Patents Examined by Travis Ruby
  • Cooling assembly for a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 9505300
    Abstract: A cooling assembly for a motor vehicle provided with a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine. The assembly has a radiator intended to be supplied with a flow of a liquid coolant coming from the engine, a condenser for use in an air-conditioning system of the vehicle, mounted facing the radiator, and a ventilation assembly. The ventilation assembly includes a plate-like shroud mounted facing the condenser, on a side remote from the radiator, and carrying a motor-driven fan capable of inducing a flow of air through the radiator and the condenser. The ventilation assembly is connected directly to the radiator, and the condenser is directly connected to the ventilation assembly and/or the radiator such that it is separately detachable and extractable, and possibly mountable again, leaving the ventilation assembly and the radiator in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Gate S.R.L
    Inventors: Bruno Grasso, Carlo Canuto
  • Thermosiphon systems with nested tubes
    Patent number: 9500413
    Abstract: A thermosiphon system includes a condenser, an evaporator including a housing and a wick located in the housing, and a condensate line fluidically coupling the condenser to the evaporator. The condensate line includes an outer tube and an inner tube nested within the outer tube. A first passage defined by the inner tube is positioned to carry a liquid phase of a working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator, and a second passage defined by a volume between the inner tube and the outer tube is positioned to carry a vapor phase of the working fluid from the evaporator to the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Jeremy Rice
  • Thin heat pipe structure having enlarged condensing section
    Patent number: 9476652
    Abstract: A thin heat pipe structure includes a pipe body and at least one wick structure. The pipe body has a vaporizing end internally defining a first chamber, and a condensing end internally defining a second chamber communicating with the first chamber. A space in the first chamber is smaller than that in the second chamber. The wick structure is provided in the first and the second chamber, such that at least one channel is defined in the pipe body by the wick structure and the first and second chambers. With the above arrangements, the pressure resistance in the pipe body at the condensing end is reduced to thereby enable upgraded vapor-liquid circulation efficiency of the working fluid in the pipe body and accordingly upgraded heat dissipation effect of the thin heat pipe structure. A method of forming the thin heat pipe structure is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-Ming Wu
  • Water separator and system
    Patent number: 9476609
    Abstract: A water separator and system includes a compressed air aftercooler and water/moisture separator with a demister core comprising a plurality of offset fins. In one embodiment, the compressed air aftercooler comprises a compressed air core having an aftercooler inlet, an aftercooler outlet at the bottom of the compressed air core, and one or more heat transfer passages. In one aspect, the system comprises a moisture separator substantially integral to the aftercooler. In another aspect, the system includes a first generally horizontal region beneath and adjacent to the aftercooler outlet; and an expansion zone adjacent to and in fluid communication with the first region, the expansion zone being configured to reduce the horizontal velocity of compressed air passing therethrough. In another aspect, the demister core is in fluid communication with the expansion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: API Heat Transfer Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy J Galus, John Stromecki, Timothy Beechler
  • Air conditioning apparatus and refrigerant quantity determination method
    Patent number: 9459032
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus and a refrigerant quantity determination method are provided, whereby a refrigerant quantity can be determined in a simple and accurate manner without compromising the reliability of a compressor. A refrigerant circuit (10) has a compressor (21), an outdoor heat exchanger (23) that functions as a condenser, an indoor expansion valve (41, 51), an indoor heat exchanger (42, 52) that functions as an evaporator, an indoor unit interconnection pipe (4b, 5b), a liquid refrigerant connection pipe (6), a gas refrigerant connection pipe (7), and an outdoor unit interconnection pipe (8). A controller (9) performs liquefaction control for liquefying refrigerant and placing the refrigerant in a portion extending from the indoor expansion valve (41, 51) to the outdoor heat exchanger (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadafumi Nishimura, Takahiro Yamaguchi
  • HVAC system and zone control unit
    Patent number: 9459015
