Patents Examined by Nael N Babaa
  • Patent number: 11013339
    Abstract: A thermoelectric control unit is adapted for regulating liquid temperature in a hydraulic circuit. The control unit comprises a housing, and a liquid reservoir for containing a liquid inside the housing. The reservoir has a fill opening, a liquid outlet, and a liquid return. A conduit assembly extends from the liquid outlet to the liquid return. A pump is operatively connected to the reservoir, and is adapted for moving the liquid through the conduit assembly within the hydraulic circuit. A first heat exchanger communicates with the liquid reservoir. A second heat exchanger resides adjacent the first heat exchanger, and communicates with an environment outside of the liquid reservoir and inside of the housing. A substantially planar thermoelectric cooling module is located at an electrified junction between the first and second heat exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: KRYO, INC.
    Inventors: Todd Youngblood, Tara Youngblood
  • Patent number: 11002452
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a compressor, usage side heat exchanger, heat source side heat exchanger, expansion mechanism, main refrigerant flow control device switchable between cooling and heating modes, gas reheat heat exchanger connected in the refrigerant circuit, a fan disposed to direct an airflow across the usage side heat exchanger and the gas reheat heat exchanger into a target space, and a secondary refrigerant flow control device switchable between first and second modes. Refrigerant flows from the discharge line to the main refrigerant flow control device in the heating mode and the cooling mode in the first mode. Refrigerant flows from the discharge line to the gas reheat heat exchanger in a gas reheat mode and then flows to the main refrigerant flow control device in the second mode. A flow of the heat transfer medium to the heat source side heat exchanger is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN APPLIED AMERICAS INC.
    Inventors: Marcos Locke, Benny DiMarco
  • Patent number: 10989433
    Abstract: An air conditioner 1 includes: an outdoor heat exchanger 14; an outdoor fan 12 for blowing air to the outdoor heat exchanger; an outdoor fan motor 20 that drives the outdoor fan; an outdoor fan inverter 21 that drives the outdoor fan motor; and a control unit 31 that generates a rotation-speed command voltage for controlling the rotation number of the outdoor fan motor. In addition, the control unit starts a defrost operation of the outdoor heat exchanger, based on the rotation-speed command voltage. In this manner, it is possible to achieve an outdoor device of an air conditioner in which there is no need to provide a current detecting sensor, and it is possible to detect frost formation over the heat exchanger during a heating operation and to perform a defrost operation at low costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI-JOHNSON CONTROLS AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
    Inventors: Natsuko Suzuki, Koji Naito, Kenji Matsumura, Kazumoto Urata
  • Patent number: 10976758
    Abstract: A valve core connection structure of a valve assembly comprising: a body, two stop valve sets, two limitation structures, and two locking sleeves. The body includes a holder, a cold-water inflow connector, a hot-water inflow connector, a first outflow connector, a second outflow connector, a cold-water inflow seat, and a hot-water inflow seat. Each stop valve set includes a valve core, a limiting loop, a defining structure, and a locating structure. Each limitation structure is defined between a peripheral fence of each second accommodation cavity and the limiting loop so that the limiting loop is retained on the peripheral fence of each second accommodation cavity, thus limiting rotation of the limiting loop. Each locking sleeve is screwed on the cold-water inflow seat and the hot-water inflow seat so that the limiting loop and the valve core are limited in each second accommodation cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Globe Union Industrial Corp.
