Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and process for producing frozen particles of a liquid product having a liquid product nozzle for introducing liquid product droplets to be frozen and a plurality of cryogenic nozzles for introducing a cryogenic liquid directed away from the liquid product droplets.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for converting a fixed-opening air diffuser (21) to an individually-controlled variable air volume diffuser. The fixed-opening diffuser (21) includes a diffuser housing (26) mounted to a support structure (25) and coupled to receive air from a supply conduit (24) positioned behind the support structure (25) and a diffusion assembly (27) mounted across the housing (26) to distribute the air from the housing (26). The method includes the steps of removing the diffusion assembly (27) from a position across the diffuser housing (26) to provide access to the housing, mounting a thermally-powered diffuser actuator assembly (31) having a movable vane (32) coupled to actuator assembly (31) inside the diffuser housing (26) in a position for control of air discharged from the diffuser housing (26) by thermally-driven displacement of the vane (32).

Abstract: A car air conditioner having an air-conditioning circuit for cooling an atmospheric air in a car compartment by a refrigerant gas compressed by a refrigerant compressor driven by an oil hydraulic motor. An axial shaft is extended commonly through both the compressor and oil hydraulic motor to connect the refrigerant compressor in tandem to the oil hydraulic motor, to thereby transmit a drive force of the oil hydraulic motor to the refrigerant compressor. The oil hydraulic motor is operated by an oil under pressure delivered through a flexible oil hose from an oil hydraulic pump driven by a car engine.

Abstract: An ice storage and delivery system is provided for a refrigeration apparatus including a refrigerated compartment housing an ice making apparatus and a door providing selective access to the compartment and including a dispenser for delivering formed ice bodies. The system includes an ice container assembly in the refrigerated compartment having a container for storing ice bodies and an auger for conveying ice bodies from the container to a downwardly facing discharge opening. A platform rests on a shelf in the compartment below the ice making apparatus. The platform includes support means for supporting the container assembly below the ice making apparatus and an ice chute for delivering ice bodies from the container discharge opening to the dispenser. A drive motor is mounted to the platform and is operatively associated with the wire auger for driving the wire auger.

Abstract: A thermostatically regulated mixing valve having a housing extending along an axis and a stem in the housing axially displaceable to adjust the thermostatically regulated temperature of the valve has a control assembly with a nut threaded on the housing, axially linked to the valve stem, and rotatable about the axis in one direction to move axially inward and move the stem axially inward and rotatable in the opposite direction to move axially outward and move the stem axially outward. An abutment sleeve is fixed to the valve housing and a sleevelike knob engages over the nut and abutment sleeve and is formed with an inwardly projecting stop. Splines on the knob and on the nut rotationally couple same together but permit relative axial movement so that the knob rotates with the nut but does not move axially therewith.

Abstract: The subject invention encompasses a thermal processing furnace having an elongated cylindrical processing chamber surrounding a tower assembly capable of receiving one or more articles to be processed. A pedestal assembly supports the tower assembly and contains a quartz door thereon which is axially translatable relative to the processing chamber into an inserted position where the tower assembly is inserted into the processing chamber. A quartz flange located along the perimeter of an opening at the end of the processing chamber contacts the quartz door forming a quartz seal therewith when the pedestal assembly is moved into the inserted position. A scavenger cavity is located at the end of the chamber having the opening therein and is in fluid flow relationship with the contact area between the quartz flange and the quartz door forming a quartz seal. Gas from within the processing chamber which may leak through the quartz seal is captured by the scavenger cavity and evacuated by an evacuation means.

Abstract: Ice formed in a batch crystallization apparatus is melted by causing an ice sheet 20 to be cut into approximately equal size pieces by the knife-edge 32 of melter 26. The pieces of ice are induced to slide against the sides of melter by inclined rails 28. Temperature sensor 40 and controller 44 are used to operate a heater to maintain the melter at a temperature setpoint 54 for a fixed time period while the ice sheet is cut into pieces. While the ice pieces melt the heating means is maintained fully on and the product drain valve is kept open. When the ice has melted the temperature exceeds the setpoint signaling the controller that the melting phase is complete. Failure of the apparatus to freeze ice is diagnosed by the temperature exceeding the setpoint at the end of said time period. Failure of the apparatus to melt ice is diagnosed by the temperature not reaching the setpoint after a sufficient amount of time.