    Abstract: Methods for installing one or more heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units in an HVAC system include the steps of securing inlet and outlet piping assemblies of the HVAC unit to a bracket, coupling a thermal transfer mechanism of the HVAC unit with the inlet piping assembly and the outlet piping assembly, fluidly coupling a water pump with the thermal transfer mechanism, the inlet piping assembly, or the outlet piping assembly, mounting the HVAC unit by mounting the bracket to the HVAC system, and maintaining alignment of the HVAC unit thermal transfer mechanism, the HVAC unit inlet piping assembly, and the HVAC unit outlet piping assembly while mounting the HVAC unit in the HVAC system. An HVAC unit can include a thermal transfer mechanism, inlet and outlet piping assemblies, a water pump, and a bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Inventors: John Chris Karamanos, Douglas Edward Stuck
  • Loop heat pipe system and information processing apparatus
    Patent number: 9455212
    Abstract: A loop heat pipe system includes a loop heat pipe (LHP), a temperature sensor, a heater and a controller. The temperature sensor measures temperature of a working fluid portion of the LHP in which the working fluid has different phases depending on whether or not the LHP is in a disable status not to start up a heat transportation, in which a liquid phase of the working fluid does not exist in an evaporator of the LHP. The heater heats a heating target part of a vapor line. The controller, in order to start up the LHP, turns on the heater, monitors temperature of the heating target part using the temperature sensor, and turns off the heater when detecting a change in the monitored temperature, caused by condensation of a vapor phase of the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroki Uchida, Takeshi Shioga, Shigenori Aoki, Susumu Ogata, Hideaki Nagaoka
  • Heat dissipating module capable of enhancing heat dissipating efficiency
    Patent number: 9454194
    Abstract: A heat dissipating module includes a heat dissipating member and an air flow guiding mechanism. The air flow guiding mechanism includes a base, an air guiding plate and a stopping structure. The base is disposed on a side of the heat dissipating member, and the air guiding plate is pivoted to the base. The stopping structure is disposed on the base. A side of the stopping structure abuts against the air guiding plate, so as to allow the air guiding plate to rotate in a first direction and to stop the air guiding plate from rotating in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Shih-Huai Cho
  • Method of controlling the saturation level of a generated gaseous state fluid
    Patent number: 9453693
    Abstract: The method of controlling the saturation level of a gaseous state fluid generated at an outlet of a gaseous state fluid generation system comprises measuring a reference parameter of the fluid other than the saturation level itself, with the reference parameter being representative of the saturation level, and selectively superheating the fluid as a response to the measured reference parameter until the reference parameter falls within an acceptable range of reference parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: MAXI-THERME INC.
    Inventor: Raymond Lach
  • Stacked heat exchanger system with swing-out heat exchangers
    Patent number: 9441892
    Abstract: A heat exchanger system for use with heavy equipment including a heat exchanger rotatable about a horizontal axis out of a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Jared Jayson Lowe, Michael John Cocayne, Steven Richard Sass, Austin Edward Vize
  • Device for cooling and condensing fuel vapors
    Patent number: 9441582
    Abstract: A device for cooling fuel for an internal combustion engine, includes a heat pipe, which includes an evaporation zone and a condensation zone. To decrease the amount of gaseous hydrocarbons conducted into an activated carbon filter of a tank ventilation device of a tank of the internal combustion engine, and thereby avoid undesired bleed-emission or an enlargement of the activated carbon filer, the evaporation zone of the heat pipe is in thermal contact with fuel vapors, to condense part of the fuel vapors before the hydrocarbons contained therein can enter the activated carbon filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Harald Hagen
  • Heat exchanger pivotable for clean-out
    Patent number: 9435591
    Abstract: A machine has a mount, a support mounted pivotally to the mount to pivot relative to the mount about a first pivot axis between a first support position and a second support position, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is mounted pivotally to the support to pivot relative to the support about a second pivot axis between a first exchanger position and a second exchanger position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert J. Hachmann, Daniel R. Klein
  • Apparatus for adjusting coolant flow resistance through liquid-cooled electronics racks
    Patent number: 9386727
    Abstract: Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with multiple coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to control overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wayne A. Barringer, David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, James J. Steffes, Gerard V. Weber, Jr.
