate the overall cleaning procedure; sounding an audible alarm to alert a user that a second manual intervention is required; pouring a cleaning fluid into a tank of the evaporator case in the second manual intervention; automatically initiating and completing one of a cleaning stage and a sanitizing stage upon completion of the second manual intervention, automatically initiating the one of the cleaning stage and the sanitizing stage including operating a cleaning valve of a water circuit of the ice maker by a main controller of the ice maker; and automatically initiating and completing a rinsing stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hoshizaki America, Inc.
    Inventors: Luther L. Clayton, Jr., Hideki Sakakibara, Abdul Waheed
  • Patent number: 11946692
    Abstract: A method for separating a mixture containing at least nitrogen and methane by cryogenic distillation in a first column operating in a first pressure and a second column operating at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, the mixture being separated in the first column to form a gas enriched in nitrogen and a liquid enriched in methane, at least a portion of the gas enriched in nitrogen being at least partially condensed in a heat exchanger and returned to the first column, the gas enriched in nitrogen is sent into the heat exchanger by the bottom, ascends in a first series of passages of the exchanger and condenses therein at least partially, the liquid formed descending in these passages of the first series and exiting by the bottom of the exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Paul Terrien, Nicolas Chantant, Jean-Marc Peyron
  • Patent number: 11940191
    Abstract: An expansion valve includes a housing, a threaded bush, a valve body, and a permanent magnet body. The threaded bush is arranged in the housing and extends along an axial direction. The threaded bush includes an external thread. The valve body is partially adjustably received in the threaded bush along the axial direction. The permanent magnet body is of a pot-shaped design and arranged in the housing. The permanent magnet body extends the threaded bush along the axial direction such that the valve body is partially received in a valve body receptacle surrounded by the permanent magnet body. The permanent magnet body surrounds a radially outside of the threaded bush in a common transition portion. In the transition portion, the permanent magnet body is firmly connected to the threaded bush via a latching connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Jeffrey Van Delden, Matthias Lindenberg, Florian Wetzel
  • Patent number: 11938783
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device including a first pressure reducing valve, a first evaporator that exchanges heat between the refrigerant decompressed in the first pressure reducing valve and air, a second pressure reducing valve that is disposed in parallel with the first pressure reducing valve; a second evaporator in which the refrigerant decompressed in the second pressure reducing valve to absorbs heat from a battery; a third pressure reducing valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant evaporated in the second evaporator; and a controller configured to control opening degrees of the second pressure reducing valve and the third pressure reducing valve. The controller performs a limit control for controlling the opening degree of the second pressure reducing valve to an opening degree of smaller one of a battery cooling opening degree and an air cooling opening degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kengo Sugimura, Satoshi Ito, Satoshi Suzuki, Kosuke Shiratori
  • Patent number: 11933528
    Abstract: Methods and systems provided for determining a phase state and/or for determining a degree of subcooling in a fluid. An exemplary method for operating a refrigeration cycle includes flowing a refrigerant through a metering device and calculating a pressure differential of the refrigerant across the metering device. Further, the method includes determining whether the refrigerant is a saturated liquid based on the pressure differential. The method includes, when the refrigerant is not a saturated liquid, cooling the refrigerant upstream of the metering device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Neeraj S Shidore, Min Sun, Ryan D Hopper, Cameron Paul Smith
  • Patent number: 11933527
    Abstract: A cooling system drains oil from low side heat exchangers to vessels and then uses compressed refrigerant to push the oil in the vessels back towards a compressor. Generally, the cooling system operates in three different modes of operation: a normal mode, an oil drain mode, and an oil return mode. During the normal mode, a primary refrigerant is cycled to cool one or more secondary refrigerants. As the primary refrigerant is cycled, oil from a compressor may mix with the primary refrigerant and become stuck in a low side heat exchanger. During the oil drain mode, the oil in the low side heat exchanger is allowed to drain into a vessel. During the oil return mode, compressed refrigerant is directed to the vessel to push the oil in the vessel back towards a compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventor: Shitong Zha
  • Patent number: 11927376
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes: a compressor; an indoor heat exchanger; an outdoor heat exchanger including first and second outdoor heat exchangers; a bypass flow passage causing a discharge side of the compressor to communicate with the first or second outdoor heat exchanger; a flow control valve at the bypass flow passage; and a controller performing a heating operation in which the first and second outdoor heat exchangers operate as an evaporator and the indoor heat exchanger operates as a condenser and a simultaneous heating and defrosting operation in which part of refrigerant the compressor discharges is supplied to one of the first and second outdoor heat exchangers through the bypass flow passage, the other of the outdoor heat exchangers operates as an evaporator, the indoor heat exchanger operates as a condenser, and an upper limit frequency of the compressor changes to a value higher than in the heating operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Tashiro, Yasuhide Hayamaru, Masakazu Kondo, Masakazu Sato, Atsushi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11927378
    Abstract: A sensor assembly is shown for sensing a crossing of the critical point in a system utilising a working fluid in a transcritical cycle passing through the critical point. A first broadband acoustic sensor is located upstream of a component and a second broadband acoustic sensor is located downstream of the component, each of which are arranged to detect high-frequency and low-frequency sounds caused by the crossing of the critical point. A flow regulation device regulates flow of working fluid through the component in response to the output of one or both of the first broadband acoustic sensor and the second broadband acoustic sensor, thereby adjusting the location of the crossing of the critical point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Chloe J. Palmer, Ian M. Bunce