Abstract: A refrigeration system provides a supply of purified ice pieces by freezing flowing water on an icemaking plate and melting some of the ice pieces to provide a supply of purified water. The system is combined with a household refrigerator to utilize a common compressor and condenser. Alternative arrangements are provided for a single speed compressor or a two speed compressor to adapt to varying load requirements. The ice storage bin may be disposed in the refrigerator section where ice melting takes place continually, or in the freezer section where ice only melts on demand from a sensing of purified water quantity.

Abstract: A refrigerator counter includes a goods receiving chamber and a counter bed. Following cooling by a cooling source and following moistening by hot steam of an air moistening system, a circulating air current is conveyed through the goods receiving chamber and from it at least in part back to the cooling source and to a steam feed point. Following cooling, at least one portion of the resultant cold air is branched off from the circulating air current and is swirled in a mixed air chamber with hot steam guided into the mixed air chamber. Resulting moistened mixed air is conveyed by at least one steam outlet nozzle into the goods receiving chamber.

Abstract: A fan coil unit as provided which includes a housing defining a chamber within which is located a condensation pan and a fan board with the fan board being reinforced by a reinforcing rib which also functions to removably secure the condensation pan to the fan board. The fan board is also supported in the absence of conventional fasteners relative to a rearmost or uppermost wall of a housing of the fan coil unit to facilitate assembly/disassembly of the components thereof. A groove is also formed along one surface of the condensation pan to serve as a location device for aligning fasteners with associated panel mounts of the housing. The condensation pan is also preferably of a hollow extruded construction and includes a variety of different configured ribs to lengthen the thermal path across internal chambers to thereby decrease/reduce thermal conductivity and associated condensation.

Abstract: A surging prediction device for a centrifugal compressor has a differential pressure detector and a controller. The detector detects a differential pressure between a hub side pressure in the vicinity of an inlet or a diffuser in the centrifugal compressor and a shroud side presser in the vicinity of the inlet of the diffuser. The controller compares the detected differential pressure from the detector with a set differential pressure beforehand set so as to be lower than a surging differential pressure between the hub side pressure and the shroud side pressure at an occurrence time of surging, and outputs a surging signal predicting an occurrence of surging when the detected differential pressure becomes higher than the set differential pressure.

Abstract: A pivotal electrical connector for connecting a shape memory alloy element in the form of a coil spring to a fixed member, the connector including a strip of electrically conductive material having a clip or a pair of legs for securing the connector to one of the coils of the element. A pair of holes may be provided in the strip through which the coil is threaded. A rotational connector is provided in the strip for engaging the fixed member.

Abstract: An auger-type ice-making apparatus includes a new and improved auger or auger assembly having one or more generally spiral flight portions with one or more grooves formed transversely across the outer edges of the flight portions. The grooves interrupt the generally spirally-extending contact between the outer auger edges and the inner surface of an evaporator housing, thus reducing the area of contact therebetween and, as a result, reducing the load on the auger bearings. The grooves also provide a stress-relieved area on the flight portion during scraping of ice particles from the inner surface of the evaporator and tend to balance the forces on the auger bearings.

Abstract: This is a system for the air conditioning of rooms in building, which rooms are defined by concrete floor structures with hollow ducts connected in series in parallel with each other and in groups, in order to bring about effective heat exchange between concrete and supply air flowing through each duct group before being fed to the room via a supply air device. The supply air to each duct group is taken via a pipe connection from a main duct for supply air and is evacuated from the room in another way. In order to control the heat absorbtion (heat inertia) of the duct group according to the actual demand for each room so that the air-flows in each of the two connections of the duct group are balanced corresponding to the actual cold/heat demand. Each or some certain duct groups in the room includes a branching device (16) which is located between the main duct (5), or a branch thereof, and a second connecting place (11) to the duct group.

