Patents Examined by Paul Alvare
  • Patent number: 11635265
    Abstract: A bolted hinge assembly is provided for a waterbox cover (a “waterbox hinge assembly”). The waterbox hinge assembly generally does not require welding on the waterbox cover or the heat exchanger in an HVAC system (“HVAC unit” hereinafter). Further, the waterbox hinge assembly may be installable to the HVAC unit without removing the heat exchange fluids (e.g., water, refrigerant, etc.) from the HVAC unit. In some cases, the waterbox hinge assembly can be installed on an HVAC unit without removing any bolts from the waterbox cover. Once installed, the waterbox hinge assembly can be left in place so that it can be reused anytime the HVAC unit is serviced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Steven E. Wolfgram, Daoud A. Jandal, Bradley S. Wickersham, Fred Eickstaedt, James M. McCool, Raymond S. Schafer, Ronald E. Schlicht, Robert A. Harris, Steven E. Meloling, Raghu Kumar, Kishore Prabakaran
  • Patent number: 11624558
    Abstract: In one aspect, a tubular membrane assembly is provided for a heat exchanger. The tubular membrane assembly includes a header having a header body, a tubular membrane, and a fitting connecting the tubular membrane to the header body. The fitting is configured to form a fluid tight connection between the fitting and the tubular membrane. The tubular membrane assembly further includes potting of the header keeping the tubular membrane connected to the fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Ellsworth Egolf, Yohann Lilian Rousselet
  • Patent number: 11624565
    Abstract: A header box includes a first bottom plate and an unperforated cover plate. The first bottom plate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first bottom plate is of a one-piece configuration. The first surface is recessed inwardly to form a straight first hole extending along a length direction. The second surface is recessed inwardly to form at least two straight second holes extending along a width direction perpendicular to the length direction. The first hole is communicated with the at least two second holes. The cover plate is connected to the first surface to block an opening of the first hole on the first surface. A heat exchanger having the header box is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: HANGZHOU SANHUA RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junqi Dong, Jianhua Gao, Shijiang Geng, Xuebin Fan
  • Patent number: 11624559
    Abstract: A liquid-cooling radiator includes liquid pipes, heat-dissipating fins arranged on the liquid pipes, two reservoirs, a liquid-collecting box, a liquid pump, and a heat-dissipating base. The two reservoirs are mounted to two ends of the liquid pipes, respectively. The reservoir at one end is partitioned into a first cold liquid reservoir and a second cold liquid reservoir, and the reservoir at the other end is partitioned into a first hot liquid reservoir and a second hot liquid reservoir, thereby forming a bilateral circulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: HUIZHOU HANXU HARDWARE PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tsung-Hsien Huang
  • Patent number: 11603999
    Abstract: An HVAC system is described having components of a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) outdoor compressor unit connected to an indoor fan coil unit. The indoor fan coil unit supplies air to ducts that condition a plurality of zones. Each zone has a volume modulating air damper that can maintain a predetermined volume of air flowing through it. As the dampers for some zones vary between open and close positions, the air pressure in the ducts changes. The volume modulating dampers compensate for these pressure changes, ensuring that only the predetermine volume of air is passing into the zones. By regulating the volume of into each zone, the volume modulating air dampers can restrict the air volume through the fan coil causing the outdoor unit to reduce compressor speed, thereby saving energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Inventor: Jeff Osheroff
  • Patent number: 11598518
    Abstract: An enhanced boiling apparatus includes a substrate having at least one heated region, at least one outer surface, and one or more asymmetric shaped cavities extending into the substrate along the at least one outer surface. Each of the one or more asymmetric shaped cavities has a sidewall which intersects at a corner with a bubble pathway surface with a different slope from the sidewall. Each of the asymmetric shaped cavities is configured to non-gravitationally direct fluid that is moving along the sidewall out along the bubble pathway surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Rochester Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Satish G. Kandlikar
  • Patent number: 11578924
    Abstract: A heat exchanger (1) for thermally coupling a first fluid to a second fluid so as to transfer heat and in a fluidically separate manner includes a securing assembly (8) of two cover parts (9) and at least one, preferably a plurality of guide parts (11), through which duct tubes (5) of the heat exchanger (1) pass. The duct tubes (5) extend inside a housing tube (2) along the longitudinal axis of the housing tube (2). The first fluid passes through the housing tube (2) outside of the duct tubes (5), and the second fluid passes through the duct tubes (5). The duct tubes (5) may have circular or flattened cross-sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Andrzej Krupa, Scott Edward Kent, Anna Stelmasinska, Szymon Walczak