  • Patent number: 11920840
    Abstract: An HVAC system includes a unit cooler, which includes a first evaporator coil, a second evaporator coil, and a blower. The HVAC system further includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a first valve, a second valve, and a controller. The controller actuates the blower to direct air to flow over the first evaporator coil and the second evaporator coil, receives measurements from the first sensor and the second sensor, initiates a defrost cycle for the first evaporator coil by transmitting instructions to close the first valve to prevent the flow of refrigerant into the first evaporator coil, transmits instructions to open the first valve when the defrost cycle for the first evaporator coil has terminated, and initiates a defrost cycle for the second evaporator coil by transmitting instructions to close the second valve to prevent the flow of refrigerant into the second evaporator coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Heatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC
    Inventor: Nataraj Hariharan
  • Patent number: 11920844
    Abstract: An air distribution mechanism and a corresponding cryogenic refrigerator are provided. The air distribution mechanism includes an air distribution valve (6) and a rotary valve (7), the air distribution valve (6) includes an air distribution valve main body (6a) and an air distribution valve seat (6b), an air distribution plane (6a3) that is on the air distribution valve main body (6a) and faces away from the air distribution valve seat (6b) protrudes relative to the air distribution valve seat (6b), the air distribution plane (6a3) is tightly attached to a switching plane (73) on the rotary valve (7), and the switching plane (73) protrudes from the rotary valve (7); the air distribution valve (6) is fixedly mounted in a mounting chamber of a cover (2), and the rotary valve (7) is rotatable around a principal rotation axis O of the rotary valve relative to the air distribution valve (6) to switch connection states of an air distribution side flow path and a switching side flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: CSIC PRIDE (NANJING) CRYOGENIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ao Li, Jinhong Ge, Zhipo Zhou, Chenxi Xia
  • Patent number: 11920842
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vapour compression system (1) including a compressor unit (2) including at least two compressors (3, 12), a heat rejecting heat exchanger (4), a receiver (6), an expansion device (7) and an evaporator (8) arranged in a refrigerant path is disclosed. At least one of the compressors is a main compressor (3) being fluidly connected to an outlet of the evaporator (8) and at least one of the compressors is a receiver compressor (12) being fluidly connected to a gaseous outlet (10) of the receiver (6). A flow of vapour entering the receiver (6), such as a mass flow of vapour entering the receiver (6) is estimated and compared to a first threshold value. In the case that the estimated flow is above the first threshold value, a pressure prevailing inside the receiver (6) is controlled by operating the receiver compressor (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventors: Jan Prins, Lars Finn Sloth Larsen
  • Patent number: 11920812
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for controlling air conditioning in a room in accordance with an air conditioning operation instruction received from a user includes: a ventilation device ventilating the room; an air agitation device agitating air in the room; an air conditioner controlling the air conditioning of the room and operations of the ventilation device and the air agitation device; and a detection device detecting presence of the user in the room. The air conditioner controls the operations of the ventilation device and the air agitation device before the user enters the room based on an indoor temperature inside the room, an outdoor temperature outside the room, an operation mode of air conditioning control performed by the air conditioner included in the air conditioning operation instruction, an operating status of the ventilation device, and a detection result provided by the detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Shohei Kido
  • Patent number: 11913697
    Abstract: A pneumatic cryocooler using a pneumatic motor for use in cryogenically cooling superconductors, which pneumatic cryocooler is capable of operation in strong magnetic fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Peter J. Ferrara, Jacob T. Kephart, Avi Friedman
  • Patent number: 11913696
    Abstract: A fluid handling system includes a pressure exchanger (PX) configured to receive a first fluid at a first pressure and a second fluid at a second pressure and exchange pressure between the first fluid and the second fluid. The system further includes a condenser configured to provide corresponding thermal energy from the first fluid to a corresponding environment. The system further includes a receiver to receive the first fluid output by the PX. The receiver forms a chamber to separate the first fluid into a first gas and a first liquid. The system further includes a first booster to increase pressure of a portion of the first gas to form the second fluid at the second pressure and provide the second fluid at the second pressure to the PX.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Energy Recovery, Inc.
    Inventors: Azam Mihir Thatte, Behzad Zamanian Yazdi, David Deloyd Anderson, James Elliott McLean, Jr., Joseph Michael Marchetti, Omprakash Samudrala, Neelesh Sarawate, Kuo-Chiang Chen, Farshad Ghasripoor
  • Patent number: 11906244
    Abstract: A process is provided for treating a hydrocarbon gas stream by condensing a portion of the gas stream to produce a liquid stream, then through several steps subcooling a portion of the liquid stream to be introduced into a midpoint into a fractionation column. Unexpectedly, it has been found that the recompression and refrigeration power requirements are substantially reduced and the minimum approach to carbon dioxide freezing are increased when the liquid stream is introduced to a midpoint in the column when compared to introducing the liquid stream to a top position or a lower position in the fractionation column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Michael C. Pierce, Stephen N. Peterson, J. Ascencion Anguiano, Hank M. Hudson, John D. Wilkinson