Patents Examined by William R. Cline
  • Patent number: 4718478
    Abstract: A process controlling a thermal installation is described. The flow of a process liquid through a heat exchanger is achieved dependent upon two temperatures. One is the return temperature of the process liquid which, through the switching on and off or modulation of a circulation pump is maintained at a constant value. The other is the room or outside temperatures or the difference between these two temperatures, whereby during the deviation of a predeterminable limiting value the pump is also switched on and off or modulated. Since the supply temperature from a boiler has a constant temperature, for a central heating system the same amount of heat is drawn from each unit of heating water and thus the measure of the pump flow is sufficient to determine the actual heat consumption. Thereby the fair division of heating costs for each tenant according to actual amount consumed is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Inventor: Jakob Huber
  • Patent number: 4718130
    Abstract: An interdome enclosure system takes advantage of the latent heat of condensation for energy efficiency. The system includes, in combination with a humid environment, such as a heated pool and an outer enclosure housing the pool, an inner enclosure disposed within the outer enclosure and over the pool and a differntial fan operated heat exchanger for creating an atmospheric pressure within the space between the inner and outer enclosures which is positive relative to the atmospheric pressure within the inner enclosure. The heat exchanger includes a pair of conduits disposed in heat exchange relationship to one another. Assisted by an inlet fan, one conduit communicates dry, fresh cool air from the exterior of the outer enclosure into the space between the enclosures, while the other conduit, assisted by an exhaust fan, communicates moisture-laden, warm air from the inner enclosure directly to the exterior of the outer enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Interpools Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Tim J. Steinback
  • Patent number: 4716957
    Abstract: An air duct type multizone air conditioning system having air dampers and corresponding thermostats in respective zones under the control of a main controller. The main controller can override desired temperatures selected by the corresponding thermostats in any of the zones and automatically detects the number of the number of zones, the presence of an auxiliary heater, and a heat pump, and the presence of an air damper and corresponding thermostat properly located in the same zone. The main controller also receives information regarding the operating cost of the heat pump and the auxiliary heater to ensure their cost-effective use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Peter Thompson, Nobuo Otsuka, Kisuke Yamazaki, Hideo Igarashi
  • Patent number: 4716901
    Abstract: The invention relates to a surgical appliance for forming an opening through the skin of a patient and for distending the opening so formed. The appliance takes the form of a trocar which may comprise two separate components or two component portions formed by openings in a tube extending partially along the tube from the distal end. In either case, the components or component portions are preloaded towards a closed condition, but can be expanded into an open condition, for example by forcing a tubular expander into the trocar from the proximal end. The preloading of the trocar may be by a resilient sleeve surrounding the components or by a "set" introduced into the material forming the components. A cutting edge may be formed across substantially the full width of the distal end of the trocar and it is preferred that in the open condition, there is a no significant increase in the cross-section of the trocar towards the distal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Pratt Burnerd International Limited
    Inventors: Joseph F. Jackson, Steven S. Gill
  • Patent number: 4715334
    Abstract: A hydraulic lash adjusting tappet (10) for use in engine valve gear of the direct-acting type have one end of the tappet contacting the end (26) of the combustion chamber valve stem (22) and the other end contacting the camshaft lobe (16). The tappet has a body (34) formed with a tubular wall portion (36) having one end thereof closed by an end wall (38) and with a tubular hub (40) therewithin formed integrally with the end wall and extending axially therefrom. A lash adjuster assembly (44) is slidingly received in the tubular hub which defines a reaction surface (50) remote from the cam face reaction surface (18) defined by the end wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Buente, George A. Hillebrand
  • Patent number: 4715436
    Abstract: A heat transfer tube has at least a row of projections provided on its inner surface at regular intervals along a spiral curve thereof. The row of projections are formed by plastic deformation of part of the heat transfer tube, which is effected by pressing a rolling disc having projections against the outer surface of the heat transfer tube. The projections have smooth curved surfaces. The height of the projections ranges from 0.45 mm to 0.6 mm, their pitch along the spiral curve ranges from 3.5 mm to 5 mm, and their pitch in the axial direction ranges from 5 mm to 9 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Takahashi, Heikichi Kuwahara, Takehiko Yanagida, Wataru Nakayama, Kiyoshi Oizumi, Shigeo Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 4715520