Abstract: A device for the control of room temperature in existing automobiles is placed in series with the driving circuit of the blower motor of the automobile. The temperature control device includes a bimetal or spiral bimetallic strip capable of setting a working temperature. The bimetal is used for the direct detection of the room temperature of the automobile. An insulating member is attached to a free end of the bimetal. The insulating member carries a first electrical contact, and a mating contact opposes the first contact. Respective lead wires are attached to each contact. A switch lever rotates the bimetal to set a desired temperature. A stopper is provided to hold the contacts together so that, regardless of the ambient temperature, the blower motor remains on, and the user can rely solely on the existing controls.

Abstract: A modular self-dispensing ice cream maker includes an open-ended chilling container which encloses a mixing chamber in which a dasher is mounted for bidirectional rotation. The container includes a cylindrical chamber which is at least partially filled with freezable solution for cooling ice cream ingredients. The open end of the mixing chamber receives a cover having a dispensing outlet. The ice cream maker is adapted for orientation in mixing and dispensing modes in which the container is respectively supported in generally vertical and horizontal orientations. The dasher includes blades configured to scrape an inner container wall during rotation in a first direction for mixing ice cream. Reverse rotation of the dasher advances ice cream toward the cover for dispensing.

Abstract: Icemakers are characterized by a plurality of vertical evaporator tubes arranged in parallel and in a circle within the interior of a cylindrical ice making section. During an ice making cycle, water is supplied to the exterior surfaces of the evaporator tubes and refrigerant is supplied to the interiors of the tubes, to cause tubes of ice to freeze on the evaporator tubes. At the end of the ice making cycle and during a harvest cycle, the evaporator tubes are heated to free the ice tubes from their bond to the evaporator tubes, and a driver is actuated to move the ice tubes slidably along and off of the evaporator tubes and to fracture the leading ends of the ice tubes into smaller pieces of ice as they leave the evaporator tubes. In one embodiment, the driver comprises a piston for pushing the ice tubes off of the evaporator tubes. In another embodiment, a helical driver moves the ice tubes off of the evaporator tubes.

Abstract: A reverse cycle heat reclaim coil in a refrigeration system having compressor, condenser and receiver means on the high side, including first valve means for selectively connecting the heat reclaim coil between the compressor discharge side and the condenser means to obtain heat reclamation during winter operations, and second valve means for selectively connecting the heat reclaim coil between the condenser and receiver means to obtain refrigerant subcooling during summer operations. The invention also includes the method of selectively connecting the heat reclaim coil in reverse cycle refrigerant flow in seasonal heat reclamation and subcooling modes.

Abstract: A condensate vapor and liquid vent for use with an operable air conditioning system in a habitable structure or enclosure which is substantially closed to the atmosphere. Ambient damp air under positive pressure is forced past a conventional refrigerated "A" frame evaporator of reduced temperature. The dampness and contaminants from the air are condensed, concentrated and collected in a pan which surrounds the lower portion of the "A" frame evaporator. A portion of the upper surface of the collection pan is enclosed except for a small opening around the "A" frame condenser and between the "A" frame evaporator and the upper surface of the collection pan. The collection pan has an inclined bottom surface to allow all of the condensate liquid to flow to one corner where a liquid drain removes condensate to the structure sewage system. Intermediate the corner of the collection pan and the conventional "P" trap of the condensate drain system is a vapor vent to atmosphere.

Abstract: An air conditioning system for roof mounting on motor vehicles having a compact design, and a favorable ratio of performance density, whereby such air conditioning system is cost-effective for retrofit and maintenance purposes. The air conditioning system has a large surface condenser block of the condenser part, arranged between the evaporator blocks of the evaporator part, resulting in a nest effect design of the condenser part and evaporator part. In order to ensure low resistance discharge of the condenser part's exhaust, and to further ensure uniform admission of circulating air to the entire height and length of the evaporator block, a specifically designed trough-shaped housing part is provided, which serves to transversely separate the evaporator part and the condenser part. Such a design of the air conditioning system reduces the dimensions of the assembly's height extending above the vehicle roof to a minimum.