Patents Examined by Richard L. Leung
  • Patent number: 6968703
    Abstract: The Mechanical Freezer of this invention closely approaches an ideal freezer cycle composed of constant temperature compression, expansion, and constant volume heating (load transfer) by using power piston 106 that power input shaft 50 moves up and down and displacers 104 and 105 that are moved by cam 108. When power piston 106 moving up and additional displacer 105 moving down come together, fluid is forced through additional heat sink 41 where it is cooled as it is compressed. When additional displacer 105 and primary displacer 104 come together, fluid is forced through primary heat sink 40 where it is cooled as it is compressed. After compression, the cooled fluid is expanded by power piston 106 along with displacers 104 and 105 moving down. When displacers 104 and 105 then move up, fluid is forced through load 30 and load 30 is cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Inventor: Edward Lawrence Warren
  • Patent number: 6955055
    Abstract: The invention relates to a casing for receiving at least one energy storage device, whereof the temperature in the casing interior can be regulated to a predetermined temperature level. For this purpose the casing interior is thermally insulated and is in direct heat conducting connection with a heat transfer device, substantially the entire heat flow into and out of the casing interior taking place through the heat transfer device when the casing interior is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Knuerr AG
    Inventor: Heiko Ebermann
  • Patent number: 6951115
    Abstract: The development of an alternate refrigerant composition which is free from a possibility of causing depletion of the ozone layer and capable of maintaining the performance of a conventional refrigerating circuit without modifying the circuit is desired. An object of the present invention is to provide such a refrigerant composition and a refrigerating circuit using the refrigerant composition. A refrigerant composition of the present invention comprises R245fa (CF3CH2CHF2), R125 (CHF2CF3), R508A (R23/R116:39/61) and R14 (tetrafluoromethane: CF4). Thus, the refrigerant composition has no possibility of causing depletion of the ozone layer. Further, since the composition is noncombustible, possible combustion can be prevented even if it leaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanyo Electric Biomedical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jiro Yuzawa
  • Patent number: 6948334
    Abstract: A food serving container for keeping food articles chilled while being served. The food serving container includes an exterior bowl member designed for being positioned on a support surface. A cooling member is selectively positioned against an interior surface of the exterior bowl member. The cooling member is designed for being frozen. An interior bowl member is selectively coupled to the exterior bowl member whereby the cooling member is positioned between the interior bowl member and the external bowl member when the cooling member is positioned against the exterior bowl member and the interior bowl member is coupled to the exterior bowl member. The interior bowl member is substantially concave whereby the interior bowl member is designed for receiving the food articles. The cooling member is designed for cooling the food articles in the interior bowl member to inhibit spoiling of the food articles positioned in the interior bowl member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Inventor: Jean Challenger
  • Patent number: 6938426
    Abstract: A refrigeration generation system wherein a frequency modulating mechanical resonator is positioned between a pressure wave generator and a cryocooler and serves to reduce the frequency of the oscillating gas emanating from the pressure wave generator so that it more closely comports with a more efficient operating frequency of the cryocooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arun Acharya, Bayram Arman, Richard C. Fitzgerald, James Joseph Volk, John Henri Royal, Al-Khalique Shariff Hamilton
  • Patent number: 6935134
    Abstract: A method and a kit is described for cooling beverages. Each employs a naturally occurring, non-porous igneous rock material, such as granite, that may be configured in the form of a polyhedron, such as a cube. The method involves placing one or more masses of the material in a reduced temperature environment for a selected time that may be sufficient to allow the mass to reach equilibrium temperature with the reduced temperature environment. One or more masses are then placed in a vessel along with the beverage to be cooled. The kit houses the masses in a lidded container and one or more vessels are included. A correlation between the size of the masses and the vessels is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Inventors: Howard R. Lahti, Daniel J. Boyd
  • Patent number: 6923392
    Abstract: In method for freeze-crushing waste resources, freezing gas is first created by collecting freezing heat source of liquefied petroleum gas during a heat exchange process between the liquefied petroleum gas and cooling gas, and then the waste resources stored in a freezing tank is frozen to a temperature where the waste resources can be easily crushed by supplying the freezing gas to the freezing tank. Next, the frozen waste resources is crushed in an crushing apparatus, after which the freezing gas is separated from the crushed waste resources in a separate apparatus and the freezing gas for is collected the purpose of reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Kolon Construction Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soon-Jin Hong, Kwang-Ho Choi, Kyu-Dong Lee, Kang-Yong Ryoo, Jang-Ho Lee, Jin-Yong Im, Kyung-Sik Sohn, In-Ho Han
  • Patent number: 6915642
    Abstract: An apparatus for extracting cooling power from helium flowing through a cooling system regenerator includes a heat exchanger disposed within the regenerator capable of extracting cooling power from the helium and a thermal link coupled to the heat exchanger for thermally coupling the heat exchanger with a component. A method of extracting cooling power from helium in a regenerator includes flowing the helium through a first portion of the regenerator, flowing the helium through a heat exchanger disposed between the first portion and a second portion of the regenerator to transfer heat from the heat exchanger to the helium, and transferring heat from a component via a thermal link to the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide-Societe Anonyme à Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Alain Ravex
  • Patent number: 6912869
    Abstract: A unit for cooling or heating objects on a helical belt includes between adjacent tiers of the belt a distributor having a plurality of slots through which air or other gaseous heat transfer medium can be impelled onto product passing on the belt below the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary Dee Lang
  • Patent number: 6910337
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for storing liquefied zeotropic gas mixtures. To ensure a composition of the liquid phase which meets specifications, the change of the gas phase is determined by means of a differential pressure transducer by comparing the pressure with a calibration mixture. The mixture composition of the liquid phase is regulated by subsequently metering in the mixture components which have the higher partial pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Solvay Flour und Derivate GmbH