    Inventors: Tachun Chang, Yueping Xiao, Kaizhong He
  • Patent number: 10969163
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a refrigerator and a humidity control method for the same. The refrigerator comprises a humidity controller to controllably maintain moisture and/or perform humidification. The humidity controller is configured to: set a target humidity value, measure an actual relative humidity value of a target space, and calculate a target water replenishing mass W based on a difference between the two values and a current temperature of the target space; measure and calculate a water replenishing time T, and adjust the humidity controller so as to maintain its maximum humidifying rate Vmax within the time T to achieve the humidification purpose; and adjust the humidity controller so as to maintain a humidifying rate consistent with a water vapor loss rate in the target space to achieve the moisture maintaining purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Riyong Lu, Bin Fei, Xueli Cheng, Xiaodong Zhou, Xiaobing Zhu
  • Patent number: 10969159
    Abstract: A domestic refrigeration appliance apparatus has a storage unit which defines at least one storage chamber for storing food that is open in the direction of an upper face of the storage unit, a closing unit which in at least one first storage state closes the storage unit at least substantially in the direction of the upper face, and a ventilation unit which in at least one second storage state moves the closing unit relative to the storage unit to ventilate the storage chamber. In order to provide a generic apparatus with improves properties in respect of efficient ventilation of a storage chamber, it is proposed that the ventilation unit pivots the closing unit about at least one pivot axis relative to the storage unit to ventilate the storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Cizik, Jessica Dittmann, Bernd Pfister
  • Patent number: 10960752
    Abstract: Provided is an electric vehicle includes a power control unit, a driving motor, a first cooling channel fitted with a first pump that causes a first cooling liquid cooled in a first heat exchanger to flow through the power control unit and a second heat exchanger in this order and return to the first heat exchanger, and a second cooling channel fitted with a second pump that causes a second cooling liquid cooled by the first cooling liquid in the second heat exchanger to flow through the driving motor and return to the second heat exchanger. The second pump starts or stops circulation of the second cooling liquid, or increases or reduces a circulation volume of the second cooling liquid, based on one or both of the temperature of the power control unit and the temperature of the first cooling liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motoki Takeno, Hiroki Kato
  • Patent number: 10942234
    Abstract: A cryogenic refrigeration system is provided having particular application in cooling a Magnetic Resonance Imaging system. The cryogenic refrigeration system comprises a conduit arranged as a cooling circuit through which a coolant fluid is pumped, the conduit being in thermal communication with a least one cooled stage for cooling the coolant fluid to a first temperature, and wherein the conduit comprises a cryotrap in communication with the coolant fluid, the cryotrap being operable to remove contaminants from the coolant fluid by cryogenic pumping. The conduit further comprises a flow impedance for cooling the coolant fluid to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and a hydrogen filter upstream of the flow impedance and in communication with the coolant fluid, the hydrogen filter being cooled to a temperature below the freezing point of hydrogen in the coolant fluid and operable to remove contaminant hydrogen from the coolant fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: OXFORD INSTRUMENTS NANOTECHNOLOGY TOOLS LIMITED
    Inventors: John Garside, Timothy John Foster
  • Patent number: 10935296
    Abstract: An ice making machine may include an ice tray, a drive unit that turns the ice tray, a frame body supporting the ice tray and the drive unit, a cold air guide part integrally formed with the frame body, and a cold air duct connecting an opening in the frame body with a cold air supply port. The frame body includes a wall part at an end of the ice tray, the wall part is formed with the opening and the cold air guide part, and the cold air guide part flows cold air through the opening toward the ice tray. The cold air guide part is a frame body side inclined wall and the cold air duct includes a duct side inclined wall facing the frame body side inclined wall and a cold air blowing outlet includes the frame body side inclined wall and the duct side inclined wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignees: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION, WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunji Saito, Satoshi Tanimura, David Vega
  • Patent number: 10935301
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a main body defining a storage space, a cryogenic freezing compartment having an insulation space that is independent with respect to the storage space, an evaporator disposed inside the storage space to cool the storage space, and a thermoelectric module assembly disposed at one side of the cryogenic freezing compartment so that the cryogenic freezing compartment is cooled to a temperature less than that of the storage space. The thermoelectric module assembly includes a thermoelectric module, a cold sink coming into contact with a heat absorption surface of the thermoelectric module and disposed in the cryogenic freezing compartment, and a heat sink coming into contact with a heat generation surface of the thermoelectric module. The heat sink is cooled by introducing a refrigerant supplied to the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Chiun Sung
  • Patent number: 10935295
    Abstract: An ice making machine may include an ice tray, a drive unit which is provided at one end of the ice tray and is structured to turn the ice tray, a frame body which supports the ice tray and the drive unit, and a cold air duct which connects an opening formed in the frame body with the cold air supply port. The frame body is provided with a wall part which faces the drive unit at the other end of the ice tray and the opening is formed in the wall part. The cold air duct is provided with an inclined flow passage part inclined with respect to a direction where an ice making recessed part in the ice tray is opened, and the inclined flow passage part is provided with a cold air blowing outlet which faces the ice making recessed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignees: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION, WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunji Saito, Satoshi Tanimura, Katsuhiko Hayashi, David Vega
  • Patent number: 10921833