  • Variably extending heat transfer devices
    Patent number: 9382013
    Abstract: A heat transfer device for installation in a system having a heat generating element within the system away from which heat is to be transferred is described. The heat transfer device includes a heat pipe having a first portion, a second portion, and a working fluid contained within the heat pipe for transferring heat from the first portion to the second portion. The first portion is disposed in proximity with the heat generating element. The second portion is coupled to the first portion. At least part of the second portion is disposed outside the system to dissipate heat from the heat generating element and the second portion may be variably extended outside the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Thomas M. Murray, Edward Zielinski
  • Service water heating unit
    Patent number: 9366447
    Abstract: A service water heating unit (2), provided for use in a heating installation, includes at least one heat exchanger (6), defining a first flow path (10) for a heating medium and a second flow path (12) for service water to be heated. The two flow paths (10, 12) are guided relative to one another in a first portion (A) in a countercurrent arrangement with directions of flow oriented in opposite directions, and in a second portion (B) connecting downstream, viewed in the direction of flow of the service water, in a co-current arrangement with directions of flow oriented in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Grundfos Management a/s
    Inventors: Bent Døssing, Olav Jensen
  • Refrigerant distribution unit for air conditioner
    Patent number: 9353957
    Abstract: A refrigerant distribution unit for an air conditioner, includes: a pipe unit for distributing a refrigerant from a refrigerant pipe on an outdoor unit to branch refrigerant pipes on indoor units; and a main body including: upper and lower seal case which include first edge portions around the upper seal case and second edge portions around the lower seal case, and engage the second edge portions with the first edge portions for sealing an inside of the first and second seal cases to store the pipe unit; upper and lower insulator cases for covering the upper and lower seal cases; and upper and lower case constituting a contour of the refrigerant distribution unit. The pipe unit is fixed to a pipe mounting portion of the upper seal case using a pipe holder and a pipe hanging bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU GENERAL LIMITED
    Inventors: Shun Matsuura, Haruki Yamashita
  • Thermostat valve arrangement with magnetic locking device and a cooling system for combustion engine driven vehicles
    Patent number: 9341107
    Abstract: A thermostatic valve aggregate for a motor vehicle cooling system, having a valve housing containing a valve seat, further having an expansible drive element which is configured in the valve housing and is coupled to a valve element, and a spring biasing the valve element against the valve seat, one coolant hookup on each side of the valve seat, a bypass valve element prestressed by a bypass valve spring in the direction of a bypass valve seat in order to selectively link one bypass hookup to the valve housing to one of the other hookups, characterized in that an electromagnet is mounted on the valve housing and comprises a core extending as far as the bypass valve seat, in that the bypass valve element is fitted with a magnetically effective armature element resting against or nearly reaching the core when the bypass valve rests against the bypass valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: ITW AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS GMBH
    Inventor: Carsten Heldberg
  • Vehicular battery cooling device through rear seat
    Patent number: 9343785
    Abstract: A vehicular battery cooling device in which a rear seat is disposed on the upper surface of a rear floor panel, a battery pack is disposed on the upper surface of the rear floor panel at the rear of the rear seat, and an air intake duct extending from the battery pack to the vehicle front is installed between the cushion part of the rear seat and the rear floor panel. A concave part extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction is formed in the lower surface of the cushion part in the central portion in the vehicle width direction, an opening is formed at the front end of the air intake duct, and the air intake duct is formed so as to have a strength capable of supporting the weight of a passenger and is brought into contact with the lower surface of the cushion part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Seiji Bito
  • Vehicle power steering waste heat recovery
    Patent number: 9321479
    Abstract: A power steering waste heat recovery system for a vehicle and method of operating is disclosed. The system may include a power steering system and a waste heat absorption system. The power steering system may include a power steering pump, a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger located downstream of the power steering pump and configured to allow power steering fluid flow therethrough, and a steering rack operatively engaging the heat exchanger to receive the power steering fluid therefrom. The waste heat absorption system may include an auxiliary heater loop configured to direct a liquid through the heat exchanger; and an automatically controllable heat control valve having an inlet, a first outlet for directing the liquid to bypass the auxiliary heater loop, and a second outlet for directing the liquid through the heat exchanger in the auxiliary heater loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Mukund S. Wankhede, Lee E. Krispin
  • Automotive vehicle and method for controlling power consumption of a compressor therein
    Patent number: 9321327
    Abstract: A method for controlling power consumption of a compressor of an automotive vehicle climate system may include identifying an energy source providing energy to power the compressor and selecting an operating parameter of the climate system based on the identified energy source to control power consumption of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Susan Rebecca Cikanek, William David Treharne, Paul Stephen Bryan, Melinda A. Mack