Patents by Inventor Bruce Lukens

Bruce Lukens has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9958168
    Abstract: Controlling an exhaust hood system having multiple hood sections each with an exhaust output having an associated damper, each exhaust output feeding to a common downstream fan, where damper position and fan speed control an exhaust flow rate through each hood section, involves monitoring at least one condition of each hood section and, based upon the monitoring, establishing a target flow rate for each hood section; based upon a sum of the target flow rates, establishing a fan speed; and monitoring an actual flow rate through each hood section and responsively controlling damper position to achieve the target flow rate for the hood section. Adjusting fan speed and damper position until damper position for at least one hood section achieves a predetermined open position, while at the same time each hood section satisfies its associated target flow rate, can reduce energy costs associated with system operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Bruce Lukens, Michael Borntrager
  • Patent number: 9702566
    Abstract: Controlling an exhaust hood system having multiple hood sections each with an exhaust output having an associated damper, each exhaust output feeding to a common downstream fan, where damper position and fan speed control an exhaust flow rate through each hood section, involves monitoring at least one condition of each hood section and, based upon the monitoring, establishing a target flow rate for each hood section; based upon a sum of the target flow rates, establishing a fan speed; and monitoring an actual flow rate through each hood section and responsively controlling damper position to achieve the target flow rate for the hood section. Adjusting fan speed and damper position until damper position for at least one hood section achieves a predetermined open position, while at the same time each hood section satisfies its associated target flow rate, can reduce energy costs associated with system operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Bruce Lukens, Michael Borntrager
  • Publication number: 20150211749
    Abstract: Controlling an exhaust hood system having multiple hood sections each with an exhaust output having an associated damper, each exhaust output feeding to a common downstream fan, where damper position and fan speed control an exhaust flow rate through each hood section, involves monitoring at least one condition of each hood section and, based upon the monitoring, establishing a target flow rate for each hood section; based upon a sum of the target flow rates, establishing a fan speed; and monitoring an actual flow rate through each hood section and responsively controlling damper position to achieve the target flow rate for the hood section. Adjusting fan speed and damper position until damper position for at least one hood section achieves a predetermined open position, while at the same time each hood section satisfies its associated target flow rate, can reduce energy costs associated with system operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Bruce Lukens, Michael Borntrager
  • Publication number: 20150211748
    Abstract: Controlling an exhaust hood system having multiple hood sections each with an exhaust output having an associated damper, each exhaust output feeding to a common downstream fan, where damper position and fan speed control an exhaust flow rate through each hood section, involves monitoring at least one condition of each hood section and, based upon the monitoring, establishing a target flow rate for each hood section; based upon a sum of the target flow rates, establishing a fan speed; and monitoring an actual flow rate through each hood section and responsively controlling damper position to achieve the target flow rate for the hood section. Adjusting fan speed and damper position until damper position for at least one hood section achieves a predetermined open position, while at the same time each hood section satisfies its associated target flow rate, can reduce energy costs associated with system operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Bruce Lukens, Michael Borntrager
  • Patent number: 8939142
    Abstract: An exhaust system includes a hood structure having one or more of (i) an exhaust flow infeed surface extending downward from a lower end of the filter unit that helps to feed the thermal plume toward the filter unit, (ii) a bypass flow transition surface extending upward from the upper end of the filter unit and then forward to aid bypass flow in circulating back toward the filter aperture and (iii) a front wall structure that includes a downwardly extending wall portion with a chamfered and/or curved transition portion at its lower end and a rearwardly extending wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: ITW Food Equipment Group LLC
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Kui-Chiu Kwok, Bruce Lukens
  • Publication number: 20130291855
    Abstract: An exhaust system includes a hood structure having one or more of (i) an exhaust flow infeed surface extending downward from a lower end of the filter unit that helps to feed the thermal plume toward the filter unit, (ii) a bypass flow transition surface extending upward from the upper end of the filter unit and then forward to aid bypass flow in circulating back toward the filter aperture and (iii) a front wall structure that includes a downwardly extending wall portion with a chamfered and/or curved transition portion at its lower end and a rearwardly extending wall portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Kui-Chiu Kwok, Bruce Lukens
  • Patent number: 8505530
    Abstract: An exhaust system includes a hood structure having one or more of (i) an exhaust flow infeed surface extending downward from a lower end of the filter unit that helps to feed the thermal plume toward the filter unit, (ii) a bypass flow transition surface extending upward from the upper end of the filter unit and then forward to aid bypass flow in circulating back toward the filter aperture and (iii) a front wall structure that includes a downwardly extending wall portion with a chamfered and/or curved transition portion at its lower end and a rearwardly extending wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: ITW Food Equipment Group LLC
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Kui-Chiu Kwok, Bruce Lukens
  • Publication number: 20110114076
    Abstract: An exhaust system includes a hood structure having one or more of (i) an exhaust flow infeed surface extending downward from a lower end of the filter unit that helps to feed the thermal plume toward the filter unit, (ii) a bypass flow transition surface extending upward from the upper end of the filter unit and then forward to aid bypass flow in circulating back toward the filter aperture and (iii) a front wall structure that includes a downwardly extending wall portion with a chamfered and/or curved transition portion at its lower end and a rearwardly extending wall portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Kui-Chiu Kwok, Bruce Lukens
  • Publication number: 20090042500
    Abstract: A ventilator assembly for removing contaminants in cooking exhaust includes a hood portion having a hood plenum and an exhaust portion downstream of and in fluid communication with the hood plenum. An electro-static precipitator is disposed in the hood plenum or the exhaust portion, and at least one ultra-violet lamp is disposed upstream of the electro-static precipitator for cleaning the electro-static precipitator. The ultra-violet radiation reacts with the cooking exhaust and removes collected contaminants from an electro-static cell of the electro-static precipitator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Russell Robison, Keven Hass, Bruce Lukens
  • Publication number: 20080072753
    Abstract: A grease filter unit includes a frame assembly and a filter material. The frame assembly includes a front frame member and a back frame member, with the filter material held between the two frame members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Bruce Lukens, Russell Robison, Joseph Salpietra, Todd Randinelli