    Abstract: In apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue clamped between fastener holding and anvil parts of the apparatus, tissue edge control members extend into at least one end, and preferably both ends, of the fastener array to prevent any portion of the tissue from extending beyond the ends of the array. This ensures that the fastener array extends completely across the tissue and that no portion of the tissue remains unfastened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation
    Inventors: William H. Roehr, Jr., Richard L. Goodman
  • Patent number: 4714107
    Abstract: A heat exchanger apparatus has a titanium liquid circuit for the passage of a liquid to be cooled. The liquid circuit has a liquid input and a liquid output and is formed with titanium walls having coacting ribs formed on two walls to spread the liquid passing therethrough. A pair of cooling circuits located adjacent to the liquid circuit has air or another cooling fluid passed therethrough for cooling the liquid passing through the liquid circuit. Each cooling circuit is attached adjacent one titanium wall of the liquid circuit and each has a purality of metallic cooling fins, such as pin fins, fixedly soldered or brazed to the titanium wall. The titanium liquid side has no brazed or soldered joint and this prevents corrosion and contamination, while the heat exchanger efficiency is enhanced by the thin walls of titanium having high heat transfer pin fins soldered or brazed directly to the air side. Complete access to the liquid side of the heat exchanger is provided for cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignee: International Laser Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony P. Adsett
  • Patent number: 4711294
    Abstract: A system for controlling the temperature and humidity of an enclosure such as a museum display case continuously extracts air from the enclosure, increases its humidity, cools it to a controlled temperature, at which point its humidity is 100%. The air is then heated and returned to the enclosure. By selection of the controlled temperature the relative humidity of the returned air may be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1987
    Inventors: Alphonse F. Jacobs, James R. Paxton
  • Patent number: 4711295
    Abstract: An air conditioner system for a vehicle includes a front-seat air conditioner unit, a rear-seat blower unit, and at least one connecting passage interconnecting a main duct of the front-seat air conditioner unit and a rear-seat duct of the rear-seat blower unit. The front-seat air conditioner has a main blower to blow air into a front-seat part, and the rear-seat blower unit has a rear-seat blower to force blown-off air into a rear-seat part. The main blower and the rear-seat blower are controlled with a relationship between them and predetermined patterns. The main blower supplies additional blown air into the rear-seat part when needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1987
    Assignee: Diesel Kiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Sakurai
  • Patent number: 4709668
    Abstract: A self-adjusting hydraulic valve tappet arranged in a bore of a cylindrical guide bore of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and being contacted at one end face by a cam of a shaft and bearing with a second end face against a valve stem, the tappet comprising a cup shaped housing comprised of a hollow cylindrical wall (2) closed at one end by an end member (3) against the outside of which the cam abuts and a cylindrical guide sleeve (6,30,32) concentric with the cylindrical wall (2) and arranged in the center of an annular flange element (5) which at its outer circumference merges into the cylindrical wall (2) of the housing and defines an annular oil reservoir (14) between the cylindrical wall (2) and the cylindrical guide sleeve (6,30,32), the oil reservoir (14) being supplied with oil through a bore (15) leading to the outside of the housing, a self-adjusting hydraulic play compensation element (13) being guided for longitudinal movement in the guide sleeve (6,30,32) and bearing with an end f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Horst Klug, Wolfgang Mocker, George Schaeffler, Walter Speil
  • Patent number: 4709751
    Abstract: A defroster outlet directs conditioned air toward a vehicle window to prevent the window from fogging over. The outlet is blocked when an air-cooling compressor is active. The outlet is unblocked when the compressor is inactive. The compressor may be activated and deactivated in accordance with the atmospheric temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiro Ichimaru, Shigeru Kobayashi, Toshio Ohashi
  • Patent number: 4708197
    Abstract: An air to air heat exchanger particularly for contaminated air from an animal barn or the like includes a core formed by a plurality of thin-walled flexible plastics tubes supported at respective ends in tube sheets. The tubes are held under tension and arranged vertically in parallel rows and columns so that cold fresh air enters parallel to the rows horizontally beneath the upper tube sheet and then moved downwardly along the outside of the tubes to escape horizontally parallel to the rows above the lower tube sheet. The contaminated warm air passes from a plenum beneath the lower tube sheet upwardly along the inside of the tubes to an outlet at the top of the tubes. This direction of movement of the air causes a self-cleaning effect by condensate at the top of the tubes running down and cleaning the interior of the tubes of any collected contaminants. The design also enables the use of convenient inexpensive flexible tubes without allowing air movement to cause unacceptable flexing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Inventor: R. Ralph Robbins