  • Patent number: 11573058
    Abstract: A heat exchanger with a core part; an upper reinforcing plate which is disposed on the upper side of the core part in the height direction and in which a first fixing/matching section is formed; a pair of lateral reinforcing plates disposed on both sides of the core part in the longitudinal direction, the upper side of at least one of the two lateral reinforcing plates being coupled to the first fixing/matching section of the upper reinforcing plate, and a second fixing/matching section being formed on the lower side of each of the lateral reinforcing plates; and a lower reinforcing plate disposed on the lower side of the core part in the height direction, and both sides of which are coupled to the second fixing/matching sections of the pair of lateral reinforcing plates, wherein each of components can be correctly positioned, and thus productivity and assemblability are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Hanon Systems
    Inventors: Kwang Hun Oh, Ara Jo
  • Patent number: 11561014
    Abstract: An air conditioner including a heat exchanger according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the heat exchanger includes a refrigerant pipe, and a plurality of fins including a first fin and a second fin spaced apart from each other in an extending direction of the refrigerant pipe, wherein the first fin includes a flat portion and a cut-up member protruding in an arrangement direction of the second fin in the flat portion, and the height of the cut-up member in the extension direction is between 0.5 and 0.7 times the distance between the first fin and the second fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyun Young Kim
  • Patent number: 11549757
    Abstract: An aftercooler device with ribs for aligning cooling tubes in a twelve-pass configuration provides a heat exchanger that transfers optimal amount of heat from combustion air through use of a tortuous, back-and-forth arrangement of twelve rows of tubes carrying a coolant fluid, and creating agitation therein for efficient cooling. The cooling tubes are organized into separate rows through heat exchanger body. A top cover fastens to the top end of heat exchanger body. The top cover includes six top ribs that segregate cooling tubes into six rows at top end of the heat exchanger. Four of the top ribs are linear, and two of the top ribs have angled configurations. A bottom cover fastens to the bottom end of the heat exchanger. The top cover includes five bottom ribs that segregate the cooling tubes into six rows at bottom end of heat exchanger. The bottom ribs have a linear configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Inventor: Joseph M. Loiacano
  • Patent number: 11506438
    Abstract: An ice maker includes a dry compartment and a wet compartment adjacent to the dry compartment and including: an evaporator case sized to receive an evaporator, the evaporator case including: a plurality of interior panels joined to each other with snap-fit joints, each of the snap-fit joints including a tab and defining a slot, each of a plurality of seams formed between the interior panels defining a foam-tight seal and a water-tight seal; and a plurality of exterior panels, each of the plurality of exterior panels joined to a mating interior panel of the plurality of interior panels with slide joints, wherein the evaporator case is integrally insulated with blown foam insulation positioned between each of the plurality of exterior panels and a corresponding interior panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Hoshizaki America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandra A. Huckaby, Matthew W. Wells, Kim Peterson, Luther L. Clayton, Jr., Hideki Sakakibara, Abdul Waheed, Timothy Perry, Glenn Melton, Jeremy Relova
  • Patent number: 11498162
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a tube having a length and an outside boundary. The tube is configured to convey fluid therethrough to facilitate heat transfer, and the outside boundary of the tube having a bottom wall portion, a top wall portion opposing the bottom wall portion, and two side wall portions between the bottom wall portion and the top wall portion, in which a segment of the length of the tube has a plurality of dimples selectively placed outside of the bottom wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: William M. Harris, Curtis A. Trammell, Danielle R. Rosendale, David C. Rimmer
  • Patent number: 11486657
    Abstract: A plate for a heat exchanger has a longitudinal centerline, a reference plane parallel to the longitudinal centerline, and multiple corrugations provided in the plate that define flow channels through which fluid flows. The corrugations extend at an angle to the reference plane and at least some of the corrugations are intersected by the reference plane, wherein over at least a portion of a surface area of the plate the corrugations are arranged in sub-regions that have a longitudinal length and the corrugations of each sub region are at the same angle relative to the longitudinal centerline, and the corrugations of adjacent sub-regions are at different angles from each other, and wherein the corrugations in adjacent sub-regions meet at junctions and the junctions are not longitudinally aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Tranter, Inc.