    Inventors: Felix Flohr, Christoph Meurer
  • Patent number: 6907742
    Abstract: An apparatus and method which is particularly suitable for maintaining a wafer at an optimum temperature for the alignment and exposure step during photolithography. The apparatus includes a cooling plate having at least one cooling channel. A coolant is continually circulated through the cooling channel to cool the cooling plate and the wafer resting thereon prior to transfer of the wafer to a wafer stage in a stepper, for example. The cooling plate may be mounted on an OF table inside the stepper and include a central opening for receiving the wafer-engaging shaft of the OF table. The cooling plate maintains all regions of the wafer at substantially the same temperature as the wafer stage in the stepper prior to transfer of the wafer to the wafer stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Yang-Kuao Kuo
  • Patent number: 6895775
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for surface crust freezing of a food product utilizes a refrigeration shell enclosing a freezing chamber, the freezing chamber having a cavity shaped to substantially accommodate the shape of the exterior surface of the food product; the cavity communicating with the refrigeration shell; a transport substrate to carry the food product into the freezing chamber; a cryogen supply; and a gas circulation device in the refrigeration shell in communication with the cryogen supply to introduce a cooling flow of gas containing cryogen into the cavity so as to contact the food product along its exterior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: The BOC Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Newman, Stephen A. McCormick, D. Scott Boyles, Thomas Edward Kilburn
  • Patent number: 6880348
    Abstract: Stranded natural gas is sometimes liquefied and sent to other countries that can use the gas in a transport ship. Conventional receiving terminals use large cryogenic storage tanks to hold the liquefied natural gas (LNG) after it has been offloaded from the ship. The present invention eliminates the need for the conventional cryogenic storage tanks and instead uses uncompensated salt caverns to store the product. The present invention can use a special heat exchanger, referred to as a Bishop Process heat exchanger, to warm the LNG prior to storage in the salt caverns or the invention can use conventional vaporizing systems some of which may be reinforced and strengthened to accommodate higher operating pressures. In one embodiment, the LNG is pumped to higher pressures and converted to dense phase natural gas prior to being transferred into the heat exchanger and the uncompensated salt caverns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Conversion Gas Imports, L.P.
    Inventors: William M. Bishop, Michael M. McCall
  • Patent number: 6880361
    Abstract: An energy-saving refrigerating device is capable of preventing global warming, allowing a communication pipe diameter to be reduced and the number of types of the communication pipe diameters to be reduced while a COP of over the COP obtained when R22 is used is provided by using R32 with small global warming potential (GWP). The refrigerating device includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a second heat exchanger. The diameters of first and second communication pipes are set to {fraction (2/8)} in. and ? in., respectively, in the refrigerating capacity range of 2.2 to 5.6 kW. The diameters of the first and second communication pipes are set to {fraction (2/8)} in. and {fraction (4/8)} in., respectively, in the refrigerating capacity range of 4.5 to 7.1 kW. The diameters of the first and second communication pipes are set to {fraction (2/8)} in. and ? in., respectively, in the refrigerating capacity range of 7.1 to 14.0 kW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeharu Taira
  • Patent number: 6865897
    Abstract: A method for providing refrigeration to a refrigeration load such as superconducting equipment while reducing or eliminating potential two phase instability oscillations, wherein refrigeration condenses working fluid which is evaporated from the surface of a porous wick housed in an evaporator to generate a capillary pumping force to drive the condensed working fluid to the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard J. Jibb
  • Patent number: 6865894
    Abstract: The performance of a multi-stage inertance pulse tube cryocooler in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may be enhanced by cooling the inertance tube of one stage placing it in thermal communication with the cool heat exchanger of a preceding stage. Cooling at least one inertance tube of a multi-stage cooler in this invention lowers the viscosity and sound speed of the gas in the inertance tube, thereby improving the cooling power for that subsequent cooling stage, and for the entire device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey R. Olson
  • Patent number: 6865895
    Abstract: A chiller for reducing the temperature of previously eviscerated whole birds and the like, includes a tank having a bird outlet end, a bird inlet end, an inlet end plate, an outlet end plate, and a water reservoir between the ends. The poultry chiller also includes water circulation means for introducing water into the reservoir at the bird outlet end of the tank, draining water at the bird inlet end of the tank, and forming a movement of water generally from the bird outlet end toward the bird inlet end of the tank. The chiller further includes a motive device for urging the birds from the bird inlet end to the bird outlet end of the tank, the motive device being in driven relationship with a power means. A transverse wall having a lower portion, a central portion, and a top edge, is disposed at the bird inlet end of the tank substantially parallel to the inlet end plate such that a sump is formed between the lower portion of the transverse wall and the inlet end plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Morris & Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory T. Bass
  • Patent number: 6848502
    Abstract: Stranded natural gas is sometimes liquefied and sent to other countries that can use the gas in a transport ship. Conventional receiving terminals use large cryogenic storage tanks to hold the liquefied natural gas (LNG) after it has been offloaded from the ship. The present invention eliminates the need for the conventional cryogenic storage tanks and instead uses uncompensated salt caverns to store the product. The present invention can use a special heat exchanger, referred to as a Bishop Process heat exchanger, to warm the LNG prior to storage in the salt caverns or the invention can use conventional vaporizing systems some of which may be reinforced and strengthened to accommodate higher operating pressures. In one embodiment, the LNG is pumped to higher pressures and converted to dense phase natural gas prior to being transferred into the heat exchanger and the uncompensated salt caverns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Conversion Gas Imports, L.P.
    Inventors: William M. Bishop, Michael M. McCall