  • Patent number: 4706737
    Abstract: Coolant water is delivered to a fuel cell stack through a manifold which extends up the side of the stack and which communicates with the cooling plates in the stack by means of a plurality of outlet pipes or snivvies. The coolant exhausted from the stack is handled with a similar outlet manifold with corresponding outlet snivvies. The water is ducted into the inlet manifold via a conduit which opens into the inlet manifold at the top thereof and a bleed conduit extends from the inlet manifold at the bottom thereof, to an ion exchange bed polisher and then back to the cooling system bypassing the stack. In this manner, constriction of the snivvies by iron oxide and copper corrosion product is more uniformly distributed on the inlet side, and the corrosion products in the coolant water which settle to the bottom of the inlet manifold are carried around the stack to the polisher or ion exchange bed where particles are removed from the water, whereupon the water is returned to the coolant loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: International Fuel Cells Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Taylor, Martin L. Abrams
  • Patent number: 4705099
    Abstract: Herein disclosed is an improved cooling/heating unit incorporated with an automative air conditioner. The unit achieves quick freezing of ice cubes by stopping operation of an electric fan for a predetermined time. The electric fan is located in a refrigerated compartment through which a portion of an evaporator, which also passes through a freezer compartment, is arranged. By suppressing the operation of the fan, the total heat transfer capacity of the system can be directed toward increasing the cooling capacity in the freezer compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Taniguchi, Tomio Matsuno
  • Patent number: 4704995
    Abstract: A guide (28) is provided for retrofitting an existing internal combustion engine block (10) with roller cam followers (24 and 26) in place of conventional barrel-type lifters, without modification of the block itself. The guide includes a guide bar (64), keyed to the upper body (38) of each follower to allow limited rotational freedom thereof and a resilient C-shaped spring clip (70) which simultaneously bears downwardly on the upper surface of the guide bar and upwardly on the lower surface (40) of an engine block boss (18) defining follower receiving bores (20 and 22). Annular spacers (72) are provided, if required, to displace the guide bar upwardly from the upper surface (52) of the boss. An upper leg (76) of the spring clip wraps around the guide bar for retention therewith and a lower leg (78) of the spring clip is necked at a point (86) intermediate adjacent cylindrical portions (30 and 32) of the follower boss for retention therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Raymond A. Soeters, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4703795
    Abstract: A multistage space thermostat control system for controlling a refrigeration heat pump and a furnace controls the heat pump from a first stage of a space thermostat and a furnace from a second stage with anticipation circuit means associated with said thermostat control system which is changed in effectiveness depending upon the operation to reduce temperature swings in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1987
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Beckey
  • Patent number: 4697637
    Abstract: Rod type supports or baffles are disclosed for arrays of tubes, especially those arranged in the form of a tube bundle. Each baffle comprises a pair of arcuate surfaces with a plurality of rods extending therebetween and each rod being non-normally disposed with respect to the axis of a tube bundle. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of baffles are employed in a tube bundle so as to cause shell side fluid to sweep across the tubes in a spiral pattern, such as a double helical pattern. The invention provides an improvement in the mixing of shell side fluid in a rod baffle heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventor: Richard K. Young
  • Patent number: 4697636
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for exchange of heat between two media, especially gas and liquid, in heat pumps and the like, including an elongated, generally cylindrical space (2) passed through by one medium and having an inlet (3) arranged at one end and an outlet (7) at the other end, and a helical wall radially defining said space and delimiting a space through which the other medium is intended to flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Inventor: Carl G. Mellsjo
  • Patent number: 4696339
    Abstract: An oil cooler arrangement for internal-combustion engines is described which is used in particular for installation between the engine and an oil filter. The heat exchange space of this oil cooler through which the oil flows is formed as a housing chamber into which a heat exchange body is tightly placed through which the coolant, in particular, water, flows. The heat exchange body includes many parallel pipes, the ends of which are held in the bottoms of two oppositely disposed coolant collecting spaces. This design permits the production of oil coolers without soldering or welding processes. The water flow-through through the parallel pipes is also exactly defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Suddeutsche Kuhlerfabrik Julius Fr. Behr, GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Gebhard Schwarz