    Abstract: A thermostat for includes a processing circuit configured to operate the building equipment to control an environmental condition within a building including a first zone and second zones and receive a first time-series data set for a parameter of a first piece of the building equipment associated with the first zone. The processing circuit is configured to receive second time-series data sets for the parameter of second pieces of building equipment associated with the second zones. The processing circuit is configured to perform a comparison including comparing the first time-series data set with the second time-series data sets and generate recommendations for improving the performance of the first piece of building equipment based on the comparison of the first time-series data set with the second time-series data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Justin J. Ploegert, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 10921039
    Abstract: A food storage apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The food storage apparatus includes a display; and a processor configured to control the display to display a user interface (UI) including one or more icons for controlling a execution screen of a application on a side region of the execution screen of the application while the execution screen of the application is displayed, wherein the application a view inside application providing an image obtained by photographing the inside of the food storage apparatus, and the processor controls the display to display the UI on the image obtained by photographing the inside of the food storage apparatus. Accordingly, the food storage apparatus may provide various services as compared to the conventional food storage apparatus, and may provide the UI for the service execution in the form that the user may easily and rapidly use the UI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ji-young Woo, Eun-jae Lee, Garret Miller, Kristen Kator, Rob Thomas, Hae-ri Lee, Adnan Agboatwalla, Andy Wu, Robert Mori, Sung-youn Kim, Han-min Lee
  • Patent number: 10914528
    Abstract: This flat tube heat exchanger encompasses a closed housing, in which two tube sheets and a tube bundle, which is arranged between the tube sheets and which is supported by the tube sheets is arranged. The tube bundle comprises at least some flat tubes, which extend in longitudinal direction of the tube bundle. At their ends, the flat tubes are round and are flat in a central section. The ends of the flat tubes, which have a round cross section, can be circular or can encompass a different round shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: WS-WARMEPROZESSTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventor: Joachim A. Wunning
  • Patent number: 10914207
    Abstract: A valve group (10) is housed in a duct (40) of a support body (4) of an oil filtering assembly or a temperature management assembly. The valve group (10) is provided with a valve body (11) fixed to the support body (4), an obturator (15) fitted axially movably on the valve body (11) and obturator positioner and mover (18). The obturator (15) is movable by the obturator positioner and mover (18) as a function of the oil temperature values respectively in a first, a second and a third operating configuration, in which the oil is cooled, heated, for example by a heat exchanger, or sent directly to the filtering device. The obturator (15) is movable by the obturator positioner and mover (18) as a function of the oil pressure values directly to the filtering device, preventing oil access to the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: UFI FILTERS S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giorgio Girondi
  • Patent number: 10906653
    Abstract: An aircraft air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning unit adapted and configured to be supplied with compressed process air and to generate cold fresh air, a mixer adapted and configured to mix the cold fresh air from the air conditioning unit with recirculation air recirculated from an aircraft region to be air conditioned, an air outlet adapted and configured to direct mixed air from the mixer into the aircraft region, a first sensor adapted and configured to detect an actual temperature in the aircraft region, a second sensor adapted and configured to detect a temperature of the mixed air directed into the aircraft region, and a control unit adapted and configured to control an operation of the air conditioning unit in dependence on a difference between the temperature of the mixed air directed into the aircraft region and the actual temperature in the aircraft region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH, AIRBUS SAS
    Inventors: Nicolas Houis, Dariusz Krakowski, Tim Giese
  • Patent number: 10907855
    Abstract: In a related-art air-conditioning apparatus, air is conditioned while an airflow direction or an airflow is directed to a position of a human body detected by a human body detection sensor, and hence the same air-stream control is performed for both of a person who feels comfortable and a person who feels hot. An air-conditioning apparatus according to the present invention can adjust an angle of an airflow-direction flap in accordance with a thermal sensation level, and hence air-stream control matching thermal sensation of a human body can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 10907845
    Abstract: A system and related methods for heating, cooling, and dehumidifying air is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system includes an indoor unit having a first coil assembly and a second coil assembly. When the system is operating in a cooling mode or a heating mode, the first coil and second coil are in parallel fluid communication. When the system is in a dehumidifying mode, the first coil and second coil are in serial fluid communication, which enables the first coil to function as a condenser and the second coil to function as an evaporator. In an embodiment, the system includes an outdoor unit, such as a heat pump or an air conditioning condensing unit. The outdoor unit includes a heat exchanger fan responsive to dehumidifying mode by reducing fan speed, or deactivating the fan entirely. The disclosed system provides negligible or no change in sensible heat while providing dehumidification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Stewart Hancock
  • Patent number: 10900530
    Abstract: An expansion valve includes a valve main body having a valve chamber therein, a valve body arranged within the valve chamber, a valve body support member supporting the valve body, an urging member urging the valve body toward a valve seat, an actuating bar pressing the valve body in an opening direction of the valve against urging force generated by the urging member, and a vibration proof spring suppressing vibration of the valve body or the actuating bar. The actuating bar has an outer peripheral surface of which a part constitutes a contact surface slidably contacting with the vibration proof spring, and the contact surface has a shape by which the amount of deformation of the vibration proof spring becomes greater as the valve body goes towards a closing direction of the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIKOKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Tomizawa, Hiroshi Yokota, Shogo Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10895408
    Abstract: Refrigerant compressor includes electromotive element, and compression element that is driven by electromotive element, includes a slider, and compresses a refrigerant. Freezer oil that lubricates the slider is added with fullerene having a diameter that ranges from 100 pm to 10 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ishida, Shingo Oyagi