    Inventors: JongJae Kim, Ronald J. Gowin, Jason L. Williams, Robin G. Steininger-Juarez, Stig Erik Fredrik Thyr
  • Patent number: 11486651
    Abstract: A vapor chamber composed of a lower shell, an upper shell and a working fluid is revealed. The upper and lower shells made of metal composite plates are connected closely to form a vacuum sealed cavity which the working fluid is filled in. The metal composite plate includes a metal matrix and a copper layer bonded to a surface of at least one side of the metal matrix. The metal matrix includes stainless steel and an aluminum silicon carbide (Al/SiC) metal matrix composite. The copper layer of the metal composite plate is treated by stamping process to form a support member inside the cavity. Thus complicated, polluting and high cost etching process is no more required. Therefore the production efficiency is improved and the cost is reduced. The metal matrix of the metal composite plate provides sufficient structural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: HUANG-CHIEH METAL COMPOSITE MATERIAL TECH. CO., LT
    Inventor: Chin-Han Wang
  • Patent number: 11486658
    Abstract: A stacked plate heat exchanger for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The stacked plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of elongated stacked plates extending in a longitudinal direction and stacked against one another perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction in a stacking direction. First hollow spaces and second hollow spaces are disposed between adjacent stacked plates, through which alternatingly a first medium and a second medium flows. At least one stacked plate has a rib structure disposed on a respective plate surface, structured and arranged to provide a plurality of flow passages within the respective hollow space. The rib structure has a guiding region and two distribution regions. The rib structure differs in the guiding region and in the two distribution regions by shape and size of the plurality of flow passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventors: Jens Bruckner, Klaus Irmler, Jakub Lasica, Gerd Schleier
  • Patent number: 11486662
    Abstract: A heat exchange assembly includes an upper cover panel, a lower cover panel, a plurality of stacked plate assemblies, and a plurality of fins interposed between the plurality of plate assemblies. Each of the plurality of plate assemblies forms a flow passage for receiving a coolant. A continuous flow path extends through the heat exchange assembly. The flow path is in fluid communication with the flow passage of each of the plates and configured to convey air from each of the flow passages to an environment separate from the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Stephen Joyce, Leo Somhorst, Alex McDonnell
  • Patent number: 11473854
    Abstract: A heat exchange device including a center manifold including flow passages configured to exchange heat between heat exchange fluid within the flow passages and fluid external of the flow passages, wherein adjacent ends of adjacent flow passages each direct fluid flow in opposite directions, at least one separator plate arranged within the center manifold, wherein the inlet and the outlet of each flow passage is separated one of the plurality of separator plates, at least one angled center manifold plate arranged within the center manifold, wherein the angled center manifold plate is angled or curved to alter a static pressure profile throughout the center manifold and make more uniform distribution of flow among channels of the flow passages, wherein a downstream end of the at least one angled center manifold plate abuts an arcuate segment connecting adjacent separator plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Gregory K. Schwalm
  • Patent number: 11466942
    Abstract: Shell-and-tube equipment includes a tube bundle, an inlet tube-sheet, and an anti-erosion device including an outer tubular element and an inner tubular element. A first tubular end of the outer tubular element is connected the inlet tube-sheet, whereas a second free tubular end of the outer tubular element extends in an inlet channel. The inner tubular element is inserted into the outer tubular element, so as to substantially cover the entire internal surface of the outer tubular element, and into at least a portion of the corresponding tube to a point beyond the joint or the second side of the inlet tube-sheet whichever is further from the outer tubular element. The inner tubular element is joined to the outer tubular element by means of mechanical or hydraulic expansion of at least a first tubular portion of the inner tubular element against the internal surface of the outer tubular element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ALFA LAVAL OLMI S.P.A
    Inventor: Giovanni Manenti
  • Patent number: 11441795
    Abstract: An electric control box (100) for an air conditioner and an air conditioner with the same are provided. The electric control box includes a housing (1); a cooling fin (2) running through the housing (1) and having a part located inside the housing (1) and another part located outside the housing (1); an inner water-guiding part (3) located inside the housing (1) and below the cooling fin (2); an outer water-guiding part (4) located outside the housing (1) and below the inner water-guiding part (3), the inner water-guiding part (3) and the outer water-guiding part (4) defining a water guide passage (a) configured to guide water (b) inside the housing (1) to the outside of the housing (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignees: GD MIDEA HEATING & VENTILATING EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO.. LTD.
    Inventors: Junfei He, Shilin Qiu
  • Patent number: 11428473
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a housing with an inlet port, an outlet port, an interior facing surface defining a coolant channel, a first opening surrounded by an exterior facing surface, and a second opening defined by a first inner diameter. A tube assembly defines a plurality of exhaust gas flow channels and a plurality of coolant cross channels within the housing. A first diffuser directs a first fluid into the tube assembly and is joined to a first header plate, which separates the first fluid from a second fluid within the coolant channel. A second diffuser directs the first fluid out of the tube assembly. The second diffuser is located within the second opening and sealed to the second opening by seals around the second diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: MODINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventor: Thomas R. Grotophorst