Abstract: A refrigerator dispenser includes an ice dispensing actuator, an ice dispensing chute, an ice dispensing housing positioned within a refrigerator door cavity and configured to define an ice dispensing cavity through which ice dispensed by the ice dispensing chute passes, a liquid dispensing chute positioned closer to a front surface of a refrigerator door than the ice dispensing housing, and a liquid dispensing actuator positioned on the ice dispensing housing and configured to receive input to inspire dispensing of liquid through the liquid dispensing chute.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing saline slush for surgical applications. Producing surgical saline slush in a slush bottle that is a rigid or semi-rigid, high integrity, sturdy container that resists punctures and leaks to better maintain a sterile barrier and does not rely on having an external object placed in the fluid to mix the slush. Slush is agitated by rotating the slush bottle within a slush bottle carriage around an axis of rotation. Agitation of the slush may be increased by including an agitation feature such as at least one fin in one or more sidewalls of the slush bottle. The rotating slush bottle is chilled. One variation is to keep the sterile saline in a flexible container and tumble the flexible container in a rotating slush bottle. Other variations are suggested.

Abstract: A power management system (36) supplies power to a refrigeration unit (20) of a vehicle (22). When a vehicle engine (40) is running, the refrigeration unit receives power from a DC power source (38). When the vehicle engine is not operating, power is supplied through an AC source (46). A converter (42) within the power management system converts the AC power to Dc power and sends the power to the refrigeration unit. If the user attempts to start the vehicle engine when the refrigeration unit is receiving power through the converter, there is conflict in power supply. The power management system will activate an alarm (48) to alert the user to an attempt to power the refrigeration unit with two different power systems.

Abstract: A method of regulating the refrigerant temperature for a beverage machine, including a refrigeration system for producing a frozen beverage, operating at least one compressor at a speed to flow the refrigerant through the refrigeration system of the beverage machine and cooling the refrigerant with at least one condenser. The method may also include controllably varying the flow of air across the at least one condenser or the speed of the at least one compressor.

Abstract: An ice maker equipped with a convection fan includes a control box, an ice making tray, a water intake unit and an ice sweeping shaft. The control box holds at least one convection fan and has at least one air inlet and one air outlet to allow the convection fan to generate cooling air convection to accelerate cooling speed and improve ice making efficiency.

Abstract: A refrigerator dispenser includes an ice dispensing actuator, an ice dispensing chute oriented closer to a front surface of a refrigerator door than the ice dispensing actuator, a liquid dispensing actuator oriented closer to the front surface of the refrigerator door than the ice dispensing actuator and the ice dispensing chute, and a liquid dispensing chute oriented closer to the front surface of the refrigerator door than the ice dispensing actuator, the ice dispensing chute, and the liquid dispensing actuator. The ice dispensing actuator, the ice dispensing chute, the liquid dispensing actuator, and the liquid dispensing chute are arranged in a serial order, along a vertical plane that extends substantially perpendicular to the front surface of the refrigerator door within which the cavity exists, from a relatively deep position within the cavity to a relatively shallow position within the cavity or the front of the cavity.

Abstract: An autonomous water source for extracting water from ambient air and delivering it to a plant to support growth. The system is based on an adsorption-desorption-condensation cycle using a sorption material to extract moisture from ambient air and condensing the water vapor driven off from the sorption material by subsequent heating and followed by condensation. Liquid condensate produced in this process on the condenser is collected and delivered by gravity to a plant to reduce thermal stress and to support growth. The invention provides a sustainable source of irrigation water for agriculture and forestry, including areas where no water resources exist or are not economically viable. It can be tailored in size, and therefore, output capacity, reflecting the desired water requirements of a particular application, and can be used to replace most agricultural situations now reliant on surface water drip feed systems.

Abstract: Disclosed is a compact heat pump using water as refrigerant, including a casing having a first and second end sections and an intermediate section located therebetween, with an evaporator located at the first end section, configured for containing said water and allowing evaporation of at least a part of the water to produce vapor and remove heat from the remainder of the water. At least one agitator scoop is located within said evaporator, with one or more demisters installed between the evaporator and the compressor. The one or more compressors induce evaporation by maintaining vacuum at least at an intake conduit, and are configured for receiving the vapor through the intake conduit after passing through a heated demister. The condenser is configured for receiving the compressed vapor from the compressor, lowering the vapor temperature and condensing it back into a liquid state.

Abstract: A self cooling container for a beverage includes a receptacle holding a refrigerant under pressure. When an outer cap of the container is opened, the refrigerant is exhausted, cooling the receptacle and the beverage surrounding it. The receptacle includes an inner receptacle member and one or more walls extending around the receptacle member, with spaces between adjacent walls being established at descending pressure values outward from the inner receptacle, which is held at a high pressure.

Abstract: An method for converting tensile residual stress on an inner surface of a welded part of a pipe to compressive residual stress with use of ice plugs formed by cooling the pipe from the outer surface, comprises the steps of: placing refrigerant containers for forming the ice plugs in the upstream and downstream of a butt-welded part; cooling the outer surface of the pipe to form the ice plugs; and then cooling the outer surface of the pipe with use of at least one refrigerant container for expanding the pipe arranged between the refrigerant containers for forming the ice plugs. When the method is applied to a pipe with a large inside diameter, the method comprises forming the ice plugs at a curved pipe, an elbow or a branch pipe in the upstream and downstream of the butt-welded part.

Abstract: A compact heat pump system and a heat pump operation method, which can avoid the occurrence of surging in a compressor at startup of a heat pump and can directly supply vapor of a working medium produced by the compressor to an external heat-utilizing facility. The heat pump system includes an evaporator for recovering heat of an external heat source to a working medium supplied as liquid water from the exterior via a water feed channel, thereby evaporating the working medium, a compressor for compressing the working medium evaporated in the evaporator and increasing temperature of the evaporated working medium, and a driving unit for giving motive power to drive the compressor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a universal system for producing cost effective energy particularly for cooling purposes. In one embodiment, wind turbines are used to generate electricity and compressed air energy, wherein the compressed air energy is used to co-generate electricity and chilled air. The chilled air is then used to chill water in either a mixing chamber, or a desalination system, wherein the chilled water is stored in a separation tank, wherein it can later be used to provide cooling for an air conditioning system for a facility. When desalination is used, the system produces chilled fresh drinking water which can be used for air conditioning, and then used as fresh drinking water. Any exhaust chilled air can be used directly for air conditioning.

Abstract: Aircraft environmental control systems having a single ram air inlet providing air to both cabin air compressors and associated heat exchangers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, and environmental control system for use with an aircraft includes a ram air inlet, an air conditioning pack, and an associated heat exchanger. In this embodiment, the ram air inlet provides a first portion of air to the air conditioning pack, and a second portion of air to the associated heat exchanger. The first portion of air flows from the air conditioning pack and through the heat exchanger before flowing into an aircraft cabin. The second portion of air from the ram air inlet cools the first portion of air in the heat exchanger before exiting the aircraft through a ram air outlet. The inlet and outlet can be modulated on an optimized schedule to minimize the net drag of the ram system.

Abstract: A heat pump system is disclosed that utilizes a variable speed hydronics pump to selectively divert heat energy from a forced air heating system to a hydronics radiant heating system. By actively controlling the speed of the withdrawal of heat, the temperature of the forced air output may be maintained while maximizing the amount of heat delivered by the efficient hydronics system. The heat pump system also actively controls the blower of the forced air system. To reduce the frequency of the compressors cycling on and off, a tank may be used to store and dispense heat if the hydronics system is not of sufficient size.

Abstract: An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes an indoor unit casing having a first suction port, a panel, a moving mechanism, and a control unit. The panel opens the first suction port by moving so that the panel is spaced apart from the indoor unit casing, and closes the first suction port by moving so that the panel is proximate to the indoor unit casing. The moving mechanism moves the panel so that the first suction port is opened to a desired degree of opening. The control unit controls the moving mechanism. Furthermore, the control unit is capable of modifying the degree of opening of the first suction port to a desired degree of opening.

Abstract: The subject application relates to a remote control system and method for an ice maker machine. The system, for example, can monitor and regulate the operations of a plurality of ice maker components. An output display can also be employed in order to output relevant operating statuses to a user remotely or at a distance from the ice maker machine. The system can receive user input as well as sensor input and control the operation of the ice maker according to both types of input. As a result, a user can remotely determine failure modes and efficiently troubleshoot them as well as maintain an overall awareness of the operation status of the ice maker without physical interaction with the machine.

Abstract: A refrigeration unit includes an external housing located primarily outside of a vehicle compartment of a vehicle, and an internal housing located primarily inside of the vehicle compartment. A vehicle roof of the compartment has an external layer and an internal layer spaced apart from the external layer with insulation located there between. The vehicle roof includes an opening that receives the refrigeration unit. A gasket provides a seal between the refrigeration unit and the vehicle roof. The gasket covers the exterior layer and the interior layer. The gasket is formed of multiple layers of material which are secured to one another.

Abstract: An ice tray assembly and refrigerator having the same are disclosed, by which pieces of ice stored in a plurality of ice trays can be simultaneously discharged by a single motion without interfering with each other. The present invention includes a plurality of ice trays vertically provided within a case, a plurality of the ice trays connected to one another by an interoperating means to be simultaneously rotated and a driving means for rotating a plurality of the ice trays by being connected thereto.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, a refrigerator comprising an ice storage bucket and a cooling system in thermal communication with the ice storage bucket is shown. A first transmitter is configured in the ice storage bucket. A first pulse signal is transmitted from the first transmitter. A first receiver is configured in the ice storage bucket and is further configured to receive the first pulse signal. A first pre-signal response from the first receiver is generated before the first pulse signal. A first pulse signal response from the first receiver generated during the first pulse signal.

Abstract: Provided is an ice dispensing apparatus. The ice dispenser discharges a predetermined number of ice pieces at a time, and thus malfunctioning or errors caused by bottleneck condition can be prevented. Furthermore, inside a case of the ice dispenser, pieces of ice can be effectively prevented from sticking to each other in a simple way, and thus the reliability of products can be increased. The ice dispensing apparatus includes a case, a driving unit, and a regulator. The case includes an inlet receiving ice and an outlet discharging ice. The driving unit is disposed inside or outside the case. The regulator is disposed in the case at a predetermined side and rotatable by the driving unit. The regulator includes a spiral blade having a predetermined blade interval. A predetermined number of pieces of ice are guided by rotation of the spiral blade to the outlet of the case.